In today’s episode, we also take a broader lens on the contemporary challenge of biblical literacy, addressing the disparity between the availability of the Bible and the frequency of its reading. Join Allen J. Huth as he offers insights from his personal Bible reading journals, while emphasizing the importance of making scripture reading a daily spiritual discipline. Discover how this practice can transform beliefs into consistent behaviors, enriching your understanding and connection with God’s Word.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Allen J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
SPEAKER 02 :
As we continue our journey through 2 Samuel, we arrive at chapter 17. Well, listen to Faith Comes by Hearing’s rendering of all 29 verses of chapter 17. 2 Samuel 17
SPEAKER 01 :
Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “‘Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace.'”
SPEAKER 05 :
And the advice seemed right in the eyes of Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
SPEAKER 04 :
Then Absalom said, Call Hushai the archite also and let us hear what he has to say. And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, Thus has Ahithophel spoken. Shall we do as he says? If not, you speak.
SPEAKER 03 :
Then Hushai said to Absalom, This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good. Hushai said, You know that your father and his men are mighty men, and that they are enraged like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war. He will not spend the night with the people. Behold, even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits or in some other place. And as soon as some of the people fall at the first attack… Whoever hears it will say, There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom. Then even the valiant man whose heart is like the heart of a lion will utterly melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and that those who are with him are valiant men. But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. So we shall come upon him in some place where he is to be found, and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left.” If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we shall drag it into the valley until not even a pebble is to be found there.
SPEAKER 04 :
And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.
SPEAKER 05 :
for the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring harm upon Absalom.
SPEAKER 03 :
Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, Thus and so did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so have I counseled. Now, therefore, send quickly and tell David, Do not stay tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over. lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.
SPEAKER 05 :
Now Jonathan and Ahimeaz were waiting at Enrogel. A female servant was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they were not to be seen entering the city. But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So both of them went away quickly and came to the house of a man at Behurim, who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it. And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth and scattered grain on it, and nothing was known of it. When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. After they had gone, the men came up out of the well and went and told King David. They said to David, Arise, and go quickly over the water, for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you. Then David arose and all the people who were with him, and they crossed the Jordan. By daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan. When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father. Then David came to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. Now Absalom had set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite, who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. And Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead. When David came to Mahanaim, Shobai the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Makir the son of Amiel from Lodeber, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogalom, brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans, and lentils, honey, and curds, and sheep, and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat. For they said,
SPEAKER 07 :
The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.
SPEAKER 02 :
In 1983, as I read 2 Samuel 17, I wrote simply, Absalom seeks to kill father. God prevents it by counseling Absalom through various advisors. And in 2007, I wrote this, Absalom seeks to kill David, God’s anointed, not like David, who never sought to kill Saul, but God is still in control. And I quote verse 14, For the Lord had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Athiphamel, so that the Lord might bring calamity on Absalom. So though David can’t see it, God is still in control. God is orchestrating the things going on in this setup, this battle to come. Why? So that the Lord might bring harm upon Absalom. Think about it. David doesn’t know this. David doesn’t know what’s going on. David has fled the kingdom. He’s fled Jerusalem. He’s out in the wilderness. He’s trying to survive. He has no idea when he’s going to be attacked, and yet God is still controlling the events around him. So maybe you’re in a dark place. Maybe you’re on the run. Maybe you don’t understand what God is doing in your life right now. Maybe it even looks hopeless. Surely that’s probably how David felt at this moment. But read the Word of God. See what God is doing around David. And very likely he’s doing the same thing around you if you’ve put your trust in him, if you have faith in him, if you’ve given your heart over to him. He’s still in control. Join us tomorrow for chapter 18 as we see the climax of this portion of the drama unfold before us. Father, there may be some, like David, who are in a dark place right now. Maybe a place of confusion, a place of being on the run, a place of not knowing what you’re doing in their lives. Lord, I pray, give them comfort. Though it may be very difficult, give them your peace, give them your comfort. Let them have the assurance that you know what’s happening in their lives. and that you can maintain, you can control the circumstances, even when they can’t see. Lord, build our faith through chapters like these in 2 Samuel. Thank you for the Word of God that can help us through the trials of our own lives. We give you praise. We give you thanks. In Jesus’ name, amen. According to a recent Barna research study entitled Bible Reading, A New Year’s Resolution, most Americans are not satisfied with their current level of Scripture reading. A majority express a desire to read the Bible more than they currently do. Born-again and practicing Christians are the most likely to desire more Bible reading in their day-to-day lives. It should not come as a surprise that the majority of Americans wish they read Scripture more than they do, says Roxanne Stone, editor-in-chief of Barna Group. After all, two-thirds of Americans agree that the Bible contains everything you need to know to live a meaningful life. Why wouldn’t you want to read such a book more often? The study continues. However, like other New Year’s resolutions, such as exercising more and eating healthier, Scripture reading is often an aspirational goal. It’s the goal that for most people probably doesn’t feel necessary to survive and so can easily get swamped by the day-to-day demands of a busy life. Scripture reading takes time and focus, two things that feel like scarcities in today’s fast-paced and on-demand culture. Like exercise, like dieting, regular Bible reading does not offer instant payoff. It’s a discipline whose rewards are reaped over the long haul. And the study continues, when people go from feeling they should read the Bible more to needing to read the Bible more, they find the time. Access to the Bible is not the issue in the USA, is it? We all have Bibles. According to another study done a few years ago, 88% of Americans own a Bible. We have 3.5 Bibles in our homes. And this is amazing. 59% of people who have no faith or are atheists even own a Bible, probably just in case. So if you have a smartphone, you have access to the Word of God. My Gideon Bible app has over 2,100 languages. Access to the Bible is not the issue. The issue is changing our beliefs about the Bible to behavior with the Bible. So where are Christians with the Bible today? Christians are well-intentioned when it comes to the Bible. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God. We believe, we just don’t behave. Our belief in the Bible and our behavior with the Bible are inconsistent. The middle ground related to the Bible seems to be disappearing. The decrease of Bible-neutral and Bible-friendly people and the increase of Bible antagonists suggests that more people are picking a side. Which side are you on? Are you a Bible antagonist questioning the Bible? Are you Bible-neutral? I just don’t know. Or are you Bible-friendly? I love the Bible. Wherever you are, pick a side. Because of our neglect of God’s Word, we are becoming biblically illiterate. For example, in a private religious elementary school, kids were asked about the Old and New Testaments. Here are some funny things that they had to say. The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat that apple. Lot’s wife was a pillar of salt by day but a ball of fire by night. What kind of man was Boaz before he married? Ruthless. The epistles were the wives of the apostles. Christians have only one spouse. That’s called monotony. So, if we think about Bible literacy or illiteracy, we think about it this way. If God decided to come down from his throne in heaven, become an author here on earth, you’d think his book would be on the bestseller list. And the fact is, the Bible is the number one best-selling book of all time. 2.5 to 5 billion, according to research. It’s also the most read book of all time. Praise the Lord, that alone might be evidence that the Bible, not any other so-called writing, is God’s Word. According to a weekly World News report, here are a few other Bible facts. About 50 Bibles are sold every minute. The Bible is the world’s best-selling book. It’s also the world’s most shoplifted book. That’s interesting. And that doesn’t even count all the Gideon Bibles stolen out of those hotels. So I encourage you to enjoy a portion of God’s Word every day. Make it a daily spiritual habit. And so until next time, I’m Alan J. Huth, and this program is sponsored by The Ezra Project, with support from listeners like you. Visit EzraProject.net to keep AdBible, connecting God’s people to God’s Word, on the air. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. We love the truth of God’s Word, but finding truth in our world today is much more challenging. In the movie A Few Good Men, Jack Nicholson screamed at Tom Cruise, You can’t handle the truth. That’s not our problem today. It’s not that you can’t handle the truth. It’s that you can’t find the truth. If you want to find the truth, I encourage you to watch our video message simply called Truth. You will find it at EzraProject.net. I know you’re going to enjoy it.
