Read it.
Sandj
Chapter 13: verse 1... I know I said this before, but I am intrigued by the similarities between Saul being the Isrealites first fleshly king, and Jesus being their eternal King... here is another example again as they both started their "work" at 30 years old (see Luke 3:23)... on a different note, it is amazing that Saul ruled so long, because from history lessons that I remember it seems like kings seldom ruled so many years, as they were always getting killed by other ambitious people wanting to rule, too
verse 2... interesting how he makes up armies for both him and his son... I find it curious that Jonathan did not live with him... did some time pass between him being thirty and starting to rule, to the time when verse 2 happens? because otherwise, Jonathan couldn't be more than like 15 at the extreme most, could he? just curious
verse 3-4... crazy that Jonathan attacked, but Saul was blamed/credited for it... also, interesting that the people state that this is the reason the two peoples are warring... did they forget the whole deal about the Ark back in Chapter 4-7? reminds me of the game "telephone" where one person is told something secretly and they are supposed to whisper it to the next person in line, and so on, until the last person says out loud what they heard... the message is never the same at the end... major reason not to share or spread gossip! hard to tell if you are passing along truth or creativity... also the study notes point out that fighting the Philestines was to be "Saul's life's work" (see chapter 9:15-16), yet, Saul did not start his "work"... Jonathan was the instigator that got Saul on track to do what God had wanted him to do... God seems to do this... He gives us direction, and if we don't get going, then He provides some "motivation"... like when the early Christians were told to go out and tell everyone about Jesus, yet they all stayed in Jerusalem, so a great persecution came and made them scatter... got them out among those who didn't know about Jesus, yet (see first few chapters of Acts)... motivation... I think it is that way in our lives sometimes, too... God doesn't force us to obey Him... we always have the option to ignore His will in our lives... however, I know that there have certainly been times of "motivation" in my life, either through the admonishiment of others, or through "pruning" circumstances (see John 15:2) that have helped me regain my focus on the task at hand: God's will lives out in my life.
verse 5-7... why were they so afraid! yes, the Philistines were big and mean and ugly (?... literary exaggeration, maybe?)... but the Isrealites had God on their side... right?... didn't God make the Philistines give His Ark back to the Isrealites only a few chapters ago?... but, oh yes, between that show of God's omnipotence, and now, the people had forsaken their King and demanded a new one (see Chapter 8:7-8)... and although this new king has been appointed by God, and has already been proven in battle (Chapter 11), and really tall himself (see Chapter 9:2), he is still just an Isrealite and never fought the scary Philistines!... I don't know about you, but the Iraelites constant lack of faith in God so far throughout these first 9 books of the Bible is really getting old and irritating... but, I am glad that God is so patient and forgiving with them, because my lack of faith is equally constant and irritating, too, I am sure... I guess I partly hope that the Isrealites will finally "get it" so that I can live vicariously through their faith victory... but if that kind of perfection was able to be reached, we wouldn't have needed Jesus, huh? (see Hebrews 12:2)
verse 8-10, 13-14... did Saul only wait until morning on the 7th day? for Samuel still apparently shows up that same day, and only a short time later... and now, because of Saul's impatience and compeltion to "do it himself", he will miss out on the blessing that God had intended to bestow upon him and his generations... how often do we get tired of waiting on God, and try to run ahead... like God's timing is imperfect or something... and to what detriment do our thoughtless, careless, imperfect actions bring? how often do we stand in our own way because we try to "clear" the way for God?... yet, we are reminded in Hebrews 10:35-39, "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved."... Hebrews 12:1-3 encourages us to continue strong in our perseverance, as does 1 Corinthians 9:24... and James reiterates the importance and reward of persevering in James 1:12... and Jesus, too, in Matthew 25, expresses the importance of not giving up on waiting on God, or giving in to the temptation to "do it your own way"... doing things the way Saul did is easy to fall prey to, but we must remember that we love and are loved by a God who has perfect timing in all things, especially the important ones (Romans 5:6), He is faithful and perfect in His ways (Deuteronomy 32:4), yet we are not (Romans 3:23, James 3:2a, 1 John 1:10, Hebrews 6:18), so we can/should trust in Him, not in ourselves, and we would be wise to not try to use our faulty rationalization to try to "out think" or "out plan" God (Isaiah 55:6-11, especially verses 8-9)... God is God, and we are not (Psalm 86:9-11)
verse 11-12...crazy how Saul blames everyone else for his poor judgement: Samuel, the army men, the Philistines... so often we do not want to fess up to our mistakes... yet, God clearly states many times over that if we will just confess our sins to Him, "He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, but same idea can be found all throughout the Bible).
verse 15... God can do great things with 600 men, and even less... He regenerated the tribe of Benjamin, and brought forth a king from it (Saul, see Judges 20-21, and 1 Samuel 9-10)... God even used Gideon and his 300 men to save Isreal (see Judges 7-8)... but in both of those examples, God was there, among the men and in the situation... what scares me, for Saul, in this verse, is that Samuel left him... did God leave Saul, then, too?... I hope not, for Saul's sake
verse 16-18... why did the Philistines go to different areas than where Saul and his army were? did they figure Saul was harmless and want to take advantage of gaining as much plunder as possible while Saul was incapacitated?
verse 19-21... wow, now that is a battle strategy... not only keep them from being armed, but make a nice "buck" while they are at it... the Philistines are not only planning to plunder them with their victory in battle, but they are extorting the people before hand, too... I suppose I could go into a political warning about the US and overseas companies, healthcare reform, etc, but I won't... however, we should be aware of these types of underhanded things that we tolerate, which seem annoying, or even fanciful, but harmless... when we find ourselves completely controlled by outside influences, I am pretty sure it was not because we gave away all of our control in one day... just a few examples, although there are plenty... we used to say that false religions, magic, vampires, etc were bad things, and God calls them that, too(Leviticus 19:26, Leviticus 7:27, and Leviticus 17, Acts 21:25, Deuteronomy 18:9-14, Acts 19:13-20, 2 Kings 21:1-15, 2 Chronicles 33:1-20, Isaiah 44)... yet, now, we eagerly go to Yoga classes, watch "fun kid" shows like Wizards of Waverly Place, and buy all kind of paraphanalia for Harry Potter and Twilight... they are harmless, right?... and how did we begin to assume that?... we embraced free love in the 60s right, and promoted the ways of the east during that time, right?... Bewitched was a cute show about a sweet lady and her nice husband, right?... and I dream of Jeanie was about a pretty girl and an upstanding citizen, right?... what could be the harm in watching those... or Sabrina the Teenaged Witch?... harmless, right?... or playing "Yu-Ge-Oh" or whatever?... none of them make anyone kill people or anything, right?... they are entertainment or even exercise and ways of socializing... yet, they are still based on false religion practices, satanic worshippers, and all kinds of other evil things... sounds harsh that way, huh?... why? because we have been taught to be "tolerant" and "open minded"... but at what cost?... how has our culture changed since we began to allow "harmless" things to creep in?... ever wonder why God is so easily taken out of everything anymore?... why Christians are apologetic instead of convicted? any connection at all in any of this?... Jesus taught us to love everyone, but He did not teach us to condone everything, and He told us to put God first about all else (Matthew 22:36-40, Matthew 21:12-15, 1 Corinthians 10:23)... and, in fact, God tells us NOT to associate ourselves with the ways of the world, and NOT to permit these things into our lives (1 John 2:15-17, Galatians 5:16-26, Ephesians 4:17-32, Colossians 3:1-17)... why? because by doing so, even for the sake of "fun" or "health", we are giving Satan a foothold (Ephesians 4:27)... it is my fear that one day we will end up in a world where the "harmless" has become a nightmare... we will not have planned for that to happen, but we will not have tried to prevent it either... we must be proactive about removing those things that so easily entangle us (Hebrews 12:1), so that we can keep ourselves, and those we love, free from the attractive yet destructive grasp of evil... and so we are prepared for "battle" (2 Corinthians 10:2-7a, Ephesians 6:10-20), instead of ending up like Saul's men in verse 22... however, I want to leave us with some words of hope to ponder in the midst of all this... "if My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
sandJ
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
1 Samuel 12 today..... 1_Samuel 13 tomorrow...
Read it.
Sandj
Chapter 12: verse 1-2... "I've done my job and now its time for me to 'move on'"... although he is not leaving them with good news or in a good situation...weren't his sons unrighteous (1 Samuel 8:3-5)... how was their being there a comfort to the people?
verse 3-5... so Samuel was a righteous man... did he ask all these things to make that point? and if so, why? was it to make the point in the coming verses of how the people's desire for a king was a bad idea and a sin? was it to show them that the grass is not always greener on the "other side"? was it to prove his legitamacy to rebuke the people and admonish them? ???
verse 6-15... history lesson to remind the people of how great God has been to them and in their lives?... also, it shows the cycle of how the people would forget God, run into trouble, cry out to God and turn back to Him and He would forgive and save them... an important point since Samuel is about to show them how they fell into this cycle once again... but as the cycle shows, God is faithful and will forgive them yet again, if they will just repent and turn back to Him
verse 16-18... you wanted a king, but you forgot how awesome the King you already have is!
verse 19... what the Lord desires is a heart that is broken over/because of its sin (Psalm 51:17, Acts 8:22)
verse 20... it doesn't matter what your past is, if you will repent and turn from your sinful ways, God will for forgive you and grant you Salvation through Jesus and life eternal with Him (2 Chronicles 7:14, Romans 3:21-26, John 3:14-18, John 3:36, John 5:24-25, John 6:40, 1 Timothy 1:15-16, 1 John 5:10-13)
verse 21... would a king be considered an idol? how about 'self' or 'security' or 'comfort'?
verse 22... it is not about us! it is ALL about God!... God isn't saving the Isrealites (or us for that matter) becuase they/we deserve it... He is saving them/us becuase He made a promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3) and has worked to fulfill that promise of reconcilliation from that day forward, through Jesus, and even into the future from now, as He draws all peoples to Him, so that in the end (as described in Revelation and elsewhere), all will recognize Him as God and bow and worship Him for His glory (Romans 14:11-12, Isaiah 45:20-24)... He promised that He would do this, and He is going to keep His promise... He vowed on His name (Hebrews 6:13-14, Genesis 22:15-18), and He is not going to defame or invalidate His name because of our sinfulness (1 Samuel 15:29, Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 7:19-25)
verse 23-25... it is our obligation to pray for the lost and teach them the ways of God... but whether they choose to obey and follow God is up to them... this makes me think about being a parent... how it is our job to train our children up in Christ, and teach them to obey God's laws, and pray for them and their salvation... but, if they do not choose to listen, if they make the decisiont to turn their backs on God, or fall away, then that is their choice, and not upon us... not that it makes it any easier, but I have found so many parents who blame themselves for their children's poor choices... all we can do is our best, and the ultimate choice is in their hands... that does not mean that we are to give up praying for them or even give up admonishing them, but it does mean that if we have committed them into the hands of their Creator, if we have given them to God, then we need to leave them there and not try to take them back, as if we could save them better than God Himself can... we could apply this to anyone who is "lost", not just our children... that is why God tells us we are His messengers, His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20, Matthew 28:18-20)... it is not our job to convict, that is the Holy Spirit's job... and it is not our job to make someones choice for them, only the individual can do that themselves... in a way, it kind of takes the pressure off of sharing God's good news... for our job is to love, and part of that love is a desire to share the good news we know of with others so they can enjoy salvation, too... isn't that what we want for those we love anyway... not a far stretch to 'evangelize' when we look at it that way.
sandJ
Sandj
Chapter 12: verse 1-2... "I've done my job and now its time for me to 'move on'"... although he is not leaving them with good news or in a good situation...weren't his sons unrighteous (1 Samuel 8:3-5)... how was their being there a comfort to the people?
verse 3-5... so Samuel was a righteous man... did he ask all these things to make that point? and if so, why? was it to make the point in the coming verses of how the people's desire for a king was a bad idea and a sin? was it to show them that the grass is not always greener on the "other side"? was it to prove his legitamacy to rebuke the people and admonish them? ???
verse 6-15... history lesson to remind the people of how great God has been to them and in their lives?... also, it shows the cycle of how the people would forget God, run into trouble, cry out to God and turn back to Him and He would forgive and save them... an important point since Samuel is about to show them how they fell into this cycle once again... but as the cycle shows, God is faithful and will forgive them yet again, if they will just repent and turn back to Him
verse 16-18... you wanted a king, but you forgot how awesome the King you already have is!
verse 19... what the Lord desires is a heart that is broken over/because of its sin (Psalm 51:17, Acts 8:22)
verse 20... it doesn't matter what your past is, if you will repent and turn from your sinful ways, God will for forgive you and grant you Salvation through Jesus and life eternal with Him (2 Chronicles 7:14, Romans 3:21-26, John 3:14-18, John 3:36, John 5:24-25, John 6:40, 1 Timothy 1:15-16, 1 John 5:10-13)
verse 21... would a king be considered an idol? how about 'self' or 'security' or 'comfort'?
verse 22... it is not about us! it is ALL about God!... God isn't saving the Isrealites (or us for that matter) becuase they/we deserve it... He is saving them/us becuase He made a promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3) and has worked to fulfill that promise of reconcilliation from that day forward, through Jesus, and even into the future from now, as He draws all peoples to Him, so that in the end (as described in Revelation and elsewhere), all will recognize Him as God and bow and worship Him for His glory (Romans 14:11-12, Isaiah 45:20-24)... He promised that He would do this, and He is going to keep His promise... He vowed on His name (Hebrews 6:13-14, Genesis 22:15-18), and He is not going to defame or invalidate His name because of our sinfulness (1 Samuel 15:29, Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 7:19-25)
verse 23-25... it is our obligation to pray for the lost and teach them the ways of God... but whether they choose to obey and follow God is up to them... this makes me think about being a parent... how it is our job to train our children up in Christ, and teach them to obey God's laws, and pray for them and their salvation... but, if they do not choose to listen, if they make the decisiont to turn their backs on God, or fall away, then that is their choice, and not upon us... not that it makes it any easier, but I have found so many parents who blame themselves for their children's poor choices... all we can do is our best, and the ultimate choice is in their hands... that does not mean that we are to give up praying for them or even give up admonishing them, but it does mean that if we have committed them into the hands of their Creator, if we have given them to God, then we need to leave them there and not try to take them back, as if we could save them better than God Himself can... we could apply this to anyone who is "lost", not just our children... that is why God tells us we are His messengers, His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20, Matthew 28:18-20)... it is not our job to convict, that is the Holy Spirit's job... and it is not our job to make someones choice for them, only the individual can do that themselves... in a way, it kind of takes the pressure off of sharing God's good news... for our job is to love, and part of that love is a desire to share the good news we know of with others so they can enjoy salvation, too... isn't that what we want for those we love anyway... not a far stretch to 'evangelize' when we look at it that way.
sandJ
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
1 Samuel 10 today...... 1_Samuel 11 tomorrow...
Read it.
Sandj
Chapter 10: verse 1... interesting that Saul was annointed in private... I guess it wasn't time for his appointment to be made know to everyone else yet... maybe God wanted to give Saul a heads up so he had time to digest the idea and get his feet firm on the ground again?
verse 2-4... I wonder if Samuel (and God) is giving Saul all these predictions of the future, so Saul can be reminded that yes, everything he has been through over the past day is really true... I can only imagine how confused and amazed he must be... I would be waiting to "wake up" from the "dream"... and as I got further from the town, and closer to home, I would become more convinced that I had dreamed it... so, by giving Saul several reminders along the way, and the final "hurrah" (verse 5-6) close to home, God is kind of telling Saul, yup, it's really true.
vesre 5... wonder what they were prophesying about?... was it about Saul or other stuff?
verse 6... wonder if Saul was propheysing about the same stuff the other people were? I wonder if they were prophesying in God's Spirit, too? (1 Peter 1:20-21)... I love how it says that he will be changed into a different person... isn't that what it is still like now, when we accept Jesus, and receive God's Spirit, we are changed into different people, too (2 Corinthians 5:17)... several times in Acts, people spoke because they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2, and 4)... and Jesus began His ministry when He was baptized and the Holy Spirit decended on Him (Luke 3:21-23)...
vesre 7... now that is a reassurance if I ever heard one!... it almost sounds like permission to do whatever he wants... but there is a limit... he is to do whatever his hand FINDS to do... makes me think that he is not to try to create things to do... but instead to do whatever God presents before him, and to do it with confidence in knowing that God is there guiding him (like He is with Samuel)... this reminds me of the several verses that talk about if we ask we will receive... yet those verses always have a similar limit set (as seen here with Saul)... we are to ask in God's will... like it says in James 4:3, if we ask with wrong motives we will not receive things... yet, when we ask according to God's will and for His glory, He is happy to oblige our requests and will give us whatever we ask in order to carry out this task of furthering His glory (1 John 5:14-15).
vesre 9... so God changed Saul's heart from unbelief to belief?
verse 11-12... makes me think about Jesus and the people who knew Him growing up, how they asked similar questions (Matthew 13:54-57)... when God is in someones life, the change is noticeable... if it is not, we need to ask ourselves why?... is it because we never truly let God into our lives? or maybe we did and now we are renigging and not let Him have our whole life?... maybe it's something else???... I do have to laugh at how the man says "and who is their father" (assuming he is meaning who is the father of any of the people who are prophesying, maybe he is meaning God is, I don't know)... but anyway, I think that it is funny that that is then followed up by saying "So it bacame a saying"... you would assume the man's words "who's their father" would be the saying, but no, the saying is "is Saul also among the prophets"... just thought it was amusing... anyway, moving on...
vesre 14-17... wonder why Saul didn't tell his uncle... was it not time for others to know? was Saul uncertain or ashamed? was he worried that his uncle might try to usurp the kingship or something? ???
verse 17-18... kind of funny how God says, "alright now, I've done everything for you, but I guess I'm not good enough for you, so get lined up so I can do more things for you, so you can have the 'king' who will do all those things you need done that apparently I can't do" :)
veres 20-21... Saul must have been so nervous waiting for everyone to find out
verse 22... now that is a good beginning don't you think... really oozes confidence... for your new king to be hiding among the baggage... great start, Saul :)
verse 23-24... did God choose Saul because of his height, so that he would fit the physical description of what the people thought a king should look like?... reminds me of how the people thought Jesus should come as a king, yet how God doesn't always do things the way people think He should, yet He is always right about how He does choose to do things (Zechariah 9:9-10, Matthew 21:1-11, Matthew 27:11, Matthew 27:35-38, Luke 22:25-27, John 18:33-40)
verse 25... I wonder what all the regulations of the kingship were? (see Deuteronomy 17:14-20)
vesre 26... cool to know that those people closest to you also had hearts for God and were chosen by Him
verse 27... interesting that Saul stayed silent... was that because he, too, wondered if he could save them? was it because he had God's Spirit which helped him remain silent instead of take revenge? or ???... I never realized all the similarities between Saul's origin as king of the Isrealites, and Jesus's kingship over the Isrealites (and all of us)... Saul was their first fleshly king and Jesus was their true king... interesting
sandJ
Sandj
Chapter 10: verse 1... interesting that Saul was annointed in private... I guess it wasn't time for his appointment to be made know to everyone else yet... maybe God wanted to give Saul a heads up so he had time to digest the idea and get his feet firm on the ground again?
verse 2-4... I wonder if Samuel (and God) is giving Saul all these predictions of the future, so Saul can be reminded that yes, everything he has been through over the past day is really true... I can only imagine how confused and amazed he must be... I would be waiting to "wake up" from the "dream"... and as I got further from the town, and closer to home, I would become more convinced that I had dreamed it... so, by giving Saul several reminders along the way, and the final "hurrah" (verse 5-6) close to home, God is kind of telling Saul, yup, it's really true.
vesre 5... wonder what they were prophesying about?... was it about Saul or other stuff?
verse 6... wonder if Saul was propheysing about the same stuff the other people were? I wonder if they were prophesying in God's Spirit, too? (1 Peter 1:20-21)... I love how it says that he will be changed into a different person... isn't that what it is still like now, when we accept Jesus, and receive God's Spirit, we are changed into different people, too (2 Corinthians 5:17)... several times in Acts, people spoke because they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2, and 4)... and Jesus began His ministry when He was baptized and the Holy Spirit decended on Him (Luke 3:21-23)...
vesre 7... now that is a reassurance if I ever heard one!... it almost sounds like permission to do whatever he wants... but there is a limit... he is to do whatever his hand FINDS to do... makes me think that he is not to try to create things to do... but instead to do whatever God presents before him, and to do it with confidence in knowing that God is there guiding him (like He is with Samuel)... this reminds me of the several verses that talk about if we ask we will receive... yet those verses always have a similar limit set (as seen here with Saul)... we are to ask in God's will... like it says in James 4:3, if we ask with wrong motives we will not receive things... yet, when we ask according to God's will and for His glory, He is happy to oblige our requests and will give us whatever we ask in order to carry out this task of furthering His glory (1 John 5:14-15).
vesre 9... so God changed Saul's heart from unbelief to belief?
verse 11-12... makes me think about Jesus and the people who knew Him growing up, how they asked similar questions (Matthew 13:54-57)... when God is in someones life, the change is noticeable... if it is not, we need to ask ourselves why?... is it because we never truly let God into our lives? or maybe we did and now we are renigging and not let Him have our whole life?... maybe it's something else???... I do have to laugh at how the man says "and who is their father" (assuming he is meaning who is the father of any of the people who are prophesying, maybe he is meaning God is, I don't know)... but anyway, I think that it is funny that that is then followed up by saying "So it bacame a saying"... you would assume the man's words "who's their father" would be the saying, but no, the saying is "is Saul also among the prophets"... just thought it was amusing... anyway, moving on...
vesre 14-17... wonder why Saul didn't tell his uncle... was it not time for others to know? was Saul uncertain or ashamed? was he worried that his uncle might try to usurp the kingship or something? ???
verse 17-18... kind of funny how God says, "alright now, I've done everything for you, but I guess I'm not good enough for you, so get lined up so I can do more things for you, so you can have the 'king' who will do all those things you need done that apparently I can't do" :)
veres 20-21... Saul must have been so nervous waiting for everyone to find out
verse 22... now that is a good beginning don't you think... really oozes confidence... for your new king to be hiding among the baggage... great start, Saul :)
verse 23-24... did God choose Saul because of his height, so that he would fit the physical description of what the people thought a king should look like?... reminds me of how the people thought Jesus should come as a king, yet how God doesn't always do things the way people think He should, yet He is always right about how He does choose to do things (Zechariah 9:9-10, Matthew 21:1-11, Matthew 27:11, Matthew 27:35-38, Luke 22:25-27, John 18:33-40)
verse 25... I wonder what all the regulations of the kingship were? (see Deuteronomy 17:14-20)
vesre 26... cool to know that those people closest to you also had hearts for God and were chosen by Him
verse 27... interesting that Saul stayed silent... was that because he, too, wondered if he could save them? was it because he had God's Spirit which helped him remain silent instead of take revenge? or ???... I never realized all the similarities between Saul's origin as king of the Isrealites, and Jesus's kingship over the Isrealites (and all of us)... Saul was their first fleshly king and Jesus was their true king... interesting
sandJ
Saturday, March 27, 2010
1 Samuel 9 today....... 1_Samuel 10 tomorrow...
Read it.
Sandj
Chapter 9: verse 2... was he without equal because of his hight or his character?... wonder where he got his height?... probably just another way that God had prepared "ahead of time" (no pun intended) so that everything would be ready for the present (again, no pun intended... as in "gift" of a king... ok, so I'm not as funny as I seem to think I am tonight)
verse 3-4... I wonder why they chose this route... did they see donkey tracks? did the donkeys often go this way?... after reading through the rest of the story, I wonder if the donkeys were "lost" at all, or if God had made them "lost" so Saul would go on this journey, meet up with Samuel, etc... hmmmm
verse 5... makes me smile as a parent... Saul must have known that his father loved him and that he was more important to him than the donkeys... good thing for a kid to know! :) makes me think about whether my kids know they are more important to me than stuff, or money, or time, or other people outside my family, etc... you know, in thinking about how both Eli's and Samuel's kids where so bad, and then reading this, it reminds me of something I was told one time... how your priorities should be God first, family second, and work third... and how God and ministry work were not the same... but it is so easy to confuse the two and put "good works" above our families... when we do that, I think that that is when our kids grow up to forget who God is and what position He should have in our lives... when we are confused about this, it is no wonder that our kids would be, too... we need to remember how important our kids/family is and that "ministering" to them needs to be above "ministering" to the needs of others.
verse 6... remember what was said about Samuel in Chapter 3, verse 19... it makes me think about which came first, Samuel speaking and God upholding his words; or Samuel asking God what to speak, and then saying those things which God was desiring to uphold?... how often do we get this backwards?... any thoughts as to why it might not work so well the other way around? (rhetorical questions, here)
verse 7-8... must have been a practice of the time to pay for advice (kind of like counselors now, maybe?)... anyway, it is a good practice to remember that we should be willing to offer something in return when we ask for help... however, on the reverse side of things, we should also be willing to help without desire for repayment... just some things to think about.
verse 9... interesting to have this note here, but it is helpful to understand the rest of the chapter better.
verse 10-14... good timing, huh? coincidence? I think not. :)... I guess I didn't realize that the people ate the sacrifice, too (or maybe I did read that before?)... I thought just the priests and their family ate it, but maybe not... anyway, it is interesting that only "invited guests" were allowed to eat the meal... kind of reminds me about how Jesus talks about the banquet parable in Matthew 22... we are all invited, but only some choose to come... we are all invited to be part of God's "party" at the end of times, but only some choose to RSVP... and only those who've RSVPed will get to go... have you accepted God's invite into His family, yet?
verse 14-20... the contrast here is cool... Saul is being directed by God, but doesn't know it... and Samuel is being directed by God and relies on that truth... both men are being used by God, but only Samuel has the peace of knowing that his life is under the control of God... why? because Samuel has learned who God is, and has learned to trust Him, so he has given his life completely into God's hand and looks to him for guidance and then peacefully obeys because he knows God is faithful... yet, Saul, who's life is also being directed by God, has no peace or recognition about what he is to do, because he does not know God (at least not personally), and has not learned to put his faith in Him yet... when we live like Samuel, at first we may think that giving up control of our lives and living in obedience and surrender and submission to His will will be scary or oppressive, but here, we can see that really, it is peaceful and freeing; whereas, Saul, who still THINKS he is in control of his own life, is worried and uncertain, and really for no reason, since God is still guiding him, too... crazy how we try to push God out of our lives and go it alone, and yet how much easier it is when we fully let Him in.... and an ah-ha! that the donkeys have been found... coincidence... I don't think so. :)
verse 21... remember Judges 20 when the Benjamites were almost wiped out because of the evil of their kinsmen... they were down to 600 men, and no women, and they had to get women from other places... so small tribe and clan indeed!... But God always uses the weak to show His strength (1 Corinthians 1:27-31)
verse 22... wow, honored guests!... I wonder what is going through Saul's head right now... like "I just came to find my donkeys... what's this all about?!"... or "I don't think my servant's quarter of a shekel is going to cover all this"... or ????
verse 23-24... I am so impressed with not only how God prepares things in advance, but how Samuel is obedient to God's promptings... I don't know if I would have set aside meat and extra place settings and all... I would have probably doubted that God was saying anything to me... but I guess that is where the spiritual disciplines of prayer, reading the Bible, meditation, etc, come in... so we can learn to hear God and learn to listen and obey Him, so that we become more willing and intune to hearing Him in the future.... total side note, but I do wonder what the leg had on it... I assume it was something good, but maybe it is best not to know what the "mystery sauce" was. :)
vesre 25... wonder what they talked about... was it about what was to become of Saul? was it something else, like just frivolities and getting to know each other?
vesre 26-27... so, they must not have talked, at least not in depth, about God' plan for Saul, until now.
sandJ
Sandj
Chapter 9: verse 2... was he without equal because of his hight or his character?... wonder where he got his height?... probably just another way that God had prepared "ahead of time" (no pun intended) so that everything would be ready for the present (again, no pun intended... as in "gift" of a king... ok, so I'm not as funny as I seem to think I am tonight)
verse 3-4... I wonder why they chose this route... did they see donkey tracks? did the donkeys often go this way?... after reading through the rest of the story, I wonder if the donkeys were "lost" at all, or if God had made them "lost" so Saul would go on this journey, meet up with Samuel, etc... hmmmm
verse 5... makes me smile as a parent... Saul must have known that his father loved him and that he was more important to him than the donkeys... good thing for a kid to know! :) makes me think about whether my kids know they are more important to me than stuff, or money, or time, or other people outside my family, etc... you know, in thinking about how both Eli's and Samuel's kids where so bad, and then reading this, it reminds me of something I was told one time... how your priorities should be God first, family second, and work third... and how God and ministry work were not the same... but it is so easy to confuse the two and put "good works" above our families... when we do that, I think that that is when our kids grow up to forget who God is and what position He should have in our lives... when we are confused about this, it is no wonder that our kids would be, too... we need to remember how important our kids/family is and that "ministering" to them needs to be above "ministering" to the needs of others.
verse 6... remember what was said about Samuel in Chapter 3, verse 19... it makes me think about which came first, Samuel speaking and God upholding his words; or Samuel asking God what to speak, and then saying those things which God was desiring to uphold?... how often do we get this backwards?... any thoughts as to why it might not work so well the other way around? (rhetorical questions, here)
verse 7-8... must have been a practice of the time to pay for advice (kind of like counselors now, maybe?)... anyway, it is a good practice to remember that we should be willing to offer something in return when we ask for help... however, on the reverse side of things, we should also be willing to help without desire for repayment... just some things to think about.
verse 9... interesting to have this note here, but it is helpful to understand the rest of the chapter better.
verse 10-14... good timing, huh? coincidence? I think not. :)... I guess I didn't realize that the people ate the sacrifice, too (or maybe I did read that before?)... I thought just the priests and their family ate it, but maybe not... anyway, it is interesting that only "invited guests" were allowed to eat the meal... kind of reminds me about how Jesus talks about the banquet parable in Matthew 22... we are all invited, but only some choose to come... we are all invited to be part of God's "party" at the end of times, but only some choose to RSVP... and only those who've RSVPed will get to go... have you accepted God's invite into His family, yet?
verse 14-20... the contrast here is cool... Saul is being directed by God, but doesn't know it... and Samuel is being directed by God and relies on that truth... both men are being used by God, but only Samuel has the peace of knowing that his life is under the control of God... why? because Samuel has learned who God is, and has learned to trust Him, so he has given his life completely into God's hand and looks to him for guidance and then peacefully obeys because he knows God is faithful... yet, Saul, who's life is also being directed by God, has no peace or recognition about what he is to do, because he does not know God (at least not personally), and has not learned to put his faith in Him yet... when we live like Samuel, at first we may think that giving up control of our lives and living in obedience and surrender and submission to His will will be scary or oppressive, but here, we can see that really, it is peaceful and freeing; whereas, Saul, who still THINKS he is in control of his own life, is worried and uncertain, and really for no reason, since God is still guiding him, too... crazy how we try to push God out of our lives and go it alone, and yet how much easier it is when we fully let Him in.... and an ah-ha! that the donkeys have been found... coincidence... I don't think so. :)
verse 21... remember Judges 20 when the Benjamites were almost wiped out because of the evil of their kinsmen... they were down to 600 men, and no women, and they had to get women from other places... so small tribe and clan indeed!... But God always uses the weak to show His strength (1 Corinthians 1:27-31)
verse 22... wow, honored guests!... I wonder what is going through Saul's head right now... like "I just came to find my donkeys... what's this all about?!"... or "I don't think my servant's quarter of a shekel is going to cover all this"... or ????
verse 23-24... I am so impressed with not only how God prepares things in advance, but how Samuel is obedient to God's promptings... I don't know if I would have set aside meat and extra place settings and all... I would have probably doubted that God was saying anything to me... but I guess that is where the spiritual disciplines of prayer, reading the Bible, meditation, etc, come in... so we can learn to hear God and learn to listen and obey Him, so that we become more willing and intune to hearing Him in the future.... total side note, but I do wonder what the leg had on it... I assume it was something good, but maybe it is best not to know what the "mystery sauce" was. :)
vesre 25... wonder what they talked about... was it about what was to become of Saul? was it something else, like just frivolities and getting to know each other?
vesre 26-27... so, they must not have talked, at least not in depth, about God' plan for Saul, until now.
sandJ
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
1 Samuel 4 today....... 1_Samuel 5 tomorrow....
Read it and catching up on blogging as quickly as possible... sorry for the delay.
sandJ
Chapter 4: verse 1... kind of a continuation of chaper 3 verse 19-21... all that Samuel said came true... it was from God and upheld by God... and now... du, du, duuuu (suspense music?)... Samuel's word has come to Israel... I don't know why, but the words to a Christmas song popped into my head "You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why..."... for the Isrealites, the remainder of that chorus would be "Samuel is coming to town"... ok, obviously getting tired... sorry for the divergence... moving on... :)
verse 1-3... so, now, after the defeat they are going to include God? already commented on this several times before, so won't go into great detail again here, but really, we should be taking note, so we don't do the same in our own lives... does make me wonder if they asked God if He wanted to be there, or if He thought they should be there... do we sometimes just assume that "where we are God is" instead of realizing that it should be the other way around... that where "God is, we should be"... funny how things don't work out when we try to play God and make Him fall in line with our plans... even funnier how things DO work out when we realize that we need to follow His lead... anyway, just some things to think on...
verse 4-9... interesting that the Philestines, even though they didn't personally know God, yet they seemed to revere Him more than the Isrealites, God's own people
vesre 7... "nothing like this has happened before"... apparently the Isrealites were not in the practice of including God in their daily lives... sad when the people of God are not known for acting like the people of God... sad that that is all too true in our time/lives now.
verse 8... sad, too, that the Philestines didn't even know that God was ONE God, not many gods... the Isrealites were not doing a good job of truthfully and gloryifyingly spreading God's name or fame... again, though, how much better are we nowadays at clearly telling others of who God is and how Jesus can save them... instead, we let outside things seep in, until Middle Eastern countries are saying (truthfully, this is true, maybe paraphrased, but still true), they are saying that they don't want their children to become Christians because Brittany Spears is from the Christian nation and so she must be Christian and they don't want their daughters to be like her.... when will be speak up, as Christians, against those false ideas, and start to clarify what God says a Christian is, and not only verbally clarify it, but begin to bring it into full focus by living it with our lives?!
verse 9... that is a line that should be in a movie like "Braveheart"... wow!
veres 10-11... not surprising... if they don't appreciate what they've got, why should God stay with them?... sometimes we don't realize how great what we have is, until it is gone (I think that is a song lyric of some sort, too... still true though, I think)... why does it have to be that way, though... maybe God didn't mind being with the Philestines, I mean afterall, they gave Him honor and glory and reverence... kind of a hard pill to swallow to think that our "enemies" might have a better understanding of our God than we do... another thing to guard against... and important one, at that.... makes sense that Hophni and Phinehas died, too... their job was no longer needed, as their "employer" was no longer around... sometimes we "work ourselves out of a job" becasue we don't put our hearts into God's work... yes, God is merciful and full of grace... but He is also a just God, and as such must carry through with what is due us when we refuse to repent and turn from our sins and back to Him.
vesre 12... clothes torn and dust on his head... a sign of repentence or just a sign of grief?... makes me think about how sometimes we are just sorry we got "caught", and how that is not the same as true repentence (sorry we that we did it, or even thought to do it at all, and really wish we could undo it and make up for it becuase we realize how sinful and hurtful and bad it was that we chose to do it and we are really sorry for brining pain like that on our dear loving wonderful God...)
verse 13... good old Eli... I am proud of him... he didn't fear for his sons or for the people... his heart was in the right place and he feared for the ark of the Lord... however, it does make me wonder why, if he feared for it so much, he didn't stop them from taking it?
verse 14-18... he died because of the capturing of the ark... no that was not true... at least not totally... he died because of his overindulgence that led to his "heaviness"... that and the shock of it all in his old age... sometimes I think that there are somethings that we can not prevent, but there are plenty of other things that we bring on ourselves.
verse 19-22... odd how it took the ark being captured for the people to realize its significance and importance... I think it is interesting, too, that no one is solely focused on the loss of the ark... they all are duly focused on the loss of personal as well as the ark... makes me think about how often we can be duly minded, and instead of focusing on the glory of God, we can become preoccupied with how it will affect us... it is so not about us, yet we can so easily make it about us, and so often do... yet, when we do, we must remember what happens... whether over time (like throughout the past several books), or immediately (like this chapter)... when we take our focus from being solely on God, the glory of God departs... not to say that God's glory is gone because of us, but that God's glory is gone from us... we can't get rid of God's glory... just like here, God is still God, He is just with the Philestines now... the same is true in our lives... God still remains God, it is just that we do not get to be within His glory... and that is a sad place to be... I think that despite the fire and torture of Hell, the worst part of it all will be that we will be completely cut off from the glory of God forever... I guess in a way, for the Isrealites, this chapter could be titled something like "Welcome to Hell"... or at least the preview... hopefully they will take the hint and choose to not remain there... what choice will we make?
sandJ
sandJ
Chapter 4: verse 1... kind of a continuation of chaper 3 verse 19-21... all that Samuel said came true... it was from God and upheld by God... and now... du, du, duuuu (suspense music?)... Samuel's word has come to Israel... I don't know why, but the words to a Christmas song popped into my head "You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why..."... for the Isrealites, the remainder of that chorus would be "Samuel is coming to town"... ok, obviously getting tired... sorry for the divergence... moving on... :)
verse 1-3... so, now, after the defeat they are going to include God? already commented on this several times before, so won't go into great detail again here, but really, we should be taking note, so we don't do the same in our own lives... does make me wonder if they asked God if He wanted to be there, or if He thought they should be there... do we sometimes just assume that "where we are God is" instead of realizing that it should be the other way around... that where "God is, we should be"... funny how things don't work out when we try to play God and make Him fall in line with our plans... even funnier how things DO work out when we realize that we need to follow His lead... anyway, just some things to think on...
verse 4-9... interesting that the Philestines, even though they didn't personally know God, yet they seemed to revere Him more than the Isrealites, God's own people
vesre 7... "nothing like this has happened before"... apparently the Isrealites were not in the practice of including God in their daily lives... sad when the people of God are not known for acting like the people of God... sad that that is all too true in our time/lives now.
verse 8... sad, too, that the Philestines didn't even know that God was ONE God, not many gods... the Isrealites were not doing a good job of truthfully and gloryifyingly spreading God's name or fame... again, though, how much better are we nowadays at clearly telling others of who God is and how Jesus can save them... instead, we let outside things seep in, until Middle Eastern countries are saying (truthfully, this is true, maybe paraphrased, but still true), they are saying that they don't want their children to become Christians because Brittany Spears is from the Christian nation and so she must be Christian and they don't want their daughters to be like her.... when will be speak up, as Christians, against those false ideas, and start to clarify what God says a Christian is, and not only verbally clarify it, but begin to bring it into full focus by living it with our lives?!
verse 9... that is a line that should be in a movie like "Braveheart"... wow!
veres 10-11... not surprising... if they don't appreciate what they've got, why should God stay with them?... sometimes we don't realize how great what we have is, until it is gone (I think that is a song lyric of some sort, too... still true though, I think)... why does it have to be that way, though... maybe God didn't mind being with the Philestines, I mean afterall, they gave Him honor and glory and reverence... kind of a hard pill to swallow to think that our "enemies" might have a better understanding of our God than we do... another thing to guard against... and important one, at that.... makes sense that Hophni and Phinehas died, too... their job was no longer needed, as their "employer" was no longer around... sometimes we "work ourselves out of a job" becasue we don't put our hearts into God's work... yes, God is merciful and full of grace... but He is also a just God, and as such must carry through with what is due us when we refuse to repent and turn from our sins and back to Him.
vesre 12... clothes torn and dust on his head... a sign of repentence or just a sign of grief?... makes me think about how sometimes we are just sorry we got "caught", and how that is not the same as true repentence (sorry we that we did it, or even thought to do it at all, and really wish we could undo it and make up for it becuase we realize how sinful and hurtful and bad it was that we chose to do it and we are really sorry for brining pain like that on our dear loving wonderful God...)
verse 13... good old Eli... I am proud of him... he didn't fear for his sons or for the people... his heart was in the right place and he feared for the ark of the Lord... however, it does make me wonder why, if he feared for it so much, he didn't stop them from taking it?
verse 14-18... he died because of the capturing of the ark... no that was not true... at least not totally... he died because of his overindulgence that led to his "heaviness"... that and the shock of it all in his old age... sometimes I think that there are somethings that we can not prevent, but there are plenty of other things that we bring on ourselves.
verse 19-22... odd how it took the ark being captured for the people to realize its significance and importance... I think it is interesting, too, that no one is solely focused on the loss of the ark... they all are duly focused on the loss of personal as well as the ark... makes me think about how often we can be duly minded, and instead of focusing on the glory of God, we can become preoccupied with how it will affect us... it is so not about us, yet we can so easily make it about us, and so often do... yet, when we do, we must remember what happens... whether over time (like throughout the past several books), or immediately (like this chapter)... when we take our focus from being solely on God, the glory of God departs... not to say that God's glory is gone because of us, but that God's glory is gone from us... we can't get rid of God's glory... just like here, God is still God, He is just with the Philestines now... the same is true in our lives... God still remains God, it is just that we do not get to be within His glory... and that is a sad place to be... I think that despite the fire and torture of Hell, the worst part of it all will be that we will be completely cut off from the glory of God forever... I guess in a way, for the Isrealites, this chapter could be titled something like "Welcome to Hell"... or at least the preview... hopefully they will take the hint and choose to not remain there... what choice will we make?
sandJ
Sunday, March 21, 2010
1 Samuel 2-3 today..... 1_Samuel 4 tomorrow...
Read it... still catching up on the blogging.
sandJ
Chapter 2: verse 1-10... Thank you God, because you brought me victory and triumph over my struggles.... Only You are my holy, solid foundation (Matthew 7:24-29)... God knows what is in each person's heart, so your talk doesn't mean anything to me (Luke 16:14-15)... when I am weak, God picks me up and carries me in His strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)... God makes the first, last, and the last, first (see also Luke 13:30)... God brings us back to life even though we are dead, as He has the power over both (Romans 6:13,23; Romans 8:38-39, 2 Timothy 1:9-10, 1 John 3:14, 1 John 4:7-21)... the Lord blesses those He chooses as He sees fit according to His soveriegnty and omniscient and perfect will, and all blessings come from Him alone (Matthew 5:44-45, James 1:17, 1 Corinthians 1:26-30, 1 Corinthians 4:7)... God lifts us up from our fallen dirty condition and makes us royalty as His children (Psalm 40:2-3, Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 2:9-10)... God created the world upon the foundations of His love and truth, He gives eternal life to those who love Him, but those who reject Him will be separated from Him forever (Revelation 21:1-8, Genesis 1:1-2:7, Matthew 13:41-43)... No one who opposes the Lord will stand, and any that do stand, only do so because of God's mercy and grace (James 4:4-10, Revelation 20:11-15, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, Zechariah 4:6)... "God will give strength to His king" [Jesus-Luke 22:39-44] and lift up those He loves (Matthew 5:3-12).... I do wonder if some of Hannah's prayer was prophesy about things to come, or if she was just speaking only of herself?
verse 11-12... wow, complete contrast here... I have always wondered how parents who love God so much can have children who do not, although I guess I shouldn't wonder since the reverse can be true as well and it all comes down to personal choice... all the more reason to pray that my children will make the right choice since parental choice and guidance does not determine a child's absolute decision to love and honor God.
verse 13-15... why would the priest want it one way over the other? why would it matter? all I can think about is how boiled meat breaks apart easily so maybe the priests wouldn't get as much that way... I don't know... maybe they cut off a larger chunk if it was raw? I think of how yummy people's food is at a potluck and I think the priests would want to wait and taste the boiled meat to get to taste test the cook's skills. :)
vers 16... I can see the sin in this, since they are standing in the way of the person's ability to worship, they are destroying their worshipful mood (as I'm sure they are now angry and not focused on God anymore), and they are putting themselves before God as if they think they are greater of more deserving than God... all sins... not good
verser 17... yes...yes they were!
verse 18-19... awwww... how cute :)
verse 20-21... God is good... He never just takes... He always returns blessings with more blessings.
verse 22-25, 27-36...poor Eli... not only will his sons not listen to him when he tries to set them straight, now he has to know in advance of their doom... maybe Eli could have done more to stop them from their sinning... would it have done any good?... did he try as hard as he could to help them see the "light"?... yet it was God's will that they did not take heed... this is hard to swallow... it makes me think about how we know that those we love will go to Hell if they do not repent and turn to God and accept Jesus as their Savior... but not everyone we love will listen... those who do not will perish in Hell... sometimes I wonder if we take this seriously enough... if we work as hard as we could to save those who are lost... if we poured out our lives as if Heaven and Hell were real, would it make a difference?... for some, maybe yes... but for others, maybe no... it is hard to think that those we love may be burning in Hell for all eternity... it is even harder to think that that is how God told us it would be... it is not His will that any be lost, but He already knows that some will... and if it is that hard for us to take in, just think how hard it must be for God, who created them and loves them even more than we do!... our efforts may end up being in vain in the lives of some, but I think that it is better to labor in vain than to never even try at all... for we, like Paul, ought to strive to reach as many people as we can for Christ in hopes that we might help save some (1 Corinthians 9:19-22)
veres 26, 35... I wonder if Eli knew it was Samuel who was going to take over for his family? I wonder how Eli felt about that? was he happy that he could at least play a part for God in the life of someone who would honor Him? it does not appear that he was jealous that Samuel was good while his own sons were bad... this is such a lesson to us... we should always be thankful for anything that brings glory to God... whether anything good comes out of it for us or not.... this is one really big way we can worship God by showing Him that He really is first in our lives (and in our hearts, minds, and souls -Matthew 22:37-38... that it is not about what He gives us, but that our worship and love is based on who He is... that is true love and true worship, I think)
Chapter 3: veres 1... it seems that there is a direct correlation to the obedience of the people and the revelations of the Lord... this should not be a surprise, since our sin hinders our relationship with God by putting up a barrier between us and Him... only by confession our sins and repenting can we experience the fullness of all God wishes to share with us... even when our eternal relationship with God is secure (through grace in Jesus), our personal relationship can suffer destruction if we continue to sin and refuse to turn from it... the proof can be seen in our own lives as clearly as it is demonstrated and expressed here.... I think also of David's Psalm 32 in regard to this, too ("Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "— and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise,they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!")
veres 2-6... when I read this story, I think of my own kids who are always finding an excuse to get up and not go to bed... I wonder if Eli thought that that was what Samuel was doing?
verse 7... interesting that Samuel was serving God, yet did not know God... it is an interesting thing to think about... that even while we were sinners, and did not know who God was, God was still using our lives to bring Him glory... so whether sinner or saved, we are all part of God's eternal plan... the only difference is that when we are saved and being used, we get to enjoy the process because we know that God is using everything for His glory and we can excitedly anticipate how great it will be in the end... when we are sinners, God is still using us, but we do not get to experience the joy that comes from desiring to be part of His service.... one more reason to tell others about salvation through Jesus... if we love those around us, then of course we want them to experience joy... the only way they can do that is if they know Jesus and learn about how their lives are serving God's amazing eternal purpose!... gives a broader meaning to the phrase "your life has purpose"
verse 8... I wonder why if finally dawned on Eli?
verse 9... makes me think about how I let God know I am listening to Him and desiring to hear what He has to say in my life?... do my actions show that? both in public and private? do my words? do my prayers? ... just something to ponder on a bit, I think
verse 10... cool! Samuel saw Him and heard Him... that is just really cool!
verse 13... had God wanted Eli to fire his sons or maybe kill them? would that have saved Eli's lineage of priesthood?
verse 11-15... poor Samuel... not a fun message to have to get or give... kind of takes the oomphf out of getting to see and hear God... if reminds me of a dream I had one time... I was dreaming of a verse over and over and when I awoke the verse was still in my mind... I was so excited, cause I was like, "oh cool, God is talking to me"... so anyway, I ran to my Bible to look up the verse... it was Acts 12:23, and it said: "Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died."... kind of a buzz killer verse... I don't know if God was talking to me through a dream or not... probably not... but either way, it has served a purpose in that anytime I begin to think of myself as better than I really am (a dirty rotten sinner, only saved by God's grace)... anytime I begin to think that I am all that or start to rely on my own strength or praise myself, I remember that dream and that verse, and it does a good job of bringing me back to reality... God's reality... cause I don't know about you, but I sure don't want to get eaten by worms anytime soon! :)
verse 15-17... what to do!... tell Eli and face his probable anger, or don't tell him and face his curse and wrath!... not much of a choice... sometimes being the message bearer is not that fun... I guess that is why the phrase "don't kill the messager" became popular... but, Jesus does warn us that being His messanger will not always be easy or popular, but the eternal rewards will be definately worth it! (2 Corinthians 4)
verse 18... what a great attitude... just goes to show that fear is the only thing we really have to fear (didn't somebody famous say that: the only thing to fear is fear itself, or something like that?)... anyway, it is true... fear doesn't come from God... it is just one of the devil's tactics to try to keep us from doing what God wants us to do... and so often I have found that when I obey the outcome is so much better than I had expected when I had chosen to dwell on the fear of the unknown... better to just obey... anyway, then if something bad does happen, at least you are dealing with reality and fantasy... cause reality can be worked on, while fantasy is just a never ending game of ungratifying and unedifying 'what-ifs'.
verse 19... I like that... "and he let none of his words fall to the ground"... I don't know if it means that God upheld all His words, or if it means he supported all Samuel said because Samuel was so much in His will... but either way, I guess it is close to the same, and it shows God's faithfulness yet again. :) I'm glad God is faithful and unchanging. :)... PS the study notes say that this is in contrast to Eli, in that Eli did not back up his words with action... when he told his boys not to sin against God, he did not back it up... a reminder for us that not only should be speak about Jesus, and encourage others to live for Him, but we need to make those words evident in the actions of our lives, as well.... and we need to keep our promises, too... if we tell someone we will hold them accountable, or work on an area in our own lives, we need to make sure to follow up on that and really do what we say... our character is shown not only by how elequently we speak, but also by how nobly we live.
verse 20-21... and that is how we are to know if someone is of God, right, because they speak God's Word and uphold it's truth with/in/throughout their lives (1 John 4:1-3, 1 John 3:9-10)... it reminds me of words to a song that a friend of mine sang so beautifully: "and they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, and they'll know we are Christians by our love"... I hope that that is true and we can confidently say that... sometimes I wonder though, so I pray that God will continue to refine me in this so that I do not point away from Him with my life or confuse others by how I live, but rather, in all I say and do and think, bring utmost glory to Him for the rest of my days.
Good night and God Bless,
sandJ
sandJ
Chapter 2: verse 1-10... Thank you God, because you brought me victory and triumph over my struggles.... Only You are my holy, solid foundation (Matthew 7:24-29)... God knows what is in each person's heart, so your talk doesn't mean anything to me (Luke 16:14-15)... when I am weak, God picks me up and carries me in His strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)... God makes the first, last, and the last, first (see also Luke 13:30)... God brings us back to life even though we are dead, as He has the power over both (Romans 6:13,23; Romans 8:38-39, 2 Timothy 1:9-10, 1 John 3:14, 1 John 4:7-21)... the Lord blesses those He chooses as He sees fit according to His soveriegnty and omniscient and perfect will, and all blessings come from Him alone (Matthew 5:44-45, James 1:17, 1 Corinthians 1:26-30, 1 Corinthians 4:7)... God lifts us up from our fallen dirty condition and makes us royalty as His children (Psalm 40:2-3, Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 2:9-10)... God created the world upon the foundations of His love and truth, He gives eternal life to those who love Him, but those who reject Him will be separated from Him forever (Revelation 21:1-8, Genesis 1:1-2:7, Matthew 13:41-43)... No one who opposes the Lord will stand, and any that do stand, only do so because of God's mercy and grace (James 4:4-10, Revelation 20:11-15, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, Zechariah 4:6)... "God will give strength to His king" [Jesus-Luke 22:39-44] and lift up those He loves (Matthew 5:3-12).... I do wonder if some of Hannah's prayer was prophesy about things to come, or if she was just speaking only of herself?
verse 11-12... wow, complete contrast here... I have always wondered how parents who love God so much can have children who do not, although I guess I shouldn't wonder since the reverse can be true as well and it all comes down to personal choice... all the more reason to pray that my children will make the right choice since parental choice and guidance does not determine a child's absolute decision to love and honor God.
verse 13-15... why would the priest want it one way over the other? why would it matter? all I can think about is how boiled meat breaks apart easily so maybe the priests wouldn't get as much that way... I don't know... maybe they cut off a larger chunk if it was raw? I think of how yummy people's food is at a potluck and I think the priests would want to wait and taste the boiled meat to get to taste test the cook's skills. :)
vers 16... I can see the sin in this, since they are standing in the way of the person's ability to worship, they are destroying their worshipful mood (as I'm sure they are now angry and not focused on God anymore), and they are putting themselves before God as if they think they are greater of more deserving than God... all sins... not good
verser 17... yes...yes they were!
verse 18-19... awwww... how cute :)
verse 20-21... God is good... He never just takes... He always returns blessings with more blessings.
verse 22-25, 27-36...poor Eli... not only will his sons not listen to him when he tries to set them straight, now he has to know in advance of their doom... maybe Eli could have done more to stop them from their sinning... would it have done any good?... did he try as hard as he could to help them see the "light"?... yet it was God's will that they did not take heed... this is hard to swallow... it makes me think about how we know that those we love will go to Hell if they do not repent and turn to God and accept Jesus as their Savior... but not everyone we love will listen... those who do not will perish in Hell... sometimes I wonder if we take this seriously enough... if we work as hard as we could to save those who are lost... if we poured out our lives as if Heaven and Hell were real, would it make a difference?... for some, maybe yes... but for others, maybe no... it is hard to think that those we love may be burning in Hell for all eternity... it is even harder to think that that is how God told us it would be... it is not His will that any be lost, but He already knows that some will... and if it is that hard for us to take in, just think how hard it must be for God, who created them and loves them even more than we do!... our efforts may end up being in vain in the lives of some, but I think that it is better to labor in vain than to never even try at all... for we, like Paul, ought to strive to reach as many people as we can for Christ in hopes that we might help save some (1 Corinthians 9:19-22)
veres 26, 35... I wonder if Eli knew it was Samuel who was going to take over for his family? I wonder how Eli felt about that? was he happy that he could at least play a part for God in the life of someone who would honor Him? it does not appear that he was jealous that Samuel was good while his own sons were bad... this is such a lesson to us... we should always be thankful for anything that brings glory to God... whether anything good comes out of it for us or not.... this is one really big way we can worship God by showing Him that He really is first in our lives (and in our hearts, minds, and souls -Matthew 22:37-38... that it is not about what He gives us, but that our worship and love is based on who He is... that is true love and true worship, I think)
Chapter 3: veres 1... it seems that there is a direct correlation to the obedience of the people and the revelations of the Lord... this should not be a surprise, since our sin hinders our relationship with God by putting up a barrier between us and Him... only by confession our sins and repenting can we experience the fullness of all God wishes to share with us... even when our eternal relationship with God is secure (through grace in Jesus), our personal relationship can suffer destruction if we continue to sin and refuse to turn from it... the proof can be seen in our own lives as clearly as it is demonstrated and expressed here.... I think also of David's Psalm 32 in regard to this, too ("Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "— and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise,they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!")
veres 2-6... when I read this story, I think of my own kids who are always finding an excuse to get up and not go to bed... I wonder if Eli thought that that was what Samuel was doing?
verse 7... interesting that Samuel was serving God, yet did not know God... it is an interesting thing to think about... that even while we were sinners, and did not know who God was, God was still using our lives to bring Him glory... so whether sinner or saved, we are all part of God's eternal plan... the only difference is that when we are saved and being used, we get to enjoy the process because we know that God is using everything for His glory and we can excitedly anticipate how great it will be in the end... when we are sinners, God is still using us, but we do not get to experience the joy that comes from desiring to be part of His service.... one more reason to tell others about salvation through Jesus... if we love those around us, then of course we want them to experience joy... the only way they can do that is if they know Jesus and learn about how their lives are serving God's amazing eternal purpose!... gives a broader meaning to the phrase "your life has purpose"
verse 8... I wonder why if finally dawned on Eli?
verse 9... makes me think about how I let God know I am listening to Him and desiring to hear what He has to say in my life?... do my actions show that? both in public and private? do my words? do my prayers? ... just something to ponder on a bit, I think
verse 10... cool! Samuel saw Him and heard Him... that is just really cool!
verse 13... had God wanted Eli to fire his sons or maybe kill them? would that have saved Eli's lineage of priesthood?
verse 11-15... poor Samuel... not a fun message to have to get or give... kind of takes the oomphf out of getting to see and hear God... if reminds me of a dream I had one time... I was dreaming of a verse over and over and when I awoke the verse was still in my mind... I was so excited, cause I was like, "oh cool, God is talking to me"... so anyway, I ran to my Bible to look up the verse... it was Acts 12:23, and it said: "Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died."... kind of a buzz killer verse... I don't know if God was talking to me through a dream or not... probably not... but either way, it has served a purpose in that anytime I begin to think of myself as better than I really am (a dirty rotten sinner, only saved by God's grace)... anytime I begin to think that I am all that or start to rely on my own strength or praise myself, I remember that dream and that verse, and it does a good job of bringing me back to reality... God's reality... cause I don't know about you, but I sure don't want to get eaten by worms anytime soon! :)
verse 15-17... what to do!... tell Eli and face his probable anger, or don't tell him and face his curse and wrath!... not much of a choice... sometimes being the message bearer is not that fun... I guess that is why the phrase "don't kill the messager" became popular... but, Jesus does warn us that being His messanger will not always be easy or popular, but the eternal rewards will be definately worth it! (2 Corinthians 4)
verse 18... what a great attitude... just goes to show that fear is the only thing we really have to fear (didn't somebody famous say that: the only thing to fear is fear itself, or something like that?)... anyway, it is true... fear doesn't come from God... it is just one of the devil's tactics to try to keep us from doing what God wants us to do... and so often I have found that when I obey the outcome is so much better than I had expected when I had chosen to dwell on the fear of the unknown... better to just obey... anyway, then if something bad does happen, at least you are dealing with reality and fantasy... cause reality can be worked on, while fantasy is just a never ending game of ungratifying and unedifying 'what-ifs'.
verse 19... I like that... "and he let none of his words fall to the ground"... I don't know if it means that God upheld all His words, or if it means he supported all Samuel said because Samuel was so much in His will... but either way, I guess it is close to the same, and it shows God's faithfulness yet again. :) I'm glad God is faithful and unchanging. :)... PS the study notes say that this is in contrast to Eli, in that Eli did not back up his words with action... when he told his boys not to sin against God, he did not back it up... a reminder for us that not only should be speak about Jesus, and encourage others to live for Him, but we need to make those words evident in the actions of our lives, as well.... and we need to keep our promises, too... if we tell someone we will hold them accountable, or work on an area in our own lives, we need to make sure to follow up on that and really do what we say... our character is shown not only by how elequently we speak, but also by how nobly we live.
verse 20-21... and that is how we are to know if someone is of God, right, because they speak God's Word and uphold it's truth with/in/throughout their lives (1 John 4:1-3, 1 John 3:9-10)... it reminds me of words to a song that a friend of mine sang so beautifully: "and they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, and they'll know we are Christians by our love"... I hope that that is true and we can confidently say that... sometimes I wonder though, so I pray that God will continue to refine me in this so that I do not point away from Him with my life or confuse others by how I live, but rather, in all I say and do and think, bring utmost glory to Him for the rest of my days.
Good night and God Bless,
sandJ
Saturday, March 20, 2010
1 Samuel 1 today...... 1_Samuel 2-3 tomorrow...
Read it.
Sandj
Chapter 1: verse 1...A decendent of Joseph, I think.
verse 2... sounds like trouble... the 2 wife thing does not ever seem to produce anything but strife, competition, and trouble... I don't know how or why the Mormons (?) choose this, but I truly pity all those involved if their home lives are anything like those recorded in the Bible of men with more than one wife.
verse 3-5... that truly is a blessing in and of itself that this man loved his wife who could not bear him any children... that says alot about both of them I think, since it was a big deal to have large families then, and since there seemed to be so much "reckless" love, as we say in Judges.
verse 6-7... poor Hannah...she must have been the most loving, patient woman on the face of the earth... I have to admit I think after a few years of it (at the longest) I would have punched Peninnah in the nose, or at least tripped her a few times... I am truly inspired by Hannah's grace, forgiveness, and love!
verse 8... he's kind of dumb if he doesn't know what is going on... I'm surprised he hasn't put his foot down to stop the whole torturing thing. Also, I know he is trying to comfort her, but it sounds a little arrogant... maybe it is a sweet thing to say, though since sons were a really important thing then, and he is telling her that it doesn't matter to him if she can't bear him sons, he loves her anyway... maybe he loves her because of her patience and love, too.
verse 9-18... ok, I do find it amusing that Eli thought she was drunk... it reminds me of when one of younger girls was singing "Jesus Love the Little Children"... she got the whole thing right up til the end, where she sang out "... Jesus love the little children who are weird!"... as funny as it was then, I think that there is some real truth to that... obviously Eli thought Hannah was a little weird, but God loved her and blessed her and answered her request because of her willingness to have faith in Him despite what others thought.... I think it is awesome that she was so focused on God that she didn't care what else was going on, nor did she care who else was around... she was just so into God and focused on praying and worshipping Him... I think that is a real lesson to us today... sometimes I can be so concerned about who might be listening to me sing, or watching me pray, or whatever, that I forget the true focus of my actions... I forget that I am supposed to be focusing on God, not other people... it reminds me of the verse in Galatians 1:10 ("Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.")... it is so true... we really need to remember who we are serving with our lives... obviously, Hannah had this straight, as she gave up not only her own life, but also the life of the son that she asked for (and believed she would receive).... I also like in verse 18, how, once she did have that solid focus time on God, and practiced her solid faith in Him, she was no longer grief-stricken, but now full of joy... she did not have a son, yet, nor was she promised one... she only had poured out her heart to God and truly focused herself on Him... sometimes we think that we have to have a result to be happy, or we have to have the "answer" to be happy, or we have to have something tangible to be happy... but Hannah had none of those, yet her sadness was turned to joy... why? because happiness and joy are not the same... happiness is circumstantial... joy is greater, it does not rely on circumstances to dictate it existance... instead, joy comes from closeness to God... so, in answer to the question asked by many self-help books "How do you find true happines?"... well, if we take a cue from Hannah, we do so by drawing close to God.
verse 19-20... important to note that God will always remember, so that is not a surprise... however, we, as humans can have fickle and selective memory, so it is very wonderful to read about someone who held to their promise to God.... and not only that, but acknowledged Him in the whole matter (by naming Samuel, she was saying that God had heard and answered her prayer).
veres 21-23... Hannah is probably having a hard time parting with her son, as she had wanted him for so long and now has to give him up... however, her husband is making sure she knows that he is holding up her end of the deal (as we read about in Numbers 30:10-15)... Elkanah had the power to release Hannah from her vow to God, but he was stating to her that he would not... I think, in a way, he was reminding her that God was most important in their lives, and encouraging her to live up to the sacrifice she had promised to give/bear... in a way, I think that he was being very respectful to her... he gave her a lot of choice and responsibility and treated her as an equal... also, not just Hannah should be commended for her faith and resoluteness, but Elkanah, too, because he was giving up their child, as well, and maybe even more so, should be commended, because he was giving up their son based on a promise made by someone else that he did not have initial control over. Samuel truly had great parents... ones that loved God more than anything, and each other very much, too.
verse 24-28... if I remember what I've been told in the past about babies nursing in ancient times (and even in countries other than the US, now), Samuel was probably somewhere between 3-5 years old at this point. Sometimes I wonder how Hannah found the courage to give her son to God's work, but then I am reminded about how really, each of our children should be given to God, first, because they are His anyway, and second, because they are much safer in His hands than ours, no matter how much we, in our humaness, wish that weren't so.
sandJ
Sandj
Chapter 1: verse 1...A decendent of Joseph, I think.
verse 2... sounds like trouble... the 2 wife thing does not ever seem to produce anything but strife, competition, and trouble... I don't know how or why the Mormons (?) choose this, but I truly pity all those involved if their home lives are anything like those recorded in the Bible of men with more than one wife.
verse 3-5... that truly is a blessing in and of itself that this man loved his wife who could not bear him any children... that says alot about both of them I think, since it was a big deal to have large families then, and since there seemed to be so much "reckless" love, as we say in Judges.
verse 6-7... poor Hannah...she must have been the most loving, patient woman on the face of the earth... I have to admit I think after a few years of it (at the longest) I would have punched Peninnah in the nose, or at least tripped her a few times... I am truly inspired by Hannah's grace, forgiveness, and love!
verse 8... he's kind of dumb if he doesn't know what is going on... I'm surprised he hasn't put his foot down to stop the whole torturing thing. Also, I know he is trying to comfort her, but it sounds a little arrogant... maybe it is a sweet thing to say, though since sons were a really important thing then, and he is telling her that it doesn't matter to him if she can't bear him sons, he loves her anyway... maybe he loves her because of her patience and love, too.
verse 9-18... ok, I do find it amusing that Eli thought she was drunk... it reminds me of when one of younger girls was singing "Jesus Love the Little Children"... she got the whole thing right up til the end, where she sang out "... Jesus love the little children who are weird!"... as funny as it was then, I think that there is some real truth to that... obviously Eli thought Hannah was a little weird, but God loved her and blessed her and answered her request because of her willingness to have faith in Him despite what others thought.... I think it is awesome that she was so focused on God that she didn't care what else was going on, nor did she care who else was around... she was just so into God and focused on praying and worshipping Him... I think that is a real lesson to us today... sometimes I can be so concerned about who might be listening to me sing, or watching me pray, or whatever, that I forget the true focus of my actions... I forget that I am supposed to be focusing on God, not other people... it reminds me of the verse in Galatians 1:10 ("Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.")... it is so true... we really need to remember who we are serving with our lives... obviously, Hannah had this straight, as she gave up not only her own life, but also the life of the son that she asked for (and believed she would receive).... I also like in verse 18, how, once she did have that solid focus time on God, and practiced her solid faith in Him, she was no longer grief-stricken, but now full of joy... she did not have a son, yet, nor was she promised one... she only had poured out her heart to God and truly focused herself on Him... sometimes we think that we have to have a result to be happy, or we have to have the "answer" to be happy, or we have to have something tangible to be happy... but Hannah had none of those, yet her sadness was turned to joy... why? because happiness and joy are not the same... happiness is circumstantial... joy is greater, it does not rely on circumstances to dictate it existance... instead, joy comes from closeness to God... so, in answer to the question asked by many self-help books "How do you find true happines?"... well, if we take a cue from Hannah, we do so by drawing close to God.
verse 19-20... important to note that God will always remember, so that is not a surprise... however, we, as humans can have fickle and selective memory, so it is very wonderful to read about someone who held to their promise to God.... and not only that, but acknowledged Him in the whole matter (by naming Samuel, she was saying that God had heard and answered her prayer).
veres 21-23... Hannah is probably having a hard time parting with her son, as she had wanted him for so long and now has to give him up... however, her husband is making sure she knows that he is holding up her end of the deal (as we read about in Numbers 30:10-15)... Elkanah had the power to release Hannah from her vow to God, but he was stating to her that he would not... I think, in a way, he was reminding her that God was most important in their lives, and encouraging her to live up to the sacrifice she had promised to give/bear... in a way, I think that he was being very respectful to her... he gave her a lot of choice and responsibility and treated her as an equal... also, not just Hannah should be commended for her faith and resoluteness, but Elkanah, too, because he was giving up their child, as well, and maybe even more so, should be commended, because he was giving up their son based on a promise made by someone else that he did not have initial control over. Samuel truly had great parents... ones that loved God more than anything, and each other very much, too.
verse 24-28... if I remember what I've been told in the past about babies nursing in ancient times (and even in countries other than the US, now), Samuel was probably somewhere between 3-5 years old at this point. Sometimes I wonder how Hannah found the courage to give her son to God's work, but then I am reminded about how really, each of our children should be given to God, first, because they are His anyway, and second, because they are much safer in His hands than ours, no matter how much we, in our humaness, wish that weren't so.
sandJ
Friday, March 19, 2010
Ruth 1 - 4 today ........... 1_Samuel 1 tomorrow...
Read it.
Sandj
Sorry, issues with posting again... I hope this doesn't continue, but if it does, I just keep posting as it allows me to.... sorry for this inconvenience. :)
Chapter 1: verse 1-2... there were a lot of famines back then, I think... anyway, in keeping with the ideas discussed in the "Invitation" part, it appears that the Isrealite man (who had an Isrealite wife) had a good reason for moving to Moab? Ok, a total side note, I really like to say "Elimelech"... I think that is one of the funnest names in the Bible! :)
verse 3-4... interesting that they married the Moabite women after their dad died... was that due to age, custom, or because their dad would have not allowed it while he was alive? just wondering...
verse 5... crazy... alone... in a foreign place... with 'foreign' people... without anyone she came there with... crazy how our plans don't always go as we had planned... that has me thinking... anyway, thankfully God is faithful and trustworthy, though.
verse 6-7... Yeah! God is back in the picture and the people are once again saved. :)
veres 8-10... such sacrificial love!... another way that this book points to Jesus, I think... makes me think of Romans 5:7 ("Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.")... these women were willing to give their lives to the mother-in-law that they loved... just like Jesus, in all the surrounding verses in Romans 5, gave his life for us... and He did so when we were "of no use whatever to Him" (as it says in the Message translation of Romans 5:8)... just like Ruth gave her life to serve her mother-in-law even though it was not beneficial to her (verse 16-18).
verse 11-13... ok, I know this is a touching, and sad moment, but the idea of the baby sons and all is kind of funny... important historical points are here I am sure, though, as the study notes strategically question "Without husbands or sons, what crisis is Naomi facing? In a male-dominated, pre-welfare age, how important would male relatives be for widows?"... also, 1 Timothy addresses this very issue, too, and Ruth is right in line with what is taught there, especially as this book goes on (see 1 Timothy 5:3-16)
veres 14-15... interesting that Naomi has lost such confidence in God that she is encouraging her daughter-in-laws to go back to 'their gods'... do we ever give up on the truth of God's character because of hard times in our lives? how do we stay focused on God despite these difficulties, despite the times when we 'cant see Him'? I think some of the answers can be found in: 1 Thesselonians 5:16-18, 2 Corinthians 4:6-18, Matthew 5:45... David sings about these things in many of his Psalms: Psalm 40, and 71 are two of my favorites.
verse 16-17... this would be a great vow to say at a wedding, I think. :) Also, I think that this is a confession of faith that is similar to what we say when we accept Jesus... we give up all our old ways and devote our lives completely to following Jesus... we tell God that He will be our God... that we accept His gift to be His child, and that we will allow Him, and only Him, to direct our path in life.
verse 18... makes me think about how sometimes we have to have conviction in what we know is right, because without conviction in our own lives, we cannot hope to pursuade others of what we know is right.
verse 19-21... kind of reminds me of the Prodigal son (Luke 15), only in reverse... in the Prodigal son, he returned and there was joy, but here, Naomi returns, but she comes back with a heavy heart... I think that this is similar to our lives... sometimes, we turn to God because we are repentant, and want to be restored... and sometimes, we turn to God because we have no where else to go... even when we are still hurting, God accepts us back... we do not have to be 'all set right' before we can go to Him... God meets us where we are... He accepts us as we are... because He knows we can't change in and of ourselves, anyway... if we could, we wouldn't have needed Jesus to come (Galatians 2:21)... so, we need not be afraid to turn to God, even when we are totally a mess, unable to feel joy, saddened beyond belief, and not certain of the why of it all... God does not expect us to put on a happy face and entertain Him with our wit and charm... He understands that we need to grieve sometimes... He understands our need to release frustration and anger... He will not break because of it... Even if we are angry with Him or hurt because of things He allowed... Even if we do not understand and we don't see the big picture... God will hold us and love us and we cannot break Him... He created emotions, and He will allow them to help us be restored back to Him... in time, with His help, we will heal. Footnotes say that "Naomi" means "pleasant" and "Mara" means "bitter".
sandJ
Sandj
Sorry, issues with posting again... I hope this doesn't continue, but if it does, I just keep posting as it allows me to.... sorry for this inconvenience. :)
Chapter 1: verse 1-2... there were a lot of famines back then, I think... anyway, in keeping with the ideas discussed in the "Invitation" part, it appears that the Isrealite man (who had an Isrealite wife) had a good reason for moving to Moab? Ok, a total side note, I really like to say "Elimelech"... I think that is one of the funnest names in the Bible! :)
verse 3-4... interesting that they married the Moabite women after their dad died... was that due to age, custom, or because their dad would have not allowed it while he was alive? just wondering...
verse 5... crazy... alone... in a foreign place... with 'foreign' people... without anyone she came there with... crazy how our plans don't always go as we had planned... that has me thinking... anyway, thankfully God is faithful and trustworthy, though.
verse 6-7... Yeah! God is back in the picture and the people are once again saved. :)
veres 8-10... such sacrificial love!... another way that this book points to Jesus, I think... makes me think of Romans 5:7 ("Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.")... these women were willing to give their lives to the mother-in-law that they loved... just like Jesus, in all the surrounding verses in Romans 5, gave his life for us... and He did so when we were "of no use whatever to Him" (as it says in the Message translation of Romans 5:8)... just like Ruth gave her life to serve her mother-in-law even though it was not beneficial to her (verse 16-18).
verse 11-13... ok, I know this is a touching, and sad moment, but the idea of the baby sons and all is kind of funny... important historical points are here I am sure, though, as the study notes strategically question "Without husbands or sons, what crisis is Naomi facing? In a male-dominated, pre-welfare age, how important would male relatives be for widows?"... also, 1 Timothy addresses this very issue, too, and Ruth is right in line with what is taught there, especially as this book goes on (see 1 Timothy 5:3-16)
veres 14-15... interesting that Naomi has lost such confidence in God that she is encouraging her daughter-in-laws to go back to 'their gods'... do we ever give up on the truth of God's character because of hard times in our lives? how do we stay focused on God despite these difficulties, despite the times when we 'cant see Him'? I think some of the answers can be found in: 1 Thesselonians 5:16-18, 2 Corinthians 4:6-18, Matthew 5:45... David sings about these things in many of his Psalms: Psalm 40, and 71 are two of my favorites.
verse 16-17... this would be a great vow to say at a wedding, I think. :) Also, I think that this is a confession of faith that is similar to what we say when we accept Jesus... we give up all our old ways and devote our lives completely to following Jesus... we tell God that He will be our God... that we accept His gift to be His child, and that we will allow Him, and only Him, to direct our path in life.
verse 18... makes me think about how sometimes we have to have conviction in what we know is right, because without conviction in our own lives, we cannot hope to pursuade others of what we know is right.
verse 19-21... kind of reminds me of the Prodigal son (Luke 15), only in reverse... in the Prodigal son, he returned and there was joy, but here, Naomi returns, but she comes back with a heavy heart... I think that this is similar to our lives... sometimes, we turn to God because we are repentant, and want to be restored... and sometimes, we turn to God because we have no where else to go... even when we are still hurting, God accepts us back... we do not have to be 'all set right' before we can go to Him... God meets us where we are... He accepts us as we are... because He knows we can't change in and of ourselves, anyway... if we could, we wouldn't have needed Jesus to come (Galatians 2:21)... so, we need not be afraid to turn to God, even when we are totally a mess, unable to feel joy, saddened beyond belief, and not certain of the why of it all... God does not expect us to put on a happy face and entertain Him with our wit and charm... He understands that we need to grieve sometimes... He understands our need to release frustration and anger... He will not break because of it... Even if we are angry with Him or hurt because of things He allowed... Even if we do not understand and we don't see the big picture... God will hold us and love us and we cannot break Him... He created emotions, and He will allow them to help us be restored back to Him... in time, with His help, we will heal. Footnotes say that "Naomi" means "pleasant" and "Mara" means "bitter".
sandJ
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Judges 19-21 today....... Ruth 1-4 tomorrow......
Read it... catching up on the commenting... we will be reading the whole book of Ruth tomorrow, just an FYI... kind of exciting! :)
sandJ
Chapter 19: ok, I had some great stuff typed here, but the stupid blog wouldn't post it again... I'm going to try to remember the important stuff, and hopefully it will work this time...
verse 1... this is the second chapter, at least, that has started with the words 'in those days Isreal had no king'... is this because the things are getting worse, and this is like a way of adding to that point?... will things be any better when there IS a king?
vers 2-3... surprised the Levite wanted her back since she was unfaithful to him
verse 4-10... was the dad trying to persuade him to stay so he could spend more time with his daughter? because he wanted to help reconcile the relationship between the priest and his daughter? becasue he was worried about his daughter's future since she had been unfaithful? or ??? the study notes say the priest wanted to leave so he could get back to his work in the house of God at Shiloh
verse 11-13... kind of ironic how the Isrealites looked down on the 'pagan' towns and refused to stop at them... like they thought they were better than the 'outsiders'... reminds me of how the Jews went the long way around Samaria and hated them and refused to spend any time with them, but how Jesus reminded us that none of us are better than anyone else (John 4:1-44, Luke 10:25-37), as we are all sinners and fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23)... the preist's desire to pass by the pagan cities made me think about how often we, who are supposed to be bringing the Good News to the 'pagans' now a days, often prefer to skirt by their 'dwellings' and instead, gather ourselves in the 'dwellings' of other believers... do we think that we are too good to associate with non-belivers? Jesus went straight to those kinds of people, like Zaccheous the tax collector (Luke 19:1-27), or the Woman at the Well, who was both a Samaratan and a woman of multiple husbands (John 4:1-44), or the lepers (Luke 17:11-19) or any number of other disreputable people... why? because, as Jesus reminds us, it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick (Mark 2:13-17)
verse 15... first sign that there is something not right in the city, when a priest can't get a place to stay... were the people unhospitable? were they irreverent to God? were they too selfish? were they too scared?... what is our reasoning for not inviting people into our homes and our lives?
verse 16-21... interesting to note that the only one who gave them a place to stay was an old man who was not from that town... it is interesting that he was an old man, because he might have likely been old enough to remember the ways that people were supposed to treat others, before all the lawlessness and idol worship took over... it is also interesting that he is an old man who was coming from working in his field... makes me wonder why he didn't have someone younger than him doing the hard labor for him? was he too poor? that makes his sacrifice of hospitatily all the greater, I think.
verse 22... my first thought of this was of disgust, and I wanted to hurry on and get past this chapter... then, I thought about how this same thing had happened to Lot and the angels in Genesis 19... if that had been in Sodom and Gomorrah, and those towns had been destroyed because of their sinfulness, this story really illustrates how far the Isrealites had fallen since the days of Joshua and Moses.... as I was thinking about that, my mind moved on to the idea that these men might have been acting upon their confusion of worship, in addition to their sinful nature/desires... we have read many places within these past chapters where it talks about how the pagans had temple prostitutes (both male and female) as part of their worship ceremonies... so, although this might have been how they greeted all the newcomers to town, it might have also been in light of the fact that the man was a priest, and that was how they worshipped their gods... this thought brought me to another way of seeing these men... yes, they were hideous and disgusting, but they were also sad and lost... it made me think about how when we just look at people through God's eyes, we can see hurt, confused, disillusioned people, who are desperately in need of the healing and cleansing truth of Jesus Christ... when we see people as God sees them, we can look past the disgusting sin that surrounds them, and instead, love them and desire to help them find the love of God... and I'm am so glad that God did this for me, too, so it is the least I can do to do the same for others (Romans 5:8)
verse 25-28... there are many parts of this story that upset me, but this part angers me the most... maybe the priest was just paying the woman back for what she had done to him in verse 2... but regardless, how could he even think of sleeping, let alone get a full night's sleep, all the while knowing what was happening to the woman outside... yet, he doesn't even concern himself with her well-being... she has crawled back in hopes of help and care, but he offers her none... in fact, he sleeps in in the morning, and plans to take off on his way without even the slightest concern for her needs or care... he doesn't even pay her any respect in her death.... it makes me wonder how anyone can be so heartless, especially when they are in the service of God... yet, as I think about this, I wonder how often I have driven by a hitch-hiker without stopping to pick them up, leaving them to the mercy of some other less friendly driver?... how often have I ignored the plea of someone begging for money, or even thrown unkind words their way?... how often have I thought about a homeless person and judged that they 'deserved' their fate?... how often have I turned the other way when a 'smelly' or 'dirty' person was headed in my direction... or maybe just the 'uncool' guy?... how often do I think of drug addicts or prostitutes or anyone in jail... not very often... and when I do, do I just go on about my way, and not give a thought to their care or needs?... do I help the old man when he struggles with his shopping cart?... do I offer help or kind words to the tired mom with the unruly kids?... do I listen to my own children when they just want to share their joy with me?... makes me wonder how someone, who is in the service of God can be so heartless...
verse 29... assuming she is dead at this point, but no confirmation from the text... I think a note might have been a more preferrable option to convey the message.
verse 30... were the people saying this about the acts against the woman's body that led to up to her death... or the acts against the woman's body that were taken after her death... both equally as horrific, I think... where is the identifying actions that distinguish God's people from the pagans! are they clear today in our lives? I pray they are.
sandJ
Chapter 20: verse 1-2... I find it interesting that the people can all come together during a tragedy, but they will not come together to worship... same today, though, I guess... how many people flocked to the church right after 9/11, but now havent' gone back in years? how many people sent aid relief to Haiti right after the earthquake, but how long will it last? according to some, the relief is already tapering off even now... yes, we should rally when something important needs our attention, but why do we take those times to look to God... why can't we discipline ourselves enough to see God and live for Him in even the regular times of life?
versr 3, 12-14: I surprised that the other Benjamite towns, since they heard what was going on, didn't come to try to straighten and smooth things out with the rest of the tribes, instead, it appears they are backing up their brother city, I wonder why.
verse 5-6... i'm annoyed that he didn't tell them that he pushed his concubine outside and gave her to the men knowing what they'd do... he's equally as guilty of her death, I think.
veres 15-16... sounds like the Benjamites were pretty good fighters... wow!... still wondering what the significance of being left-handed was, though?
verse 18-28... this series of events reminds me of times in my life... I ask God what to do, try to follow His leading, and then I appear to have failed somehow, as things don't go as I had expected... then, I might try to give myself a pep talk but ultimately I'll cry about it and ask God what went wrong... eventually I'll pull myself out of my self-pity spot and redirect my questioning back to what God would have me do (but each time, I assume that His direction will be to my benefit... I forget that His ways are not always my ways or that the benefits He seeks do not always come with immediate victories)... I follow God's leading, but again I will fall into discouragement when things don't go as I had anticipated they would.... the funny thing is that the whole time, God is working towards achieving His ultimate goal, and all the good and the bad, put together are bringing about the ultimate victory... it is sometimes so hard to see that though, and I can become so defeated in my thinking and doubtful in my direction because I forget that the outcome is in God's hand, my job is to obey His directions, I am not responsible for the ultimate victory... if I could be, then Jesus would not have needed to come (Galatians 2:21, 1 Corinthians 15:53-58)
verse 34... i find this part interesting: 'the benjamites did not realize how near disaster was'... it makes me think about how many people do not know Jesus, and yet, they are on the verge of eternal disaster and do not know it
verse 35... if I'm calculating right, there were only 1,600 benjamites left after that day of battle.
verse 36-46...is this a repeat or second telling of the previous verses (29-35)?... why? was this book, or at least this part, written by two different people and then put together so each account (maybe one from the ambush side and one from the field side could each have their say in how the battle went, so a complete picture was given?)... just curious
verse 46... i think it interesting that the author states that those that fell were 'vaiant swordsmen'... were they honoring the benjamites, or themselves with this phrase? and why?... maybe honoring the benjamites because they were 'brother Isrealites'... although, maybe honoring themselves by showing that they, themselves, were more 'valiant' since they were victorious?... or maybe expressing an underlying glory to God in how it was He who gave them victory of these otherwise very good fighters (see verse 28 'I will give them into your hands')?... just curious as it stuck out to me.
verse 47-48... if those men had not stayed hidden, the tribe of Benjamin would have been wipe out and future important people (like King Saul in 1 Samuel 9) would not have been born, because their lineage would not have existed... interesting to think how each thing hinges on the last, and how God's hand is orchestrating it all so that it all is just right... makes me think how if we were left to ourselves how we would surely have destroyed the world and everything all ready... that right there is surely a reason to believe in God, just the sheer continuity and completeness and perfection of everything.
the study notes make a good point that the Isrealites did not consult God on the matter of fighting the Benjamites until after they had already desided to do so... interesting that God did not tell them no... maybe that is part of the reason why they were defeated the first two days, so that God got their attention back and they were refocused again on really desiring to follow His lead instead of rush out on their own accord?
the study notes also point out that this is somewhat of a fulfillment of the blessing Jacob gave Benjamin in Genesis 49:27
sandJ
sandJ
Chapter 19: ok, I had some great stuff typed here, but the stupid blog wouldn't post it again... I'm going to try to remember the important stuff, and hopefully it will work this time...
verse 1... this is the second chapter, at least, that has started with the words 'in those days Isreal had no king'... is this because the things are getting worse, and this is like a way of adding to that point?... will things be any better when there IS a king?
vers 2-3... surprised the Levite wanted her back since she was unfaithful to him
verse 4-10... was the dad trying to persuade him to stay so he could spend more time with his daughter? because he wanted to help reconcile the relationship between the priest and his daughter? becasue he was worried about his daughter's future since she had been unfaithful? or ??? the study notes say the priest wanted to leave so he could get back to his work in the house of God at Shiloh
verse 11-13... kind of ironic how the Isrealites looked down on the 'pagan' towns and refused to stop at them... like they thought they were better than the 'outsiders'... reminds me of how the Jews went the long way around Samaria and hated them and refused to spend any time with them, but how Jesus reminded us that none of us are better than anyone else (John 4:1-44, Luke 10:25-37), as we are all sinners and fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23)... the preist's desire to pass by the pagan cities made me think about how often we, who are supposed to be bringing the Good News to the 'pagans' now a days, often prefer to skirt by their 'dwellings' and instead, gather ourselves in the 'dwellings' of other believers... do we think that we are too good to associate with non-belivers? Jesus went straight to those kinds of people, like Zaccheous the tax collector (Luke 19:1-27), or the Woman at the Well, who was both a Samaratan and a woman of multiple husbands (John 4:1-44), or the lepers (Luke 17:11-19) or any number of other disreputable people... why? because, as Jesus reminds us, it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick (Mark 2:13-17)
verse 15... first sign that there is something not right in the city, when a priest can't get a place to stay... were the people unhospitable? were they irreverent to God? were they too selfish? were they too scared?... what is our reasoning for not inviting people into our homes and our lives?
verse 16-21... interesting to note that the only one who gave them a place to stay was an old man who was not from that town... it is interesting that he was an old man, because he might have likely been old enough to remember the ways that people were supposed to treat others, before all the lawlessness and idol worship took over... it is also interesting that he is an old man who was coming from working in his field... makes me wonder why he didn't have someone younger than him doing the hard labor for him? was he too poor? that makes his sacrifice of hospitatily all the greater, I think.
verse 22... my first thought of this was of disgust, and I wanted to hurry on and get past this chapter... then, I thought about how this same thing had happened to Lot and the angels in Genesis 19... if that had been in Sodom and Gomorrah, and those towns had been destroyed because of their sinfulness, this story really illustrates how far the Isrealites had fallen since the days of Joshua and Moses.... as I was thinking about that, my mind moved on to the idea that these men might have been acting upon their confusion of worship, in addition to their sinful nature/desires... we have read many places within these past chapters where it talks about how the pagans had temple prostitutes (both male and female) as part of their worship ceremonies... so, although this might have been how they greeted all the newcomers to town, it might have also been in light of the fact that the man was a priest, and that was how they worshipped their gods... this thought brought me to another way of seeing these men... yes, they were hideous and disgusting, but they were also sad and lost... it made me think about how when we just look at people through God's eyes, we can see hurt, confused, disillusioned people, who are desperately in need of the healing and cleansing truth of Jesus Christ... when we see people as God sees them, we can look past the disgusting sin that surrounds them, and instead, love them and desire to help them find the love of God... and I'm am so glad that God did this for me, too, so it is the least I can do to do the same for others (Romans 5:8)
verse 25-28... there are many parts of this story that upset me, but this part angers me the most... maybe the priest was just paying the woman back for what she had done to him in verse 2... but regardless, how could he even think of sleeping, let alone get a full night's sleep, all the while knowing what was happening to the woman outside... yet, he doesn't even concern himself with her well-being... she has crawled back in hopes of help and care, but he offers her none... in fact, he sleeps in in the morning, and plans to take off on his way without even the slightest concern for her needs or care... he doesn't even pay her any respect in her death.... it makes me wonder how anyone can be so heartless, especially when they are in the service of God... yet, as I think about this, I wonder how often I have driven by a hitch-hiker without stopping to pick them up, leaving them to the mercy of some other less friendly driver?... how often have I ignored the plea of someone begging for money, or even thrown unkind words their way?... how often have I thought about a homeless person and judged that they 'deserved' their fate?... how often have I turned the other way when a 'smelly' or 'dirty' person was headed in my direction... or maybe just the 'uncool' guy?... how often do I think of drug addicts or prostitutes or anyone in jail... not very often... and when I do, do I just go on about my way, and not give a thought to their care or needs?... do I help the old man when he struggles with his shopping cart?... do I offer help or kind words to the tired mom with the unruly kids?... do I listen to my own children when they just want to share their joy with me?... makes me wonder how someone, who is in the service of God can be so heartless...
verse 29... assuming she is dead at this point, but no confirmation from the text... I think a note might have been a more preferrable option to convey the message.
verse 30... were the people saying this about the acts against the woman's body that led to up to her death... or the acts against the woman's body that were taken after her death... both equally as horrific, I think... where is the identifying actions that distinguish God's people from the pagans! are they clear today in our lives? I pray they are.
sandJ
Chapter 20: verse 1-2... I find it interesting that the people can all come together during a tragedy, but they will not come together to worship... same today, though, I guess... how many people flocked to the church right after 9/11, but now havent' gone back in years? how many people sent aid relief to Haiti right after the earthquake, but how long will it last? according to some, the relief is already tapering off even now... yes, we should rally when something important needs our attention, but why do we take those times to look to God... why can't we discipline ourselves enough to see God and live for Him in even the regular times of life?
versr 3, 12-14: I surprised that the other Benjamite towns, since they heard what was going on, didn't come to try to straighten and smooth things out with the rest of the tribes, instead, it appears they are backing up their brother city, I wonder why.
verse 5-6... i'm annoyed that he didn't tell them that he pushed his concubine outside and gave her to the men knowing what they'd do... he's equally as guilty of her death, I think.
veres 15-16... sounds like the Benjamites were pretty good fighters... wow!... still wondering what the significance of being left-handed was, though?
verse 18-28... this series of events reminds me of times in my life... I ask God what to do, try to follow His leading, and then I appear to have failed somehow, as things don't go as I had expected... then, I might try to give myself a pep talk but ultimately I'll cry about it and ask God what went wrong... eventually I'll pull myself out of my self-pity spot and redirect my questioning back to what God would have me do (but each time, I assume that His direction will be to my benefit... I forget that His ways are not always my ways or that the benefits He seeks do not always come with immediate victories)... I follow God's leading, but again I will fall into discouragement when things don't go as I had anticipated they would.... the funny thing is that the whole time, God is working towards achieving His ultimate goal, and all the good and the bad, put together are bringing about the ultimate victory... it is sometimes so hard to see that though, and I can become so defeated in my thinking and doubtful in my direction because I forget that the outcome is in God's hand, my job is to obey His directions, I am not responsible for the ultimate victory... if I could be, then Jesus would not have needed to come (Galatians 2:21, 1 Corinthians 15:53-58)
verse 34... i find this part interesting: 'the benjamites did not realize how near disaster was'... it makes me think about how many people do not know Jesus, and yet, they are on the verge of eternal disaster and do not know it
verse 35... if I'm calculating right, there were only 1,600 benjamites left after that day of battle.
verse 36-46...is this a repeat or second telling of the previous verses (29-35)?... why? was this book, or at least this part, written by two different people and then put together so each account (maybe one from the ambush side and one from the field side could each have their say in how the battle went, so a complete picture was given?)... just curious
verse 46... i think it interesting that the author states that those that fell were 'vaiant swordsmen'... were they honoring the benjamites, or themselves with this phrase? and why?... maybe honoring the benjamites because they were 'brother Isrealites'... although, maybe honoring themselves by showing that they, themselves, were more 'valiant' since they were victorious?... or maybe expressing an underlying glory to God in how it was He who gave them victory of these otherwise very good fighters (see verse 28 'I will give them into your hands')?... just curious as it stuck out to me.
verse 47-48... if those men had not stayed hidden, the tribe of Benjamin would have been wipe out and future important people (like King Saul in 1 Samuel 9) would not have been born, because their lineage would not have existed... interesting to think how each thing hinges on the last, and how God's hand is orchestrating it all so that it all is just right... makes me think how if we were left to ourselves how we would surely have destroyed the world and everything all ready... that right there is surely a reason to believe in God, just the sheer continuity and completeness and perfection of everything.
the study notes make a good point that the Isrealites did not consult God on the matter of fighting the Benjamites until after they had already desided to do so... interesting that God did not tell them no... maybe that is part of the reason why they were defeated the first two days, so that God got their attention back and they were refocused again on really desiring to follow His lead instead of rush out on their own accord?
the study notes also point out that this is somewhat of a fulfillment of the blessing Jacob gave Benjamin in Genesis 49:27
sandJ
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Judges 14-16 today...... Judges 17-18 tomorrow...
Ah, Samson... so much to say, so little time tonight... thankfully God can use us despite our flaws... but, I hope that none of my daughters marry a man like Samson. I will catch up on my blogs soon, and will post (hopefully) a much more meaningful and biblically insightful commentary here, then.
Much Love,
sandJ
Much Love,
sandJ
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Judges 8-9 today........ Judges 10-11 tomorrow...
Read it.
Sandj
I was also reading about Structure for Family.
We hear that a lot of children spend 5-6 hours in front of the television with little or no parental supervision. Such reports reminds us of the NEED to structure our own and our children's time. What elements of structure are important?
1. Sleep
Children and adults both NEED a good night's rest to live healthy and happy lives. Establishing bedtimes and wakeup times is an imortant element of a family's structure. Structure doesn't need to rigid, but it should provide a framework within which all family members operate.
2. Study Time
Children of different aes will have differing amounts of homework. Also, one child will need more or less time than another child to master the same material. As you gain insight into your childen's abilities ad workloads, you can plan with them the amount of time needed for studies. Time should be flexible, it should be part of your children's daily schedule.
3. Play Time
Time to play is important to growing children. What consitutes "play" differs with age. Younger children may ride bikes or play with dolls. For girls in middle school, "play" might be sitting around with friends and talking. For teenage boys "play" is usually hitting the playground with others for basketball or soccer.
4. Chores
ALL children should have some work to do that makes a valuable contribution to the family. Ideally, this work will be done daily as a basic element in the structure of their day. Chores can include picking up their own clothing, making their beds, carrying out the trash, setting the table, helping to cook the meals or cleaning the kitchen after supper.
5. Family Time
Be sure to include in your structure some time when the entire family is together, at meal time for instance. Also, build in some private time for each child with Dad or Mom. Take a walk or drive to the ice-cream shop or prepare the evening meal together with one child. Spend the time together talking. Also, be sure to use natural times together, like riding somewhere in the car, to draw you child into conversations.
6. Phone and Television Time
When structuring the day, parents will probably have to sent limits on certains activities such as TV watching. Research shows that the physical and mental well-being af American children has been drastically affected by television. It is completely appropriate to set a limit on the number of hours your children may watch TV.
Use of phone will often need supervision also. As children move into adolescense, social relationships become increasingly important. And unless phone time is limited, literally hours each day may be spent chattering with friends to the exclusion of homework, chores and family time.
NOTE: Structure is not Restricting
Structure should never be rigid or inflexible. There shoudl be room for a child to stay overnight with a friend or for a teen to reschedule or skip study time now and then to go off with a friend.
Structure can prove difficult beccause it means that we as parents have to live within that structure ourselves. Sometimes when we're tired we'll have to make a special efforet to help a child with a task. Or perhaps we'll have to change a work schedule in order to keep an ice-cream date. But in a very real sense good parenting is always sacrificial. We give up thins we'd like to do for the sake of our children. And in the end, we're almost always glad we did.
Quote by Unknown
It's not easy to establish a healthy structure for the family, but an absence of structure in the home leads to boredom and even to undisciplined and unprofitable behavior.
Have a great night,
Sandj
Sandj
I was also reading about Structure for Family.
We hear that a lot of children spend 5-6 hours in front of the television with little or no parental supervision. Such reports reminds us of the NEED to structure our own and our children's time. What elements of structure are important?
1. Sleep
Children and adults both NEED a good night's rest to live healthy and happy lives. Establishing bedtimes and wakeup times is an imortant element of a family's structure. Structure doesn't need to rigid, but it should provide a framework within which all family members operate.
2. Study Time
Children of different aes will have differing amounts of homework. Also, one child will need more or less time than another child to master the same material. As you gain insight into your childen's abilities ad workloads, you can plan with them the amount of time needed for studies. Time should be flexible, it should be part of your children's daily schedule.
3. Play Time
Time to play is important to growing children. What consitutes "play" differs with age. Younger children may ride bikes or play with dolls. For girls in middle school, "play" might be sitting around with friends and talking. For teenage boys "play" is usually hitting the playground with others for basketball or soccer.
4. Chores
ALL children should have some work to do that makes a valuable contribution to the family. Ideally, this work will be done daily as a basic element in the structure of their day. Chores can include picking up their own clothing, making their beds, carrying out the trash, setting the table, helping to cook the meals or cleaning the kitchen after supper.
5. Family Time
Be sure to include in your structure some time when the entire family is together, at meal time for instance. Also, build in some private time for each child with Dad or Mom. Take a walk or drive to the ice-cream shop or prepare the evening meal together with one child. Spend the time together talking. Also, be sure to use natural times together, like riding somewhere in the car, to draw you child into conversations.
6. Phone and Television Time
When structuring the day, parents will probably have to sent limits on certains activities such as TV watching. Research shows that the physical and mental well-being af American children has been drastically affected by television. It is completely appropriate to set a limit on the number of hours your children may watch TV.
Use of phone will often need supervision also. As children move into adolescense, social relationships become increasingly important. And unless phone time is limited, literally hours each day may be spent chattering with friends to the exclusion of homework, chores and family time.
NOTE: Structure is not Restricting
Structure should never be rigid or inflexible. There shoudl be room for a child to stay overnight with a friend or for a teen to reschedule or skip study time now and then to go off with a friend.
Structure can prove difficult beccause it means that we as parents have to live within that structure ourselves. Sometimes when we're tired we'll have to make a special efforet to help a child with a task. Or perhaps we'll have to change a work schedule in order to keep an ice-cream date. But in a very real sense good parenting is always sacrificial. We give up thins we'd like to do for the sake of our children. And in the end, we're almost always glad we did.
Quote by Unknown
It's not easy to establish a healthy structure for the family, but an absence of structure in the home leads to boredom and even to undisciplined and unprofitable behavior.
Have a great night,
Sandj
Friday, March 12, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Judges 3-5 today....... Judges 6-7 tomorrow...
Chapter 3: verse 2... sometimes we have to be taught/reminded how to go into battle and how to fight for God... not necessarily physical battle, but spiritual battle... afterall, that is what we are to be engaged in as Christians, and that is why the spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, meditation, reading the Bible, etc are so important... maybe God leaves some 'enemies' in our lives to make us more prepared for the battles we are to fight in the future... see Ephesians 6:10-19
verse 6... I think that the 'serve their gods' part is probably the part that was so wrong... however, the 'taking daughters' part probably led to the 'gods' part... when we find ourselves deep in sin, we likely didn't just jump right into the middle of the deepest part... we probably eased in by doing just a 'small' thing which began to snowball before we realized it... sin is a slippery slope... if we give Satan a foothold, he will make a stronghold out of it before too long, so just don't even give him any opportunity to get in at all... just destroy all the sin, remove yourself from all temptation, and never look back... Ephesians 4:17-32, specifically verse 27 for part about giving the devil a foothold, but the rest for how and why to put off our sinful desires of the past and put on Christ instead.
verse 9... Othniel is a heroic man!
verse 10... God's Spirit came upon him to do things for God... now, as part of the new covenant, God's Spirit lives in us continually (once we've accepted Jesus as our Savior)... so, if they could do so much for God when the Spirit was with them in spurts, just think how much more we can do for God, since His Spirit is with us continually, and how much less we need to worry about whether God will be with us... He is with us, since in us is where He lives (see John 14:12-20)
verse 11-12... ok, so they only obeyed as long as someone was breathing down their necks? where is the spiritual maturity that says 'I will obey no matter who sees or not because I know it is the right thing to do'?... I am also starting to think, that as "we would have been better off left in Egypt, we will die here" was the theme in Exodus, "oh, look there's no one watching let's do as we please" is the theme in Judges?
verse 15... what's with the reference about him being left-handed?
verse 16... big sword?... must have been baggy clothing to hide that big of a sword, I think
verse 17... ok the details are killing me... "a very fat man" :)... ok, acting like a grown up now. :)
verse 19... apparently the king liked secrets?
verse 21... wow... that is quite a message!
verse 22... don't know if I should be amazed, amused, or grossed out here
verse 24... so, they locked the doors when they went potty... interesting to know
verse 25... "they waited to the point of embarrassment"... I think there is something important to think of here, but my mind is not really working on it well... so, leaving it for future thought
verse 27-30... ok, duh statement, but have to make it... thinking their victory had more to do with God's help than with their strategy and strength (see verse 29, especially)
verse 31... study notes mention that 'Anath' was Baal's sister, and a goddess of war... interesting that God chose a deliverer who was related to the 'enemy'... however, as we can probably all attest, one family memeber's lack of faith in God does not necessarily have any bearing on ours (or another familiy member's) decision to follow Christ whoheartedly... on a side note, what is an "oxgoad"
verse 6... I think that the 'serve their gods' part is probably the part that was so wrong... however, the 'taking daughters' part probably led to the 'gods' part... when we find ourselves deep in sin, we likely didn't just jump right into the middle of the deepest part... we probably eased in by doing just a 'small' thing which began to snowball before we realized it... sin is a slippery slope... if we give Satan a foothold, he will make a stronghold out of it before too long, so just don't even give him any opportunity to get in at all... just destroy all the sin, remove yourself from all temptation, and never look back... Ephesians 4:17-32, specifically verse 27 for part about giving the devil a foothold, but the rest for how and why to put off our sinful desires of the past and put on Christ instead.
verse 9... Othniel is a heroic man!
verse 10... God's Spirit came upon him to do things for God... now, as part of the new covenant, God's Spirit lives in us continually (once we've accepted Jesus as our Savior)... so, if they could do so much for God when the Spirit was with them in spurts, just think how much more we can do for God, since His Spirit is with us continually, and how much less we need to worry about whether God will be with us... He is with us, since in us is where He lives (see John 14:12-20)
verse 11-12... ok, so they only obeyed as long as someone was breathing down their necks? where is the spiritual maturity that says 'I will obey no matter who sees or not because I know it is the right thing to do'?... I am also starting to think, that as "we would have been better off left in Egypt, we will die here" was the theme in Exodus, "oh, look there's no one watching let's do as we please" is the theme in Judges?
verse 15... what's with the reference about him being left-handed?
verse 16... big sword?... must have been baggy clothing to hide that big of a sword, I think
verse 17... ok the details are killing me... "a very fat man" :)... ok, acting like a grown up now. :)
verse 19... apparently the king liked secrets?
verse 21... wow... that is quite a message!
verse 22... don't know if I should be amazed, amused, or grossed out here
verse 24... so, they locked the doors when they went potty... interesting to know
verse 25... "they waited to the point of embarrassment"... I think there is something important to think of here, but my mind is not really working on it well... so, leaving it for future thought
verse 27-30... ok, duh statement, but have to make it... thinking their victory had more to do with God's help than with their strategy and strength (see verse 29, especially)
verse 31... study notes mention that 'Anath' was Baal's sister, and a goddess of war... interesting that God chose a deliverer who was related to the 'enemy'... however, as we can probably all attest, one family memeber's lack of faith in God does not necessarily have any bearing on ours (or another familiy member's) decision to follow Christ whoheartedly... on a side note, what is an "oxgoad"
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Judges 1-2 today....... Judges 3-5 tommorrow...
Can you believe it, we are in book 7 of the Bible already! Yeah!!! :) Ok, so first off the background of Judges, as given in the "Invitation" of the NIV Serendipity Bible...
The Author of Judges is no designated in the book. Some have viewed Samuel as the author, but this is uncertain.
Date: The exact date of authorship is unknown, but Judges may have been written during the early period of the reign of David (c 1000-980 BC). The action recorded here spans the period between the conquest and the monarchy of Isreal.
Theme: God is merciful adn long suffering despite the sin of His people.
Historical Background: Two or three hundred years lapse between the conquest of Canaan (after Joshua's death) and the rise of Saul (c 1050 BC). During this time Israel was a loose confederation of tribes spread throughout the Promised Land. This area was heavily influenced by Canaanite culture and religion. Hence, Israel is repeatedly drawn away from worshipping the Lord in their desire to have a king like their neighbors. [Isn't that always the way... instead of letting God be enough, we try to fill ourselves with the world... instead of being content with what God's given us, we want what we don't have]
Characteristics: Once in Canaan, all the Israelites needed to do was obey God; instead, they followed the sinful example of the Canaanites. Their disobedience resulted in a cycle observed throughout the book... (1) There is apostasy or rebellion by God's people; (2) God raises up foreign oppressors to chasten His people; (3) A cry of distress goes up from the Isrealites; (4) God raises up a 'deliverer' or 'judge' who takes up arms to defend the homeland and rescue the repentant people. The Book of Judges shows that even in dark, chaotic times, God is in control. [Sounds like a repeat of the whole Egypt/Moses/desert/promised land thing, except it all happens in the promised land instead of having to trek there?]
The Study Notes make a point of asking: where are you in the 'cycle' that is so common in the Book of Judges- (a) ignoring God? (b) being oppressed? (c) asking for help? (d) being delivered? (e) celebrating deliverance?... something good for us to look at, and maybe see how we can break the cycle to stay more on course with God's direction for moving ahead.
The Author of Judges is no designated in the book. Some have viewed Samuel as the author, but this is uncertain.
Date: The exact date of authorship is unknown, but Judges may have been written during the early period of the reign of David (c 1000-980 BC). The action recorded here spans the period between the conquest and the monarchy of Isreal.
Theme: God is merciful adn long suffering despite the sin of His people.
Historical Background: Two or three hundred years lapse between the conquest of Canaan (after Joshua's death) and the rise of Saul (c 1050 BC). During this time Israel was a loose confederation of tribes spread throughout the Promised Land. This area was heavily influenced by Canaanite culture and religion. Hence, Israel is repeatedly drawn away from worshipping the Lord in their desire to have a king like their neighbors. [Isn't that always the way... instead of letting God be enough, we try to fill ourselves with the world... instead of being content with what God's given us, we want what we don't have]
Characteristics: Once in Canaan, all the Israelites needed to do was obey God; instead, they followed the sinful example of the Canaanites. Their disobedience resulted in a cycle observed throughout the book... (1) There is apostasy or rebellion by God's people; (2) God raises up foreign oppressors to chasten His people; (3) A cry of distress goes up from the Isrealites; (4) God raises up a 'deliverer' or 'judge' who takes up arms to defend the homeland and rescue the repentant people. The Book of Judges shows that even in dark, chaotic times, God is in control. [Sounds like a repeat of the whole Egypt/Moses/desert/promised land thing, except it all happens in the promised land instead of having to trek there?]
The Study Notes make a point of asking: where are you in the 'cycle' that is so common in the Book of Judges- (a) ignoring God? (b) being oppressed? (c) asking for help? (d) being delivered? (e) celebrating deliverance?... something good for us to look at, and maybe see how we can break the cycle to stay more on course with God's direction for moving ahead.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Joshua 19-20 today..... Joshua 21-22 tomorrow...
Read it... commenting soon (all caught up, though from before). :)
sandJ
sandJ
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Joshua 17-18 today..... Joshua 19-20 tomorrow...
17 Joshua divided the land for the Isaelites. Some situations may not be fair. How can you help your children through the unfairness in their situations?
Suggested from Bruce and Mitzie Barton:
1. Don't minimize your child's feelings.
2. Teach the child he remains free to choose his own reaction.
3. Use examples of how others have handled similar unfair treatment.
4. Be their champion, but do so wisely.
5. Where possible, stop the unfair treatment.
6. Allow time for the child to work through to acceptance.
7. Remember that it's what God thinks of us that counts.
Have a great day.
Sandj
Suggested from Bruce and Mitzie Barton:
1. Don't minimize your child's feelings.
2. Teach the child he remains free to choose his own reaction.
3. Use examples of how others have handled similar unfair treatment.
4. Be their champion, but do so wisely.
5. Where possible, stop the unfair treatment.
6. Allow time for the child to work through to acceptance.
7. Remember that it's what God thinks of us that counts.
Have a great day.
Sandj
Friday, March 5, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
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