I Samuel 12 - Hope for Israel

I Samuel 12

And Samuel said to the people, "Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart." (verse 20)

Message: Hope for 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: Saul is now most assuredly the king over Israel. Samuel was the last judge, but now Saul is their first king. He is the king the people wanted. In the last chapter he conquered the Ammonites in the area of Gad under the leadership of Nahash and despite some thinking he was not capable, he showed that he was capable. 

In I Samuel 12, Samuel offers a speech now - a sort of farewell address to the people. To Israel he says in verse 1 "I have listened to your voice....and have appointed a king over you." Samuel has done all that he can do in his life for the people of Israel: "I have walked before you from my youth even to this day (verse 2)." Samuel says he has taken no bribes but has walked with integrity (v. 3, 5) and the people of Israel agree (v. 4).  The Lord appoints leaders, starting with Moses and Aaron "who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt (v. 6)." The Lord has acted righteously before you (v.7):

1. The people of Israel (under the name Jacob) went into Egypt and Moses/Aaron brought them out (v.8). 

2. But the people forgot the Lord and they ended up in the hands of the Philistines (v.9). 

3. And the people cried out to the Lord: We have sinned...We have forsaken...We have served other gods...Deliver us....We will serve Thee (v. 10). 

4. The Lord sent men to deliver you and delivered you from the hand of your enemies (v.11)

5. Finally, you wanted a king and the Lord provided you the king you wanted (v. 12-13). 

In verse 14, Samuel provides the concluding thought or command or promise to the people that is the same promise given in all generations: 

If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice, and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and all the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God (v. 14). 

This is what we need to do in life: follow the Lord your God (v. 14). Jesus proclaimed this to the disciples: "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19)." 

Conversely though, "If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel...then the hand of the Lord will be against you (verse 15)." The pattern or idea is simple. Follow, listen, obey and all will go well with you. As I read Proverbs this is the simple message - do good, not evil. We go to church every week basically hearing this same message - do good, not evil. With it holds a promise that we all need. We resist it. People say, "I don't want God's authority over me." People instead expect the worse. People have failed them so they judge God by what people have done. But God is faithful and merciful, but he has set in plan a motion of good for all, if they will seek it. 

The Lord will do "this great thing...before your eyes (verse 16)." 

Samuel mentions to them the evil they have done in asking for their king (v.17). He sends rain and thunder and the people feared (v. 18). Ask for the mercy of God by you act of selfishness (v. 19). But the people still have a chance so "serve the Lord with all your heart (verse 20)." If you turn aside, you will seek after futility "which can not profit or deliver" you. The things that are not of the Lord are not of profit. They will not deliver. Thus our problem, we seek after other things all of the time -- again it is simple - serve the Lord with all your heart. 

Verse 22 - "The Lord will not abandon His people...the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself." Samuel states his responsibility in all of this - "to pray for you...and instruct you in the good and right way (verse 23)."

"Fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart (verse 24)." Do not act wickedly (verse 25). 

The message remains this simple always. This chapter is a great summary of God and the Christian life. Do good and serve the Lord. This chapter does not promise a life free of problems. It does say that going after ungodly things is futile and those things will not deliver you, but the reason we do what we do is to serve the Lord - to Fear the Lord - with all your heart. What do we get out of it? That we are the people of God. 

Don't listen to the lie that life is meant to satisfy yourself. Follow God. Simply follow the Lord and serve Him with all of your heart. 

Summary: Samuel gives a beautiful summary of our life - we are to serve the Lord with all of our heart. We are the people of God. 

Promise: Matthew Henry - "If God shall not rule us, yet he will judge us." 

Prayer: Lord, your message and your way is simple. We make it complicated and we have made it always complicated. You set over us all this bounty and then give us a command. We focus on what we cannot do (in eating from the tree) rather than seeing that you have provided all that we need and we need to simply serve you with all of our heart. But even when we choose our own way, you give us another chance. We are your people God and You want us. What the world offers God is futile and will not deliver. You deliver. Seek after You. Life is not easy though. And you are not promising an easy life, but a life of peace and contentment. I need to follow You. Thank you for the promise of Your word God. Thank you for the peace that is found in your word and this chapter which is a great chapter to begin this year with and doing - "serve you God will all of my heart." Keep directing me daily in what this means God. Keep directing me in what it means to serve You God. There is freedom in trusting You and serving You. Thank you God for this. Help me this year to keep my focus on this - on what you have provided. Place my focus always on this. 

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

I Samuel 7 - Israel Puts Away Foreign Gods

I Samuel 7

Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

Message: Israel Puts Away Foreign Gods

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: The Ark of the Covenant is back in the right hands, "into the house of Abinadab." Eleazar is "to keep the ark." It was there for twenty years. The people lamented after the Lord. There is sorrow for the way in which the Ark has been handled. 

In verse 3, Samuel challenges the house of Israel with an IF..THEN statement of promise. If the people will return to the Lord and abandon the foreign gods then they will be delivered from the hand of the Philistines. And so they followed suit and did this. Samuel prayed for them at Mizpah. The people fasted, crying out their sin against the Lord. Samuel judged the sons of Israel. Samuel was God's representative of these people. 

It is interesting because he sounds like the office of the priest that is present today in the Catholic Church. And yet with the Holy Spirit as our guide, do we need this judge today? It seems we don't. The judge then made sure that the people followed correctly, redirecting people when necessary and punishing those that went wayward. He acted on the ways of God and laws of God before a people. This seems like a role that is still needed in some ways to God. People want to honor God, but are not sure and therefore go to people for answers, for help, guidance.

Coming back to the story of Israel. The Philistines heard about this gathering at Mizpah for Israel to get things right with God. The people go to Samuel and say, "Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” Basically, don't give up on us yet. 

Samuel sacrifices to the Lord and the Lord responded and confused the Philistines as they came to battle Israel. Samuel signifies this with a stone called Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us.” Philistines were taken care of and cities were restored to Israel that had been taken. They had been delivered. Samuel had acted on behalf of the people and the people had responded as well in turning their hearts to God, away from the foreign Gods. 

"Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life." Samuel judged Israel in many places. In Ramah he built an altar to the Lord. 

Summary: Samuel leads the people to restoration from the hand of the Philistines. The people respond by putting away their foreign Gods and Samuel removes the evil, restores the good and God responds and makes a way for victory against the Philistines. 

Promise: I need to be a person who repents and turns my life, all of my life, over to God. 

Prayer: O God, free from the sin that entangles me. I give air time to it all of the time. Instead turn my heart toward you so that I am removing anything that is serving the world and its ways. Those are my foreign Gods. Thank you Holy Spirit for interceding for me and being my intermediary between God and me. Thank you for working favor in my life. Keep me humble and worshipping you always. 

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

Judges 3:12-30 - Ehud and Eglon

Judges 3:12-30

So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was undisturbed for eighty years. 

Message: Ehud and Eglon

Time: Judges covers about 250 years from death of Joshua to birth of Samuel (1360-1110 BC). The people of Israel largely divided with different local triable judges. It was a period of stirring interventions by the Lord and also great disobedience on the part of the Israelites. Without a king, everyone did right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). 

What the Lord is Saying: In the previous lesson, something I saw and began to understand was that God used the poor choices of the Israelites for an opportunity to determine if they will rely on Him. I saw in that lesson that my life is really meant to glorify God, not so that I would get a reward but so that God would simply be glorified and receive the praise. The primary focus of our lives is on Him, not ourselves. And in this situation with the Israelites in Canaan, they are going to be challenged and tested with the hope that their lives will be lived in praise and honor of God. 

The Tabletalk lesson for today states, "God still used them (the subsequent judges after Othniel), but the judges tend to receive a greater focus than the Lord Himself." See, too often, I am thinking life is about me and what I want and what I need and my happiness and my joy - but life is about God and His glory. I am living in His World. I am created because of Him and for Him. This book - the Bible - is meant to be a story about God and who He is and what He is doing. And people in this story serve His purposes. I serve His purposes. It is more important for God to get the glory than for man. 

After Othniel dies, following 40 years of the land resting (v. 11), "the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord." In other words, the sons of Israel entered a time of apostasy. Apostasy is turning away from one's faith after declaring or making a profession of faith. In seeing this evil - "The Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel." Eglon's purpose is to discipline them. This is what God can do during a time of apostasy - turn people back to Him. Here, he is doing that through discipline. After this "the sons of Israel served Eglon...18 years." -- Eglon is not a Godly representative; He is not a righteous judge. He is a worldly ruler. Joseph Benson states, "As God raised up deliverers to Israel, when they became penitent, so he spirited up enemies against them, and gave them power to oppress them, whenever they revolted from his service."

Then "the sons of Israel cried to the Lord" and "the Lord raised up a deliverer. (v. 15)" Ehud is the next judge and the next deliverer to the people of Israel. Ehud will kill Eglon in a rather gruesome way, surprising him with a sword and thrusting it into his belly and then scurrying away. This is a story of what God did, but that doesn't mean this is a story that is to be emulated or repeated, but is describing what God has done. God steps in when His people are falling away from him, exchanging other gods for the God of Abraham. God sees this and uses a non-Godly man to turn people back to Him, but He does it through discipline. Then, at a point, that God determines, after the people cry to Him, He raises up a deliverer. 

After the death of Eglon, 10,000 Moabites are struck down. Moab is subdued. "And the land was undisturbed for eighty years." There were 18 years that the people were disciplined, but then this is followed by 80 years of living undisturbed or had rest (not the entire land, but the eastern part which had shaken off Moab).

Summary: For 18 years, God disciplines Israel under the hand of Eglon. After crying to the Lord, the Lord delivers Israel through Ehud and they have peace for 80 years. 

Promise: "Through every storm, through every fight, Your hand has held me, guiding my life." - Belle Ballesteros, "I am Chosen." 

Prayer: God, you are good. You are holy. You created me for your purpose. But even more than me, you have a purpose in people, to keep them with You. Yet, we as your people can get off track. We can turn from You and seek our own desires, our own ways. We erect gods that we seek and make a big part of our lives. We are impatient and in the process we start taking control of our own lives or we think we do. But you God still have your purpose, to be with You. O God - keep your people close to You. You will draw them back to You. I see this. Maybe I discover it greater than I have ever seen before. You are a God that brings your people home to You. 

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

Judges 3:1-11 - The Model Judge

Judges 3:1-11
And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother (v.9)."

Message: The Model Judge

Time: Judges covers about 250 years from death of Joshua to birth of Samuel (1360-1110 BC). The people of Israel largely divided with different local triable judges. It was a period of stirring interventions by the Lord and also great disobedience on the part of the Israelites. Without a king, everyone did right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). 

What the Lord is Saying: Judges is an interesting title for this book because in a way what God seems to be doing here in this book is challenging the Israelites, but in a rather natural way based upon their choices to not completely trust God after allowing non-Israelites to continue to inhabit the lands that they were promised by God in Canaan. Rather than wiping those people out, they allow them to stay. We do the same thing in our lives. We dance with danger. We try to have our cake and eat it too. We say we are surrendering to God and yet we let in those things that potentially could bring our faith down and make us ineffective. And then as we do this, we still go to God and ask Him to bless us. People marry people of different faiths or of no faith. We saturate ourselves in so many different types of entertainment and music. We make alcohol too much a part of our life and we spend much of our time with people that do not share our beliefs. And yet there are challenges even in me saying this as we are called to be in the world, but not of it. It is the world where people that are not of our faith reside and we need to go to them to bring them into the fold. 

But the Lord God in His providence and sovereignty does something else - though the Canaanites remain because of the disobedience of the people in not conquering them when they had the chance, God also will now use this remnant to teach the Israelites that are now there about war - fighting and "God's extraordinary power and providence manifested therein (Joseph Benson)." A generation had fought previously under Joshua, but now a new generation is present and God needs to teach this new generation fighting and also dependence and reliance on Him. David Guzik writes, "These nations would remain because God wanted to prove the faithfulness of Israel to Himself, and to improve their reliance on Him." My obedience is for God's glory and something He wants not simply so my life will be better but because He wants my faithfulness. "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)"

This is powerful and maybe something I haven't really noticed or realized before. That these words in Scripture are describing God and His ways and purposes. God is wanting to do something in me - for Him -- for His Glory. That it isn't first and foremost about my spiritual growth. It is about me being in Christ, in God. Because He wants a people that is dependent on Him. This isn't all about me and making me better, but it is about Him and making Him great. 

In verse 1 of chapter 3, it says, "these are the nations which the Lord left, to test Israel by them." In verse 4, "to find out if they would obey the commandments of the Lord." In verse 5, "They took their daughters for themselves, and gave their own daughters for their sons." In verse 7, "The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord." Evil must be defined by God, not man. All too often I think the danger we have as people is defining what is wrong by what we think is wrong. But, God wants us to uphold His word and look to it as our plumb line. The standard is His. Thus, the mark of a Christian or Jesus follower or one who really wants to obey the Lord is to constantly measure ourselves against what His word says is right and wrong. 

Verse 9, "When the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother." Verse 10 - "And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and He judged Israel." Verse 11, "then the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died." Not much is written here about Othniel. It says the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and that seems to be all that is needed to describe him. 

Thus, the first judge. The Lord provided. He judged them. He delivered them. 

Summary: God tests Israel to prove they are a people relying and depending on Him. They serve other Gods and Othniel delivers and judges them and the land has rest for 40 years. 

Promise: God delights to use people to accomplish His purposes, but we should take care to give Him the credit. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for teaching me these lessons and truths - that life is always and only about You and my obedience is what You are supposed to receive. I need to follow You all of my days. This life is Yours. Help me to keep that the focus and not on my own learning or focus. You are to be glorified. 

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