Psalm 52

Can one read this using “addiction” in the place of the evil force?

“I am like a green olive tree… I trust in the goodness of God”.

Psalm 52

On this reading I am struck by the condemnation of the evil tongue and malicious words in the opening verses of this psalm.  While the physical violence which characterised so much of the OT is not daily fare for at least some of us, destruction wrought by the tongue often is.  Something to examine myself on.

Psalm 51

The classic psalm of repentance.  There surely is a greater sense of personal guilt here than we sometimes accredit to the OT.

1 Kings 1 – 3

David is old – and can’t get warm!

His son Adonijah claims the throne.  Some of the officials, including Joab, support him, but others don’t.  Bathsheba and Nathan make this known to David, claiming that he has promised the throne to Solomon.  David arranges an anointing as king for Solomon.  This news is brought to Adonijah and his guests.  Adonijah fears Solomon, and begs for his life.  Solomon grant it, conditional on his showing himself worthy.  Adonijah submits to him.

David, on his deathbed, gives instructions to Solomon to walk in the way of the Lord, but also about whom (individuals) he should treat well and whom he should punish because of what they did to or for David during his life.

David dies, after 40 years of kingship.  Solomon succeeds him and his reign is firmly established.

Adonijah, through Bathsheba, asks Solomon for Abishag the Shunnamite (the gal who kept David warm in his old age) as his wife.  Solomon considers this utter impertinence, and has Adonijah put to death immediately.  (A bit insecure, Solomon?  a bit of an over-reaction?)  He also banishes Abiathar the priest.  Joab is also killed.  (This is following the instructions of David).  Benaiah becomes army chief, and Zadok becomes chief priest.  Shimei is given a house in Jerusalem, but when he leaves it and goes to Gath (on a fairly simple errand) he is considered unworthy and is killed by Solomon (again fulfilling David’s instructions).

Solomon takes an Egyptian wife.

The people still go to the High Places to sacrifice.  Solomon goes to the high place at Gibeon to sacrifice (big time!) and the Lord appears to him and offers to grant a request.  David asks for wisdom; the Lord promises to grant it, along with riches and long life and triumph over enemies.

An example of Solomon’s wisdom is given in the story of the two women and the dead baby (that story always gives me the creeps, I find it an unconvincing example of wisdom).

Taking stock at 40%

I’ve just reached the 40% mark in my reading (according to the Bible Reading Plan that I’m using).  This is much further on that I expected at the beginning that I would be.  However, by now I’m changed my goal, and I’d like to complete the whole Bible before I go on vacation in early June.  Being realistic, that’s a bit unlikely, as it would mean an even higher average number of passages read daily than I have managed up to now, and I can’t really see that happening.  But it’s good to keep it there as a target.

I’m reading big, big sections at a time, and enjoying it all.  Some days I get a little less enthusiastic, but never to the point where I feel not going on.  There’s a lot of the Old Testament still to go: I’ve just finished the second book of Samuel and I’m facing into the books of Kings and Chronicles next, which may be a bit uninspiring, especially Chronicles.  But after that there won’t be too much history left, just a quick spin through Ezra and Nehemiah, from the later period, and then on to the Prophets.  I’m also making my way slowly through the psalms; they act as kind of “stocking-filler” readings.  I’m only up to psalm 50, so there’s still two-thirds of that book to go.  I like picking them up from time to time.  There are also other wisdom writings which I have left to read.

In the New Testament I’ve completed all the genuinely Pauline letters, and have got a new appreciation for Paul.  I’ve also read the two longest (I think) gospels, Matthew and Luke, in one sitting each.  Next I’ll read Acts, following Luke; and then go back to Mark and John.  The Johannine letters will follow John.  The other NT epistles will fit in in the odd moments.  I’d like to leave Revelation till last, though if I finish in May that will mean reading it in Eastertide and I’ve made something of a point of not reading the texts at the liturgical times usually ascribed to them.  But all that is for the future.

For now, I’m just saying that I’m really glad I joined this challenge.

Psalm 50

Again and again God says of different things that they are “mine… mine… mine”.  Does God’s giving us free will and the ability to distance ourselves from him make us less “his”, less a possession of his?  Theologically I suppose the answer has to be “no”, yet he must be less sure of us, somehow… And yet we are God’s.  Odd, that one.

Psalm 49

I am always astounded at this and similar psalms which express confidence in the goodness of God and the triumph of justice, without a clear notion of the afterlife.  It is incomprehensible to me how they can proclaim ultimate meaning, rather than ultimate absurdity, based on this world alone.  Or is my faith just a whistling-past-the-cemetery kind?  But I do admire this psalmist.  I hope he lives for ever in the eternal justice which he believed would be his.