For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Mark 7
Analyze Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees? Which of these problems are still common for religious people? There is nothing wrong with traditions. They help us to remember and celebrate worthwhile things. God even gave several traditions to the Jews so that they could remember the great things He had done for them and look ahead to the things He has promised. As with everything else, however, we need to be careful with traditions.
The Jews had adopted many traditions that were not from God, but were from the elders. While these things may have started with good intent, the Jews allowed them to become the standard by which people were measured. In other words, they allowed these traditions to replace God. Jesus told the religious leaders, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!” (Mark 7:9a). So traditions are only good so far as they help us to obey God’s command to love Him and love others. As always, it comes down to setting ourselves aside and keeping God alone as the standard for our lives.
1 Sam. 27-28
How do you feel about David’s actions in this chapter? What questions does it raise for you about David? About God? There are a lot of things I don’t understand in the Bible. David’s escaping to the Philistines sure looks a lot like taking things into his own hands to me. “But David thought to himself”, it says. (1 Sam 27:1a). There is no indication to me that God directed David to go or that David even asked.
Although I must say, I never quite got what was going on in this situation until now. It seems that David continued to attack Israel’s non-Philistine enemies from his new place of refuge. He wiped out the people but kept the provisions so that his deception to Achish, who believed David was raiding Israeli settlements, would not be discovered. This makes me think of Jesus’ words to His disciples. “For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” (Luke 16:8). And again, “Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matt. 10:16).
So, just as I don’t see any indication that God directed David to Gath, I don’t see any indication that David did anything wrong in going. It looks to me like David continued to fight God’s enemies, never truly allying himself with the Philistine leader, Achish. And it seems that he found some degree of peace and prosperity for himself and his men while he waited for his appointed time to become king. Shrewd? Perhaps. I don’t know what David’s intentions were when he was to accompany Achish in the attack against Israel, but I rather imagine that he trusted God to work that situation out.