1 Samuel 12:1-13:22
1 Sam. 12
After this victory over the Ammonites, Israel gathered at Gilgal, near the Jordan, and celebrated. Samuel used this occasion to confront the people with the choice they had made and to help them understand that a king was not the answer to all of their problems. They, together with their king, would still need to follow and obey the Lord.
Vs. 1-5 This sounds like Samuel revisiting their demand to him to give them a king. He mentions that he obeyed their voice and that he is old. The thing he does here, asking anyone to name a way he used his office for his own advantage, sounds like what Moses did when he gave his final address to the nation.
Vs. 6-18 This address tells the people that they didn't need to demand a king. God had always looked out for them when they followed and obeyed. Having a king wouldn't relieve them of the personal responsibility to follow and love the Lord. The Lord says the "amen" to Samuel's words.
Vs. 19-25 Samuel continued ministering in Israel for the next 30+ (?) years, almost up to the time Saul died.
1 Sam. 13
Now, these verses are a mess. A scribe might have spilled his coffee on them. In Acts 13:21, Paul says that Saul reigned for 40 years. That is a help, but not here. The real question is how old Saul was when he began. The best guess is that Saul was 40 when he became king. (All this is in the Bible Knowledge Commentary.) This would explain Jonathan being old enough to be a soldier (v. 3) if Saul had a son at 17, which was common in that culture.
The reference to "two years" could mean the time frame when this particular situation arose, in other words, "and after he reigned for two years, this happened."
Apparently Samuel told Saul to call the people together at Gilgal. This would be a sacrifice and consecration of the kingship of Saul. In the meantime, Israel had made some problems for the Philistines. Saul calls the people there, but the Philistines are amassing an army.
Vs. 8-15 This was the event that Samuel had spoken of earlier, where Saul was to wait for Samuel for 7 days. Now, waiting, when waiting is easy, is easy; but waiting when it stretches your faith to the breaking point is what makes real faith. The people were already afraid and Saul had no faith to bind them to the Lord. As the people were scattering and it was the seventh day, Saul offered the sacrifice. Wouldn't you know it. No sooner had he done this, than Samuel shows up.
My question for us as disciples, is what did Saul teach or fail to teach the people by doing this? Saul did the thing anyone would have done. It seems excusable, reasonable, human. This is a good point to stop and ponder this story. It is easy to follow when everything is good, but waiting in faith separates the men from the boys. Also, it is easy to lead in a vacuum or when everything is good; but in a situation like this, it shows what you really believe. If we are to be disciples who make disciples, we ourselves need to be proven in the fire.
Also, when you think of Saul, worried about the army coming against him and his people scattering, what stories of the recent past would you have used to remind him that he could still depend on God?
Vs. 16-22 This is just setting us up for the adventures of Jonathan tomorrow. Although I have to say, if I was a king, I would have been working to get my merry men armed.
John 7:1-29
This section of John, from 7 to 10:21, is during the two-week festival around the day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. This took place six months before Jesus dies and it is His presentation of Himself to the nation as their Messiah. John puts in the rest of chapter 10, which took place two months later during Hanukkah, as Jesus' final teaching about Himself in Jerusalem, completing the presentation. These are very important chapters.
Vs. 1-2 The passage of time here is about six months. If the feeding of the 5000 was just before the Passover in April, this would be October. This was one of those three times of the year (Passover, Pentecost, Day of Atonement / Feast of Tabernacles) when all males had to appear before the Lord.
V. 8 has the word "yet" in some manuscripts, but not in others. Three theories: First, there was a time element in the original that was inherent to the words. Second, there was a "yet" in the original manuscript, or that time element was very plain in the original and some scribe added the "yet." Or, third, at this moment, Jesus had been told not to go to the feast and after the brothers left, the Father told him to go to the feast.
Vs. 10-29 I can't image the intensity of being in Jerusalem during that time. In some respects, this visit to Jerusalem was the time of their visitation and they didn't realize it. In the next chapters we'll see how bold Jesus became. He made them an offer they couldn't refuse, but they did.
Psalm 108
It seems to me that the beginning of the psalm is in remembrance of what God has done. Based on that past faithfulness of God comes the dire request in verses 10-12.
Proverbs 15:4
It is easy to be hard and biting, but Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." I think I'm more interested in my "abundance" being truthful, healing and encouraging, than truthful, correct and biting. I think this is something the Lord has worked on to change in me.
Yesterday evening I was preparing for an interview, making notes, praying about what questions to ask. I know that all of us are under the weight of this life, the weight of sin, trying to go forward for Christ, but nothing is easy. Church isn't easy. I had a feeling about the situation, but wrote under all of my notes, "Be an encouragement." Actually, it was the world's shortest telephone interview; but for my part, even in the few words I was actually able to say, I did try to follow this verse.
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 it.
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