Week 74, Day 3: The Ark is taken
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 4:1-22
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
We have come to the day that Eli’s house will be punished for its sin. Israel fights with the Philistines and are defeated. They loose 4,000 men in battle. What is their response? They do ask why has God defeated them, but they do not inquire of the Lord. Instead the elders call for the ark to be brought down that “it” may deliver us. Here is a good example of where people forgot where the source of power was. Power did not come from the ark. Rather the ark represented the presence of God, who is the one with all power. Israel has gotten into the mindset that if they bring this object into their midst then they will automatically have victory. How sad that they do not recognize the need to ask God what He wants them to do or to try to pray to Him. Instead they treat the ark as an idol – it will deliver them.
Eli’s sons are killed in the battle just as God told him it would happen. They were both killed at the same time for their sins. The ark is taken by the Philistines. What a shock this must have been to the Israelites. Thus Phinehas’ wife says that the glory has left Israel. The ark always represented the dwelling place of God among them. Now it has been taken. I wonder how modern Jews deal with the loss of the ark.
Question: Was Eli more concerned about his sons dying or the ark being taken? What does this say about Eli?
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Week 74, Day 2: God speaks to Samuel
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-21
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
We are told in Hebrews 1:1 that God spoke to the prophets in many ways. I wonder how all the different ways compared. When I read about God speaking to someone I usually don’t think too deeply about what it would have been like or how it all happened. But this chapter has recorded for us how God called Samuel to speak to him. Samuel clearly heard the voice but thought it was Eli speaking. Why God called Samuel but did not say anything further is also interesting. He could have stopped him from going to Eli. These things are fascinating to think about.
We have other accounts where God spoke to someone but the others around that person didn’t understand what was said or what had happened. The Father spoke to Jesus but those standing by thought it had thundered or that an angel had spoken to Him, John 12:28-29. When Jesus spoke to Paul on the road to Damascus his companions did not know what had been said, Acts 22:9. These accounts make you wonder about how God chose to reveal His will to people and exactly what happened at times.
Question: From this chapter, why was God rendering judgment against Eli’s household?
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Week 74, Day 1: Eli’s sons
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 2:1-36
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
This chapter has a mixture of good and bad news. Samuel is growing and continuing to serve the Lord well. But Eli has become an old man and we are told that his sons do not know the Lord nor the custom of the priests (vs. 12-13). How sad. How could Eli be so dedicated to God and yet his sons don’t know the Lord? Even worse, how is it that they are serving as priests? Several failures on Eli’s part are expossed. Failure to instruct and develope faith in his children. Failure to train his children how to serve God. And failure to discipline them when they abused their position as priests.
Eli receives a rebuke from God. I can only imagine how heart broken this message must have made Eli. He is told that his two sons would be killed and that his descendants would beg for an asignment as a priest in order to get bread. Talk about everything crumbling down around you. The question I want for us to think about is how did this all come about? Surely this wasn’t something that happened overnight. We are reading about the product of much time and much neglect. But I want to encourage you to consider how to avoid Eli’s pain by thinking about how to establish your house in righteousness and faith.
Question: Verse 30 speaks of honoring God, how do we honor God in our lives and worship?
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Week 73, Day 5: Hannah is blessed with a child
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-28
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
We are told of a man with two wives. One wife had children but the other was barren. There was tension between the two wives for the husband loved Hannah. Thus the other wife would provoke Hannah bitterly. So on top of her sorrow over having no children she yearly was provoked and picked at by the other wife. This again points to the kind of problems that arise when there are multiple wives in one household.
Hannah’s request, her desperate plea to God is for a child. She pledges to give this child to the Lord. Samuel is born to her and she is true to her word. She brings the child to the tent of meeting in Shiloh and dedicates him to the Lord for all the days of his life. Can you imagine giving up the child that you have always longed for? Keep your vows. Hannah was thankful to God and recognized that God had blessed her by giving her request.
I also think it is noteworthy to see that this household went up yearly to sacrifice and worship to God. During the time of the judges Israel was not known for being faithful to God. But there were those who were dedicated. It is good to see such accounts of those who were dedicated to serving God despite the corruption around them.
Question: How hard do you think it would have been for Hannah to give her son over? What kind of dedication to God would a person have to have to keep such a vow?
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Week 73, Day 4: Ruth is redeemed
Today’s Reading: Ruth 4:1-22
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Boaz does not disappoint. He sets about quickly to settle things and redeem Ruth. He finds the close relative and 10 elders of the city to discuss the matter with. But he doesn’t just ask will the man take Ruth as a wife. Instead he begins by talking abou the field that Naomi owns. He says Naomi is going to sell it, will he redeem it. The man is agreeable at first until he finds out that Ruth is part of the package. It appears that he does not want to take the land and Ruth because whatever children are born would be raised up in the name of the deceased on his inheritance. So the child would have this land as his own and it would not become an extended part of the man’s own inheritance. Apparently he does not want to do this so he gives permission to Boaz to redeem the land and Ruth.
The end of this chapter tells us why Ruth’s life is so important to us. The Lord blesses Boaz with a child and the child becomes the father of Jesse and David. This Moabite woman has now become the mother of the great king of Israel.
Question: What indications have you seen in this book so far that would point to how Boaz’s household would serve God? How might this translate into the dedication we see David have toward God?
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Week 73, Day 3: Close Relative
Today’s Reading: Ruth 3:1-18
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Naomi is glad to hear about the way Boaz has treated Ruth. She speaks to Ruth about seeking security for Ruth, i.e. a husband. She then instructs Ruth on how to go about propositioning Boaz for marriage. Naomi displays an amount of wisdom in how to proceed in this situation. Ruth is to wait until after Boaz has finished eating and drinking. She is supposed to go up to him after he has gone to sleep and uncover his feet, lie down at his feet. Naomi says that Boaz will tell her what to do then.
This seems like a strange way to proposition for marriage but it would clearly get the point across and in a discreet way. She is not being forceful in demanding Boaz fulfill the duty of the close relative, she has not made a scene of it so if he decides to decline there will not be any reproach to Boaz, and yet the message is delivered. When Boaz awakens in the middle of the night, Ruth asks in a humble way that he cover her with his blanket for he is a close relative – i.e. will you take me as your wife.
There was only one complication to the plan. Boaz knows that there is one relative closer and so he has to find out if that man will redeem Ruth. He states that if he will redeem Ruth then good but his actions later do not seem to match that he is fine with letting Ruth be redeemed by someone else.
Question: Why would it be good for Ruth to wait until after Boaz had eaten and finished drinking before coming to him?
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Week 73, Day 2: Ruth meets Boaz
Today’s Reading: Ruth 2:1-23
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
We have had some technical difficulties that have prevented the post from getting done. I appologize for having to catch up on the last few post at one time.
Ruth sets about finding food for her and Naomi. She begins to go about in the fields to glean what she can. The Lord had commanded Israel to not harvest every morsel that they could but to leave a portion for the poor, Lev 19:9. Thus the poor would be able to come in behind the harvesters and pick up what had been missed and harvest from the corners of the field. This is what Ruth appears to be doing. She comes upon the field of Boaz who happens to be a close relative to Naomi.
Ruth shows an aptitude to work since she is out there all day long gleaning. Boaz shows her kindness and instructs his servants not to insult her, rebuke her or hinder her work in any way but rather to even purposefully pull out some grain from the sheaves for her to be able to gather up. Boaz has shown her great kindness. He says the reason for this is because the report of what all she has done for Naomi has been told to him.
Question: What is the difference in how God made provision for the poor to be able to get food under the law of Moses and how our society provides for its poor.
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Week 73, Day 1: Naomi’s plight
Today’s Reading: Ruth 1:1-22
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
Naomi becomes the focus of chapter one because she is the one left after death has ravaged her house. Her husband dies and then ten years later her two sons die. How horrible. When Naomi returns to her homeland of Bethlehem she tells people to call her Mara which means “bitter”. Her life has been full of pain and bitterness. But this book is not to focus on how Naomi copes with these things or how she overcame her plight. Instead the focus will soon turn to focus on the one daughter-in-law who stayed with her, Ruth. This account is so interesting because Ruth is a Moabitess. She was a foreigner and yet here is her story in the Bible. Why? We will talk more about this later but consider this question and if you are too curious to wait, do a search for where Ruth’s name shows up in the NT and you will see why she is mentioned here.
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Week 72, Day 5: Taking a wife
Today’s Reading: Judges 21:1-25
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
The book of judges ends with the scene of Benjamin having been almost completely wiped out for their iniquity. This seems like an appropriate picture of what things will come upon Israel down the road because of their unfaithfulness. Israel now has remorse for the 600 men of Benjamin left from the slaughter. 600 is all that is left. That is counting women and children also. Everyone was wiped out except this small remnant. Now Israel moves to provide this remnant with a wife so they can begin to rebuild this tribe. It is interesting to think that some short time later Saul will arise from this remnant to be the first king of Israel.
This book ends with the statement that there was no king and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. This statment emphasizes that things have unraveled in Israel. Each man living by his own standards and growing farther and farther away from God.
Question: How much do things change for Israel when they do get a king?
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Week 72, Day 4: Benjamin punished
Today’s Reading: Judges 20:1-48
Some thoughts from today’s reading…
After the report of Gibeah’s lewdness was told to Israel they pledge to punish the city. All of Israel except Benjamin go against Gibeah. 400,000 men come against Gibeah. But instead of handing over these vile people, Benjamin assembles themselves to protect Gibeah. On the surface 400,000 against 26,000 sounds like there should be no doubt about who wins. But eighter Benjamin had some very valiant warriors or the Lord wanted things to go bad for Israel for a while. Israel is defeated twice, and twice they go back to inquire of God. They have now lost 40,000 people in these fights. Impressive. But on the third time God says He will deliver Benjamin into their hands.
Question: Why do you think God did not deliver Benjamin into their hands the first time? What lessons could Israel learn from having to go multiple timems against Benjamin?
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