When She Truly Repented

By Mary Vee
John 8 

Peter

Photo by Mary Vee. View from the Mount of Olives facing
the Temple area

My name is Peter, I am a disciple of Jesus.

Photo by Mary Vee, The top of
the Mount of Olives today.

Last time I wrote, I told about the first day we spent with Jesus in the Temple for the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus taught, answered questions, and, of course, dealt with the Pharisees. At the end of the day, the crowd and Pharisees returned to their homes or inns. 

Jesus didn't have a place to rest that night. No one who was at the Temple followed the custom to invite travelers, in this case, Jesus, into their home for rest.

Jesus walked up a steep road to the Mount of Olives for the evening, the same place where  he taught us how to pray. The next morning he rose early, walked back down the mountain, across the field and into the Temple for another day of the Feast of the Tabernacles.

Many men arrived at the early morning hour for the celebration. They gathered around Jesus. Quiet a few of these people lived far away and seemed interested in hearing Jesus teach one more time before they returned home.

Jesus sat down and prepared to teach. He hadn't spoken long before a group of Pharisees and teachers of the law dragged a woman through the crowd. They forced her to stand before the group then faced Jesus. "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone a woman guilty of such a crime. What do you say?" 

The Pharisees scowled while roughly dealing with the woman. Clearly they brought her before Jesus and this crowd to discredit Jesus. 

The crowd watched Jesus, but he didn't look at them, nor the Pharisees. He bent low to the ground and wrote in the dirt with his finger.

The Pharisees asked him again, "What do you say?" They badgered him, refusing to stop pressing him for an answer.

After a few minutes, Jesus stood and faced the Pharisees. He said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." When finishing these words, Jesus stooped down and wrote again in the dirt. 

Photo by Mary Vee
On top of the Mount of Olives,
the Disciples Prayer is
posted in many languages.

I learned later that Jesus knew what evil the Pharisees had done only the night before. Their sin was greater that the woman's and yet they accused her, and made a show of their superiority in front of the crowds. None of them could stay and punish the woman, and they knew it.

There is only one person who could stay. Only one who had never sinned. The Son of God. And so Jesus looked and saw the accusers had all left, leaving him and the woman. He stood and asked her, "Woman, where are those who accused you? Has no one remained to condemn you?"

She raised her eyes toward him. "No one, sir."

Photo by Mary Vee
This very old olive tree
stands on the Mount of Olives

It was during one of the private times later, when Jesus explained and answered our questions that we learned he saw true repentence in the woman. As God's Son, he had he power to forgive true repentance rather than condemn and make a spectacle of her as the evil Pharisees planned. 

Jesus said, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin."

What happened next? Next week I will tell you more. 

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

David- An Earnest Prayer

By Mary Vee
II Samuel 12

From David's Journal

The Lord sent Nathan to tell me something important, I wrote to you about it the last time. Click here to read the story.

Why did God send a prophet to tell the king of his chosen nation a message in story form? God wanted to open my eyes to the great sin I had committed. 

I became greedy and took another man's wife. To cover my sin I sent the husband to battle and ordered the captain to place the woman's husband where he would be killed. He, of course, died. Months later,the man's wife gave birth to my child.

And now the baby lay in a bed nearby. The little one had a terrible illness which could kill him. This was the punishment God gave me. The moment I heard of the baby's sickness I fell to the ground, crying, pleading with God for the child life. I lay there on the earth, refusing to get up for food or meeting or conversation.

Oh, Lord, hear my aching heart. 

I fasted, devoting every moment to asking God's grace, to change His mind and save the life of the child.

The elders came to me. They tried words to console me, brought food, to get me to get up from the ground. They didn't understand my ache. My need to plead to devote every bit of strength to pleading with the Lord.

Seven days later, servants stood near the room. They whispered softly, but I could tell from the tone that the child had died. 

"Is the child dead?" I asked.

"Yes, my lord, he is dead."

I pressed my body up from the earth and stood. God had answered and now I needed to go back to my duties. I washed, anointed myself, changed my clothes to present myself clean before the Lord and walked to the house of the Lord and worshiped Him for a long time.

Praise your Name, oh Lord my God.

I didn't dance, but I sang and praised Him with my whole heart. After a time I walked back to my house and asked for food. My servants hurried to the kitchen and brought me something to eat right away. 

The servant's eyes had grown wide, as if surprised. He said, "I don't understand. You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died you got up from the ground and ate food."

"While the child was alive," I said, "I fasted and cried to God. I said to myself, 'Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live?' But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he will not come back to me.

I went to my wife, Bathesheba, and comforted her.

This is a Psalm I have sung. You call it Psalm 19

How clearly the sky reveals God's glory!
    How plainly it shows what he has done!
 Each day announces it to the following day;
    each night repeats it to the next.
 No speech or words are used,
    no sound is heard;
 yet their message^[b] goes out to all the world
    and is heard to the ends of the earth.
God made a home in the sky for the sun;
     it comes out in the morning like a happy bridegroom,
    like an athlete eager to run a race.
 It starts at one end of the sky
    and goes across to the other.
    Nothing can hide from its heat.

 The law of the Lord is perfect;
    it gives new strength.
The commands of the Lord are trustworthy,
    giving wisdom to those who lack it.
 The laws of the Lord are right,
    and those who obey them are happy.
The commands of the Lord are just
    and give understanding to the mind.
 Reverence for the Lord is good;
    it will continue forever.
The judgments of the Lord are just;
    they are always fair.
 They are more desirable than the finest gold;
    they are sweeter than the purest honey.
 They give knowledge to me, your servant;
    I am rewarded for obeying them.

 None of us can see our own errors;
    deliver me, Lord, from hidden faults!
 Keep me safe, also, from willful sins;
    don't let them rule over me.
Then I shall be perfect
    and free from the evil of sin.

 May my words and my thoughts be acceptable to you,
    O Lord, my refuge and my redeemer!

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photo courtesy of visualbibleimages.com  scripture from the Good News Translation

1. Who had God sent to speak with David.
2. What sin did David do?
3. When the baby became sick, what did David do?
4. Who tried to comfort him?
5. What happened to the baby?
6. When David heard the news what did he do?
7. David's servants were surprised when he asked for food. David gave this explanation:

David-Nathan Tells Me A Story

Mary Vee
II Samuel 12

David Thoughts

Nathan the prophet asked to speak with me one morning. I of course invited him in to my chambers.

"Here, sit with me and tell me what is on your mind."

Nathan sat and accepted a drink. "I have a story to tell."

I liked hearing stories and was grateful he came to tell me one. "Yes, please go ahead."

He said, "All right. There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb which he had bought, and gave the best care he could. The little lamb grew u with him and his children. It ate from his table and drank from his cup. It slept in his lap and was like a daughter to him. 

"A traveler came to the rich man's home. The rich man wanted to treat the guest well, but did not want to offer any of his own flock to be used as food. He went to the poor man's house and took his one and only lamb. He had the lamb prepared as food for his guest."

The rich man in the story made me angry. If Nathan is talking about a real person, this man needs to be punished. I raised my fist, "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this will die. And he will give to the poor man four times the value for the lamb because he did this awful deed with no pity."

Nathan leaned forward. "You are the man! The Lord God of Israel says, "I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that wasn't enough I would have given you much more! Why have you hated my law?

"You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife to be your wife. I will bring trouble against you from your own house. I will give your wives to your neighbors. What you did in secret, I will do before all Israel."

He was right. I bowed my head in shame. "I have sinned against the Lord."

Nathan stood. "You won't die for this sin, but the baby will die."

My heart ached because of my terrible sin. I sang this Psalm to the Lord (Psalm 57)

Be merciful to me, O God,
    because of your constant love.
Because of your great mercy
    wipe away my sins!
 Wash away all my evil
    and make me clean from my sin!

 I recognize my faults;
    I am always conscious of my sins.
 I have sinned against you—only against you—
    and done what you consider evil.
So you are right in judging me;
    you are justified in condemning me.
 I have been evil from the day I was born;
    from the time I was conceived, I have been sinful.

 Sincerity and truth are what you require;
    fill my mind with your wisdom.
 Remove my sin, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
 Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness;
    and though you have crushed me and broken me,
    I will be happy once again.
 Close your eyes to my sins
    and wipe out all my evil.

 Create a pure heart in me, O God,
    and put a new and loyal spirit in me.
 Do not banish me from your presence;
    do not take your holy spirit away from me.
 Give me again the joy that comes from your salvation,
    and make me willing to obey you.
 Then I will teach sinners your commands,
    and they will turn back to you.

 Spare my life, O God, and save me,
    and I will gladly proclaim your righteousness.
 Help me to speak, Lord,
    and I will praise you.

 You do not want sacrifices,
    or I would offer them;
you are not pleased with burnt offerings.
 My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God;
    you will not reject a humble and repentant heart.

 O God, be kind to Zion and help her;
    rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with proper sacrifices
    and with our burnt offerings;
    and bulls will be sacrificed on your altar.

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To read more about David's sin go to II Samuel 11

1. Who came to visit David?
2. Why did he visit David?
3. What did the rich man do to the poor man?
4. What punishment did David want to give the rich man?
5. Who did David say was the rich man?
6. What punishment did God give David
7. What is Psalm 51 about?