I Samuel 6 - The Ark Returns to Israel

I Samuel 6

And the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom will He go up from us?” - verse 20

Message: The Ark Returns to Israel

Time: This book is a biography of Samuel's life and career up to his death. It took place over a period of about 110 years, stretching from the closing days of the judges, when Samuel was born (ca. 1120 BC) through the death of Saul (1011 BC).

What the Lord is Saying: Chapter 5 mentions the impacts of the ark remaining with the Philistines and bad things that occur because of it. They try to get rid of it to other cities but bad things continue to happen to the people in those areas. Chapter 6 begins by telling us that the ark had been with the Philistines for 7 months. The Philistines speak to the priests and diviners for their guidance as to what they should do in getting rid of the ark and sending it on its way. 

The priests give them directions, mentioning an offering that should now be done. They mention a guilt offering of five gold tumors and five gold mice. They are to prepare a cart with two milk cows on the cart, cows that have never been yoked. Their calves are to be separated from them. The gold mice would be attached as well as likenesses to the tumors. 

The priests said that if the cart goes the way of Beth-shemesh then it is a sign that the Lord God has done this evil to them. It does go that way and the people there respond with joy and they in turn do offerings as well in thankfulness to God. 

17 Now these are the gold tumors which the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, and one for Ekron; 18 and the gold mice, corresponding to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five governors, both of fortified cities and of country villages. The large stone on which they placed the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

But the people of Beth-shemesh were struck by the Lord. 50,070 men died for looking into the ark. And they said, "Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom will He go up from us?” I think this is a question many voice at times. In a word God is holy and no one seems worthy to stand before Him and that seems true. Only Jesus was worthy. And perhaps that is the point often of the words of these books and judges and writers. God is holy. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God." All are unworthy. 

It seems very possible that we as people simply do not recognize the full meaning of this - to know what it means for God to be holy and separate from us. These Israelites show me the importance of us worshipping God. They did it through sacrifices and in a way it is a sacrifice for me to set aside my ways and times to worship God. 

Summary: The Philistines turn over the ark, directed to by making a guilt offering of tumors and mice and it is received by offerings from the people as well. 

Promise: God is Holy

Prayer: O Lord, you are Holy. God, you are not to trivialized. You are to be set apart. You are to be revered. And I need to always make you number one in my life, loving you above all else. Thank you for loving me, accepting me and knowing me. You are holy and true. It is only Jesus that helps me to come to you each day. Teach me the meaning of these words continually in these scriptures and words and how I am to make them relevant to my life today. I praise you. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

Mark 12:32-34 - Close to the Kingdom of God

Mark 12:32-34
32 The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE's NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

Message: Close to the Kingdom of God

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus is answering question after question. He is speaking with an authority about God that many have not seen. The Jewish leaders of the day are even being questioned. People see this. people want to hear from him. Jesus has said that we need to have faith in God, forgive others; we need to love God, love our neighbor. He has said at the beginning of his ministry that the purpose of each person is to repent and believe in the Gospel. This is the message. Turn from my evil ways and embrace God and others.

After Jesus responds to the scribe's question about the greatest commandment, The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher. This is a response that hasn't really been voiced by many up to this point. The disciples often did not respond in this way. If anything, it seems that Jesus wants this response.

The scribe has much to say that is right and draws upon words from the Old Testament.

Deuteronomy 6:4 - “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!Deuteronomy 4:35 - To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him.Leviticus 19:18 - You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.I Samuel 15:22 - Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.Isaiah 45:21 - “Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.Hosea 6:6 - For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice,And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

The scribe somewhat summarizes what Jesus has just said but he adds that He is "one." Jesus said, "THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD." The scribe agrees with this and says, "He is ONE." 

He also knows that there is no one else like Jesus. Instead of heart, soul, mind and strength, he takes soul and mind and combines it with understanding to say: heart, understanding and strength. For me, this is clear.

Jesus responds with this scribe with the words - When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God." This is an interesting response by Jesus and also a confirmation of the importance of simply agreeing with Jesus' words. The scribe simply responds back with the words he has said which brings affirmation that we are answering him correctly. Perhaps this is what was meant by many have said in teaching us how to pray that we need to simply echo the words of God or speak the scriptures back to God in our prayers and petitions.

The scribe had definitely made up a lot of ground in him becoming a child of God. Jesus did not tell the man he was in the kingdom of God but that he was not far from it. Thus, to enter the kingdom of God is to recognize the authority of God's law. But there is also more to it by Jesus saying repent and believe. Each person needs to recognize that they are living life in a foolish manner and turn from their sin and believe in Jesus and therefore all that He says. So the scribe was not far from the kingdom of God. 

Summary - After the scribe asks Jesus to explain the greatest commandment, Jesus proclaims the Shea from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 that the love for God above all else is the most important of all the commandments. Then Jesus says to love one's neighbor is the second greatest of the commandments. The scribe responds by agreeing with Jesus and re-stating what Jesus has said. Jesus is pleased with this response and acknowledges that the scribe is not far from the kindgom of God. But there is more. There is the Law and recognizing we are sinners.

Promise: God's judgment must be preached for people to enter the kingdom of God. This message is as central as recognizing that we are to Love God and Love our Neighbors as ourselves.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the truth of your message. Thank you for clearly explaining it. You have told me that the Love of God and Love for my neighbor is central to my faith, but also repentance and believing and having faith is central for the forgiveness of sins. Lord, help me to be an anchor of truth to this generation. Thank you for your great love for people and for showing me this love through the study of this book.

Luke 2:22-35 - Our Divine Vocation

Luke 2:22-35

22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

33 And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Message: Our divine vocation

Time: The Gospel according to Luke was probably the last Synoptic Gospel to be written, thus penned around 60 AD. The words salvation are in Luke, though not in Matthew and Mark. Luke, a gentile physician, wrote more than any other NT writer, writing primarily of redemptive history.

What the Lord is Saying: There is a continuous theme in the Old Testament that is carried forward in the New Testament because it is a theme that occurs in the lives of Jews and Jewish Christians. That theme is cleanliness versus being unclean. Many of the sacrifices that were set up in Leviticus were for the purpose of someone becoming clean again. The most common source of uncleanness was the stain of sin in a person's life. But there are other things as well. One of those things is a woman giving birth. After the birth, they were considered unclean for 7 days and then would have to stay home 33 days more, and then for having a girl these periods were doubled. And then they were to present in the temple an offering of purification: a burnt offering of a lamb a year old, and a young pigeon or turtle-dove as a sin offering. But if someone is poor then the lamb can be replaced with a young pigion or turtle-dove. This is what Mary brought for Jesus (v. 24).

And then there was Simeon, who we know nothing about, but that he was waiting for the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit came upon him, perhaps for a moment, rather than continually; but he was clearly a holy man. At some point in Simeon's life he had been told by the Spirit that he would not die before first seeing the Lord's Christ. It would make sense then that Simeon was very old.

Mary and Joseph bring the baby Jesus into the temple to carry out the custom of the Law in making and Simeon takes the baby in his arms to thank or praise God (v. 28).Simeon here recognizes that in this infant something special. God had told him through His spirit to wait for this baby, and this is indeed a special moment in the temple where Simeon, an older and wiser man sees that he can now depart from this world because he has seen the salvation of God's people, namely Jesus. Jesus is a light to the Gentiles and a glory to Israel. Thus, Jesus covers all people.

Joseph and Mary hear this, amazed once again. If anything this is also for their benefit, what Simeon has voiced, for them to hear that this baby is indeed different. There have already been so many signs of Him being different but these words from Simeon are the clearest.

Simeon speaks to Mary and Joseph with a prayer or a command and blesses them. They are blessed to have the honor of being related to this child and were entrusted to bring Him up. Jesus will be a savior of death to some (unbelievers) and a savior of life to still others (believers). But these words had to be hard to hear by Mary and Joseph that this baby would be rejected by many, would receive lashings and be opposed, but all of this is ordered by Providence as Jesus will reveal the actions of men. Jesus' suffering would hurt Jesus but also hurt Mary. But his suffering is necessary, as is our suffering.

Here we have the prophecy of Jesus and his life, by a man, Simeon that is really not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture and Luke records him. Jesus is set apart. He is indeed unique.

Promise: Suffering is a necessary part of life. The reality is suffering hurts and it is hard, but we remember it is necessary.

Prayer: Lord, I have seen that suffering is real. It does indeed hurt for it to occur in our lives. We have suffered for pain that our children experience or hurt that comes upon us from their actions. It is tough to be a parent, to experience all of the sacrifice and the things that we do to help make our kids great and then along the way, we hurt for them. It is a joy but it is also a difficult part of life. God, I thank you for what you do in our lives and for bringing us along in life the way that you have. Keep our eyes focused on You. Thank you for the prophecy of Jesus and that he is salvation for all people. We need You and we need You every hour.

Romans 15:14-16 - Paul's Priestly Service

Romans 15:14-16 - ¹⁴ I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. ¹⁵ But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God ¹⁶ to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Message: You are mature in Christ, now keep on ministering and offering the Gentiles as acceptable to God

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

Background
Paul has been speaking to the strong ones, primarily, the strong in faith, and reminding them of the importance of being sensitive to people at different levels of faith. And to be sensitive to them regarding their beliefs or convictions. I am to build other people up, to live in harmony with others, to welcome others. Christ has welcomed me. The Jews and the Gentiles have both been grafted into the family of God. I am not to pass judgment on another person because of a conviction they have, though this is in the context of what that person believes regarding a religious conviction. This doesn't mean I can never judge nor does it mean that I am to accept everything a person does. Sometimes what people do is outright sin. I am not to be accepting towards everything a person does. 

You are mature in Christ
Paul then in verse 14 says some things to the Jewish Christians here, which is who he is primarily speaking to in this book of Romans. Verse 14 kind of reminds me of the letter to seven churches that is recorded in Revelation 2 and 3 and the words John says to each of those seven churches, praising them first for something they are doing right. "You yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another." 

There may be a tendency to think that because of all that Paul has said in this fine book that these Christians were therefore deficient in their understanding but this verse is a bold proclamation that these Jewish Christians were in fact living out their faith in a doctrinally sound manner and were passing on what they learned to others. And this was all based upon what he had heard concerning them because he had never visited them personally.  

These were Christians that came along the side of other Christians and counseled them. They were there for each other, providing encouragement and instruction. 

Reminder
Paul makes a transition in verse 15 to state why he has stated what he has. All of us need to be reminded. And Paul has not held back in his explanations. He has been bold in those explanations, comprehensively describing the explanation of thought and deed. 

Ray C. Stedman makes this remark:

"I saw a man the other day with a string around his finger. The string was to remind him of something. The fact that we so easily forget things is somehow built into our humanity and I think one of the greatest proofs of the fall of man is that we have such a hard time remembering what we want to remember, yet we so easily remember what we want to forget!... Living out in the world, as many of you are, working every day among non-Christians, it is so easy to be sucked into the attitudes of the world around. It is so easy to get the idea that life is designed to be a pleasant picnic, that we can work toward the day when we can retire and enjoy ourselves. I find that attitude prevalent among people everywhere, but that is not what the Bible says. The Bible says we are in the midst of a battle, a battle to the death, against a keen and crafty foe. He wants to discourage us and defeat us, and to make us feel angry and hostile. He knows how to do it, and he never lets up. This life is not designed to be a time of relaxing. There are times when we need recreation and vacations, when we can slow down a bit. But you never see the Apostle Paul talking about quitting the battle. You cannot quit, as long as life is there. So Paul tells us that we need to be reminded, day by day and week by week, that we are in a battle and that we have a crafty foe. This life is not all there is, by any means. This is school time, a training ground, where we are to learn our lessons. This life is getting us ready for the real thing that is yet to come."

I agree with this statement. We believe so often that life is about us and about our enjoyment. In Christ, however, I am on mission. 

Be a minister
Throughout these past 2 chapters, the overriding message in these chapters is to be a minister to our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is to think of others as more important than myself. It is to want the best for others. I think we all just have this tendency over and over to make ourselves happy and please ourselves. Yet, Paul uses a different word here for minister to emphasize something. He uses  leitourgos because he saw his missionary work like that of a priest offering sacred worship to God.

Paul desires to present Gentiles before God. A person makes a sacrifice or presentation before God to show God that I am denying myself and bringing something before you, hoping that you find it pleasing. So Paul wants to encourage these Christians to not just accept the Gentile but to present these Gentiles to God as a sacrifice like a priest would do. It is one thing to accept others that are different from us, but it is quite another thing to present them before God. It is to come alongside them and really desire their best.

Offering of the Gentiles
Transformation of thoughts are possible. Paul is a testament to this. Prior to being in Christ he hated the Gentile believers and now he is bringing them before God as a sacrifice, desiring them to be pleasing to God. The Lord will reward us as we offer up these sacrifices.


Promise: We labor, not only for the saving of men, but for the satisfying of the heart of God. This is the most powerful motive.

 

Malachi 2

Message: God is to be set apart and praised and honored and His covenants are to be taken seriously. 

Time: Late 5th Century BC; After Malachi I when the Lord came down on the people for not giving God their best and the priests were willing to accept second-best.

What the Lord is Saying:

The Lord Rebukes the Priests
(v. 1-2) Our priority to the Lord is to give honor to His name. This is the whole and entire purpose of the tabernacle and the role of the priests: to give Glory to God in the Highest.

Reminds me of the Chris Tomlin song, "Glory in the Highest."
    You are the first
    You go before
    You are the last
    Lord, You're the encore
    Your names in lights for all to see
    The starry host declare Your glory

    Glory in the Highest.

This is our chief aim of life, to glorify God and give Him the honor he deserves. How can we not do this and then think God will bless us?

(v. 3) When I don't honor God, but then bring to Him offerings and expect a blessing, it is odd. How I live like this. I secure my salvation in the Lord and then I live my life in such a way as to just barely give God what He deserves and then sit back and expect my life to fall into place. (v.4) I am to repent. The covenant is to seek the Lord, repent of my ways. (v.5) Would I just realize that I am to stand in awe of the Lord and realize who He is.

King James Version - over and over we see God telling us to not fear.

Deuteronomy 1:21 - Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:8 - And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Joshua 1:9 - Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 10:25 - And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. 

1 Chronicles 22:13 - Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the Lord charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.
1 Chronicles 28:20 - And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.

2 Chronicles 20:15 - And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. 

2 Chronicles 20:17 - Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you. 

2 Chronicles 32:7 - Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: 

Isaiah 51:7 - Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. 

Jeremiah 23:4 - And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord. 

Jeremiah 30:10 - Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.

Jeremiah 46:27 - But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. 

We walk in control of our lives most of the time because of something we fear and yet over and over the Lord reminds us to "fear not."

There are actions of the true priest and how he is to act and conduct himself (v. 6-7). His instruction is true. He walks in peace. He walks in an upright way. He turns many from their focus on sin. He guards knowledge. People look to him for instruction. He is a messenger sent from the Lord. But, the false priest acts in the opposite manner (v. 8,9) and has poor outcomes or results. Many stumble, many are corrupted and you are partial in your instruction, trying to have your cake and eat it, too. Your name will not be set apart.

Judah Profaned the Covenant
All of us have the same God. God is the one that created us. So, why do we often act so poorly toward one another (v. 10)? We do we often act that we are not of the same family. That is a hard question for life. Family members can go their separate ways at times but we can still leave in love. We are pondering leaving our church right now, but that doesn't mean we think any less of the people that are there. Specifically here in this passage (v.11) the concern is placed on Judah and their unfaithfulness and the way they have treated those things in their life that should be sacred. They haven't placed the honor they should toward the Church. God loves His Church and yet how often do people instead go out and choose to marry the world instead? We need to be careful that we don't act this way and then occasionally think that are service to God will bring blessing to our life (v. 12).

It wasn't enough that people disregarding God's covenants and did not give Him honor, but they turned their back on the wife of their youth and instead went after foreign wives (v. 13-16). They went outside the church and went instead to other places to seek after other women. God is the one that establishes the covenant between husband and wife and then we often turn our back on it and go after other wives. The overriding issue here is how we don't take serious enough the covenants that God has set up for us. 

The Lord is wearied by our words. Our throat is an open grave (Romans 3:13). Our words begin to no longer have value (v. 17).


Promise: God is to be honored. Give Him the honor He deserves by following what He teaches throughout His word. Don't look to being favored by man. Persistence of sin in our life will lead to all kinds of problems in our lives.

Ezekiel 46

Message: (A continuation of Ezekiel 44 and 45); Understanding the daily offerings (burnt and grain) and Sabbath day offering. And the temple kitchen which cooks the offerings. -- though this temple will never be built, it would appear.

Time: A message from the Lord to Ezekiel through a vision.

What the Lord is Saying:

The east gateway of the inner courtyard will be closed during the six day week, but open on Sabbath days for a burnt and peace offering and for worship. This is where the non-Temple workers will bow down and worship.

Every morning a sacrifice of a 1-year old Lamb with no defects will be made as a burnt offering. And a grain offering alongside. This is a daily sacrifice, without fail.

Giving gifts to your sons means the descendant can keep the land forever, but a gift to a servant is good only for 50 years.

The meat from the offerings will be cooked by the priests.

Promise: Follow the rules set up by the Lord.

Ezekiel 45

Message: (A continuation from Ezekiel 44) Division of the Land, Rules for the Princes, Special Offerings and Celebrations

Time: This continues the Lord's message to Ezekiel through a vision.

What the Lord is Saying:

What the Lord gives us as a gift, his provision, also includes a portion or section which is to be set aside for His purpose. Here that purpose is a temple. And within that temple is a place that is Most Holy. All the parts of the temple have specific purposes. And each member of the tribe of Israel will be allotted a portion.

To the princes of Israel: Do what is just and right. Stop acting with violence and oppression. Be honest in your dealing with them and give them what they each are due.

And the prince will receive from you an offering or tax from what you have. And other offerings given for atonement. All people must bring these offerings. There is atonement for sins of error and ignorance. And then there are other periods where a celebration (Passover) must be held for 7 days. And for these seven days there are rules of offerings.

Promise: God is our provider, but also in His provision are rules as to how we are to give back to Him and provide atonement for our errors. He provides it all.