Compass Bible Church North Texas

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Questions or Comments? Email us podcast@compassntx.org

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Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Googley

01:29 Mens Retreat Preview

03:36 1 Samuel 30

08:31 1 Samuel 31

16:18 Luke 17:20-37

17:45 Closing Prayer

18:34 Podcast Outro

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back to another edition

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

3

Hello everybody.

4

Happy Monday.

5

It is Monday.

6

It's Monday after the

Biblical Counseling intensive.

7

Hopefully those of you that

participated enjoyed that and

8

grew and benefited from that, and

maybe some of you will even pursue

9

certification, so we'd love to see that.

10

What was your favorite part, pastor Bja?

11

My favorite part was seeing Pastor Lucas.

12

He's a good friend of mine.

13

Sweet.

14

From California, so yeah.

15

What was one of the things he

said that really impressed you?

16

He said to use the Bible

in your counseling.

17

He said something about the

Bible and then he said, right.

18

And I was like, man, he's right.

19

He really is right about that.

20

Well, profound.

21

Yeah.

22

It was so helpful.

23

All of the things that he said.

24

Yeah.

25

Well, yeah, if you guys are wondering

why we're like this top three things

26

that he said, pastor Mark, go.

27

God is the one and only true living God.

28

Oh yeah, I remember that.

29

Jesus is God.

30

Oh, and the Bible is sufficient.

31

The Bible is sufficient.

32

The Bible is his word.

33

Yeah.

34

That was really good.

35

That would basically summarize

every lecture he's given to this

36

point for biblical counseling.

37

So I think you nailed it, man.

38

Yeah that's really good,

really good synthesis.

39

If he said something other

than that, we're gonna have

40

to go and edit this episode.

41

That was kidding.

42

There might be other problems

too, but when's he coming back?

43

He's, I don't believe he is.

44

There's no, he's not coming back ever?

45

No.

46

That was part, well, he might, but

we don't have him on the calendar.

47

Oh.

48

But that was part one, or that

was part two of a two part.

49

Training only two part.

50

I thought they were

doing a three and four.

51

We were originally gonna do that and

then we condensed it all into two parts.

52

Oh, okay.

53

Yeah.

54

To satisfy some of the A CBC

requirements there, alright.

55

Well this week is Men's retreat.

56

Men's retreat.

57

If you liked some of the fellowship

you had this last weekend, this

58

fellowship is gonna be even better.

59

Yes.

60

For the men.

61

For the men, yeah.

62

Women, you're not invited.

63

Please don't come.

64

In fact, the registration

is in fact closed.

65

But for those of you who are coming,

and this is the most guys we've

66

taken thus far, praise God for that.

67

Yeah.

68

We are, I'm sure by the time you guys

hear this, we are gonna be in a full

69

force preparing for this weekend.

70

Pastor PJ's preaching.

71

Pastor Mark is preaching, and of course,

I myself am preaching and I'm really

72

excited for this theme, this topic, and.

73

We have something cool to

give you when you get there.

74

And it's better than a key chain.

75

A hundred bucks.

76

Not that.

77

No.

78

Close though.

79

Shoot these things.

80

Okay?

81

You're gonna like it, I think.

82

, this is an upgrade beyond the key chain.

83

Key chain is cool.

84

Not knocking that, that was great.

85

But this is cooler than the key chain.

86

I think you'll appreciate this.

87

I've got my key chains still on my keys.

88

It's right over there, so.

89

200 bucks.

90

No, no.

91

But we are stepping up our game this year.

92

No, it is.

93

I know what it is and I'm excited.

94

Oh yeah, me too.

95

Yeah, I'm pumped.

96

Yeah.

97

Gonna be an awesome weekend

Again, parable of the soils is

98

what we're talking about there.

99

Also, if you think about her.

100

Pray for our admin Kelly Smith.

101

She is on vacation.

102

This is a well-earned, long

weighted vacation so you can pray

103

for her to have a great time.

104

Where is she?

105

She is in a foreign country.

106

Gala Galapagos.

107

That's an island.

108

Saint Galapagos, St.

109

Martin.

110

I think she's tracing the steps of Darwin.

111

Well, she's not going

on the Artemis mission.

112

Artemis three art, you

know, that was on the table.

113

And then I was like, I think that's

a long time for you to be gone.

114

She told me something about bull riding.

115

That was part of it.

116

Yeah.

117

Running with the bulls

and then riding them.

118

Yes, is what she told me.

119

I thought it was the other way around.

120

Riding and then then running.

121

Oh, I thought they were running with her.

122

Then they wrote her.

123

That's so silly.

124

Anyways, yeah.

125

Pray for Kelly.

126

Yeah, pray for Kelly, please.

127

This is, she needs good rest.

128

She works really hard for us and we're

thankful that she gets that time away.

129

And while she's away, we're gonna be

employing an AI agent that has been

130

trained on Kelly's voice, Kelly's email,

Kelly's text messages, so you could do

131

all the communication you want with her.

132

She will be communicating the whole time.

133

And there's gonna even be

a robot Kelly on Sunday.

134

There will be a robot Kelly, not

like the witch of Endor though.

135

It's same.

136

This is not the same thing.

137

Not the same thing.

138

All right, well, hey, let's jump

into our daily Bible reading today.

139

We're in first Samuel 30 through

31 and Luke 17, 20 through 37.

140

First Samuel chapter 30.

141

You've got a pretty tragic scene.

142

Daniel or Daniel.

143

David had been with the Philistines

preparing to go out to battle, and

144

in the meantime, the Mals, another

of Israel's enemies had come and

145

raided the town that David and his.

146

Wives were staying in and in fact they

took captive David's wives and they

147

took captive the wives of David's men.

148

And so they come back here to

Ziklag, which is the town, and they

149

find it ransack, they find it burn,

they find all of their wives are

150

gone as well as their children.

151

And so the men are rightly

upset and mourning.

152

And David is mourning and

the men turn on David.

153

And this is probably not just

this moment that this is enough

154

of a moment to cause them to turn.

155

This is probably all of it built up.

156

David, you had multiple

times to take out Saul.

157

We would've been home by now.

158

Had you just taken him out in

the cave or taken him out in the

159

camp there and here We're out.

160

We're in Philistine territory

and we're away from Israel.

161

We're away from the tabernacle

and the presence of God.

162

And now our wives and children

are gone and we've had enough

163

and they wanna kill David.

164

And yet it says in the text, David

strengthened himself in the Lord.

165

David did not try to.

166

To win them over by his

wits and his charisma.

167

He went before the Lord and he pled before

the Lord and said, Lord, what do I do?

168

Should we pursue them?

169

Will you give us victory

if we go back after them?

170

And that's exactly what they end up doing.

171

God said, yes, do this.

172

And so David and his men

in a unique story here.

173

They go out and they find a servant.

174

And they find the servant who.

175

Doesn't know who he's talking to and

says, yeah , I've been hanging out

176

with the Amalekites and David and his

men begin to rub their hands together

177

and say, Hey, show us where they are.

178

And the servant says, well, as

long as you don't kill me, game on.

179

And so that's what happens.

180

They go down and they end up

leaving some of the men behind.

181

They end up.

182

Winning such a victory that the number of

survivors that flee from the Amalekites

183

is equal to the number of men that attack.

184

I think that's fascinating that it's

such a lopsided God working in this

185

victory out type situation here for

David and his men, and they regather all

186

their wives and everybody else as well.

187

Some of these accounts in the old t.

188

Are difficult for me to wrap my mind

around in the sense that they're just

189

such foreign situations to me that I

can read them and not really take the

190

weight and the gravity of these things.

191

None of us have been threatened or have

had a situation where our wives and

192

children were captured by foreign enemies.

193

Amen.

194

Let's keep it that way.

195

That sort of situation is so far for me.

196

That when I come to passages like

this, I really have to slow down

197

a little bit and think use the

historical knowledge I do have and

198

consider the gravity of this situation.

199

'cause because it's so foreign for

me, it can just be treated flippantly.

200

It could be treated carelessly by,

by me and by perhaps by you as well.

201

So I think it's interesting and to

really try to get your mind into.

202

The mindset of these people,

sort of like what Pastor PJ was,

203

talking about giving the context

for why all these people are so.

204

Angry at David, right?

205

We read this quickly and I

go, why are they mad at David?

206

Well, to all the things you mentioned in

Pastor pj, there's actually a lot of good

207

reason why they'd be upset with David.

208

And so making sure we read slowly

and carefully and with the historical

209

context that we can put into this,

I think is important to understand

210

these sort of passage as well.

211

It's a great reminder and just to

even think for a few brief moments.

212

That would've meant for them.

213

These guys are in such bitter distress.

214

They wanted to stone David

because of what this meant.

215

And just think about your family being.

216

Not just brutally murdered all

that, that alone would be awful.

217

But these guys are almost in a

worse situation where they're taken.

218

Yeah.

219

Which means all the terrible

things that you can think about,

220

everything that humans are known

to do, the kind of evil and the

221

inventiveness that we have around evil.

222

Just imagine all that and sit

in their shoes for a second and

223

realize what David was up against,

which is why it is so remarkable.

224

That David does go and strengthens

himself in the Lord despite the fact

225

that he was probably wrestling with

all the same feelings, if not more

226

so, because he was their leader.

227

He was the one that was responsible

for them and including the

228

people that were behind him.

229

So all of this puts us in a

situation to really appreciate

230

much more what was happening.

231

And even more than this, David's

in a historical context that would

232

not have existed if Saul did what

he was supposed to do with the

233

Amalekites way back in chapter 15.

234

Yeah, so David now is just like,

I'm just a victim of circumstances.

235

We're coming back from being

rejected at the Philistine front

236

lines, and we're coming back and

everything's been stolen from us.

237

And Lord, what do you, I just imagine

any one of us would've been wigging out.

238

What are you doing, Lord?

239

Why me?

240

Why this?

241

Why now?

242

What do you want from me?

243

That kind of thing.

244

And yet David humbles himself under the

circumstances, pursues the Lord, and then

245

seeks immediately the Lord's direction.

246

Lord, what do you want me to do?

247

Should I, should we overtake them?

248

Should we just, what do you want?

249

I love this scene because it does

help me feel a little bit more

250

of what's happening, but it also

shows one of David's highlights.

251

He's a man who genuinely wants to do

what the Lord wants, and that's why

252

the Lord blesses him as a result.

253

On chapter 31, we have the

fulfillment of the prophecy.

254

Oh, one more note.

255

At the end of chapter 30, I think

we see some of the wisdom of David

256

here when he takes the spoil from

this victory that's extra, and he

257

sends it to some of the other tribes

in the Judean region there David's

258

anticipating the fact that he will ev.

259

Ultimately lead these people.

260

He's been hanging out with the

Philistines and I think this is a way

261

of him showing, Hey, I'm still with you.

262

We're still of the same ilk here

and he probably curries some

263

favor with them as they're gonna

be as we'll see here shortly.

264

The first people.

265

They come to make David King

when Saul ends up dying.

266

And that's what happens in

Chapter 31, the Death of Saul.

267

This is the fulfillment of the prophecy

of the spirit, Samuel, at least as

268

Saul is hard pressed in battle along

with Jonathan and his other sons,

269

and they all fall in battle together.

270

Now, it's interesting because Saul is

going to fall on his sword and there's

271

gonna be a conflicting account here.

272

He says, he looks at his armor bear and

asks his armor bear to, to kill him.

273

And his armor bear says no.

274

And so then it says that

Saul fell on his sword.

275

And then his armor bear, once he saw that

Saul was dead, took his own life as well.

276

This is again, back to the

honor, shame idea of the time.

277

We don't look at taking your own

life as something that's honorable

278

in any way, shape, or form.

279

But here in this context, under the

threat of battle and in this culture,

280

this was the honorable thing for

Saul to do as well as his armor bear.

281

Now, in tomorrow's reading, we're

gonna find somebody shows up that

282

says, Hey I found Saul leaning

on his spear and I killed him.

283

And so which is it?

284

We're not entirely sure it's possible.

285

That it's a both end and

we'll hit that tomorrow.

286

But this is the death,

this is the fulfillment.

287

This is a tragic scene, not

only for the death of Saul,

288

but also the death of Jonathan.

289

And this is not a high point.

290

This is meant for us to grieve.

291

This is God's people.

292

This is the people of the promised Land.

293

This is the people of

the Abrahamic Covenant.

294

Now they're left.

295

Without a king in turmoil, the

Philistines have taken out the leaders.

296

The rest of the army has run and fled.

297

David has been in hiding

with the Philistines.

298

What's gonna happen, and we'll get

the answer to this shortly, but

299

this is a bad scene for Israel.

300

That's a consequence of

failed leadership from Saul.

301

I love your comment.

302

Going back to chapter 30 in the end of

it that just sparks some thoughts in my

303

mind and I do think we're seeing here

the transition of Saul to David in a

304

functional way as King of Israel and what.

305

David is doing at the end of

chapter 30, is doing the things

306

that a godly king ought to do.

307

And we don't see him doing this.

308

It's not in the narrative in

some sense, but I am imagining

309

that he's going back to the law.

310

Going back to the things that Moses.

311

Said, God said and trying to apply

them faithfully to this situation.

312

And so he's making statutes, right?

313

It says in verse 25, right?

314

He made it a statute and a rule for Israel

from that day forward to this day, right?

315

He's making a statute concerning the

situation, which has to do with returning

316

things back to who they belong to, right?

317

And I can imagine him going

back to places like Exodus 23.

318

Where there's a discussion of

returning the ox who is lost.

319

Right.

320

He's taking those principles that

God laid down in the law, and he's

321

coming up with statutes that are

godly and wise and in alignment

322

with the law as presented to Moses.

323

Yeah.

324

Okay.

325

I just wanna ask a

clarifying question here.

326

Was it right for SA then

to take his own life?

327

Would you say that that

was a good move for him?

328

I would separate this from what we

the word that we probably don't wanna

329

throw out on the podcast for reading.

330

Yeah.

331

We don't want, I would separate those two

concepts in this situation mostly because

332

it, it seems like it was, the writing was

on the wall, death was coming for him.

333

So this were like more like a mercy Right.

334

Ending.

335

Right.

336

Okay.

337

And that's where I think the

honor element, we even see this

338

in other cultures as well that

there is an honor cult element of

339

taking your own life rather than

letting your enemy take your life.

340

When it's that situation, I'm

not necessarily trying to commend

341

this and say This is a good thing.

342

I think that I'm just trying

to say, this is kind of getting

343

behind, this is the why.

344

Yeah.

345

Let's be abundantly clear then

and be sure that we don't send

346

any confusing messages here.

347

It is never appropriate.

348

For a human to take their

own life into their hands.

349

Yes.

350

I don't know if he was on the way

out as verse four says, he says to

351

his armor bearer, draw your sword and

thrust me through with it, lest these

352

people come in and they mistreat me.

353

So I think his fear and concern is

that they're going to dishonor, shame

354

me, humiliate me and that does play a

large role in the calculus for them.

355

But I don't think from God's

purview, I don't think he ever

356

wants us to consider this unless.

357

If it's a foregone conclusion in fact

I think about the proverb, give wine

358

to the perishing, give strong drink

to the one who is already dying.

359

That's what agars mom says to him.

360

Proverbs chapter 30.

361

So there is a place for medicine and

even something to help people leave.

362

The leave life in a less painful way.

363

And I could see something like that

playing a role in this question here.

364

But by and large, God wants

us to stay alive there.

365

There's an ongoing fact, I think

Moeller talked about this recently.

366

Dr.

367

Albert Moeller, a president of

the Southern Baptist Theological

368

Seminary, he talks about medical

assistance in dying, often called maid.

369

And it's a big strong push

right now because people want

370

to die in their own terms.

371

Mm-hmm.

372

And if there's enough suffering,

psychological, physical, or

373

otherwise, people can make a case.

374

I want you to allow me to die.

375

And we don't want to honor or esteem

that which God does not honor or esteem

376

by and large, God wants us to stay

alive and let him determine when we end

377

our lives or when our lives are over.

378

He has initiated us.

379

He's the one who gets to determine

when our days are finished.

380

And so I would caution anyone

to think anything close to.

381

Like this is okay.

382

It's not okay.

383

We don't encourage you

to think in this way.

384

We'd encourage you to stay alive for the

sake of Christ and for the sake of his

385

people, and let him determine when you go.

386

A hundred percent agree.

387

In no way was I trying to suggest

that this is a good thing or a

388

commendable thing or something.

389

I didn't think so.

390

That's why I wanted to be sure that

we say it without any equivocation.

391

We are for life.

392

We don't want you to take your

own, because even in those end of

393

life situations, give strong drink,

we're not accelerating death.

394

We're simply trying to make the natural

process of death more comfortable.

395

Yeah.

396

Palliative care as sometimes we call

that, which is why this is different.

397

Yeah.

398

Because I think he's

still alive, he's injured.

399

His concern is that they're going to.

400

Do something really bad to him.

401

And that's a fair concern.

402

And I think it is still a good question

is this warranted enough to say, well,

403

because that's probably gonna happen.

404

Let's do something about that.

405

I know that in the military they

are given options like that.

406

Like if you're caught by in an enemy

force and they're going to do things to

407

you to get you to reveal information.

408

Here's something to help you with that.

409

So that you don't have to go through that.

410

Right.

411

I understand.

412

Is that something a Christian should do?

413

Oh boy.

414

Yeah.

415

I know it's a very sticky situation.

416

There's lots of questions around it, so

I don't want to throw shade and assume

417

that I know all the intricacies of

this, but I do know this is more than

418

just, oh, it's a honorable way to die.

419

I don't know if we could just

blatantly say that without adding

420

all these layers of, well, hold on.

421

Think about what?

422

About all these things.

423

I agree.

424

I agree.

425

Yep.

426

Yeah, I think it's the mistreating

that's the issue here, right?

427

He says, mistreat me.

428

So his concern is the

mistreatment of himself, right?

429

I think there is arguably a

place where somebody might.

430

Allow themselves to die in a military

combat situation because you're

431

trying to protect other people, right?

432

You may do something that you are

pretty sure will result in your own

433

death or maybe even certain that will

result in your own death because you're

434

concerned about protecting other people.

435

Right?

436

And so I think it's good clarification.

437

I think the issue here

is that specific phrase.

438

That they mistreat me, right?

439

He's not concerned about the

mistreatment of God's anointed or

440

God's people or God's reputation.

441

He's concerned about himself.

442

And so I think that distinction

can help answer, how do we

443

answer all these other questions?

444

Right?

445

What is the goal in this

particular decision?

446

Is it I'm concerned about the mistreatment

of myself, or am I concerned about

447

protecting and caring for others?

448

That's a helpful clarification.

449

Well, let's slip over to Luke chapter 17.

450

Luke chapter 17, verses 20 through 37.

451

Jesus is gonna be asked a question from

the Pharisees about the kingdom of God.

452

They wanna know, is it here?

453

Where is the kingdom?

454

Let us see it.

455

And so Jesus' response is, well,

the kingdom is not physical

456

as you might assume it is.

457

And.

458

Remember, this is a group of Jews that

are expecting the messianic kingdom.

459

And so perhaps this is even a

genuine question of some of these

460

Pharisees saying if you're the

one, then where's the kingdom?

461

Let's do this.

462

Jesus says, the kingdom is

not what you think it is.

463

In fact, the kingdom is in your midst.

464

Now he's referring to himself.

465

Where Jesus is there.

466

The kingdom of God is

because Jesus is the king.

467

He is the messianic king.

468

He's going to be future.

469

The Messianic king is currently the

Messianic king, and so he's making this

470

statement, the kingdom of God is in your

midst, referring to his own presence Now.

471

That doesn't suggest as some of our

brothers in Christ, the amillennialist

472

might suggest that the kingdom

of God is a metaphorical kingdom.

473

That we shouldn't expect a literal

kingdom of God either, because he's,

474

he talks about going away, but then

the kingdom coming back, he said,

475

when the kingdom's coming, king

Kingdom comes, and this is the rest

476

of this, it's going to come suddenly.

477

And that's his point here.

478

You need to be aware that

it's going to come suddenly.

479

And the tragedy is there's gonna be

so many people that aren't ready for

480

it, and they're gonna be taken away.

481

And taken into judgment.

482

So Jesus is engaging with the

Pharisees, with this question about

483

the kingdom of God, but he's trying

to reframe their expectations.

484

It's, he's not there at his first

coming to set up the kingdom.

485

The setting up an establishment of the

kingdom will come at a second coming.

486

And that's gonna be a time that if

they're not ready for it, is gonna

487

be quite the tragic time for them.

488

All right, let's pray for our rest of our

time and we will wrap up this episode.

489

Well, thanks for this conversation even

about hard things, difficult things like

490

the end of life and what that looks like.

491

And we thank you that your word

is clear that we trust you.

492

You are the one that has created us.

493

Even Psalm 1 39, you all of

our days are in your book.

494

And so that.

495

Last day that's in your

book is not ours to decide.

496

It's yours to decide.

497

And so we pray, God, that you would

help us to live with honor and to live

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ready for death whenever it comes, and

to live rigorously and robustly live

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life to the fullest while we have it so

that we can serve you most effectively

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until that time that you do call us home.

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So we thank you for the examples

of faithful believers that

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we've all known, I'm sure that

have lived that type of life.

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We pray that we would be those.

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Believers as well.

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We pray this in Jesus name, amen.

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Keep in your Bibles y'all.

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Tune in again tomorrow for two Tuesday's

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.

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See you tomorrow.

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Bye.

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Edward: Thank you for listening to another

episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

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We’re grateful you chose to

spend time with us today.

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This podcast is a ministry of

Compass Bible Church in North Texas.

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You can learn more about our

church at compassntx.org.

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If this podcast has been helpful,

we’d appreciate it if you’d consider

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leaving a review, rating the show,

or sharing it with someone else.

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We hope you’ll join us again

tomorrow for another episode

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of the Daily Bible Podcast.