1 Samuel 8

 Samuel appointed his sons as judges. The problem was that they did not follow God. They didn't live like their father did. To me, it seems that Samuel learned nepotism from Eli. He chose those of his family, which might not have been bad, but it was, and this time, the people rejected it. I applaud the people for rejecting Samuel's evil sons, but their solution wasn't a good one either. Ultimately, Jesus will be the king they wanted, but getting a human king is going to be overall as bad as Samuel's sons might have been. 

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Romans 1

 

Paul wanted to come to Rome to give to them, but to also be mutually encouraged. He wanted them to share together. An interesting fact was that Paul wanted to go to Rome long before now, but was prevented. God allows us to be detoured at times from what is a good thing in our minds. We don’t always know why, but we have to keep trusting God.

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Proverbs 17

 

I have heard it said that wealth brings problems you never expected. Unfortunately, those problems are often relatives. This is what came to mind when I read the first verse of this chapter. You might only have a dry piece of bread, but that is better because you have peace. To say it another way, a feast is wonderful unless you have to worry about being poisoned. Many think that money will solve the problems, but don't realize that often it just causes more problems. 

Speaking of money not helping the NLT put verse 16 this way, "It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning." Money to make you smarter won't help if you aren't willing to be educated. Money for college is only good if you're going to learn. The "college experience" is just a waste. 

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1 Samuel 7

 Ebenizer means, "thus far the Lord has helped us." When people read this here and claim it in their lives, they often think only of the victories. However, God had helped Israel not just by giving them victories but also by sending them troubles and even defeat. God's help isn't just what we would call good. God's help can also come in correction and in allowing judgment. This isn't the side of God's help that is fun, but like with our children, sometimes the best gift we can give them is what they don't want. 

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1 Samuel 6

 

It doesn't help just to see that God has done something or to acknowledge that you have done wrong. What is important is whether this changes you? The Philistines know that they have done wrong. The Philistines sent a trespass offering, a sign of repentance. They see that God has passed their test and, once seeing the power of God, go back to Eckron and to their own lives. Just a simple thought exercise should say if this God is more powerful, then would you not want to become his follower?  No, they offered the equivalent of an apology to God, but went back to worshipping their own gods and to their own lives. 

Before we criticize them too much, look at the men of Beth Shemesh. There are Levites here, the ones who are supposed to understand the things of God and the need to reverence them. Yet, they look into the Ark with God had commanded them not to do. When judgment falls, what do they say?  “Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?” or to say it another way, This is God's fault, let's get rid of Him.  The correct response should have been admitting they had sinned and rejoicing that God came into their midst, but what happens is little different from what the Philistines did. They sent God away and went back to the way they lived before.  

Here is a truth. Seeing God's power isn't a guarantee that a life will be changed. A changed heart is what changes lives, not power. As I heard once, He that complies against his will / Is of his own opinion still" (Samuel Butler's Hudibras).

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Jeremiah 20

 

This chapter ends with a prayer to God that reminds me of many of the Psalms. It asks God why, but still shows faith. It trusts in God's faithfulness, yet is discouraged. It is like many of us feel from time to time. Yes, Jesus didn't say following him would be easy, but we still want it to be. We still want things to go better. We aren't alone; it's the human condition. The truth is, life isn't always good; in fact, it often is horrible for the saint and the sinner. The hope we have is that God works it out. But in my flesh, I would like it worked out today. 

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Acts 20

 

The early church father, Chrysostom, wrote concerning Eutychus, which inspired me to look at the story a little differently. He said, "And the wonderful circumstance is, that though he was a youth, he was not listless and indifferent; and though (he felt himself) weighed down by sleep, he did not go away, nor yet fear the danger of falling down. It was not from listlessness that he slumbered, but from necessity of nature."* Jesus told his disciples that the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. There are times we want to do but our human limitations prevent us. Here is a sign that God can raise us up in spite of our weakness. 

*https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210143.htm, Accessed 8/19/25; Martin, Francis, editor, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament volume 5, Intervarsity Press, Downer Grove, 2006.

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Psalm 78

 

There is an idea, especially in the West, that we want better for our children. It is reasonable, but often leads people to do things that aren't good for their children or lead them to being spoiled. The question Christians should ask those who have children is, What is truly best for them? At the end of the day, I have to go with Jesus' words, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul" (Matthew 16:26 ). 

The reason for this Psalm is to teach children. It is written to keep them from making the same mistakes their ancestors did. It is an admonition to us that we need to teach our children about God. 

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Psalm 79

 In the middle of destruction, the Author of this psalm understands that God is the one who can make things right. There is a great understanding that the judgment that has fallen isn't because God isn't powerful, but because He decided that this is right. The final verse promises that with God's deliverance comes a promise to praise God for all generations. Though this will ultimately be true. The sad truth is that this is like many a foxhole promise. It is clearly meant, but it will not be fulfilled. When God does deliver them, they don't keep praising God for every generation. 

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1 Samuel 5

 

The major deities the Philistines worshipped were Dagon, Ashtoreth, and Baal-Zebub. There is some historical evidence that the three towns the Ark was sent to focused on one of these gods. None of them was able to save the Philistines from God's wrath. God in these places made it clear that He was greater, but like today, that doesn't mean people will turn to Him. 

Dr. Herbert Lockyer pointed out that even today, God will not allow idols in his presence. Considering this, we might ask ourselves if the misery in our lives isn't because we have set up an idol in our lives and hoped God would be okay with it? 

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1 Samuel 4

 

With the loss of the Ark of God, the death of her father and father-in-law, and soon her own life, the wife of Phinehas named her new son Icabod. Icabod means "The glory of God has departed. It is a heartbreaking story, but as I thought about it, it is heartbreaking for a different reason. Israel didn't lose God because the Ark was captured. Israel lost the presence of God long before the battle. They lost God's glory and presence because they were not serving him faithfully. It is only now that they realize it, but they still don't realize it isn't the loss of the Ark, but the loss of their faith in God.  

Yet, at the beginning of the chapter, we have hope; God is speaking through Samuel. 

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1 Samuel 3

 

I am deeply disturbed by Eli's response to God's words, "He is the Lord, let him do what is good in his eyes." In the message, there was the solution for dealing with God's judgment. God said the reason for judgment was Eli's lack of action, not his son's sins. When God says that sacrifice or offering won't make it right isn't saying that there is no way to stop this. The answer we can see is found in Psalm 51:16-17, "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise." The solution for Eli was to repent (to stop and go in a new direction). It was for Eli to do something out of a repentant heart, but Eli instead says God's going to do what He wants. It is like a person whose doctor has prescribed a medication with the warning that if you don't take it, you will die, saying, "I guess I'm going to die." The difference is that Eli seems to be blaming God for what is coming.

Repentance often means we have to do something or stop doing something. Even if you do church work, God expects you to be faithful to him above all else, including family.

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Jeremiah 19

 This passage is very clear that the people will not be able to fix what God is breaking. The issue is, why is God breaking it? The answer can be found in the words “You have made this a foreign place.” The lives of the people had so changed the world they live in that what meant one thing now means, as it were, something else. The word gay in our world today is a literary example. At one time, it meant happy; now in the West, it usually means homosexuality. There are denominations that I would say if the founder of them came in today, they wouldn’t recognize them; they would call them foreign. God is saying this place, Jerusalem, isn’t now what it was supposed to be. The good news is that God can say the foreigner and the foreign (those away from God) if we are we will let Him.   

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1 Samuel 2

 

The themes in Hannah’s song are repeated in other places in Scripture. They can be seen in the Psalms and especially in Mary’s song of Praise. I find it interesting that it is a woman’s song that is copied by so many others. So much for God not wanting to use women. 

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1 Corinthians 16

There is a lot to be seen in this chapter, but I want to look at the end of the chapter where Paul says, "If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!" The King James uses the words "let him be Anathema Maranatha." The ideas here can be debated, but my own thoughts, and from studying others, this seems to say that if someone does not love Jesus that they are delieved to a curse, but by adding Come Lord it gives ultimate authority for that person in the hands of the Lord. There can also be seen in this the idea of turning someone over to be excommunicated by the church, but turning it over to Jesus. Ultimately, the proclamation is saying that Jesus' coming will deal with the person. For me, this is a reminder that though I may have to let a person go that it isn't my job to bring judgment but Jesus'. 

To leave on a more positive note, giving is seen in this chapter as something to be done with purpose and regularly. It is also to be handled by people under authority so as Paul says in other places, so that there can be no accusations of wrongdoing. 

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Psalm 77

 I was recently talking with people about this psalm, which we read with the Berean Standard Bible. In verses 3 and 6, it says “I mused,” meaning I meditated. One of the men in the group pointed out that the problem sometimes is that we to busy amusing ourselves rather than musing about the things of God. Yes, in the musing that the Psalmist is doing, he confesses that it seems that God isn’t helping, but instead of just looking at what is happening now, the Psalmist considers the past and God’s work in the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. As I considered this, I thought that for Christians today, when we meditate on our troubles, we should also consider our exodus from sin brought by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. These reflections can help put things into perspective. Perhaps when we look at the things we suffer in light of the cross, we can say like Paul, “From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6:17).

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1 Samuel 1

 

Samuel means heard of God. God certainly heard and answered Hannah's prayer. Much could be said and has been of persistent heartfelt prayer, but that isn't what I want to look at; I want us to look at the vow Hannah made. We saw in Judges examples of foolish prayers, but this one isn't foolish. This vow requires that Hannah be the one to sacrifice, since God, we know God can take better care of a child even than its mother. A son for a woman at this time means security and safety in old age. There was no promise that she could have more, so letting go meant that she had to trust God, which is always right. For us, it is a picture of a good vow faithfully performed. 

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Judges 21

"Uninstructed zeal, even in the cause of righteousness, often goes beyond its proper limits" (Campbell, 1959). God never instructed Israel to make a vow to not give the Benjamites wives. God never instructed them on how to fix the problem of the vow. Israel came up with their own plan and went so far as to hijack a religious festival to "fix" their vow problem. However, God in the law gave a way for people to repent from a foolish vow. It first involved saying they were foolish, which they possibly weren't willing to do. It is also possible and probable that the nation has forgotten to study the Law to see how they are supposed to react. 

Another issue in this chapter is that they mourned over the loss of a tribe, and not over the sin that was in their midst. Sadly, they are mourning over the consequences and not the problem. 

Finally, Israel's problem wasn't that they didn't have a king, but they had forsaken God, who was supposed to be their king. 

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A note on the pictures: The pictures I post are my own, public domain images, or Creative Commons images. The images catch my attention and directly or indirectly comment on the chapter under discussion. This image reminds us of a vow God made. Thankfully, his are always good.

Jeremiah 18

 

In Romans 11:29, it states that the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, implying that they cannot be revoked or taken back. This has been used to prove that once someone is blessed by God, they are okay forever. The problem is that even in Romans, Paul says the wages of sin is death, so which is it? The answer is both. God doesn't take back his promise, but he will bring judgment if those he has promised good to turn to evil. Jeremiah says that here. However, the people were still trusting that since they had a promise, nothing could go wrong. They were wrong.

The last part of the chapter, our weeping prophet seems to have had enough. He is calling on God to do what He has said He would. Jeremiah has spoken truth and has been faithful, and his reward from the "people of God" is evil. He has had enough and isn't pleading for mercy here. 

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Ruth 4

 

I loved how Dr. Lockyer put the end of this book. "Opening in poverty, famine, exile, and death, it leads up to David's throne. 'Ruth was the Mary of the Old Testament.' Her son was born in Bethlehem, and so was her illustrious descendant," Jesus. It is a reminder that, as G. Campbell Morgan said, our heavenly Boaz is able to save when the law (the previous claimant) couldn't redeem. Thanks be to God, for Jesus our kinsman redeemer. 

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1 Corinthians 15

 

The simplicity of the gospel is that Christ died for our sins according to Scripture, was buried, raised from the dead, and was seen by the Apostles. This shows the historical promise fulfilled. These things were real events seen by witnesses and can be trusted. Paul didn't preach a gospel of belief without proof, but believe because of the proof. The core of the Gospel is salvation from sins and a hope after death. 

It is simple but not simplistic. I have said something like this before, and recently, I believe I got closer to the original source. "There are shallows in this very full and potent Gospel where a little lamb may wade, there are depths where an elephant must swim  (Lockyer 1966).

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Psalm 76

 

Psalm 75 was written, scholars* believe, while Scinacarib was threatening the city. This psalm was written after the victory. They serve as a reminder to trust God before and glorify God after any trouble. This Psalm is another reminder that God will bring judgment and will deliver. However, it isn't a promise that God will save us from all trouble in the time we want him to, or in the way we want him to. Celebrate God’s victory in your life today, if nothing else, for victory over the sin in your life.

*scholars- Typically, I use this term to say the majority of conservative scholars, unless otherwise noted. This doesn't mean every scholar, because if there is an opinion, there is a "scholars" somewhere who would argue it. I'm sure there is even one who would say Washington wasn't president. I have heard one argue that he wasn't the first president of the United States. 

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Judges 20

 

Dr. Herbert Lockley says about this chapter, "Although God's chosen people include all the tribes, it is pathetic to see them fighting each other. Alas, in these last days, when the church should be standing together against a common foe, Satan has the saints actively fighting each other! Commendably, Israel promptly dealt with evil in the ranks."* Unfortunately, then as now, "God's people/the church" aren't always God's people/the church. 

There are times when disagreements will arise that are more than matters of minor interpretation, but there are fundamental truths that must be addressed. Like in 1 Corinthians 5, stands must be taken. The key is to do it in a way that God would approve. This means that there will be times when it will look to the world like the church is fighting the church, but that is unavoidable. I say this with much caution because it can be abused, but sometimes civil war is better than allowing evil to prevail. 

Side note: In a civil war, both sides see the other as evil. It isn't how we view the other, but what does God say? What does the Bible say? What has the church in general always believed?   

* Lockyer, Herbert, All the Books and Chapters of the Bible, Zondervan, 1966, Grand Rapids.

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Judges 19

There is so much messed up in this chapter, but I wonder if it would have been safer to stay in the Jebusite city. What a sad state when staying in a pagan town may have been safer than staying with the people who claimed to be God's people. It is a reminder that just because someone bears the name of God, it doesn't mean they are following God. Like Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, "And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." As has been said, don't judge a book by its cover.

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Jeremiah 17

The prophet Jeremiah, after warning the people that their actions, their sins, is what was causing their problems and will bring judgment, quotes Psalm 1. The  Psalm starts off giving a warning about those who wander further and further from God, but then explains the blessings that come by serving God faithfully. Jeremiah is giving those blessings. He is letting them know that serving God comes with great blessings. Even as the chapter ends, God is trying to tell Judah there is still a chance to change what is coming, and that is by a change of actions. God has already told Jeremiah that intercession for Judah isn’t going to help, but a change in the things people do will make a difference. This interesting thing is that God is saying not that they have to do everything the law requires, but just to begin with keeping the Sabbath. 

Some may wonder why God is so interested in the Sabbath here when He made it clear he wanted Israel to keep all of the Law. My assumption is that keeping the Sabbath would be a tipping point for Judah. If Judah started keeping the Sabbath, they would have time to consider what they were doing in the rest of their lives, and this would lead to change. It is amazing sometimes that certain actions can cause greater change. We need to watch for those in our lives, both for the ones that lead us into trouble and those that keep us closer to God. For me at this time, writing faithfully keeps me faithful in other areas. It seems strange to some, I’m sure, but I think it was like Sabbath for Judah, when keeping other actions followed more easily. 

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Ruth 3

What is noted in this chapter is Naomi's faith that Boaz would do what is right when it comes to dealing with Ruth. It is also a matter of faith that Ruth follows the instructions of her mother-in-law without question. Both demonstrate a faith that the other will do right. It is great when we have people in our lives whom we can trust that much.

Finally, as I have noted before, there is what Dr. Lockyer says in this moment that "goodness alone passed between them,"  in regards to Boaz and Ruth. He bears this out by Boaz telling Ruth to fear not and calling her my daughter. These are things that wouldn't be said if something torrid took place. 

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1 Corinthians 14

I heard someone read about the actions of Franz Anton Mesmer and what the person suggested after reading about what he did and the things that happened in his meetings that which sounded like a modern charismatic service. I grew up among charismatic services, and I couldn't disagree. Why do I mention that when we look at 1 Corinthians 14, the orderly service we see that Paul describes is not what is seen in many charismatic services. Under the guise of "letting the Spirit lead," what has happened in these services is chaos, sometimes sensual, and draws attention to people. I won't go into what all is right or wrong, but I will say that what Paul prescribes here is an orderly service, not a service driven by the music selections, emotions, or pride. Anyone who says, "you can't judge this," clearly misses when Paul says we should judge what is being said (and done). Yes, the Spirit can move in unusual ways, but when we try to make the unusual normal for our services, there is a problem. At the end of the day, this chapter calls for an orderly service. 

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Psalms 75

This Psalm is a psalm of anticipated victory. It is a psalm that trusts God will work all things out in His time. We must know that God will ultimately be victorious, for that faith will carry us through hard times. Dr. Herbert Lockyer says that this psalm was written before the victory against Sennacherib (2 Chronicles 20). If so, this was written when victory did not seem possible, and it is in those times that we need faith the most. 

Just another note: I have never heard a deer hunter brag about getting a one-point buck (points refer to the size of the antlers and how strong the deer may be). In this psalm, there is the phrase, "The horns of the wicked/righteous." Horns represent honor and power. The wicked, as we see in the world, may have honor and power for a while, but in the end, God will bring them down, and he will exalt the righteous. It may not be in this life, but it will come.   

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Judges 18

When the men of Dan come by and want to inquire of God, the response is telling. The Scriptures say, "The priest answered them," note it doesn't say that the Lord said anything. Also, this sell-out priest left Micah when a better offer came along. 

Micah's response to losing the idol and priest is that he has lost everything. This is the problem with idols: they can be taken. The difference with God is that he can never be taken from us when we truly have him. We have security that no one can take our God because he isn't ours, we are His.  

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Judges 17

 

There is considerable discussion about pastors and church leaders allegedly selling out for money, power, and security. The truth is that it does happen, and how much certain leaders are or aren't doing that isn't my contention here, but to point out that it has been happening for a long time. 

In Judges 17, Micah (not the prophet) believed that his idol was going to help him receive God's blessings. When he finds a Levite traveling by, he entices the Levite with money, power, and security. This Levite should have known that what he was being asked to do was wrong, but did it anyway. There was an opportunity for the Levite to correct Micah's wrong behavior, but he didn't. What a sad state we find God's people in the people are doing wrong and the spiritual leaders aren't offering correction. 

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Jeremiah 16

God calls Jeremiah to a life without family, mourning, and merriment. It seems that Jeremiah is going to be spending a lot of time alone. This was to be a sign to the people, but I have to wonder if it wasn't to ultimately spare the prophet great pain. Considering the trouble that would have come if Jeremiah had married, then his family would have probably been killed, and most likely not by the Babylonians but by his own people. God is sparing Jeremiah this.

This reminds me of the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:21b "But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this." During times of persecution and hardship, having a family makes things more difficult. For us today, it isn't a sin to have families, but there are hardships involved with having them, especially during times of persecution. To say it another way, it would be easier for you to lay down your life than to watch your children killed in front of you. This isn't something that happened long ago or in some scary post-apocalyptic future, but in the last few years. Yet, God gives grace to those who face this, but it is still horrible. 

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Ruth 2

 In verse 12, there is a reference to Ruth not only choosing to go with her mother-in-law, but also choosing to follow the God of Israel. The problem that God had with the people of Israel intermarrying with the nations around them wasn't racial purity, but religious purity. Like today, people marry and don't consider the religious background of the person they marry. However, once the marriage has happened, there is often a compromise in the area of faith. God didn't want that for his people. The reason Ruth was acceptable for marriage in this book was that she had embraced the God of Israel and forsook the gods of her family.   

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1 Corinthians 13

 

This is off the main point of the chapter, but in the first verse, it makes the claim that no matter how lofty the words of men or angels without love, they are worthless. This verse has been used by those who claim to speak in tongues, suggesting that if the “tongues” spoken, whether in prayer or worship, are not a known language, they are speaking in a heavenly or angelic tongue. The problem is that it isn’t the point of this verse. This verse isn’t proof that angelic tongues were or are a part of Christian worship. It is saying if we could speak with an angelic tongue, which most assuredly would be greater than our language, it gains us nothing if we don’t have love. 

Saying that this verse proves men speak in angelic languages is on the level of someone saying God is a chicken because the psalmist says that God covers us with his feathers. 

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Proverbs 16

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death"(verse 25). Not every proverb in this chapter can be summed up by this verse, but it is frequently seen that our ways don't work and we need to lean into God and His wisdom. What is clear in this chapter and throughout the book of Proverbs is that God and God's wisdom are the only good way to live, and ultimately, those who forsake that way end up failing. Let's choose God's way. 

Judges 16

When movies are made of Samson, they pick a big, muscular man, a person who could play Hercules (yes, someone like Kevin Sorbo). The problem with this is that if that were true, then everyone would know where his strength came from. Samson probably looked more like Jimmy Olsen than Superman. Also, at the beginning of this chapter, Samson, twenty years later, is still doing impossible stuff. (He's also still doing stupid, but that seems to be the norm for him.). He was a truly unlikely hero, or else they wouldn't have been so intent on finding his strength. What they never stopped to consider was that it came from God, but considering his lifestyle, why would they? It's a sad commentary on his life that the Philistines never understood that it was God they needed to fear. 

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Judges 15

Samson didn't think about the consequences of his actions. We see that throughout his life, but especially here, as he didn't realize what would happen if he deserted his wife, what would happen when he burned the fields, what would happen when he killed Philistines for the death of his wife, or the disobedience in taking up a jawbone of a dead animal. Once it was all done, and God was faithful in his foolishness, the closest thing we get to a thanks or a praise is during a complaint to God that sounds more like accusing God of cruelty; you gave victory, but let me die of thirst. 

I'll say it again: don't be like this. 

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Jeremiah 15

 

As chapter 15 ends, God is speaking to Jeremiah about where he is. Jeremiah hasn't been happy with what God is doing, and now we see in verse 19 that God is telling Jeremiah to return to him. One may wonder, isn't Jeremiah the prophet, and does he have to return to God? What happened? What may be going on is the same thing that happens in our lives today. Disappointments and Despair push us from God, and seeing his will. What Jeremiah and we have to do is get in the place where we are submitting to God's will. When this happens, God can and will use us.  

An interesting note in verse 19 is that God tells Jeremiah that he shouldn't turn to the people but wait until they turn to him. This carries the idea that Jeremiah shouldn't react to them in their ways but wait until they come to him, or as the Pulpit commentary says, "They shall come over to thy side, and thou shalt not need to make humiliating advances to them. Jeremiah 15:19*"

*The Pulpit Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2010 by BibleSoft, inc. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/jeremiah/15.htm accessed 7/23/25.

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Ruth 1

 Elimelech means "God is King." However, he did not live into that name as he left the kingdom where God was to be king to a place where God wasn't. It is no wonder he found trouble. 

Dr. Herbert Lockley pointed out that in chapter one, we see three standing in the road deciding where to go. Like the thieves at the cross, one goes to perdition, the other to paradise (Lockley, pg 68). I'm not sure it's a perfect picture of Jesus on the cross, but it reminds me that there are people in our lives and families who will not follow us into the promised land. It may be sad it was here, but Jesus said that families would be divided over him (Luke 12:53). 

Lockley, Herbert, All the Books and Chapters of the Bible, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1966.

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1 Corinthians 12

 

When we see all the gifts that God seems to be saying are for use in the body of Christ, it is interesting that the chapter ends with the idea that these gifts aren’t that important. There is a better way than just having gifts. That way is Love. The gifts are great, but without love, nothing changes. The gifts can do great things, but love is the power that changes the hearts of men. Gifts are God are important, but they aren’t what we ultimately need. 

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Psalm 74

This Psalm focuses on God being faithful to his covenant because God is. The psalmist focuses on all the things that have happened and gone wrong. It focuses on how the enemy is an affront to God and not just that they are hurting Israel. This is the key to the psalm. God, this isn't about what we want, it's about you. Yes, we understand that God brought the judgment because of Israel's sin, but Israel's redemption will be and was because of God's faithfulness. This is what the psalmist is looking to. On a different note, this psalm isn't denying Israel's responsibility; it's just not talking about it right now. 

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Judges 14

 

The question I have is, why was Samson in Timnah? It seems that though this was supposed to be a Jewish town it was controlled by the Philistines. So why is the person who is supposed to be delivering Israel from the Philistines hanging out with them? The answer might be found in a song I have heard saying, "Looking for love in all the wrong places." The problem is when you look there, you normally find the wrong kinds of "love." That is what happened here. Samson only found trouble when going to a place he shouldn't have been. 

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Judges 13

 

Here is a picture of the beginning of the life of Samson. He had everything that one would need to start off with. Yet in the words the angel spoke, there is also a hint that things are going to go wrong. The angel says that Samson will begin to deliver Israel, not that he will do it. In spite of all the benefits and the good home, Samson will only begin the work. Yet in this, there is an interesting similarity to another group. A group with a great beginning, good parents as it were, and good training. A group that would see supernatural power and yet not fulfill its destiny, and that would be Israel. Samson is a picture of all that Israel had been, a special and precious child given a miraculous beginning, only to fall into whoring.   

What is the picture for us? We have been bought with a price, we have a great beginning in Jesus and the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to help us if we accept it. Yet, if we don't follow the commands of God, we will find ourselves failing to be all we are meant to be as Christians. We could walk away, or even if we don't walk away from God, we could end up at the end of our lives calling out to God and making it to heaven, but not bringing deliverance to others. We don't want to be a Samson.

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Jeremiah 14

 

The people were suffering from famine, and false prophets were promising good when evil was coming. God tells Jeremiah to stop praying for the good of the people, yet God still tells them what they can do to return to him. God tells them how to pray. The problem will be that even in the trouble, the people will not do what God has asked. They will not pray the prayer God has given them. They want to claim God's protection but not submit to God.  They refuse to move. It is a sad, sad time. It is no wonder Jeremiah wept. 

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Judges 12

 

Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon are the next three judges, and in their rule, we see no reference to God. We do see their prosperity as seen by the number of children they have. I also notice that Ibzan has possibly used marriage as a way to strengthen his influence among the tribes. Again, no reference to trusting in God, and therefore no mighty miracles either. It seems to be a time of peace, but without a spiritual renewal, ultimately, the nation would fail. 

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1 Corinthians 11

 

At the end of this chapter, Paul gives us a serious teaching on the Lord's Supper (Communion, Eucharist). Paul makes it clear that those who take communion need to understand the seriousness of it. This, to Paul, is a matter of life and death. Though I do not believe the element become the physical body and blood of Jesus, there is clearly something supernatural taking place. Taking Communion invites Jesus to come into our body, into our lives, and it can bring life or death.

I heard someone say today that when we take communion, we ask Jesus into our lives, and that has consequences. As an example, you don't invite a police officer into your house if you have illegal drugs and guns sitting on the table and expect them to ignore it (yes, I remember a cop show where people did this, but as expected, they were arrested.) You don't go into a disease ward unless you are immune and don't expect to get sick. You can't expect to invite the holy God into a rebellious heart and not expect bad things to happen. When people come into the presence of God, in the Bible, there is judgment. One is either repentant and finds mercy, or one isn't and judgment comes. Communion is asking God to make the call in our lives, and we are either given mercy or face condemnation. This is why many in the church don't have open communion; they don't want to give out condemnation to those who are not Christians. 

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Judges 11

 

There is so much wrong in this chapter that it might be easy to miss the right things. First, Jephthah tried to seek a peaceful solution with the enemy. Second, Jephthah placed the victory in the hands of God and said it would be God who would decide the outcome, and not his own skills. Most everything else in this chapter can go under the title, "Do not repeat." As I have said before, some things are here not as an example to repeat but a lesson to learn from the stupidity of others. 

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Judges 10

The end of verse 16 says that God could no longer bear/edure the misery of Israel. When we read of God's longing in the prophets, especially Hosea, I can understand this passage. One who only sees the judgment and vengeance of God in the Bible would be confused by this passage. However, God is grieved that this is happening to Israel, but delivering them with their changing is like having pity on someone in withdrawal and giving them an endless supply of drugs; it isn't helpful. Now that Israel has repented, God is in a place where God's mercy and compassion can be experienced. 

The problem I see here and in the next chapter is that Israel didn't ask God who should lead them, but that is addressed in the next chapter. My observation on this is that it is great to repent, but afterwards, the person we need to ask for direction is God.

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Jeremiah 13

 

God warns Jeremiah that he will send drunkenness on everyone in the land, and he will smash them against each other. I think of how often drunkenness can send people into to place where they will attack those closest to them. When I see this, I think God is saying, This is what you want, then I will give it to you. Whether it is or not, God is saying that they will be like the drunk, confused, and powerless. 

Even with this, God says he wants Israel to repent before it's too late. Alas, before long, it will be for the nation, but God will save some by taking them into exile. That we'll read about later.

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Judges 9

 

Jotham was the youngest son of Gideon and the only one to escape the treachery of his half-brother and the people of Shechem. The thing that stands out about this man is that he knew when to hide, knew when to speak out, and knew when to run. Reminds me a little of the Kenny Rogers song The Gambler, who in the song said "you have to know when to fold them, know when to hold them, know when to walk away, and know when to run." We don't know what happened to Jotham, but he showed wisdom. There is a time for different actions in life. Sometimes it's speaking out, sometimes it's keeping quiet, sometimes it's running away. The key for the follower of God is to know what God wants us to do. Sometimes it is different from what conventional wisdom says, but sometimes it's the same. My advice is to listen to God and do what he says, because it might be different from what it was before. 

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1 Corinthians 10

 Verse 9-10 specifically warns people not to test the Lord or to grumble like Israel did and causing death among the people. However, four things are in this section that Paul is warning the Corinthians about. 

1. Idolatry

2. Sexual immorality

3. Testing God - (questioning God’s limits)

4. Grumbling against God and His leaders.

Paul tells us that we can see the examples from the life of Israel and that we should learn from them. He warns that we need to be careful if we think that we are standing and end up falling. I see this one especially in the last sin, grumbling. Here we see some of the people saying, “We are holy too”(Numbers 16). This is complaining to God’s leaders, we are just as good as you are, but really saying we ought to be in charge, not you. The problem is that if God has set a leader in place, we would be wise not to try to take that authority. Yes, leaders need to be held accountable, but the desire to complain so you can get yourself into a dangerous position.

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