Review of the text

• John 6:9-11
• John 6:22-27
• Figures of speech in John
  • Physical vs. spiritual
    • John 3:3-7
    • John 4:13-14
    • John 4:31-34
    • John 7:37-38
    • John 8:31-36
    • John 8:38-39, 44
    • John 6:31-35 – Physical bread vs. spiritual bread.
• John 6:44-46 – In v45, it is those who have heard and learned from God that came to Jesus. It was not a miraculous intervention.
• John 6:51-58 – Jesus is the living bread from heaven.
  • The phrases about eating His flesh and drinking His blood are about consuming the teaching that Jesus brought to the world.
    • I Corinthians 1:22

Observations

Check your motive.

• John 6:26, 25, 59-63, 66-68

This is not teaching transubstantiation.

• Matthew 26:26-28
• This teaching is not in the text. Jesus was still there when He said to eat His flesh.
• Drinking blood was not permitted under the Law of Moses.
• This is a figure of speech!

You can learn a lot from reading.

What about David?

• Still young – mid 20s
• Saul still king
  • David already anointed
  • Goliath killed
  • David on the run from Saul
  • Saul had 85 priests killed
  • David spared Saul’s life at Engedi
  • Samuel dies
• I Samuel 25
• David just back from sparing Saul
• Still hiding out
• Considerate of Nabal and his men
• Sends emissaries to Nabal
  • We’ve been good to your shepherds
  • Let us eat from your leftovers

David itching for a fight

• What kind of people did David hang out with?
  • David himself a fighter
    • Lion
    • Bear
    • Goliath
  • Jonathan
  • David’s mighty men
    • II Samuel 23

Abigail acts

• This is the first she’s heard
  • Nabal had insulted the greatest warfighter in Israel
  • Didn’t bother to tell his wife
  • Now she’s hearing it for the first time
• Time to act
  • No delay
  • No holding back
• David and Abigail meet on the trail
  • David still fuming
  • Totally set for a fight
  • Vows death and destruction
  • Abigail shows humility and contriteness
  • Begs David’s audience

Abigail’s plea to David

• Plays down Nabal’s importance
  • He is as his name – foolish folly
  • No need to heed
• Takes blame again
• Calls David’s intent sinful – without calling it sinful
• Calls all of David’s enemies worthless
• Shows that she listens well
• Blesses David
• Appeals to what David knows well

David relents

• Abigail acknowledges David’s kingship
  • Reminds David of the sinful nature of his quest
  • Asks David to remember her when God blesses him
• David thanks God for sending Abigail to him
  • Admits his quest was wrong in God’s eyes
  • Notes the harm he had been determined to do

Aftermath

• David takes the gifts, sends Abigail home
• Finds Nabal
  • Feasting, acting the happy drunk
  • Abigail keeps her silence
  • Waits until morning
• Hangover comes
  • Abigail tells all
  • Nabal catatonic
  • Dies ten days later

Epilogue

• David learns from Abigail
  • Acts quickly at the news of Nabal
  • Acknowledges being blessed by Abigail’s intervention
  • Proclaims that Nabal’s death was at God’s hand
  • Proposes remotely to Abigail
• Abigail’s response
  • Not arrogant at her new position
  • Totally humble
  • Quick to go
  • Begins a life of adventure with David

[Note: In this lesson, David talks about Jesus in the past tense, referring to His human existence on earth. In the spiritual sense, Jesus still exists and has always existed. -MRW]

Introduction

• Matthew 16:13-14

He was a real person who lived 2,000 years ago.

• Luke 1:1-5; 2:7; 3:23
• Tacitus wrote about Christians in the first century.

He was the Son of God who lived in a human body.

• John 1:1-5
• Jesus was not simply a wise teacher. He is God’s son.

He introduced a new covenant into the world.

• God had a covenant with Israel, which had been in place for about 1500 years when Jesus arrived.
• John 1:17
• The Old Covenant was meant to be temporary. The New Covenant is better in every way and open to everyone.
• Hebrews 8:1-13

He came to be our Savior.

• I John 4:9-14

He performed miracles to prove His claims.

• Luke 5:18-26
• His followers were persecuted and killed.

He was crucified as a sacrifice for our sins.

• Mark 15:24-39
• Ephesians 1:7

He rose from the dead.

• Mark 16:1-8
• I Corinthians 15:17

He ascended to heaven.

• Acts 1:1-11

His apostles spread their eyewitness testimony.

• Acts 1:8, 21
• I John 1:1-14

He will judge the world in the end.

• Matthew 25:31-46

Deuteronomy 6

• Deuteronomy 6:1-9 – Love God and teach your kids.
  • There is only one God! Love and worship Him only.
  • Deuteronomy 6:4-5 – This section is called the “shema” and is recited day and night by orthodox Jews still today.
  • Matthew 22:35-38
  • Some say that the Old Covenant was external and the New Covenant is internal, but God has always cared about the heart.
    • Genesis 6:5
  • Kids can smell hypocrisy from a mile away, so you must serve God yourself if you want to teach your kids to do so.
  • Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – Spiritual discussions should happen all the time.
  • Deuteronomy 6:8-9 – Compare Proverbs 3:3. This was figurative language.
• Deuteronomy 6:10-12 – When you get blessed, don’t forget God.
• Deuteronomy 6:13-19 – Fear God and obey.
• Deuteronomy 6:20-25 – “When your son also asks you …”

Deuteronomy 7

• Deuteronomy 7:1-5 – Don’t merge with idolatrous nations.
  • God had likely sent prophet after prophet to these sinful nations.
• Deuteronomy 7:6-11 – God chose you and blessed you, so obey Him!
  • I Peter 2:9-12 – Christians are now God’s chosen people.
• Deuteronomy 7:12-26 – God will bless you, just don’t be ensnared by sin!

Deuteronomy 8

• Deuteronomy 8:1-5 – God tested Israel.
  • Deuteronomy 8:3 – Quoted in Matthew 4 when Jesus is tempted.
• Deuteronomy 8:6-20 – Don’t forget God.

Introduction

• II Kings 17:5
• Genesis 12:7 – Promises to Abraham
• II Kings 17 – God’s assessment of what went wrong with Israel.

Quit trying to be like the world.

• II Kings 17:7-13 – Israel started living like the people of the land who God had punished for living that way!
• II Kings 17:19 – Israel was then a bad influence on Judah.
• Acts 2:38-40 – “Be saved from this perverse generation.”
• Philippians 2:14-15
• Judges 2:12
• Israel started to blend in with the sinful world.
• Romans 12:2 – We must become what God wants us to be.
• James 4:4
• I John 2:15

Get back to God’s word.

• II Kings 17:12-13; Exodus 20:4 – God’s instructions on this were clear.
• Jeremiah 7:1-10
• We have a good amount of control over what influences us. It is our choice how much we read our Bible!
• Luke 8:19-21
• Proverbs 30:5
• Psalms 119:101-104

God will definitely punish.

• II Kings 17:18-23
• Deuteronomy 4:25-27
• Joshua 23:14-16 – God promised they would be punished.
• II Peter 3:7-9, 17-18 – God doesn’t want anyone to be punished but He is just.