Week 20 Day 1 The Right Man for the Job

I Samuel 11-12

Sorry for the absence. 

Parent/Teacher conference.

Getting ready for it and then having it.  Both wipe me out. Big time.

Anyway, when this passage starts, an Ammonite man names Nahash has surrounded the city of Jabesh in Gilead. 

The people of Jabesh were obviously a tad bit unnerved.

They begged for a treaty.

Nahash agreed to a treaty IF he would be allowed to poke out the right eye of each of the people.

Ow.

The leaders of Jabesh asked for a few days (7 to be exact) to seek help.

Messengers went out among the land.

So Saul comes home after a long day of plowing in the fields and encounters people crying.

When he hears what has been said, he is angry. 

So angry that he took a pair of oxen and tore them to pieces.

Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I am talking about the oxen here.

Saul then organizes the people.

And the next day, at dawn, the people entered the Ammonite camp and defeated them before the heat of day.

Suddenly, all of those people, even the skeptics, decided Saul was the right man for the job.  The king job.

In chapter 12, Samuel gives a farewell speech to the people.

He asks the people if he has done anything wrong before them.

They agree he hasn't.

Then he goes on to remind the people of their heritage, starting back with Moses and Aaron.

Don't we all need that sometimes?

We need those reminders of where we came from.  Those reminders help steer us where we are going.

Samuel then reminded the people of their sins, including the evil of asking for a king.  (Which is ironic since the king just helped the people defeat the Ammonites)

He went on to remind them to serve the Lord with all of their hearts. 

A good reminder for us all.

Reba

Tomorrow's reading:  I Samuel 13-15

Week 19 Day 7 Long Live the King

1 Samuel 9-10

In our last reading (well, my last reading), the people of Israel were demanding a king.  Much to God's dismay.  Well, I don't know if God is really dismayed. But it was NOT for God or His plan.  However, the people were demanding, so God agreed.

In this passage, Saul is just a young man, the son of a "fine man" named Kish.  Well, the donkeys of Kish come up missing.  Do donkeys just wander off?  Anyway, Kish sends Saul out in search of them.

So Saul searches.  Everywhere. No donkeys.

But lo and behold, he runs into the "seer".  The seer named Samuel.

Now Samuel is not surprised to see Saul at all.  God has been chatting with Samuel.  God told Samuel that this was him...the king of Israel.

So Samuel and Saul dine together then Samuel tells Saul what God has shared with him.

And then he sends Saul on his way.

I wonder what Saul was thinking at this point.  Did he believe it? Was he scared?  Did he want to go tell the world?

I am not really sure, but I do know that Saul played it cool.

In fact, later when Samuel stopped by to "select" the king, Saul actually hid!

When Samuel called him out and announced his new title, Saul stepped out.  I love that the verses keep mentioning how tall Saul is...he is a head above the others.

And almost immediately, the people proclaimed, "Long live the king!"

Well, most.

Some were not happy with the choice.

And thus the dissension begins...

Not sure on tomorrow's reading because my Bible is out of reach (and I have a pup on my feet).  I am going to guess I Samuel 11 and 12.

Happy reading!
Reba

Week 19 Day 6 Fair Warning

I Samuel 8

No, I haven't fallen off the bandwagon.

We were out of town (a quick "long" trip) then we came back to a busy schedule.

But the important thing is I am here now. :)

So, I Samuel 8.

Samuel is now an old man.

I know, I know. It seems like just yesterday  Samuel was a little guy being dropped off with Eli.

And now he is an old man.

I am not being ugly. The Bible actually uses those words.

Now, much like Eli, Samuel has two adult sons (well, they are now) and much like Eli's sons, these sons don't exactly follow God.  In fact, they kind of do what they want.

And the people noticed.

They confronted Samuel.

Then they asked for a king.

Seems like an innocent request, right?

It wasn't.

Because apparently (according to God), asking for a king was just one more step away from trusting in God.

God wasn't happy.

HE is the King.

The King of Kings.

He was all the people truly needed.

But the people insisted.

Samuel asked God what to do, what to say.

And God basically told Samuel that if that is what the people want, that is what the people get.  I love how God also added, "They haven't rejected you.  They have rejected me."

I also love that God pointed out all of the bad things that will come from having a king.

And Samuel relayed that to the people.

And what did the people say?

"We want a king!"

Oh well...they have been warned!

Reba
Tomorrow's reading:  I Samuel 9-10

Week 19 Day 5 Growths and Rats

I Samuel 6-7

As you may remember, at the end of the last chapter, the Philistines were beginning to regret that they had "captured" the Ark of the Covenant.  The people were dealing with growths and deaths and terror. 

This went on for 7 months. 

7 long months.

Finally, the Philistines had had enough. 

They called for their priests and magicians and asked what on earth they could do.

The priests and magicians answered with a very long and complicated answer.

Basically, the Philistines needed to send the Ark back.  But they couldn't send it back empty.  They needed to add a penalty offering.

A penalty offering of five gold medals of the growths on their skin and five gold models of rats (to represent kings).

Um, yuck.

I am not sure why that was the suggested offering, but it was.

And even more, the Philistines did just that. Without question. 

In fact, they put it all on a cart with some cows attached and just let them go.

The cows found their way back to the Israelites, and the Ark was safely home once again.

Growths and rats and all.

Yuck.

The other thing that stood out to me in this passage was that while Samuel was a judge, the Lord was against the Philistines.

That says something about Samuel's dedication and faithfulness to God.

And God's dedication and faithfulness to Samuel.

Tomorrow's reading:  I Samuel 8

Reba

Week 19 Day 4 Capture the Flag...or the Ark

1 Samuel 6 and 7

So once again a war is a-brewing.

The Philistines and the Israelites had a war.

In the first battle, the Israelites were defeated.  They lost 4000 soldiers on the battlefield.

So the people (Israelites) decided to do something about it.

They went to Shiloh and took the Ark of the Agreement back to battle with them.

In fact, when the Ark reached the Israelite camp, the people went crazy, hooping and hollering.

So much so, the Philistines heard and asked, "What is going on over there?"

When they heard what the ruckus was about, they were a bit nervous. They knew about the Israelite God.  They knew what that God had done to the Egyptians.

I have to give them credit though.

The Philistines could have tucked their tails and run.

But instead, they decided to fight like men.

So they did.

And they defeated the Israelites.

30,000 soldiers were killed.

Including Eli's two sons.

Even worse, the Philistines who were so nervous about that God captured the Ark of the Agreement.

Meanwhile, Eli is now 98 years old.  And he is sitting in a chair by the side of the road, waiting to hear the outcome of the battle.  Apparently he was rather large (in size) at this point.  And perhaps a bit lazy. I am not judging. It basically says that in these verses.

So one of the men from the Benjamin tribe comes running into town, tearing his clothes and grieving.

Eli, who is blind at this point, asks the man what was wrong.

The man told him all about the men who died, Eli's sons, and the Ark.

And Eli, apparently distraught, fell out of the chair beside the gate, broke his neck, and died.

A sad ending for a man who had led the people for 40 years.

Even sadder, Eli's daughter-in-law was about to give birth.  She heard the news of the Ark and Eli and her husband and went into labor.  She had difficulties with the delivery and also died.

Only the baby was left.

Meanwhile, the Philistines were having a tough time of their own.

They carried the Ark of the Agreement back to their idol temple and put it with the idol.

Then strange things started happening.

Idols fell and broke.

The people got growths all over their skin.

People died.

In the end, after moving the Ark to different places (and having the same results everywhere it went, they decided it was too much trouble.

It was going back to the Israelites.

Tomorrow's reading:
1 Samuel 6-7

Happy reading!
Reba

Week 19 Day 3 A Call in the Night

1 Samuel 2:12-3:21

I could think of nothing clever for my title today.  I know, that isn't even really what my focus should be on. But usually these things come to me.  (At least they are clever to me :)  Tonight, nothing.

But that is not to say I didn't learn something from today's reading.

I did.

Some things I knew.

Eli had some sons who worked with him in the priesthood.  Well, they were in the priesthood by name.  And name only.  They just didn't care about the Lord. They preferred more earthly things.  Things like food and women. 

Obviously, God wasn't too pleased with this.

In fact, He was rather displeased.

He actually sent some unnamed man of God to tell Eli how very unhappy He was.

He wasn't just unhappy with Eli's sons.  He was unhappy with Eli.

"You honor your sons more than me."  (verse 29)

Ouch.

I would think that would be painful for a priest to hear. 

I am also kind of thinking that as a priest and a father, I would be changing some things if I knew God was watching and not very happy about what He saw.

But then again, I am not Eli.

Then you have Samuel. 

Samuel is growing up in the Lord's house with Eli. 

(Sidenote:  Samuel's mom and dad came to Shiloh each year for the sacrifice and got to visit with Samuel.  They even brought a coat for Samuel.  And God did bless Hannah and Elkinah with more kids.  Five more followed...)

Okay, back to Samuel. 

Samuel is growing and maturing. 

And he is a big contrast to Eli's sons. 

He obeyed the Lord.

He was pleasing to the Lord.

He was faithful to the Lord.

The heart of the story (to me) is the night God called to Samuel in bed.

Samuel is sleeping when the Lord called his name.

I can just imagine how dazed and confused he must have felt.

I mean, I am like that any time I am awakened.

Like the night this week I woke up to find a child staring at me.  He just wanted to share with me that his knees hurt.  In the middle of the night.  Sigh.

So Samuel, in his dazed and confused state, ran to Eli.

And Eli, much like I would have, said, "Go back to bed."

So Samuel did.

Until he heard his name again.

He went running to Eli.

And again, Eli said, "Go back to bed."

I wonder if he said it with that exasperated tone I would have used.

Or maybe he was nicer than me.

The third time Samuel came running, Eli was more awake, more aware.  He realized what was going on.  And he told Samuel to go back and listen...God was calling.

So again, Samuel heard his name.

And this time, he replied, "Speak, LORD, I am your servant and I am listening."

I love that.

Isn't that how we should always respond if/when God calls?

Speak, Lord.  I am your servant. I am listening.

Not "Are you sure that is what you want me to do?"

or "God, I need some kind of proof..."

or "Can't you see I am already busy doing your work?"

Nope, none of that

Speak, Lord, I am your servant. I am listening.

Tomorrow's reading:  1 Samuel 4-5

Reba

Week 19 Days 1 and 2 God Heard

Introduction to 1 Samuel and Samuel 1:1-2:11

So here we are in 1 Samuel. 

I really enjoyed the introduction.  First of all, we aren't exactly sure who wrote the book.  It could be Samuel. Or it could be someone else.  The next thing the introduction pointed out was that the book of 1 Samuel is full of strong beginnings (Eli, Samuel, Saul) and really bad endings.  It isn't how we start a race, life is about how we end the race.  Good words to remember!

So, 1 Samuel 1 through 2:11.

There was a man.  His name was Elkanah.  And that ma had two wives.

I have to say I am impressed that any of those guys had more than one wife...who has time for that?

Anyway, Elkanah's wives were Peninnah and Hannah.

Peninnah had children.

Hannah didn't.

Every year Elkanah went to Shiloh to worship God and offer sacrifices.  Then he would share the meat (of the sacrifice) with his wives.

Each year during this time, Peninnah would basically taunt Hannah about the fact that she (Peninnah) had children and Hannah didn't.

I don't know Peninnah, but just from what I read, it is hard not to question.  Hard not to wonder why God would allow that to happen.  Why would he bless her with these children and not his faithful servant Hannah?

I don't know.

I have never really struggled with infertility (that I know of :), but I know several people who have.  And I know that it would have to be very painful to have someone repeatedly remind you that you don't have the one thing you are longing for.

And it was.

Painful that is.

Hannah was hurt.

Elkinah, bless his heart, would try to comfort her.  He would ask her if he wasn't more to her than having ten sons. 

I am sure he was trying to be sweet. 

I am sure he was.

But I am thinking that wasn't comforting the ache in Hannah's heart. 

Not to mention, wasn't Hannah enough for Elkinah? Why did he insist on having another wife?  Especially one who doesn't seem particularly nice?

But that is beside the point.

Anyway, one time Hannah was really upset by these words.

So she went near the entrance of the Lord's house.

And she prayed.

One of those move the mouth prayers.  No sounds but lips moving. 

And knowing how hurt she was, I am guessing Hannah was rather animated in her prayer.  I can just picture her eyes red from crying.  Her lips moving but no sounds coming out. Her hands gesturing.

Eli, the priest, looked at her and thought she was drunk.

In fact, he told her to lay off the wine.

She quickly set him straight.

She wasn't drunk on wine. Just the spirit.

She was praying.

Not just praying.

She was vowing. She vowed to not cut the hair of her child (should she ever have one).  She vowed to return him to God if He would provide.

Eli gave her a blessing and she left.

And lo and behold, shortly afterwards she became pregnant.

And little Samuel ("God Heard") was born.

And when Samuel was old enough, Hannah kept her vow.

She returned the child to the Lord (via Eli).

I wonder if she had any more children.

I would like to think she did.

But I really don't know.

All I do know is that I admire Hannah.

She made a vow and she kept it.

The others in 1 Samuel may not finish well.

But Hannah did.

Reba
Tomorrow's reading: 1 Samuel 2:12-3:21