A Chapter a Day w/ Connie St. John

In this chapter, Joab knows that King David misses Absalom because he hasn’t seen him in years. So Joab hatches a plan to have a random woman go to David and ask for advice about how to keep one of her sons from being killed because he murdered his brother. Of course David recognizes the purpose behind the question and knows that Joab has put her up to it. He sends word that Absalom can come home,...

Boy oh boy, do things get messy in chapter 13. David had multiple wives (9), and they had multiple children – except for Michal, Saul’s daughter, who had none. Amnon was the only son of David’s wife Ahinoam. David’s wife Maacah had two children: Absalom and Tamar. Amnon fell in love with Tamar. It was not mutual. She thought of him like a brother – which he was. A step-brother. Jonadab was Amnon’s...

Nathan rebukes David in chapter 12. He tells him a story about a rich man and a poor man. When the rich man had a visitor, he killed the one little ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man, rather than taking one of his own many sheep, and served it to the traveler. David was livid! He was ready to put the man to death! “Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man!’” (Verse 7) Nathan tells David tha...

This is the famous chapter about David and Bathsheba. David was walking around on the roof of his palace and saw Bathsheba bathing. He asked who she was and was told she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Still, he had Bathsheba brought to him and slept with her. She got pregnant! David tried to pull a fast one by having Uriah go sleep with his wife so that he’d think the baby was his. But Uriah w...

After the king of the Ammonites died, David tried to show kindness to his son, Hanun. But Hanun got ugly. He seized David’s envoys, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away. (Verse 4) It was on and cracking after that. David’s army went to battle against the Ammonites and the Arameans who tried to help them. The Ammonites lost and the Arameans...

David shows kindness to Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, in this chapter. Mephibosheth was “lame in both feet.” David treated him and his young son, Mika, like members of the royal family. -----  Corporate Soft by LesFM | https://lesfm.net/positive-background-music/  Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/  Creative Commons CC BY 3.0  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Sov...

David has many victories in this chapter – over the Philistines, the Moabites, the people of Zobah, the Arameans, and the Edomites. Verse 15 says, “David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people.” -----  Corporate Soft by LesFM | https://lesfm.net/positive-background-music/  Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/  Creative Commons CC BY 3.0  https...

In this chapter, David wants to build a temple for the ark of God. At first Nathan the prophet tells him to go ahead and do it. But during the night, the Lord speaks to Nathan and tells him he doesn’t want David building him a house. David’s offspring will be the one to build a house for His Name. He shares all the blessings that David and his offspring will enjoy. David says a prayer of thanks to...

The ark of God is brought to Jerusalem in this chapter. But they didn’t carry it the way it was designed to be carried – with acacia poles. Instead, they set the ark on a new cart, and had the cart pulled by oxen. At one point, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark to steady it. Verse 7 says, “The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore...

David became King over Israel in chapter five. He conquered Jerusalem, and then defeated the Philistines. There were two battles with the Philistines and, after seeking God, David was victorious in both. Verse 24 says, “As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army....

Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth is murdered in this chapter. The men who do it are so proud of themselves. They cut off his head and bring it King David like a prize!  In verses 9-11, he says, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, when someone told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I...

The war between the house of Saul and the house of David continues in this chapter. David’s house grows stronger, while the house of Saul grows weaker and weaker. Abner, in the house of Saul, was trying to strengthen his own position. He went to David to make a deal. He brought David’s promised wife Michal to him (even though she was wed to another). When Joab, in David’s camp, found out Abner had...

David is anointed King over Judah in this chapter. There is still an ongoing war between the House of Saul and the House of David, however. -----  Corporate Soft by LesFM | https://lesfm.net/positive-background-music/  Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/  Creative Commons CC BY 3.0  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Sovereign by Kevin MacLeod | https://incompetech....

In Chapter one, David hears of King Saul’s death, and also the death of his beloved friend Jonathan. As Saul lay dying he asked an Amalekite to kill him because he was in the throes of death. The Amalekite did so. He reported all this to David who asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” Then he had him killed. -----  Corporate Soft by LesFM | https://l...

Chapter three continues with the woe for Nineveh. It ends with verse 19: “Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal. All who hear the news about you clap their hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?” -----  Corporate Soft by LesFM | https://lesfm.net/positive-background-music/  Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/  Creative Commons CC BY 3.0  https://cre...

In chapter two it says that Nineveh is going to fall. Verse 8 is particularly hard: “Nineveh is like a pool whose water is draining away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back.” -----  Corporate Soft by LesFM | https://lesfm.net/positive-background-music/  Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/  Creative Commons CC BY 3.0  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Sov...

The book of Nahum is a prophecy concerning Nineveh. It is a vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. Nineveh is the same city that Jonah didn’t want to warn because he knew God would have mercy on them. In chapter one, He is super angry against Nineveh. Verse 7 and 8 say, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end...

Thankfully, Jesus has risen in chapter 28. The Marys go to look at that tomb but it’s empty. I never realized that “some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night an...

At the beginning of this chapter, Judas is overcome with guilt. He tries to return the money but it’s too late. He hangs himself in verse 5. In this heart-breaking chapter, Jesus is crucified, dies and is buried. -----  Corporate Soft by LesFM | https://lesfm.net/positive-background-music/  Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/  Creative Commons CC BY 3.0  https://creativecommon...

Judas agrees to betray Jesus in this chapter. At the Last Supper, Jesus calls him out for it, but of courses he denies it. Speaking of denial, Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him three times before the rooster crows. We see it happen before the end of the chapter. The account of Jesus at Gethsemane is always a hard read. He asks his disciples to pray for Him but they keep falling asleep.  Jesu...

To illustrate that the day and hour are unknown, Jesus shares the parable of the 10 virgins. Five were foolish and five were wise. He also shares the parable of the talents – my favorite parable – which has to do with being productive with what we’ve been entrusted with – wealth, gifts, talents, intelligence, etc.  -----  Corporate Soft by LesFM | https://lesfm.net/positive-background-music/  Musi...

Jesus shares signs of the end times in this chapter and warns us that we won’t know the day or the hour. -----  Corporate Soft by LesFM | https://lesfm.net/positive-background-music/  Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/  Creative Commons CC BY 3.0  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Sovereign by Kevin MacLeod | https://incompetech.com/  Music promoted by https://www...

In chapter 23, Jesus goes off on hypocrisy and the Pharisees. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” -----  Corporate Soft by LesFM | https://lesfm.net/positive-background-music/  Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/  Creative Commons CC BY 3.0  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Sovereign by Kevin MacLeod | https://incompetech.com/  Music p...

Jesus shares the greatest commandment in this chapter: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Verses 37-40) -----  Corporate Soft by LesFM | https://lesfm.net/positive-background...

So many notable things happen in this chapter. Jesus comes to Jerusalem as a king, on the back of a donkey with palm leaves being laid before him. He overturned tables in the temple courts because they were in there doing business instead of it being a house of prayer. He cursed a fig tree and it withered immediately. (Verses 18-22) These verses always remind me not to be unproductive or ignore my...