May 11, Reading Notes

1 Samuel 10-11

1 Sam. 10

Vs. 1-13

Vs. 1 is probably an emotional moment for Samuel since he had judged and cared for Israel so long.

Notice that in all of the signs of confirmation, going to Gilgal was part of the charge God gave to Saul. It is as if to say, "Just as the other signs will be confirmed, go down to Gilgal and wait." Waiting can be the hardest thing to do, but the signs that preceded the waiting were to help Saul wait. Remember, when Israel came through the Jordan with Joshua, they came to Gilgal and renewed the covenant with God . That is why God is telling Saul that this will be an important meeting.

V. 6 That Saul is turned into another man, might mean the change was for that moment, or he was given some special gift for organizing and ruling Israel, like Solomon was given wisdom.

Vs. 14-27

The only thing I would mention here is the attitude of Saul. In verse 16 his silence is noted. In verse 22 he is hiding where the baggage was stationed. In verse 27 he allows the disrespect to go unanswered.

As people we can identify with the awesome responsibility thrust upon Saul. We can imagine the weight and the desire to hide. But, Saul had God as a great resource and the kingship and leadership of Israel wasn't about him, it was about the nation and God. This is all to say that Saul needed to have a harder, more mature attitude about these things, standing before God for the Nation. This attitude about himself will eventually get him into a lot of trouble.

As disciples, we face the same thoughts, but what we've been called to be and do, is not about us, it is about Christ, the Gospel and a lot of dying people. The easiest way for Satan to neutralize us, is to get us thinking and worrying about ourselves.

1 Samuel 11

Vs. 1-4 Notice that God brings about this "disaster" so that He can use it against the bad guys. Since Saul's selection ceremony seemed to lack full confidence in Saul, the Lord provided an occasion where Israel could be confident of the king God chose for them.

V. 6 I mentioned before with Samson, that when the Spirit "rushes" on someone, sometimes, it looks pretty angry.

V. 11 I think this is that "other person" the Spirit made Saul. Saul knew how to form his army and fight.

V. 12 The people knew, and I think God did too, that the men who disrespected God and Saul needed to be punished. Saul still wasn't up to the task. Later in his reign, Saul will be direct, brutal and bloodthirsty, but against all the wrong people.

Samuel officiates a victory celebration at Gilgal, but it is not the one that he told Saul of when he first anointed him. That future meeting in Gilgal would be like a covenant renewal and confirm Saul's reign. This meeting will happen in chapter 13, but it will not go as planned. It seems to me that at this meeting in Gilgal, Samuel / God humbled the people for their desire for a king (Ch. 12) and then told them to come together again for a full consecration of themselves and Saul (Ch. 13). Again, that future meeting in Gilgal will not go well.

I'll warn you in advance, that some of this early history with Saul is hard to understand timewise.

John 6:43-71

Looking at verse 59 we see that this talk took place in a synagogue.

Notice that there is grumbling mentioned in two places. This reminds me of the grumbling of Israel in the wilderness.

V. 51 We know that Jesus is talking about the sacrifice of His body. They were all struggling with this imagery.

V. 52 The Jews would be the Jewish leaders.

Vs. 54-59 This is like a parable, with Jesus' own body as the main object.

As disciples we get all balled up with our "expression" of the Gospel, but notice that Jesus is being very cryptic and He's doing it to divide the serious followers from the superficial followers. He's doing it with full confidence that those who the Father is leading to Him cannot be scared away. We need to have confidence when we tell others about Christ. But the confidence isn't in ourselves. God will do His work.

Vs. 60-65 This passage is gold for our confidence as disciples. We are told to proclaim. He is the one who draws and redeems.

Vs. 66-71 This was just as hard a test for the twelve as for everyone else. For Peter and co. there was no option. They knew who He was, even if His words were totally hidden and offensive to them. Notice that, for some reason, Judas Iscariot hung on, and Jesus remarks about him.

From this point on, many of Jesus' disciples left and this marks the down turn in His popularity. That great sign, the feeding of the 5000, brought the people into conflict with Jesus. Jesus was more interested in saving their souls than feeding their bellies and meeting their needs.

Psalm 107

Some psalms are broken into three days and this long psalm is given in one whack. Go figure. We should be able to get some good Bible study 101 lessons here.

I think that the message of this psalm is found in the first and last three verses. Can you see that?

Now, look for a recurring pattern of words. Hint: Some…..then.

Also, look for any recurring words or themes.

If you take the time to do this, you'll get a lot out of this psalm. I'm having a bad day and it lifted my heart.

Proverbs 15:1-3

Wow! Talk about three big verses.

Going backwards:

the person who fears God and knows that He's watching, keeps watch over his words and goes with the knowledge God has given him over his own emotions and even in a hard place will give a soft answer.

But a fool forgets or doesn't care that God is watching, lets his mouth run and stirs up all sorts of evil.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand