ECV Bible Guide

Ruth 4:13-22

2011-08-24T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. ¹⁴ The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a family guardian. May he become famous throughout Israel! ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”

¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. ¹⁷ The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

¹⁸ This, then, is the family line of Perez:

Perez was the father of Hezron,

¹⁹ Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,

²⁰ Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

²¹ Salmon the father of Boaz,

Boaz the father of Obed,

²² Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of David.

Questions to consider:

What happens after Ruth and Boaz get married?
Why is their child significant?
What do the people say about Ruth's relationship with Naomi?

Possibilities for prayer:

While the beginning of this story is a bit sad, we can see the way in which God redeems things that were originally broken. Ruth is a woman who finds herself in a strange land, without any real family of her own, and without even her husband. Naomi loses all her family and feels old and lonely. But transforms and redeems this situation so that Ruth finds a loving husband, and is able to build a family, while Naomi gains a son and a grandson in the process. Ruth's story of courage and boldness can give us hope in the way that God redeems things that seem lost, much like Boaz redeemed Ruth! Let's thank God today for the ways that we have seen redemption in our own stories, and ask that we would have eyes to see his works of redemption in the future as well.

Ruth 4:1-12

2011-08-23T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹ Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the family guardian he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

² Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. ³ Then he said to the family guardian, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. ⁴ I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.”

“I will redeem it,” he said.

⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”

⁶ At this, the family guardian said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”

⁷ (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)

⁸ So the family guardian said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.

⁹ Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”

¹¹ Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. ¹² Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

Questions to consider:

Who does Boaz have a conversation with?
What is the conversation about?
What is the result of the conversation?
How does the marriage of Ruth and Boaz take place?

Possibilities for prayer:

What an honorable man Boaz is! He does what is honorable to the people of his family, and to God. He is respectful of the person ahead of him in the line of redeemers, but takes on the responsibility without flinching when it is presented to him. Let's ask that God would us people willing to take on responsibility that comes our way without fear or hesitation, and have the wisdom to identify when those responsibilities line up with God's best for our lives.

Ruth 3

2011-08-22T00:00:00.002-04:00

1 One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”

5 “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.

7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!

9 “Who are you?” he asked.

“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a family guardian.”

10 “The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Although it is true that I am a family guardian, there is another who is more closely related than I. 13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your family guardian, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.”

14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.”

15 He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and put it on her. Then he went back to town.

16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”

Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17 and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

18 Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”

Questions to consider:

About what is Naomi concerned?
What plan does she make for Ruth?
What does Ruth do?
How does Boaz respond?

Possibilities for prayer:

The relationship between Naomi and Ruth is a unique one. They clearly care for each other, and that care must be genuine, because neither is bound to the other by blood. Naomi recognizes that she is old and not able to properly care for her daughter in law, so she sets about making a plan to see she is provided for. It seems simple, but sometimes we don't know how to love well. Let's take the example of Naomi and Ruth's relationship and try to emulate it, asking that God would show us how to care deeply and genuinely for the people around us.

Ruth 2:14-23

2011-08-19T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹⁴ At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.”

When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. ¹⁵ As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheaves and don’t reprimand her. ¹⁶ Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.”

¹⁷ So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. ¹⁸ She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough.

¹⁹ Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!”

Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.

²⁰ “The LORD bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our family guardians.”

²¹ Then Ruth the Moabite said, “He even said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’”

²² Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.”

²³ So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Questions to consider:

What other kindnesses does Boaz show to Ruth?
What is Naomi's response to what Ruth brings home?
What advice does Naomi give her daughter in law?

Possibilities for prayer:

We've talked a bit about Ruth--the courage and humility that are clearly part of her character--but let's think a little about Boaz for a minute. He finds a foreign women gleaning in his field and instead of being upset, he finds ways to make her situation easier. He has compassion on her and works to make sure she is cared for. In a city like New Haven where we regularly encounter people who have great need, compassion is something we can always use more of. Today, let's ask God to be transforming our hearts to be filled with more compassion for those we meet in our daily lives.

Ruth 2:1-13

2011-08-18T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹ Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz.

² And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”

Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” ³ So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.

⁴ Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The LORD be with you!”

“The LORD bless you!” they answered.

⁵ Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”

⁶ The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. ⁷ She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”

⁸ So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. ⁹ Watch the field where the harvesters are working, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

¹⁰ At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

¹¹ Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. ¹² May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

¹³ “May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have reassured me and have spoken kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”

Questions to consider:

What plan does Ruth have?
In whose field does she find herself?
How does the owner of the field receive her?
What is Ruth's response to his reception?

Possibilities for prayer:

Ruth demonstrates humility in this situation, as well as courage. When she is acknowledged by Boaz in the field, she says that she is not even as worthy as one of his servants. She does not expect anything from him and only expresses gratitude for what she has received. Humility and gratitude are things often missing from our lives, especially for those of us who find ourselves living in a city like New Haven. Let's ask God to teach us how to grow in those things...and maybe ask that the lessons wouldn't be too difficult!

Ruth 1

2011-08-17T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. ² The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

³ Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. ⁴ They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, ⁵ both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

⁶ When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. ⁷ With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

⁸ Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead and to me. ⁹ May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”

Then she kissed them good-by and they wept aloud ¹⁰ and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”

¹¹ But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? ¹² Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— ¹³ would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me!”

¹⁴ At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her.

¹⁵ “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”

¹⁶ But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” ¹⁸ When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

¹⁹ So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. ²¹ I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

²² So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

Questions to consider:

Why did Elimilek's family move to Moab?
What happened while they were there?
What does Naomi advise her daughters in law to do?
How do they respond?

Possibilities for prayer:

Ruth expresses a vast amount of loyalty in this situation. She is not related by blood to Naomi, only by marriage, and yet she chooses to remain by her side rather than return to her own people. She must know that this means she will become a stranger in a strange land, with an old woman as her only companion. Especially being a woman, what a frightening prospect this must have been! But Ruth is strong, courageous, and loyal. Let's ask that God would grow each of those characteristics within us as well.

1 Samuel 31

2011-08-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹ Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. ³ The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.

⁴ Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.”

But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. ⁵ When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. ⁶ So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.

⁷ When the Israelites along the valley and those across the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines came and occupied them.

⁸ The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. ⁹ They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. ¹⁰ They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

¹¹ When the people of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, ¹² all their valiant men marched through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them. ¹³ Then they took their bones and buried them under a tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

Questions to consider:

Who is after the Israelites at this point?
What happens to David's best friend?
How does Saul die?
How is Saul's body treated?

Possibilities for prayer:

While the story of Saul's end is rather tragic, it does remind us of the way in which our lives lie ultimately in God's hands. Let's take some time to reflect on the decisions that we make in our lives and to, in a way, re-commit our lives to God and his purposes.

1 Samuel 30

2011-08-15T00:00:00.001-04:00

1 David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, 2 and had taken captive the women who were in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.

3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

9 David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10 Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.

11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— 12 part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.

13 David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?”

He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. 14 We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag.”

15 David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?”

He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them.”

16 He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 17 David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. 18 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 20 He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”

21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. 22 But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”

23 David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 24 Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” 25 David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.

26 When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.”

27 David sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir; 28 to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa 29 and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; 30 to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athak 31 and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.

Questions to consider:

Where does David find strength?
What do David and his men do to the Egyptian they find in the field?
What did the Amalekites take?
What problem arises among David's people?
What is his response?

Possibilities for prayer:

Dissent among the ranks has the potential to be a serious problem. Fortunately, David has the presence of mind to make a swift decision and use reason to back it up. It takes courage to make a decision that may upset many people, but David does not falter. Today, let's ask that God would give us the courage to say things that might be unpopular, especially as we consider what it looks like to "speak of Jesus" in our own worlds and situations. Ask that God would give you the courage (and the wisdom) to translate what means to you to the people in your life.

1 Samuel 29

2011-08-12T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹ The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel. ² As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish. ³ The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?”

Achish replied, “Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”

⁴ But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men? ⁵ Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances:

“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands’?”

⁶ So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the LORD lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers don’t approve of you. ⁷ Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”

⁸ “But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹ Achish answered, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’ ¹⁰ Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave in the morning as soon as it is light.”

¹¹ So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

Questions to consider:

What problem arises as the Philistines are marching into battle?
What does Achish say in David's defense?
How does David respond to Achish's news?
What is the end result?

Possibilities for prayer:

David is an obedient servant in this situation. We have seen that he is an able and courageous warrior, and that he takes pleasure in battle. But when he is told to go home because the other Philistine commanders don't want him around, he does so without much of a fuss.

Being obedient can be a very difficult thing, especially when being obedient means doing something we would rather not do. But much like most children and their parents, when it comes to obedience to God, we can rest assured that what we are being asked to do is for our own good. Let's ask that God would be growing within us hearts that are obedient to Him.

1 Samuel 28:16-25

2011-08-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹⁶ Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has departed from you and become your enemy? ¹⁷ The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. ¹⁸ Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. ¹⁹ The LORD will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

²⁰ Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.

²¹ When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do. ²² Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”

²³ He refused and said, “I will not eat.”

But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

²⁴ The woman had a fattened calf at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast. ²⁵ Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.

Questions to consider:

What does Samuel tell Saul?
How does Saul respond?
What is the medium concerned about?
What do Saul's men (and the medium) encourage him to do?

Possibilities for prayer:

Sometimes, the truth hurts. When Samuel tells Saul that he has become the Lord's enemy, it's no wonder that Saul responds with total fear--that's certainly not a good place to be. Saul made a lot of poor decisions that have led him to this point. Let's ask that God would be instilling in us the ability to have a healthy and fruitful relationship with him, so that we would never find ourselves in the situation Saul did, as an enemy of God. If there are things in your life that have been creating distance between you and God, take some time to confess them and seek God's forgiveness.

1 Samuel 28:1-15

2011-08-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹ In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army.”

² David said, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.”

Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.

⁴ The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. ⁵ When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. ⁶ He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. ⁷ Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”

“There is one in Endor,” they said.

⁸ So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”

⁹ But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”

¹⁰ Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this.”

¹¹ Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”

“Bring up Samuel,” he said.

¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”

¹³ The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”

The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.”

¹⁴ “What does he look like?” he asked.

“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.

Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

¹⁵ Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

Questions to consider:

What position does Achish give to David?
Of what was Saul afraid?
What is his response?
How does the medium receive Saul's request?
What question does Saul pose to Samuel?

Possibilities for prayer:

Ok...now we have Saul using a medium to communicate with a dead priest? Can the Old Testament get any crazier? Sometimes when reading through passages like this, I wonder how I am supposed to treat these kinds of stories. Are they relevant to my life? And how do I deal with the fact that a king of Israel successfully asked a medium to communicate with one of God's priests? I definitely do not have all the answers to these questions...but God certainly does. Let's ask that God would be always speaking to us through the passages that we read and study, even when on the surface they seem a little bit...crazy.

1 Samuel 27

2011-08-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹ But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

² So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. ³ David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. ⁴ When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

⁵ Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”

⁶ So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. ⁷ David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.

⁸ Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) ⁹ Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

¹⁰ When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.” ¹¹ He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. ¹² Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has become so obnoxious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life.”

Questions to consider:

Does David believe the promise Saul made to him at the end of the last chapter?
What does David do next?
Does David put his warrior days behind him?
What does Achish think of the situation, of David living in his territory?

Possibilities for prayer:

Throughout this book we have seen the ways that David has cleverly avoided certain death at the hands of Saul. Here he decides to move to territory that does not even belong to his people, in order to avoid Saul's deathly pursuit. It seems to me that the only inspiration for such actions could come from God, from the gift of wisdom that God has bestowed upon David. So, as we have done many times over the course of reading through 1 Samuel, let's once more approach God with the request for more wisdom. After all, it's not like we can ever have too much. :)

1 Samuel 26:12-25

2011-08-08T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹² So David took the spear and water jug near Saul’s head, and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping, because the LORD had put them into a deep sleep.

¹³ Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them. ¹⁴ He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, “Aren’t you going to answer me, Abner?”

Abner replied, “Who are you who calls to the king?”

¹⁵ David said, “You’re a man, aren’t you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn’t you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king. ¹⁶ What you have done is not good. As surely as the LORD lives, you and your men must die, because you did not guard your master, the LORD’s anointed. Look around you. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were near his head?”

¹⁷ Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is that your voice, David my son?”

David replied, “Yes it is, my lord the king.” ¹⁸ And he added, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? ¹⁹ Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words. If the LORD has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, people have done it, may they be cursed before the LORD! They have driven me today from my share in the LORD’s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ ²⁰ Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the LORD. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

²¹ Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have been terribly wrong.”

²² “Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of your servants come over and get it. ²³ The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The LORD delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed. ²⁴ As surely as I valued your life today, so may the LORD value my life and deliver me from all trouble.”

²⁵ Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, David my son; you will do great things and surely triumph.”

So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.

Questions to consider:

What did David take from near Saul?
Why didn't anyone wake up when David sneaked in?
What crime does David charge Abner with?
What does David ask Saul?
How does Saul respond?
Do you believe the promise that Saul has made to David in this passage?

Possibilities for prayer:

So, I'm going to be honest--I have a hard time believing this promise that Saul makes. Haven't we heard this already? The beginnings of reconciliation in the relationship between Saul and David, at least until Saul decided to once more seek David's death. Today, let's ask that God would make us people who are true to our word. Ask that God would give you only true words to speak, and that once they are spoken, we would be able to follow through on what has been said.

1 Samuel 26:1-11

2011-08-05T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹ The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?”

² So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand able young Israelites, to search there for David. ³ Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul had followed him there, ⁴ he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived.

⁵ Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him.

⁶ David then asked Ahimelek the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, “Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?”

“I’ll go with you,” said Abishai.

⁷ So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him.

⁸ Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.”

⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless? ¹⁰ As surely as the LORD lives,” he said, “the LORD himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. ¹¹ But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.”

Questions to consider:

How many people does Saul have with him?
What does David do when he hears that Saul might be nearby?
Who does David take with him into Saul's camp?
What do they do there?
Why does David refuse Abishai's suggestion?

Possibilities for prayer:

It's not hard to understand why David was described as a man after God's heart. Here, David once again has the opportunity to end the seemingly endless cat and mouse game that has been going on between him and Saul. He could kill Saul and take his place as king, making his life so much easier. But David refuses to do this because it is not in God's timing. Even though letting Saul live means that his own existence continues to be less than ideal, David takes the high road. Let's ask that God would be making us people who seek to do things in God's timing, and that we would resist the temptation to do things just because they seem like the easier option.

1 Samuel 25:36-44

2011-08-04T00:00:00.001-04:00

³⁶ When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until daybreak. ³⁷ Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. ³⁸ About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died.

³⁹ When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the LORD, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”

Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. ⁴⁰ His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”

⁴¹ She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” ⁴² Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife. ⁴³ David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. ⁴⁴ But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

Questions to consider:

Why did Abigail wait to tell her husband what she had done?
What happened to Nabal?
How does react to Nabal's demise?
What happens to Abigail?

Possibilities for prayer:

When David hears that Nabal has died, he praises God for keeping him from doing wrong, or for taking vengeance on Nabal on David's behalf. Now, while I don't think we should be wishing anyone death, we can take solace in the fact that God "has our back". We shouldn't be fooled into taking unwise action that would make us guilty, but should instead ask God to look out for us, and to defend our honor. Today, let's ask that God would give us clear minds to make good decisions, especially when we feel that others have wronged us, and to trust that God will make all things right in the end.

1 Samuel 25:20-35

2011-08-03T00:00:00.002-04:00

²⁰ As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. ²¹ David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. ²² May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!”

²³ When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. ²⁴ She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. ²⁵ Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. ²⁶ And now, my lord, as surely as the LORD your God lives and as you live, since the LORD has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal. ²⁷ And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.

²⁸ “Please forgive your servant’s presumption. The LORD your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because you fight the LORD’s battles, and no wrongdoing will be found in you as long as you live. ²⁹ Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. ³⁰ When the LORD has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel, ³¹ my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the LORD your God has brought my lord success, remember your servant.”

³² David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. ³³ May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. ³⁴ Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.”

³⁵ Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request.”

Questions to consider:

What is David planning just as Abigail arrives?
What does she say to David?
Is David convinced?
What does David do after listening to her?

Possibilities for prayer:

We continue to see Abigail's wisdom in this passage. She wastes no time in approaching David to explain the situation, but she chooses her words very carefully and continuously praises the man who holds the fate of her family in his hands. Let's ask God to make us wise and bold like Abigail, able to use our words carefully to achieve the ends that God would have for us.

1 Samuel 25:1-19

2011-08-02T00:00:00.003-04:00

¹ Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran.

² A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. ³ His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.

⁴ While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. ⁵ So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. ⁶Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!

⁷ “‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. ⁸ Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.’”

⁹ When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited.

¹⁰ Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. ¹¹ Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”

¹² David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word.¹³ David said to his men, “Each of you strap on your sword!” So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

¹⁴ One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them. ¹⁵ Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. ¹⁶ Night and day they were a wall around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. ¹⁷ Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.”

¹⁸ Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. ¹⁹ Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

Questions to consider:

Who has died at the beginning of this chapter?
What request does David send to Nabal?
How does Nabal respond?
How does David react to Nabal's words?
Who do the shepherds intercede with?
What does she do when she hears about the situation?

Possibilities for prayer:

So far, I like this story about a woman who is wise and able to take initiative. She knows that her husband has done the wrong thing, and seeks to correct it...even though that could be a dangerous thing for her. Let's ask that God would make us people who are willing and able to take the initiative to set things right when they have been done poorly, much as we see Abigail begin to do in this passage.

1 Samuel 24:8-22

2011-08-01T00:00:00.002-04:00

⁸ Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. ⁹ He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? ¹⁰ This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the LORD’s anointed.’ ¹¹ See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. ¹² May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. ¹³ As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you.

¹⁴ “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? ¹⁵ May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.”

¹⁶ When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, David my son?” And he wept aloud. ¹⁷ “You are more righteous than I,” he said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. ¹⁸ You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. ¹⁹ When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today. ²⁰ I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. ²¹ Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”

²² So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

Questions to consider:

How does David greet Saul? Does this surprise you?
Who does David leave Saul's fate with?
Who does David ask to judge between them?
How does Saul respond to David's words?
What does Saul ask David to swear?
Does he do it?

Possibilities for prayer:

This meeting between Saul and David seems like it could be the beginnings of reconciliation in their relationship. David declares the ways in which Saul has hurt him, not in anger, but truthfully. Saul acknowledges that he has been wrong, and even weeps over the decisions he has made toward David. Today, let's ask that God would make us people of reconciliation, seeking to be in right relationship with each other, when that seems incredibly difficult.

1 Samuel 24:1-7

2011-07-29T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹ After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” ² So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

³ He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. ⁴ The men said, “This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

⁵ Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. ⁶ He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.” ⁷ With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

Questions to consider:

How many people does Saul bring with him to find David?
Does he find David?
What do David's followers advise him to do?
How does David feel about the situation?
Why is he so distressed?

Possibilities for prayer:

We've previously looked at the way in which Jonathan, Saul's son, is immensely loyal to his friend David. But here we see something even more surprising--David's loyalty to Saul. Saul. The man who has been trying to kill him for really no reason at all. Here, David cuts off a corner of Saul's robe and feels guilty for that, sees it as a sort of betrayal to this man who is his king and has been his master. In our lives, our loyalties are often shifting. Someone hurts us and we choose to no longer care for him. They upset us, and we take their numbers out of our phones. We could take a lesson from David, a man who exemplifies true loyalty. Let's ask that God would make us loyal people, willing to forgive and forget, and able to love in a complete and true way.

1 Samuel 23:14-29

2011-07-28T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹⁴ David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.

¹⁵ While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. ¹⁶ And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. ¹⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” ¹⁸ The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

¹⁹ The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? ²⁰ Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving him into your hands.”

²¹ Saul replied, “The LORD bless you for your concern for me. ²² Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. ²³ Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah.”

²⁴ So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. ²⁵ Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.

²⁶ Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, ²⁷ a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” ²⁸ Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth.²⁹ And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.

Questions to consider:

Who prevents Saul from finding David?
What does Jonathan say to encourage David?
What disrupts Saul's pursuit of David?

Possibilities for prayer:

One of the things that strikes me about this passage is the way we read that "God did not give David into [Saul's] hands."

I know that we believe in a God who is all powerful and all knowing, but sometimes, statements like these confuse me when I think about the fact that we all free will too. Maybe these kinds of things (or others!) confuse you as you read through the Bible. Today, let's take some time to ask God to give us wisdom and insight to understand his message for us as we read through the Bible. Let's ask that we wouldn't be distracted by things that would keep us from growing into greater knowledge of him, but that we would push into the harder questions, seeking God's voice and answers to our questions.

1 Samuel 23:1-13

2011-07-27T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,” ² he inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

The LORD answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

³ But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

⁴ Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.” ⁵ So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. ⁶ (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

⁷ Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” ⁸ And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹ When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” ¹⁰ David said, “LORD, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. ¹¹ Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant.”

And the LORD said, “He will.”

¹² Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?”

And the LORD said, “They will.”

¹³ So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

Questions to consider:

What is David's response to news about a Philistine attack?
What does God advise David to do?
Who finds out about David's attack?
What does David do when he finds out that Saul has a new plot to kill him?

Possibilities for prayer:

At this point in the story, it's hard to find something bad to say about David. Here we see an excellent example of a man who seeks God before he takes any action. He asks God if he should go into battle. He asks God if Saul will attack, and if he'll be in danger. And not only does David seek God, but God responds. David's questions do not go unanswered and David takes the action that is required given God's response. Today, let's ask God to make us people who seek God in everything that we do, and that we would be people willing to wait for God's response before we take any action.

1 Samuel 22:6-23

2011-07-26T00:00:00.001-04:00

⁶ Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated, spear in hand, under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. ⁷ He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? ⁸ Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.”

⁹ But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob. ¹⁰ Ahimelek inquired of the LORD for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹ Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. ¹² Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”

“Yes, my lord,” he answered.

¹³ Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?”

¹⁴ Ahimelek answered the king, “Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? ¹⁵ Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.”

¹⁶ But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.”

¹⁷ Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.”

But the king’s officials were unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the LORD.

¹⁸ The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. ¹⁹ He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

²⁰ But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. ²¹ He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. ²² Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. ²³ Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to take your life is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”

Questions to consider:

How does Saul respond to news of David's discovery?
Who does he call in to question?
What does Saul ask his guards to do? Do they obey him?
Who ends up killing the priests? How many does he kill?
What do you think of Saul at this point?
Who escapes the slaughter? Where does he go? How is he received?

Possibilities for prayer:

At the end of this passage we see in David a man of compassion. He feels responsible for the deaths of Abiathar's family, even though there was not really anything he could have done to save them or protect them. He welcomes Abiathar without question, and readily offers him compassion. David is a man with many problems, but he is able to step outside of his own concerns and fears to offer another person compassion and solace.

How many times are we able to do the same thing? It is so easy to get caught up in the struggles of our own lives that we are unable to see beyond ourselves in order to love and care for those around us. Let's ask that God would give us the strength and the grace to see beyond our own concerns and love well those that God has placed in our lives.

1 Samuel 22:1-5

2011-07-25T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. ² All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.

³ From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” ⁴ So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.

⁵ But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

Questions to consider:

How do you think David's family heard about his escape?
Where did they go when they heard about it?
What kind of people came to join David? What role did he take among them?
Who tells David to leave Moab?
What does he do?

Possibilities for prayer:

In the midst for fleeing for his life, David is able to be surrounded by his family, at least for a time. I'm glad he received that comfort! Then we see him becoming a leader among people who are discontented with Saul's rule. Even on the run for his very life, we see the way in which God has positioned him to be a leader of the people. It seems that this might be a good lesson for us--God has a way of working his purposes out, even when the things of this world go crazy around us. Today, let's ask that God might use us to be tools of bringing about his purposes, rather than part of the "craziness" that works against such things.

1 Samuel 21

2011-07-22T00:00:00.003-04:00

¹ David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”

² David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. ³ Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”

⁴ But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves from women.”

⁵ David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men’s bodies are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!” ⁶ So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the LORD and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.

⁷ Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the LORD; he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief shepherd.

⁸ David asked Ahimelek, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.”

⁹ The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.”

David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

¹⁰ That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. ¹¹ But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances:

“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands’?”

¹² David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. ¹³ So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

¹⁴ Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? ¹⁵ Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”

Questions to consider:

Where does David go?
What does he ask for?
Whose sword does he receive?
Why do you think he acts like a madman while he is near Achish?

Possibilities for prayer:

Poor David. The king that he once loyally served, and who he probably would have called a friend, is now seeking his death. David wisely doesn't reveal this information to the priest he encounters, and is slyly able to get some food while he is on the run from Saul. While we generally don't want to condone lying (which is certainly what David does), we can see the way God is in even this situation, protecting David and giving him the wisdom to evade capture or alert the priest that anything is wrong. Wisdom is something that we can always ask God for more of, so let's do that today!

1 Samuel 20:30-42

2011-07-21T00:00:00.002-04:00

³⁰ Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? ³¹ As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”

³² “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. ³³ But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.

³⁴ Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.

³⁵ In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, ³⁶ and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. ³⁷ When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” ³⁸ Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. ³⁹ (The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) ⁴⁰ Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”

⁴¹ After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.

⁴² Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.

Questions to consider:

How does Saul respond to Jonathan's answer about David's location?
What statement does he make about Jonathan's kingdom?
What message does Jonathan convey to David when he goes into the field? How?
How is the meeting between David and Jonathan?

Possibilities for prayer:

Once more we are able to see the love that exists between David and Jonathan. Jonathan bravely faces his father, who, in his current state, is just as likely to kill him as treat him as a son. We talked a little bit about the loyalty that Jonathan has to David yesterday, and it's still pretty impressive. Jonathan is able to recognize that his father's behavior is unwarranted and chooses to protect his dearest friend rather than side with his father.

While we are not likely to encounter this exact situation, there may be a time when we are forced to make difficult choices like Jonathan did. Let's ask that when those situations arise in our own lives we would take the wise and God-honoring path.

1 Samuel 20:12-29

2011-07-20T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹² Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the LORD, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? ¹³ But if my father intends to harm you, may the LORD deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the LORD be with you as he has been with my father. ¹⁴ But show me unfailing kindness like the LORD’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, ¹⁵ and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the LORD has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

¹⁶ So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD call David’s enemies to account.” ¹⁷ And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

¹⁸ Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty. ¹⁹ The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. ²⁰ I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. ²¹ Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the LORD lives, you are safe; there is no danger. ²² But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, because the LORD has sent you away. ²³ And about the matter you and I discussed—remember, the LORD is witness between you and me forever.”

²⁴ So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feast came, the king sat down to eat. ²⁵ He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty. ²⁶ Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.” ²⁷ But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”

²⁸ Jonathan answered, “David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. ²⁹ He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”

Questions to consider:

Does Jonathan want to help David?
What is his plan?
Does Saul notice David's absence?
Where is David during this time?

Possibilities for prayer:

Again we see an excellent model of friendship between Jonathan and David. Jonathan vows to tell David truthfully what his father's plans are toward him, and even comes up with a plan to find out what is in Saul's mind...as well as a means of communicating that to David. In Jonathan we see the characteristic of loyalty, a loyalty that isn't even challenged by the familial relationship he has with Saul. I wonder if we have the same kind of loyalty to our friends that David and Jonathan had with each other. Let's ask that God would make us loyal friends, and show us what this deep kind of love for the people in our lives could look like today.

1 Samuel 20:1-11

2011-07-19T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹ Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life?”

² “Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”

³ But David took an oath and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”

⁴ Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

⁵ So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. ⁶ If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’ ⁷ If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me. ⁸ As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the LORD. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”

⁹ “Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”

¹⁰ David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

¹¹ “Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.

Questions to consider:

Does David understand why Saul is trying to kill him?
Whose counsel does David seek?
What is his friend's response?
What does David ask this friend to do?

Possibilities for prayer:

David is in a very difficult situation. The king is trying to kill him, and he honestly doesn't know why. He takes a great risk in seeking out Jonathan, the king's own son, and asking him for help and advice. But Jonathan is a true friend, and able to be trusted. Let's ask that God would surround us with people like Jonathan, people who are true friends that we can always confidently approach for wisdom or help.

1 Samuel 19:9-24

2011-07-18T00:00:00.001-04:00

⁹ But an evil spirit from the LORD came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, ¹⁰ Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.

¹¹ Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” ¹² So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. ¹³ Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.

¹⁴ When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, “He is ill.”

¹⁵ Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” ¹⁶ But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.

¹⁷ Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?”

Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’”

¹⁸ When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. ¹⁹ Word came to Saul: “David is in Naioth at Ramah”; ²⁰ so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul’s men, and they also prophesied. ²¹ Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. ²² Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”

“Over in Naioth at Ramah,” they said.

²³ So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. ²⁴ He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Questions to consider:

What do you think it means that "an evil spirit" from the Lord came on Saul?
What does Saul do after his first attempt to kill David fails?
How Michal respond to Saul's attempt to kill her husband?
How does Saul feel about Michal's deception?
What happens to the men that Saul sends to capture David?
What happens to Saul when he goes himself to capture David?

Possibilities for prayer:

I like the way in which God intervenes in Saul's final attempts at capturing David. Three sets of men are overcome by the Spirit of the Lord, and when Saul decides that the only way his mission will be accomplished is if he does it himself, he is also overcome by the same Spirit. God protects David from Saul's attempts to kill him, and he does so in a way that could only be from God.

Today, let's reflect on ways we have seen God protect us, ways in which God has come through in times and situations in which only God could intervene. Take some time to thank God for that protection and intervention.

1 Samuel 19:1-8

2011-07-15T00:00:00.003-04:00

¹ Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David ² and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. ³ I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”

⁴ Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. ⁵ He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”

⁶ Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.”

⁷ So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.

⁸ Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.

Questions to consider:

Who warned David about Saul's plan?
What argument does he make against Saul's plan to kill David?
Why did David go to fight the Philistines again?

Possibilities for prayer:

Here we can see the value of a true friend. Jonathan braves the possible wrath of his father in order to see his friend David protected. Let's ask that God would make us great and loyal friends much like the example we see in Jonathan here. Ask that God would show you how to be the best friend you can be, even when that becomes difficult or uncomfortable.

1 Samuel 18:20-30

2011-07-14T00:00:00.001-04:00

²⁰ Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. ²¹ “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

²² Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

²³ They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”

²⁴ When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, ²⁵ Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶ When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, ²⁷ David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

²⁸ When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, ²⁹ Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

³⁰ The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.

Questions to consider:

Why does Saul like the idea of Michal marrying David?
What is Saul's plan?
When Saul realizes that Michal really loves David, what is his response?
How does David fare in battle?

Possibilities for prayer:

God's hand is clearly on David's life. While Saul asks David kill a hundred Philistines as a bride price for his daughter, all the while hoping that this will mean an end to David's life. But this is not in God's plan for David. David does not fear battle, does not fear for his life or think highly of himself. Let's ask that God would be making us into people that do not fear, much as David was a person who lacked fear due to the confidence he has in God.

1 Samuel 18:1-19

2011-07-13T00:00:00.003-04:00

¹ After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. ² From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. ³ And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. ⁴ Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

⁵ Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

⁶ When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. ⁷ As they danced, they sang:

“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands.”

⁸ Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” ⁹ And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

¹⁰ The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand ¹¹ and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

¹² Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul. ¹³ So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. ¹⁴ In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.

¹⁷ Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the LORD.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

¹⁸ But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” ¹⁹ So when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.

Questions to consider:

How does Saul receive David?
Does David please Saul?
What happens that begins to change their relationship?
What response does Saul have to David's successes?
Why does Saul try to convince David to marry his daughter?
How does David respond?

Possibilities for prayer:

One of the things that I find really tragic about this book is the way in which we see a transformation in Saul that is not for the better. The "original" Saul that we see is a man of many godly characteristics. The man we have just read about is a man who is insecure and possibly insane.

Let's today ask that we would be always open to transformation in a positive way from God, and that God would protect us from anything or anyone that would work to prevent God's good work in our lives from reaching completion.

1 Samuel 17:34-58

2011-07-12T00:00:00.001-04:00

³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”

³⁸ Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. ³⁹ David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. ⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

⁴¹ Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. ⁴² He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. ⁴³ He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”

⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

⁴⁸ As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. ⁴⁹ Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

⁵¹ David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. ⁵² Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. ⁵³ When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.

⁵⁴ David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.

⁵⁵ As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?”

Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”

⁵⁶ The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”

⁵⁷ As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.

⁵⁸ “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him.

David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”

Possibilities for prayer:

What does David tell Saul to convince him that he can fight Goliath?
Does Saul approve of this plan?
What does Saul give David to help him in the fight against Goliath?
What does David choose to use instead?
How does David fight Goliath?
Is he victorious?
How does Saul respond to David's success?

Questions to consider:

Yesterday we saw the way in which David was courageous enough to offer to challenge Goliath, and today we read about the way in which David actually faces the Philistine soldier. He is confident of his imminent victory, but not because he believes that he is such an excellent warrior in his own strength; instead, he is confident that God will serve as the source of his strength and grant him the victory over this challenger. Today, let's ask that God would grant us confidence in God's ability to use us and work through us, much in the way that David did as he faced Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:20-33

2011-07-11T00:00:00.001-04:00

²⁰ Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. ²² David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. ²³ As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. ²⁴ Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.

²⁵ Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family line from taxes in Israel.”

²⁶ David asked those standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

²⁷ They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”

²⁸ When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”

²⁹ “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” ³⁰ He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. ³¹ What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.

³² David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

³³ Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are little more than a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

Questions to consider:

Where is David coming from?
Who is David checking on?
What does David think about Goliath?
How does David's older brother respond to David's presence at the battle camp?
When David returns to Saul, what does he tell him?

Possibilities for prayer:

In this passage we see David at the ready to defend his nation and his God. David, who has been little more than a shepherd or musician until this point, offers to take on the challenger daily shouting out insults to the people of Israel--the man who is later described as a giant, and who was feared by all the Israelite soldiers. David is clearly a man of great courage, an attribute we have been spending a great deal of time talking about and thinking about over the past weeks at ECV. Let's ask today that God would give us the courage to do something a little bit crazy for him--maybe you have an idea of what that is, or maybe you need to ask God what that "crazy" thing is that God is calling you into.

1 Samuel 17:1-19

2011-07-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹ Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. ² Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. ³ The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

⁴ A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. ⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; ⁶ on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. ⁷ His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.

⁸ Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” ¹⁰ Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” ¹¹ On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

¹² Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. ¹³ Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. ¹⁴ David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, ¹⁵ but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

¹⁶ For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

¹⁷ Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. ¹⁸ Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. ¹⁹ They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”

Questions to consider:

Possibilities for prayer:

1 Samuel 16:14-23

2011-07-07T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.

¹⁵ Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.”

¹⁷ So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸ One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him.”

¹⁹ Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

²¹ David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. ²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”

²³ Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

Questions to consider:

What happened when the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul?
What relief was there for Saul?
Who was able to provide that relief?
Why is the person who came to play the lyre for Saul notable?

Possibilities for prayer:

We just met David, the boy that God has chosen to become the next leader of the people of Israel. Already we see the way in which he serves the people around him, bringing relief to people who are in pain. This must have been a rather awkward situation for David, but he fulfills his duty with grace. Today, let's ask that God would make us servants of the people around us, able to bring relief and joy into the lives of the people we encounter.

1 Samuel 16:1-13

2011-07-06T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹ The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

² But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”

The LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ ³ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”

⁴ Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”

⁵ Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.”

⁷ 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 human beings look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.” ⁹ Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one.” ¹⁰ Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.” ¹¹ So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

¹² So he sent and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came on David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.

Questions to consider:

What does God ask Samuel at the beginning of this passage?
What does God want Samuel to do?
Why is Samuel afraid to do that?
Who does Samuel think that God has chosen as the new king?
Who does God actually choose?
What happens to David after the annointing?

Possibilities for prayer:

"The Lord does not look at the things human beings look at. People look at the outward appearance, but Lord looks at the heart."

My guess is that you've heard this very popular verse before. We, as people, are often so confused about the things that are truly important, and this verse is just another example of the way in which we mess that up. As God was looking for someone to rule over His people, His concern was not what that person would look like. The new king's height, weight, or even strength were not the biggest consideration for a great leader. God was seeking someone who would love and serve GOD, and be willing to follow God's direction. When God looks at us, my guess is that He's still seeking the same things. Instead of caring about hair or eye color, God is looking for a heart that is genuinely seeking after Him. Let's ask that God would give us hearts that would please Him, and that God would find the good things that He seeks within us.

1 Samuel 15:24-35

2011-07-05T00:00:00.001-04:00

²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the LORD’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. ²⁵ Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD.”

²⁶ But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!”

²⁷ As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸ Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. ²⁹ He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”

³⁰ Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.” ³¹ So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

³² Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.”

Agag came to him in chains. And he thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

³³ But Samuel said,

“As your sword has made women childless,
so will your mother be childless among women.”

And Samuel put Agag to death before the LORD at Gilgal.

³⁴ Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. ³⁵ Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Questions to consider:

What is Saul's response to Samuel's news?
Does Samuel tell Saul that he can have a second chance?
What metaphor does Samuel give Saul when Samuel's robe is torn?
What does Saul ask Samuel to do for him?
Who does Saul put to death?

Possibilities for prayer:

It must have been difficult for Saul to receive this news from Samuel, and perhaps a bit surprising. He recognizes that he sinned, but he probably wasn't expecting that this disobedience would cost him his kingship. What's pretty impressive is that in the midst of this Saul still desires to worship God, and asks Samuel to go with him so that he can do that.

I don't know about you, but when I get bad news, my first response is not always a desire to worship God. Maybe I'll pray and ask for God's provision or for the situation to be turned around, but worship likely doesn't come immediately to mind. Let's ask that God would give us this quality that we see in Saul, the ability to desire to worship God in the midst of difficult times.

1 Samuel 15:13-23

2011-07-04T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹³ When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”

¹⁴ But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”

¹⁵ Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

¹⁶ “Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.”

“Tell me,” Saul replied.

¹⁷ Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. ¹⁸ And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ ¹⁹ Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?”

²⁰ “But I did obey the LORD,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. ²¹ The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”

²² But Samuel replied:

“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
²³ For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king.”

Questions to consider:

Who did the people of Israel destroy?
What was Saul supposed to do to these people?
What did Saul do incorrectly?
What message does Samuel convey to Saul about his behavior?

Possibilities for prayer:

We are reminded of the fact that Saul started out as someone who was not very important in his own eyes or the eyes of others. But with God's blessing and provision, he became the king of a nation. While it's not likely that we are going to become literal kings or queens (especially not in the US...), with God as our advocate and leader we can do things that we would never have thought possible. Take some time to thank God for being your advocate, and to dedicate yourself to following God's guidance and direction.

1 Samuel 15:1-12

2011-07-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹ Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. ² This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. ³ Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

⁴ So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim—two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand from Judah. ⁵ Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. ⁶ Then he said to the Kenites, “Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

⁷ Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. ⁸ He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. ⁹ But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

¹⁰ Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: ¹¹ “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all that night.

¹² Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”

Questions to consider:

Who is the messenger sent by God?
What people group did Saul attack?
Why did God that it was regrettable that Saul had been made king?
What was Samuel's response to this information?
For whom did Saul set up a monument?

Possibilities for prayer:

We have seen throughout this book the way in which God has been the champion of the people of Israel, seeking their victory and their protection, and here again we see God looking out for the interests of His people. We are also considered God's people so, let's take some time to think of the ways that we have seen God protect us, and be grateful for that!

1 Samuel 14:24-52

2011-06-30T00:00:00.001-04:00

²⁴ Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food.

²⁵ The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. ²⁶ When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. ²⁷ But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. ²⁸ Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.”

²⁹ Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰ How much better it would have been if the men had eaten today some of the plunder they took from their enemies. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?”

³¹ That day, after the Israelites had struck down the Philistines from Mikmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted. ³² They pounced on the plunder and, taking sheep, cattle and calves, they butchered them on the ground and ate them, together with the blood. ³³ Then someone said to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the LORD by eating meat that has blood in it.”

“You have broken faith,” he said. “Roll a large stone over here at once.” ³⁴ Then he said, “Go out among the men and tell them, ‘Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep, and slaughter them here and eat them. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with blood still in it.’”

So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. ³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first time he had done this.

³⁶ Saul said, “Let us go down and pursue the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive.”

“Do whatever seems best to you,” they replied.

But the priest said, “Let us inquire of God here.”

³⁷ So Saul asked God, “Shall I go down and pursue the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel’s hand?” But God did not answer him that day.

³⁸ Saul therefore said, “Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. ³⁹ As surely as the LORD who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die.” But not one of them said a word.

⁴⁰ Saul then said to all the Israelites, “You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand over here.”

“Do what seems best to you,” they replied.

⁴¹ Then Saul prayed to the LORD, the God of Israel, “Why have you not answered your servant today? If the fault is in me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the men of Israel are at fault, respond with Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. ⁴² Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken.

⁴³ Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.”

So Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!”

⁴⁴ Saul said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan.”

⁴⁵ But the men said to Saul, “Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.” So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.

⁴⁶ Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own land.

⁴⁷ After Saul had assumed rule over Israel, he fought against their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them. ⁴⁸ He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them.

⁴⁹ Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal. ⁵⁰ His wife’s name was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of Saul’s army was Abner son of Ner, and Ner was Saul’s uncle. ⁵¹ Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were sons of Abiel.

⁵² All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever Saul saw a mighty or brave man, he took him into his service.

Questions to consider:

Why are the troops in distress?
What happened to Jonathan after he ate the honey?
Do you think it is noteworthy that in this passage we read about the first time that Saul has made an altar to God?
Who was found to have sinned?
What was the punishment supposed to be?
Did Jonathan die? Why?
With what people was Saul always in battle?

Possibilities for prayer:

Even though we know that Jonathan broke the promise made by his father (not to eat anything until the evening), and that truth was revealed to the people by God in the casting of lots, Jonathan is the recipient of mercy, both from the people who choose to spare him from Saul's promise to have him killed, and from God, who allows the people to spare his life. We are the recipients of mercy in much the same way. I am sure you think of at least situation in which you deserved punishment but were granted mercy. It's certainly true that God grants us mercy each and every day as we so often fall short of the good things that we are being called into! Let's take some time to thank God for the mercy that we are given on a daily basis.

1 Samuel 14:15-23

2011-06-29T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹⁵ Then panic struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.

¹⁶ Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. ¹⁷ Then Saul said to the men who were with him, “Muster the forces and see who has left us.” When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.

¹⁸ Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God.” (At that time it was with the Israelites.) ¹⁹ While Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”

²⁰ Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords. ²¹ Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines and had gone up with them to their camp went over to the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. ²² When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit. ²³ So on that day the LORD saved Israel, and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven.

Questions to consider:

Where did the panic come from?
Who was missing when Saul took account of the people present?
Why do you think Saul called for the Ark of God?
Who was victorious in battle? Why?

Possibilities for prayer:

I like the way in which this passage ends with the clear statement of who saved the people of Israel: the Lord. Things could have gone much worse for the people of Israel, but with God on their side, they were saved from an ultimately tragic end.

We also have that same power on our side, and we don't have to request the presence of the Ark of God in order to experience it! God is ready and willing to be accessible to us should we simply take the first step and begin a conversation. Hopefully, those conversations are happening on a daily basis. But today, especially if they aren't, take some time to have a conversation with God and truly relish the fact that we are able to communicate with the God of the universe without need for any kind of fanfare or intermediary. God is ready and waiting for us to step up and say hi.

1 Samuel 14:1-14

2011-06-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹ One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

² Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, ³ among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.

⁴ On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. ⁵ One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba.

⁶ Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”

⁷ “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

⁸ Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. ⁹ If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands.”

¹¹ So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” ¹² The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.”

So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel.”

¹³ Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. ¹⁴ In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.

Questions to consider:

Where does Jonathan go?
Who does he take with him?
Who does Jonathan NOT tell that he's leaving?
Why does he decide to go?
What is the sign that Jonathan waits for to see if God will give him victory?

Possibilities for prayer:

One of the things that stuck out to me in this passage is the way that the armor bearer responds to Jonathan: "Go ahead, I am with you heart and soul." What utter confidence, trust, and faith this man has in his leader--who could ultimately be leading him to his death!

Do we express or experience this same kind of courageous faith in the God who is our leader? Let's pray today that we would be able to make the same kind of faithful statement to God, declaring that we are with God, heart and soul, wherever he might choose to lead us.

1 Samuel 13:16-23

2011-06-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹⁶ Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. ¹⁷ Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, ¹⁸ another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness.

¹⁹ Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” ²⁰ So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowpoints, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. ²¹ The price was two-thirds of a shekel for sharpening plowpoints and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.

²² So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.

²³ Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Mikmash.

Questions to consider:

Why don't the people of Israel have spears?
Why might this be a problem?
Where do the people of Israel find blacksmiths?
Who does have a spear?

Possibilities for prayer:

Sometimes it can feel like we are going into the battles of life completely unarmed. We don't feel prepared, qualified, or able to do the things that we feel God is leading us to do. This is generally not a great feeling, but what is encouraging is that we are never completely unarmed or completely alone, because we have God with us. Let's ask for more encounters of God in our lives, and for the knowledge of God's presence to be something of which we are constantly aware.

1 Samuel 13:1-15

2011-06-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty- two years.

² Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest he sent back to their homes.

³ Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” ⁴ So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

⁵ The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. ⁶ When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. ⁷ Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.

Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. ⁸ He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. ⁹ So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. ¹⁰ Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

¹¹ “What have you done?” asked Samuel.

Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, ¹² I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

¹³ “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”

¹⁵ Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.

Questions to consider:

How old was Saul when he stopped being the king of Israel? (oh no, math!)
Who was supposed to come, but was late?
What did Saul do incorrectly? Why did he do it?
How do you feel about the result of this mistake?
What happened to the number of soldiers who were ready to fight the Philistines?

Possibilities for prayer:

I must admit that it seems a little bit strange that Saul's decision to seek God's favor before going into battle left God displeased with him so much that he chose to take away the kingship from him. Previously we saw the people of Israel fail to appeal to God for help, and the results of that decision were pretty bad.

It seems, however, that the lesson we can learn here is the importance of following God's direction and instruction. Fortunately for us, we have Christ to intervene on our behalf when we fail to follow directions correctly, but that doesn't mean that we should not do our best to follow the path that God sets before us. Let's ask that God would give us the grace and the wisdom to follow him in all that we do.

1 Samuel 12:12-25

2011-06-23T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹² “But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king. ¹³ Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has set a king over you. ¹⁴ If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God—good! ¹⁵ But if you do not obey the LORD, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.

¹⁶ “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes! ¹⁷ Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the LORD when you asked for a king.”

¹⁸ Then Samuel called on the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel.

¹⁹ The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

²⁰ “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. ²¹ Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. ²² For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. ²³ As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. ²⁴ But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. ²⁵ Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”

Questions to consider:

Why did the people ask for a king?
What a good thing that they did this?
Do they fear God's retribution for this request?
What does Samuel say about the decision to ask for a king? What is important about that relationship?

Possibilities for prayer:

Samuel says many wise things in these verses. But one of the things that sticks out to me is the way that he advises the people to maintain a spirit of gratefulness and service toward God. He tells them that choosing to have a king isn't a bad thing so long as the people and the king choose to follow God.

Let's today seek to be ever true and loyal servants of God. Let's take some time to reflect on the ways in which God has been good to us, and offer prayers of thanks as well.

1 Samuel 12:1-11

2011-06-22T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. ² Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. ³ Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”

⁴ “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

⁵ Samuel said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.”

“We agree,” they said.

⁶ Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of Egypt. ⁷ Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the LORD as to all the righteous acts performed by the LORD for you and your ancestors.

⁸ “After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the LORD for help, and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

⁹ “But they forgot the LORD their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. ¹⁰ They cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ ¹¹ Then the LORD sent Jerub-Baal, Barak Jephthah and Samuel and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around you, so that you lived in safety.

Questions to consider:

Who does Samuel ask about his service to the people of Israel?
Do they look upon Samuel as a good leader?
What story does he tell them?

Possibilities for prayer:

Samuel lived a long life in service of the people of Israel and of God. This man, who was the product of the fervent prayers of a barren woman, has led a nation and kept it, in large part, safe. We can learn from the example that Samuel has set of what it looks like to be a servant of God. This example began way back in his childhood, when Samuel first heard God's call on his life.

Today let's ask that we would become good servants of God and live lives that we could reflect upon, and that God could reflect upon, and be pleased.

1 Samuel 11:9-15

2011-06-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

⁹ They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.’” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated. ¹⁰ They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you like.”

¹¹ The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

¹² The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Turn these men over to us so that we may put them to death.”

¹³ But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for this day the LORD has rescued Israel.”

¹⁴ Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” ¹⁵ So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the LORD. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.

Questions to consider:

Does Jabesh expect the Israelites to challenge him?
What plan does Saul enact?
Who is victorious?
What is the response of the people of Israel to the victory? What do you make of that response?
What Saul say about the plan the people mentioned to Samuel?

Possibilities for prayer:

Mercy. Humility. Leadership. All three of these things we see exemplified in this story of Saul. We've talked some about the gift of leadership that Saul has so clearly shown throughout this book. Here we see him putting humility to work.

After successfully executing a mission to eradicate the Ammonites, many people in Israel are incredulous about the idea that some may not have wanted Saul to be the king of the people. And what price should those people pay? Clearly, they should be put to death. But in this moment, Saul maintains a level head and rejects such a proposition. Saul rightly acknowledges that GOD was the one to grant the people victory, and tempting as it might be to claim that victory for himself, he humbly acknowledges that God was the one to rescue Israel.

Let's ask that God would make us more humble people, able to gracefully and truthfully give credit where credit is due in the successes of our lives--to God.

1 Samuel 11:1-8

2011-06-20T00:00:00.003-04:00

1 Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”

2 But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”

3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”

4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud. 5 Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.

6 When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came on him in power, and he burned with anger. 7 He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they turned out with one accord. 8 When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.

Questions to consider:

What condition does Jabesh have for the creation of a treaty?
What do you think of this condition?
What do the people think of the condition?
How does Saul react?
What do the people do in response to Saul's challenge?

Possibilities for prayer:

We have seen Saul exhibit many characteristics as we've read more about him in this book. Here we see the characteristic of leadership. He is not pleased with the ultimatum that Jabesh proposes (and let's be honest--who would be?), and we read that "the Spirit of God came on him him in power." But it doesn't just stop there; Saul does not just become angry and storm around frustrated. Instead, he challenges the people to respond to this attempt at making a mockery of the people.

I think that it's important to note here that everything that Saul does seems to come out of inspiration for God, and the people's responses come out of "the terror of the Lord." But when we're willing and able to follow God's direction, we can be great leaders. Today, let's ask that we would be willing and able to follow God's lead, as Saul did, and that we would be able to become great leaders as well.

1 Samuel 10:9-27

2011-06-17T00:00:00.002-04:00

⁹ As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. ¹⁰ When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came on him in power, and he joined in their prophesying. ¹¹ When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

¹² A man who lived there answered, “And who is their father?” So it became a saying: “Is Saul also among the prophets?” ¹³ After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place.

¹⁴ Now Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?”

“Looking for the donkeys,” he said. “But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”

¹⁵ Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”

¹⁶ Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.

¹⁷ Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the LORD at Mizpah ¹⁸ and said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’ ¹⁹ But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”

²⁰ When Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. ²¹ Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was taken. Finally Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. ²² So they inquired further of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?”

And the LORD said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.”

²³ They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others. ²⁴ Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.”

Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

²⁵ Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the LORD. Then Samuel dismissed the people to go to their own homes.

²⁶ Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. ²⁷ But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.

Questions to consider:

When were the signs that Saul had mentioned actually fulfilled?
How is Saul changed?
What does he do that has people question what has happened to him?
What does the request for a king mean about their relationship with God?
Do the people readily or hesitantly accept Saul as their king?

Possibilities for prayer:

It's pretty impressive how God has organized all of this to fulfill this desire of the people of Israel to have a king, but has chosen a man who will lead the people well. Saul has a story to tell his uncle upon his return, Samuel has a message to give to the people, and Saul even has a physical stature that makes him stand out among the rest of the people.

Let's take some time to thank God once again for the way that we have both freedom to make our own decisions, and the safety of God's protection and love in our lives.

1 Samuel 10:1-8

2011-06-16T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹ Then Samuel took a bottle of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over his inheritance? ² When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?”’

³ “Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. ⁴ They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.

⁵ “After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. ⁶ The Spirit of the LORD will come on you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. ⁷ Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

⁸ “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”

Questions to consider:

What does Samuel do to Saul?
What directions does Samuel give?
What do you think "whatever your hand finds to do" means?
How long does Saul have to wait?

Possibilities for prayer:

One of the things that struck me about this passage was the way in which part of the process for Saul to become the leader of Israel is for him to become filled with the Spirit of God, and to prophesy. We may not be looking to become kings and queens of our nation, but we are hopefully looking to become leaders and examples within our community. If we look to this example of Saul, we see that being filled with the Spirit is an essential part of that leadership process! Let's ask God to be filling us with His Spirit so that we might become even better equipped to lead God's people in whatever way God sees fit!

1 Samuel 9:15-27

2011-06-15T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹⁵ Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel: ¹⁶ “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.”

¹⁷ When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”

¹⁸ Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”

¹⁹ “I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart. ²⁰ As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”

²¹ Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?”

²² Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited—about thirty in number. ²³ Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.”

²⁴ So the cook took up the thigh with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, “Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion from the time I said, ‘I have invited guests.’” And Saul dined with Samuel that day.

²⁵ After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. ²⁶ They rose about daybreak, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get ready, and I will send you on your way.” When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. ²⁷ As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us”—and the servant did so—“but you stay here for a while, so that I may give you a message from God.”

Questions to consider:

What had God told Samuel?
Was he expecting Saul?
How was Saul confirmed to Samuel?
How does Saul respond to Samuel?
What does Samuel want to tell Saul?

Possibilities for prayer:

Yesterday we saw that Saul was a man who respected those around him. Today we see in Saul the quality of humility. He is shocked that Samuel would suggest that he is something great, referring to the smallness of his tribe. We could all take a lesson from this instance of humility. Let's ask that God would grow that attribute within us as well. Ask that God would show you how you can practice being humble, growing and challenging you to become a person of ever greater humility.

1 Samuel 9:1-14

2011-06-14T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. ² Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.

³ Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.” ⁴ So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.

⁵ When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”

⁶ But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.”

⁷ Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”

⁸ The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have a quarter of a sheke of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.” ⁹ (Formerly in Israel, if people went to inquire of God, they would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)

¹⁰ “Good,” Saul said to his servant. “Come, let’s go.” So they set out for the town where the man of God was.

¹¹ As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer here?”

¹² “He is,” they answered. “He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. ¹³ As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.”

¹⁴ They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place.

Questions to consider:

How is Saul described?
Are Saul and his servant able to find what they are seeking?
Why does Saul decide to go back?
Who do they go to see?
What concern does Saul have about going to see "the man of God?"

Possibilities for prayer:

One of the attributes that we see in Saul is the respect that he has for his father--his father tells him to do something, and he goes out to do it, even though he is not successful. While we have a lot more to learn about Saul, let's focus on this characteristic of respect. Today, let's ask God to be growing that attribute within us as well. Ask that God would be teaching you to be consistently more respectful--to those in authority around you, but most of all toward God.

1 Samuel 8:10-22

2011-06-13T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹⁰ Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. ¹² Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. ¹⁴ He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. ¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. ¹⁶ Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. ¹⁸ When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”

¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. ²⁰ Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

²¹ When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. ²² The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”

Questions to consider:

What does Samuel say a human king will claim from the people?
Who told him all these things?
What does Samuel say the people of Israel will eventually say to those things?
Do the people believe Samuel?
How does God respond?

Possibilities for prayer:

Here we see an example of the way in which God allows us to make our decisions. God offers the people of Israel the truth and wisdom about what having a king will eventually mean, but they refuse to accept its truth. So God lets them make their own choice, much in the way we are always able to make our own choices. Today, let's ask for the ability to hear God's voice clearly and that we would receive and respond to the wisdom that God so graciously offers us.

1 Samuel 8:1-9

2011-06-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹ When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. ² The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. ³ But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

⁴ So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. ⁵ They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”

⁶ But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. ⁷ And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. ⁸ As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. ⁹ Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

Questions to consider:

Who does Samuel appoint as the leaders of Israel?
Were they good leaders of Israel?
What does Israel ask for?
What does God have to say about the idea of the people of Israel having a king?

Possibilities for prayer:

The little interlude that occurs between Samuel and God reminds me of the way that a father might deal with his children. The people of Israel are getting discontent again, this time asking for a king. God doesn't tell Samuel to straight out reject this request, but instead advises that Samuel remind them of what that decision will cost. Parents often give their children the freedom to make their own decisions (whether those are good ones or bad ones) so that they can learn from those decisions. It seems like God is setting up a similar situation here--God will allow the Israelites a king if they really want one, but they should carefully about what that will mean.
Today, let's thank God for the freedom that we have to make choices in our lives, and ask that God would provide us guidance in the decisions we will and are making.

1 Samuel 7:10-17

2011-06-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”

13 So the Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines. 14 The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15 Samuel continued as Israel’s leader all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also held court for Israel. And he built an altar there to the LORD.

Questions to consider:

Who was victorious in battle?
Why were they victorious in battle?
How long did the protection against the Philistines last?
How long was Samuel the leader of Israel?

Possibilities for prayer:

Yay! We learn that the Lord does indeed look out for the people of Israel this time around, and they definitely did a better job of seeking strength and victory from the correct source. It's pretty interesting to note that God protects them from the Philistines not only during this particular battle, but also throughout Samuel's lifetime.

And what do you think about Samuel? Here is this man who was once just an answer to a humble and courageous woman's prayer who has now become the leader of a nation. This seems to reflect the way in which God can take things (and people!) that seem to be of little account and transform them into something truly great. Let's ask that God would use us for great things also, even if that doesn't seem probable or possible right now.

1 Samuel 7:1-9

2011-06-08T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD. They brought it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the LORD. ² The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all.

Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah

Then all the people of Israel turned back to the LORD. ³ So Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴ So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.

⁵ Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the LORD for you.” ⁶ When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah.

⁷ When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. ⁸ They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁹ Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel’s behalf, and the LORD answered him.

Questions to consider:

Where does the ark end up?
How long does it stay there?
What condition does Samuel give the people for returning to God?
Did they meet it?
Why do the Philistines want to attack again?
What is the response of the people of Israel?

Possibilities for prayer:

Uh oh...we've got a little bit of a cliffhanger here, folks! The Lord answered Samuel, but we don't know exactly what happened yet...

We see a different response on the part of the people of Israel this time around. The last time they were under attack, they relied upon a sort of "good luck charm" to get them through the battle. If you remember last week's passages, that didn't work out too well for them. But this time they are under threat, from the same enemy in fact, but their response is not to look for some symbol or representation of power, but to call on the source of that power itself. I'm feeling much more confident that God's response is going to be positive this time around.

Today, let's ask God to grant us more of his power. Ask that God would make you someone who heals the sick and broken, because of God's power and your reliance upon it.

1 Samuel 6:13-21

2011-06-07T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹³ Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight. ¹⁴ The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. ¹⁵ The Levites took down the ark of the LORD, together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. On that day the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the LORD. ¹⁶ The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron.

¹⁷ These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the LORD—one each for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. ¹⁸ And the number of the gold rats was according to the number of Philistine towns belonging to the five rulers—the fortified towns with their country villages. The large rock on which the Levites set the ark of the LORD is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

¹⁹ But God struck down some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they looked into the ark of the LORD. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them. ²⁰ And the people of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”

²¹ Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up to your town.”

Questions to consider:

How do the people of Beth Shemesh respond to the appearance of the ark?
What is the first thing they do?
When do the Philistines actually return home?
Why do 70 of the people die?
Where do the people want to send the ark?
Why do you think they don't want to keep it?

Possibilities for prayer:

As we've seen, the Philistines recognize that there's something special (and important) about the ark of the Lord. They send it back to the Israelites, despite it being a spoil of war. When the people of Beth Shemesh see the ark, they rejoice. And it seems like they generally have the right idea at first...they make offerings to God in thanksgiving and celebration, including sacrificing the two cows that brought the ark in the first place. But after that, it seems like people get a little bit confused, or a little too curious.

There were very clear rules and regulations surrounding who could interact with the ark, but several people choose to disregard those instructions. I think that we encounter situations like this in our own lives today. We start on the right path, listening to and praising God, but as we continue down that road we might start to think that we have everything figured out and go off on our way. While chances are that God isn't going to put us to death for making some different decisions, it does ultimately do us harm to make choices that are lining up with God's best for us. Let's spend some time in prayer asking God to fully direct our lives, leading us into God's best.

1 Samuel 6:1-12

2011-06-06T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ When the ark of the LORD had been in Philistine territory seven months, ² the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.”

³ They answered, “If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it back to him without a gift; by all means send a guilt offering to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand has not been lifted from you.”

⁴ The Philistines asked, “What guilt offering should we send to him?”

They replied, “Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague has struck both you and your rulers. ⁵ Make models of the tumors and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory to Israel’s god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land. ⁶ Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When Israel’s god dealt harshly with them, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?

⁷ “Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. ⁸ Take the ark of the LORD and put it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to him as a guilt offering. Send it on its way, ⁹ but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh, then the LORD has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us but that it happened to us by chance.”

¹⁰ So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves. ¹¹ They placed the ark of the LORD on the cart and along with it the chest containing the gold rats and the models of the tumors. ¹² Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh.

Questions to consider:

In addition to returning the ark to the people of Israel, what do they want to send with it?
Who gives the people the idea of sending the ark back with some kind of offering?
What other Old Testament story do the priests and diviners reference?
In what direction do the cows, with the ark in tow, go?
What does this mean?

Possibilities for prayer:

The fact that the priests reminded the Philistines of the way in which God had rescued the people of Israel from the hands of the Egyptians was really striking to me. The power (and perseverance) of the God of Israel is clearly rather widely known and the Philistines don’t want to “mess” with that.

We serve a God is known far and wide, both back in the time when the Bible was written and in this day and age. Let’s take some time to reflect on what that means to our lives, and to thank God for the privilege of being counted among those who are God’s servants.

1 Samuel 5

2011-06-03T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. ² Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. ³ When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. ⁴ But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. ⁵ That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.

⁶ The LORD’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors. ⁷ When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.” ⁸ So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, “What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?”

They answered, “Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.

⁹ But after they had moved it, the LORD’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors. ¹⁰ So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.

As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.” ¹¹ So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy on it. ¹² Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

Questions to consider:

What explanation do you have for the god of the philistines falling on its face each morning after the ark of God arrived?
Why do you think the “hand of the Lord was heavy” against Ashdod?
What solution do the people of Ashdod find for their affliction?
What happened when they brought the ark to Gath?
Where do they ultimately send the ark?

Possibilities for prayer:

This passage seems to be a pretty distinct indication and reflection of God’s power. I was talking to a friend about this passage and she said, “Well, God can basically whatever he wants.” How true is that! The retribution that God takes against the Philistines seems to prove that statement. Let’s praise God today for this reflection of his power, as well as for the reflections of his power in our own lives.

1 Samuel 4:12-22

2011-06-02T00:00:00.003-04:00

¹² That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust on his head. ¹³ When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.

¹⁴ Eli heard the outcry and asked, “What is the meaning of this uproar?”

The man hurried over to Eli, ¹⁵ who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes had failed so that he could not see. ¹⁶ He told Eli, “I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.”

Eli asked, “What happened, my son?”

¹⁷ The one who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”

¹⁸ When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led Israel forty years.

¹⁹ His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains. ²⁰ As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.

²¹ She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The Glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. ²² She said, “The Glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”

Questions to consider:

Why do you think everyone was so distressed about the capture of the ark?
How did Eli die?
What happened to Eli's daughter in law?
What did she name her son and why?
Do you think that the Glory had really departed from Israel?

Possibilities for prayer:

The fact that Phineas's wife names her newborn son Ichabod is appropriate: not only has the ark of God been captured, but God has clearly not blessed this work of the Israelites in battle. This idea of the glory of God departing is relevant not only in this situation, with a captured ark, but also today in many churches, ministries, and even individual lives. Today, let's pray that we would allow and claim God's glory in our communities, churches, and lives, and seek to be a people that look to God for guidance and victory, rather than things that may in some way represent God.

1 Samuel 4:1-11

2011-06-01T00:00:00.004-04:00

¹ And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.

The Philistines Capture the Ark

Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek. ² The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. ³ When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

⁴ So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁵ When the ark of the LORD’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. ⁶ Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?”

When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp, ⁷ the Philistines were afraid. “A god has come into the camp,” they said. “We’re in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. ⁸ Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. ⁹ Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”

¹⁰ So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. ¹¹ The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

Questions to consider:

Why do you think the first part of verse 1 is important?
Why do the soldiers think that the ark will help them be victorious in battle?
Why were the Philistines afraid when they heard about the ark?
Did the ark prevent the Israelites from being defeated?
Why is important to note that Eli's sons died in the battle?

Possibilities for prayer:

It's interesting to me that instead of going before God and asking him for help in the battle that was being fought, the soldiers decide that what they need is the ark of the covenant to be with them in battle, as a sort of good luck charm. I can't help but wonder if the outcome would have been different if the soldiers had instead gone to the temple and sought out God himself rather than a physical representation of his presence.

This seems like it could be relevant for us today as well. When things aren't going as we think they should, wondering about the reasons to no one in particular or just assuming that everything will work out because "God is on our side" seem like a less helpful ways to handle the situation than talking to God about it. Let's try this week to be intentional about having conversations with God regarding the situations in our lives, good and bad, instead of trying to rationalize things on our own. And remember, conversations are two-sided, so give God an opportunity to speak back to you. :)

1 Samuel 3:10-21

2011-05-31T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹⁰ The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

¹¹ And the LORD said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. ¹² At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. ¹³ For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. ¹⁴ Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

¹⁵ Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, ¹⁶ but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”

Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

¹⁷ “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” ¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

¹⁹ The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. ²⁰ And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. ²¹ The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

Questions to consider:

Why is the fact that God is speaking to Samuel here especially important? [hint: look back at verse one of this chapter]
Would you have been afraid if you were in Samuel's position?
Why is God holding Eli responsible for the sins of his sons?
Why do you think Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision?
What do you think about Eli's response? If the vision had been about you, would you have been able to respond gracefully?
What does it mean that the Lord let none of Samuel's words "fall to to the ground"?

Possibilities for prayer:

As I think about how God came and stood before Samuel in the middle of the night and told him these things about Eli and Eli's family, I can't help but wonder how I would have responded. Would I have been fearful? Would I have been humbled? Confused? Elated that God had chosen ME to speak to in a time when God wasn't really speaking?

Even though Samuel was nervous about sharing all that God had told him with Eli, he does so anyway, which to me is a great indication of courage. Being courageous doesn't have to mean not ever being afraid, but instead maybe being afraid and doing the right thing anyway. Let's ask that God would be growing in us this ability to overcome fear with courage that comes from him, giving us the ability to do what's right, even if it's not the most popular or comfortable thing to do.

1 Samuel 3:1-9

2011-05-30T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.

² One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. ³ The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the LORD, where the ark of God was. ⁴ Then the LORD called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

⁶ Again the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

⁸ A third time the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Questions to consider:

Why do you think "there were not many visions" in Samuel's day?
Would you, like Samuel, have assumed that it was Eli calling you?
Why is this an especially natural thing for Samuel to think, given the information we were offered in verse 1?
What do you think it means for the word of the Lord to have been revealed to Samuel?
Do you feel that the word of the Lord has been revealed to you?
How do you respond when God calls out to you?

Possibilities for prayer:

I find it interesting that the author of this book describes Samuel as "not yet know[ing] the Lord" because the Word of the Lord had not been revealed to him. We don't really know if Eli had ever heard God's voice at this point either, but he is still able to direct Samuel in the proper way to respond to God. This led me to think about the way in which we are able to serve as mentors for those around us.

It's true that none of us has ALL of the necessary knowledge, wisdom, experience, etc to have the answers to every question that we might be asked. But, we have a great resource in God, who wants to use us to minister to and mentor others. Today, take some time to ask that God might use you to minister to and mentor others around you, as he used Eli to get Samuel started on the road to diligently serving God throughout his life.

1 Samuel 2:27-36

2011-05-27T00:00:00.001-04:00

²⁷ Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to the family of your ancestor when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? ²⁸ I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. ²⁹ Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’

³⁰ “Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that the members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. ³¹ The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of the members of your family, so that no one in it will reach old age, ³² and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. ³³ Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.

³⁴ “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day. ³⁵ I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his family line, and he will minister before my anointed one always. ³⁶ Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.”’”

Questions to consider:

How would you respond to this announcement if you were Eli?
Were you surprised that God accused Eli of honoring his sons more than God? What do you think of that statement?
What has God promised to do to Eli's family line? Why is this punishment being given?
Who do you think the "faithful priest" that God mentions will be?

Possibilities for prayer:

Wow. Those were some pretty harsh words conveyed to Eli. They would have been difficult for me to take. We learned yesterday that Eli's sons were not very godly men, God's proclamation here still feels a little bit hard to swallow.

There is still the hint of redemption here, however. Even though things don't look so great for Eli's family, there is the promise of something new, in the form of the "faithful priest" that God will raise up. This little indication of redemption gives me hope, and helps me see the compassionate and loving God with whom I am familiar from my readings of the Old Testament. Let's take some time in prayer today to thank God for his power to redeem things, and people, that often appear quite broken.

1 Samuel 2:12-26

2011-05-26T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹² Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD. ¹³ Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled ¹⁴ and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. ¹⁵ But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

¹⁶ If the person said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”

¹⁷ This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.

¹⁸ But Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁹ Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. ²⁰ Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the LORD give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the LORD.” Then they would go home. ²¹ And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.

²² Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ²³ So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. ²⁴ No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the LORD’s people is not good. ²⁵ If anyone sins against another human being, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the LORD, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death.

²⁶ And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people.

Questions to consider:

Were you surprised to find out that Eli had sons?
What do you think "treating the Lord's offering with contempt" means?
What do you think about the statement "it was the Lord's will to put them to death"? Does this fit with your understanding of who God is? Why or why not?

Possibilities for prayer:

If anyone sins against another human being, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the LORD, who will intercede for them?

I like this statement that Eli makes to his sons. I think that if I had been one of them, it would have grabbed my attention. I also like the fact that in many ways, this statement doesn't apply to us. As we are living in a world that is post-Jesus, we have him to intercede on our behalves in all things. Isn't that encouraging?! Today, take some time in prayer thank Jesus for his sacrifice and for the fact that he intercedes on our behalves.

1 Samuel 2:1-11

2011-05-25T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

² “There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

³ “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

⁴ “The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
⁵ Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.

⁶ “The LORD brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
⁷ The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
⁸ He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.

“For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s;
on them he has set the world.
⁹ He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

“It is not by strength that one prevails;
¹⁰ those who oppose the LORD will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

¹¹ Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the LORD under Eli the priest.

Questions to consider:

What do you think about Hannah's prayer?
Why do you think she offered this prayer?
What characteristics of God does Hannah declare in this prayer?
Does Hannah believe that it is strength that allows one to be victorious?

Possibilities for prayer:

In reading through this prayer that Hannah offers (which is, in a lot of ways, a declaration of God's goodness), she sounds like a woman who has been given many, many children when she was once barren...as opposed to a woman who has just dropped off her one and only child at a temple to live without her for the rest of his days. This again reflects the courage that is so clearly a part of Hannah's life! Today, as you pray and think through the things in your life that seem particularly challenging, think about the strength and courage that Hannah exhibited, as she praised God for His goodness and strength, and ask that God would place some of that same strength and courage within you as you face your own obstacles or decisions.

1 Samuel 1:21-28

2011-05-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

²¹ When Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow, ²² Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always.”

²³ “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

²⁴ After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. ²⁵ When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, ²⁶ and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. ²⁷ I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. ²⁸ So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.

Questions to consider:

Do you think you could have kept your promise to God? Would you have been able to give up your ONLY child?
What do you think of Elkanah's response?
What do you think Eli thinks about Hannah's presentation of her son? Does it seem strange to you that so young a child should be sent to live at a temple?
Who does Hannah acknowledge as the reason she has this child? Is that acknowledgment important?
What lesson(s) do you learn from Hannah, a woman who prayed for a child, was granted that child, and then gave that child away to be wholly a servant of the Lord?

Possibilities for prayer:

Again we see in Hannah so much courage! Can you imagine taking your toddler aged child, the child that you wept passionately to God in order to even conceive, and dropping him off to live forever in a temple, knowing that he would never be fully your son again? I don't have any children of my own, but I still can't imagine doing that.

Clearly, the "easier" and less courageous option for Hannah was to "forget" about the promise that she made to God when she asked for a child...or to alter the terms of the agreement so that Samuel could remain with her. And yet, she does not do this. She does not take the easy way out. She presents a sacrifice to God in the form of a bull AND she gives her little boy over to the care of an aging priest. Such courage! Such boldness. Today, ask that God would give you the type of courage that we see in Hannah here, in choosing not to take the easy way out. If you're facing some difficult decision(s) in your life right now, ask that God would give you the courage to face them boldly and not simply to look for the easiest solution.

1 Samuel 1:1-20

2011-05-23T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

³ Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. ⁴ Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. ⁵ But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. ⁶ Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. ⁷ This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. ⁸ Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

⁹ Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s house. ¹⁰ In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. ¹¹ And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

¹² As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴ and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

¹⁵ “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. ¹⁶ Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

¹⁷ Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

¹⁸ She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

¹⁹ Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. ²⁰ So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.”

Questions to consider:

"But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her." Do you think that Elkanah didn't love his other wife?
How would you feel if you were in Hannah's position, before God granted her a child?
How do you feel about Elkanah's response to Hannah's sadness?
Do you think it made sense that Eli thought Hannah was drunk when she was praying?
What do you make of the phrase "and the Lord remembered [Hannah]"?

Possibilities for prayer:

As we go through this sermon series on courage, we want to look at stories of courage throughout the Bible. Hannah's story strikes me as an example of courage. She was bold enough to go to the temple and to cry out in anguish to God about her desire to have a child. She was so passionately crying out to God that the priest thought she was drunk! Hannah was not content to be childless, even though her husband loved her very much--despite her inability to have a child. And God responded to her cries, to her passion, to her bold prayer and promise in the temple.

I don't think this story tells us that we can always get what we want as long as we ask ardently enough, but it is a story about the way that God hears our prayers and responds, so we should boldly bring them before our God! Today, try just that: bring your heart's desire before God in courage, and in faith, and see what happens.

Psalm 144

2011-05-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
2 He is my loving God and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.

3 LORD, what are human beings that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
4 They are like a breath;
their days are like a fleeting shadow.

5 Part your heavens, LORD, and come down;
touch the mountains, so that they smoke.
6 Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy;
shoot your arrows and rout them.
7 Reach down your hand from on high;
deliver me and rescue me
from the mighty waters,
from the hands of foreigners
8 whose mouths are full of lies,
whose right hands are deceitful.

9 I will sing a new song to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,
who delivers his servant David.

From the deadly sword 11 deliver me;
rescue me from the hands of foreigners
whose mouths are full of lies,
whose right hands are deceitful.

12 Then our sons in their youth
will be like well-nurtured plants,
and our daughters will be like pillars
carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled
with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields;
14 our oxen will draw heavy loads.
There will be no breaching of walls,
no going into captivity,
no cry of distress in our streets.
15 Blessed is the people of whom this is true;
blessed is the people whose God is the LORD.

Questions to consider:

How do you relate the ideas of God as loving and simultaneously a "fortress." Do those two ideas make sense together for you?
What does David think about humanity?
Do you think David is literally asking God to come down from heaven? Why or why not?
When will all the good things in verses 12-14 occur according to this psalm?
What is the "this" in verse 15?

Possibilities for prayer:

I particularly like verse 3 in this psalm, and the way in which David's sense of disbelief about God's very acknowledgement of and care for humanity comes after his description of God as a fortress, shield and stronghold. When we take a moment to reflect on who and what God is and is capable of, it can get a little overwhelming to think about the fact that God not only created us, or acknowledges us, but that God LOVES us. The declarations that David makes about our God being a place of refuge and safety, and about being loving are true statements. And God offers that refuge and love to us, to all of us, regardless of whether we are worthy of it.

So take a moment to reflect on that. Think about the boundless goodness and love of God, and acknowledge that that love is directed at YOU; not just at a nebulous person that could potentially love, but at you as an individual person that God designed and is pleased with and, above all, loves. Let your time of prayer today be soaked in that love that God has for you, and see if that love doesn't start to change you, even if only in small ways, as you embrace it and claim it in your life.

Psalm 143

2011-05-19T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ LORD, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
² Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
³ The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead.
⁴ So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
⁵ I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
⁶ I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.

⁷ Answer me quickly, LORD;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
⁸ Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
⁹ Rescue me from my enemies, LORD,
for I hide myself in you.
¹⁰ Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.

¹¹ For your name’s sake, LORD, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
¹² In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.

Questions to consider:

What characteristics of God might lead him to come to the aid of the author?
What do you think it means for the author's "spirit to grow faint within [him]"?
What does it mean to you to "thirst" for God?

Possibilities for prayer:

This past Sunday at ECV, we sang the song "We Are Hungry." One of the lines of the song says "we are thirsty for more of you." It's kind of cool to think that an idea or expression that was used thousands of years ago in prayer, praise, and worship is still used today in our contemporary worship songs. Take some time to think about what it means to be thirsty for more of God in your life. Does that statement (however you define it) feel true in your life? Today, make that your prayer. Ask God for more of his presence in your life and declare your "thirst" for God.

Psalm 142

2011-05-18T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ I cry aloud to the LORD;
I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.
² I pour out before him my complaint;
before him I tell my trouble.

³ When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
people have hidden a snare for me.
⁴ Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.

⁵ I cry to you, LORD;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”

⁶ Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.
⁷ Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.

Questions to consider:

Why is the author "crying aloud to the Lord."
Why do you think that it is important that the Lord is David's refuge?
Why is David in desperate need?
What do you think is David's prison?
How would you describe the tone of this psalm?

Possibilities for prayer:

Sometimes it feels easy to resonate with the distress that is conveyed in this psalm. Is God listening? Will God respond? Why is life so hard? But David declares that God is his refuge, and we can do the same thing. When we find ourselves in situations that feel insurmountable, one step toward victory is declaring that God will save us. Even when that truth feels distant, or we're having trouble believing it, stating it can be the first step toward believing it. If you find yourself in such a situation right now, declare in prayer that God is your refuge. It might take some time to truly believe it, but persevere! And watch God work on your behalf.

Psalm 141

2011-05-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹ I call to you, LORD, come quickly to me;
hear me when I call to you.
² May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

³ Set a guard over my mouth, LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
⁴ Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil
so that I take part in wicked deeds
along with those who are evildoers;
do not let me eat of their delicacies.

⁵ Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

⁶ Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
⁷ They will say, “As one plows and breaks up the earth,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.”

⁸ But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign LORD;
in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.
⁹ Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers,
from the snares they have laid for me.
¹⁰ Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.

Questions to consider:

Why does the author want a "guard" over his mouth?
Why do you think the author considers it a "kindness" if a righteous man strikes him?
Where is the author going to look for refuge and safety?
From what does he seek safety?

Possibilities for prayer:

I like the way that David asks God to listen to him. There is not an assumption on his part that God is already listening, but a humble request that God might turn his ear toward David. Today as you pray, take a moment to ask God to listen to your prayers, to receive the prayers that you offer. At the end of the prayer, thank God for listening, in confidence that he has.

Psalm 140

2011-05-16T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹ Rescue me, LORD, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,
² who devise evil plans in their hearts
and stir up war every day.
³ They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers is on their lips.

⁴ Keep me safe, LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
⁵ The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net
and have set traps for me along my path.

⁶ I say to the LORD, “You are my God.”
Hear, LORD, my cry for mercy.
⁷ Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
⁸ Do not grant the wicked their desires, LORD;
do not let their plans succeed.

⁹ Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
may the mischief of their lips engulf them.
¹⁰ May burning coals fall on them;
may they be thrown into the fire,
into miry pits, never to rise.
¹¹ May slanderers not be established in the land;
may disaster hunt down the violent.

¹² I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor
and upholds the cause of the needy.
¹³ Surely the righteous will praise your name,
and the upright will live in your presence.

Questions to consider:

From whom does the author want to be rescued?
For what is the author crying out?
For whom does the author say the Lord secures justice?
Why do you think the righteous will praise the name of God?
How do you feel about the way that the author asks for retribution for his foes? Do you ever feel like you want to pray in that way too?

Possibilities for prayer:

In reading through this passage, I was struck by the way in which the author pretty blatantly seeks bad things for those who have caused him harm. When I've found myself particularly frustrated, hurt, or wounded, I have definitely thought about praying that they would be punished for the way in which I was treated, but almost immediately felt convicted for that attitude. Today in prayer, why don't we try to do something like the opposite of what David does here--let's pray for those who have harmed us in a way that seeks God's best for them. Instead of asking that "burning coals" be heaped upon their heads, ask that they would encounter God's grace.

Psalm 139

2011-05-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹ You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Questions to consider:

What things about you is it hard to believe that God knows?
How does being known by God in this rather profound way make you feel?
How far does God's knowledge of you go? Can you escape God?
Do you feel, as the psalmist did, that Gods thoughts are precious? Do you make an effort to know them? How?

Possibilities for prayer:

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Do you agree with this request that the psalmist has made of God? David seems to be seeking God's knowledge of him, as well as God's correction if it is required. Sometimes correction can be awkward and uncomfortable...I know that I am rarely the best at seeking it. But hopefully we've seen over the course of this week the abundance of love that God has for us, and that can give us confidence in approaching God for correction, however awkward or uncomfortable it might seem. Today, let's pray this prayer, that God would deeply search and deeply know us, and that we would open ourselves up to receiving correction from God, in order to be led "in the way everlasting"-- the way that leads us straight to God.

Psalm 138

2011-05-12T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
² I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
³ When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.

⁴ May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD,
when they hear what you have decreed.
⁵ May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
for the glory of the LORD is great.

⁶ Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly,
but he takes notice of the proud from afar.
⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
⁸ The LORD will vindicate me;
your love, LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.

Questions to consider:

To what "gods" do you think the psalmist refers?
What solemn decree do you think the psalmist is talking about?
What does it mean for the Lord to stretch out his hand against the anger of the writer's foes?
Why do you think it is important to the psalmist that the Lord vindicates him?
How (or does it?) does this psalm respond to the one before it?

Possibilities for prayer:

Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly,
but he takes notice of the proud from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.

These verses seem particularly profound to me. We've established over the course of this week the ways in which God is great, powerful, and exalted. But even given those characteristics, God is not too big to notice even the little things that are going on in our lives. It's always amazed me the way that God responds to my prayers, even though, in the grand scheme of the epic universe, my concerns are generally pretty minor. The psalmist seems to recognize this as well. God is bigger than we are--SO much bigger--and yet he deigns to acknowledge us. Even, to love us. Take a moment to just think about that. Then, offer up a great big prayer of gratitude and thanksgiving to our great big, wonderful God whose love endures forever.

Psalm 137

2011-05-11T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
² There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
³ for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

⁴ How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?
⁵ If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.
⁶ May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy.

⁷ Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
“Tear it down,” they cried,
“tear it down to its foundations!”
⁸ Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy are those who repay you
according to what you have done to us.
⁹ Happy are those who seize your infants
and dash them against the rocks.

Questions to consider:

How would you describe the tone of this psalm?
Why is the psalmist (and his people) sad?
What is the psalmist afraid of forgetting?
Why do you think the psalmist asks God to remember what the Edomites did?
How can you contrast this psalm to the one from yesterday?

Possibilities for prayer:
WHOA. This psalm was a bit of a downer! If Psalm 136 was an example of exultation and proclamation of God's enduring love, this Psalm feels more like an admission of hopelessness. It's always been interesting to me how the Psalms can do this--move so quickly from one emotion to nearly its antithesis. But if you think about humanity, we can be rather fickle in that way, especially when it comes to God. We're ready to thank God in the midst of the good times, but as soon as things become difficult, we wonder where God is and if God will ever bring us out of our sorrow. How quickly we forget!

As we pray today, let's confess or fickle hearts and the way in which we can so easily become caught up in the burden of day to day struggles. Let's ask God to transform our hearts to be more steadfast in the knowledge of his enduring love (much like Psalm 136 says!).

Psalm 136

2011-05-10T00:00:00.001-04:00

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders,  
His love endures forever.  
5 who by his understanding made the heavens,  
His love endures forever.  
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,  
His love endures forever.  
7 who made the great lights—  
His love endures forever.  
8 the sun to govern the day,  
His love endures forever.  
9 the moon and stars to govern the night;  
His love endures forever.
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt  
His love endures forever.  
11 and brought Israel out from among them  
His love endures forever.  
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;  
His love endures forever.
13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder  
His love endures forever.
 14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,  
His love endures forever.
 15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;  
His love endures forever.
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness;  
His love endures forever.
17 to him who struck down great kings,  
His love endures forever.  
18 and killed mighty kings—  
His love endures forever.  
19 Sihon king of the Amorites  
His love endures forever.  
20 and Og king of Bashan—  
His love endures forever.  
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,  
His love endures forever.  
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel.  
His love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our low estate  
His love endures forever.  
24 and freed us from our enemies.  
His love endures forever.  
25 He gives food to every creature.  
His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.  
His love endures forever.

Questions to consider:

An easy one: why does the psalmist call us to give thanks to God?
What do you take verse 5 to mean?
Do you disagree with or have trouble with any part of this psalm? If so, why?

Possibilities for prayer:

I like this psalm a lot because it reminds me of an old Chris Tomlin song (I've been singing it to myself as I've been writing this day's guide) that I used to listen to fairly often. To be honest, I didn't realize that the song was basically this psalm set to music, but now that I know it, I kind of think the song's even cooler. As a prayer response today, pick out your favorite 5 lines from this psalm that declare something great about God and make up your own song for them. You don't have to sing it out loud, and no one is going to judge you, but as you reflect on those statements of God, see if you aren't at least a little bit inspired to come up with a song yourself!

Psalm 135

2011-05-09T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹ Praise the LORD.

Praise the name of the LORD;
praise him, you servants of the LORD,
² you who minister in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God.

³ Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
⁴ For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own,
Israel to be his treasured possession.

⁵ I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
⁶ The LORD does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.
⁷ He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

⁸ He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
the firstborn of people and animals.
⁹ He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
¹⁰ He struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings—
¹¹ Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan—
¹² and he gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to his people Israel.

¹³ Your name, LORD, endures forever,
your renown, LORD, through all generations.
¹⁴ For the LORD will vindicate his people
and relent concerning his servants.

¹⁵ The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
¹⁶ They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
¹⁷ They have ears, but cannot hear,
nor is there breath in their mouths.
¹⁸ Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.

¹⁹ House of Israel, praise the LORD;
house of Aaron, praise the LORD;
²⁰ house of Levi, praise the LORD;
you who fear him, praise the LORD.
²¹ Praise be to the LORD from Zion,
to him who dwells in Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD.

Questions to consider:

For you, which is the most profound image that the psalmist offers?
How do you think the psalmist knows that "the Lord is great"?
Who does the psalmist call upon to praise the Lord?
Does this psalm reflect your feelings toward God? Why or why not?

Possibilities for prayer:

As I read through this psalm, one of the things that was most striking to me was the comparison between our God and the "idols of the nations." They were portrayed as completely ineffective, while God "does whatever pleases him" and is capable of making "clouds rise from the ends of the earth," among many other things. The psalmist uses some rather lovely imagery in describing what God can do, has done, and will do; imagery that likely leaves one feeling rather inspired and awed by the greatness of the God we serve. That greatness seems magnified many fold in comparison to the utter lack of ability the other idols have. Today, let's take some time to simply praise our God, the God who sends lightning and makes wind, who is capable of both creating and ending life, and who will vindicate his people.

Psalm 130

2011-05-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!
²O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

³If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
⁴But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

⁵I wait for the LORD,my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
⁶my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.

⁷O Israel hope in the LORD!
For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
⁸And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.

Questions to consider:

What depths do you think the author is talking about here?
What request does the author make?
What qualities of God does the author praise?

Possibilities for prayer:

It's pretty convicting to think about God keeping a tally sheet of the things that we've done in our lives...I don't know about you, but it's not always clear to me whether the good things would outweigh the bad. But praise the Lord for forgiveness (and that's definitely what the author here is doing!) because that means that this treacherous tally sheet gets thrown at the window. Today, take some time to ask for forgiveness for the things that you haven't yet confessed, and then bask in the grace and forgiveness that God offers us. You might want to offer up a prayer of thanks and gratitude for that...and maybe even sing a song or two!

Psalm 129

2011-05-05T00:00:00.001-04:00

¹"Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth"—
let Israel now say—
²"Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,
yet they have not prevailed against me.
³The plowers plowed upon my back;
they made long their furrows."
⁴The LORD is righteous;
he has cut the cords of the wicked.
⁵May all who hate Zion
be put to shame and turned backward!
⁶Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
which withers before it grows up,
⁷with which the reaper does not fill his hand
nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
⁸nor do those who pass by say,
"The blessing of the LORD be upon you!
We bless you in the name of the LORD!"

Questions to consider:

What is the writer of this psalm seeking?
Who is responsible for victory over one's enemies?
Who do you think this psalm is addressed to?

Possibilities for prayer:

The writer of this psalm seems to me to be clearly upset about the way in which he has been oppressed. However, in the midst of frustration and anger, the writer is able to declare God's victory over those people, and acknowledge the way in which God did not allow them to prevail. This is a common theme in the psalms--anger, frustration, sorrow that are turned into joy, confidence, and victory. Let's make it a common theme in our lives as well...today, let's ask God that whenever we encounter adversity in our lives, we would be able to confidently claim God's ultimate triumph.

Psalm 128

2011-05-04T00:00:00.002-04:00

¹ Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
²You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

³Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
⁴Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the LORD.

⁵The LORD bless you from Zion!
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life!
⁶May you see your children’s children!
Peace be upon Israel!

Questions to consider:

To you, what does it mean to fear the Lord
What are some examples of ways in which God will bless his people?
What prosperity do you hope to see for "all the days of your life"?

Possibilities for prayer:

Take some time to think about what the fear of the Lord looks like in your life. Ask God to speak to you about how you can be more reverent in your life. Thank God for the ways that you have been blessed already, and ask that God would reveal to you the ways in which he is continually blessing you, even now.

Psalm 127

2011-05-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
²It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

³Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
⁴Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
⁵Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Questions to consider:

What does this passage teach you about the power of God?
What does this passage suggest about family?
What does this passage suggest about rest?

Possibilities for prayer:

It's a pretty intense statement to suggest that without God, labor is worthless and protection is not real. Let's take some time to evaluate the way in which we trust God with our lives...with our work, with our safety, etc. Ask that God would increase the faith that you have in God's power, and give you the humility to give credit where credit is due (God!).

Psalm 126

2011-05-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

1When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
3The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad.

4Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negeb!
5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
6He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.

Questions to consider:

What do you think it means to be "like those who dream"?
How have you seen the truth of verse 3 in your own life?
Do verses 5 and 6 give you hope?
How have you seen the promises in this passage fulfilled in your life?

Possibilities for prayer:

Maybe it was really easy for some of you to think of ways that God has fulfilled the promises in this psalm, the way that God is able to transform pain and sorrow into laughter and joy. But maybe for others it was more difficult in this moment to see that possibility of transformation clearly. Whatever your current situation or frame of mind, take a moment to pray that God would give you eyes to see the transformational power that God has to take hardship and strife and turn it into something beautiful for God's glory. Ask that God would give you the ability to see beyond the hard stuff right in front of you, and to praise God in the midst of anything...calm or storm!

Deuteronomy 34

2011-04-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹Then Moses went to Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab and climbed Pisgah Peak, which is across from Jericho. And the LORD showed him the whole land, from Gilead as far as Dan; ²all the land of Naphtali; the land of Ephraim and Manasseh; all the land of Judah, extending to the Mediterranean Sea; ³the Negev; the Jordan Valley with Jericho--the city of palms--as far as Zoar. ⁴Then the LORD said to Moses, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I told them I would give it to their descendants. I have now allowed you to see it, but you will not enter the land."
⁵So Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, just as the LORD had said. ⁶He was buried in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place. ⁷Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. ⁸The people of Israel mourned thirty days for Moses on the plains of Moab, until the customary period of mourning was over.
⁹Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
¹⁰There has never been another prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. ¹¹The LORD sent Moses to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and his entire land. ¹²And it was through Moses that the LORD demonstrated his mighty power and terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel.

Points of Interest:

· ‘the LORD showed him the whole land’—although he does not actually get to go into the promised land, God graciously gives him the supernatural ability to get a glimpse of the whole thing.

· ‘to this day no one knows the exact place’—an air of mystery surrounds the death of Moses. It’s almost as if, having accomplished his goal by leading the people from Israel to the very edge of the promised land, he just fades back into the wilderness to die quietly.

· ‘yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever’—just like the Israelites’ clothing and shoes, Moses very body has been supernaturally sustained during the 40 years in the desert. God gave him the strength he needed, even physically, to fulfill his task.

· ‘full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him’—throughout the Bible, we see stories of spiritual power being passed from one person to another in this way. It’s as if, once God gives us a gift by his Spirit, that gift is an actual substance we possess. We can literally hand it off to someone else if we wish.

· ‘in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh’ and ‘in the sight of all Israel’—Moses had two audiences for the wonderful things he did. He showed both Egypt, the superpower of the time, and Israel, the nation God chose for a special relationship, just how powerful God is and how committed he is to giving his people a good life. Along the way, Moses also demonstrated to us just how extraordinary a life can be when it is given over to the adventure into which God calls us.

Taking it home:

· For you: Moses is given the privilege of seeing his impact on the future laid out for him before he dies. Ask God to give you that same privilege. First of all, ask God to give you a little glimpse ahead of time of what the impact of your life might be if you consistently respond to his call to adventure. Then, ask God to give you the power by his Holy Spirit to cross the finish line of your life still running strong, as Moses did. And finally, ask God to give you a fuller picture before you die of what your legacy will be.

For your six: Has God given you a special gift by his Spirit? Why don’t you share it? If it seems like your gift would be helpful to one of your six, consider passing it along to them. If you think they might be receptive, explain the idea of a spiritual gift to them and ask if they’d be willing to allow you to pass it along to them in prayer. You could say something like this:

You’ve mentioned to me before that I seem to be a pretty wise person (‘wisdom’ is, or course, only an example. Replace hopeful with whatever spiritual gift you have that you’d like to pass along). I know this may sound kind of strange, but I don’t think of that wisdom as just some personality trait I happen to have; I believe it’s a gift God has given me. I also believe that God allows us to share these kinds of gifts with others. Would you mind if I asked God to give that same wisdom to you? (If they say, ‘yes) God, I thank you for giving me this gift of wisdom, and I thank you for allowing me to share it with others. I ask that you would give to my friend the same gift you gave to me. So, ________, I give to you the same gift of wisdom that God has given to me.

If you’re really bold and pretty comfortable with the person, you could even ask if you could lay a hand on their shoulder as you pray.

· For our church: Moses was given the opportunity to speak powerfully both to God’s people and to the world at large. It’s a dream of our church to do that same thing, speaking God’s words equally well to both followers of Jesus and secular America. Pray that God would give us the same gift he gave to Moses, allowing us to see that dream come true.

Deuteronomy 31: 1-15

2011-04-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹When Moses had finished sayingthese things to all the people of Israel, ²he said, "I am now 120 years old and am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has told me that I will not cross the Jordan River. ³But the LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy the nations living there, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua is your new leader, and he will go with you, just as the LORD promised. ⁴The LORD will destroy the nations living in the land, just as he destroyed Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites. ⁵The LORD will hand over to you the people who live there, and you will deal with them as I have commanded you. ⁶Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! The LORD your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you."

⁷Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched he said to him, "Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the LORD swore to give their ancestors. You are the one who will deliver it to them as their inheritance. ⁸Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD is the one who goes before you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor forsake you."

⁹So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, who carried the Ark of the LORD's covenant, and to the leaders of Israel. ¹⁰Then Moses gave them this command: "At the end of every seventh year, the Year of Release, during the Festival of Shelters, ¹¹you must read this law to all the people of Israel when they assemble before the LORD your God at the place he chooses. ¹²Call them all together--men, women, children, and the foreigners living in your towns--so they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully obey all the terms of this law. ¹³Do this so that your children who have not known these laws will hear them and will learn to fear the LORD your God. Do this as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy."

¹⁴Then the LORD said to Moses, "The time has come for you to die. Call Joshua and take him with you to the Tabernacle, and I will commission him there." So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tabernacle. ¹⁵And the LORD appeared to them in a pillar of cloud at the entrance to the sacred tent.

Points of Interest:

· ‘the LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you’—just because Moses is leaving does not mean God is leaving as well. They have no need to worry. They’re in very good hands.

· ‘just as he destroyed Sihon and Og’—they’ve already seen how God can defeat their enemies. They will not be facing anything as they enter the land that they have not already faced in the wilderness. They have been tested in the desert, and they are ready for the big event.

· ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD is the one who goes before you’—this must be an unsettling moment for Joshua. For almost 40 years now, he has served as an assistant to Moses. Now, he is becoming the leader. He could be afraid that he will not be able to succeed without Moses to guide him. He could be discouraged because he doubts that he will be able to pull off what even Moses could not. But Moses focuses his attention back on God. Joshua need not be afraid, because he will have the exact same source of guidance and empowerment as Moses had: God himself.

· ‘Do not be afraid of them!’—Moses is echoing Joshua’s own words, which he and Caleb said while trying to encourage the people not to be dismayed by the Canaanites. Moses is not trying to pump Joshua up into someone he is not. He is encouraging the faith that he knows Joshua truly has.

Taking it home:

· For you: Has God recently been calling you into a new level of leadership? How do you feel about the prospect? Who have been your mentors and sponsors? How would you like to follow their example?
What have you learned and experienced that encourage you that you might indeed be ready to respond to a call into greater authority or responsibility?

· For your six: When Joshua responds to God’s call to take up the adventure of being the leader of the people, it doesn’t mean that Joshua has to become a completely different person. Rather, Joshua becomes an even better version of the person he already was. Pray that your six would have the opportunity to be absolutely shining examples of the person they were meant to be.

· For our church: Pray for our church that we would have a legacy like Moses. Moses led quite an incredible life himself; then, he blessed the next generation to do what he could not. Pray that God would work through our current leadership amazingly, and then do even greater things through the new leaders we raise up.

Deuteronomy 30

2011-04-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹"Suppose all these things happen to you--the blessings and the curses I have listed--and you meditate on them as you are living among the nations to which the LORD your God has exiled you. ²If at that time you return to the LORD your God, and you and your children begin wholeheartedly to obey all the commands I have given you today, ³then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes. He will have mercy on you and gather you back from all the nations where he has scattered you. ⁴Though you are at the ends of the earth, the LORD your God will go and find you and bring you back again. ⁵He will return you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will possess that land again. He will make you even more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors!
⁶"The LORD your God will cleanse your heart and the hearts of all your descendants so that you will love him with all your heart and soul, and so you may live! ⁷The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and persecutors. ⁸Then you will again obey the LORD and keep all the commands I am giving you today. ⁹The LORD your God will make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and your fields will produce abundant harvests, for the LORD will delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. ¹⁰The LORD your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and laws written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.
¹¹"This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand or perform. ¹²It is not up in heaven, so distant that you must ask, `Who will go to heaven and bring it down so we can hear and obey it?' ¹³It is not beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, `Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear and obey it?' ¹⁴The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.
¹⁵"Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between prosperity and disaster, between life and death. ¹⁶I have commanded you today to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, laws, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and become a great nation, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. ¹⁷But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, ¹⁸then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.
¹⁹"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! ²⁰Choose to love the LORD your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

Points of Interest:

· ‘Suppose all these things happen to you’—as we have seen in the previous days’ passages, Moses is exhorting them to remember God, his goodness to them, and his promises so that they do not gradually drift away from him and find that they have abandoned their special relationship with him. If that were to happen, then God would remove his protection over them and allow—in fact encourage—another nation to come and take them captive. They would end up right back where they started.

· ‘God will go and find you and bring you back again’—even if that were to happen, it need not be the end of the story. God will be eager to renew the covenant yet again. All they need to do is call out to him, and he will find them and rescue them, no matter where they have gone.

· ‘Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live!’—God is not aiming for misery. He does not hope to punish the people, or to weigh them down with guilt or with harsh rules. What he wants for them is full, good, satisfying life. All they need to do is choose it, and trust God to provide it.

Taking it home:

· For you: Do you feel as if you’ve gotten off-track? Maybe just for a day or a moment, or maybe for quite a long time, you’ve wandered away from the life God has for you. The great news is that God promises in this passage that you can’t possibly wander too far for him to bring you back. If you feel a little lost, call out to God for rescue. Moses tells us in today’s passage that if we do so, he will not only put us on the right track, but give us an even better life than we’ve ever had before.

· For your six: As Moses says in today’s passage, the thing he is telling them to do is not difficult. All he’s asking them to do is to say, ‘yes,’ to the abundantly good life God is offering. Despite the fact that it is not a difficult thing to do, it remains curiously difficult for us to consistently decide to do it. Moses promises that God himself will give the power to say, ‘yes,’ to anyone who asks for it. Pray for your six, that God would indeed give them that power to choose.

· For our church: Our church’s dream is to empower impossibly great lives, the kind of lives this passage describes. Pray that our dream would be fulfilled, that anyone associated with our church would have the amazingly rich lives described in this passage, and that we would have a special ability to invite others to choose life.

Deuteronomy 17: 14-20

2011-04-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹⁴"You will soon arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you, and you will conquer it and settle there. Then you may begin to think, `We ought to have a king like the other nations around us.' ¹⁵If this happens, be sure that you select as king the man the LORD your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite, not a foreigner. ¹⁶The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself, and he must never send his people to Egypt to buy horses there, for the LORD has told you, `You must never return to Egypt.' ¹⁷The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will lead him away from the LORD. And he must not accumulate vast amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.
¹⁸"When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy these laws on a scroll for himself in the presence of the Levitical priests. ¹⁹He must always keep this copy of the law with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the LORD his God by obeying all the terms of this law. ²⁰This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. This will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

Points of Interest:

· ‘select as king the man the LORD your God chooses’—Moses has, of course, been their leader ever since they left Egypt. Now that Moses is nearing the end of his life, it’s natural that the question of who will lead them in the future would come up. Moses has led them as a prophet, but they may in the future want to go the more conventional route of having a king. Moses recognizes and allows for that preference. But he warns them that if their king is going to be able to do his job, he can’t be a king just like any other king. They should ask the LORD to guide their choice, rather than take their cues from the nations around them.

· ‘must not build up a large stable of horses’—horses in the ancient Near East were used pretty much exclusively as weapons of war. So, having a large stable of horses was synonymous with having a large and powerful army. Kings would be prone to have lots of horses for a couple of reasons: since chariots were the elite troops of the day, having lots of horses would be a status symbol; and having a large and powerful army would protect them from their enemies. The LORD wants a king that will trust him, rather than the latest military technology, to be their source of security.

· ‘You must never return to Egypt’—at the time, Egypt had the best horses and chariots. If a king were to want a powerful cavalry, he would look to Egypt for equipment and training. Such a choice could lead to a dangerous dependence on Egypt. God did not free them from Egypt only to see them enslave themselves to Egypt again voluntarily—especially for the sake of military equipment that, from God’s perspective is unnecessary and harmful anyway.

· ‘must not take many wives for himself’—it was common for kings to marry for the sake of diplomacy. They would marry noblewomen from surrounding nations with whom they were allied or with whom they were trying to form an alliance. So, a king could have many wives, and part of the job of these wives would be to advance the political and religious agendas of their home countries.

· ‘for himself’—even if a king starts out as a servant of the people, the lure of power is strong. It’s all too tempting for a king to use his authority over the people to enrich himself rather than to protect and lead his people. Most kings can’t or don’t resist that temptation. God warns them about choosing a king carefully primarily for their own sakes. If they’re not extremely cautious, they could end up sorely regretting their choice. Having a king could easily seem to be a much more attractive idea than it is in reality.

· ‘That way he will learn to fear the LORD his God’—the king is supposed to rule in the same way any Israelite is supposed to live: by trusting the LORD and listening to his guidance. If he follows God’s instructions, rather than the example of the kings around him, he will be able to lead his people in the right direction and thrive himself while doing it.

· Sadly, when the Israelites do in fact form a monarchy, almost all of their kings starting with Solomon, the third king, do the exact opposite of what the LORD suggests—to the ruin of the nation. They enrich themselves at the expense of the people. They make Israel (and Judah, which breaks off from Israel in a fight over royal succession) indebted to and dependent on other nations, both financially and politically. They introduce the idols of their many foreign diplomat-wives into the official religion of the nation. And they foolishly depend on the power of their own military. By all of these choices, they quickly ruin the good and pleasant land God has given them.

Taking it home:

· For you: Moses predicts that the Israelites will want to be just like all the other nations, but God wants so much better for them than that. As you try to step out on this journey of faith, do you find yourself envying people who live ‘normal lives.’ What are the things you wish for, and why? Confess your envy, and bring your desires to God. Ask him to prove that he can do better than we could do for ourselves.

· For your six: Moses knows that the Israelites will be tempted to slip right back into the slavery from which God just rescued them. If any of your six have experienced any new freedom from the things that have held them down, pray that they would be able to easily see and resist paths that would lead them back into their old problems.

· For our church: Moses recommends to future kings that they read God’s words daily as an antidote to pride, greed, and error and as a constant encouragement in the direction of goodness, truth, and life. Even though we aren’t kings, Moses’ recommendation still sounds wise to me. As we approach the end of this 40-day devotional, pray that God would help us to continue to turn to his word with expectation every day.

Deuteronomy 8

2011-04-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

¹"Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors. ²Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands. ³Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the LORD. ⁴For all these forty years your clothes didn't wear out, and your feet didn't blister or swell. ⁵So you should realize that just as a parent disciplines a child, the LORD your God disciplines you to help you.
⁶"So obey the commands of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. ⁷For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with springs that gush forth in the valleys and hills. ⁸It is a land of wheat and barley, of grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, olives, and honey. ⁹It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. ¹⁰When you have eaten your fill, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.
¹¹"But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and laws. ¹²For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, ¹³and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, ¹⁴that is the time to be careful. Do not become proud at that time and forget the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. ¹⁵Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! ¹⁶He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. ¹⁷He did it so you would never think that it was your own strength and energy that made you wealthy. ¹⁸Always remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you power to become rich, and he does it to fulfill the covenant he made with your ancestors.
¹⁹"But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. ²⁰Just as the LORD has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.

Points of Interest:

· Much of the book of Deuteronomy consists of parting words from Moses. He knows that his own death is drawing near. The rest of the people will be going on to the promised land, but he will not be going with them. So, he’s taking a final moment to remind them of what they’ve been through, to tell them a few things he’s forgotten, and to give them some last words of wisdom. Moses’ own journey is nearly complete. The last thing he needs to do is to serve as a mentor, training a whole new generation how to have the same, exciting, larger than life, hero’s journey of faith he had. He’s learned a few things over the past 120 years of hero’s journey with God, and he wants to pass them on before he goes.

· ‘God led you through the wilderness for forty years’—Moses himself spent 40 years tending Jethro’s flocks before his hero’s journey really kicked in. Likewise, this new generation of Israelites has spent 40 years in the wilderness being trained and formed, to prepare them for the adventure ahead.

· ‘real life comes by feeding on every word of the LORD’—this is perhaps the perfect summary of Moses’ life lesson. He has learned this lesson himself powerfully by actually feasting off of God’s word rather than food for 40 days on the mountain, by seeing innumerable amazing things happen as he has obeyed God’s instructions, and—painfully—by facing the dramatic negative results of ignoring God’s instructions in the second incident of bringing water from the rock. Utter confidence in the truth of this statement is the ‘magic elixir’ Moses has gained through his life-long heroic journey with God, and he is now handing this key to success on to the people so that they can thrive in the new land God is going to give them.

· ‘the LORD your God disciplines you to help you’—having heard so much about the times the people of Israel have come to the edge of hunger or thirst might prompt us to ask the question, ‘If God is so good, why wouldn’t he provide for them more quickly?’ Moses gives us an answer here. First of all, he points out that in other ways God has been a miraculously generous nurturer and provider: their clothes have never worn out, and their feet have never gotten tired even though they’ve been walking in the same shoes for 40 years—not to mention the fact that God has protected them from their enemies during this time. So, obviously, it’s not that God is unconcerned for their welfare or unable to care for them. Why then does he let them get to the point of wondering where their next food or drink will come from? Because he is trying to teach them something. A parent’s intention in disciplining a child is not to act out of anger, nor to show hatred of the child, nor even to make the child feel bad. In fact, a good parent disciplines a child for the exact same reason he or she feeds a child or provides a good education: to prepare the child to thrive. That’s what God is trying to do for the Israelites as well. He has spent 40 years trying to teach them to trust him to provide, to ask him for what they need, and to recognize—as Moses did—that relationship with God himself is more important and more satisfying than any material blessing that he could give them. If they follow this lesson, they will have a great life ahead of them in the promised land.

· ‘It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking’—this whole time, God hasn’t particularly wanted to be in constant contention with his people. He’s desperately wanted to give them an awesomely good gift. At every point, though, their complaints, rebellion, or abandonment of him have gotten in the way.

· ‘that is the time to be careful!’—it will be even harder to remember to stay close to God when they don’t have immediate needs that force them to cry out to him. It is their relationship with God that will bring them into the place of blessing. If they forget that fact and abandon God for his blessings, they will cut themselves off from the source of future blessing.

· ‘Just as the LORD has destroyed other nations in your path’—at core, there’s nothing essentially different about the Israelites from the people they are replacing in the promised land. The only thing that makes them distinct is their covenant with the LORD. They’ve agreed to be God’s special people and to follow his instructions, and God has agreed to show just how good he can make life for a people who put themselves into his hands. If the Israelites ever decide that they are uninterested in maintaining this agreement, they are just like anybody else. God has promised to give them this amazing place to live, but he would also be willing to take it away from them if it comes to that.

Taking it home:

· For you: While it is certainly not true that every bad thing that happens to us is God’s will, it seems that this passage is saying that at least some things that we find difficult or unpleasant are actually signs of God’s love and care for us. God is using them to train us how to survive and how to thrive in life. What are some trying circumstances you’ve experienced lately—not evil things that have happened to you, but things that stretch your patience, trust, or faith? Ask God if he is trying to teach you something in that circumstance. If you feel able, express your gratefulness for the fact that he loves you so much that he is willing to help you build the skills and the character to really thrive.

· For your six: Remembering is a very important part of building trust in God. It’s all too easy for us to forget about the good things we’ve been given: in bad times, our memories of the good times are crowded out; and in good times, we quickly take the good things for granted. Pray that your six would have a good memory for good gifts they’ve received. Ask God to remind them even today of a wonderful thing that happened to them that they haven’t thought of for a while.

· For our church: Our church has had a pretty exciting history of great blessing from God. This passage warns us that times of blessing can easily become dangerous, because it’s easy to take the blessings for granted and to forget God completely in the midst of the enjoyment and pleasure. Pray that God would rescue us from any complacency, would protect us from forgetting in the future, and give us a limitless hunger for relationship with him above all else.

Numbers 27:1-11

2011-04-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

1One day a petition was presented by the daughters of Zelophehad--Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their father, Zelophehad, was the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph. 2These women went and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire community at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 3"Our father died in the wilderness without leaving any sons," they said. "But he was not among Korah's followers, who rebelled against the LORD. He died because of his own sin. 4Why should the name of our father disappear just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives."
5So Moses brought their case before the LORD. 6And the LORD replied to Moses, 7"The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You must give them an inheritance of land along with their father's relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father. 8Moreover announce this to the people of Israel: `If a man dies and has no sons, then give his inheritance to his daughters. 9And if he has no daughters, turn his inheritance over to his brothers. 10If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 11But if his father has no brothers, pass on his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan. The Israelites must observe this as a general legal requirement, just as the LORD commanded Moses.' "

Points of Interest:
• In this final week’s passages, we fast forward about 40 years. The Bible describes the intervening 40 years quite sparingly. Having been told by God that they will not enter the promised land, they wander around the desert, occasionally getting themselves into similar types of trouble to what we’ve already seen, and often getting more complete instructions from the LORD as to how to be a people in relationship with him. Recently, as a new generation comes into adulthood and the previous generation dies out (Aaron himself died shortly after the episode of the water from the rock, and his son Eleazer has taken over his role), they’ve started to prepare for entry into the promised land: they’re drawing closer now to the land; they’ve fought a preparatory battle on the way; and Moses has begun to give them instructions for settling the land.
• ‘He died because of his own sin’—in other words, although their father was part of the unfaithful generation who were destined to die in the desert, he did not take part in Korah’s rebellion against Moses. This is significant because the families involved in Korah’s rebellion were sort of erased from the membership of the Israelites, being swallowed up by an earthquake. These women are simply establishing that they are members in good standing of the community.
• ‘Why should the name of our father disappear just because he had no sons?’—the promised land has been parceled out in advance among the tribes, with each individual family that left Egypt getting its own, hereditary plot of land. These family holdings were meant to stay with the family perpetually. Even if the family had to sell it to pay off debt, it would eventually be returned to them—every fifty years all land was to be returned to the original family. The inheritance laws were designed to give every single Israelite a stake in the promise, while at the same time insuring that family holdings did not get too small for viability. In order to make this plan work, the majority of inheritance went to the eldest son; daughters usually became a part of the family into which they married. Zelophedad, however, had no son. If the daughters do not inherit the father’s land, then his family and its stake in the land would altogether cease to exist. Zelophedad’s daughters are saying that, while they understand a family might be blotted out of the inheritance because of rebellion, it seems harsh and unfair for it to disappear simply because of the bad luck of having no sons.
• ‘Moses brought their case before the LORD’—the situation of the daughters of Zelophedad is unforeseen in the instructions Moses has received so far. He’s supposed to be the supreme court justice of the Israelites, but even he doesn’t quite know what to do in this particular circumstance. So, he appeals to God himself for guidance.
• ‘The daughters of Zelophehad are right’—Zelophedad’s daughters have correctly understood the intention of the inheritance law to give each family a perpetual stake in the future of Israel, and they have correctly understood that the fact that they are women should not get in the way. They are not merely seen as an exception. They provoke a change in and an expansion of the law. God is actually improving upon his instructions, at the instigation of Zelophedad’s daughters.

Taking it home:

• For you: Zelophedad’s daughters wanted to take their full, rightful place in the community. They staked a claim that their family belonged among the community of God’s people. What’s the next step for you in terms of taking your full place in the community? Are there ways you need to assert yourself? Commitments you need to make? Is there help you need from others?

• For your six: Perhaps some of your six have kept themselves at a distance from God because they believe his words have led to unjust treatment of them. Zelophedad’s daughters discovered that the LORD was more willing to listen to them and remedy the situation than they might have thought. That might be the case for your six as well. If it seems appropriate, consider encouraging any of your six who are in this situation to bring their complaint to God.

• For our church: God gave Moses instructions and a plan. As the people of Israel stepped into that plan, God gave them modifications, clarifications, and adjustments to that plan. God has given us hopes, dreams, and plans as a church as well. Pray that we would have the wisdom to know when to seek clarification from God and the ears to hear his guidance. Pray too that we would have peace and resiliency when reality forces an adjustment to our expectations.

Numbers 20: 1-13

2011-04-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

In early spring the people of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried.

² There was no water for the people to drink at that place, so they rebelled against Moses and Aaron. ³ The people blamed Moses and said, “We wish we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers! ⁴ Did you bring the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? ⁵ Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, figs, grapes, or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

⁶ Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to them, ⁷ and the Lord said to Moses, ⁸ “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, command the rock over there to pour out its water. You will get enough water from the rock to satisfy all the people and their livestock.”

⁹ So Moses did as he was told. He took the staff from the place where it was kept before the Lord. ¹⁰ Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” ¹¹ Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So all the people and their livestock drank their fill.

¹² But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” ¹³ This place was known as the waters of Meribah, because it was where the people of Israel argued with the Lord, and where he demonstrated his holiness among them.

Points of Interest:

· ‘We wish we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers!’—now it’s getting downright ridiculous. The people aren’t merely wishing they could go back to Egypt, or that they could stay in the wilderness. Now they’re wishing that they had rebelled against Moses so that they could have been swallowed up by a supernatural earthquake—and they express this extreme self-pity over a situation from which God has already rescued them in the past. You almost get the sense that they’re being intentionally provocative, or that they actually prefer to complain.

· ‘This land has no grain, figs, grapes, or pomegranates’—God had wanted to lead them into a land abundant with fruit and grains. Apparently, according to the report of the spies, the promised land had especially good grapes. But the people said that they would rather stay in the wilderness. Either they’ve forgotten that this is what they asked for, or they’re regretting their decision.

· ‘He took the staff from the place where it was kept’—Moses used to carry the staff around with him everywhere he went, performing constant miracles with it. Apparently, he doesn’t use it as often anymore; so he keeps it in God’s tent unless he needs it.

· ‘you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness’—something happens when the people gather at the rock. Every other time he’s been in a situation like this, he’s done exactly what the LORD instructed. But this time he takes matters into his own hands. God tells him to command the rock to pour out water. Instead, he curses at the people and hits the rock twice. God still makes the water gush out, but something really bothers him about Moses’ actions. Perhaps it’s the fact that he said, ‘Must we bring you water . . . ?’—claiming the action for himself and Aaron rather than for God. Perhaps he doesn’t like the fact that he portrays God as being unwilling to provide the water. Or perhaps the LORD doesn’t like how Moses beefed up the drama factor, with the yelling and the hitting. God had his own plan for the kind of effect he wanted to make with this miracle. But Moses revised God’s plan.

· ‘you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!’—to me, Moses’ disobedience seems insignificant in light of how faithful he has been and how much he has done. But to God, Moses’ error is serious and it has serious consequences. By not allowing Moses to lead the people into the promised land, God is saying that in this action he has shown that he belongs more with the generation that will die in the dessert than with the one that will go into the promised land. Over the course of his constant contention with this generation, Moses has somehow become like them.

· ‘where he demonstrated his holiness among them’—God had wanted to show his holiness by providing water for the people. Sadly, he ends up showing just how holy he is by having to punish his most faithful servant.

Taking it home:

· For you: In this passage, we see Moses’ constant battles with the Israelites finally take a toll on his own relationship with God, his joy, and his future. Are you in the midst of any longstanding conflicts? Ask God to protect you from being embittered by that conflict. Ask him to give you the power to bless the person who has been a source of trouble in your life, and ask him to show his holiness and goodness in the situation.

· For your six: The Israelites just don’t seem to learn from their past. God provides for them again and again, but each time they have a need they see it as a hopeless disaster. The faith they gain from seeing God provide doesn’t seem to last to the next problem. Pray for your six that they would have a faith that grows, and that God would give them a good memory of the times he’s rescued them or provided for them.

· For our church: God had a plan to demonstrate his holiness to the people, and Moses thought he could improve upon that plan. Although the people were blessed and God’s holiness was shown, Moses’ modifications ended up having big consequences for him. Pray that God would give us trust in him to show himself, and wisdom to resist the temptation to ‘improve’ upon his plans.