Committed to the Right Cause

Trust God

Prepare: Are we ready to step down from our leadership to hand over the mantle to the second line believers?
Read: 1 Samuel 10:1-16

Anointing of Saul as king over Israel brought Samuel to the second spot. Yet Samuel is willing to obey the voice of God. Samuel's humility without any guile and bitterness in his heart shows his walk with God. Samuel was led constantly by the Holy Spirit. By given two loaves of bread from the sacrificial goods, ceremonially reserved for priestly use, Saul is being treated like a priest. Saul kept the news of his selection as king, secret, again showing his humility and modesty.

Saul could not understand how a man like him could lead the nation of Israel, so God gave him a series of "signs" to assure him of his new responsibilities. A leader must trust God to solve problems, to meet needs and to be given the power to lead. He must know how to hear God's Word and wait obediently on the Lord. Saul began his ministry in the strength of these assurances, but as time went on, he trusted more and more in himself and rebelled against God's Word.

Saul was a partaker of the Holy Spirit and was genuinely converted, born again, redeemed, and made a new creature at this time. Hence he enjoyed the fivefold spiritual blessing in his life: 1. The Spirit of God came upon him. 2. He prophesied 3. He was turned to another man 4. God was with him 5. God gave him another heart.

Respond: Lord keep me humble and use me for Your glory.

Wanted New Captain

God Provides

Prepare: A wise son heeds his father's instruction.
Read: 1 Samuel 8:1-22

It is possible to be faithful in ministry and yet end your life in disappointment. That is what happened to Samuel. His sons disappointed him.They were not able to carry on their father's ministry because they did not follow their father's godly example.Eli's sons yielded to the lusts of the flesh (1 Samuel 2:12-17), while Samuel's sons were lovers of money. They judged Israel, without being just in their life. They took bribes and turned justice upside down.

Samuel was disappointed in the nation, for they wanted a king. They used Samuel's sons as their excuse, but the real reason was their lack of faith in God. They wanted to be like the other nations with kings. Samuel's warnings about what the king would do made no no impression on the people. Note the repetition of the phrase "he will take". When God rules the people, He will supply or meet the needs of the people. But when a king rules the people, they have to meet all his needs as well as whims. All that Samuel worked for and prayed for seemed to have turned out differently.

If only they could have waited for 10-12 years, God Himself would have given them David as their king. If only Abraham could have waited for some time, Ishmael would not have born. We have to wait in the presence of God, for the promises of God to be fulfilled. Leaders who are faithful to God may not always appear successsful to men.

Respond: Lord, teach me to wait in Your presence.

Samuel Judges Israel

Prepare: We need godly leaders
Read: 1 Samuel 7:3-17

Samuel's leadership: The ark of God remained in the house of Abinadab for twenty years. During this period of time, God was preparing Samuel for his ministry. Samuel's position as chief ruler in Israel became firmly established. As a religious leader, he commanded the people to turn from idols. Ashtaroth was the fertility goddess frequently associated with Baal in the Old Testament. Samuel exhorted the Israelites to direct their hearts to the Lord and to serve Him alone. It is true that the ark returned to the Israelites. But how about the Israelites themselves? They should return to the Lord. So Samuel exhorted them to return to the Lord with all their hearts.The Israelites drew water and poured it out before the Lord. This is a symbolic act. They showed their willingness to spill their blood to effect a reconciliation with the Lord.

When the Philistines drew near to battle, God attacked them in a violent thunderstorm. To those simple hearted people, a visible memorial would serve as a constant reminder of God's redeeming power. The name 'Ebenezer', 'stone of help', would tell them that the One who had set them free from the enemies, desired to continue being their God.

Israel was secure and stable both externally and internally under the rule of Samuel, for the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. There was peace between the Israelites and the Amorites. Samuel's annual visits from his home town of Ramah gave the people confidence and trust in God and in Samuel's leadership.

Respond: Lord, help us to follow godly leaders who can guide us to fulfill Your purposes for our lives.

The Ark of God Returned to Israel

Prepare: Waiting upon the Lord for greater challenges.
Read: 1 Samuel 6:17-7:2

The Philistines sent golden mice and golden tumours along with the ark as a guilt offering to the Lord of Israel. The golden mice were according to the number of cities of the Philistines. They made sure that no part of the Philistine territory was left out.

Inspite of the understandable Israelite joy to see the ark returned, events soon made it clear that the ark was not to be trifled with. As a symbol of divine presence, it was holy. The Hebrew expression 'looked upon' indicates staring, and perhaps gloating. This irreverence explains why God struck some of the men, who were guilty of breaking the law in Numbers 4:20. Seventy people died.

The people of Beth Shemesh asked the people of Kiriath Jearim to take the ark of God. Kiriath Jearim lay about ten miles north east of Bethshemesh, in the direction of Shiloh. The ark of God remained in the house of Abinadab in Kiriath Jearim for about twenty years. It was during this period, God was preparing Samuel for greater tasks.

The men of Beth Shemesh were reaping the harvest when the cart with the ark came into view. The ark had been gone for six months, but the men did not allow that to keeo them from working. Even in times of defeat, there are jobs to be done and people to feed. Abinadab's house will become a tabernacle of the Lord, but should not every home be a holy dwelling place for Him?

Respond: Lord, help me to realize that the waiting time is not a wasted time.

The Ark of God among the Philistines

Reading for July 3, 2012

Prepare: The Lord will fight our battles.
Read: 1 Samuel 5:1-12

The Philistines took the ark of God from Ebenezer to Ashod and set it beside Dagon, their God, in the house of Dagon. They thought that their victory was sure prrof that their God, Dagon was superior to the God of Israel. But the people of Ashod soon realized their folly when Dagon fell again and again, breaking into pieces before the ark of God. Moreover, the people of Ashod were afflicted with tumours. So they decided to send the ark of God to Gath. The people in Gath also experienced affliction and so they sent it to Ekron.

The captured ark of the covenant proved a curse among the Philistines, wherever it was taken, whether Ashod, or Gath or Ekron. At Ashod, it destrpyed the idol of Dagon and afflicted the people with tumours. At Gath, it brought great destruction and the people were afflicted with tumours. The Lord wanted the Philistines to know that He had been behind all that happened. God would fight for His people. Nobody can stand if God fights for His people.

The ark of God, which symbolized God's presence, was holy and was dangerous to the pagan people, especially when they treated it as one of their idols. The Philistines soon realized that they could not keep the ark of God in any of their territories for fear of death. They decided to send the ark back to the Israelites.

Respond: Lord, when You fight our battles, we should fight Your battles.

The Tragic End of Eli's Family

Prepare: God's judgment is sure to come.
Read: 1 Samuel 4:12-22

The death of Eli: When the news of Israel's defeat reached Shiloh, all the people of Israel mourned. There was a great lamentation in the city. Eli, now 98 years old, who could not see, but heard the great uproar, also learnt about the worst defeat of Israel at the hands of their enemies, the Philistines. His sons, Hophni and Phinehas, also died. Above all, the ark of the covenant of God was captured and taken away by the Philistines. The priests, who were entrusted with the maintenance of the ark of God,were now dead. When Eli heard all the bad news, he fell down and died in great distress. Eli was a judge for forty years. Probably, it was true in Eli's period also that "in those days there was no King in Israel; Evereyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25).

The death of Eli's daughter-in-law: The wife of Phinehas, Eli's daughter-in-law, was in an advanced stage of pregnancy. The news of the death of Eli and her husband and the capture of the ark of God brouht labour pain and she delivered a boy baby. She named him Ichabod, meaning the "glory has departed", before her death. This is a very sad reading.

Those who are in God's service should be very careful about their families. The tragic end of a father unwilling to discipline his children and the sad end of the unrepentant children should be a lesson for all of us.

Respond: Lord, help us to realize that You are a righteous judge.

The Defeat of Israelites

Prepare: Are we aware of God's chastening?
Read: 1 Samuel 3:19-4:11

This passage shows how God honoured His faithful servant Samuel and punished Eli's two wicked sons.

Samuel's rise: Samuel grew in stature. As a priest, Samuel could function only at Shiloh, but as a prophet, his influence extended from Dan to Beersheba i.e., from the northermost to the southermost parts of Israel. He is thus shown as a national figure of importance and no longer an obscure person in Shiloh (1 Peter 5:6).

Israel's defeat: There is no indication in this passage to suggest that the people of Israel sought the guidance of God before launching an attack against the Philistines. They were eventually defeated by the Philistines. They thought that the physical presence of the ark of the covenant of the Lord would bring them victory. So they brought the ark from Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, came along with the ark to the battle field.

Israel had a false confidence of the presence of God among them and fought against the Philistines. Thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell on that day. The ark of God was also captured by the Philistines. Eli's sons, Hophni and Phineas also died in the battle. God's prophecy concerning Eli's sons came true.

God chastens the people He loves, as the father punishes his children to correct them. Are we willing to learn our lesson when God corrects us? Are we willing for God to correct our false ideas?

Respond: Lord, help us to recognize Your chastening and to learn from our mistakes.