We are beginning the story of David, which is always a blessing to read. As you know, David wrote many of the Psalms, so we’ve been reading some of David’s writings already this year. Now we begin his story! Hang on! This is a wonderful part of the Bible – reading about David and reading the Gospel of John at the same time. . . great stuff! Bob Deffinbaugh with Bible.org has a terrific overview of David becoming Israel’s King at this link.
Today in 1 Samuel chapter 17 read about David & Goliath. In verse 45 we read – “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.” How often in our lives today are we like Goliath, where we try to make things work or do things with our own strength or our latest technology? Goliath relied on his strength and sword and spear and javelin – and perhaps we today rely on our intellectual pride and Blackberry and career and money. David simply relied on God. David moved in the name of God. How often do you move in the name of God today? How often do you completely rely on only God today? Can you move beyond relying solely on your “strengths” and “technologies” and instead move and breathe and rely on God in every circumstance in your life? Below is “David Slaying Goliath” by Peter Paul Rubens from the year 1620:
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings titled “David and Goliath” is at this link.
YouTube: As we’re reading David & Goliath today, it seems only appropriate to share with you a cute 6 minute cartoon from the 1960’s about David and Goliath:
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today:“David said to the Philistine (Goliath), “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… 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.”” 1 Samuel 17:45,47 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you will not attempt battles against “Goliaths” in your life on your own, but that you will realize the battle is always the LORD’s. Pray that you will never trust your technologies over the LORD.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Wow. Big reading day today! David is anointed by Samuel. Saul meets David for the first time! The story of David begins! I am excited! In First Samuel 15 we read about Saul destroying most – but not all… – of the Amalekite nation. God’s commands were clear to destroy all. Saul, simply put, disobeyed. Verses 22 and 23 sum up this chapter powerfully when Samuel says this to Saul: “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you from being king.”” Obedience is far better than sacrifice… think this is still true today? Are you more of an obedient person or a sacrificial person before God? Do you believe that rebellion is as bad as witchcraft and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols? Below is a powerful painting of Samuel reproving Saul from today’s readings by the Boston-born colonial artist John Singleton Copley from the year 1798:
The One Year Bible Companion has a great answer to this question about today’s readings, “Why did David not become king after he was anointed?” as follows: “David was anointed king, but it was done in secret; he was not publicly anointed until much later in Second Samuel 2:4 and 5:3. Saul was still legally the king, but God was preparing David for his future responsibilities. The anointing oil poured on David’s head stood for holiness. It was used to set people or objects apart for God’s service. Each king and high priest in Israel was anointed with oil. This commissioned him as God’s representative to the nation.” First Samuel 16 verse 13 is the first mention of David’s name in the Bible, and it is a great verse to begin the story of David’s life in relationship with God: “So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the olive oil he had brought and poured it on David’s head. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him from that day on.” Below “Samuel Anoints David” by the Renaissance artist Raphael from the early 16th century:
At the end of First Samuel chapter 16 today we read about David being summoned by Saul to play the harp to relieve Saul from the evil spirit that tormented him. The current and future (and now anointed) Kings of Israel meet! Below is “David Playing the Harp for Saul” by the French painter James Tissot from the year 1858:
Bible.org’s commentary on our First Samuel readings today titled “Saul and the Amalekites” is at this link and commentary titled “The Designation of David as King” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings remind me of the Colton Dixon song “Build a Boat:”
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Interesting First Samuel readings today! Jonathan was quite brave going to the Philistine camp like he did. Verse 6 was impressive: “Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the LORD will help us, for nothing can hinder the LORD. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”” Fortunately God helped him with an earthquake and what looked to be some unique strength in verse 13: “So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell back as Jonathan and his armor bearer killed them right and left.”
Then, Saul seems to be having some power & ego & oath issues in today’s readings… First he makes and oath that the men cannot eat until evening – not so wise when in the midst of battle. Then he says in verse 39 – “I vow by the name of the LORD who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!”” Well… it was Jonathan. Fortunately the people were smarter than Saul and saved Jonathan. Below is a painting by the artist C.F. Vos of Saul on this day of battle in today’s readings:
Bible.org’s commentary on our First Samuel readings today titled “Saul Fights the Philistines” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings remind me of Needtobreathe’s song “Who Am I:”
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
I like First Samuel 12 verse 7 today when Samuel says this to the Israelites: “Now stand here quietly before the LORD as I remind you of all the great things the LORD has done for you and your ancestors” Just like the Israelites needed reminding all the great things God has done, we need reminding today as well. We are a forgetful people. I honestly believe reading God’s Word, the Bible, each day is a great way to “remember” all that God has done for each of us and our spiritual ancestors. I know that I need this daily reminder… How about you?
Verse 23 is intriguing when Samuel says – “As for me, I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right.” It sounds like if Samuel stopped his prayers for the Israelites, he would be sinning. Interesting. What about us today? Does God call us at times to pray for others? And if we do not respond to this call and do not pray for others, are we sinning? Interesting food for thought. I guess it’s just a safer bet to continue praying for others! 🙂
In 1 Samuel 13 we see Saul’s disobedience toward God, through his impatience. I wonder again about us today – are we patient people? Or are we impatient? Do we wait on God when things are not moving as quickly as we would like them to…? Should we be waiting on God or trying to hurry things up like Saul did…? Below is a painting by artist Guye Rowe of Samuel rebuking Saul from today’s readings:
Bible.org’s commentary on our First Samuel readings today titled “Renewing the Kingdom” is at this link and commentary titled “Saul Sacrifices His Kingdom” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of the classic worship song “Open the Eyes of My Heart” by Paul Baloche:
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Okay – I have a temporary new favorite verse in the Bible! Today in First Samuel chapter 10 verse 22 when they were about to name Saul king, but they couldn’t find him: “So they asked the LORD, “Where is he?” And the LORD replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.”” That is awesome! I really appreciate the fact that Saul was hiding among the baggage. 🙂 I think that’s where I would be too. I hope I would be in any case. I think it’s a bit scary when someone is too lustful for power. Better to have your future king hiding in the baggage… 🙂
(sorry, couldn’t resist this photo… 🙂 I suppose this image below would be more appropriate for Saul being named king as we read in verse 24: “Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the LORD has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is his equal!” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
In First Samuel chapter 11 we see Saul really step into his role as king by defending the city of Jabesh-gilead from the Ammonites attack. Verse 2 was sad to consider when the Ammonite king said this to the citizens of Jabesh-gilead – “”All right,” Nahash said, “but only on one condition. I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you as a disgrace to all Israel!”” Gouging out the right eye would be done for humiliation purposes – but also to destroy the military ability of the archers. After this point, Saul gets word back in his hometown that Jabesh-gilead is under attack. Below is a powerful painting by the artist James Tissot from the year 1896 of verses 6 & 7: “Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he became very angry. 7 He took two oxen and cut them into pieces and sent the messengers to carry them throughout Israel with this message: “This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who refuses to follow Saul and Samuel into battle!””
I was impressed with Saul’s graciousness in verses 12 & 13 of this chapter: “Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, “Now where are those men who said Saul shouldn’t rule over us? Bring them here, and we will kill them!” But Saul replied, “No one will be executed today, for today the LORD has rescued Israel!” Impressive. You could see where after defeating the Ammonites, Israel’s adrenaline might be running high to go after dissenters. Saul put a stop to it, which was impressive. What about us today? When we are riding high on a victory of some sort and the group around us says we should forge ahead on something that does not seem right, can we stand up and say “No” to the group as Saul did on this day?
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s readings in 1 Samuel titled “The Making of Israel’s First King” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminds me of Michael W. Smith’s classic song “Friends:”
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
We have some great dramatic reading today in First Samuel! Tyndale’s One Year Bible Companion today has some good food for thought to the question of Why did Israel want a king? – “1. Samuel’s sons were not fit to lead Israel 2. The 12 tribes of Israel continually had problems working together because each tribe had its own leader and territory. It was hoped that a king would unite the tribes into one nation and one army. 3. The people wanted to be like the neighboring nations. This is exactly what God didn’t want. Having a king would make it easy for them to forget that God was their real leader.” In First Samuel Chapter 8 we hear Samuel passing on God’s warning to how the king will treat the people…
Can you imagine hearing these words of Samuel if you were Saul in First Samuel 9:20 today: “And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.” All you are doing is looking for your dad’s lost donkeys and all of the sudden you hear this from the seer! Whew… You know though – I will say this. Being in relationship with God is always an adventure. I think oftentimes we will start out on a journey to do one thing and God ends up taking us some place completely different. Saul is about to embark on an adventure. You and I have the opportunity to embark on an adventure with God each and every day. I know that there are many times that God sends me into places & situations I would have never thought imaginable. That’s the adventure of faith. It truly is not boring! I honestly think that life apart from God is truly boring. The secular life is boring. The materialistic life is boring. If you are feeling bored these days, will you break free and wholeheartedly pursue an adventurous relationship with the Lord?
An image is below for 1 Samuel 9:11 today – “As they were climbing a hill toward the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, “Is the seer here today?”
Bible.org’s commentary on 1 Samuel’s readings today titled “Give us a King!” is at this link and commentary titled “The making of Israel’s first king” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of the great Matt Maher song “Hold us Together:”
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Interesting chapters in First Samuel today! The idol Dagon was no match for the Ark of the Covenant! You’ll notice in verse 4 that Dagon ends up in a worship position before the Ark: “And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD.” Dagon was the “god” of the Philistines, and was thought to have been some sort of man / fish combo. The idol of Dagon may have looked something like this:
Below is a pretty good map of that will show you where three of the Five Cities of the Philistines (Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath) that we read about in today’s readings are located in the Philistine territory:
It’s fascinating to see the Philistine’s send back to Israel a “guilt offering” of golden tumors and rats with the Ark. Not quite what was prescribed for guilt offerings in Leviticus… but, I guess you can give them an E for effort. 🙂 We read in chapter 6 verse 11 – “Then the Ark of the LORD and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors were placed on the cart.”
Then we arrive at the people of Beth-shemesh who look in the ark and perish – and then the ark is sent off again to another town. We then arrive at some wonderful words from Samuel in chapter 7 verses 3 & 4: “Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really serious about wanting to return to the LORD, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the LORD; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” So the Israelites destroyed their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD.” And later in verse 10 we read – “Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived for battle. But the LORD spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them.”
Bible.org’s commentary on our 1 Samuel readings today titled “The hands of Dagon and the Hand of God” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of Needtobreathe’s song “Testify:”
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
First Samuel chapter 2 verse 25 stood out to me today when Eli says to his sons – “If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede?” This is an interesting thing to consider. When we sin, are we sinning against other people and/or against God? I think generally speaking the answer is both. I have heard a pastor teach that “nobody sins in a vacuum.” Not a literal vacuum of course :), but a “vacuum” meaning that your sin only affects you and you alone. This pastor went on to say that when we sin – even when we are alone – we end up affecting everyone else around us in our lives in some way. We may not consciously see how this happens, but our sin affects how we will treat others in the near future. So, it seems to me that when we sin we pretty much always sin against others, because we’re in one sense letting down the community of people around us and we will behave differently to our community around us because of our sin. Now, in terms of sinning against God, I always think of Psalm 51 where David writes to God – “against you and you alone have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” I think this is true as well – any sin we commit is a sin against God. It is interesting that David uses the term “you alone” about his sin. But, obviously, David’s sin of adultery with Bathsheba affected the community around him in a big way. So, all this to say – I believe that when we sin we are sinning against God and the community of people in our lives at the same time. Eli asks in this verse above, “who can intercede for our sins against God?” Well, at that time, that was a very good question. However, in our time Jesus can and does intercede for our sins against God – if we’ll ask him. We simply need to confess our sins to Jesus and ask for forgiveness and repent – in faith that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We are so very fortunate that we have someone – Jesus – who can intercede for our sins… This is why Jesus is called Savior. Jesus Saves us from our sins. Has Jesus saved you from your sins?
An awesome image is below for 1 Samuel 3:10 – “And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Yes, your servant is listening.”
Bible.org’s commentary on today’s 1 Samuel readings titled “Samuel and the sons of Belial” is at this link. Commentary titled “The Rise of Samuel and the fall of Eli and Sons” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of the Chasen song and this powerful video for “On and On:”
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Today we begin the book of First Samuel! This is an amazing book of the Bible. I cannot wait to read about Hannah, Samuel, Saul & David! Below is an image of Samuel anointing Saul, which we will read about later this week:
First Samuel Author: Unknown Date: Probably tenth century B.C. Content: The books of First and Second Samuel comprise one book in the Hebrew Bible because they form one continuous history covering the lives of Samuel, Saul, and David. They were separated into two books for convenience for reading. First Samuel deals with the Philistine wars and Saul’s ultimate failure to deal with the enemy. The book opens with Israel’s being oppressed by the Philistines (a war-like neighboring nation) and the emergence of the two early leaders, Samuel and Saul. Samuel was the religious leader and Saul ultimately became the king. Saul’s early victories are described, followed by his moral decline and tragic end. Balancing the decline of Saul is the rise of the youthful David who will assume leadership after the death of Saul. Theme: The basic idea that pervades this book is that God does not make his people immune to the changes of human life, but give them grace to see things through to a satisfactory conclusion. The rise and fall of kings, times of peace and war – throughout it all God stays the same and controls human events in such a way that those who trust him will find comfort and the courage to endure. (Above commentary is from “The One Year Bible Companion” p. 5)
More commentary on First Samuel from Bible.org is at this link. Here’s a great quote from this link: “One might conclude from reading the Book of Judges that the problem was the absence of a king in Israel: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). In First Samuel, Israel will get her king. Saul, Israel’s first king, will be the kind of king the people want, and prove to be the king Israel deserves. David, Israel’s second king, will replace Saul. He is God’s kind of king, a man after God’s heart. First Samuel tells the story of fascinating people like Hannah and Samuel, like Saul and David. There is never a dull moment in this masterfully well written history. The book closes with the death of Saul, and thus the end of David’s flight from the hand of Saul, who seeks to kill him as an enemy.”
Bible Project: Here is a great video overview of the book of First Samuel!
Below is a great image for First Samuel chapter 1 verses 24 through 28 today where we read: “When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and half a bushel of flour and some wine. After sacrificing the bull, they took the child to Eli. “Sir, do you remember me?” Hannah asked. “I am the woman who stood here several years ago praying to the LORD. I asked the LORD to give me this child, and he has given me my request. Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life.” And they worshiped the LORD there.”
Today in First Samuel chapter 2 we read the incredible Prayer of Hannah! In verse 2 we read: “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” This prayer of praise from Hannah really stands out to me these days. Oftentimes I think I “forget” that there is no one holy like the Lord – and I start to seek from other sources what I should only be seeking from God. I have come to realize more than ever lately that if I am feeling a strong emotion or need, I need to really reflect on that emotion or need and ask myself if God can satisfy or quench or dispel that emotion or need. The answer is always an unfailing and beautiful YES. There is no other person, place or being that will always be there for us – that will always be our Rock – that is perfectly consistent – besides God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is holy and his holiness can take care of any emotion or need that comes up in our lives. We need to turn it over to him and trust in Him. How about you? Do you sometimes “forget” that God is holy? Do you sometimes seek from other sources what you should only be seeking from God? Do you believe that God can satisfy or quench or dispel any emotion or need that comes up in your life? Is God your Rock? Do you believe there is no one holy like the Lord? Below is a great painting of Hannah and her prayer!
Bible.org’s commentary on our readings today in First Samuel titled “The Son and the Psalm of Hannah” is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of Consumed by Fire’s song “First Things First:”
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today:“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. There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:1-2 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray like Hannah prayed to the Lord today! Pray that your heart is rejoicing in the LORD today. Pray that your delight is in your Rock and your deliverer, God.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
In today’s readings in Ruth we are introduced to the incredible man, Boaz, who is really a “type” of Christ figure. Also in chapter 4 verse 16 the name of David is first mentioned in the Bible! It is awesome to read today how David descended from Ruth, and of course ultimately Jesus descended from Ruth! Today in Ruth chapter 2 verse 10 we read – “Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “Why are you being so kind to me?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.””
And in chapter 3 verse 15 today we read – “Boaz also said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured out six scoops of barley into the cloak and helped her put it on her back. Then Boaz returned to the town.”
Worship Video: Today’s readings reminded me of Casting Crowns song “Glorious Day:”
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today’s readings? Please post up by clicking on the “Comments” link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
