Romans 11:25-36; 1 Samuel 21; 1 Samuel 22; Psalms 66

Romans 11:25-36

25 So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: a partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Liberator will come from Zion; He will turn away godlessness from Jacob.

27 And this will be My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.

28 Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of their forefathers,

29 since God's gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.

30 As you once disobeyed God, but now have received mercy through their disobedience,

31 so they too have now disobeyed, [resulting] in mercy to you, so that they also now may receive mercy.

32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience, so that He may have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways!

34 For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?

35 Or who has ever first given to Him, and has to be repaid?

36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

1 Samuel 21

1 David went to Ahimelech the priest at Nob. Ahimelech was afraid to meet David, so he said to him, "Why are you alone and no one is with you?"

2 David answered Ahimelech the priest, "The king gave me a mission, but he told me, 'Don't let anyone know anything about the mission I'm sending you on or what I have ordered you [to do].' I have stationed [my] young men at a certain place.

3 Now what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever can be found."

4 The priest told him, "There is no ordinary bread on hand. However, there is consecrated bread, but the young men may eat it only if they have kept themselves from women."

5 David answered him, "I swear that women are being kept from us, as always when I go out [to battle]. The young men's bodies are consecrated even on an ordinary mission, so of course their bodies are consecrated today."

6 So the priest gave him the consecrated [bread], for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord. When the bread was removed, it had been replaced with warm bread.

7 One of Saul's servants, detained before the Lord, was there that day. His name was Doeg the Edomite, chief of Saul's shepherds.

8 David said to Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword on hand? I didn't even bring my sword or my weapons since the king's mission was urgent."

9 The priest replied, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, is here, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want to take it for yourself, then take it, for there isn't another one here." "There's none like it!" David said. "Give it to me."

10 David fled that day from Saul's presence and went to King Achish of Gath.

11 But Achish's servants said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Don't they sing about him during their dances: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands?"

12 David took this to heart and became very afraid of King Achish of Gath,

13 so he pretended to be insane in their presence. He acted like a madman around them,scribbling on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

14 "Look! You can see the man is crazy," Achish said to his servants. "Why did you bring him to me?

15 Do I have such a shortage of crazy people that you brought this one to act crazy around me? Is this one going to come into my house?"

1 Samuel 22

1 So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When David's brothers and his father's whole family heard, they went down and joined him there.

2 In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About 400 men were with him.

3 From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab where he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and mother stay with you until I know what God will do for me."

4 So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.

5 Then the prophet Gad said to David, "Don't stay in the stronghold. Leave and return to the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

6 Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. At that time Saul was in Gibeah, sitting under the tamarisk tree at the high place. His spear was in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him.

7 Saul said to his servants, "Listen, men of Benjamin: Is Jesse's son going to give all of you fields and vineyards? [Do you think] he'll make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?

8 That's why all of you have conspired against me! Nobody tells me when my own son makes a covenant with Jesse's son. None of you cares about me or tells me that my son has stirred up my own servant to wait in ambush for me, as [is the case] today."

9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul's servants, answered: "I saw Jesse's son come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob.

10 Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

11 The king sent [messengers] to summon Ahimelech the priest, son of Ahitub, and his father's whole family, who were priests in Nob. All of them came to the king.

12 Then Saul said, "Listen, son of Ahitub!" "I'm at your service, my lord," he said.

13 Saul asked him, "Why did you and Jesse's son conspire against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him, so he could rise up against me and wait in ambush, as [is the case] today."

14 Ahimelech replied to the king: "Who among all your servants is as faithful as David? He is the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and honored in your house.

15 Was today the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Please don't let the king make an accusation against your servant or any of my father's household, for your servant didn't have any idea about all this."

16 But the king said, "You will die, Ahimelech-you and your father's whole family!"

17 Then the king ordered the guards standing by him, "Turn and kill the priests of the Lord because they sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they didn't tell me." But the king's servants would not lift a hand to execute the priests of the Lord.

18 So the king said to Doeg, "Go and execute the priests!" So Doeg the Edomite went and executed the priests himself. On that day, he killed 85 men who wore linen ephods.

19 He also struck down Nob, the city of the priests, with the sword-both men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep.

20 However, one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.

21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord.

22 Then David said to Abiathar, "I knew that Doeg the Edomite was there that day and that he was sure to report to Saul. I myself am responsible for the lives of everyone in your father's family.

23 Stay with me. Don't be afraid, for the one who wants to take my life wants to take your life. You will be safe with me."

Psalms 66

1 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth!

2 Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious.

3 Say to God, "How awe-inspiring are Your works! Your enemies will cringe before You because of Your great strength.

4 All the earth will worship You and sing praise to You. They will sing praise to Your name." Selah

5 Come and see the works of God; His acts toward mankind are awe-inspiring.

6 He turned the sea into dry land, and they crossed the river on foot. There we rejoiced in Him.

7 He rules forever by His might; He keeps His eye on the nations. The rebellious should not exalt themselves. Selah

8 Praise our God, you peoples; let the sound of His praise be heard.

9 He keeps us alive and does not allow our feet to slip.

10 For You, God, tested us; You refined us as silver is refined.

11 You lured us into a trap; You placed burdens on our backs.

12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us out to abundance.

13 I will enter Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows

14 that my lips promised and my mouth spoke during my distress.

15 I will offer You fattened sheep as burnt offerings, with the fragrant smoke of rams; I will sacrifice oxen with goats. Selah

16 Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for me.

17 I cried out to Him with my mouth, and praise was on my tongue.

18 If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

19 However, God has listened; He has paid attention to the sound of my prayer.

20 May God be praised! He has not turned away my prayer or turned His faithful love from me.