Romans 11:1-24; 1 Samuel 20; Psalms 65

Romans 11:1-24

1 I ask, then, has God rejected His people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the Elijah section-how he pleads with God against Israel?

3 Lord, they have killed Your prophets, torn down Your altars; and I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life!

4 But what was God's reply to him? I have left 7,000 men for Myself who have not bowed down to Baal.

5 In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.

6 Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.

7 What then? Israel did not find what it was looking for, but the elect did find it. The rest were hardened,

8 as it is written: God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that cannot see and ears that cannot hear, to this day .

9 And David says: Let their feasting become a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a retribution to them.

10 Let their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent continually.

11 I ask, then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.

12 Now if their stumbling brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full number bring!

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. In view of the fact that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

14 if I can somehow make my own people jealous and save some of them.

15 For if their being rejected is world reconciliation, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

16 Now if the firstfruits offered up are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them, and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree,

18 do not brag that you are better than those branches. But if you do brag-you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you.

19 Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."

20 True enough; they were broken off by unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.

21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either.

22 Therefore, consider God's kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness toward you-if you remain in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

23 And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again.

24 For if you were cut off from your native wild olive, and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these-the natural branches-be grafted into their own olive tree?

1 Samuel 20

1 David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What did I do wrong? How have I sinned against your father so that he wants to take my life?"

2 Jonathan said to him, "No, you won't die. Listen, my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This can't be [true]."

3 But David said, "Your father certainly knows that you have come to look favorably on me. He has said, 'Jonathan must not know of this, or else he will be grieved.' " David also swore, "As surely as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death."

4 Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."

5 So David told him, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I'm supposed to sit down and eat with the king. Instead, let me go, and I'll hide in the field until the third night.

6 If your father misses me at all, say, 'David urgently requested my permission to quickly go to his town Bethlehem for an annual sacrifice there involving the whole clan.'

7 If he says, 'Good,' then your servant is safe, but if he becomes angry, you will know he has evil intentions.

8 Deal faithfully with your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant before the Lord with you. If I have done anything wrong, then kill me yourself; why take me to your father?"

9 "No!" Jonathan responded. "If I ever find out my father has evil intentions against you, wouldn't I tell you about it?"

10 So David asked Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"

11 He answered David, "Come on, let's go out to the field." So both of them went out to the field.

12 "By the Lord, the God of Israel, if I sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day and I find out that he is favorable toward you, and if I do not send for you and tell you,

13 then may God punish Jonathan and do so severely. If my father intends to bring evil on you, then I will tell you, and I will send you away, and you will go in peace. May the Lord be with you, just as He was with my father.

14 If I continue to live, treat me with the Lord's faithful love, but if I die,

15 don't ever withdraw your faithful love from my household-not even when the Lord cuts off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth."

16 Then Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the Lord hold David's enemies accountable."

17 Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

18 Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the New Moon; you'll be missed because your seat will be empty.

19 The following day hurry down and go to the place where you hid on the day this incident began and stay beside the rock Ezel.

20 I will shoot three arrows beside it as if I'm aiming at a target.

21 Then I will send the young man [and say], 'Go and find the arrows!' Now, if I expressly say to the young man, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you-get them,' then come, because as the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no problem.

22 But if I say this to the youth: 'Look, the arrows are beyond you!' then go, for the Lord is sending you away.

23 As for the matter you and I have spoken about, the Lord will be a witness between you and me forever."

24 So David hid in the field. At the New Moon, the king sat down to eat the meal.

25 He sat at his usual place on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat facing him and Abner took his place beside Saul, but David's place was empty.

26 Saul did not say anything that day because he thought, "Something unexpected has happened; he must be ceremonially unclean-yes, that's it, he is unclean."

27 However, the day after the New Moon, the second day, David's place was [still] empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, "Why didn't Jesse's son come to the meal either yesterday or today?"

28 Jonathan answered, "David asked for my permission to go to Bethlehem.

29 He said, 'Please let me go because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the town, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if you are pleased with me, let me go so I can see my brothers.' That's why he didn't come to the king's table."

30 Then Saul became angry with Jonathan and shouted, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you are siding with Jesse's son to your own shame and to the disgrace of your mother?

31 Every day Jesse's son lives on earth you and your kingship are not secure. Now send for him and bring him to me-he deserves to die."

32 Jonathan answered his father back: "Why is he to be killed? What has he done?"

33 Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him, so he knew that his father was determined to kill David.

34 He got up from the table in fierce anger and did not eat any food that second day of the New Moon, for he was grieved because of his father's shameful behavior toward David.

35 In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointed meeting with David. A small young man was with him.

36 He said to the young man, "Run and find the arrows I'm shooting." As the young man ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.

37 He came to the location of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, but Jonathan called to him and said, "The arrow is beyond you, isn't it?"

38 Then Jonathan called to him, "Hurry up and don't stop!" Jonathan's young man picked up the arrow and returned to his master.

39 He did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.

40 Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the young man who was with him and said, "Go, take it back to the city."

41 When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone Ezel, fell with his face to the ground, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept with each other, though David wept more.

42 Jonathan then said to David, "Go in the assurance the two of us pledged in the name of the Lord when we said: The Lord will be [a witness] between you and me and between my offspring and your offspring forever." Then David left, and Jonathan went into the city.

Psalms 65

1 Praise is rightfully Yours, God, in Zion; vows to You will be fulfilled.

2 All humanity will come to You, the One who hears prayer.

3 Iniquities overwhelm me; only You can atone for our rebellions.

4 How happy is the one You choose and bring near to live in Your courts! We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple.

5 You answer us in righteousness, with awe-inspiring works, God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the distant seas;

6 You establish the mountains by Your power, robed with strength;

7 You silence the roar of the seas, the roar of their waves, and the tumult of the nations.

8 Those who live far away are awed by Your signs; You make east and west shout for joy.

9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly, enriching it greatly. God's stream is filled with water, for You prepare the earth in this way, providing [people] with grain.

10 You soften it with showers and bless its growth, soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges.

11 You crown the year with Your goodness; Your ways overflow with plenty.

12 The wilderness pastures overflow, and the hills are robed with joy.

13 The pastures are clothed with flocks, and the valleys covered with grain. They shout in triumph; indeed, they sing.