Category: 1st and 2nd Samuel-BibleTrekToday
Trek through 1st and 2nd Samuel
Sin has consequences
Scripture reading for March 23: 1 Samuel 27-31
Have you ever been curious about what will happen in the future? If we had that information, we feel that we could get rich, save ourselves from disaster, or control the world. God warns us not to seek any source other than Himself for this information! (Leviticus 19:31) He is the only source of Truth because He alone knows the things to come! (Isaiah 42:9)
Saul lived in rebellion and was tormented by an evil spirit. He had tried to seek the Lord, but God no longer answered him through the priests or prophets. (1st Samuel 28:5-6) He was living in fear and desperate for direction. He, himself, had banned all witches, mediums, and sorcerers from the land. But now Saul sought out a medium to ask for the spirit of Samuel to be brought up from the dead. A spirit, like Samuel, appeared and spoke prophetically to King Saul one last time, pronouncing his coming death the next day and telling him the reasons why. There was no visible remorse or repentance.
1st Samuel 28:18-19 “Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out His fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with Me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.”
True to the Word of Samuel, Saul and his sons died the next day. Saul was wounded and asked his armor bearer to put him out of his misery. The armor bearer was terrified and refused, so Saul fell on his own spear, taking his own life! Even in his death, Saul took matters into his own hands! (1st Samuel 31:2-6).
Are you doing something right now that you know is in disobedience to God’s Word? In what ways did God show Saul mercy and demonstrate His patience? If you need to repent, today is the best time.
“But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1st John 1:9)
Revenge belongs only to God!
Scripture reading for March 22: 1st Samuel 24-26
Nabal was a “Calebite”, a descendant of Caleb, the faithful spy and conqueror of giants. Nabal was described as being “surly and mean in his dealings”. (1st Samuel 25:3) One of his own servants also described Nabal as a man who was “such a wicked man that no one could talk to him”. (1st Samuel 25:17) He liked to party and alcohol was also a factor in his reputation. (1st Samuel 25:36) If he were around today, he would fit in well with many in our world.
Nabal was married to a Abigail, a woman described as “intelligent and beautiful”. Often our mate is the one who can help us with our own sins and weaknesses. Hearing how arrogantly her husband had treated the servants of David, who had helped protect their herds, Abigail quickly took action to avert a disaster. She was like the godly woman in Proverbs 31 who was working for her husband’s good. Abigail took goods and met David and his men as they were coming to seek revenge. She appealed to David, humbly asking for his favor. David listened and relented. Through this godly woman, he heard the voice of God and was spared the shedding of innocent blood though revenge.
1 Samuel 25:32-33 “And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed by you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand!” Romans 12:19 “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, says the Lord.”
Returning home, Abigail found her husband at a party, drunk. She waited until morning to tell him what she had done. When Nabal heard about her kindness, God struck him with what appears to be a stroke. The scripture says that Nabal “became like a stone” and soon died.
What lessons can we learn for our lives today from this story of Nabal and Abigail? What were some factors in Nabal’s life that brought him trouble and judgment? How did God show him mercy? How does this story speak to today’s culture in our time?
Friends that bless
Scripture reading for March 21: 1st Samuel 20-23
1 Samuel 18:1 “As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” 1 Samuel 23:16 “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.”
When I was in school, I had a best friend named Kendal and we were in the same class from kindergarten until our junior year of high school. We tried to sit together and be together. We camped out during the summer and loved to hunt birds and fish. We often shared our hearts with each other. Kendal was drafted into the Army and went to Vietnam. I had gone to college and had enlisted in the Iowa National Guard. Kendal gave his life serving our country. I had the privilege of being a pall-bearer at his funeral! Best friends are hard to find, and even harder to loose!
David and Jonathan were best friends. The Scripture records their love for each other and how their hearts were knit together. (1st Samuel 18:1-4) Jonathan was Saul’s son and the probable heir to the throne of Israel. David was a shepherd and musician who God had selected to be the next king of Israel. God placed David in Saul’s court to prepare him for his kingship. Jonathan recognized the favor of the Lord on David and was drawn to him in a covenant love. They became best friends and shared their hearts with each other. They made a covenant to help each other and even their extended families.
King Saul became jealous of David’s reputation and was afraid of David’s anointing. He was insecure and tormented by an “evil spirit from the Lord” because he was in rebellion. (1st Samuel 17:14, 23) David played his harp and the evil spirit would leave for a time. The evil spirit would return and sometimes turn murderous towards David. Saul tried to kill him on several occasions and David was forced to flee. Jonathan always tried to patch things up or help his friend.
Finally, David realized that King Saul was going to kill him. Jonathan tried one more time to patch things up, but was himself attacked with a spear by his own father! Jonathan sent David away with tears and reaffirmation of their friendship. (1st Samuel 20:41-42) When he could, Jonathan would slip away and meet with David. He always encouraged him in the Lord! (1st Samuel 23:15-18)
We have a Friend in our Lord Jesus Christ! He is faithful and true to us, even when the going gets rough! He provides encouragement and shares his armaments with us! We can call on Him at any time and he will come. He will warn us of danger and help us to either face it or escape. He is a friend by covenant and promises to help our descendants as well! Praise the Lord–He has called us friends! (John 15:15-17)
God sees our heart!
Scripture reading for March 20: 1st Samuel 16-19
Our culture prizes youth, beauty, intelligence, power, and money! We tend to judge people by what we see or know about their life. Where do they live? What kind of car do they drive? Are they handsome or beautiful? What position do they hold? Who are their friends? We are very driven by our senses and peer pressure. But God sees things differently!
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance, or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1st Samuel 16:7)
God is looking for a heart after God, a heart that will trust God and live by faith in His Word! (2nd Chronicles 16:9) When we put God first, and not our “self”, He is pleased! He is looking for a “humble and contrite” heart. (Isaiah 66:2) He needs a heart that can be taught, corrected, and shaped for His habitation. Jesus taught that only those who are pure in heart can see God. (Matthew 5:8
Jesus Christ had the perfect heart! He was fully sold out to God, his Father. He did only what he saw His Father do and said only what He heard His father say!(John 5:19-20) Jesus was humble of heart–and wants to teach us the same! (Matthew 11:28-32) Jesus was pure of heart–completely without sin! He offered His own life on our behalf! If we confess our sins to Him, He will cleanse us of our sins and all unrighteousness! (1st John 1:9) We can have a pure heart too! We can learn from Him by receiving the Holy Spirit of Truth.
Praise the Lord, God still looks at the heart! Does He see Jesus Christ as Lord in your heart today? How would you evaluate the state of your heart for being humble and teachable?
“The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” (John 3:35-36)
Rebellion, witchcraft, and arrogance
Scripture reading for March 19: 1st Samuel 13-15
“But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination (witchcraft-KJV) and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” (1st Samuel 15:22-23)
When we think about witchcraft and the occult, we tend to think about men and women dressed in black, bats, curses, and evil including violence, blood and death. Our modern culture promotes the occult through television and movies that are watched by millions. Children’s books, like ‘Harry Potter’ introduce the young to occult teaching as entertainment. Games like dungeons and dragons are used by the naive promoting the occult. God’s Word is clear, participation in the occult is rebellion against His Word.
Saul was anointed and empowered to lead the nation. He was the answer to the people’s cry for a king who would protect them. The Philistines prepared a huge army with horses and chariots to attack Israel. Samuel, the prophet, had told Saul to wait for him to come and sacrifice to the Lord in order to seek God for direction . Saul waited but grew impatient and although not a priest, decided to offer the sacrifice himself. Samuel returned just after Saul completed the offering, and rebuked him. (1st Samuel 13:13-14)
Samuel then instructed Saul to attack the Amalekites and destroy everything as punishment from the Lord for their attacking Israel on their way from Egypt. Saul obeyed, but only partially! He kept back the best sheep and goats for sacrifice and let King Agag live. The Word of the Lord came to Samuel: “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” (1st Samuel 15:10-11) We must take note that partial obedience is not obedience!
God hates rebellion and stubbornness! We can call it entertainment, but God still calls it sin! These sins don’t entertain God and should not be entertained in our lives or homes! Are you in ‘partial’ obedience in any of these areas of sinful behavior? What actions can you take today to bring God’s grace?
Give me a King!
Scripture reading for March 18: 1st Samuel 8-12
1Samuel 8:5,7 “. . .and they said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” . . .”and the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.”
Although they already had God as King, the Israelites had demanded a king like the other nations. (1st Samuel 8:4-5) God already knew this would happen. He had told Moses about it! (Deuteronomy 16:14-20) God knows man’s deepest need is for a relationship Him. To help us know Him, He sometimes lets us have what we want in order to help us learn what we really need.
God chose Saul, a person who stood above all the others, as Israel’s first king. (1st Samuel 10:23-24) As Samuel anointed him, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul and he began prophesying. (1st Samuel 10:1, 9-11) Samuel introduced him to the nation and the people shouted, “Long live the king!” But this king would not satisfy the people’s need, but would help them to learn that they needed their real King more than ever! This first king would soon fail to obey and honor the Lord and fall under God’s judgment. The people would suffer under his leadership! He would not deliver them from their enemies.
Tomorrow happens to be my 77th birthday. I lived for a few years without a King! As a early teen I invited the King Jesus to rule my life, but did not really let Him have complete say over everything. I am thankful that my King was patient with me. He let me have what I initially wanted, success in farming, to show me that it did not satisfy. My birthday request is that my family would all willingly serve Jesus. A further request would be that all my friends and neighbors would also know this King as Lord, Savior, and Friend! Jesus is patiently waiting for all to acknowledge Him as Lord and King! He meets our deepest need eternally!
“But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart.” That is the word of faith that we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 10:8-11)
Sunday rest and reflection
“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” Judges 21:25
Reading through the book of Judges, I am impressed with how much it describes our contemporary culture and the world view of secular humanism. When people have no king or supreme authority in their lives, they become the authority themselves. This was the original lie of the serpent: “You can be as God.” The result is catastrophic! Society becomes full of sin, immorality, and rebellion. Our enemies enslave us and blind us with lies. God, our Father, longs to intervene. Passionate prayer is required!
In the time of Judges, the ministry of the priesthood was also corrupt. Ministers were often hirelings. (John 10:11-13) Many have positions and go through the motions, but do not really care for the people. They tickle ears and tell their people what they want to hear. (2nd Timothy 4:3-4) Some love money and use God’s people to line their own pockets. We must be discerning of the same idolatry and religious scams in our world today!
God’s remedy for the people caught in religion has always been the same. He listens for His people to cry out to Him in prayer! When they do, He begins to act. (Psalm 50:14-15) He raises up a person who will walk with Him by faith and preach the Word of God. When these people preach the uncompromising Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit, then healing, restoration, and deliverance takes place. (see Judges 4:1-11 for an example) How God longs to be our King and lead us into the abundant life! Call out to Him in passionate prayer. Allow Him to touch your heart today! God bless you and your family! Pastor John
Respecting God’s Presence!
Scripture reading for March 16: 1st Samuel 4-7
I love the presence of the Lord. I almost always experience tears or feel all my senses are alive and awake. I am often speechless–not wanting to violate His holiness but wanting to hear His voice. Although God’s presence was present with the Israelites in the Ark of the Covenant, they sought to use the Ark as an object instead of honoring God’s presence.
1 Samuel 4:3 “And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”
The Israelites had just lost four thousand men in battle and were asking why the Lord had allowed the defeat. The elders suggested bringing the Ark to lead them in battle. When the Ark was brought into the camp by Hophni and Phinehas, Eli’s two wicked sons, the camp erupted in shouting! The enemy heard the commotion, and it ignited a desire to fight extra hard! The Philistines whipped the Israelites and 30,000 more Israelites died in the ensuing battle! Hophni and Phinehas were killed and the Ark of God was captured! Eli died at this news and his daughter-in-law died in childbirth!
God had warned Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas about their wickedness and about His coming judgment! (1st Samuel 2:16-22) Treating God’s Presence as something to be used or manipulated for advantage is not allowed. Disregarding prophetic warning leads to disaster. Hophni and Phinehas had been dishonoring God, their father, and the nation by eating the fat portion belonging to God! They had been having sex with the women who served at the temple. But God will not be mocked! (Galatians 6:7) Living in rebellion to God as a leader is never wise.
What caused these Israelites to drift into a form of religion instead of a true relationship? Have you ever tried to use God or symbols of faith instead of walking in relationship? Are you filled with God’s Holy Spirit, the Father’s personal present of His presence?
False accusations
Scripture reading for March 15: 1st Samuel 1-3
1 Samuel 1:13-15 “Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you. But Hannah answered, No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring my soul out before the Lord.”
Have you ever been falsely accused of doing something wicked? How would you feel about a false accusation coming from a man or woman of God? The temptation would be strong to get angry at the person or worse yet, to get angry at God! Our journey in 1 Samuel begins with such an opportunity!
Hannah was barren and sought God for a child . Her husband, Elkanah, had two wives. His other wife had children but Hannah cried out to God for a child. The Scripture specifically stated that “the Lord had closed her womb”. (1st Samuel 1:6) There was also strife between the two women over this issue. Hannah took her case before the Lord in Shiloh where Eli was priest.
As Hannah is praying desperately for a child at the temple at Shiloh, weeping and crying out to the Lord, Eli thought that she has had too much wine and was drunk! He told her not to come drunk and to give up the wine! (1st Samuel 1:12-16) To her credit, she did not become angry or disrespect him. She patiently explained her dilemma and Eli blessed her. God answered her prayer and she got her child! She promised to dedicate him to the Lord. She named him ‘Samuel’ who became a prophet of God.
How should we handle false accusations? How should we treat those in authority who may also jump to wrong conclusions? How did Jesus handle false accusations and reviling words? 1 Peter 2:22-23
Sunday rest and reflection-a house for God.
Greetings on this day of rest! May the peace of Jesus Christ fill your heart today as you rest in His love and kindness!
As I stopped to ponder the reading of this past week, I thought of King David’s desire to build a house for the Lord. (2nd Samuel 7:1) This is one of the most important conversations found in the Old Testament pointing to Jesus Christ. King David had rest from his battles and had built himself a palace of cedar. He realized that God was living in a tent and wanted something better for God. He shared his desire with Nathan the Prophet who encouraged him to do whatever was on his heart.(2nd Samuel 7:3)
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart”. (Psalms 37:4) David was a man who delighted himself in the Lord. As he put his faith and trust in God, God gave him desires that flowed from His heart! God did want to build a house for Himself. The house God desired was not made of wood or stone or overlaid with silver and gold. The house that the Lord wanted built would have to come from the most precious of materials: His own Son’s Blood and Body! David was granted grace to become a part of God’s greater plan to build the ultimate house–a people from every tribe, tongue and nation who would believe on Him!
As you gather today to worship the Lord with others of like precious faith, remember that you are the living stones of that House for the Lord! (1st Peter 2:4-10) You are a royal priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices to the One who gave His own son as the foundation–God your Father! Delight yourself in Him today, and He will surely give you the desires of your heart!