pray – Page 25 – Dave R Phillips

Moab Defeated by Joint Armies

Chapter 3 recounts a time when the kings of Israel (Joram), Judah (Jehoshaphat) and Edom (well…governor of Edom) united to confront Moab. Joram was a notch better than his ancestors, but still far from being good in God’s eyes. Still, for some reason, this union was allowed and the unified front assembled and marched through the desert to confront Moab.

After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them. 2 Kings 3:9

This is interesting from a military perspective. Logisticians are notorious for saying, “logistics wins wars,” because armies can’t fight without provisions. Here we see the great plans of these three kings runs aground. Jehoshaphat knows what to do: find a prophet and ask God. My question a this point is simple: why didn’t you ask before you started marching?

Nonetheless, they figure out that Elisha is the prophet to ask, so they find him and pose the question. Elisha only agrees to entertain the question because Jehoshaphat has joined the battle, so he intervenes and asks God for support. The response is favorable. Water will appear miraculously and they will win the battle.

The next day, water appears and the issue of verse 9 is resolved. In addition, the Moabites are fooled by the sun reflecting off of the unexpected pools of water at sunrise and decide to go and grab the plunder:

To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red–like blood. “That’s blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!” 2 Kings 3:22-23

Fools. Convinced that the Israelites were dead and dying the Moabites pounce in to grab plunder only to find an able and fit army that slaughtered the Moabites. End of chapter 3: “The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.” (2 Kings 3:27)

The Widow’s Olive Oil

Here’s an interesting story of God’s provision for a widow who seeks Elisha’s help. One of the company of prophets died and his widow has two sons and apparently some debt that is to be collected by making slaves of her two sons. The plan is simple and secret: collect empty jars from our neighbors and bring them to your house and shut the door, then fill all of the jars from the one jar of oil you have. She doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t question his direction, she simply does what he says. When all the jars were miraculously filled, the oil stopped flowing.

She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” 2 Kings 4:7

The Shunammite’s Son Restored to Life

To set the stage for this story, “a well-to-do” woman lived in Shunem where Elisha often traveled to (or through). She talks to her husband and the add a room to their house for Elisha to stay in when he is traveling through.

“Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” 2 Kings 4:10

How cool is that! Elisha wants to bless her so he asks his servant (Gehazi) what can be done. He tells Elisha that she has no son, so Elisha lets the woman know that within a year she will have a son. She is very humbled by this announcement and scared at the same time.

The boy grows, but apparently has a brain tumor or something that causes him extreme headaches. The boy dies and his body is placed on Elisha’s bed in their house. Elisha sends Gehazi to lay his staff on the boy’s head, but when that doesn’t work, Elisha takes direct action. He closes the door so he and Gehazi can pray. Again, a private miracle happens. The boy is revived and reunited with his family.

Two More Stories of Elisha

The first story labeled, “Death in the Pot” refers to stew in a pot that was made during a famine. Apparently is was really horrible, so Elisha adds some flour and the stew is fixed! Whatever was harmful in the stew was immediately neutralized.

The second story is a precursor to Jesus’ feeding of 4,000 or 5,000. In this story, 20 loaves of fresh bread are used to feed 100 men at the word of Elisha.

“Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: “They will eat and have some left over.” 2 Kings 4:43

They are all fed and indeed, some was left over.

God provides his people. Always. Many times this provision comes in private, one to another, no fanfare, no public display. God is not a magic genie to be summoned upon, but rather the Lord of all, worthy of praise. Our part of the process is to give it all to God and trust completely in his provision. Lord, help me to do my part.

February 3, 2017

Elijah, the Widow and the Test on Mount Carmel

1 Kings 17-18

Finally, the Lord sends a true prophet, Elijah to speak some truth into to kings of Israel. Jeroboam began in 930 b.c. and Ahab in 874 b.c., something like 60 years of depravity, of fake religion that misled all the people of Israel (Northern Kingdom). Elijah enters the scene and speaks to Ahab,

“As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” 1 Kings 17:1

Elijah is initially fed by ravens, sent by God, to give him food. He drank from a brook until it dried up, then the Lord sent Elijah to Zarephath where a widow would supply his needs from a jar of flour and a jug of oil that “will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land” (1 Kings 17:14).

The widow’s son became ill and eventually died. In her grief she lashed out at Elijah, “Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” 1 Kings 17:18. Elijah took her son to the upper room and cried out to the Lord. God answered by reviving the boy an d Elijah gave the boy to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” 1 Kings 17:23

And so the legacy of Elijah is established.

Three years into the famine, Ahab enlists Obadiah (not the prophet) to search for food and water. The go in opposite directions to cover more land when Elijah meets Obadiah. Elijah tells Obadiah to let Ahab know that he wants to talk. Obadiah is afraid to tell Ahab, but Elijah assures him this is a good plan.

Ahab greets Elijah spitefully, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” 1 Kings 18:17. Elijah sets the record straight, unafraid of what this man could do to him,

“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat a Jezebel’s table.” 1 Kings 18:18-19

Game on! Elijah has been given clear direction from the Lord and will now demonstrate the impotence of Baal and Asherah in front of everyone. At the same time, he will discredit Jezebel, the one who seems to be the one running things in Ahab’s name (not that Ahab is good, I just think he’s a sloth while Jezebel is off killing prophets and establishing her rule).

Elijah poses a test to prove God is the one true God and Ahab’s people enthusiastically agree. But as the test begins, the prophets of Baal fail to pass the test, from morning till noon, “there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made” (1 Kings 18:26). Elijah taunted them (must have really been a crazy scene), “but there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention” (18:29).

It’s important to note that Elijah took “twelve stones, one for each of the tribes” (1 Kings 18:31) here. God is the God of unity even though the kingdom is divided, he has not forgotten the lower kingdom.

Now Elijah steps up and builds an altar to God. He even uses the precious water (my guess is this is sea water, not drinkable) to completely cover the sacrifice…three times…totally drenched! The Lord responds to Elijah’s prayer and “burns up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench” (18:38). The people figured out that God was real and Baal was false (clever). They seized the prophets of Baal and slaughtered them. Elijah prays for the drought to end and God brings rain on the land.

Elijah tells Ahab to go have dinner “for there is the sound of a heavy rain” (1 Kings 18:41) coming from the distance. After 3 years of no moisture, surely this would get their attention!

What was Elijah’s response?

The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. 1 Kings 18:46

He ran. Somehow he was more afraid of Jezebel than anything else that happened. Strange, but somewhat comforting to know a man of such faith is still a man, still human, still vulnerable. Not that I’m one ounce of the man Elijah was, but the narrative is here for a reason. May God help us all to understand.

January 31, 2017

Division

1 Kings 12 and Psalms 54-55

Psalm 55 provides a striking picture of a friend turning his back on another, the worst kind of betrayal and reveals how we can respond to our friend-enemy: we turn to the Lord. Here are some key verses to remember:

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me, I could hide.
But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,
with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God,
as we walked about among the worshipers. Psalm 55:12-14

How do we respond?

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous be shaken.
But as for me, I trust in you. Psalm 55:22,23b

I thought about those who have had past experiences with a partner in church leadership as I read this morning—in contrast to 1 Kings 12 as the kingdom split begins. My heart breaks for those who have been betrayed by friends, the deepest kind of hurt on earth. It’s no wonder that Peter draws on this psalm in his advice, well, his mandate for elders in 1 Peter 5:1-6.

May the challenges of the past give you strength for the present and for the future.

Chapter 12 begins to describe the breakup of Israel and provides important background for understanding the rest of the Old Testament. Solomon’s son Rehoboam is an idiot, but Jeroboam is even worse! There’s a possibility we could recover from leadership of Rehoboam, but Jeroboam, well, that’s just a bridge too far.

Israel decides to make Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, their king. Jeroboam heard about this and decided the time was right to return from Egypt and unite the kingdom. It seemed like a good idea. Now that Solomon is dead, the forced labor will cease and the burdens of providing for the vast palace and lavish living are over, right? Nope. Rehoboam consults with two groups of advisors and decides to ignore wise counsel:

Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” 1 Kings 12:13-14

Strong words from a king that just took the throne. He really didn’t know what he was saying, but endorsing Jeroboam wasn’t a good idea either. It seems like a lose-lose proposition.

Jeroboam and most of Israel (all but the tribe of Judah, then Benjamin) take off! Rehoboam mounts and army from Judah and Benjamin and prepares to attack Jeroboam, but God spoke to Shemaiah, a man of God.

This is what the Lord says: “Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.” 1 Kings 12:24

Rehoboam, along with Judah and Benjamin return home.

Meanwhile, Jeroboam has a great idea. Since Jerusalem is off limits now, and we can’t go to the temple, let’s build our own! Jeroboam invents his own religion complete with two golden calves conveniently located for the people to worship. He creates new festivals to replace those the Lord put in place and get this: the people went along with his plans.

Wow! Where did all of this come from? The wisest man ever to walk the earth: Solomon. It seemed they were intent on worshipping the Lord, but even in all of this, they lost their way.

Here is the warning for us in our modern day, in our desire to build the church: don’t be an idiot. It’s the bride of Christ and he will build his church the way it needs to be built. Lord, I pray that we critically evaluate the words in this chapter, the beginning of the end, and learn how this applies to us today, to YOUR church. Help us to go out and make disciples of all nations, all people, and to stop building things for ourselves.

January 30, 2017

Queen of Sheba; Solomon’s Pagan Wives

1 Kings 9-11

The beginning of chapter 9 includes words from the Lord when He appeared to Solomon a second time. I haven’t kept track, but it is rare that we read, “the Lord appeared…” to anyone. The Lord speaks to prophets through visions, but rarely do we read about direct interaction.

The Lord said to him, “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.” 1 Kings 9:3

The Lord is pleased with the temple and Solomon’s prayers from the last chapter. The people have assurance that God is with them, his eyes and heart are there in the temple. I’m trying to imagine the effort it takes to make the journey from whatever distance to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices of the best at the temple. Step by step the journey would be a pleasure knowing that God is pleased.

The Lord assures Solomon that “if…and…and…” there will be a “successor on the throne” from his household. We have a lot of kings to account for and the conditions of “if you walk before me faithfully,” etc., is pretty easy for Solomon, but the other half is not so simple. “But if your descendants turn away…” well, that’s a recipe for disaster and a prophetic word to remember.

This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 1 Kings 9:8

The concept that such a magnificent place could become a heap of rubble would have incited a riot. Thousands were conscripted over the course of 20 years of construction. The kingdom invested heavily and offered 20 cities to Hiram as collateral. Surprisingly, this big business didn’t always go as well as planned. The story here is brief, but Hiram has a look at the cities Solomon offered and was not so impressed:

“What king of towns are these you have given me, my brother?” he asked. And he called them the Land of Kabul, a name they have to this day. 1 Kings 9:13

We have to look in 2 Chronicles 8 for a hint of how this gets resolved, but apparently the big business deal between Jerusalem and Tyre was not all smooth sailing.

Add to this an interesting fact, “But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites” (1 Kings 9:22). All those conscripted into service were among the people captured during wars, but not exterminated. The concept makes my head hurt! I can only imagine this embeds animosity and contempt toward the Israelites.

Chapter 10 focuses on the Queen of Sheba. She was impressed with his wisdom, “you have far exceeded the report I heard” (1 Kings 10:7). She offered words of praise for the Lord and for Solomon’s people. More than that, she balanced his account with Hiram by giving Solomon “120 talents of gold” (1 Kings 10:10) that would certainly cool Hiram’s concerns (1 Kings 9:14).

As I read about all the gold that was traded, I’m in awe about the mining operations of these ancient days. Machinery was extremely limited, yet they produced huge amounts of refined gold for covering shields and furnishings. The effort was enormous. It’s hard to get my mind around these little details that just slip through the narrative.

King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. 1 Kings 10:23

Then we see the word, “however.”

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter–Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” 1 Kings 11:1-2

The stats here are often quoted in sermons: 700 wives, 300 concubines, etc. Really? Crazy stuff to be sure. Whatever the number and logistics involved, the sad reality is this:

his wives turned his heart after other dogs, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God…1 Kings 11:4

Solomon did what it took to please these women for his own pleasure. He built places for them to worship their gods. With all his wisdom, it’s incredible that he didn’t see that coming. God is not pleased. “I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates” (1 Kings 11:11).

All this time, we’ve heard nothing about war. No battles, no statements about “when kings go off to war,” or any such thing. That is about to change. The remainder of chapter 11 (vv 14-40) details Solomon’s adversaries and rebellion. Most sadly, though, we read how God implements his words, he divides the kingdom.

Jeroboam is a principle leader of Solomon’s regime. On a journey out into the country, he is visited by a prophet (Ahijah) who reveals God’s plan: ten of the twelve tribes will be under Jeroboam’s authority, he will be king over Israel (the Northern kingdom) and Solomon’s descendants will have two tribes to rule (the Southern kingdom). Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but that didn’t work out well. Division. Sad.

The end of this chapter quietly pronounces the death of Solomon. His son Rehoboam becomes king.

January 29, 2017

Dedication of the Temple

1 Kings 8 and Psalm 53

Chapter 8 contains three sections: 1) the Ark is brought into the temple, 2) Solomon’s prayer and 3) the initial sacrifices and celebration.

1. The Ark Brought to the Temple

Solomon certainly knew the history behind transporting the Ark, its proper transport and the problems that would arise if not handled well. The poles that are used by the priests to carry it were important. In this case, the “poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary” (1 Kings 8:8). I guess then were extra long to protect the carriers!

There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. 1 Kings 8:9

The Ark was placed in the inner sanctuary of the temple. Once the priests left, a cloud filled the temple and Solomon pats himself on the back: “I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.” (1 Kings 8:13) There are a few places here where King Solomon uses this personal pronoun that seems out of place. He conscripted thousands of men to labor for years, yet there is no hint of “we” in the description. Perhaps this is just indicative of the time, but it’s odd to read.

2. Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

Solomon’s lengthy prayer covers a lot of ground. The “bookends” for this section show his heart for the Lord:

Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you…
…may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.
1 Kings 8:23, 61

Here are some key points to remember:

Your promise to David is fulfilled this day
Don’t forget you promised there would always be a successor from David’s bloodline
The heavens cannot contain you, much less this temple
Hear from heaven and forgive us when we fail
- When (not if) we wrong our neighbor
- When we’re defeated by an enemy
- In times of draught
- When famine or plague comes
- When foreigners come and pray
- In times of war
- When they sin against you–for there is no one who does not sin
May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea

It is clear that God is the center of all, Solomon is not trying to take the limelight, all glory to God.

3. Initial Celebration

Having said all of that, let the party begin! Not just a week, but two weeks of celebration and sacrifices. Some 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats are sacrificed!

So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the Lord. 1 Kings 8:63

Burnt offerings, grain, fellowship offerings, on and on. It was a great celebration.

On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel. 1 Kings 8:66

Well done King Solomon. Israel has come a long way since leaving captivity in Egypt.

January 24, 2017

David’s Kingdom Reestablished; The Census

2 Samuel 21-24

The NIV Study Bible notes that this section is like an appendix to the story of 1st and 2nd Samuel. It contains narrative descriptions of David dealing with God’s wrath as a result of Saul, 2 Samuel 21:1-14 and his own errors, 2 Samuel 24:1-25.

Dealing with Saul’s Mess – The Gibeonites Avenged

There was a famine during David’s reign “on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death,” says the Lord! (2 Samuel 21:1) The penalty for Saul’s aggressive behavior is impossible to understand from our current, somewhat civilized perspective. David approaches the Gibeonites and asks what he can do to make amends. The Gibeonites have this brutal request:

As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel, let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul — The Lord’s chosen one. 2 Samuel 21:5-6

David complies. Seven men are killed, including a second Mephibosheth (not Jonathan’s son) and their bodies put on display. The rains commence. This story clearly falls into the category of that which is beyond my comprehension. To merely say this demonstrates obedience and David’s desire to make amends for Saul’s error is difficult to swallow. One could easily misinterpret this to suggest humans were sacrificed to appease God, after all, once they are on display, the rains begin. The warning here is to avoid taking things out of context and building a counter-story to support pagan aggression. Lord, give us peace and understanding as we read these histories.

Four Descendants of Rapha (giants)

Chapter 21 concludes with a brief description of David’s men protecting him by killing four giants: “These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.” 2 Samuel 21:22 The four include:

Ishbi-Benob: killed by Abishai (Joab’s brother)
Saph: killed by Sibbekai the Hushathite
brother of Goliath: killed by Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite
Six-toed, Six-fingered (24 in all): killed by Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother

Dealing with David’s Mess – David’s Census

Chapter 24 describes a time when David sent his army out to take a census, typically a prideful act merely meant to boast about the size of the kingdom. God did not prompt David. Surprisingly (to me), Joab objects, “why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?” 2 Samuel 24:3 The census took nine months and twenty days (but who was counting!!).

David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” 2 Samuel 24:10

Through the prophet Gad, the Lord gives David three options:

three years of famine
three months of fleeing from your enemies
three days of plague

David picked option #3 and 70,000 people died. Seventy thousand.

When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.” 2 Samuel 24:17

Gad tells David to build an altar where the angel of death stopped, so he goes to Araunah to purchase the threshing floor to build an altar and offer a sacrifice. Araunah offers to give “whatever he wishes,” but David insists on paying for the property. The NIV Study Bible notes this will ultimately become the site of the temple.

The plague relented, the Lord answered David’s prayer.

Award Ceremony

2 Samuel 23:8-39 provides a list of valiant fighting men and give a snippet of their actions during David’s reign as king. This reads like an award ceremony as part of David’s concluding remarks near the end of his life.

David’s Song of Praise

2 Samuel 22:2-51 and Psalm 18 both include an overarching song that sings of God’s protection and strength in battles won because of the Lord. We can cherry-pick a few verses and feed our egos, but I’m pretty confident David is not gloating over victories nor his position as king:

Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever. 2 Samuel 22:50-51, Psalm 18:49-50

David’s Last Words

These include just a few words that, once again, point to God for his blessings,

If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part… 2 Samuel 23:5

Not quite the actual last words of David, but we’re getting close to his appointment of Solomon as we switch from Samuel to Kings.

January 10, 2017

The Ark Captured; the Ark Returned

1 Samuel 3-6 and Psalm 40

Many, Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare.
Psalm 40:5

Psalm 40 is personal. It is profound. It is written by King David, a man after God’s own heart. It speaks to me today and truly captures my present circumstance:

I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.
Psalm 40:8

I will make this into something that involves wood and a scrollsaw to serve as a reminder each and every day. It is my #1 desire, to do the will of God. Lord speak to me each day, open my ears to hear each whisper.

The reading in Chapter 3 begins in an interesting way, “In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.” I certainly can relate in my impatient, microwave mentality as I constantly pray for the Lord to provide a vision!

The Lord calls Samuel in an audible voice, though it takes Eli a few times to figure that out. The imagery is poetic.

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10

The Lord tells Samuel he will “carry out” his vengeance on Eli’s family, namely the incredulous Hophni and Phinehas, for their scandalous behavior. Eli encourages Samuel to tell him what the Lord said, not to hold back. He could probably sense Samuel’s reluctance, so he pried it out of him. Eli knew. Sad.

The Ark Captured

The Israelites were camped at Ebenezer and set to fight the Philistines. When defeat entered their camp, the elders called for the Ark to assure them of victory. The Philistines were scared, but rallied behind the call to action, “Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!” (1 Samuel 4:9) They were and they did, including running off with the Ark.

During the battle 30,000 foot soldiers died plus Hophni and Phinehas. But the day was not yet done. A messenger ran back to tell Eli the horrible news.

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. 1 Samuel 4:18

The Philistines took the Ark and place by their god Dagon. The next morning, Dagon was face-planted, so they put Dagon back upright only to find it face-planted and without head and hands. The wizards of the Philistines quickly figured out having the Ark in the same place was a bad idea. They moved it from Ashod to Gath to Ekron. Everywhere they moved it there was trouble so they devised a plan to return the Ark.

The Ark Returned

Basically, the Philistines hitched up “two cows that have calved and have never been yoked” (1 Samuel 6:7) and put them on autopilot set for an Israelite village along with some gold and stuff to appease the Israelite’s God (in their minds). So the Ark was returned. Unfortunately, some curious Israelites looked inside the Ark and died for their transgressions, some 70 people.

Eli and much of his family is dead; now Samuel begins his loyal leadership.

January 9, 2017

Samuel’s Birth

1 Samuel 1-2

Another Ephramite story, this time we read about Elkanah and Hannah. Elkanah truly loved Hannah. Even though she was barren, he gave her extra portions of food and spoke kindly to her, “Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:8).

One day, in Hannah’s misery, she began to pray to the Lord silently, weeping bitterly. Eli (the chief priest) saw her lips moving and assumed she was drunk! “Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, ‘How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.'” (1 Samuel 1:13-14). She assured Eli she was not drunk and he blessed her, assuring Hannah that her prayers would be answered. In short order, Hannah became pregnant.

She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” 1 Samuel 1:20

Hannah fulfilled her promise to the Lord after he was weaned, very young. She gave “him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head” (1 Samuel 1:11).

I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 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.1 Samuel 1:27-28

Hannah’s Prayer. The first half of chapter 2 contains Hannah’s prayer. 1 Samuel 2:1-11 Later on, she would have 3 more sons and 2 daughters. Truly blessed!

Eli’s Wicked Sons. The narrative takes a sudden change in verse 12: “Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord.” It’s interesting to know that the “preacher’s kids” are not honorable like the preacher. Depressing as well. Eli rebuked them, but they ignored him as a stereotypical teenager in modern times. “His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.” (1 Samuel 2:25)

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. 1 Samuel 2:30

The wickedness of the sons cannot be ignored by God. The promise is this: And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day.” (1 Samuel 2:34)

Samuel begins.

January 4, 2017

Gideon

Judges 6-8

Forty good years with Deborah leading the Israelites is followed by, “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord…” Here we go again! The Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples were tormenting the Israelites by destroying crops and killing livestock “like swarms of locusts…they invaded the land to ravage it” (Judges 6:5-6). Finally, the people cried out to the Lord and he sent them a prophet.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” Judges 6:12-13

Gideon is not convinced he is the guy to deliver the Israelites from the Midians. “Pardon me, my lord…” he continues, but the Lord answers Gideon with the assurance he will be with him. Gideon asks for a sign and the angel agrees by consuming a meal and disappearing! The Lord gives Gideon a task–this is interesting: “Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it” (Judges 6:25). Gideon, with the help of 10 servants, does what the Lord commands, but does it at night so no one can see…seriously, he’s afraid. The people figure it out soon enough and approach Gideon’s father, “Bring out your son. He must die…” But Joash, Gideon’s father makes this remarkable statement:

Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar. Judges 6:31

Here’s the interesting part: Gideon was tasked to break down his father’s altar to Baal and his father immediately comes to Gideon’s defense.

The Fleece and The Dew

This part of the story is significant to me and my journey as one who calls himself a Christ follower. The Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern people (M-A-O) join forces again and begin to torment the Israelites. “Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet” to summon the tribes to war, but Gideon is unsure of his calling again, so he asks the Lord for a sign:

I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand. Judges 6:37

Ok…done. Now what?

Do not be angry with me…allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew. Judges 6:39

Test #2 completed. God did what Gideon requested.

When I was a preteen, somewhere between 10 and 12, I read this story and asked God for a sign to confirm for me his calling in my life. I took a towel and put it on my bicycle (overnight) and asked God to show he is real by making the towel wet with dew and the ground dry. That test failed, so I tried test two: towel on the bike, make it dry and everything else covered with dew. Failed. Living in Baton Rouge, where the humidity is often in the 90% range, there was dew everywhere and on everything. I was a bit discouraged. It seemed God was not one who listened to prayer. Sigh.

That Sunday (it seems like the second test was on a Saturday) we went to church as usual. I sat with my family and listened to a sermon on Judges 6-8. One of the key points in the sermon was:

Do not think you can test the Lord. He is not your magic genie sitting around waiting for your every demand.

Gulp! Did the pastor know what I was doing this week? Mind you this was back in the 70’s, spy cams were only in fiction!! God spoke to me quite clearly that day and I knew he was indeed real and I would follow him as best I could. I wish I were a better storyteller, that I could somehow craft words to describe this moment better, but this was the event that changed my life for good. I’ve made lots of poor choices that seem to diminish my contribution to Christ, but I remain confident that he will still use me in the last chapters of my life and time here on earth. Please Lord, fill me and use me today!

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

The Lord tells Gideon he has too many men and culls the list down to just 300. The Lord provided the unconventional means to demonstrate his love for Israel,

Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. Judges 7:19

The Midianites went crazy! The Lord caused them to turn on each other and they ran out of camp, killing each other in panic. Gideon and his small militia pursued them and killed the leaders.

Another 40 years of peace followed by downfall, “they also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Gideon in spite of all the good things he had done for them (Judges 8:35).

December 31, 2016

Gibeonite Deception and God’s Faithfulness

Joshua 9-19

The Gibeonites devised a ruse to trick Joshua into making a treaty with them. They sent a contingent with donkeys, old wineskins, moldy bread, and sold the Israelites on their story, “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God.” (Joshua 9:9)

It took three days before the deception was revealed and the people gave their leaders a hard time about their hasty decision. The key problem, “The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.” (Joshua 9:14

Joshua’s response is to let them live, but curse them to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the Israelites. They were simply trying to survive. Israel’s reputation was clear: wipe out the land for which they are occupying. They would rather live as servants than die as foes.

The Sun Stands Still

Five kings of neighboring lands joined forces to attack Gibeon because of their treaty with Joshua. They sent word to Joshua and he responded (with the Lord’s assurance) by attacking the kings and repelling their advance on Gibeon.

Joshua said the the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. Joshua 10:12-13

The NIV Study Bible notes indicate there is confusion over this:

Some believe that God extended the hours of daylight for the Israelites to defeat their enemies. Others suggest that the sun remained cool (perhaps as the result of an overcast sky) for an entire day, allowing the fighting to continue through the afternoon. The fact is that we do not know what happened, except that it involved divine intervention.

The five kings were found hiding in a cave and were subsequently put to death then thrown back into the cave, sealed by a large stone. So the reputation of Joshua and the Israelites continues to spread. “No survivors” is the theme for the rest of Chapter 10. Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, Debir, Negev — the southern cities from

Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. Joshua 10:41

Kings from the northern regions decided to attack Israel (bad idea), so…”he captured all their kings and put them to death.” (Joshua 11:17)

So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war. Joshua 11:23

Chapter 12 lists the defeated kings…a long list. Chapters 13 through 19 provide details of how the land was allotted to Caleb, the tribes and finally to Joshua himself.

God’s faithfulness is revealed through Joshua and the Israelite occupation of The Promised Land. The battles are harsh and difficult to appreciate from a peace-loving perspective. One day I hope to understand and appreciate the need for such violence. My biggest prayer is this doesn’t become a stumbling block (or excuse) for those who are far from God; rather, it shows a time of war, of bloodshed, that is in our history and as such in the past. If it’s any consolation, it’s better to lose a few compared to flooding the entire planet!

We must learn. This is no license to repeat the days of Joshua, only to see God’s hand at work in planting the seeds of a nation that would ultimately give birth to Jesus.

Tag: pray

Elisha’s Supernatural Provisions