Month: June 2018

Today, we come to the end of 1 Samuel. Chapters 29-30 record the Philistine leaders’ rejection of David as a participant in their battle against Israel. While Achish believed in David’s faithfulness to him, the rest of the leaders saw the battle as the perfect opportunity for him to turn against them and regain the favor of the Israelites. So, Achish sent David and his men home.

When they returned to Ziklag, they found that their wives and children had been taken and their goods stolen. The men were so angry and sad they decided to stone David. Of course, it wasn’t David’s fault, but the men needed someone to blame in their state of anguish. In that moment, we are told “David strengthened himself in the LORD.” I have always loved that verse. David didn’t make excuses. He didn’t attempt to run. He turned to the LORD for strength, and the LORD gave it. He turned to Abiathar, the priest, and asked whether they ought to pursue those who had taken their families and their possessions. The LORD responded to go. Eventually, they found out it had been Amalekites who took their families. They caught up with them and defeated them. As they were traveling to find the Amalekites, 200 of David’s men had become to tired to continue. They stayed behind with the baggage. When the rest returned with their families and the loot from defeating the Amalekites, the men wanted to give the 200 their families, but no share of the spoils. David vetoed that idea, and established a principle that those who stayed with the baggage would receive the same share as those who fought in the battle. This is one more sign of David’s sense of fairness, and one more reason he was a great leader.

In chapter 31, King Saul and the Israelites engaged the Philistines in battle. As the apparition had predicted, Saul was defeated. As he was dying from a mortal wound from a Philistine archer, Saul told his armor bearer to kill him, so the Philistines wouldn’t have the honor of doing so. The armor bearer refused, so Saul fell on his own sword and died. Three of Sauls sons also died in the battle and the troops of Israel scattered. When the Philistines found Saul and his sons, they cut off Saul’s head, and hung his body and the bodies of his sons on display. Some valiant men from Jabesh-gilead went and got the bodies, and burned them to end the desecration of the Philistines. 1 Samuel ends there. The Israelites are in disarray. Their king is dead. The Philistines are pre-eminent in the area. All seems gloomy. But as we will see, this is the beginning of Israel’s golden age, because now David will ascend to the throne, and their future holds great promise. Many times in the history of God’s people, and in our lives as His followers, the present moment seems hopeless. Always remember: hopeless is not a Christian word. As long as God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit are in control of the universe hope remains.

As we return to Mark 7 once again, Jesus is in another disagreement with the Jewish religious leaders. This time they are upset that Jesus’ disciples didn’t follow the rituals of ceremonial washing. Jesus reminded them and everyone that it isn’t the outside of our bodies that matters, but the inside. Our hearts determine whether we are “clean” or “unclean,” not whether their is dirt on our skin. Jesus made a big deal about this, because the Jewish culture of Israel in that day had become so focused on the external observances of the Jewish faith, rather than their relationship with the LORD. The two other aspects of the chapter demonstrate Jesus’ healing power. As we have seen throughout Mark’s gospel, while Jesus’ teaching is part of the gospel record, Mark is much more concerned with Jesus’ actions. This time He provides healing for the daughter of a Syro-Phonecian woman, which was a rare time when Jesus healed someone who wasn’t an Israelite. He also healed a deaf man, which shows us nothing in the realm of physical healing was too difficult for Him. As we face the various physical challenges that come to us, it is always good to remember to turn to Jesus first. There’s nothing wrong with turning to medicine or other medical solutions, but remember Jesus is the Great Physician, and He cares for our needs.

In 1 Samuel 26, God again delivers King Saul into David’s hands, and once again David spares Saul’s life. This time the LORD caused a supernatural sleep to fall on Saul and his entire army, which allowed David and Abishai to go into the camp. They took Saul’s spear and water jug, then went some distance away and called out to Abner, Saul’s body guard. When Saul realized David had once again spared his life, he told David he wouldn’t search for him again, and pronounced a blessing on David’s life. While Saul caused most of his own problems (don’t we all most of the time?), he went back and forth between doing the right thing, and letting his selfishness cause him to listen to bad advice, and to be jealous of David, who would have gladly given his life for Saul.  If we learn anything from these incidents, we ought to learn to trust those whose relationship with us is based on their relationship with God first-and-foremost.  In the same way, we need to learn to live out our relationships with others through the Holy Spirit. That way, we won’t be led by our selfish desires or swayed by the opinions of those who are being swayed by their own selfishness or the world’s thinking.

1 Samuel 27 records David’s plan for escaping from the fickle Saul, who had promised not to pursue him any longer, but in David’s mind could not be trusted. David and his men moved to Gath in the land of the Philistines. He made an agreement to serve King Achish, so Achish gave him and his men the town of Ziklag. David and his men would go out to the surrounding towns of Girzites and the Amalekites and attack. He would kill every person and bring the spoils back, giving some to Achish. But David told Achish he was attacking towns in Judah. In this way, David gained the confidence of Achish, while not destroying his ability to return to Judah one day, when Saul died or lost power in Israel. When we look at the plan, filled with deception as it was, we can’t say it was God’s will that David do this. Yet, ultimately it provided David the opportunity to become King of Israel, as God had promised David he would be.  God didn’t make David sin or do what was deceptive. That’s so important for us to understand. But eventually God used the flawed David, because all he has are “flawsome” (flawed + awesome) not “awesome” people.

In 1 Samuel 28, we see Saul’s desperation, as he seeks a witch’s help in conjuring up Samuel, who has been dead for some time. Saul faced another battle with the Philistines, and he wanted to know what the outcome would be. Saul had outlawed witches, but he tricked the witch of Endor to help him by dressing in disguise. Much debate has taken place over who or what the witch conjured up for Saul. It wasn’t Samuel, but could have been a “familiar spirit,” or other demonic being. In any case, Saul received the worst possible news–the Israelites would lose the battle and Saul would die. Meanwhile, at the beginning of the chapter King Achish had told David that he and his men would be fighting for the Philistines against Israel in the impending battle. David said he would be loyal to Achish, but as we’ll see God would intervene once again, so David would not have to fight against his own people. While each of us has freedom to exercise our wills in our daily lives, to make choices, decisions and commitments that impact our presents and our futures, nothing takes place outside of God’s knowledge or sovereignty. He doesn’t dictate our lives, but He directs them.

As we return to Mark 6, we’re reminded once again that Jesus was not only rejected by the Jewish religious leaders. He was also rejected by the people in His hometown. He couldn’t do many miracles there, because of the people’s lack of faith. As we seek to live and serve among our family members, we might find at times that we, too, are rejected by those closest to us. The first time I preached a sermon as an ordained minister, my Mom was at the service. When it was over, she said to me, “When I saw you up there, wearing your robe (at the time the church I served had the pastors wear black robes) and preaching, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What she meant was she remembered all the times in my life when I had done bad things, foolish things, silly things. She was, after all, the one who brought me into the world. Holding all that in her mind, it was hard for her to see me as a “preacher.” At the same time, she knew how God had worked in my life. That allowed her to receive the message, and me as a preacher, even though she knew all my flaws.  We will help those closest to us, when they struggle with whether to accept our authority from a faith perspective, if we let the Holy Spirit lead more and more, day by day, so they see more of Jesus living through us.

In 1 Samuel 22, we see the lengths to which King Saul was willing to go to find and kill David. Doeg the Edomite, who we read about in a previous chapter told Saul that Ahimelech the priest had helped David. Saul called for Ahimelech and his extended priestly family. When they came, Saul examined Ahimelech, and he offered a reasonable explanation for helping David: David was Saul’s greatest soldier, and he had helped him many times before. Saul wouldn’t listen to reason. He told his men to slaughter all the priests. They would no, so Does did it. He killed 85 priests that day, only one of Ahimelech’s sons, Abiathar, escaped. He went to David, and David promised to protect him, because as Saul was searching for Abiathar, so he was searching for David.

In Chapter 23, David saves the city of Keith, and yet they would have been willing to turn him and his men, who now numbered 600, over to Saul, so they fled. David continued to flee from Saul, and people told Saul where David was. When Saul was getting close to capturing David, he received news the Philistines were attacking so he had to break off his efforts and go to battle. This is a clear case of god providing a way out for David.

In Chapter 24, David had the opportunity to kill Saul. While Saul was searching for David, he went into a cave to “relieve himself.” David and his men were in that very cave. His men told David God had delivered Saul to him, so he could kill Saul and become king.  David went for the idea for a moment, but we see David’s true character, because as he went up behind Saul and cut off a portion of his robe, he was convicted that it wasn’t his place to kill “the Lord’s anointed.” He let Saul go. Only afterward did he go out and let Saul know he head the opportunity to kill him. Saul admitted to David that David was a better man than he.

In Chapter 25, the account changes from Saul chasing David, to David moving to the area of Moan. There he and His men protected the flocks of a man named Nabal. It wasn’t an official agreement, but when the time for sheep-shearing came, David and his men sent a message to Nabal, that he ought to pay the something for the protection they had provided his sheep and shepherds. Nabal dismissed the request, which angered David and he determined to destroy Nabal. Abigail, Nabal’s wife, heard of David’s plan to come against her husband, and took matters into her own hands. She prepared a great deal of food, took it to David, and convinced him that to kill Nabal would leave a mark on his record and conscience that would be difficult to defend when he became king. David realized Abigail was right, so he agreed not to harm Nabal or his family. When Abigail went home and told Nabal what she had done, he went ballistic. This resulted in his having a stroke, from which he died ten days later. David saw this as God’s vindication of his actions. After the time of mourning was over for her husband, Abigail became David’s wife. This account shows us how the LORD intervened in tangible ways in David’s life. It also shows us that sometimes total strangers become God’s instruments in keeping us on his path. Abigail’s intervention in David’s life kept him from making a fifteen-minute decision that would have haunted him he rest of his life. It also worked out well for Abigail!

As we return to Mark 5, we come again to one of my favorite sequences in Jesus’ life and ministry. First, He met “Legion,” a man possessed by 2,000 demons. (The number comes from the number of pigs that ran down the bank and killed themselves, after Jesus cast the demons out of Legion.) The interaction between Jesus and Legion is nothing short of incredible. While no one was able to bind the man, and no one wanted to be near the man, Jesus reached out and cast the demons out of him and brought him back to himself. Legion’s gratitude was so great he asked Jesus if He could follow along with Him. Instead, Jesus told him to go home and tell everyone what God had done for him. We’re told Legion did just that. Everywhere he went, his story, along with the redeemed life that accompanied it amazed the people he encountered.

After His meeting with Legion, Jesus was approached by a synagogue ruler named Jairus. We know he was desperate in coming to Jesus, because so many of the religious leaders had already condemned Him. But Jairus’ daughter was dying. He didn’t care about the religious leaders, or his own standing. He cared about his daughter. Jesus agreed to go see her, but as He was walking someone in the crowd that was pressing against Him, touched His robe. Through that simple act, Jesus felt healing power go out from His body. Even though He didn’t know who had touched Him, He knew someone did, so He asked, “Who touched me?” The disciples thought Jesus was being a little ridiculous. After all, the crowd was pressing in on him from every side. Jesus persisted. Finally, a woman admitted she had touched Jesus robe, because she knew if she did, she would be healed. Jesus called the woman, “Daughter” and told her that her faith had healed her. This is the only time in any of the gospels Jesus called anyone daughter, so this was a powerful affirmation of the woman. She had broken the law in touching Jesus, but Jesus said in effect, “I’m glad you did what you did, because now you are set free!”

As Jesus finished up with the woman, some folks came from Jairus’ house and  told Jairus’ his daughter had died, so it didn’t make sense to bother the teacher further. Jesus told Jairus’ to believe. Then he went to their home, and found the girl dead. He took her by the hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you get up.” She did! This sequence shows us Jesus put others’ needs before His own. It shows He is Lord of the spirit and the body, and of life and death. It shows us we do well when we put Him first in our lives!

1 Samuel 18 records the beginning of King Saul’s official “fear” of David. The people of Israel recognized God was with David, and gave him greater acclamation for his victories in battle than they gave Saul. Saul became both jealous and fearful of David. That is never a good combination. As we read through the chapter, we find several times the actions of David–all positive actions in service to King Saul, resulted in Saul fearing David more and more.

We also read in this chapter of Jonathan’s friendship with David. In our current culture, many in the LGBTQ culture grab onto this relationship, seeing it as a biblical example of a homosexual relationship. Nothing could be farther from the truth. One of the saddest distortions in  the current discussions about sexuality is that all same-sex relationships are immediately seen as sexual. I have had the same accountability partner for more than twenty-five years. I have shared things with him over the years, that I have not shared with anyone else. What do you call that? You call it a healthy accountability relationship–”iron sharpening iron” as King Solomon called it in the Book of Proverbs. In any case, Jonathan’s love for David was so great he yielded his right to follow his father as king. He does it symbolically in this chapter, and will do it in fact, later in this book. Such friendship is rare, and is a great blessing when we experience it.

1 Samuel 19-20 offers us a couple of examples of how much Jonathan sided with David, and how committed King Saul was to kill David. While Jonathan promised David that his father intended no harm to him, David was sure Saul wanted to end David’s life. Saul set a trap for David and his house, but Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s wife saved him. We see the family of Saul was on board with David becoming the king, but Saul’s desire to be the king and to pass the monarchy to his son, blinded him to God’s plan for Israel’s future. While Saul is an extreme example of what happens when we put our plans before the LORD’s plans, we are all tempted daily to seek first our will rather than God’s kingdom and righteousness. Let’s remember Saul’s radical disobedience to following God’s will, and commit ourselves to the path of obedience to the LORD!

1 Samuel 21 David escapes from serving Saul. He goes to the Ahimelech the priest and asks for food for him and his men. (David’s men were those assigned to him by Saul, yet they were loyal to David, which tells us again the difference between David and Saul. David was a man of valor and character, who was worthy of being followed. Saul was neither.) While Ahimelech told David he only had bread for the priests, he also told David he could have it if his men were ceremonially clean. They were. David received the food and Goliath’s sword which had been stored there. David noticed one of Saul’s servants was there: Doeg the Edomite. This will play an important role in the near future, so keep it in mind. Finally, David decides to go to the Philistines to serve them. At least there, he would be free from Saul. The problem was the Philistines knew David was a nemesis to them, so David pretended to be insane, so the king of Gath wouldn’t kill him. The plan worked, and David was safe…for the moment.

As we return to Mark 4, we read the first section with extended teach from Jesus. We read The Parable of the Sower and its interpretation, The Parable of the Lamp on the Stand, The Parable of the Growing Seed, and the Parable of the Mustard Seed. In each of the parables Jesus was illustrating what the Kingdom of God was “like.” It is impossible for us to understand fully what the Kingdom of God is like until we experience it in its fullness, but Jesus’ parable help us to see it is not ordinary, and it is not what we would expect. We also see it is bigger and more than we would expect. Mark closes the chapter with the record of Jesus calming a storm, which saved the disciples from drowning, because they were on a boat during the storm. After the act, Jesus asked the disciples why they had such little faith? Their response was terror, because they had never experienced power and authority as Jesus demonstrated it. This time the object of Jesus’ power and authority was nature itself. Let’s remember whatever we face in life, Jesus has the power and authority to get us through it!

In 1 Samuel 15, King Saul makes his “final” mistake as King of Israel. I put “final” in quotes, because Saul would remain king over Israel for decades and would make many more mistakes and commit many more sins, but when he failed to carry out the LORD’s commands in his battle against the Amalekites, God determined to take the throne from Saul and his descendants.  The clear message of 1 Samuel 15 is God prefers obedience more than sacrifice or more than anything else. One of my mentors, Dr. Dale Milligan said, “To love God is to trust Him enough to obey Him.” That quote helped me see obedience to God is not merely a religious requirement–although it can be that. Obedience to God is an act of love. When I trust God enough to do what He says, regardless of what it is, then He knows I love Him. And I know I love Him. The next time the LORD sets a challenge before us, may we trust Him enough to obey Him, and thus show him our love!

We could title 1 Samuel 16: Moving On! The LORD commanded Samuel to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the new king of Israel. In doing so, Samuel shows us that even a power prophet of God can rely on his own understanding, instead of the Holy Spirit and the LORD when carrying out the LORD’s work. Jesse had many sons, so Samuel asked Jesse to have them come before him. Samuel chose the oldest, who was also the tallest and most “king-like” in stature. (Saul had been a head taller than anyone in Israel, and look how that ended up!) As son after son came before Samuel, none of them measured up to God’s standard. Finally, Jesse sent for the youngest, David, who was out in the field watching the sheep. Jesse hadn’t even thought to include David in the list of candidates for king, but the LORD selected him immediately. The Holy Spirit came into David’s life when Samuel anointed him, and remained with him throughout his life.

In the remainder of the chapter, David ends up being called to serve King Saul as a “music therapist.” The Holy Spirit was replaced in Saul’s life with an evil spirit, and when he would be depressed or violent, he would call for David to come and play the harp, which would sooth him. Ironic, that the newly anointed king of Israel, would become a servant to the reigning king. Then again, the best way to learn to lead in the Kingdom of God is to learn to serve. Jesus told us He did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.

1 Samuel 17 offers us what may be the most familiar account of the Old Testament to many: the battle between David and Goliath. The salient points of the chapter are: 1) Goliath, a champion of the Philistines challenges the Israelites to send out one man against him in battle. The winner of the battle wins the “war” for his side, and the other side will capitulate in defeat and become servants of the winner. For 40 days Goliath went out every day and stood before the Israelite army, and for 40 days no one was willing to take on Goliath. Then Jesse sent David to bring supplies for two of his brothers who were serving in the army and for the king. 2) When David heard the challenge from Goliath, he was incensed that a pagan would challenge the armies of God, and saw it as a battle between the LORD and the pagan gods of the Philistines. 3) David offers to take on Goliath with only a sling and five smooth stones.  4) In desperation King Saul agrees. 5) David takes on Goliath and Goliath never stood a chance.  6) David’s victory brings him fame and favor among the people of Israel. It will also create a tremendous jealousy in King Saul, who will be at odds with David until the day Saul dies.

In Mark 3, we read once again of Jesus’ healing a man on the Sabbath. That simple act of love and power resulted in the Pharisees joining forces with the Herodians, fellow Jews who collaborated with Herod. Ordinarily these men would not have stood in the same room with each other, but because of their common interest in getting rid of Jesus before He caused so much of an uproar among the people that it caught the Romans’ attention, they joined forces in determining how to kill Him. While Mark’s Gospel is 16 chapters long, we find it took only until the third chapter for the beginning of the end to come for Jesus, in terms of the plot to kill Him being developed. In our lives, we must be certain we don’t unwittingly take the same approach as the Pharisees and the Herodians, which means we must make certain we don’t put what is good for us or what is expedient in front of putting Jesus first in all areas of our lives.

1 Samuel 12 presents us with Samuel’s farewell speech to the people of Israel. The speech contains three main points: 1) I have been faithful and cheated no one; 2) you have forgotten the LORD’s leadership, which has been with you since you were slaves in Egypt by choosing a king; and 3) Nevertheless, if you are obedient to the LORD and the king, God will continue to be with you. Samuel concluded his speech with a miraculous demonstration of the LORD’s power by calling for rain in the dry season. The rain came.

The people recognized that in points two and three they had turned against the LORD’s will and purpose, and they said as much to Samuel. Samuel reminded them again the LORD would be with them, as long as they demonstrated obedience, and Samuel promised to pray for them. In our lives, God’s presence is not contingent on our obedience, but our obedience brings blessing. We’ve seen that principle demonstrated over and over again in the Old Testament, and the clearest statement of it in the New Testament comes from Jesus’ own words in John 13 where He told the disciples if they knew His commandments, they would be blessed if they did them (or obeyed them.) As fallen people, even redeemed fallen people, we have a “bent” toward sin, toward disobedience. Thankfully, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can bend the other way, back to God and His will for our lives. The key is not only to be able to do that, but to do it!

1 Samuel 13-14 offers us the beginning of the end for King Saul’s reign over Israel. Even though we’re told Saul reigned over Israel forty-two years, nearly from the outset the reign was condemned, because of Saul’s disobedience to the commands of the LORD. The first example comes in 1 Samuel 13, when Saul took the work of a priest into his hands, because Samuel didn’t show up “in time” to offer a sacrifice before the Israelites went to battle against the Ammonites. Samuel had said he would come at an appointed time, but Saul grew impatient, because Samuel didn’t come. He offered the sacrifice. As a result when Samuel showed up shortly afterwards, Samuel told Saul the kingdom would be taken from him. Saul made excuses, but it was too late. The future had been established, and Saul’s family would not reign over Israel for more than one generation.

That didn’t mean Saul’s son, Jonathan, wouldn’t have an impact on Israel. Indeed, as we see in the remainder of chapter 13-14, Jonathan was a brave man, who led a charge against the Philistines that resulted in a major victory for Israel. The problem was King Saul had hamstrung Israel’s soldiers by telling them they couldn’t eat anything before nightfall. Fighting takes energy and the soldiers became weaker as the day moved forward. Jonathan hadn’t heard the command and ate some wild honey that was all over the land where the battle took place. He was strengthened by it, but when the battle was over, Saul knew someone had disobeyed him. Through a process of discernment, it was determined Jonathan was the one who had eaten the honey. Saul was determined to kill Jonathan on the spot. The will of the army prevailed, though, and Jonathan’s life was spared. In these two chapters we see many reasons why Saul was eliminated as the leader of Israel. Again, it would take forty-two years, before God replaced him, and much more negative leadership would come forth from Saul, but we learn in these two chapters, or I should say, we are reminded once again: obedience is the key to blessing when it comes to matters of the LORD.

As we return to Mark 2, the two main events that took place were the healing of the paralytic and the calling of Levi. Both involved the Pharisees being outraged at Jesus, because He claimed the ability to forgive sins, and He associated with sinners. Jesus’ actions show us we must follow God’s will and purpose, even if “good” people tell us we are in the wrong. Jesus’ unswerving commitment to overcome sin, sickness, and the works of the devil brought Him into conflict with those in the religious establishment, who were more concerned with maintaining an appearance of good, than with overcoming evil. We must never confuse the two as we serve Jesus!

1 Samuel 8 marks a major turning point in Israel’s history. Samuel was a great judge and prophet over Israel, but his sons weren’t like him. They were dishonest and greedy. The people came to Samuel and asked him to appoint a king over them, so they would be like the other nations that surrounded them. When Samuel took the matter to the LORD, Samuel was upset. He knew the people ought to serve the LORD, who was their true king. The LORD told Samuel to do as they asked, because they weren’t rejecting Samuel–They were rejecting the LORD. Samuel warned the people of the burdens a king would place on them, but they wanted to be like everyone else, so Samuel agreed to give them a king. Before we move to chapter 9, lets think about this for a minute. How many times have we wanted something that we saw someone else had? We had to have it, because it seemed like a good thing for a friend, or a neighbor, or even a stranger. Add to that all the advertising that flashes in front of our eyes and rings in our ears. We fear missing out, or being the last one to have the latest gadget. Times change, but people all too often don’t. It’s important for us to recognize ourselves in the accounts we read from 1 Samuel, because while we might never ask for a king, we have often asked for something we see someone else have that we don’t.

1 Samuel 9-11 records the implementation of the people’s request for a king. The LORD chose Saul a Benjamite to be the first king. If we remember back to the Book of Judges and what the Benjamites did, and how they were nearly wiped out as a tribe, we see again that God doesn’t hold a grudge. The account of Saul’s selection, anointing and becoming king, is filled with interesting twists and turns that show us God works in the lives of people. His Spirit can change us drastically. If you have read the Bible before, you know Saul’s faithfulness to the LORD is short-lived, and his reign as king will be marred with disobedience, and desperation. But it started off well. Even with such a brief sampling, we can see an important truth: Just because the LORD selects a person to serve Him, doesn’t mean the person will remain true to God’s course and purpose. As we read through the next days in 1 Samuel, let’s keep our eyes open for the aspects of Saul’s life that led to his downfall, and be warned to avoid such actions in our own lives.

Today, we return to the Gospel of Mark for a third time. Over these next sixteen days, we will read again of Mark’s presentation of Jesus’ life, ministry, teaching, death, and resurrection. If you’re wondering why we don’t move on to Matthew or Luke, because we’ve already read Mark and John twice, the short answer is: Repetition is the mother of learning! As we continue to read through Mark a total of five times during the year, his account will become more and more fixed in our minds. Ultimately, the goal is for it to move from our minds to our hearts, but until we have God’s truth in our minds, it cannot move to our hearts. In Romans 12:2, the Apostle Paul told us not to be conformed or molded to the systems of this world, but to be transformed through the renewing of our minds. As we read Mark’s gospel again, the information will enter our mind again. The truth there will work renewal in our minds, which will bring transformation to our lives.

Mark 1, as we know by know offers us a great deal of information about the start of Jesus’ ministry. It offers a brief background of John the Baptist’s preparatory ministry, of Jesus’ baptism, His temptation in the wilderness, and the first portion of His ministry in Galilee. We read of His calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. We read briefly of His teaching in a synagogue and the amazing authority His teaching held. We read of many healing miracles, and of the clarity of Jesus’ purpose. Eventually, each of us will have an “outline” of Mark 1 in our minds, and the truths it contains will be available to us in our daily living. Remember, the purpose of this year-long reading plan is not simply so we will read through the whole Bible, but so we will know more and more of God’s word, and apply it daily.

1 Samuel 4-7 records the Philistines’ attack on Israel, their victory over Israel, their capturing of the Ark of the Lord, their ultimate return of it, and the Israelites eventual defeat of the Philistines with Samuel as their leader. As we read the events that took place, we find God’s promises always come true, and His power is amazingly great. First, God had promised Eli that his sons would die, and that his descendants would never live to old age. After the Philistines had defeated the Israelites a first time, the Israelites decided to take the Ark of the Lord into battle. The Philistines were terrified when they heard that news. They realized the ark represented the God of Israel who had sent plagues on Egypt and delivered the Israelites from bondage there. Their terror turned to resolve and they defeated the Israelites, killed 30,000 troops, along with Eli’s two sons and captured the Ark of the Lord.

They soon found the Ark contained power. When they placed it in the Temple of Dagon, one of their gods, they returned the next day to find the idol had toppled over. They stood it up again, but the next day the idol had fallen again and its arms had broken off, and it’s head as well. The symbolism can’t be missed. The LORD is powerful, more powerful than any idol. Next the Philistine people started to experience a plague. The Ark was moved from once city to another and everywhere it went the Philistines experienced the plague. Eventually, they decided to return the Ark. When it was back among the Israelites, seventy of the men of Israel looked into the Ark and died. God is holy. The Ark represented Him and was only to be handled by priests from the tribe of Levi. The Israelites’ disobedience was judged, just as the Philistines had been judged for assuming their gods were “bigger” than the LORD. Eventually, the Ark was moved to Kiriath-jearim and Samuel organized the army of Israel to go against the Philistines. He called on the LORD for help and the LORD provided victory over them for many years.

While our modern sensibilities may be offended by some of these events, the lesson is once again: The LORD is holy. We must never assume we serve a weak God. God’s love is never weak.  God’s wrath is real. Jesus came to redeem us from sin and death, to restore us from God’s wrath, but short of a relationship with Him, we stand condemned, and will one day be separated from our holy God forever. Thank God He loves us so much, He has made a way for us to experience His salvation rather than His wrath!

As we return to John 21, we again read of Jesus’ “reinstatement” of Peter, as it is called. Peter had denied Jesus three times, in a moment when Jesus needed him most. Yet after enduring the crucifixion and rising from the dead, Jesus’ goal was to restore Peter to his place of leadership among the apostles. Jesus never holds a grudge. Jesus never gets even with us. Jesus always offers us forgiveness and restoration. That’s what His life, teaching, death and resurrection emphasize from beginning to end. I once had a young father whose child had been born with multiple birth defects ask me, “Do you think God ever gets even?” I asked him what he meant. He said he had lived a sinful life in his younger years, and turned his back on God many times. He wanted to know if his daughter’s condition was God’s getting even with him.

It wasn’t a moment for platitudes. I told him all our actions have consequences. His drug use in his early years could potentially have had an impact on his daughter. But that was not God “getting even.” God’s desire was for him and his daughter to experience His truth, love, and salvation. Over the next several months, as I visited the man and his wife, and his daughter’s condition worsened, he came to a realization that it was God who was giving him the strength to face the situation. Romans 8:28 assures us, “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” We all make sinful choices and commit sinful actions. God’s purpose is to redeem us from those. That’s what Jesus’ death on the cross tells us. It’s what Jesus’ meeting with Peter on that early morning by the Sea of Galilee show us. God has promised never to leave us, nor to forsake us, and all His promises are true.

Today we move to 1 Samuel. The next six books we encounter: 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles, take us through the life and times of Israel from the days just prior to the establishment of the monarchy, through the fall of the Northern Kingdom (Israel), and the Southern Kingdom (Judah). These books are historical narrative. 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles offer much of the same material, but there are differences in details. 1 & 2 Samuel starts with the life of Samuel, one of the greatest prophets in the history of Israel. As we will see, Samuel was called by God to select the first and second kings of Israel: Saul and David. King David became the greatest king in the nation’s history, and the one everyone used as a point of comparison for the Messiah. The Messiah was often referred to as “The Son of David,” even though he was in the same sense “The Son of Solomon,” “The Son of Rehoboam,” and so on. Let’s turn now to the first three chapters of 1 Samuel.

In 1 Samuel 1,  we read the account of Elkanah, Hannah, and Peninnah. Elkanah was the husband of both Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children and Hannah did not. That led Peninnah to ridicule Hannah, because in that culture not having a child, and a son in particular, was cause for ridicule. Hannah took her barren condition to the Lord. Her prayer was so desperate that Eli, the priest at Shiloh, thought she was drunk. She was sobbing and praying with her lips moving, but not making any sound. He started to ridicule her as well for being drunk, but Hannah told him she was crying out to the LORD for a son. Eli offered a blessing over her, that her prayer would be answered. It was! Hannah bore a son, and she named him Samuel, which means “The LORD hears.” What an appropriate and powerful name. As part of her prayer to the LORD for a son, Hannah had promised to dedicate the child to the LORD. She kept the promise and when Samuel had been weaned she took him back to Eli, so Eli could bring him up as a priest. It’s hard to imagine making a vow to dedicate one’s child to the LORD at such a young age. Yet, it shows us Hannah’s trust in Him and Hannah’s obedience. At the moment, she had no idea how important her son would be to Israel. The only thing she knew was the LORD could answer her prayers, and as He did, she would respond by trusting her son to Him.

The first half of 1 Samuel 2, records the beautiful prayer of Hannah. The words in it recount God’s faithfulness, and how He cares for those who are downtrodden. About a thousand years later, another young woman of Israel would recite her own prayer, that would incorporate some of Hannah’s words and ideas, because of God giving her a son. That woman would be named Mary, and her son’s name would be Jesus! In the remainder of the chapter, we read about Eli’s sons and their unfaithfulness in their work as priests. They desecrated the sacrifices of people, and they seduced some of the young women who came to worship. Meanwhile, Samuel served Eli faithfully, At the close of the chapter a man of God came along and pronounced a curse on Eli and his family. While Eli was faithful, he did nothing to stop his sons from serving wickedly before the LORD. Because of that, Eli’s family would no longer be priests and all would die an untimely death. The curse is harsh, but remember, God was establishing a holy people, and those serving in the priesthood must be faithful.  The lesson we learn from this passage is we are called to call our children to faithfulness. If they are not faithful, we cannot permit them to continue in positions of prominence in the LORD’s work. This passage hits so close to home for me, because our two daughters are not following the LORD at this time. We continue to pray for them, and we continue to call them to return to the Lord. We also continue to love them and to stay in relationship with them. We do not even consider giving them the opportunity to serve in any kind of leadership in the church–not that they would want to do so right now.

1 Samuel 3 records the first encounter Samuel had with the LORD. It’s a bit amusing if you step back from it and think about it. Samuel was still quite young, and we’re told the word of the LORD wasn’t common in those days. In other words, the LORD didn’t often speak to people directly. But one night as Samuel was sleeping the LORD called out to him, “Samuel.” Samuel had no idea it was the LORD. How would he? The LORD had never spoken to him. He made a reasonable assumption: Eli is calling me. So, he went to Eli and asked what he wanted. Eli said he hadn’t called Samuel, and told him to go back to bed. This happened again, with the same result. Then it happened again and Eli realized it was the LORD. He told Samuel if he heard the voice again to say, “Speak LORD, your servant listens.” What a powerful statement. Often in my prayer times, when I want to simply listen to the LORD, I will say the same thing, “Speak LORD, your servant listens.” The LORD did speak to Samuel. He gave Samuel the same message of the bleak future Eli’s family would experience. Their judgment was coming.

The next morning Eli asked Samuel if the LORD had spoken, and if so, what He had said. Eli also warned him to tell the truth, so Samuel did. From that moment forward the LORD spoke to Samuel often, and gave Samuel credibility not only with the people who came to Shiloh, but eventually with all of Israel.

In John 20, we have the joy of rereading the account of Jesus’ resurrection! To me the most poignant moment in John’s account of the resurrection is when Mary Magdalene sees Jesus and thinks He is the gardener. She asks Him where they have taken the body, so she may go and bring it back. Jesus speak to Mary. He only says one word, but that one word show Mary who it is. The word was, “Mary.” Jesus spoke her name, and Mary recognized Jesus. She knew the sound of compassion that had led her back from prostitution and demon possession. Can you imagine what that must have been like? In our own lives, Jesus speaks our names. He knows each of us by name. He calls each of us by name. People often say, “If you were the only person who needed to be saved, Jesus would have died for you.” That statement is true, and one day, those of us who have trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord, will stand before Him and hear Him call our name. Mary had a glimpse of that moment on the first resurrection morning. May we live our lives in such a way that when we face Jesus it will be the greatest moment of our eternity!

Today’s Old Testament reading includes the entire book of Ruth. The account of Ruth shows us how God can use anyone, even a foreign woman (which in that day would have been seen as a nearly impossible scenario) to accomplish His purposes.  The back story of Ruth is a Israelite family from Bethlehem (Bethlehem means “House of Bread”) left God’s provision during a time of famine to travel to the foreign land of Moab. While there the two sons married Moabite women. Then first, the father dies, and then the two sons, leaving Naomi, the mother, and Orpah and Ruth, the two Moab daughters-in-law. Naomi decides to return to her homeland and tells Orpah and Ruth to return to their families. In those days, unmarried women were low on the societal and economic scales. Their futures were bleak, and Naomi assumed at least if the women went back to their families they might not starve.

Both Orpah and Ruth told Naomi they would go with her, but after Naomi pointed out there was no future for them in Israel, Orpah agreed to return home, but Ruth showed her character by how she responded. She told Naomi she was going back to Israel with her. In a beautiful statement of commitment, as well as Ruth’s change of heart (She would have worshiped the pagan gods of Moab, but must have come to faith in the LORD while part of Naomi’s family.), Ruth said, ¹⁶But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.  ¹⁷Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” Ruth 1:16-17 (NLT) Ruth’s pleading convinced Naomi and they both returned to Israel.

Once back home, Ruth demonstrated her character again by going out to the fields to glean grain.  She showed her willingness to work to support both Naomi and herself. She “happened” to end up in the field of a man named Boaz. Boaz was impressed by Ruth’s commitment to Naomi. He extended courtesy to her, then protection, then he made certain she would gather enough grain for her and Naomi. Once Naomi saw what Boaz did, she came up with what seems to us an absurd plan: Ruth was to go to the threshing floor in the middle of the night, and lie at Boaz’s feet. She was to do this after Boaz had finished threshing the grain, and had lain down to sleep. Naomi told Ruth to uncover Boaz’s feet, and when he woke up, he would tell Ruth what to do. Can you imagine putting a woman you cared about in that position? Sleeping at the feet of a relative stranger, and leaving her well-being in the hand of the man? Obviously, cultural mores dictated what an honorable man would do in that situation. Boaz was an honorable man. When he woke up and realized what was happening, he committed to marry Ruth. Show his integrity once again, Boaz gave Ruth grain and sent her home while it was still dark. That way no one would be able to make any accusations about Ruth’s behavior.

One problem stood in the way of the storybook scenario. According to custom, a closer relative than Boaz had a right to redeem Naomi’s land. Boaz went to the the elders of the town the next morning, and brought the situation to everyone’s attention. The nearer kinsman, agreed to redeem the land, until he learned the “deal” included marrying Ruth, the Moabitess. At that point Boaz redeemed the land, married Ruth, and the account ends by telling us about the male descendants of Boaz and Ruth for three generations: Obed who was the father of Jesse, and Jesse’s son was David, who became the greatest king in Israel’s history. He was also an ancestor of Jesus! Ruth’s faithfulness led to God using her to be a progenitor of the line of Jesus.

While we can’t cover every important detail in this brief summary, one more point about Ruth comes out in the townswomen’s comment about her to Naomi:  ¹⁴Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the LORD, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. ¹⁵May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!” Ruth 4:14-15 (NLT) The statement “…has been better to you than seven sons!” is incredible. Daughters, let alone daughters-in-law, were nearly always seen as a burden, and sons a blessing. But Ruth was better than seven sons. That might be the greatest compliment anyone was ever given in the pages of the Bible.  Of this we can be sure: Ruth is a role model for all of us. May we demonstrate the same commitment to God, our families and our community as she.

As we review John 19, we’re reminded of Pilate’s cowardice. He succumbed to the pressure of the people to crucify Jesus, even though he determined Jesus hadn’t done anything wrong. As we read about Jesus’ crucifixion and death we note John recorded Jesus’ last words as “It is finished.” That did not mean “I’m done, or “It’s over,” but “I have completed what I came to do.” Jesus’ willingness to endure not only the pain of the crucifixion, but much more painful for Him, enduring the weight of human sin, that separated Him from His heavenly Father. As we read it again, let’s pause and thank God for His great grace and mercy to us in this incredible event!