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The word loyalty means having an attitude of devoted attachment and affection. In these chapters, for today’s reading, we find examples of those loyal to the bitter end and those who were both disloyal and treacherous. It reminds us of Judas, who was the prime example.

Meet Joab, who was loyal to David and caused David to see how his outward mourning over Absalom was tearing the nation apart. Sometimes we need a loyal friend to wake us up to what is happening, and Joab was that friend.

Then was disloyal Shimei, who cursed David yet received gracious forgiveness from David. Finally, Mephibosheth comes to David to seek forgiveness for not accompanying him and then reveals the truth. His master deceived him and lied about him to David. Now he knows the real story behind his absence. Amidst all this, we meet the ever-present loyal Barzillai, who proved it by providing for David’s men’s needs.

We all have those who say they are loyal but prove they are not by their actions and even words. However, we also have those who say they are loyal, like Barzillai, and prove it through humility.

The Problem of Evil

One question that atheists love to throw out when debating Christians (or Jews, or Muslims) is the question of why, if God is good, omniscient, and omnipotent, is there evil and suffering? For example, you can watch as Stephen Fry Annihilates God on Youtube. The web site Bible.orghas an article that gives the common arguments used by Christian apologists when confronted with this question.…

Next few posts we’ll be looking at the prophecy found in Zechariah 11:1-17. These studies come from the book Messianic Christology and I encourage you to obtain a copy.

From bible.org we learn that, “Zechariah says he is the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo. Iddo was head of the priestly families coming back from exile (Neh 12:4,16). This would make Zechariah a priest and a prophet. It would also explain his emphasis on temple and priestly matters in the book.“

Now we’re going to look at the commission of the prophet found in Zechariah 11:4-6;

4 Thus said the Lord my God: Be a shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. 5Those who buy them kill them and go unpunished; and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I have become rich’; and their own shepherds have no pity on them. 6For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the earth, says the Lord. I will cause them, every one, to fall each into the hand of a neighbor, and each into the hand of the king; and they shall devastate the earth, and I will deliver no one from their hand.

Arnold Fruchtenbaum writes;

“...Zechariah is given a commission; he is given a role to act out as a message to the people. The part he is to play is that of Messiah at His First Coming. Messiah is symbolized as the character of a shepherd, feeding a flock. The flock (verse 4) is symbolic of Israel. The sheep are being destroyed by their owners, symbolic of Rome, and even “their own shepherds,” symbolic of Jewish leaders, “have no pity on them.” In verse 5, the flock, the people of Israel, have been abandoned by man; but further, in verse 6, they have also been abandoned by God.

God states that He will cause each and every man to fall “into the power of his king.” At first this seems a little confusing since, at the time of the Roman occupation, Israel had no king. However, we read in the Gospels that when Jesus, the True Shepherd, stood at His trial, Pontius Pilate declared to the peole, “Here is your king.” But the Pharisees rejected Jesus and cried out, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15).

The NET Bible, Full Notes Edition.

I was aware of this translation a while back, but haven’t had the time or ability to look into it until now.  I was gladly sent a copy of the, “NET Bible Full Notes Edition” covered with Tuscany style brown Cromwell bonded leather for review on my blog.  It was well packed in a cardboard box with paper packing.  Inside the shipping box was another two piece box containing the Bible.  The two…