Tag: Psalm 68:24-35; 2 Samuel 3:12-16; Acts 23:12-35

After Pentecost | Tuesday 16 Jul 2024: Psalm 68:24-35; 2 Samuel 3:12-16; Acts 23:12-35 ~ Wisdom is guided by knowledge.

After Pentecost | Tuesday 16 Jul 2024

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Let your merciful ears, O Lord,
be open to the prayers of your humble servants;
and, that we may receive what we ask,
teach us by your Holy Spirit to ask
only those things that are pleasing to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with you and the same Spirit
lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

“Provide an animal for Paul to ride,
and take him safely to Governor Felix.”

(Acts 23:24)

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From Psalms: Psalm 68: “Let God Arise” | Gregory Wilbur

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OT Reading: 2 Samuel 3:12-16 (GW)

3:12 Then Abner sent messengers to David to speak on his behalf. “Who owns this country?” he asked. “Make an agreement with me,” he said. “I’ll support you and bring all Israel to you.”

“Good!” David answered. “I’ll make an agreement with you. But there’s one condition: You can’t come to see me unless you bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come.”

Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ishbosheth to say, “Give me my wife Michal. I made a payment of 100 Philistine foreskins for her.”

So Ishbosheth sent men to take her from her husband Paltiel, son of Laish. Her husband went with her and cried over her all the way to Bahurim. “Go home,” Abner told him. So he went home.

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Rescue – Bethel Music feat. Lauren Daigle | Peace, Vol II

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NT Reading: Acts 23:12-35 (GW)

Some Jews Plot to Kill Paul

23:12 In the morning the Jews formed a conspiracy. They asked God to curse them if they ate or drank anything before they had killed Paul. More than forty men took part in this plot.

They went to the chief priests and leaders ⌞of the people⌟ and said, “We’ve asked God to curse us if we taste any food before we’ve killed Paul. Here’s our plan: You and the council must go to the Roman officer on the pretext that you need more information from Paul. You have to make it look as though you want to get more accurate information about him. We’ll be ready to kill him before he gets to you.”

But Paul’s nephew heard about the ambush. He entered the barracks and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the sergeants and told him, “Take this young man to the officer. He has something to tell him.”

The sergeant took the young man to the officer and said, “The prisoner Paul called me. He asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

The officer took the young man by the arm, went where they could be alone, and asked him, “What do you have to tell me?”

The young man answered, “The Jews have planned to ask you to bring Paul to the Jewish council tomorrow. They’re going to make it look as though they want more accurate information about him. Don’t let them persuade you to do this. More than forty of them are planning to ambush him. They have asked God to curse them if they eat or drink anything before they have murdered him. They are ready now and are expecting you to promise ⌞that you will bring Paul⌟.”

The officer dismissed the young man and ordered him not to tell this information to anyone else.

Then the officer summoned two of his sergeants and told them, “I want 200 infantrymen, 70 soldiers on horseback, and 200 soldiers with spears. Have them ready to go to Caesarea at nine o’clock tonight. Provide an animal for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Governor Felix.” The officer wrote a letter to the governor with the following message:

Claudius Lysias sends greetings to Your Excellency, Governor Felix:

The Jews had seized this man and were going to murder him. When I found out that he was a Roman citizen, I went with my soldiers to rescue him. I wanted to know what they had against him. So I took him to their Jewish council and found their accusations had to do with disputes about their own laws. He wasn’t accused of anything for which he deserved to die or to be put into prison. Since I was informed that there was a plot against this man, I immediately sent him to you. I have also ordered his accusers to state their case against him in front of you.

So the infantrymen did as they had been ordered. They took Paul to the city of Antipatris during the night. They returned to their barracks the next day and let the soldiers on horseback travel with Paul. When the soldiers arrived in the city of Caesarea with Paul, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.

After the governor had read the letter, he asked Paul which province he was from. When he found out that Paul was from the province of Cilicia, he said, “I’ll hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then the governor gave orders to keep Paul under guard in Herod’s palace.

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My Life Is In Your Hands (The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir) | Alexandre Soares

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

William Temple
+ Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our  wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your  glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

+ Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

    • Protect Israel from the fiery darts of the evil one coming from every direction, both within and without.
    • Grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, and diplomatically;
    • Give them hearts to receive, and the courage to do, what’s right in your sight.
    • Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones;
    • Rebuke those who would use grief for evil purposes.
    • Bring swift and certain justice to all those complicit in the October 7th atrocities;
    • Deliver the hostages from captivity, and restore their souls.
    • Destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East.
    • Strengthen the Messianic communities – Jew and Arab alike – bind them together in love, that they may be a source of help, and healing, and hope;
    • Use them in the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
    • We pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

+ O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall  be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, into your presence, where we may be still and know that  you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Tuesday, 13 Jul 2021: Psalm 68:24-35; 2 Samuel 3:12-16; Acts 23:12-35 ~ Protected by Providence.

Tuesday, 13 Jul 2021:

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Let your merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of your
humble servants; and, that we may receive what we ask, teach us
by your Holy Spirit to ask only those things that are pleasing to
you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the same
Spirit lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

“When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor,
they presented Paul also before him.
On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from.
And when he learned that he was from Cilicia,
he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.”
And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.”
(Acts 23:33-35)

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Psalms: Psalm

Let God Arise (Psalm 68) (Isaac Watts)

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OT Reading: 2 Samuel 3:12-16 (ESV)

3:12  And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.” And he said, “Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” And he returned.

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His Mercy Is More – Shane & Shane

1: What love could remember, no wrongs we have done
Omniscient, all-knowing, He counts not their sum
Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more

Chorus: Praise the Lord
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness
New every morn’
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more

2: What patience would wait as we constantly roam
What Father so tender is calling us home
He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more

3: What riches of kindness He lavished on us
His blood was the payment His life was the cost
We stood ‘neath a debt we could never afford
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more

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NT Reading: Acts 23:12-35 (ESV)

A Plot to Kill Paul

23:12 When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”

Paul Sent to Felix the Governor

23:23  Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” And he wrote a letter to this effect:

“Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”

So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.

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Protector – Kim Walker-Smith

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Prayer:

+ O God, you desire that all people be saved and come to knowledge of the truth: Prosper all those who live, preach, and teach the Gospel at home and in distant lands; protect them in all perils, support them in their loneliness, sustain them in the hour of trial; give them your abundant grace to bear faithful  witness; and endue them with burning zeal and love, that they may turn many to righteousness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Almighty God, you have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; grant that we, who for our evil deeds deserve to be punished, by the might of your grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

+ Christ as a light, illumine and guide us. Christ as a shield, overshadow us. Christ under us; Christ over us; Christ beside us on our left and our right. This day be within and without us, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom we speak; in the mouth of each who speaks to us. This day be within and without us, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside us on our left and our right.

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Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with us, wherever He may send us.
May He guide us through the wilderness, protect us through the storm.
May He bring us home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown us.
May He bring us home rejoicing once again into our doors.

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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.