+ DAILY PRAYER +
The Famine Brings Justice There was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David ?inquired of Yahweh?, and Yahweh said, “The bloodguilt is on Saul and on his household, because he killed the Gibeonites.” 2So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not from the ?Israelites?; they were from the remainder of the Amorites.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you;
He will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 40:6-10
Psa 40:6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
Psa 40:7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
Psa 40:8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”
Psa 40:9 I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.
Psa 40:10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
Reading for Thursday January 4th 2 Samuel 21
The Famine Brings Justice
21 There was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David ?inquired of Yahweh?, and Yahweh said, “The bloodguilt is on Saul and on his household, because he killed the Gibeonites.” 2So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not from the ?Israelites?; they were from the remainder of the Amorites. Now the ?Israelites? had sworn to them, but Saul tried to wipe them out in his zeal for the ?Israelites? and Judah. 3So David asked the Gibeonites, “What can I do for you, and with what can I make amends that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?” 4Then the Gibeonites said to him, “?It is not a matter for us of? silver or gold with Saul or with his household. It is not for us to put to death anyone in Israel.” He asked, “What are you saying that I should do for you all?” 5Then they said to the king, “The man who consumed us and who plotted against us so that we were destroyed from existing in all of the territory of Israel, 6let seven men from his sons be given over to us, and we will execute them before Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen one of Yahweh.” Then the king said, “I will give them over.” 7But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the sworn oath of Yahweh which was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8So the king took two of the sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, namely Armoni and Mephibosheth, and five of the sons of Michal the daughter of Saul whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 9He gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they executed them on the mountain in the presence of Yahweh, and the seven fell together. Now they were put to death in the days of the harvest, at the beginning of the harvest of barley.
10Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took the sackcloth, and she spread it for herself on the rock at the beginning of the harvest until water gushed forth on them from heaven, but she did not allow the birds of heaven to rest on them by day nor the animals of the field by night. 11David was told about what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. 12So David left and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the rulers of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth Shan, where the Philistines hung them ?when? the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. 13He brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there, and they gathered the bones of the executed. 14And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin at Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. They did all that the king had commanded, and afterward God was entreated for the land.
Battles with the Philistines Recounted
15There was war again for the Philistines with Israel, and David and his servants with him went down, and they fought the Philistines, and David grew weary. 16Now Yishbi in Nob, who was among the descendents of Raphah (now the weight of his spearhead was three hundredweight of bronze, and he was newly armed), said that he would kill David. 17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and he attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “You shall not go out with us any longer to the battle, so that you do not quench the lamp of Israel.”
18It happened afterward that there was again battle at Gob with the Philistines. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph who was among the descendants of the Raphah.
19There was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. And Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim, the Bethlehemite, killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like the beam of a weaver.
20Once again there was battle at Gath, and there was ?a man of great size?. The fingers of his hand and the toes of his feet were six and six, twenty-four in number. He was also born to the Raphah. 21He taunted Israel but Jonathan the son of Shimei, the brother of David, killed him. 22These four were born for the Raphah in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
Lord’s Prayer
Daily Prayer
Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true Light of Your incarnate Word. Grant that this Light may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Concluding Prayer
Heavenly Father, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts to direct and rule us according to Your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
