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1 Corinthians 11 32
When the Lord judges us in this way, he corrects us. Then in the end we will not be judged along with the rest of the world.
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2 Corinthians 6 9
We are known, but people treat us as if we were unknown. We are dying, but we continue to live. We are beaten, but we are not killed.
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Job 5:17-18
“ Blessed is the person God corrects. So don’t hate the Mighty One’s training.He wounds. But he also bandages up those he wounds. He harms. But his hands also heal those he harms.
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Hebrews 12:10-11
Our parents trained us for a little while. They did what they thought was best. But God trains us for our good. He does this so we may share in his holiness.No training seems pleasant at the time. In fact, it seems painful. But later on it produces a harvest of godliness and peace. It does this for those who have been trained by it.
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2 Samuel 12 10
So time after time members of your own royal house will be killed with swords. That’s because you turned your back on me. You took the wife of Uriah, the Hittite, to be your own.’
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Psalms 94:12-13
Lord, blessed is the person you correct. Blessed is the person you teach from your law.You give them rest from times of trouble, until a pit is dug to trap sinners.
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Proverbs 3:11-12
My son, do not hate the Lord’ s training. Do not object when he corrects you.The Lord trains those he loves. He is like a father who trains the son he is pleased with.
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2 Corinthians 1 9-2 Corinthians 1 11
In fact, we felt as if we were under the sentence of death. But that happened so that we would not depend on ourselves but on God. He raises the dead to life.God has saved us from deadly dangers. And he will continue to do it. We have put our hope in him. He will continue to save us.You must help us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because of what will happen to us. They will thank God for his kindness to us in answer to the prayers of many.
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Psalms 66:10-12
God, you have tested us. You put us through fire to make us like silver.You put us in prison. You placed heavy loads on our backs.You let our enemies ride their chariots over our heads. We went through fire and water. But you brought us to a place where we have everything we need.
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Jonah 2:6
I sank down to the bottom of the mountains. I thought I had died and gone down into the grave forever. But you are the Lord my God. You brought my life up from the very edge of the pit of death.
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Job 33:16-30
He might speak in their ears. His warnings might terrify them.He warns them in order to turn them away from sinning. He wants to keep them from being proud.He wants to stop them from going down into the grave. He doesn’t want them to be killed by swords.Someone might be punished by suffering in bed. The pain in their bones might never go away.They might feel so bad they can’t eat anything. They might even hate the finest food.Their body might waste away to nothing. Their bones might have been hidden. But now they stick out.They might approach the very edge of the grave. The messengers of death might come for them.“ But suppose there is an angel who will speak up for him. The angel is very special. He’s one out of a thousand. He will tell that person how to do what is right.That angel will be gracious to them. He’ll say to God,‘ Spare them from going down into the grave. I know a way that can set them free.’Then their body is made like new again. They become as strong and healthy as when they were young.Then that person can pray to God and be blessed by him. They will see God’s face and shout for joy. God will make them well and happy again.Then that person will come to others and say,‘ I sinned. I made what is wrong appear to be right. But I wasn’t punished as I should have been.God has set me free. He has kept me from going down into the darkness of the grave. So I’ll live to enjoy the light of life.’“ God does all these things to people. In fact, he does them again and again.He wants to stop people from going down into the darkness of the grave. Then the light of life will shine on them.
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2 Samuel 13 1-2 Samuel 13 39
Some time later, David’s son Amnon fell in love with Tamar. She was the beautiful sister of Absalom. He was another one of David’s sons.Amnon wanted his sister Tamar so much that it made him sick. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do what he wanted with her.Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab. He was the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very clever man.He asked Amnon,“ You are the king’s son, aren’t you? So why do you look so worn out every morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon answered,“ I’m in love with Tamar. She’s the sister of my brother Absalom.”“ Go to bed,” Jonadab said.“ Pretend to be sick. Your father will come to see you. When he does, tell him,‘ I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food right here in front of me where I can watch her. Then she can feed it to me.’ ”So Amnon went to bed. He pretended to be sick. The king came to see him. Amnon said to him,“ I would like my sister Tamar to come here. I want to watch her make some special bread. Then she can feed it to me.”David sent a message to Tamar at the palace. He said,“ Go to your brother Amnon’s house. Prepare some food for him.”So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon. He was lying in bed. She got some dough and mixed it. She shaped the bread right there in front of him. And she baked it.Then she took the bread out of the pan and served it to him. But he refused to eat it.“ Send everyone out of here,” Amnon said. So everyone left him.Then he said to Tamar,“ Bring the food here into my bedroom. Please feed it to me.” So Tamar picked up the bread she had prepared. She brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom.She took it to him so he could eat it. But he grabbed her. He said,“ My sister, come to bed with me.”“ No, my brother!” she said to him.“ Don’t force me! An evil thing like that should never be done in Israel! Don’t do it!What about me? How could I ever get rid of my shame? And what about you? You would be as foolish as any evil person in Israel. Please speak to the king. He won’t keep me from marrying you.”But Amnon refused to listen to her. He was stronger than she was. So he raped her.Then Amnon hated Tamar very much. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her before. He said to her,“ Get up! Get out!”“ No!” she said to him.“ Don’t send me away. That would be worse than what you have already done to me.” But he refused to listen to her.He sent for his personal servant. He said,“ Get this woman out of my sight. Lock the door behind her.”So his servant threw her out. Then he locked the door behind her. Tamar was wearing a beautiful robe. It was the kind of robe the virgin daughters of the king wore.She put ashes on her head. She tore the beautiful robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away. She was weeping out loud as she went.When her brother Absalom saw her, he spoke to her. He said,“ Has Amnon, that brother of yours, forced you to go to bed with him? My sister, don’t let it upset you. Don’t let it bother you. He’s your brother.” After that, Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house. She was very lonely.King David heard about everything that had happened. So he became very angry.And Absalom never said a word of any kind to Amnon. He hated Amnon because he had brought shame on his sister Tamar.Two years later, Absalom invited all the king’s sons to come to Baal Hazor. It was near the border of Ephraim. The workers who clipped the wool off Absalom’s sheep were there.Absalom went to the king. He said,“ I’ve had my workers come to clip the wool. Will you and your attendants please join me?”“ No, my son,” the king replied.“ All of us shouldn’t go. It would be too much trouble for you.” Although Absalom begged him, the king still refused to go. But he gave Absalom his blessing.Then Absalom said,“ If you won’t come, please let my brother Amnon come with us.” The king asked him,“ Why should he go with you?”But Absalom begged him. So the king sent Amnon with him. He also sent the rest of his sons.Absalom ordered his men,“ Listen! When Amnon has had too much wine to drink, I’ll say to you,‘ Strike Amnon down.’ When I do, kill him. Don’t be afraid. I’ve given you an order, haven’t I? Be strong and brave.”So Absalom’s men killed Amnon, just as Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got on their mules and rode away.While they were on their way, a report came to David. It said,“ Absalom has struck down all your sons. Not one of them is left alive.”The king stood up and tore his clothes. Then he lay down on the ground. All his attendants stood near him. They had also torn their clothes.Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, spoke up. He said,“ You shouldn’t think that all the princes have been killed. The only one who is dead is Amnon. Absalom had planned to kill him ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar.You are my king and master. You shouldn’t be concerned about this report. It’s not true that all your sons are dead. The only one who is dead is Amnon.”While all of that was taking place, Absalom ran away. The man on guard duty at Jerusalem looked up. He saw many people coming on the road west of him. They were coming down the side of the hill. He went and spoke to the king. He said,“ I see men coming down the road from Horonaim. They are coming down the side of the hill.”Jonadab said to the king,“ See, your sons are coming. It has happened just as I said it would.”As he finished speaking, the king’s sons came in. They were weeping out loud. The king and all his attendants were also weeping very bitterly.When Absalom ran away, he went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud. Talmai was king of Geshur. King David mourned many days for his son Amnon.So Absalom ran away and went to Geshur. He stayed there for three years.After some time the king got over his sorrow because of Amnon’s death. Then King David longed to go to Absalom.
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2 Samuel 16 1-2 Samuel 16 23
David went just beyond the top of the Mount of Olives. Ziba was waiting there to meet him. He was Mephibosheth’s manager. He had several donkeys with saddles on them. They were carrying 200 loaves of bread and 100 raisin cakes. They were also carrying 100 fig cakes and a bottle of wine. The bottle was made out of animal skin.The king asked Ziba,“ Why have you brought all these things?” Ziba answered,“ The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on. The bread and fruit are for the people to eat. The wine will make those who get tired in the desert feel like new again.”Then the king asked,“ Where is your master’s grandson Mephibosheth?” Ziba said to him,“ He’s staying in Jerusalem. He thinks,‘ Today the Israelites will cause me to rule once again over my grandfather Saul’s kingdom.’ ”Then the king said to Ziba,“ Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth belongs to you now.”“ You are my king and master,” Ziba said.“ I make myself humble in front of you. I bow down to you. May you be pleased with me.”King David approached Bahurim. As he did, a man came out toward him. The man was from the same family group that Saul was from. His name was Shimei. He was the son of Gera. As he came out of the town, he cursed David.He threw stones at David and all his officials. He did it even though all the troops and the special guard were there. They were to the right and left of David.As Shimei cursed, he said,“ Get out! Get out, you murderer! You are a worthless and evil man!You spilled the blood of a lot of people in Saul’s family. You took over his kingdom. Now the Lord is paying you back. He has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have been destroyed because you are a murderer!”Then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, spoke to the king. He said,“ King David, why should we let this dead dog curse you? Let me go over there. I’ll cut off his head.”But the king said,“ You and Joab are sons of Zeruiah. What does this have to do with you? Maybe the Lord said to him,‘ Curse David.’ If he did, who can ask him,‘ Why are you doing this?’ ”Then David spoke to Abishai and all his officials. He said,“ My very own son Absalom is trying to kill me. How much more should this man from Benjamin want to kill me! Leave him alone. Let him curse. The Lord has told him to do it.Maybe the Lord will see how much I’m suffering. Maybe he’ll bring back to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse I’m hearing today.”So David and his men kept going along the road. At the same time, Shimei was going along the hillside across from him. He was cursing David as he went. He was throwing stones at David. He was showering him with dirt.The king and all the people with him came to the place they had planned to go to. They were very tired. So David rested there.During that time, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem. Ahithophel was with him.Then Hushai, the Arkite, went to Absalom. He said to him,“ May the king live a long time! May the king live a long time!” Hushai was David’s trusted friend.Absalom said to Hushai,“ So this is the way you show love to your friend? If he’s your friend, why didn’t you go with him?”Hushai said to Absalom,“ Why should I? You are the one the Lord has chosen. These people and all the men of Israel have also chosen you. I want to be on your side. I want to stay with you.After all, who else should I serve? Shouldn’t I serve the king’s son? I will serve you, just as I served your father.”Absalom said to Ahithophel,“ Give us your advice. What should we do?”Ahithophel answered,“ Your father left some concubines behind to take care of the palace. Go and sleep with them. Then all the Israelites will hear about it. They will hear that you have made your father hate you. Everyone with you will be encouraged to give you more support.”So they set up a tent for Absalom on the roof of the palace. He went in and slept with his father’s concubines. Everyone in Israel saw it.In those days the advice Ahithophel gave was as good as advice from someone who asks God for guidance. That’s what David and Absalom thought about all of Ahithophel’s advice.
