Day 75–1 Samuel 8-11; Mark 1

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.