Daily Bible Devotionals

“Now the Lord said to Joshua: ‘Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed: take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.’ So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night.” Joshua 8:1-3 (NKJV)

I love my Google Maps app. Sure, I love it because it gives me exact turn-by-turn directions to the places I want to go, and I love it because it takes into consideration real-time events like road construction and traffic accidents and re-routes me accordingly. But I love Google Maps MOSTLY because there is no shame in it.

If I fail to make a wrong turn, Google Maps simply finds the next best route based on my position. That is because the goal of Google Maps is to get me where I want to be without emotions getting in the way. Google Maps never says, “You’re such an idiot!” or “Why don’t you listen to me?” It never tells me, “You are a bonehead like your dad!” You know, things I might hear from certain other passengers in the car, who are stressed out and late for an appointment…

In today’s passage, we are reminded that the Lord lays aside the shame and guilt from the previous chapter and redirects Israel toward His goal of victory in Ai. We are reminded of His grace and mercy toward His people. Once the sin has been purged, the Lord encourages Joshua that He will again go before the army of Israel and guarantee victory. We are reminded of His forgiving character, that God does not hold a grudge. Once sin is dealt with, He sets us back on the path of righteousness.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.” Psalm 103:11-14 (HCSB)

Once God has given His assurance of victory, the details of the battle sort of fly by. Sure, there is a narrative and some drama with an ambush, but the whole battle only takes up a few paragraphs, like reading a news story. The real drama happens at the chapter’s end: Re-Writing and Reading the Torah of Moses. And that remembrance and re-commitment are what we do when we seek His Word each day. Keep your focus on the Lord and His Word, and the idolatry of this world will be exposed as the harlotry it is! And you will walk in victory, as the Lord promises.

“Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the Lord’s counsel. So Joshua established peace with them and made a treaty to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them. Three days after making the treaty with them, they heard that the Gibeonites were neighbors living among them. Joshua 9:14-16 (HCSB)

Let’s once again consider Israel’s deliverance into Canaan as a metaphor for our salvation. The “land” would represent your own body. The “former inhabitants” would be representative of those former fleshly desires that used to drive you down destructive paths.

Once Israel received deliverance, by God’s grace, they were commanded to drive out those former inhabitants. In a similar manner, once we have been delivered through Messiah, we are commanded to drive out the “former self” and its controlling desires.

Israel was doing a pretty good job of it. They had the issue with Achan taking the spoils of war, but they dealt with him. Soon, they were back on the path to victorious dispossession.

Then came the Gibeonites. Israel was so naïve that they fell for a scam that seemed too simple to be a lie! Followers of Jesus, immature in their faith, can do the same thing. Sometimes, older believers display the same immaturities as younger believers!

Satan comes to lie, steal and destroy. He lies to entice you away from the Lord. Once you fall for the lie, he steals your blessing. Set apart from the Lord’s blessing, Satan has effectually destroyed your impact as a believer. Often, he will present a “former inhabitant” in a new light or even try to disguise it as a whole other thing that the Lord would approve of.

Israel’s problem is that they forgot the most important part of their investigation: They didn’t seek the Lord’s counsel.

You may have experienced victories in various areas of morality, but don’t ever believe the lie that says you don’t need to seek the Lord continually. He cares about the smallest details of your life. The only stupid question is the one you didn’t take to the Lord and weigh it against the trustworthiness of His Word.

Consider the verse we teach children and never forget we are children in God’s eyes:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones." Proverbs 3:5-8 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Joshua 10. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“At that time, Joshua proceeded to exterminate the Anakim from the hill country – Hebron, Debir, Anab – all the hill country of Judah and Israel. Joshua completely destroyed them with their cities. No Anakim were left in the land of the Israelites, except for some remaining in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod. So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the Lord had told Moses. Joshua then gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. After this, the land had rest from war.” Joshua 11:21-23 (HCSB)

Who were the Anakim? They were the “giants in the land.” Remember the negative report concerning Canaan, which 10-of-the-12 spies gave to Moses?

“They reported to Moses: “We went into the land where you sent us. Indeed it is flowing with milk and honey, and here is some of its fruit. However, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We also saw descendants of Anak there.” Numbers 13:27-28 (HCSB)

Were there actual “giants” in Canaan? Yes. But should that have stopped Israel from trusting the Lord’s promise, “You will defeat them”? Obviously not! We all face spiritual opposition, and some of our battles are against spiritual “giants.” It would be utterly impossible for us to defeat them unless God were with us. And He is.

People generally don’t trust God because they don’t know Him well. They may know things about Him, but they don’t spend quality time with Him on a regular basis. I say it often, but Trust = Character/Time.

The best way to build your trust with the Lord is by experiencing His character through spending time in His Word, the Bible. In the Bible, we experience the triumphs and trials of people just like us. You experience God’s love and great promises but also His rebuke and judgment.

Israel is truly a nation of priests. It is through their story, the recount of their faithful choices (and faithless-ness), that we experience God’s character and interaction with people. Their story spans throughout history yet is condensed into a collection of relatively short books. Simply turn on the network news, and you can join their ongoing “narrative” in our generation, but you will never get the full story in its proper context until you personally and consistently seek God’s Word, the Bible. God’s Word should be the filter through which you view the World.

That being said, we will never defeat the “Giants” in our lives until we do as Joshua did:

“So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with ALL that the Lord had told Moses.” Where do we learn all that the Lord commands, concerning defeating giants? And from what source do we muster the confidence to obey His commands? His revealed Word, the Bible. (Romans 10:17)

“Moses the Lord’s servant and the Israelites struck them down. And Moses the Lord’s servant gave their land as an inheritance to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh. Joshua and the Israelites struck down the following kings of the land beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which ascends toward Seir (Joshua gave their land as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their allotments)” Joshua 12:6-7 (HCSB)

Under the leadership of Moses, the Lord delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt and led them to the edge of the Jordan. Under Joshua’s leadership, the Lord allowed Israel to cross the Jordan and conquer the major kingdoms in Canaan. Between Moses and Joshua, 31 kings were killed.

The Exodus was long past, and the major obstacles in Canaan were completely destroyed. Now, it only remained for the individual Israelite tribes to dispossess the remaining inhabitants and claim their tribal allotments.

In what may seem like a simple transitional chapter, I believe there is a profound message here that is relevant to us: Finish the work! By now, you are familiar with the idea that Israel’s deliverance is also a metaphor for our deliverance through Messiah, Jesus. Moses represents the Law, and Joshua is a messiah figure, so now the story focuses on our part.

When we share the gospel, the first thing we convey is that all men are sinners. God’s standard (as articulated in the Bible) exposes man’s sin by laying out God’s character and His standard. The law cannot save us, but it can draw us out from the world, seeking the God Who sets the standard. Likewise, Moses led Israel out of Egypt, following the Lord, but Moses could not deliver them into the “promised land.”

Joshua led Israel across the Jordan and defeated all the major enemies in the land. The land was Israel’s. But then, each tribe had the challenge of driving out the remaining inhabitants. Israel’s success in the land was dependent upon their willingness to trust God to go before them, not as a nation, but as individual tribes. God’s relationship with Israel became increasingly personal: A “mixed multitude” leaves Egypt; Israel takes its national inheritance; independent tribes pursue their personal allotments.

Similarly, Jesus defeated the major enemies of mankind: death and sin. Salvation is completely by Grace through Faith in Jesus. Yet enemies remain in the form of our “former inhabitants,” aka our lingering sin nature. It is our challenge to drive out the remaining “inhabitants” so that we may fully thrive in our deliverance by God’s grace when we faithfully place our trust in Jesus. Of course, God gives us the same encouragement He gave Israel. He will gracefully go before us, and we will defeat those “former inhabitants” if we will trust His Word and fight by faith!

“Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: ‘You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed. This is the land that yet remains…’” Joshua 13:1-2a (NKJV)

In chapters 13 and 14, the Lord quickly turned Israel’s focus from past victories to unconquered land. The first thing the Lord does is strengthen Israel’s leader, Joshua. Aging warriors are more pitied than remembered. At a point where Joshua may have “felt” unable to fight, God declares him “able.”

Personally, I love how God begins by acknowledging Joshua’s obvious physical limitations. “You’re old, advanced in years.” I’ve heard it said that you’re only as young as you feel. God was letting Joshua know He was aware of his advanced years. But more important than Joshua’s age was God’s promise of victory!

“Don’t stop!” Those were the words of my college Cross Country coach, Jay Flannigan. I had been resting an injury for a week when it came time for our meet at Murray State University. Because I didn’t feel able to run, my coach convinced me to run the first 2 miles of a six-mile race. At the end of 2 miles, I was in 1st place, so coach yelled out, “Don’t stop! I’ll see you at the next mile marker!” I yelled out, “I’m hurting! He responded, “You’re winning!”

For the next 4 miles, Coach Flannigan and I had the same discussion at each mile marker. I wanted to quit at the end of every mile, and Coach kept saying, “You can’t quit while you’re in 1st place!” That day, not only did I win the race, but I set a course record.

Perhaps, you’re tired of running the race of “Faith.” Maybe you feel like you’re too old or too young to rise to whatever occasion the Lord is calling you. Keep running! Keep on believing! It’s the only way to win.

God will go before us when we invest our faith in action. We have faith because we have a promise. We gain understanding of His promise when we commit to study His word. Then, when we pray, “How should I employ Your Word in my life?” He gives us a plan, HIS PLAN, which guarantees success in what He has called us.

True success is not a matter of age or lack thereof. Success, in God’s eyes, is when His people move out in faith. He provides the calling and equipping, but we must respond in obedience before He will provide the increase.

“As you see, the Lord has kept me (Caleb) alive these 45 years as He promised, since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel was journeying in the wilderness. Here I am today, 85 years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for going out and coming in is now as it was then.” Joshua 14:10-11 (HCSB)

How long would you wait on the Lord? Five years? Five months? Five minutes? I believe we wait on God in direct proportion to our understanding of His promise.

Caleb and Joshua believed God’s promise. So when they returned from scouting the land, what they observed in Canaan was arbitrary to the fact that God promised they would take the land. The bad news for their generation was that almost everyone believed the faithless reports - everyone except Joshua and Caleb. This should be a lesson to us all: Live faithlessly, and reap the fruits of faithlessness. Live faithfully and experience unseen things miraculously realized.

Caleb was 40 years old when he and Joshua scouted the Promised Land. At the age of 85, he was given the opportunity to take the land again. He could have complained or blamed his fear on his old age, but Caleb was energized by the opportunity. How so?

Caleb understood faith. Faith says, “I can’t, but God can.” As a young man, he didn’t trust his youthful strength. And when he was an old man, he wasn’t deterred by his physical limitations. Was Caleb endowed with supernatural strength? I don’t believe so. Caleb had faith.

If God promises victory, it really has nothing to do with your strength. God is your strength. You simply have to believe and work as hard as you can. He will supply what we lack. I say, “simply believe,” but the resolve to fight is more than intellectual assent. It is faith-in-action. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, the Bible.

Putting God’s Word into action is your decision. God has already decided to give you victory if you faithfully follow Him.

Whether you’re 18 or 80, have faith and courage. God will be your strength!

“Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he (Joshua) gave a share among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the Lord to Joshua, namely, Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak) Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. Then he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher). And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.” Joshua 15:13-16 (NKJV)

Modern-day Hebron is a very troublesome place to live. Just watch the nightly news, and it is sure to come up. Hebron is the second largest (second only to Gaza) city in the so-called “Palestinian” territories. It is the fourth most holy site for Islam. It is also the second most holy city for Jews (second to Jerusalem) because it hosts the tomb of the patriarchs and matriarchs.

Historically, David reigned as king in Hebron for seven years, and Hebron was where Absalom declared his kingship. Samson took the gates of Gaza and carried them to Hebron. Throughout history, Hebron has been a difficult place. Of course, God would choose Caleb to take possession of it!

Caleb actually had a history with Hebron about 40 years earlier. When the 12 spies were sent out by Moses to survey the Promised land, 10 of the spies gave a negative report about Hebron, where the Anakim (sons of Anak) resided.

“Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.” Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” Numbers 13:28-30 (NKJV)

Forty years have gone by, and almost nothing has changed with respect to the harshness of the land (hill country) or its people (Anakim – GIANTS). But more importantly, nothing had changed in Caleb’s faithfulness. Friends, we must fight to fully lay hold of what we have been endowed by grace. Yes, Jesus had paid the fullness of the penalty for our sin. Yes, we are saved by grace and not by works. But once we have received His atonement, we are given the charge to drive out those “former inhabitants,” old sin patterns. It is God’s command that we fight those former inhabitants, and by employing His Spirit, our victory is guaranteed.

The foe is no smaller (or greater) in our generation than it was in Caleb’s. Faithfulness among God’s people in our day is as rare as it was in Joshua and Caleb’s. Let’s be a generation that asks for the high and rocky land, one that does not fear in the presence of giants who are dwarfed by our mighty God!

“This was the inheritance of the tribe of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans, together with the cities set apart for the descendants of Ephraim within the inheritance of the descendants of Manasseh – all these cities with their villages. But, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So the Canaanites live in Ephraim to this day, but they are forced laborers.” Joshua 16:10 (HCSB)

Today’s passage continues the notion that Israel’s deliverance into Canaan is also a metaphor for our deliverance through Jesus. Once the major enemies had been destroyed, the individual Israelite tribes were tasked with driving out the rest of the land’s inhabitants.

This is a metaphor for us because, while Jesus has conquered sin and death, we are charged with the task of subduing our fleshly desires, our “former masters,” so to speak.

The apostle Paul said, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.” Philippians 2:12b-13 (HCSB)

Paul wasn’t telling the Philippians to work in order to earn their salvation. We are saved by ‘grace through faith,’ not of good works. (Ephesians 2:8-9) What Paul was saying is that Christians must work hard to drive out the “old self” in order to enjoy the fullness of our salvation, which was given to us from God by His grace. If we will fight, God will go before us, even giving us the will to fight if we choose to follow His leading.

In the same way, Israel was delivered into Canaan by God’s grace. But they would never enjoy the land until they removed the remaining insurgents. Think of the recent Middle East warring. The U.S.-led Coalition forces eliminated Iraq and Afghanistan’s ability to wage full-scale war years ago. Still, there will never be peace until all the terrorist insurgents are completely removed, either through death or complete surrender.

The tribe of Ephraim puts a new twist on “failure to dispossess.” Consider how some of the Judean family tribes (who believed they could not drive out the Jebusites) allowed some of the Jebusites to remain neighbors. Ephraim chose to make the remnant of Gezer their slaves.

Please, don’t rest until you have driven out ALL the “former inhabitants” of your land. You cannot be “neighbors” with your old sin nature, nor can you make it your “slave.” It will not be mastered because its nature is to master YOU! So, determine to kill the old self and deny its advances whenever it surfaces with a plan to negotiate you away from God’s great design for your life.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Joshua 17. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“The entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh where it set up the tent of meeting there; the land had been subdued by them.  Seven tribes among the Israelites were left who had not divided up their inheritance.  So Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you delay going to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers gave you?’”  Joshua 18:1-3 (HCSB)

Let’s pause for a moment and consider all that has happened to Israel in such a short amount of time.  Under Moses’ leadership, they defeated major kingdoms east of the Jordan.  Moses passed away, and Joshua led Israel across the Jordan, where they defeated all the major kingdoms inside Canaan.  Then, Israel began to spread out across the land as individual tribes.

After all the Lord had done in their midst, seven tribes had still not taken possession of their allotted land.  Joshua decided to call a meeting of all Israel at Shiloh, a land where the enemy had been completely driven out.  The Tent of Meeting was set up there.  It was the perfect setting in which to encourage the remaining seven tribes.  It communicated: 1) God destroyed the inhabitants of this land when we took courage and fought so that He will do the same for you.  2) The direction you receive today is from God, Himself, straight from His tent of meeting.

Joshua’s message was, in effect, “God has led you this far; why would He not enable you to finish well?”

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)

It is almost the same scenario we find in the New Testament book of The Revelation, chapters 2-3.  There are seven churches, all of which started well, yet everyone lacks something that keeps them from receiving the fullness of their blessing.  Seven tribes and seven churches, each having experienced the Lord’s deliverance, struggled with the urge to “settle” for less.

This is a message we can all identify with.  Today, let’s remember all that the Lord has done for us.  Now, in contrast, consider where you’ve “settled” for less than God desires for you.  Your “enemies” seek to deceive you by leading you to believe they are too strong to overcome or so weak that they are hardly worth your time and effort to drive out.  Nevertheless, the Lord has commanded us to completely destroy them!

In the words of Joshua, “How long will you delay in going out to take possession of all the Lord has promised?

“These were the portions that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families distributed to the Israelite tribes by lot at Shiloh in the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing up the land.” Joshua 19:51 (HCSB)

Under Joshua’s leadership, every Israelite was a co-inheritor of God’s promise concerning the land of Canaan. This meant that every tribe and every family was given a portion. Not every tribe and family were of equal proportion, but each received the inheritance God determined. Most importantly, each received an inheritance explicitly chosen for them by God, Himself.

In a similar way, the Bible tells us that followers of Jesus are “co-inheritors with Messiah.” And who is allowed to follow Jesus? John 3:16 states, “…that WHOSOEVER believes will not perish, but have eternal life.” In short, anyone.

To ensure a peaceful life in their inheritance, there were three requirements of the Israelite: 1) They had to receive it. 2) They had to drive out its former inhabitants, believing God’s promise of victory. 3) They had to continue to honor the Lord.

I want to make it clear that salvation is by God’s grace, through faith. Salvation is not the end result of an accumulation of “good works” we may accomplish. Ephesians 2:8-9

That said, faith without works is dead. There is a difference between “works” that lead to salvation and “works” that are the result of salvation. If you want to have peace as a believer - not necessarily the absence of conflict, but rather the presence of peace in the midst of conflict - you have to believe the Lord’s promise and fight to drive out those “former inhabitants.” If you trust Him, He will go before you and accomplish all you could not achieve without Him.

To maintain the peace and joy of our salvation, it is not enough to simply “receive” our inheritance through Messiah and then live as if nothing ever happened. Salvation is not about a single moment; it is a moment that results in movement. We must become disciples: followers who discipline themselves to continually seek the Lord’s direction and faithfully follow it.

“These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and foreigners among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die at the hand of the avenger of blood until he stands before the assembly.” Joshua 20:9 (HCSB)

It is good to know that Satan is not our judge. He could never be fit to judge us because his only motive is to pervert justice. Yet, the Devil would love for us to believe that our cases have already been decided and we are simply awaiting God’s eternal punishment.

Good news: Our trial is not over. In fact, it hasn’t even begun.

“And just as it is appointed for people to die once – and after this, judgment.” Hebrews 9:27 (HCSB)

Good news: We have an advocate (defense attorney) in Jesus.

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Timothy 2:5 (NKJV)

Not only is Jesus our advocate, but His salvation is our refuge. Let’s look at the names of these cities of refuge listed in Joshua 20. Through these cities’ names, the Lord is painting a picture of Messiah.

Kadesh signifies “Holy,” and our refuge is Jesus’ holiness. Shechem means “A shoulder;” the government is upon His shoulder. Hebron is “Fellowship,” and believers are called into the fellowship of Messiah, our Lord. Bezer means “Fortification,” and Jesus is a stronghold to all who trust Him. Golan is “Joy and exultation,” for in Him, all believers are justified and will worship Him with great joy!

Many of us know the verse John 3:16. But do we know the verse that follows it?

“For God did not send His Son into the World that He might condemn the World; but that the World through Him might be saved.” John 3:17 (NKJV)

Have you received the refuge that Jesus freely offers? There will be a day of judgment, and a righteous Judge (the Lord God) will preside. Knowing this day is coming, how could we reject our only source of salvation? (Hebrews 2:3)

“So the Lord gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all He has sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.” Joshua 21:43-45 (NKJV)

How did Israel possess the land? The Bible says the Lord gave Canaan to Israel on the condition that Israel was willing to fight for it faithfully. Yes, Israel fought for the land, but their success was not proportional to their efforts. God went before them. Put bluntly, without God, Israel would have been completely wiped out the day they left Egypt, pre-Red Sea.

Joshua wanted to make the point of “God’s victory” abundantly clear. The inheritance of Canaan originated from and was fully established by: God. Israel’s “Shabbat” (rest) from their enemies was the result of God’s grace, not Israel’s righteousness or Joshua’s leadership.

This is a point Israel seemed to have forgotten in later years because the writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews noted:

“For if Joshua had given them rest, then He (Messiah) would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” Hebrews 4:8-11 (NKJV)

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)

Why was Israel allowed to inherit the land? It was because God is faithful to fulfill His promise.

“For every one of God’s promises is 'Yes' in Him (Messiah Jesus). Therefore, the 'Amen!' is also spoken through Him by God’s glory.” 2 Corinthians 1:20 (HCSB)

“Amen” means the affirmation of truth.

Do you want to be saved from the consequences of your sin? Salvation is affirmed in Messiah. Are you looking for rest from “the enemy”? Rest is found in Him. Do you desire the hope of God’s promise to never leave or forsake His children? Fulfillment is found in Jesus.

True “Shabbat Shalom,” the peace of God’s rest, is offered to all who would faithfully seize it! (Luke 16:16) Now, that is something worth saying “AMEN!” about!

“‘But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.’ So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.” Joshua 22:5-6 (NKJV)

There is a myriad of churches trying to connect with an unreached generation. I believe that most pastors have nothing but good motives and hearts to reach the lost and dying. But their methods of outreach vary to the extent that they are (at times) opposed to one another. So, what approach to ministry does God endorse? The simplest yet most difficult way: Read the Bible and do what it says.

You may laugh at that notion. You are not alone. Over the years, I have overheard people saying, “Surely, ministry is not that easy!” “Surely, we should be more sensitive towards people’s feelings than to preach the Word as written!” “Surely, you cannot tell people there is a Hell and a coming judgment for socially-acceptable sin!” “Surely, we should give more to the poor and preach and pray less!”

The God of all creation, the One not bound by cultural eras, has laid out a plan that is effective throughout the generations and extends for all eternity. Today’s passage of Scripture points out 5 things about God and our relationship with Him.

1) LOVE the Lord your God

2) WALK in His ways

3) KEEP His commandments

4) HOLD FAST to Him

5) SERVE Him with all your heart and soul

Consider these familiar verses in light of today’s passage:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me (Wisdom) your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to you. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself (your own benefit); and if you scoff (mock), you (along) will bear the consequences.” Proverbs 9:10-12 (NKJV)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths. Don’t consider yourself to be wise; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7 (HCSB)

“Jesus answered, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’” John 14:23 (HCSB)

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.” James 1:22 (NASB)

“So be very diligent to love the Lord your God for your own well being. For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry or associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations out before you. They will become a snare and a trap for you, a scourge for your sides and thorns in your eyes until you disappear from this good land the Lord your God has given you.” Joshua 23:11-13 (HCSB)

You may have heard it said that Jesus paid the penalty for the sin of the World. We are all spiritually bankrupt, yet Jesus willfully chose to pay off our balance. In addition, He has promised to fill our accounts with His unending righteousness if we would, by faith, receive it by turning from our sin and following Him.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)

When reading that verse, “He made Him,” you may interpret it as saying that God made Jesus do something He would not otherwise have chosen, but Scripture clearly says that Jesus willingly laid down His own life because of His love for sinful mankind.

“This is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.” John 10:17-18 (HCSB)

“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ (Messiah) died for us.” Romans 5:8 (HCSB)

Joshua told Israel what the consequences of their sin would be, if they turned away from God. Their judgment would be a process of spiritual and national decline: God would cease driving away their enemies, and they would become ensnared by their enemies, trapped, scourged, and thorns would blind them until they disappeared from the land of Canaan.

Consider how Jesus paid Israel’s sin penalty compared to Joshua’s (above) exhortation. Messiah truly has borne the penalty for Israel’s turning away from God!

“So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they struck Him with their hands.” John 19:1-3 (NKJV)

Jesus has done the same for you and me. Moreover, by virtue of His resurrection, He is alive today and offers us eternal life if we repent and follow Him.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Joshua 24. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, had gone up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah, which was in the Negev of Arad. They went to live among the people.” Judges 1:16 (NCSB)

The term “to go up” in the Jewish mindset denotes more than a person’s direction of travel. The Hebrew word is “aliyah” (ah-lee-‘yah). Aliyah is representative of “going up” to Jerusalem to worship.

Because modern Israel is a Jewish state, its government recognizes the birthright of all Jews throughout the world to immigrate. This process of repatriation is called “making aliyah.” In essence, by allowing Jews to immigrate, the State of Israel provides Jews the opportunity to “go up” and worship the Lord in Jerusalem.

When the Bible makes the point of including Moses’ “non-Jewish” relatives settling in the land as “going up,” it sends a powerful message. That is, Gentiles WERE allowed to settle in the land, and God considered them quite different from the Canaanites who fought against Israel. Moses’ in-laws had a legitimate, God-honoring place among God’s people.

There is no Old Testament Biblical record of the Lord denying any Gentile who honestly seeks to know and follow Him. On the other hand, He will rebuke and chastise His own children who turn away from Him.

The hope of this passage is that God wants for ALL men to come unto repentance, and He always has wanted it that way. He chose for the Kenites to be included alongside the Israelites as legitimate settlers. At the risk of being redundant, it is important for us to remember that God has always allowed Gentiles to believe in Him. Furthermore, He has always accepted those Gentiles (who converted from idolatry to Him) to be included alongside His own people. For example, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba (the wife of the Hittite) were all Gentile women; yet we find them listed in the Davidic/Messianic genealogy of Matthew 1. Consider the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“No foreigner who has joined (converted) himself to the Lord should say, ‘The Lord will exclude me from His people.’” Isaiah 56:3a (HCSB)

These days (since the resurrection of Jesus), our spiritual identity is also not determined by our genetic bloodline; it is Messiah’s blood that counts! The test of a true follower of God is not, “Who’s your daddy?” Rather, it is, “Who’s your Father?”

“The people worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and during the lifetimes of the elders who outlived Joshua. They had seen all the Lord’s great works He had done for Israel. Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110. They buried him in the territory of his inheritance, in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works He had done in Israel.” Judges 2:7-10 (HCSB)

The generation that entered the land of Canaan with Joshua had seen the great works of the Lord! This was especially true for the eldest of that generation. As children, they had experienced God’s redemption from Egypt, His provision in the desert as young adults, and His deliverance into Canaan as old men. They had known the Lord’s great Grace because of His promise to their forefathers and His abundant mercy despite their sin.

One thing that the “deliverance generation” had failed to do was to communicate all their lessons to their children. They had failed to transfer the value of following God to the point where the next generation did not even know the Lord or the works He had done in Israel.

Their attitude towards building up the next generation was in direct disregard for the Lord’s command:

“Listen Israel, and be careful to follow them (the Lord’s commandments), so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey. Listen, Israel: The Lord your God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:3-9 (HCSB)

I have experienced both great grace and abundant mercy from the Lord. Allow me to encourage you to continue walking life’s path with me! Indulge me to retell my story in bite-sized daily installments and to impart Scripture lessons so that you will know the Lord and His works. This is so that you will be prepared to be 1) leaders in your generation and 2) impassioned to equip the next.

“These are the nations the Lord left in order to test Israel, since the Israelites had fought none of these in any of the wars with Canaan. This was to teach the future generations of the Israelites how to fight in battle, especially those who had not fought before.” Judges 3:1-2 (HCSB)

Make no doubt about it. The Lord was not pleased with Israel at this moment. Israel had sinned against Him by failing to drive out the former inhabitants of Canaan. Adonai had promised to ensure victory for each tribe who fought faithfully and boldly. So, what are we to make of this statement that God left some nations in Canaan to teach future generations of Israelites how to fight?

I am glad to know that God is not just the God of the “second chance.” (I used up my second chance years ago.) Rather, I rejoice in knowing that God is the God of “another chance.” Do you remember what Paul told the Church in Rome?

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those are called, according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 (HCSB)

God will accomplish His purposes, regardless of our decisions. If we choose to obey and follow Him, He elects to go before us and bless us. If we choose to disregard the Lord, He will still accomplish His purposes while rebuking us. His will is not bound by our decisions, but our peace with Him is.

God had (and still has today) great purposes for Israel. (Romans 11) In Judges 3, Israel had settled among the Canaanites. Instead of driving them out, Israel had chosen to take Canaanite daughters as wives for themselves, give their own daughters to their sons, and worship their gods.

Israel’s choice of “inter-national” compromise ensured inevitable future warfare with those nations. This was not God’s desire for Israel. But His gracious mercy toward Israel was that He parlayed their bad faith decisions into a teaching scenario.

The Israelites needed rebuke because they had forsaken the Lord. On the other hand, they also needed to be preserved as a nation because God was raising up Messiah Jesus through their bloodline. All things worked together for the greater good of God’s purpose.

Ask yourself: Do you want God’s purpose for your life to be advanced by His GRACE through your faithful obedience or by His REBUKE to spite your rebellion?

“The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud had died. So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his forces was Sisera who lived in Harosheth of the Nations. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, because Jabin had 900 iron chariots, and he harshly oppressed them 20 years.” Judges 4:1-3 (HCSB)

Judges 4 is a story of salvation, and today’s passage underscores Israel’s need for salvation: “The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” So the Lord “sold” them to another “master,” Jabin, and Jabin assigned them to his taskmaster, Sisera, who, with his force of 900 iron chariots, crushed Israel very efficiently. Israel is, again, in need of both physical deliverance (from Jabin and Sisera) and spiritual deliverance (their bondage to sin).

We should take note of the cycle of Israel’s sin: “again did what was evil.” (Evil = Baal worship; see 2:11). You see, it is difficult to be creative in sin. There is a certain monotony about sin because most of it has been done before, so we are doomed to repeat the same sins over and over. Sin is boring and routine (as are all habits), void of fresh excitement. The fast lane quickly becomes an old rut after a few laps. Evil never lends itself to originality; hence, there are two problems: Slavery and Staleness.

These verses allude to the pressurized piety of Israel: “after Ehud had died.” It was after Ehud died that Israel again did evil. This is a sample of what 2:19 was talking about. Take away the external restraint, and Israel displays her true character. There is something wrong with religion when its degree of fidelity depends solely on outside pressures, influences, and leadership. Thus, we are “Christian” only because of our surroundings or because of the expectations of believers around us. That scenario of forced piety/morality indicates a lack of a genuine internal work of God.

I once saw a T-shirt in a New Orleans souvenir shop that read: Jesus is coming. Everyone, look busy! That pretty much defines the “faith” of many people attending churches today. True faith is displayed by how you act and think when nobody is watching, knowing all the while that we are never hidden from the watchful eye of the Father, Son, and Spirit.

All that being said, when the influence Ehud exerted was taken away, Israel showed her real colors again. That is why genuine salvation consists not of giving glowing testimonies (like deliverance from Moab in chapter 3) but in departing from evil (2 Timothy 2:19). Not in relating glorious experiences with God but in living a consistent life (1 John 2:3-5, 3:9).

“On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang: When the leaders lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, praise the Lord. Listen kings! Pay attention princes! I will sing to the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.” Judges 5:1-3 (HCSB)

Judges 5 is a song written on the heels of Israel’s defeat of Jabin, king of Canaan, and most notably, Sisera, his commander. It is one of the oldest songs in the Bible, which piques my interest, for I am a songwriter.

The song of Deborah is at once a historic retelling, rebuke, and exhortation.

As a historic text, it fills-in information not included in the battle’s original telling in Judges 4. For instance, the reader gains knowledge of which tribes fought and which ones ignored the call to battle. In the historic telling, all who hear the song are reminded of the faithful, the faithless, the lazy, the self-absorbed, and the fearful. Reuben had a searching of heart, Gilead ignored the call and chose to remain beyond the Jordan, Dan lingered at its ships, and Asher stayed in the safety of its harbors.

None of us is perfect, so we all have varied opinions on accountability. Generally, people would rather hold others accountable, yet they become overly sensitive the closer the accounting comes to their personal issues!

People are generally afraid and embarrassed about being called into account. It helps us to understand that the purpose of accountability is not to keep people “down.” Accountability exposes the root sin in our hearts, which is behind our destructive behaviors, attitudes, or thoughts. Once sin can be identified, it can be overcome. Accountability lifts us.

“…even if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience, and He knows all things.” 1 John 3:20 (HCSB)

“…because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4b (HCSB)

Deborah was exposing the sin of the tribes who failed to fight to exhort and encourage them into following the Lord henceforth.

Deborah’s exhortation is one of cause and effect: When Israel’s leaders chose new gods, war came to its gates, and there was not a shield or spear to be found among 40,000 men. When its leaders led by trusting the Lord, people volunteered, and their faith ignited a chain reaction and encouraged a nation, resulting in victory. Let’s choose to fight!

“The Angel of the Lord came, and He sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine vat in order to hide it from the Midianites. Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’” Judges 6:11-12 (HCSB)

Most believers in Jesus have a favorite Biblical hero of the faith. We’d all love to be more like Jesus, but we generally choose guys like the apostle Paul or King David to identify. Ladies may choose Ruth or Esther.

Personally, I can identify with Gideon. He never considered himself a hero. He was just trying to get by. When we first meet Gideon, the Midianites raided Israel during harvest time. Gideon was secretly threshing his grain indoors because he was afraid of the Midianite raiders.

I identify with Gideon because he had no idea he was about to become a leader. As a matter of fact, he just wanted to be left alone. Gideon wished he were invisible, yet God was about to thrust him into the spotlight.

Because Gideon’s faith was low, he couldn’t visualize himself as a leader. So when the Angel of the Lord visited Gideon, He first pronounced Gideon as God created him: “Mighty Warrior.” God was letting Gideon know He desired to lead Israel through Gideon. God would be Gideon’s strength; therefore, an otherwise weak and low-esteemed individual was about to be at the center of God’s miraculous deliverance!

How do you view yourself? Are you a leader? More importantly, are you willing to let God lead you? If so, be prepared for the Lord to visit you during times of great trauma and stress. In a moment when you feel all hope is lost, perhaps, God may call you to act in a courageously faithful manner so that you can experience the victory, which is reserved for those who trust the Lord.

Are you willing to follow Him anywhere, anytime? Then the Lord is with you, mighty warrior!

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Judges 7. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Now the weight of the gold earrings that he [Gideon] requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around the camel's necks.  Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah.  And all Israel played the harlot with it there.  It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.  Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more.  And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.”  Judges 8:26-28 (NKJV)

I have been in the music business for all of my adult life.  While I no longer earn the bulk of my living as a touring musician, there was a time (in my mid-late 20s) when my band, Big Tent Revival, was very successful.  Every time we had a #1 radio song, the record company would give me a plaque commemorating the success. Every time I was nominated for a GRAMMY or Dove award - another plaque.  Pretty soon, the entire front room in my home was devoted to my success in the music business.  But eventually, it became a source of pride, a distraction in my own home.  It was as if my success, and the display thereof, had become an idol.  How?  Because it put too much focus on my past, to the point where it kept me from making faith steps into the future for fear of jeopardizing my coveted legend.

Gideon, the former coward-turned-military-hero, had an idea.  He did not want to set up a political dynasty, but he definitely wanted to be remembered as a hero.  So, he made a monument to his military conquests: A golden ephod made from spoils of the military campaigns he led.  And whose gold did he take?  The Ishmaelites.  

“Then he said to them, “Let me make a request of you: Everyone give me an earring from his plunder.” Now the enemy had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.” Judges 8:24 (HCSB)

Remember Ishmael, Abraham’s son, with Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian slave?

“Then the Angel of the Lord said to her [Hagar]: You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction.  This man will be like a wild donkey.  His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; he will live at odds with all his brothers.” Genesis 16:11-12 (HCSB)

Once Gideon’s golden ephod (to be worn by a priest) was installed on permanent display, the people of Israel saw it as a “good luck” charm and idol of past victories they could worship, as opposed to trusting God for future victory.

Eventually, I took most of those music business plaques off the walls of my home.  Some went to storage, and others made it to my office.  Being successful is not a sin; it just can’t dominate our lives.  We tend to worship the success the Lord brings instead of worshipping God, who has brought our success.

“Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.’ His mother’s relatives spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the lords of Shechem, and they were favorable to Abimelech, for they said, ‘He is our brother.’ So they gave him 70 pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith. Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men with his money, and they followed him. He went to his father’s [Gideon’s] house in Ophrah and killed his 70 brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal [Gideon], on top of a large stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived because he hid himself.” Judges 9:2b-5 (HCSB)

Abimelech was the son Gideon fathered with his Shechemite concubine.

“Gideon had 70 sons, his own offspring, since he had many wives. His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.” Judges 8:30-31 (HCSB)

In a story that could have been torn straight from Solomon’s book of Ecclesiastes, Gideon seemed to have gone a tad overboard with his fame and fortune. Upon reading Judges 7-9, it is clear that Gideon wanted to do the right thing, but at times he fell into the areas of sin, which are common to all men.

We’ll never know if it was Gideon’s humility or his fear that kept him from accepting the requests of Israel for him to be King. But in the end, Gideon’s compromise was that he chose to sire a child with a foreign woman. It’s not how you run the race. It’s whether you finish well.

Perhaps, the story of Gideon’s compromise is a strong reminder for us to be content with what the Lord has given us. We don’t need to court the World’s affections. As the hymnist once wrote, “All I have needed, Your hand hath provided. Great is THY faithfulness!”

Let’s not rest in past spiritual victories. Instead, ask the Lord to reveal those areas where we have compromised and supplemented the Lord’s provision with the World’s perversion.

The one area where Gideon compromised ended up destroying almost everything else that was legitimate.

"After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tolah, the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the mountains of Ephraim. He judged Israel twenty-three years; and he died and was buried in Shamir. After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years. Now he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns, which are called “Havoth Jair” to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. And Jair died and was buried in Camon. Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him." Judges 10:1-6 (NKJV)

Chances are that Tolah and Jair are not on your list of favorite Bible characters. We really don’t know much about them. Scholars refer to Tolah and Jair as “minor judges” – as opposed to “major judges” like Deborah or Gideon. The fact that Tolah and Jair receive less “ink” in the Bible does not mean they were of no importance. If we squint at the details, we can see how these men contributed to both the salvation and degradation of their generations.

Tolah: Verse 1 is clear to state that Tolah arose to save Israel. It speaks to the goodness of the Lord. We do not know whether Tolah established stability through administration or military victory. But his saving work (however it was displayed) came after Abimelech, the destroyer, had done serious damage. At the time of deepest darkness, the Lord appointed Tolah for a saving mission. And we expect that from the Lord. He does not go on rebuking forever, allowing His people to be trampled without hope, but after the Valley of the Shadow, He anoints our heads with oil - from sorrow and sighing to joy and gladness. God will never allow the “Abimelechs” of this World to be the last word for His people!

Jair: If in Tolah’s regime, we find a hint of the Lord’s goodness in Jair, we catch a glimpse of man’s potential for badness. Look carefully. The text only depicts Jair’s wide influence through his thirty sons. That does not necessarily imply any wrongdoing. In ancient Israel, numerous sons were a gift from the Lord and a means of protection from one’s enemies. However, the accounting of Jair’s thirty sons (not to mention numerous daughters he surely sired) implies multiple wives. The text records no displeasure about this. Yet, when we heard about Gideon’s seventy sons (chapter 8), the writer gave the explanation, “for he had many wives,” a circumstance which made the Abimelech fiasco possible. So, now we know why Israel fell back into moral disrepair after Jair’s reign as Judges ended. Jair sought the trappings of kingship despite official denials of it. He led Israel by bad example through serving himself and established a culture of compromise that endured.

Surely, we understand, Jair. Even in our service to God and community, in all our ways, there is the subtle urge to secure our position, display our status, extend our influence and guarantee our recognition. Yet, our plans to unseat the true “King” will always have a way of being exposed from behind, even our largest fig leaves.

“Jephthah the Gileadite was a great warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father. Gilead’s wife bore him sons, and when they grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, ‘You will have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.’ So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Then some lawless men joined Jephthah and traveled with him. Some time later, the Ammonites made war with Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. They said to him, ‘Come be our commander, and let’s fight against the Ammonites.’ Judges 11:1-6 (HCSB)

The sin of “Prostitution” in the Bible is seen in two lights. First, there is the literal act of prostitution, obviously a sin. Then, there is spiritual prostitution, also known as “spiritual adultery.” In both cases, two parties are involved: The party selling themselves and the party that elicits the prostitute’s services. Judges 11 is the story of the sour fruits of both literal and spiritual prostitution. Gilead strayed from God’s path, and the generations that followed paid the biggest price.

Even in today’s secular culture, it is shameful (but by no means unforgivable) to have been born as the result of an act of prostitution. It doesn’t surprise me that Gilead’s “legitimate” sons would loathe the existence of Jephthah. In seeking to cover the family’s shame (and attempting to recover its reputation), they distanced themselves from the evidence of their father’s sin.

It is quite possible that Jephthah was his father’s firstborn simply because the story begins with his birth. That would mean the son of a prostitute would eventually lead the legitimate children. Interestingly is how even today, most non-Messianic Jews consider Jesus’ birth as “illegitimate.” That’s pretty much where the Jephthah/Jesus similarities end.

Perhaps it was the circumstances surrounding Jephthah’s illegitimate birth which denied him solid spiritual teaching. Maybe, the rebels he hung around with had a negative influence on his spiritual discernment. Whatever it was, Jephthah made an impetuous oath to the Lord, and it cost him his firstborn child.

The overall lesson of Judges 11 is that one compromise leads to another. Compromise builds upon compromise. Unless we commit ourselves to know the Lord, follow Him through a saving relationship with Jesus, and study His Word (the Bible), spiritual “true north” will always elude us. Even our best intentions, without the Lord, can lead us down destructive paths.

“The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, ‘Let me cross over,’ the men of Gilead would say to him, ‘Are you an Ephraimite?’ If he said, ‘No,’ then they would say to him, ‘Then say, Shibboleth!’ And he would say, ‘Shibboleth,’ for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites.” Judges 12:5-6 (NKJV)

Some people are not content to sit at the right hand or the left of the Kingdom but insist on occupying the throne itself! That describes Ephraim perfectly. After having brushed-off Jephthah’s plea for help in the fight against Ammon, Ephraim has the nerve to charge Jephthah, “Why didn’t you call us to go with you?” In their pride, they are “somebodies,” and you don’t treat somebodies like that.

Jephthah (having been a nobody - 11:1-3) was not impressed with somebodies. Jephthah reminds Ephraim that he had, in fact, summoned Ephraim, and they had left him in the lurch. However, what Ephraim failed to do, the Lord did!

Perhaps, Ephraim was expecting the psychology of Gideon (8:1-3). What they got was the sword of Jephthah! The whole thing escalated when the Ephraimites began flinging racial slurs at Jephthah’s Gileadite men. Jephthah returns the gesture with a little prejudice of his own. All of a sudden, the “high classed” prideful Ephraimite dialect becomes a death signal. This is much the same way the genteel Virginia accent must have been detectable to the Pennsylvania Yankee soldier during the American Civil War, where privileged plantation owners might have tried to deny their allegiance when confronted by a Union soldier.

Basically, we have an indictment against pride. And it is not unique to ancient Ephraim. The human spirit that feels it must dominate, must control, and be recognized is alive and well in our culture. It flourishes in our Church culture; how we want to be the ones on Jesus’ varsity squad! How difficult it is for us to rejoice in God’s saving work when we are not a celebrity in the middle of it. We don’t like to play the game unless people will appropriately stroke our egos for doing so.

So, we must fight against taking credit for accomplishing what can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit. We must remain humble and remind ourselves that, while we may be co-inheritors with Messiah, we are also “slaves” with a Master. And we are nothing apart from the redeeming atonement of Messiah Jesus.

“For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” Judges 13:5 (NKJV)

It is difficult to read today’s passage and not think of the Bible’s account of the conception and birth of the Messiah Jesus. We harken to the words of the Angel, spoken to Mary, as he announces not only the miracle of virgin conception but also the reason. “Messiah is resting in your womb, set apart not just from the womb, but also before time began!”

Jesus is the Messiah, whom the prophet Micah wrote about:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

True, Jesus was a far greater “Samson,” but that fact should not cause us to take Samson lightly. He, too, was a savior (a messiah/anointed one). At Samson’s birth, a savior was born. As soon as Manoah’s wife is told she will bear a son, she hears of his mission: he will save Israel from the hand of the Philistines. Samson will only partially save, but even that constitutes him a savior.

Notice there is one particular danger. Samson is such a rollicking, entertaining, break-the-mold guy that we may become preoccupied with him. Try employing counter-culture thinking because our culture is fond of focusing on the SAVIORS whom God raises up. In doing so, we eclipse the GOD who saves by raising up saviors.

While we must hold our leaders in esteem because of their God-given positions of authority, we must also never lose sight of the fact that the same Spirit who works through great men and women of God resides in the heart of EVERY BELIEVER.

Perhaps, the greater focus should be on how we maximize the potential for greatness that God has entrusted to US when He conceived us in OUR mother’s wombs. Which “Philistines” were we created to destroy? Now that we have placed our faith in Messiah Jesus and been given the gift of the Holy Spirit pray the Lord will begin to reveal His plan as you read His Word daily. And commit to going wherever He leads, trusting that He will accomplish (through you) every task He has entrusted to you. And do not glory in yourself that you are being used by God. It is His calling, gifting/equipping, and Spirit that is working together through your obedience to accomplish His purposes. He is doing the heavy lifting. We simply respond, “Here I am, send me.” And we must faithfully go where He sends us, doing what He tells us to do with the gifts He has endowed us with in the manner He prescribes for us to use those gifts. Then, we will see the tasks (He calls us to) accomplished to the fullness of His desire.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Judges 14. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Then 3,000 men of Judah went to the cave at the rock of Etam, and they asked Samson, ‘Don’t you realize that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?’ ‘I have done to them what they did to me,’ he answered.” Judges 15:11 (HCSB)

The men of Judah blurt out their mission; they have come to bind Samson and turn him over to the Philistines. Oddly enough, Samson offers no resistance, which apparently Judah expected, or they wouldn’t have sent out so many men. He only extracts an oath from them that they will not kill him themselves; they willingly accept this condition. No reader can miss the irony of their reply: Oh, Samson, we don’t want to kill you; we only want to bind you and give you over the Philistines, so they can kill you! Thanks.

Judah, (the tribe that had formerly waded into battle after battle) had become a collection of spineless wimps. They regarded the Philistines as their rulers and Samson as their enemy. In that sense, they remind me of many people in the “church” today. It seems Christians are increasingly afraid of offending non-believers with the gospel than they are concerned with offending God for not standing up and proclaiming His Word. The men of Judah didn’t even want to be the Lord’s “free people”; they didn’t even see that as a possibility. Are you willing to stand and be counted among His people today?

It is always a dark day in the history of God’s people when they are content to allow His enemies to control them. Something is wrong with us when we no longer despise our true enemies. Friendship with the world offends God. (Romans 8:7)

In the wake of our initial faithlessness, the Lord declared He was imposing “enmity” between the Serpent’s seed and the woman’s seed (Genesis 3:15). This divisiveness, this “hostility,” came from the Lord. He was not going to allow even His fallen creatures (Adam and Eve) to cuddle up in the bosom of evil. The Maker of heaven and earth refused to walk away from Eden, shrugging His shoulders and muttering, “You win some, and you lose some.” No, He is the stubborn God who will set all creation on fire with holy war in order to have a seed and a people for Himself. Jesus extends the same promise to never leave or forsake His followers as well.

That’s why redemption is an act of violence; that’s why Jesus came on a mission of violent destruction (1 John 3:8). That’s why lovers of God are commanded to “hate” evil (Psalm 97:10) and why compilers of Psalms did not edit out verses 19-22 from Psalm 139.

Whether it is the evil and sin within us or some form of it outside us, God does not call us to negotiate with sin and evil. That’s why we call it “spiritual WARFARE.” We are to wage war on sin and to maintain a holy hatred towards it in all its various forms. We are near hopeless when we begin to adopt Judah’s slogan: It has always been this way – how can we expect to change anything?

If we are truly a generation desperate for “change,” then we must fight for it!

“The temple was full of men and women; all the leaders of the Philistines were there, and about 3,000 men and women were on the roof watching Samson entertain them. He called out to the Lord: ‘Lord God, please remember me. Strengthen me, God, just once more. With one act of vengeance, let me pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.’ Samson took hold of the two middle pillars supporting the temple and leaned against them, one on his right and the other on his left. Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines.’ He pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the leaders and all the people in it. And the dead he killed at his death were more than those he had killed in his life.” Judges 16:27-30 (HCSB)

The Lord is the God who hears the cry of his servant in desperate circumstances. In today’s passage, the Lord’s answer comes not only in the midst of desperate need but also in the wake of miserable failure. This is the Samson who would rather play around with Delilah than protect the Lord’s gift. This is the Samson who faithlessly bartered away the Lord’s strength in order to court a treacherous lover. It is this Samson – this faithless, foolish, fallen…humbled Samson – who the Lord hears.

Samson is sort of an “Israel in concentrated form.” The Israelites who heard Samson’s story were supposed to see the pattern of their own unfaithfulness. That being so, how was Israel to receive this latter part of the Samson story? Were they not meant to hope? Were they not to understand that though the Lord’s hand may justly cast down His unfaithful servants, His ears are nevertheless open to their cries? Through it all, His arm is still ready to act on their behalf. Should Israel not see that even in her sinfulness, God was still encouraging her to call upon Him in her day of trouble?

Of course, there will be objections. Someone will argue that Israel (like Samson) does not deserve the Lord’s help. So what else is new? Those who champion such objections are frequently those who have little sense of their own sinfulness!

And what of the followers of Jesus who have stupidly and miserably failed the Lord? Shouldn’t they find hope in seeing that being cast down does not mean being cast off? Should we not rejoice that we may also call on the Lord, even from “Dagon’s temple”?

Finally, as we look back over the whole tragic story, we must mention the strangeness of the Lord’s choice. Why would He use a character like Samson as His servant? Here is a guy who shatters all our molds, conventions, and expectations about what a servant of God is to be. Worse yet, Samson is not only unconventional but also unfaithful. He seems to think his God-given strength was his plaything; he didn’t seem to realize that spiritual gifts are not given so we can toy with them as we please but to serve and care for the good of God’s people. But here is this Samson, a sort of “wild ass” of a man, entertaining yet unpredictable, so promising, and so tragic. He seems so unlike our image of an evangelical believer. God will not be confined by our respectabilities. He chose Samson, and He chooses us as well.

“There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Micah. He said to his mother, ‘The 1,100 pieces taken from you, and that I have heard you utter a curse about – here, I have the silver with me. I took it. So now I return it to you.’ Then his mother said, ‘My son, you are blessed by the Lord!’ He returned the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said, ‘I personally consecrate the silver to the Lord for my son’s benefit to make a carved image overlaid with silver.” Judges 17:1-3 (NCSB)

Chronologically, the story of Samson in Judges 13-16 occurs after the events of Judges 17-18. As I mentioned yesterday, the story of Samson is the story of a real man’s exploits, as well as a metaphor for Israel’s idolatry and spiritual adultery. Samson was from the tribe of Dan. (Judges 13:2-3) The tribe of Dan’s moral decline begins with a woman of Ephraim’s worship confusion. She dedicates 1,100 pieces of silver to make an “image” and other objects for her son to worship the Lord. Interestingly, the pinnacle of Samson’s moral, physical, and spiritual decline is when Delilah sells him to the Philistines for 1,100 pieces of silver. In the person of Samson, God is sending a profound message to Dan and all Israel: Serve me as I have commanded you. Do not add or take away from my Torah (Law/teaching).

“This man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household idols, and installed one of his sons to be his priest. In those days, there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted.” Judges 17:5-6 (HCSB)

The sin of one person can impact a whole nation. The apostle Paul said, “A little leaven spoils the whole lump.” Galatians 5:9 Jesus said, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.” Matthew 16:6. That is to say, beware of being unnecessarily legalistic or worldly. The woman of Ephraim’s lack of knowledge of how to worship the Lord was transferred to her son. Then we see how he transferred his idolatry to his own son and then a traveling young Levite priest, looking for people to minister to. “He answered him, ‘I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I’m going to settle wherever I can find a place. Micah replied, ‘Stay with me and be my father and priest…’” (Judges 17:10a)

Finally, scouts from the tribe of Dan come to the home of Micah the Ephraimite and steal his Levite priest and his idols.

“The Danites set up the carved image for themselves. Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests for the Danite tribe until the time of the exile from the land. So they set up themselves Micah’s carved image that he had made, and it was there as long as the house of Israel was in Shiloh.” Judges 18:30-31 (HCSB)

The lesson here is that we should seek ONLY God’s Word to know Him and rest within His Grace, Mercy, Requirements, and Love. Whenever we stray from the truth of the Bible, when we supplement the World’s philosophy for God’s Word, it always trends downward and leads us onto a path of destruction.

“In those days, there was no king in Israel.” Judges 18:1 (NKJV)

It is a dangerous thing when the people of God depart from the Word of God. It is dangerous because departing from God’s Word communicates rebellion and/or ignorance. The danger of rebellion is that it supposes we know better than God. It refuses the Lordship of the One, Who is “Lord of all,” regardless of our acceptance.

“Do not have other gods besides Me. Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the father's sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.” Exodus 20:3-6 (HCSB)

Departing from His Word out of ignorance is dangerous because the ignorant person cannot perceive the downward moral trend, which leads to a horrible end.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 16:25 (HCSB)

God had clearly outlined the purposes and procedures of warfare for His people. Notice how His Word was ignored by the Danites (and the Levites) in today’s chapter.

“When you approach a city to fight against it, you must make an offer of peace. If it accepts your offer of peace and opens its gates to you, all the people found in it will become forced laborers for you and serve you. However, if it does not make peace with you but wages war against you, lay siege to it. When the Lord your God hands it over to you, you must strike down all its males with the sword. But you may take the women, children, animals, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—as plunder. You may enjoy the spoil of your enemies that the Lord your God has given you. This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and are not among the cities of these nations. However, you must not let any living thing survive among the cities of these people the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. You must completely destroy them—the Hittite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite—as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that they won’t teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 20:10-18 (HCSB)

Contrary to secular opinion about God in the Old Testament, He was not against foreign people. (He is very gracious to foreigners like Ruth, Tamar, and Rahab) But He is against foreign gods! And He hates when we mingle idolatry with worshiping Him.

“And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel…” Judges 19:1a (NKJV)‍

I want to frame the happenings in Chapter 19 around a recurring statement in recent chapters, and we find it again at the end of the book of Judges.

“In those days, there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted.”  Judges 21:25 (HCSB)

The last three chapters in Judges have been given the titles “Outrage In Benjamin,” “War In Benjamin,” and “Brides For Benjamin.” There are profound lessons about the decline, judgment, and restoration of a people. It is important to view the end of Judges through the lens of Romans 11.

In chapter 19, there are two scenes that resemble tragic and shameful events in Scripture.

First, there is the image of the Levite and his entourage searching for a place to stay the night. It is a picture of Joseph and Mary looking for shelter the night Jesus was born.

“While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.” Luke 2:6-7 (HCSB)

Then, there is the Sodom and Gomorrah-esque image of the perverted men of Gibeah wanting to sleep with the Levite man. The story is almost an exact retelling of the Sodom story, down to the old man offering his virgin daughter. God was sending a message that the moral condition of Israel was as bad as it gets.

“The two angels entered Sodom in the evening as Lot sat at Sodom’s gate. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them. He bowed with his face to the ground and said, ‘My lords, turn aside to your servant’s house, wash your feet, and spend the night. Then you can get up early and go on your way.’ ‘No,’ they said. “We would rather spend the night in the square.’ But he urged them so strongly that they followed him and went into his house. He prepared a feast and baked unleavened bread for them, and they ate. Before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, the whole population, surrounded the house. They called out to Lot and said, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have sex with them!’ Lot went out to them at the entrance and shut the door behind him. He said, ‘Don’t do this evil, my brothers. Look, I’ve got two daughters who haven’t had sexual relations with a man. I’ll bring them out to you, and you can do whatever you want to them. However, don’t do anything to these men, because they have come under the protection of my roof.’ ‘Get out of the way!’ they said, adding, ‘This one came here as a foreigner, but he’s acting like a judge! Now we’ll do more harm to you than to them.’ They put pressure on Lot and came up to break down the door. But the angels reached out, brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.’” Genesis 19:1-10 (HCSB)

By what standard do you measure our nation’s morality? If you measure it by society’s standards, then things that infuriate God probably don’t bother you, much. But if you measure our morality by God’s standard, then you should pray for our revival because we are on the verge of another of God’s reckonings!

“The whole Israelite army went to Bethel where they wept and sat before the Lord. They fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord. Then the Israelites inquired of the Lord. In those days, the ark of the covenant of God was there, and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving before it. The Israelites asked: ‘Should we again fight against our brothers the Benjaminites or should we stop?’ The Lord answered: ‘Fight, because I will hand them over to you tomorrow.’ So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah. Judges 20:26-29 (HCSB)

Judges 20 is an example of “righteous indignation.” That is, once the Lord ordered Benjamin to be destroyed, the rest of Israel put family relations aside in pursuit of God’s will. This begs the question: Have you avoided holding a family member or someone close to you accountable because you don’t want to damage the relationship? Well, the truth is that the relationship is already damaged! Avoiding the “elephant in the room” will only prolong someone’s dysfunction. You should never value a relationship itself more than the well-being of the other person in the relationship. At that point, you’re only in the relationship for how it makes you feel. That’s not a relationship. That’s co-dependence.

We have learned over the past few chapters (because God has reinforced this idea daily) that the times of the Judges were times when people did what was right “in their own minds.” In Chapter 20, the “children of Israel” (Joshua 20:17) decided to unify and go to war against their brothers, the tribe of Benjamin. Before they went to war, they sought the Lord, Who directed them into battle. The problem arose when, after having sought the Lord and received His direction, Israel was soundly defeated by Benjamin. Men died. One may ask, “Is that fair? Why would God direct His people into battle and then allow them to lose?”

Perhaps, God was drawing Israel into a deeper relationship with Him. It is as if the people sought the Lord flippantly the first time and anxiously the second. When they approached Him from those postures, the Lord answered, “Of course, you should fight!” because it was the appropriate response to the offense. Yet, He did not promise Israel victory over Benjamin until they were truly broken and recognized their dependence upon Him. How do you approach the Lord? From a posture of scarcity (lack of resources) or abundance (recognizing God has more than enough resources to accomplish any task or situation He leads us to)?

One final thing to consider as we exit the “outrage in Benjamin” with respect to Gibeah is how the Lord chose a Benjamite from Gibeah to be king when the people asked. Beware of getting what you ask for.

“Samuel said to all the people, ‘Do you see the one the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among the entire population.’ And all the people shouted, ‘Long live the king!’ Samuel proclaimed to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll, which he placed in the presence of the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each to his home. Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and brave men whose hearts God had touched went with him.” 1 Samuel 10:24-26 (HCSB)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Judges 21. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Now it came to pass in those days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the land of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion – Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.” Ruth 1:1-2 (NKJV)

So that we understand the message of Ruth’s story, its author emphasizes that the events depicted here occurred during the time of the Judges. It was a time after Joshua’s leadership when men did what was right in their own eyes. More than walking away from God’s Word, the generation that arose after Joshua’s generation did not even know God’s Word enough to have walked away from it! The generation after Joshua had not been taught God’s Word by their fathers (Judges 2:10), who had obviously mixed worldly, pagan ideas with God’s prescribed way of worshiping Him, believing it was kosher to do so.

The story of Ruth begins with a man and his family leaving Bethlehem, Ephratha (Micah 5:2). Shakespeare famously asked, “What’s in a name?” But names are very important in the book of Ruth! First, we have the father, Elimelech, whose name means “God is my king.” Next is Naomi, whose name means “Pleasant.” Their names denote that when God is King of your family, life is pleasant. But there was a problem. Elimelech abandoned God’s “promised” land because of famine in Israel, representing a spiritual famine among God’s people. Israel could not persevere faithfully. Elimelech sought refuge in worldly Moab. At this point, we are told the names of Elimelech’s sons: Mahlon and Chilion, whose names mean “Sick and Tired.” Lesson: When you forsake God as King, the fruit of your worldly pursuits leaves you sick and tired. As Naomi will say later, “Do not call me ‘Naomi’ (Pleasant), call me ‘Mara’ (Bitter). In contrast to the children of Israel disregarding God as King, we meet a Moabite girl, Ruth (her name means “friend”), who receives Him, by faith.

“But Ruth said: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. The Lord do so to me more also, if anything but death parts you and me.’” Ruth 1:16-17 (NKJV)

Compare God’s acceptance of a penitent Moabite with Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah.

“And now the Lord says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel is gathered to Him (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and My God shall be My strength); indeed He said, ‘It is too small a thing that You shall be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel: I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My Salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:5-6 (NKJV)

“There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz. So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, ‘Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.’ And she said to her, ‘Go, my daughter.” Then she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.” Ruth 2:1-3 (NKJV)

We live in a “Lottery” culture. I remember when there was no lottery in the US, except the military draft lottery. But today, there are many ways to gamble, from different “ball” lotteries to scratch-off tickets. The lottery is based on the concept of luck. Statistically, there is almost no chance of ever winning a lottery, yet people still play the lotto religiously. You hear them say, “I feel lucky,” or “I’m due for a stretch of good luck about now.”

On the other hand, many people feel they are stuck on the other side of the luck aisle. They superstitiously believe they are cursed with bad luck and that nothing they do can change their circumstances. As the song of old goes, “If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all…born under a bad sign”. If Naomi and Ruth had been superstitious, they might well have blamed luck. Their compounded misfortune had forced them into a hand-to-mouth existence. It also caused Naomi a great deal of embarrassment before her former neighbors when she returned to Bethlehem.

Interestingly, although Naomi does not try to explain her difficulties by the concept of “luck,” the writer of Ruth appears to do so at the beginning of Ruth 2. The writer uses the term: It happened. If we skip through the narrative, it could be assumed that God believes in luck, and He is personally uninvolved in our lives. The verse could be taken to mean: As luck would have it, she happened upon…” But, praise God, we have verse 12!

“The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Ruth 2:12 (NKJV)

When the dust settles on the story of Ruth (and on our personal stories), we are left with a sobering yet hopeful reminder that God is not a God of “luck.” He is the God of providence! And what seems like unrelated events leading us on is actually the providence of a God in control, despite the decisions of others and in harmony with faithful decisions at the same time. (Romans 8:28) So, make your choice to choose the God who has chosen you! And rest in the knowledge that while He is in control, we are responsible for seeking Him while He unfolds His plan, by His wisdom and in His timing.

“Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, ‘My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.’” Ruth 3:1-3 (NKJV)

Anyone who has seen Fiddler On The Roof must remember the song, Matchmaker. “Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch…make me a perfect match.” But in the play, the young girl, Leitel’s dream, was shattered when her best shot turned out to be the financial security of marrying a prosperous local businessman old enough to be her father. All the while, Leitel loved an impoverished young man.

On the surface, we might be tempted to think that the matchmaker in “Fiddler” was modeled after Naomi and her search for security for her widowed daughter-in-law by matching her with the older landowner in Bethlehem. But two factors indicate that Ruth’s and Leitel’s “matches” are very different: 1) Much more than marrying for money was involved because Naomi undoubtedly knew Boaz’s character well and respected and trusted him completely. 2) Ruth was not at all interested in any younger men, no matter what their social status was, and that was already apparent to Boaz.

So, to whatever extent Naomi played the matchmaker, she was eminently successful. Despite the obvious massive differences in their backgrounds, Boaz and Ruth were well-matched. They were two-of-a-kind regarding excellent moral character. Having recently finished the book of Judges, we know that moral character was in low supply in the days of Ruth and Boaz.

That is a crucial principle that can be “gleaned” (pun intended) from that middle-of-the-night encounter between Ruth and Boaz and needs to be trumpeted in our day: Personal integrity commands at least as much respect and admiration under cover of darkness as in broad daylight.

“And I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’ And he said ‘I will redeem it.’ Then Boaz said, ‘On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through the inheritance.’ And the close relative said, ‘I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem the right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.’” Ruth 4:4-6 (NKJV)

There are right and wrong ways to do things. And the difficulty of successful decision-making is more a question of chemistry than decisiveness. Being successful often lies in the blend of “right and wrong ways,” with respect to “right and wrong places” and “right and wrong timing.” For instance, when you get a speeding ticket, it is an unhealthy combination of doing the wrong thing (breaking the speed law), at the wrong place (where a cop was waiting), and at the wrong time (When the donut shop was closed). A joke for my cop friends!

Boaz knew that the negotiation for Ruth would involve all three “right and wrongs” perfectly balanced. It is a beautiful picture and example for us of the balance of God’s graceful, merciful providence and our responsibility to act according to his Word and resist the temptation to be “Worldly” just long enough to get the job done. It is possible to be shrewd and faithful at the same time, to ethically negotiate with an expectation of succeeding against the most Worldly of opponents across the table.

I like how the writer chooses to refer to the other kinsman as “Mr. So-and-so.” He almost certainly knew the man’s name but deleted it to not further embarrass him and his descendants. If this were the old TV show, Dragnet, the announcer would “change the names to protect the innocent.” And though Boaz did not use a net, he most assuredly would have been an expert fly fisherman!

Notice how Boaz did not hide any detail concerning the land of Naomi and Elimelech, valuable land, indeed, and free for the taker. And the kinsman immediately took the hook. But what about the back taxes? Notice how Boaz refers to Ruth as a “Moabitess,” a despised people. And the reference to Mahlon and Chilion (whose names meant “sick” and “wasting away”) was equally disgusting. As impetuously as the kinsman said, “I will redeem,” he says, “I cannot redeem.”

The kinsman-redeemer failed to see that the land was not the prize of great value…it was RUTH! And this is how the Lord sees us! Formerly despised in our sin, Jesus, our Kinsman Redeemer, chooses to love and save us, including the Gentiles who esteem Him above anything this world could offer. Choose Him! He has chosen you!

“And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. And her rival provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore, she wept and did not eat.” 1 Samuel 1:4-7 (NKJV)

Though it would probably not comfort Hannah, it helps us to remember that Hannah is not the first barren woman noted in scripture. We remember Sarai/Sarah and how Genesis 11:30 hangs like a dark cloud over the next 10 chapters of Genesis. Rebekah had no children for the first 20 years of marriage, and we find a soap-opera turmoil swirling around the barrenness of Rachel.

God raised up mighty Samson from the fruitless womb of Manoah’s wife. And who would have guessed that old, childless Elizabeth would give birth to John the Baptist? Barren women seem to be God’s instruments in raising-up key figures in the history of redemption, whether preservers of Israel (Joseph, Samson, Samuel) or the forerunner of the King of kings Jesus (John the Baptist).

Hannah, therefore, shares in a “fellowship of barrenness.” And it is frequently in this fellowship that new chapters in God’s history with His people begin – with nothing. God’s tendency is to make our total inability His starting point. Our hopelessness and our helplessness are no barriers to His work. Indeed, our utter incapacity is often the prop He delights to use for His next act.

This matter goes beyond the particular situations of Biblical barren women. We are facing one of the principles of the Lord’s modus operandi. When His people are without strength, without resources, without hope, and without human gimmicks – then He loves to stretch forth His hand from Heaven.

Once we see where God often begins, we will understand how we may be encouraged in the Hope of God’s Word and unchanging character.

“Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy served the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest. Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord or for the priest’s share of the sacrifices from the people.” 1 Samuel 2:11-13a (HCSB)

A spiritual resurgence looked out of the question for the American colonies in 1740. Samuel Blair wrote, “Religion lay as it were a-dying and ready to expire its last breath of life in this part of the visible church.” This was the setting before the Great Awakening, where America’s soul was born again, so to speak. The Church-at-large had become corrupt, yet the Lord did not abandon His plan for America. He set into motion a chain of events, which led to America’s spiritual revival and their fight for independence from British tyranny. America could use that kind of revival today!

We can expect opposition from the secular world, but what can we do when the creeping death seeps inside the Church? How should we respond when religious leaders are lacking in faith and unholy in lifestyle? What happens when purveyors of the “light of the world” are themselves full of darkness? Hophni and Phinehas were such men, yet the Lord did not abandon His people, Israel. God was there – in both judgment and grace – when judgment began at the house of God.

There are many leaders in the Church today who are purveyors of darkness. They add to and take away from the Gospel as suits their personal agendas. Furthermore, they lead people along heretical paths on which the Lord has never intended His children to travel.

Reading today’s chapter, it may be easy for us to separate ourselves from these characters. After all, most of us do not hold the office of “priest”...or do we?

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people to be His very own and to proclaim the wonderful deeds of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 (ISV)

The truth is that God considers EVERY believer to be a priest. Maybe we never join a church staff, but the calling remains for each of us.

Setting aside, for a moment, the time you spend in church worship services, how well are you doing at representing Jesus in the World? In a church culture littered with “Hophni and Phinehas,” the Lord has called us to be “Samuels.” Consider this pattern as a challenge for us to faithfully serve the Lord in the midst of Worldly self-servers:

Samuel serving (2:11), Liturgical sins (2:12-17), Samuel serving (2:18-21), Moral sins (2:22-25), Samuel growing (2:26), Prophecy of judgment (2:27-36), Samuel serving (3:1a)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Samuel 3. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord let us be defeated today by the Philistines? Let’s bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh. Then it will go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” 1 Samuel 4:3 (HCSB)

Last week, I noticed my cologne had run out. When I went to a department store fragrance counter, I noticed a small cup of coffee beans. The person at the counter told me I should smell the beans in-between fragrances because the smell of the coffee helps “cleanse the nose’s pallet,” allowing one to differentiate between scents.

The opening statement of 1 Samuel 4, “And Samuel’s words came to all Israel,” sounds more like the closing thought of chapter 3. We don’t hear any more from Samuel until chapter 7. His absence is intended to “cleanse the reader’s pallet.” The Lord is drawing a distinction between the sweet aroma of Samuel’s personal worship and the stench of Israel’s national worship under the direction of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas.

Today’s passage begins with a question: Why did the Lord let us be defeated? Perhaps, you have faced that question in your own life. Israel would have done well to let that question linger awhile. Then, maybe the Lord’s threats in Leviticus 26 would have come to mind.

“But if you do not obey Me and observe My commands – if you reject My statutes and despise My ordinances, and do not observe all My commands – and break My covenant, then I will do all this to you – wasting disease and fever that will cause your eyes to fail (Eli) and your life to ebb away (Phinehas’ wife). You will sow your seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. (Hophni and Phinehas were Eli’s “seed” or offspring) I will turn against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies” Leviticus 26:14-17 (HCSB)

Sadly, in haste, Israel resorted to “Rabbit’s foot” theology. They should have remembered God’s Word, repented, and drawn close to the God of the Covenant. Instead, Israel made an impetuous decision (based on their ignorance of God’s Word) to bring the Ark of the Covenant of God to them. The assumption was that God would be forced to protect His reputation, despite His children’s obvious rebellion. As they say in Jerusalem, “Yahweh don’t play that!”

The Lord will suffer shame rather than allow us to carry on a false relationship with him, and He will allow us to be disappointed with Him if that will awaken our understanding of what kind of God He is. Have you observed that things go better with prayer? Let’s make sure our delight is in aligning ourselves with God’s will rather than trying to coerce Him to align with ours! When the church stops confessing, “Thou art worthy” in exchange for “Thou art useful,” we know the ark of God has been captured again!

Then again, the Lord may be cleansing the pallet for Revival once more. Let’s seek God as a Samuel so that “Ichabod” (the glory of the Lord has departed) would not be written over the doorposts of our hearts, churches, and nation.

“After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, brought it into the temple of Dagon and placed it next to his statue. When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. This time, both Dagon’s head and the palms of his hands were broken off and lying on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso remained.” 1 Samuel 5:1-4 (HCSB)

In my lifetime, I have watched several major “Christian” leaders fall into sin, which led to public scandal and the downfall of the large ministries built on their vision and charisma. Every time this has happened, skeptics of Christianity don a coy grin and announce that God is either dead or dying in our culture. This was surely the mindset of the Philistines toward Israel when they introduced the “defeated” God of Israel (the Ark) to His “conqueror,” Dagon.

What the Philistines were about to learn was that “the God of Israel” is actually the God of all creation! And apart from Him, there is no god. Furthermore, His power and agenda being accomplished are not dependent upon the worship of His followers. It is not as if we are the “batteries” that empower the Lord. He is not waiting on us to surge Him with worship before He can act. He is completely independent and self-sustained.

I believe it was Oswald Chambers who said, pertaining to Kingdom work, “God has given us a limited participation in something He doesn’t need us to do.”

Here is our big takeaway from today’s chapter: Don’t begin to think that you can manipulate God like a lucky charm for your own convenience, and don’t think He needs you to support and carry Him. He doesn’t need our worship. His holiness demands it, and His loving kindness accepts it. He existed before creation, and He can take care of Himself. The only community He needs is His own tri-unity. And in that notion is our understanding of His great love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, He sent Messiah Jesus to die for us. Still, if any carrying is to be done, He will carry us!

“Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded, a burden to the weary beast. They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but have themselves gone into captivity. “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been upheld by Me from birth, who have been carried from the womb: even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” Isaiah 46:1-4 (NKJV)

By the way, despite the moral defeat of those high-profile Christian leaders, God is very much alive and has not diminished in power and authority, holiness, or praiseworthiness! There is no panic in Heaven, only planning. And with that knowledge, we trust and worship Him.

“The Philistines summoned the priests and the diviners and pleaded, ‘What should we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we can send it back to its place.’ They replied, ‘If you send the ark of Israel’s God away, you must not send it without an offering. You must send back a restitution offering to Him, and you will be healed. Then the reason His hand hasn’t been removed from you will be revealed.’” 1 Samuel 6:2-3 (HCSB)

Israel was in a season of its history where personal relationships with the Lord had been replaced with rote devotional elements, offering sacrifices at the appointed times and in the prescribed ways. As a result, their understanding of the Lord (and His national relationship with Israel) had become distorted. This led to Israel’s defeat by the Philistines and resulted in the Philistines capturing the Ark of the Covenant.

With the Ark in “captivity,” the Philistines became aware that the Lord was stronger than all their gods. In the narrative is a glint of God’s great plan of salvation, for the God of Israel stooped to reveal Himself to the enemies of Israel, to non-Hebrew people. He gave a pre-Messianic glimpse of His willingness to bring the nations to repentance. In this account (like that of Jonah), God was inferring that He would someday bring near many who are far off through the blood of Messiah Jesus. (Ephesians 2:13)

This is a moment of truth for the Philistines. Would they surrender their gods and worship the Lord alone? That was, no doubt, God’s desire. No, they decided to send Him away. Instead of tapping into His power, they sought to distance themselves from it.

Much later, in the New Testament, the Gerasenes will try the same solution. They will be afraid of the power of Jesus that restored people and destroyed pigs. The only option they will see is to beg Jesus to leave. (Mark 5:1-20) No self-examination. No searching of hearts. The Lord – and His power – must be removed.

By the end of chapter 6, Israel isn’t faring much better than the Philistines with the Ark’s return. Some of the men of Israel rejoiced while others were indifferent. These were those who sought the Lord’s proximity purely for what it could do for them. Once Israel had been defeated and the Ark captured, God ceased to be of use to them. For their attitude and lack of repentance, they were stricken. **Some translations may vary, so read the fine print notes.

“God struck down the men of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the Lord. He struck down 70 men out of 50,000 men. The people mourned because the Lord struck them with a great slaughter. The men of Beth-shemesh asked, ‘Who is able to stand in the presence of this holy Lord God? Who should the ark go to from here?” I Samuel 6:19-20 (HCSB)

The absence of ‘Godly fear’ signifies an absence of the knowledge of God. We read the Bible to KNOW the Lord, so that we are neither indifferent, nor too afraid to draw close to Him. (Hebrews 4:16)

“Time went by until 20 years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel began to seek the Lord. Samuel told them, ‘If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashteroths that are among you, dedicate yourselves to the Lord, and worship only Him. Then He will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines.’ So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashteroths and only worshiped the Lord.” 1 Samuel 7:2-4 (HCSB)

Perhaps, you have been so caught up in the story that you have forgotten the man whom this book is named! Having been absent since 4:1, Samuel reappears to restore the severely judged Israel to repentance.

It is therapeutic to have tears and sorrow over sin. Repentance often begins with signs of grief and consciousness of misery. But true repentance consists of something more substantial.

Genuine repentance is tangible. It does not stop with weeping over sin but moves to concrete action: The putting away of foreign gods. The Lord teaches this pattern several times in Scripture.

“So, Jacob said to his family and all who were with Him, ‘Get rid of your foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes. We must get up and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to the God who answered me everywhere I have gone.’ Then they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and their earrings, and Jacob hid them under the oak near Shechem.” Genesis 35:2-4 (HCSB)

“Therefore, fear the Lord and worship Him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River in Egypt, and worship Yahweh, choose for yourself today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh.’” Joshua 24:14-15 (HCSB)

Is there something between you and the Lord which continues to cause you to fall? Get rid of it! Repentance is replacing sin-pursuance with the pursuit of righteousness. It is not simply saying, “I’m sorry,” or feeling remorse. It is harder than that! It took 20 years for Israel’s remorsefulness to become repentance. True repentance is spiritual warfare. It takes action, and God honors such actions with encouraging evidence of His presence. Consider the words of Jesus:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:15-18 (NKJV)

“Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” 1 Samuel 8:4-7 (NKJV)

Growing up in Arkansas, my family had a persimmon tree in the backyard. Unripe persimmons are numbingly bitter! Unripe persimmons also look a lot like plums. So, one day my brother decided to prank me by placing a few unripe persimmons at the top of a bag of plums, and offered me one. There he stood, eating a nice plum, offering the bag to me. Of course I wanted one! Everything about the situation said “yes” until I took a bite!!

Because some of our idolatry can seem so sophisticated and appear so reasonable, it can be extremely difficult to detect. But God's eye penetrates the fog. Samuel experienced from his own people what Jesus, Moses, and the prophets experienced:

“We don’t want this man to rule over us.” Luke 19:14b (HCSB)

We have an aversion to holiness, the same as Biblical Israel did. By “aversion,” I simply mean that we do not like to be different, for God’s sake. Do you recall the last time you shared your faith with the intent to lead another person to the Lord? Most believers have NEVER shared their faith. Why? They say they don’t like the feeling of being rejected or judged for being different. Most believers want the benefits of following Jesus (salvation, eternal life), but when given a choice, their decisions reveal they would rather have a “king like all the other nations.”

Believer, your distinction from the world is not a curse! It is the sign that your Savior is able to effect drastic change in the lives of sinners!

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove [discern] what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

We do not naturally like to be distinctly “God’s.” We would rather blend into the world, waiting out our time until the Last Days trumpet sounds. When we refuse to engage in spiritual battle, as the Lord prescribes in His Word, we become like that military deserter who refuses to fight yet refuses to leave the regiment. We show up for roll call and the chow hall, but when the battle ensues, we hide behind a tree, waiting for it to all be over. GET INTO THE BATTLE! Serve the King, Whose Kingdom is UNLIKE all the other nations, and trust Him to lead others into His Kingdom through your bold, courageous, and gracious testimony.

“So they went up toward the city. Saul and his attendant were entering the city when they saw Samuel coming toward them on his way to the high place. Now the day before Saul’s arrival, the Lord had informed Samuel, ‘At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over My people Israel. He will save them from the hand of the Philistines because I have seen the affliction of My people, for their cry has come to Me.’ When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told Him, ‘Here is the man I told you about; he will rule over My people.’” 1 Samuel 9:14-17 (HCSB)

“Providence” is God’s way of providing for the needs of His people. In a wonderful, strange, mysteriously unpredictable way, the Lord rules His world and sustains His people. And He does it frequently by going over, under, around, through, or in spite of the most common stuff in our lives. He works His will, even when it is against our will. God is always deliberately working, even though we are unaware of His presence. That is why it is of utmost importance to align ourselves with Him. He always wins.

Saul’s rise to power all seemed so casual; who would know it was planned? God wove people & situations together so well that it looks like we are dealing with what organically appeared rather than what was ordained: lose some donkeys, find a kingdom.

The ignorant onlooker might say that Saul was lucky. He was in the right place at the right time. Perhaps, they would say Saul’s charisma overwhelmed an aged prophet desperate for a successor. But God tells us He orchestrated everything. He allowed the donkeys to go missing; He prompted Saul’s father to send Saul after them; He told Samuel He was sending Israel’s king, and in the moment, He told Samuel exactly who that king would be. Saul is detached, designated, and disclosed by God.

The Lord’s providence not only operates in the affairs of major figures in salvation history; He also directs our paths.

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs His steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)

“Man’s steps are ordained by the LORD, how then can man understand his way?” Proverbs 20:24 (NASB)

So, providence is not the exclusive privilege of some kingdom elite; it extends to each of His people, no matter how apparently common. However, He may not let you in on the secret. You may see traces of what He has been doing much later as you look back, but in the present, you may be just as in the dark as Saul was. If so, you must continue searching for your lost donkeys (or whatever task God has given you). But do so, knowing God is leading, teaching you along the way how to accomplish the things He has prepared for you. It is not as if our relationship with Him is not dynamic. There is a call and response. Our choices make a difference, yet we choose to follow His Word, knowing He does not need us. Rather, He loves us and chooses to interact with us. Our participation in the process is to seek His Word, trusting in Him as we obey and share it.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Samuel 10. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, ‘Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.’ Nahash the Ammonite replied, ‘I’ll make a covenant with you on this condition: that I gouge out everyone’s right eye and humiliate all Israel.’ ‘Don’t do anything to us for seven days,’ the elders of Jabesh said to him, ‘and let us send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one saves us, we will surrender to you.’” 1 Samuel 11:1-3 (HCSB)

Such is the arrogance the world has for God’s people! The Ammonite mind was not to simply defeat the people and exploit their resources but to humiliate and mock them.

So, why gouge out an eye, and the right eye for that matter? Most people are right-handed. Try closing your right eye and waving your right hand. No matter how frantically you wave it, your hand does not come into sight until it is almost to your nose. Now, take into consideration a man in battle. He carries a sword in his right hand and holds a shield over his left eye as he marches forth, slashing away.

By gouging out the right eye of every man, the Ammonites are ensuring never-ending subservience, for it made most men unfit for military service. Notice Nahash’s plan was to eventually humiliate ALL Israel, perhaps, one tribe at a time. In his arrogance and overconfidence, Nahash made a crucial slip-up. He gave the men of Jabesh-Gilead an opportunity to gather support. Even today, the Enemy picks us off, one by one, because he is confident Christians will not work together. Nor does he believe Christians will rely on God’s Spirit but will try and collaborate with other oppressed believers to develop some man-made rescue attempt.

The whole scenario brings to mind the words of Jesus:

“If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matthew 5:29-30 (NASB)

Jesus is saying our self-reliance is actually part of our problem! Gouge out the right eye, and we can’t see to fight with our right hand. Cut off our right hand, and we’re completely useless for conventional battle. But aren’t we in a spiritual battle? Rely on His Spirit, and heaven’s forces will rally around you!

Notice how the Bible says the Spirit of God “rushed” upon Saul. (v.6a) When God’s people humble themselves and seek Him as their only source of salvation, no physical, financial, relational, or other disabilities can hinder God from accomplishing His purposes in, for, and through them.

“Samuel called on the Lord, and on that day, the Lord sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. Samuel replied, ‘Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following the Lord. Instead, worship the Lord with all your heart. Don’t turn away to follow worthless things that can’t profit or deliver you; they are worthless. The Lord will not abandon His people, because of His great name, and because He has determined to make you His own people. As for me, I promise that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way.’” 1 Samuel 12:18-23 (CSB)

As a young musician in my early 20s, I had followed the Lord for the first time and dropped out of college. I felt He was leading me into the music business. Nobody else in my family heard that calling, so I was doing double duty: Following the Lord and trying to legitimize my decision to my folks! I thought I would silence my critics with a record contract. I prayed, worked hard, networked even harder, and eventually, I landed a record deal.

I remember sitting with my attorney as we read through my contract. He said to me, “You know the word ‘contract’ means ‘to bind,’ i.e., “a boa constrictor contracts his prey!’” We both had a laugh. Several years later, it wasn’t quite as funny when my career goals didn’t match the record company’s business plan. Yet, there we were, leg-ironed like two prisoners disputing over which direction to run. (By the way, you always eventually run in the direction of the biggest inmate!)

The Hebrew word for “covenant” is “b’rit.” It comes from an Akkadian term meaning “clasp” or “fetter.” A covenant chains two parties to each other. In Israel’s case (and ours), the parties chained together are a people to their God. They are bound to obligations to each other. And for the vassal (the smaller party), the primary obligation is to the benefactor or “king.” If a covenant was broken (by one party), the other party had a right to either enforce or terminate that covenant.

Israel had rejected their covenant by asking for a king (other than the Lord) who would rule as the kings of the other nations. But God’s decision, Him being the greater party in the covenant, was not to forsake His people. Instead, He chose to motivate Israel to follow His direction. After all, He is the bigger of the two, “chained” together.

Believer, have you chosen to run away from the Lord’s leading? You won’t get far with those fetters you’re wearing! Our best scenario is to surrender our wills to the Father, recognize He always chooses wisely, and follow His lead. Furthermore, if you advise another brother or sister on how they should go, hold them accountable with truth and grace. Remember that we, too, are prone to wander.

“Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have been foolish. You have not kept the command, which the Lord your God gave to you. It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel, but now your reign will not endure. The Lord has found a man loyal to Him, a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people because you have not done what the Lord commanded.’ Then, Samuel went from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul registered the troops with him, about 600 men.” 1 Samuel 13:13-15 (HCSB)

There was once a man whose wife told him to move their china cabinet. She knew it would be an all-day job because she had a lot of china, and the cabinet was quite large. She decided to go out for the day with the stern warning: Have this cabinet moved before I come home this evening. As is typical with men, this woman’s husband decided to put the job off, watching sports all day instead. About 5 o’clock, his wife called, saying she would be home soon. The man decided the only way to cover his laziness would be to call his neighbor for help. The neighbor got delayed with a task from his wife, so now the only way to move the cabinet was with the china still inside. Then the man tripped on the rug. Needless to say, porcelain fought gravity, and gravity won. When his wife came home, the husband tried to blame everything on their neighbor’s slowness in coming over.

This could also be the story of King Saul; no questioning the pressure Saul must have felt. The Philistines were breathing down his neck because of a bold yet maverick move by Saul’s son Jonathan. His army was afraid, hiding and deserting the cause. And to add insult to injury, Samuel was nowhere to be found. So, Saul feels compelled to do something. He feels he must do something kingly and military in a priestly sort-of way. All he really needed to do was wait.

Should we give Saul any credit? After all, he waited 6 ¾ days instead of the full seven that Samuel had ordered. But it’s not just how you run the race; it’s how you finish that earns the prize. Samuel’s job was to bear God’s Word, and Saul’s job was to do it. For Saul, the sacrificial ritual was essential, but prophetic direction was not. By his action, Saul professed that certain emergencies rendered the Lord’s Word unnecessary. When the chips were down, Saul believed the kingdom could function on its own, based on God’s promise, yet, in neglect of obedience to His Word.

Does this sound familiar? It is the core message of the argument for separation of church and state in the United States. It compartmentalizes and quarantines business, relationships, education, and politics from religion. It says to God, “You can have my soul, but that’s it. You may come to this border, but no further.” Saul’s punishment was that the kingdom would not be passed down through his descendants.

Let’s take the time and ask God to reveal those areas in our lives where we refuse to wait on Him, choosing to lean on our own understanding instead of seeking and obeying His Word.

“Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, ‘Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.’ His armor-bearer responded, ‘Do what is right in your heart. You choose. I’m right here with you whatever you decide.’” 1 Samuel 14:6-7 (HCSB)

One could hardly make the case that Jonathan’s faith was a product of his environment. His circumstances were not those that foster optimism. Consider the leaders: Sitting Saul, whose kingship has been rejected, assisted by Ahijah, whose priestly line has been rejected. Since Samuel has left, Saul has no prophetic direction. So, what help can such a king and priest provide?

Still, Jonathan decides it’s time for action. To understand the depth of Jonathan’s faith, it helps to understand the images surrounding the path he took to victory.

“Within the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other was Seneh. The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.” 1 Samuel 14:4-5 (ESV)

The Hebrew names of these rocks are roughly equivalent to “Slippery” (Bozez) and “Thorny” (Seneh). This was hardly a scenic leisurely hike. Most folks would consider the point impassable. Basically, nothing on Jonathan’s circumstantial “radar screen” encouraged optimism. But Jonathan’s response to his conditions was not to be optimistic. It was to be faithful. Some people are naturally optimistic – they don’t know better. But faith can arise even when no reason for optimism exists.

Faith arises in such situations because faith looks not to circumstances but to God. Jonathan is not trusting in his own daring scheme. He does not say, “Perhaps the Lord will act for us because we are clever.” If anything, his daring expresses his trust in the Lord. Yet the beauty of Jonathan’s faith is its IMAGINATION (“Come on, let’s cross over…), and the beauty of that imagination is its BALANCE (“perhaps”).

Many believers in our day think that to say “perhaps” cuts the nerve of faith, that faith must be certain, dogmatic, and absolutely positive. Faith, therefore, has become confused with arrogance. “Perhaps” confesses the power of the Lord yet acknowledges our ignorance of His plan. It retains the freedom of the Lord to act according to His will, not ours. It enables us to step out in faith but not sprint in pride.

Are you facing a difficult season? Is the Enemy taunting you as an army of “Philistines,” so to speak? Salvation does not wait until you can amass an overwhelming optimistic opposition. It begins with imaginative faith-in-action that is willing to say, “Perhaps, the Lord will act for us.”

“So Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being King.’” 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NKJV)

Over the years, I have purchased several homes and rented/leased a few apartments. I am generally not a big fan of the process of buying a home, but when I am in the mood/circumstance to find a new property, I always get so caught up in the positive aspects of a house that I neglect to see its flaws. That is why mortgage companies insist that home buyers purchase a home inspection. Sometimes, the outside elements of a structure (paint, landscaping, and decorating) are hiding serious flaws within.

While Saul’s (and the Kingdom of Israel’s) spiritual condition may look healthy on the outside, it is exposed to have serious foundational flaws. Saul wanted to appear to be righteous by picking which parts of God’s Word seemed worth following. He was even on his way to building a monument to himself! All the while, the Lord was not impressed. Saul was about to be replaced by one more worthy. Samuel delivered the news of God’s decision to Saul. As Samuel was leaving, an interesting thing occurred. Saul grabbed for Samuel’s clothing and caught the tzitzit (tassel) from Samuel’s robe, tearing it away. We know this from Samuel’s response.

“But Samuel said to Saul, ‘I will not return with you, for you have rejected the Word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.’ And as Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. So Samuel said to him, ‘The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.’” 1 Samuel 15:26-28 (NKJV)

With that knowledge, imagine the gravity of the moment when David emerges from a Judean cave, holding Saul’s tzitzit, cut from his royal robe, announcing:

“Look, this day, your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed. Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe is in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is no evil or rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it.’’ 1 Samuel 24:10-11 (NKJV)

So, what is our takeaway today? A righteous man does good works, but good works do not make a man righteous. And the God who searches men’s hearts is always looking for those whom He may send. Seek the Lord continually, that He may send you, and do not cease searching His Word, so He will not cease using you!

“When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, ‘Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before Him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees his heart.’” 1 Samuel 16:6-7 (HCSB)

Most of us have a job or have been employed at one time. Personally, I can’t stand to be interviewed for a job. You feel so…judged. And you ARE being judged. That’s the point of the interview!

Many years ago, about the time when my band outgrew our van and we began traveling on a tour bus, it became apparent we needed to hire a road crew. It was the first time I had ever been on the other side of the negotiating table. Instead of searching for employment, I was the employer. Let me tell you, if you’ve never hired anyone, it isn’t as easy as it looks! That is especially true if you hire people to manage your personal assets. You want employees who are honest, competent, and gracious team players. Let’s just say I learned (the hard way) that you can’t judge a book by its cover.

The same is true for personal relationships. I doubt anyone sitting in Divorce Court feels they conducted a thorough character analysis of their mate before tying the knot. As for guys, the thought process leading up to marriage is generally: 1) She looks good, 2) She digs me. (Repeat, if necessary.) Ladies may be a little more discriminating than that, but I’m pretty amazed at what kind of guys some of you gals settle for.

Don’t you wish you had the eyes of God? He looks beyond external beauty and searches the depths of the heart.

“I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected a king from his sons.” 1 Samuel 16:1b (HCSB)

While Samuel was mourning over Saul’s sin and Israel’s future, God was personally searching the hearts of every Israelite. Today, there are still those who grieve over the future of the Church at large. I admit the forecast doesn’t look good. Every year, we lose more old soldiers of the faith, and it seems we have fewer recruits of Godly character to replace them. Our prayers go forth, “Who will take their place?” The Lord answers, “I have selected them already!”

Have you considered that God is searching your heart at this very moment? What do you think He sees? What role has He prepared for you, based on the evidence of His search? Are you on track to become a Saul or a David? A Jezebel or a Ruth? In many ways, the choice is up to you because He chooses to lift up those who choose Him.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Samuel 17. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Saul’s servants reported these words directly to David, but he replied, ‘Is it trivial in your sight to become the king’s son-in-law? I am a poor man who is common.’ The servants reported back to Saul, ‘These are the words David spoke.’ Then Saul replied, ‘Say this to David: “The king desires no other bride-price except 100 Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.”’ Actually, Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.” 1 Samuel 18:23-25 (HCSB)

The Lord was obviously protecting David! Everything he put his hand to was successful. David had won the hearts of all of Israel and Judea. Even Saul’s son, Jonathan, was on the bandwagon to the extent that he gave David his royal vestments. In ancient times, this was an unheard-of gesture; significant because the clothes signify the person and his position – hence, Jonathan renounced his position as crown prince. Jonathan transferred, so far as his own will goes, the right of succession to David.

This was the level of success God was giving David, and such was the level of character Jonathan possessed. How many politicians have you ever known who withdrew from an election because they felt their opponent was actually a better man for the job? Royal leaders simply do not transfer their crown rights to an up-and-comer; they eliminate them!

Jonathan may have been honorable, but his father sure wasn’t. Saul simply did not make due on his promises. Much of chapter 18 deals with Saul’s promise of marriage to his daughters, used as bait to lure David into fatal heroic deeds. David’s response was that he was unworthy to be the king’s son-in-law because he was lowly and poor. Almost overlooked in the narrative is that David should have already been very rich and married to Saul’s daughter. Riches, tax exemption, and royal matrimony had been promised to whoever defeated Goliath. David verified that offer three times before he fought the giant!

“Previously, an Israelite man had declared, ‘Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes to defy Israel. The king will make the man who kills him very rich and will give him his daughter. The king will also make the household of that man’s father exempt from paying taxes in Israel.’” 1 Samuel 17:25 (HCSB)

“The people told him about the offer, concluding, ‘That is what will be done for the man who kills him.’” 1 Samuel 17:27 (HCSB)

“Then he turned from those beside him to others in front of him and asked about the offer. The people gave him the same answer as before.” 1 Samuel 17:30 (HCSB)

Oh, the short-term memory of political promises! Aren’t we thankful to have God’s never-changing Word and character to depend upon?

“Saul sent agents to David’s house to watch for him and kill him in the morning. But his wife Michal warned David: ‘If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead tomorrow!’ So she lowered David from the window and he fled and escaped. Then Michal took the household idol and put it on the bed, placed some goats’ hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.” 1 Samuel 19:11-13 (HCSB)

There have been quite a few Bible stories that I have simply not understood until I began really studying the Scripture. I want to encourage you that every Biblical question I’ve had (upon first reading the Bible) has been answered (or adequately explained) upon further Biblical investigation. And I do not expect that there will be any spiritual questions that God’s Word cannot (or will not eventually) answer!

Today’s question answered pertains to why David’s wife, Michal, was so upset when he danced naked when the Ark of the Covenant returned to Jerusalem. It never made sense to me why the woman who would risk her life to protect David would be so disgusted at his humble worship. Let’s refresh our memories:

“When David returned home to bless his household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. ‘How the king of Israel honored himself today!’ she said. ‘He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself.’ David replied to Michal, ‘I was dancing before the Lord who chose me over your father and his whole family to appoint me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel. I will celebrate before the Lord, and I will humble myself and humiliate myself. I will be honored by the slave girls you spoke about.’ And Saul’s daughter Michal had no child to the day of her death.” 2 Samuel 6:20-23 (HCSB)

Personally, I believe Michal’s observation of David’s humility may have reminded her of the time when her father, Saul, was naked before the Lord.

“The Spirit of God came on him (Saul), and as he walked along, he prophesied until he entered Naioth in Ramah. Saul then removed his clothes and also prophesied before Samuel; he collapsed and lay naked all that day and all that night.” 1 Samuel 19:23-24a (HCSB)

This shameful recollection of Saul was mixed with the fact that Michal had inherited another nasty little habit from her father: Idolatry. We know there was at least one idol in David’s household because it was used to simulate David’s sleeping body. When Saul was rejected by the Lord, he should have humbled himself in true repentance. Instead, he most certainly turned to idols. It seems Michal inherited her father’s idol worship.

Another reason to suggest Michal’s idolatry is the fact that she was childless. Our conclusion, then, is that Michal was introduced to idolatry by her father and sought the power of an idol to make her fertile when God withheld her womb. Furthermore, having never experienced true worship (personal or corporate), Michal was critical of the authenticity of David’s humility. How do you respond when others worship the Lord?

“‘By the Lord, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you? If my father intends to bring evil on you, may the Lord punish Jonathan and do so severely if I do not tell you and send you away so you may leave safely. May the Lord be with you, just as he was with my father. If I continue to live, show me kindness from the Lord, but if I die, don’t ever withdraw your kindness from my household—not even when the Lord cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.’ Then Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, ‘May the Lord hold David’s enemies accountable.’ Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.” 1 Samuel 20:12-17 (CSB)

Regarding the narrative, Verses 12-17 do not have to be in the text. In fact, we can go immediately from the end of verse 11 to the beginning of verse 18 with no loss in the flow of the story. But this entire chapter is about a covenant relationship, and the extent of these two men’s love for each other is paramount to our understanding of God’s covenant with us through Jesus. “Love” is the difference between a contract and a covenant. Love is not just committed to the DETAILS; it is committed to the PERSON!

Jonathan is formally committing himself always to act as he did in 19:2-3. People typically do not do what Jonathan does! You don’t hand over your place to your rival and promise to protect him, especially when your place is the crown prince. It’s not natural. If Jonathan were “normal,” he would dispose of David. In fact, what angers Saul is that Jonathan’s commitment to David defies all political sense. Jonathan really did “seek first” another kingdom, which didn‘t align with common sense.

Even more unusual was the commitment Jonathan urges on David in verses 14-16. The time will come when Jonathan (not David) will be in the fugitive role, the needy one. In fact, this actually happened, and David honored his covenant with Jonathan.

What does Jonathan teach us? This: True life does not consist in securing “your kingdom” but in reflecting the Lord’s faithfulness in covenant relationships. There is something liberating about that! Jonathan had acknowledged that the kingdom was the Lord’s and, therefore, David’s if the Lord so chose. This meant Jonathan understood his life did not need to be centered on his ambition (what can I get); rather, he rested in God’s wise plan (what the Lord chooses to give.)

As believers, our reigning passion should not be to make “my way,” “my living,” “my mark,” or to gain “my place” in order to get ahead. That thought may constitute the deadly blow to our prideful wills, but it is certainly liberating. Life does not consist in achieving our goals but in fulfilling our covenant responsibilities to Him, who has the power to bless or curse. We should wake up every morning with this renewed surrendered vow: THY will, THY way, and THY glory be exalted through me. Then He will disclose WHERE He wants to send you, HOW He wants to sustain, equip and protect and the EXTENT to which He will establish your influence among men.

“So the priest gave him (David) the consecrated bread, for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord. When the bread was removed, it had been replaced with warm bread.” 1 Samuel 21:6 (HCSB)

David has nobody he can count on. There is no Jonathan, Michal, or Samuel now. It is simply up to David to elude Saul, who is intent on killing him. But was David truly alone? David’s methods of self-preservation seem to testify that he feels he is alone, but his continued miraculous preservation indicates God is with him, whether David perceives God’s presence or not.

We understand David’s difficulty. We can relate to his panic and desperation. Note that the Bible is not recommending David’s methods of survival, only reporting them.

We do better to ask a different question: What does God seem to be doing here? Take note that in the confusion, danger, and fear, David received daily bread. Is it too much to say this whole chapter depicts a simple truth: The Lord sustained David? It was not something frivolous that David craved but a clear need. In our culture of abundant living, where the average poor American would be rich by world standards, perhaps we have lost the idea of “daily bread.” We get too caught up in what “brand” of bread. We complain, “Is it Wonder bread or whole wheat, a baguette, or a dinner roll?” But when we are truly starving, we crave only the Lord’s Bread from His presence. Of course, I speak of spiritual hunger, as well as the physical. Consider Jesus’ words:

“But He answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word coming out of the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)

Every Sabbath, twelve loaves of this bread were piled on a table in the holy place in the Tabernacle. They were (among other things) a quiet witness that the Lord sustains His people and supplies their needs. The next day, that holy bread became David’s daily bread.

There may be a word for us in David’s provision. Perhaps, you are under a heavy load, boxed in and pressed down under various vocational, emotional, spiritual, or circumstantial pressures. But are you still eating every day? At least once? Doesn’t God’s small provision in the midst of our “big” problems tell us something? Doesn’t it assure us that God has not yet cast you off? Perhaps, now Jesus’ words have a different ring.

“Give us day by day our daily bread…” Luke 11:3 (NKJV)

“David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So, when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him. Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, ‘Please let my father and mother come here with you till I know what God will do for me.’” 1 Samuel 22:1-3 (NKJV)

In 1915, San Francisco hosted the World’s Fair. In preparation for the event, the city fathers funded the construction of the Palace Of Fine Arts, with its grand entrance. To the astute art enthusiast, the 1915 World’s Fair is commonly known as the moment where American impressionists overtook the Europeans to become the most prominent artists of their day. And the California artists led the charge. At the fair’s opening, a California impressionist artist named Frank Coburn set up his easel to paint a depiction of that monumental Palace Of Fine Arts entrance.

2009 is a year that many Americans would rather forget. The housing market collapsed, and 25% of the homes in Riverside County, California, were in danger of foreclosure. I know because I lost my home in that market crash. When you suffer foreclosure, the loss of your home is just the beginning of your problems because often, people amass a great amount of debt leading up to that catastrophic event. So, when the home is gone, the debt remains. I prayed, “Lord, I have followed You here, and I believed You would never let something like this happen to me!” His response? Silence.

Eventually, we found a rental home. Shortly thereafter, my son outgrew his baby bed. One morning, my wife pulled me out of bed to haul a twin bed she’d bought at an estate sale. As I entered the sale, I noticed the estate’s former owner was an amateur painter. VERY amateur. But amid the junk paintings, from across the room, I spotted an unframed painting on an old board. Masking tape price tag: $5. Signed: Frank Coburn 1915. Inscribed on the back: Entrance, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco Fair. Misti & I quickly realized we had a “Providential” treasure in our hands. Three months later, I received a call from an art dealer in Newport Beach, California, who we had enlisted to sell the painting for us. She sold it for the exact amount we needed to pay our debts completely!

In today’s Scripture passage, in David’s case, all the unusual arrangements for his survival (along with the survival of his family and friends) had been made over a century before when a relative named Boaz married a righteous Moabite named Ruth. The Lord plans His kindness long beforehand. He directs circumstances long in advance. Refuge in Moab was not something David set in place; it was a gift. YHWH “arranged” this long before. This is not something God does only for chosen kings. A great number of us have stories to tell about our desperation and God’s providence. The unbeliever (like Saul) is a man on his own, shut up to his own schemes, without God’s direction. But gleams of God’s guidance shine on David: Five loaves of bread, the backside of the Gath city-limit sign, a Moabite ancestress, a prophet giving orders - God goes before us. Be bold!

“David was in the wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. Then Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God, saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel, and I’ll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true.’ Then the two of them made a covenant in the Lord’s presence. Afterward, David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.” 1 Samuel 23:15-18 (HCSB)

Isn’t it amazing how Saul couldn’t find David, but Jonathan could? What an encouragement Jonathan must have been for David, an oasis of hope, there in the desert wilderness of Zin! The text does not say how Jonathan knew where to find David. The narrative doesn’t dwell on the risks Jonathan ran; it only says he “encouraged him in his faith in God.”

How did Jonathan encourage David?

“You yourself will be king over Israel, and I’ll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true.” 1 Samuel 23:17b (HCSB)

Jonathan simply reaffirms God’s promise to David, a promise which is not directly stated in 1 Samuel, yet everyone seems to know about it. (24:4, 25:28-31, 2 Samuel 3:9-10, 17-18) Of course, Jonathan’s presence would have been a great comfort for David. Yet, our temporal personal presence does not provide the “abiding” encouragement like the certainty of God’s Word. That is why daily interaction with the Bible is paramount to a believer’s life. Bible reading is worth even more than showing compassion to others, as that is the outworking of our interaction with God’s Word. But the motivation for works of compassion must come from within, from the storehouse of Scripture in the heart and mind of a committed follower of Jesus.

Our best encouragement comes not from being “cuddly” for the people of God but from the Word of God. I am not depreciating the helpfulness of personal touch or care. But in an age that wallows in “caring” and “sensitivity,” believers need to know that solid encouragement comes not from emotional closeness but from close, constant proximity to God’s promises in His Word.

We cannot help seeing here (in Jonathan’s mission) the shadow of One greater than Jonathan. Today’s chapter is about the Lord, Who sustains us. No, Saul is not gone for good; David’s distress is not over; final relief has not arrived. But 1 Samuel 23 shows what resources the Lord gives His servants in the middle of their trials to withstand the pressure. True peace is not always displayed as the absence of conflict; it is most often manifested as the presence of peace in the midst of conflict.

Yes, the darkness is still there, but at least part of it is the “shadow” of the Almighty.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Samuel 24. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, ‘Praise the Lord who championed my cause against Nabal’s insults and restrained His servant from doing evil. The Lord brought Nabal’s evil deeds back on his own head.’ Then David sent messengers to speak to Abigail about marrying him.” 1 Samuel 25:39 (HCSB)

Nabal was rough and nasty. My Bible translation defines his name to mean “boorish.” We know he was wealthy because he had three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. Nabal’s men were busy holding a profitable (and festive) sheep-sheering time in Carmel. After all David had done to protect Nabal’s investments, his response to David’s plea was utterly disrespectful.

Of course, Nabal had never asked for David’s assistance, but it was only right to expect a wealthy man like Nabal to show generous appreciation for the services rendered. Nabal, didn’t simply say, “No.” He called David a no-account runaway slave and David’s men a bunch of nobodies who had no right to “my bread,” “my water,” and “my meat.” Such an ungrateful and selfish man deserved to be taught a lesson, but did he really deserve to die by the blade of David’s sword? Enter Abigail.

Acting as equal parts self-preservationist, Prophetess, and national adviser, Abigail intervenes on behalf of her family, her king, and her nation. The theme of today’s chapter is “restraint.” Abigail’s plea to David is truly directed by the Lord to restrain David, keeping him from doing something that would have foolishly jeopardized God’s plan for David, Israel, and ultimately the line of Messiah.

Today’s chapter teaches us how the Lord rescues His servants from their stupidity, restrains them from executing their sinful purposes, and how sometimes He graciously and firmly intercepts us on the road to foolishness. Not only does He do this for an anointed king, but His mercy extends to all His servants. We can all tell tales of how the Lord has constructed roadblocks on our journeys to foolish self-destruction!

God’s mercy sends frustration to our purposes. His kindness hinders our paths. It is essential that, like David, we respond rightly to such episodes of the Lord’s restraining us. Read chapters 24 and 25 back-to-back. Notice the contrast in David’s attitude between Saul and Nabal and how David compartmentalizes his faith. In chapter 24, he is the restrainer; he will not harm Saul or permit his soldiers to do so. In chapter 25, David must be restrained; he wants to shed Nabal’s (and all Nabal’s men’s) blood over an insult. All this because David responded in the flesh without consulting the Lord.

This is a shadow of things to come, for a Hittite named Uriah would have done well to have paid attention to this account: David refuses to take personal vengeance on “the Lord’s anointed” but is most willing to liquidate a private Israelite. I remember times when I had seen God’s way clearly in some dilemma but missed it entirely in another situation where the same principles applied. We must always rely on God’s leading.

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (HCSB)

“But David said to Abishai, ‘Don’t destroy him, (Saul) for who can lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed and be blameless?’ David added, ‘As the Lord lives, the Lord will certainly strike him down: either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. However, because of the Lord, I will never lift up my hand against the Lord’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and the water jug by his head, and let’s go.’” 1 Samuel 26: 9-11 (HCSB)

The emphasis of today’s passage falls on the conversation between David and Abishai. It can be expected that Abishai assumed he was signing up for a commando raid, wherein Saul (and perhaps Abner as well) would be assassinated. In any case, in a scene reminiscent of the last time David spared Saul’s life, the soldier was convinced the Lord had led David to sleeping Saul for the express purpose of killing him. Abishai whispers theological advice to David, “Today God has shut your enemy up into your hand - and now let me nail him to the ground with my spear. I won’t need more than once.” David corrects Abishai’s theology, “Don’t destroy him, for who can put forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed and remain innocent?

David must have learned something back in chapter 25 with Nabal’s death. The Lord struck down David’s enemy when David relented from acting foolishly. David learned that the Lord can handle such matters when left into His hands. David suggests the Lord may operate in the same manner with Saul, or He may not. There are numerous possibilities for how the Lord may work. What David really needed to focus on was not the Lord’s method of punishing Saul but his own faithful obedience.

We would do well to learn a lesson here! Our primary goal in life should be to seek God’s Word and obey it. We must not run ahead of God’s timing. Rather, we should wait on The Lord to accomplish His purposes in and through our lives.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

David pondered the same thing: How did they sneak past those army guards? Surely, it was the Lord!

“So David took the spear and the jug of water from beside Saul’s head, and they went away, but no one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a sound sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.” 1 Sam 26:12 (NASB)

I believe David knew Who had allowed their stealth passage and that there was a high probability that God would have awoken every soldier in the camp if David and Co. had sinned by attempting to kill Saul! The practical life of a believer, complicated as it may seem at times, can be summed up into two simple components: Seek God’s Word and obey it. They are companions to the two principles of Scripture that Jesus said on which the Torah and the Prophets hang.

“He said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Torah and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 (HCSB)

“David did not let a man or woman live to be brought to Gath, for he said, ‘Or they will inform on us and say, “This is what David did.”’ This was David’s custom during the whole time he stayed in the Philistine territory. So (Philistine king) Achish trusted David, thinking, ‘Since he made himself detestable to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.’” 1 Samuel 27:11-12 (HCSB)

Today’s chapter has enough drama and tension to hold our attention, but what makes the story so fascinating (and difficult) is the fact that it is God-less. That’s not to say God has not inspired the text. It’s just that the text does not mention God or say precisely or directly what the Lord is doing. It does not even inform us of the Lord’s point of view. Nor is there any indication of the writer’s position. There is no moral commentary on events that seem to demand moral commentary. We are left to wonder whether David is right or wrong. Perhaps, that is what God wants us to do: Judge these events Biblically, without His having to spell it out.

As was the case elsewhere in Scripture, the writer’s silence does not necessarily mean he approves of David’s course. It is possible to report an activity without endorsing it. For instance, one may testify about a robbery without approving theft. But how are David’s actions to be evaluated? We can only sift for clues and weigh them against God’s character, as defined by the truth of His Word.

I believe the writer is sympathetic to David’s difficulty yet presents him as in the wrong. The record of the Lord’s repeated protection should have convinced David that the Lord could keep him, even in Israel. Chapters 24 and 26 clearly show Saul’s protection was gone, and the king was exposed and helpless. Then, there seems to be a negative shadow cast on the human slaughter of David’s raids. I understand there are times when total warfare is condoned, and those times are only when the Lord commands such activity. Obviously, He knows best, and we must trust His leading. But the writer tells us David’s rationale was not God-directed. David needed to keep his “front” intact with King Achish. All that said, there is a sort of balance in the text. It understands David’s persecution and need for political sanctuary yet is not willing to justify all his conduct.

Even a “God-less” text teaches Godly truths and gives Godly direction for the Lord’s people. We are learning something about David, his moral breaking points, and his humanity. He is not perfect. After all, David is only a “type” of messiah, not the Messiah Himself. Proverbs 14:12 comes to mind.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV)

We must remember the Lord did not allow David to build the Temple because of the bloodshed he had caused. In that sense, David shares something in common with all the Lord’s people (you & me included). We must all learn the hard lessons that come when we deceive ourselves into leaning on something other than the “everlasting arms!”

“The woman came over to Saul, and she saw that he was terrified and said to him, ‘Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do. Now please listen to your servant. Let me set some food in front of you. Eat and it will give you strength so you can go on your way.’ He refused, saying, ‘I won’t eat,’ but when his servants and the woman urged him, he listened to them. He got off the ground and sat on the bed. The woman had a fattened calf at her house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She also took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread. She served it to Saul and his servants and they ate. Afterward, they got up and left that night.” 1 Samuel 28:21-25 (HCSB)

Surely, we do not think John merely wanted to tell us the time. He wants to tell us it was “NIGHT.” And what a night! It was like entering the outer darkness itself, the abyss. But Judas and Saul were not the only ones who entered the darkness.

“Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?’” which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?’” Mark 15:33-34 (NKJV)

If we are not careful, we make the mistake of believing we are detached observers of the stories of Saul and Judas. Of course, it would be very wrong to assume we are better than, not quite as stupid as or deserving of better than those two. The glory of the Gospel is that Jesus went through the darkness of God’s absence on our behalf. He endured the darkness and agony of God’s forsakenness. Doesn’t Jesus’ cry carry the same ring as “God has turned away from me and answers me no more?” (1 Sam 28:15)

At the “battle” of Golgotha, Jesus walked into the outer darkness in order that we might walk in the light of Life, by Grace, through Faith in Him. Is your faith in the One who endured the Darkness for you? Or does Darkness yet await?

“Then Achish answered and said to David, ‘I know that you are as good in my sight as an angel of God; nevertheless the princes of the Philistines have said: “He shall not go up with us in battle.” Now therefore, rise early in the morning with your master’s servants who have come with you. As soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.’ So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.” 1 Samuel 29:9-11 (NKJV)

David’s original decision to go to the Philistines was ill-advised. It was understandable but not wise, explainable but not faithful. Everything was clicking along quite well for David until now, working for a Philistine boss and killing Philistines in his spare time. It reminds me of the saying, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” But now David and his men find themselves in a tight spot, lined up to fight against Israel, the people whom God had anointed David to serve.

How will David, the “anointed” who “cannot not lay a hand against the Lord’s anointed” (Saul), get out of this one? The dialogue is almost comical. The deceived (Achish) defends his deceiver, and the relieved (David) disputes his relief!

Listen. Can you hear Him? God is almost silent. The only mention of Him is a throw-away line from the Philistine king. Yet, God is at work. He is delivering David from his stupid decisions, protecting the nation of Israel, preserving the integrity of Israel’s trust in their future King David, and silently protecting the birth-line of Messiah. The story is not a promise to us that He will not hold us accountable for (or deliver us from the consequences of) our faithless decisions. But it is proof that He is always with us, ultimately working out everything together for the good. For His good, which ultimately benefits us, too. (Romans 8:28)

Believers should take heart! We can all look back on the timeline of our lives and have no trouble picking out the occasion (or occasions) where we were depending on our own cleverness, sure of our ability to assess and handle our situations, confident we knew the right way. And it proved disastrous and nearly destroyed us. And we fear God’s mercy has withered. After all, OUR mercy would have withered! Then God shows up. And we, like David, learn how God’s “goodness and mercy pursue us all the days” of our lives. (Psalm 23:6a)

There is a striking contrast between the endings of chapters 28 and 29.

“Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. So she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.” 1 Samuel 28:24-25 (NKJV)

Saul and his companions trudge off into the darkness without the Lord, while David rides away in the morning, knowing the experience of God’s mercy. (Psalm 30:5b)

“David and his troops with him wept loudly until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had also been kidnapped. David was in a difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.” 1 Samuel 30: 4-6 (HCSB)

David was under severe pressure, to be sure! In addition to personal sorrow over the loss of his family, he faces the rebellion of his men. Nobody knows how far the vote to stone David went, but things were at a critical point. At this point, we are met with an important statement, “But David found strength in the Lord his God.”

It begs the question: What does it mean to strengthen yourself in the Lord? If you haven’t yet needed to, stick around because everyone goes through seasons where they have no alternative but to strengthen themselves in Him!

Let’s begin by saying what it is NOT. Strengthening oneself in the Lord is not some kind of “gospel magic.” It is not a quick fix. It is not recognizing that the pressure is on and deciding to seek help in religion. It is not superficial or superstitious, venting or letting things go emotionally. It is not expressing anger or assigning blame; David’s soldiers did that. But David found strength elsewhere.

So, where did the strengthening begin? It started with David’s personal relationship with God. Notice Scripture says David found “strength in the Lord HIS God.” So we must consider what a personal relationship really is. Israel had a tendency to rely on a “National” faith instead of a vital “Personal” one. In short, David remembered the promises and affirmations of God’s Word. He recalled how God had guided him thus far.

Another way David strengthened himself in the Lord was by utilizing the means of access to the Lord that were available to him.

“David said to Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, ‘Bring me the ephod.’ So Abiathar brought it to him, and David asked the Lord: ‘Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?’ The Lord replied to him, ‘Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them and rescue the people.’” 1 Samuel 30:7-8 (HCSB)

Believers today have access to God through a better priest than Abiathar! Jesus Himself and the Holy Spirit are our advocates through personal prayer and Divine intercession. Along with prayer, we develop our personal relationships with God by studying the Bible. Spending time with God’s Word develops our knowledge of His character. It marks the difference between an ONGOING personal relationship versus a series of MOMENTARY urgent appeals, which signals you are not interested in a relationship, just its benefits. Are you hard-pressed? Find strength by remembering how your personal relationship is growing with Him through daily Bible study and prayer!

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 1 Samuel 31. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and all of the men with him did the same. They mourned, wept, and fasted until the evening for those who died by the sword – for Saul, his son Jonathan, the Lord’s people, and the house of Israel.” 2 Samuel 1:11-12 (HCSB)

Verses 11 & 12 are at the center of today’s chapter. After having gone through intense trauma over the past several chapters, David and his men had reached their emotional limits. There was no other option but to mourn and do so loudly and dramatically.

Upon reading the events of 2 Samuel 1, I found myself wanting to skip from verse 10 (The end of the Amalekite’s account of Saul’s death) and go directly to verse 13 (The execution of the Amalekite). But the writer seems to think the most important item in the story is the grief and wailing of David and his men over Israel’s fallen leaders and troops. The Lord’s people have been crushed. Grief cannot wait.

In deciding to focus on grieving first instead of swift justice, the writer has exposed a basic human tendency within us to hurry grief instead of letting it take its natural course. The anguish of David and his men is impressive. The condition of God’s people disturbed them. In that, we could all learn a lesson about empathy for the suffering believer.

Furthermore, after the initial grief (and necessary justice), David begins the process of lamenting. Grief remains long after the events grieved have passed. Sorrow is a continuing process. Because grief abides, there must be some process by which God’s people can express that grief and move toward healing. David chose the “lament,” a song by which Israel could continue her mourning and perhaps learn a few lessons.

“David sang the following lament for Saul and his son Jonathan, and he ordered that the Judahites be taught The Song Of The Bow. It is written in the Book of Jashar:” 2 Samuel 1:17-18 (HCSB)

A lament is a formal expression of grief or distress that can be written, read, learned, practiced, or repeated. It differs from the informal, spontaneous, immediate outbursts of grief associated with our initial responses to tragedy. The lament is no less sorrowful or sincere but a vehicle for the mind and emotions. A lament is “thoughtful” grief. The intensity of one’s emotions combined with the disciplines of their mind to produce structured sorrow, a sort of “authorized version” of distress, a coherent agony.

Therefore, words are carefully selected, crafted, and honed in a lament to express loss as closely yet fully as possible. Sorrows are not miraculously healed after a short time of emotional catharsis. Sometimes Christians are impatient with grief. “Why can’t they just trust God and get over it?” Today, perhaps, God is teaching you to embrace the discipline of expressing grief in words (songs or prose), which convey your anguish and verbalize despondency while remembering His great plan and power to enact it.

“David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, ‘The Lord bless you, because you have shown special kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him. Now, may the Lord show special kindness and faithfulness to you, and I will also show the same goodness to you because you have done this deed. Therefore, be strong and courageous, for though Saul your lord is dead, the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.’” 2 Samuel 2:5-7 (HCSB)

Not only was David a man of faith, a good shepherd and a mighty warrior, he was also a great politician. In his statement to the men of Jabesh-gilead, perhaps, the most staunch Saul supporters in all of Israel, David is at once sincerely complimentary, blatantly political, and earnestly evangelistic. Saul was dead, and the people could not merely live on the fumes of his memory.

Faithfully believing God’s promise (that he would rule Israel as king), David took very little time establishing his kingdom, tribe-by-tribe. Revisiting a page from his Goliath playbook, David went for the biggest “Giant” first. (Remember that Goliath had four brothers, yet David’s tactical advantage was killing the biggest one first!) Jabesh-gilead had always been pro-Saul to a man since Saul rescued them on his first military campaign. (1 Samuel 11)

The men of Jabesh-gilead were brave and used to taking risks. David was urging them to take another risk: Be the first in the North to acknowledge the kingship of David!

So, David called Jabesh-gilead to submit to the newly developing kingdom of God in Hebron. David’s call was authoritative yet somewhat winsome. It was commanding and attractive at the same time. Doesn’t it remind us of another such call?

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 (NKJV)

We know what the “yoke” means. It is nothing less than absolute submission. But Jesus’ calling/command is so winsome. He attracts us with both His appeal (I am gentle and lowly in heart) and His promise (you will find rest). Jesus does not hide His yoke, along with the fact that we may be lonely in that yoke, but He lures us by His person and promise. Our evangelism should carry the same elements.

A proper response to David’s (or Jesus’s) appeal could be costly. Jabesh-gilead was sandwiched between David and Abner, between the true Kingdom in its “mustard seed” form and a bastard kingdom that expects allegiance. To defy the latter kingdom takes guts, and such guts only come from Grace! **Remember: This is not a conflict between Israel and some other Nation. It is internal. So also, the modern believer is often forced to decide which “faith professors” have truly aligned with God’s Kingdom. Only the Holy Spirit working through your knowledge of God’s Word will enable you to choose rightly.

“Abner was very angry about Ish-bosheth’s accusation. ‘Am I a dog’s head who belongs to Judah?’ he asked. ‘All this time I’ve been loyal to the family of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends and haven’t betrayed you to David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman! May God punish Abner and do so severely if I don’t do for David what the Lord swore to him: to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beer-sheba.’” 2 Samuel 3:8-10 (HCSB)

Abner reminds me of the story of “Little Billy.” Little Billy crawled onto the ice one wintry afternoon and rescued a playmate who had fallen through. Praise and admiration were being heaped on him. Then, a news reporter asked Billy, “Tell us, boy, how were you brave enough to risk your life to save your friend?” In between breaths, Billy shot back, “He had my skates on!” What seems like heroism is sometimes plain old self-service.

Abner was not driven to expand David’s kingdom because of his theology. He was politically motivated. If Ish-bosheth was not going to roll over and play dead, then the next best option for Abner was to swing his support to David and use his influence over the Northern tribes as a bargaining chip. In this way, Abner would assure himself a more powerful position in David’s regime. After all, David’s power was increasing while Saul’s was diminishing.

Yet, in all his maneuvering, Abner didn’t count on Joab’s knife! God secured David’s kingdom, but not Abner, although Abner acted as a broker to help establish it. Abner couldn’t secure his own power, although it looked like his scheme would pay off.

We meet more Abners in Scripture. They do not bear Abner’s name, but they wear his disposition. For example, Simon the magician in Acts 8 was the perfect “new believer” in Samaria under Philip’s ministry. He went through all the hoops – a profession of faith, baptism, and Bible studies. Then, when Peter and John came along, he flew his true flag, offering to pay them well if they gave him the powers to bestow the Holy Spirit on whoever he laid his hands. The Gospel had eclipsed Simon’s popularity as a magician. But Simon saw a chance to work within the Gospel establishment and win his reputation back: Simon, the “Miracle Healer.”

Whether 2 Samuel 3 or Acts 8, Christians must fight the tendencies of their own Abner-mentality. Some claims to “build” God’s Kingdom may only be a cover for “using” it. Among the “Christian soldiers” marching onward, we must realize there are self-serving mercenaries in the ranks. Even faithful preachers, for example, who seek to grow their ministries to make God’s truth known and bring renown to His Name, admit there are times when they seem more concerned with whether God’s people will be impressed with them, like them, congratulate and dote over them. No, Abner is not that far away from any one of us. Let’s stay humble and willing to give all the credit to God, laboring to make His Name famous, not our own!

“They (Baanah and Rechab) entered the house while Ish-bosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom and stabbed and killed him. They beheaded him, took his head, and traveled by way of the Arabah all night. They brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron and said to the king, ‘Here’s the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who intended to take your life. Today the Lord has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.’” 2 Samuel 4:7-8 (HCSB)

I really like watching MMA (mixed martial arts) on TV. My wife thinks it is completely brutal, which is funny to me because she has a black belt in Taekwondo! A while back, I watched an MMA fight that was a great match-up. The fight was in the upper rounds when fatigue set in on one of the fighters. He dropped his hands for just a moment… This was all his opponent needed to finish him off. In a split-second flurry of pugilistic pounding, the fight was over: knockout! That pretty much describes where Ish-bosheth was, politically, just before he was murdered.

When news came of Abner’s treacherous death in Hebron, Ish-bosheth “lost heart” (literally, “his hands dropped”), and “all Israel was terrified.” Nothing is more terrifying than being on the losing side of a political coup. Once the inevitable sinks in, people begin betraying even their closest friends. This was the story of Baanah and Rechab, the “brother thugs” who led Ish-bosheth’s raiders. They decided they must seize the hour by killing David’s impotent opponent.

Baanah and Rechab may appear bold and daring. But take another look. They are not strong but weak, not courageous but cowardly, not manly but mercenary. The whole matter underscores something about ourselves, how urgently we need discernment and how prone we are to lack it. In these two men, we see our inability to see the real beneath the veneer of the apparent. I must confess that when I first read this account (as well as the account of the Amalekite who claimed to finish off Saul on David’s behalf), I thought David would have honored them. I was not expecting their execution. Lord, give me discernment!

So, were Rachab & Baanah servants of the Lord executing justice by eliminating David’s rival and solidifying David’s position? That is certainly what they were putting forth. Undoubtedly, they advertised themselves as ones to whom David owed the debt of posh government jobs. They come with blood on their hands and theology on their lips, expecting the latter would magically bleach the former. Murder always seems more pleasant when wrapped in religious rhetoric.

We still see Baanahs and Rechabs in our congregations. Beware of those who use theology to cover sin and folly! For them, theology is not a truth that encourages us to worship God but a technique that enables them to justify themselves and their selfish manipulation of honest righteous-minded people.

“Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke saying, ‘Indeed we are your bone and your flesh. Also, in times past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you: You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’ Therefore, all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed him king over Israel.” 2 Samuel 5:1-2 (NKJV)

Funny how things change. For several years, an army of Israelites pursued David to kill him. Now, a delegation show-up at David’s door, cap in hand, saying, “Oh, that? That was nothing! You have always been king in our hearts!”

The Northern delegates have their speech prepared and state their pro-David case in three arguments:

RELATIONSHIP: We are your bone and flesh.

LEADERSHIP: Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who was leading our armies to & from battle.

PROMISE: The Lord said, “You shall shepherd my people Israel, and be leader over Israel.”

The last argument, “The Lord promised” is the climax. God’s promise to David began when the Lord commanded Samuel to inform Saul that someone outside of Saul’s family would inherit the throne. The promise to David became viable – at least to Samuel – when Samuel was sent to anoint someone from among Jesse’s family.

God’s promise to David began as a tormenting suspicion to Saul and eventually a foregone conclusion. Now, David’s opponents and his opponents are resigned to it.

Hence, when the Northern tribes mention the Lord’s promise at the Hebron negotiations, the writer wants us to highlight it in our Bibles! As if to say, “See there? See how The Lord’s promise to David came to pass? See how it weathered the wrath of Saul, the foolishness of David, the rebellion of the North, and the self-seeking of so-called “friends”?

God’s Word has proved firm through chapters & chapters of opposition! And the delegate’s affirming words encourage us because they imply that all of God’s promises are certain, no matter how much resistance they meet or how much time passes.

God’s Word can be trusted to be fulfilled, down to the slightest detail. So, we are exhorted to simply receive that truth and continue to hold on, pressing on toward the higher calling of our Lord!

“They set the ark of God on a new cart and transported it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart and brought it with the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on the hill. Ahio walked in front of the ark. David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments, lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals. When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen had stumbled. Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there next to the ark of God.” 2 Samuel 6:3-7 (HCSB)

Several years ago, on a rainy New York City evening, three friends of mine were having dinner at an upscale restaurant when a shabby man outside began struggling with the restaurant door. The shabby-looking man became frustrated to the point where he yelled for someone to open the door; the rain was pouring down on him. Sensing the man was crazy, my friends yelled, “Don’t let him in!” Against their protest, the hostess opened the door, and in walked the actor Al Pacino! My friends wanted a photo with the actor but dared not ask after how rudely they had treated him. They would not have acted so foolishly had they known the man they were disrespecting.

The Lord’s people tend to forget what sort of God they face. We forget that there is the power to Judge in His holiness. No, we should not be scared of Him, but being sacred toward Him wouldn’t hurt! Contrary to the belief of some Christians, the Lord is not our tame, warm & fuzzy friend in the sky. The application of today’s passage is clear: You dare not disrespect a God who is both real and holy!

As a young believer, I was somewhat offended when I first read this story. (Back then, my opinion of God was distorted by my ignorance of His Word.) After all, Uzzah was only trying to help. Was he really supposed to allow the oxen to bounce the ark right off the cart? Why didn’t the Lord cut him some slack? Why so severe in His judgment, so seemingly arbitrary? Should we be angry? Or should we fear?

Back in the book of Numbers (4:4-6, 15, 17-20; and 7:9), the rules were clear: No touch, no look, no cart. The priests were to cover the holy furniture, not touch or look upon the sacred items “lest they die.” Then the ark was to be carried on the backs of the Levite priests of the Kohathite clan. In that whole process, God is being gracious to Israel. He is forcing them to be personally involved with Him. It is easy to put the ark on a cart and have some beasts of burden haul it with almost no effort on the part of the priests. But it is another thing for them to shoulder the responsibility personally!

Similarly, we should take personal responsibility for our faith. More than a salvation moment, God wants an ongoing personal relationship with us. Don’t “Google” the Bible, looking for guidance. And don’t let some religious leader shoulder your responsibility. Get to know the Guide personally by meeting Him daily in His Word. Perhaps, then you will live a life that honors Him as He prescribes in His Word.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Samuel 7. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadezer, he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadezer and defeated him, for Toi and Hadezer had fought many wars. Joram had items of silver, gold, and bronze with him. King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued-” 2 Samuel 8:9-11 (HCSB)

Back in chapter 7, God established a covenant with David. David had sought to build a house for the Lord, but the Lord disallowed David’s efforts, promising instead to build David’s house. In this statement, there is a play-on-words: The “house” David proposed to build was a temple, whereas the “house” God promised to build David was a kingdom that would endure throughout the generations.

Chapter 8, therefore, is simply recounting the various wars by which David’s kingdom was established by God. When reading these accounts of Israelite warfare, one may wonder, “Where is the God who is merciful to the nations?” Oh, He is right there among the stories of war.

Take notice of Toi, king of Hamath. He is sort of “smooshed” in the middle of an archival sandwich, yet there is something distinguishing about him. He doesn’t have to be struck down. When Toi hears how David has struck down Hadezer, he sends his son Joram to ask for terms of peace and express his delight over Hadezer’s defeat.

Toi exemplifies a pattern in the Bible’s Kingdom doctrine. If there are rulers and nations who war against the Lord’s kingdom, there are also some who lay down their arms and seek peace under His Kingdom. God is not all “pro-Israel” and “con the nations.” He honors any sincere acts of surrender/submission. This is not only a “New Testament” idea; we find it here in 2nd Samuel.

Some nations must be subdued; others submit. Some remain rebellious; others repent. Some are crushed, while others are contrite.

“So now, kings, be wise; receive instruction, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with reverential awe and rejoice with trembling. Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry and you will perish in your rebellion….” Psalm 2:10-12a (CSB)

Here’s the lesson: The reaction of the surrounding peoples to David’s kingship is a pattern of the reaction to Messiah Jesus’ Kingship. Today’s passage is a picture showing that a nation need not be struck down by the Lord’s anointed king if they will only submit to Him. No nation or individual can play the victim as if it/they had no alternative but to be crushed. Salvation is offered to all who surrender to Messiah Jesus; crushing judgment awaits all who refuse & despise His Kingdom.

“So the king asked, ‘Is there anyone left of Saul’s family I can show the kindness of God to?’ Ziba said to the king, ‘There is still Jonathan’s son who is lame in both feet.’ The king asked, ‘Where is he?’ Ziba answered the king, ‘You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.’ So David had him brought from the house of Machir in Lo-debar. Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, bowed down to the ground and paid homage. David said ‘Mephibosheth!’ ‘I am your servant,’ he replied. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ David said to him, ‘since I intend to show you kindness because of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul’s fields, and you will always eat meals at my table.’” 2 Samuel 9:3-7 (HCSB)

In 1932, Franklin Roosevelt made a speech in Pittsburgh advocating restraint in government spending. Four years later, he wanted to speak there in favor of government spending. He asked one of his advisers how he could manage an about-face without seeming like a flip-flopper! The advice was straightforward: Deny that you made a speech in Pittsburgh in 1932!

Ahhh, politics. I think I speak for us all when I say we need leaders whom we can trust to keep their word!! David did not practice the Washington D.C. way. When he made a promise to Jonathan, he kept it. He could easily have denied the private conversation, said he had been impetuous, and argued national security overrode personal agreements. No. David honored his word. And one greater than David offers the same to us!

Perhaps, you have already begun to see a parallel of this story with the offer of salvation that Jesus extends to all who would accept His Grace.

David offered Mephibosheth: 1) Protection, 2) Provision, and 3) Position

“For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Messiah died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person – though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us! Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life!” Romans 5:6-10 (HCSB)

We can never appreciate David’s commitment of love unless we understand the source of it, the Author of love. The Messiah (the Son of David), whom David called “My Lord,” has extended His “Do not be afraid” to us “spiritual Mephibosheths.” The first principle for grappling with the marvel of God’s love is to realize that He has no personal benefit in loving us. Our presence cannot advance His worth. There is absolutely no reason why we should be eating continually at the King’s table. And if we have any sense, we won’t be able to understand it, either! We must simply receive His grace and, thankfully, live in His presence, inviting others in need of salvation to join us.

“Some time later the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hunan became king in his place. Then David said, ‘I’ll show kindness to Hunan son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.’ So David sent his emissaries to console Hunan concerning his father. However, when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites, the Ammonite leaders said to Hunan their lord, ‘Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he’s showing respect for your father? Instead, hasn’t David sent the emissaries in order to scout out the city, spy on it, and overthrow it?’ So Hunan took David’s emissaries, shaved off half their beards, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.” 2 Samuel 10:1-4 (HCSB)

2 Samuel 10 functions as a prophetic lesson. As Hunan and Hadadezer’s Aramaean allies stir themselves up against David, so the kings and rulers of the world were still bent on resisting the sway of the Lord and His Messianic King, Jesus.

“Why do the nations rebel and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and His anointed One: ‘Let us tear off their chains and free ourselves from their restraints.’” Psalm 2:1-2 (HCSB)

It is far easier to see the fulfillment of Psalm 2 when we eavesdrop on the prayer of the Jerusalem church in Acts 4. Especially when we hear those early believers applying the Psalm 2 prayer to Herod and Pontius Pilate (and others).

“When they heard this, they raised their voices to God and said, ‘Master, You are the One who made heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of their father David Your servant: Why did the Gentiles rage and the people plot futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers assembled together against the Lord and against His Messiah. For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness, while You stretch out Your hand for healing, signs, and wonders to be performed through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” Acts 4:24-30 (HCSB)

In today’s passage, David is the Lord’s chosen king, with Hunan and Hadadezer against him. Those folks who conspired against the Lord’s anointed lost. 2 Samuel 10 is simply a miniature Psalm 2 and proclaims: Despite all resistance and hostility, the Davidic king will rule. If we don’t have that assurance, how could we (co-heirs with the One Matthew 1:1 calls “Son of David”) live in the hope of eternal security? How else could we endure persecution for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus? In light of the assured fulfillment of the Psalm 2 prophecy, let’s reaffirm our commitment to stand firm in the Lord!

“David told the messenger, ‘Say this to Joab: “Don’t let this matter upset you because the sword devours all alike. Intensify your fight against the city and demolish it”. Encourage him.’ When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah had died, she mourned for him. When the time of mourning ended, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. However, the Lord considered what David had done to be evil.” 2 Samuel 11:25-27 (HCSB)

Several years ago, I was surfing around the TV dial when a Discovery Channel program caught my eye. Scientists were dropping cats off buildings. The scientists were conducting experiments as to why cats always land on their feet, regardless of the position they were in when they fell (or were thrown). Mystery solved.

In today’s passage, David reminds me of one of those cats. Throughout the whole drama, David is in control and successful. No matter how he falls, David seems to land on his feet. Perhaps, you have known people like that. No matter how wicked or evil their deeds are, they always seem to come out unscathed. Don’t believe the hype.

Sin frustrates. While David is always active, always the one in control, he is repeatedly frustrated. In verses 2-5, David saw, inquired, sent, took, and copulated…but his secret hits a snag: “I am pregnant.” No problem. In the next segment (vv 6-11), David sends for, asks, orders, and lavishes gifts, but he cannot control Uriah. David has more cards to play. He gives Uriah final orders, invites him to dinner, gets him drunk...unsuccessful. David may put Uriah “under the influence,” but Uriah is not under David’s influence.

King David, always the mover and shaker, even has Uriah carry his own death warrant under Royal seal. Eventually, Uriah is killed. David has persevered; he has succeeded. How can this be? This is Israel; this is DAVID! He is the king in the covenant with the Lord. The man “after God’s own heart” takes the sword after God’s own people? Here is David, who put Mephibosheth at his table, and Uriah in the grave. Everyone is suspect, and the only one acting like a God-fearing Israelite is the Hittite! Welcome to Old Testament thug life.

So, what are we to learn from today’s passage? The simple truth is that the kingdom is not safe, even in David’s hands. It is only safe when Messiah Jesus rules with justice and righteousness. Yet, until Jesus permanently & publicly enforces that just regime at His second coming, it will not be unusual for God’s people to suffer, even within (what claims to be) the Kingdom of God. It is detestable when Church leaders rule with harshness and severity, crushing rather than comforting Jesus’ flock, suffocating rather than sustaining them.

Bottom line: David may have Bathsheba’s flesh and Uriah’s blood, but he cannot escape the Lord’s eyes nor His iron rod! The silence of God does not indicate His absence. For a moment, He may be silent, but the Lord is not sightless nor powerless. Rebuke is on its way!

“So the Lord sent Nathan to David.” 2 Samuel 12:1 (HCSB)

If you recall yesterday’s chapter (2 Samuel 11), David was in control. David was the prime mover; he got things done. David totally dominated the action from the palace roof until he crashed into the unyielding wall of the Lord’s righteousness.

As expected, God and His Word dominate chapter 12. We expect judgment on David. And we see that here in chapter 12. But we have the sense that we have traveled beyond judgment in today’s chapter into the land of Grace and Mercy. Grace is God’s “something-for-nothing” when we don’t deserve anything. And His Mercy is set into motion when we don’t receive what we really deserve.

Without the words, “So the Lord sent Nathan to David,” we would be in for a bleak and hopeless story. This first line of chapter 12 dispels any notion that the Lord is a passive onlooker.

The verb “sent” (salah) is a signal. This verb occurs 12 times in chapter 11, where everyone “sends”: David sends, Bathsheba sends, Joab sends. Now God sends. He has gone into action and sends Nathan to David.

**Is the Lord calling you to be a “Nathan” for a brother or sister in sin? We must be willing to risk offending even the king to deliver God’s Word. Otherwise, we offend the King of Kings sends us as His messengers.

Let’s fight the urge to run ahead into the story. We should pause and meditate on those opening words because they speak of the vigilance of Grace. They show us that Grace pursues and exposes the sinner in his sin. They teach us that the Lord will not allow his servants to remain comfortable in sin but will ruthlessly expose our sin, lest we settle down in it.

LESSON: You may succeed in unfaithfulness, but God will come after you!

What immense and genuine comfort every servant of Messiah should find in the first six words of this chapter! Not that God’s pursuing Grace is enjoyable. But what if Grace and Mercy did NOT pursue us? What if God abandoned us when we succeeded at sin?

“But God proves His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!” Romans 5:8 (HCSB)

“When King David heard about all these things, he was furious. Absalom didn’t say anything to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon since he disgraced his sister Tamar. Two years later, Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and Absalom invited the king’s sons.” 2 Samuel 13:21-23 (HCSB)

David heard how Amnon had used him and had weaseled his permission for Tamar to come to his house. David also heard how Amnon had abused Tamar, how he had disposed of her as if she was trash, and how she was seen and heard running and screaming through the streets with her robe ripped. Perhaps, David had even heard how Tamar was now a devastated woman, living in her brother Absalom’s house.

David “heard about all these things, and he was furious.” That’s good. That should have been his proper response. But that was all. And that’s bad. It’s like the Irish poem:

“This here’s the story of Ian McRory. Shall I begin it? Well, that’s all that’s in it.”

David was enraged; he was furious; he could scarcely contain his rage. But, unfortunately, he did. It is unfortunate because there is something right about David’s fury. It should have led to righteous results. His anger should have led to justice. Amnon should have been punished and Tamar exonerated. Instead, Amnon is not held accountable, Tamar receives no retribution, and Absalom is handed a reasonable excuse for revenge. David heard. He was very angry. And he did nothing.

Of course, many theologians say David was a prisoner of his own folly. After all, how could he call Amnon to account when David himself had violated Bathsheba and eliminated her husband? But herein lies our lesson from today’s passage.

Many Christians are trying to determine how (or if) they should confront a sin issue in the life of another believer. Often, believers will resist God’s leading to hold a brother or sister accountable based on the reality that they have sinned in similar ways in the past. It is as if they are waiting for a “sinless” believer to come along and confront sin. This is ridiculous!! Believers excuse themselves, “we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.”

But that simple fact is what qualifies you to confront and exhort others who are in sin! True, we should not judge, but confronting and rebuking sin in a fellow believer’s life is not judging. It is pointing out the obvious and correcting another believer because you do not want them to incur even more consequences.

This was David’s error. David had a responsibility, and he chose passivity over accountability. As both father and king, David was charged with maintaining justice, whether he was personally compromised or not. As brothers or sisters in Messiah, and having been born-again onto a “holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), we are given the responsibility to 1) be accountable and 2) hold each other accountable.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Samuel 14. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“David was climbing the slope of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he ascended. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. Each of the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they ascended.” 2 Samuel 15:30 (HCSB)

Israel’s rightful king has been rejected, and he plods up the Mount of Olives, weeping. Admittedly, David is suffering for his sins, but he is still the king, and nobody enjoys seeing the Lord’s anointed being deposed by “the people’s choice,”…even if it is the king’s son.

This would not be the last time we see such a scene. The “Descendant of David” (the rightful king according to 2 Samuel 7:12-16) will be seen on the Mount of Olives.

“Now He came near the path down the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:” Luke 19:37 (HCSB)

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus evokes images of both Absalom and David, with the Mount of Olives as a backdrop. We think of Absalom because the people of Jerusalem celebrated Jesus’ arrival just as they celebrated Absalom’s. To them, Jesus would be the candidate of the people, the One who would hear their cases against the Roman and Sadducee oppression and judge their oppressors. They wanted Jesus to fit their agendas.

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest Heaven! And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.’” Luke 19:38-40 (NKJV)

Note that this was the same crowd who, once their vision for leadership became blurred, chose Barabbas!

We think of David when we read of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, not so much over his rejection as the doom of those who have rejected Him.

“As He approached and saw the city; He wept over it, saying, ‘If you knew this day what would bring peace – but now is hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” Luke 19:41-44 (HCSB)

It is possible to believe you are clinging to Jesus in a saving way, yet all the while be clinging to the “wrong” Jesus. Jesus spoke of this very dilemma: Matthew 7:21-29. Make sure the Jesus you claim to follow is the Jesus of the Bible, not one who has been altered by man’s imagination. The best way to be sure is to read the Bible.

“Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, ‘Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut his head off!’ The king replied, ‘Sons of Zeruiah, do we agree on anything? He curses me this way because the Lord told him, “Curse David!” Therefore, who can say, ‘Why did you do that?’ Then David said to Abishai and all his servants, ‘Look, my own son, my own flesh and blood, intends to take my life – how much more now this Benjamite! Leave him alone and let him curse me; the Lord has told him to. Perhaps, the Lord will see my affliction and restore goodness to me instead of Shimei’s curses today.’” 2 Samuel 16:9-12 (HCSB)

Shimei was certain that the Lord was paying back David for all the “Saul-ish” blood he shed and that the Lord was giving Absalom the kingdom. Finally, Shimei’s trash-talking became tiresome. Abishai, Joab’s brother, turns to David and asks permission to cut Shimei’s head off! After all, it’s hard to talk trash without a head.

David argued that the Lord had ordered Shimei to curse him. Instead of shutting up Shimei by force, David sought relief elsewhere:

“Perhaps, the Lord will see my affliction and restore goodness to me instead of Shimei’s curses today.” 2 Samuel 16:12 (HCSB)

Take a moment and let the gravity of that statement take hold. What is it that David wants the Lord to see? His iniquity. Here is the secret of David’s peace. David had deep-seated confidence in a God of “un-guessable” grace, Who tends to replace cursing with goodness. He assumes the Lord has this strangely wonderful way of looking upon guilt and yet returning a blessing instead of a curse. If the mouth of God has declared David’s deserved punishment, perhaps the eye of God may long to spare him from it.

How can David even begin to think this way? Notice how he is not sure of this. He uses the word “perhaps.” David confesses the Lord’s freedom in this matter; He may or may not. But can’t you see that David could never have said, “perhaps” - never even conceived the possibility - unless he had already experienced the known character of God? How can he even dream this unless he actually knows a God like that and is a man after that God’s own heart? You can’t imagine how deep God’s compassion is for you, even when He disciplines you for your sin. But David would try because he knew Him.

Shouldn’t this come as exceptional hope to us today, those of us Christians who believe we have made a royal mess of our lives? What of us who have smashed God’s commandments, defiled His standards, and then suffered miserably for it? Repentance and forgiveness have come, yet we are sure God only regards us with grudging tolerance. And sometimes, we doubt His patience! Are we truly banned to the junkyard? Perhaps, we should take a stare at David’s God. What if we had a God, Who can look at guilt and return good if He desires? Well, we do. And, perhaps, He will.

“Hushai continued, ‘You know your father and his men. They are warriors and are desperate like a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is an experienced soldier who won’t spend the night with his people. He’s probably already hiding in one of the caves or some other place. If some of our troops fall first, someone is sure to hear and say, ‘There’s been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’ Then, even a brave man with the heart of a lion will melt because all Israel knows your father and the valiant men with him are warriors. Instead, I advise that all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba – as numerous as the sand by the sea – be gathered to you so that you personally go into battle.’” 2 Samuel 17:8-11 (HCSB)

At his core, David was more shepherd than warrior. In contrast, Absalom wanted to be considered a warrior without being a shepherd. Absalom wanted the “image” of shepherding. Remember how he stood at the gate and told the people he should be judging their cases because David was too busy for them? But there was never any evidence he judged a single case. In modern political terms, Absalom ran on the “shepherd” ticket, but his true heart was to be considered mighty.

Hushai knew Absalom’s heart, so he negotiated toward Absalom’s ego. Notice how Hushai stresses David the “warrior.” He tells Absalom:

“Your father is an experienced soldier who won’t spend the night with his people. He’s probably already hiding in one of the caves, or some other place.” 2 Samuel 17:8b-9a (HCSB)

The fact is that David, being a good shepherd, was right there with the “sheep” who had followed him. Absalom, undoubtedly, learned a lot from his father about warfare, but he misjudged his dad’s heart. Absalom wanted to be king but didn’t want to look after his “flock.” It reminds me of Jesus’ words:

“I assure you: Anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t recognize the voice of a stranger.” John 10:1-6 (HCSB)

In chapter 15, David, being the “Shepherd of Israel,” stood by and watched all his “sheep” walk by. He even stopped a few and questioned them to see if they were truly “his.” Hushai knew David’s heart, so he knew exactly where David would be. That is what made his counsel so brilliant. He played Absalom’s prideful ignorance against him.

Lest we idolize Hushai’s heroism, we must recognize Hushai had no idea whether Absalom would heed his counsel. It is safe to say Hushai was led by God’s Spirit, so the praise for David’s rescue lies in God’s doing. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future. Our responsibility, then, is simply to trust His leading.

“Just then the Cushite came and said, ‘May my lord the king hear the good news: today the Lord has delivered you from all those rising up against you!’ The king asked the Cushite, ‘Is the young man Absalom alright?’ The Cushite replied, ‘May what has become of the young man happen to the enemies of my lord the king and to all who rise up against you with evil intent.’ The king was deeply moved and went up to the gate chamber and wept. As he walked, he cried, ‘My son Absalom! My son Absalom! If I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!’” 2 Samuel 18:31-33 (HCSB)

As we read through these passages, notice how nobly many of the Gentiles act, as opposed to the moral compromise that seems to rule the Israelite characters. It is evident throughout the Torah and Tanakh (aka Old Testament) that God is pleased to honor anyone who wholeheartedly follows Him, regardless of ethnicity.

Notice how the Cushite gives honor to the Lord for David’s deliverance. He has seen something in David’s leadership and has learned something about David’s God in the process of serving the king. I find it interesting that the Cushite tells the whole truth, whereas Ahimaaz simply wanted to be considered well in David’s eyes. In today’s passage, we learn that significant truths sometimes come from a secondary character. Finally, David learns the truth: Deliverance for David involves disaster for Absolam!

In this news, we get our most valuable lesson: If the Kingdom of God under God’s chosen king is to be saved, then the enemy who assaults the kingdom must be destroyed.

God offers no secure salvation to His “Bride” unless He brings decisive judgment on her enemies. We must stop praying, “Deliver us from evil,” unless we yearn for evil’s destruction. Otherwise, we are like a patient ready to undergo cancer surgery, who pleads with his doctor, “deal gently with my cancer,” or urges the surgeon, “get most of it, but leave a little, because cancer and I have a deep relationship.”

You see, David and Absalom are also metaphors for the warring relationship between our “new life” as believers and our carnal flesh. Often, we become unjustly sentimental over our sin. We say to God, “Take all of me, but not that!” Most of the tension within the church today seems to be over the spiritual conflict between those who are determined to be in the World (and somewhat sentimentally “of” it) and those who choose to be in the World yet are actively driving out Worldliness in their lives.

The visible evidence between the two is much like the difference between Ahimaaz and the Cushite: In their testimonies. The former only shares half of the gospel (love/acceptance) so as not to offend, while the latter lays out the whole truth as it is.

There will always be those who cannot understand why there cannot be ecumenicity between Believers and the World: literally, between Christ and Antichrist. But God’s people know David was wrong to pine after Absalom and that the Cushite was right. Preserving God’s Kingdom involves permanently removing its enemies in our lives.

“Now all the people were in a dispute throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, ‘The king saved us from the hand of our enemies, he delivered us from the Philistines, and now he has fled from the land because of Absalom. But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now, therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing back the king?” 2 Samuel 19:9-10 (HCSB)

I was riveted to the television news in late August 2005. A tropical depression-turned-hurricane was bearing down on New Orleans, and it did not look like the kind of storm “Gulf Coasters” were used to weathering. Having grown up in the Southern US and vacationed all along the Gulf Coast, I was well aware of the potential property damage that strong storms can inflict. I had driven past the shells of blown-out beach homes and washed-away tourist attractions. But nobody predicted the enormously ominous impact of Katrina, and it all played out LIVE on cable news.

While the storm itself was horrifying, its greatest impact occurred in the aftermath. The citizens of New Orleans had to cope with the reality that even though they may return to their former houses, they were no longer “home.”

That is the impression 2 Samuel 19 gives us of King David’s return from exile. It becomes one of those “welcome home – maybe” situations where David almost wishes he hadn’t returned. He returns home as king, but the kingdom seems to crumble in his hands. Remember, this is mostly David’s fault. (see 2 Sam 12:11)

All of Israel was in a dilemma. And, as often happens to people in difficult times, they began bickering among themselves. The writer allows people to describe their political condition: The king delivered us many times, but we anointed Absalom king over us. Now Absalom is dead. So, why aren’t we bringing David back as king?

David got wind of this sentiment. He fired off a message to the elders of Judah, his own tribe, via his priestly friends Zadok and Abiathar. He appealed to their PRIDE: why should they lag behind the rest of the tribes of Israel in restoring him as King? He appealed to their RELATIONSHIP: David himself was from Judah, “bone and flesh.” Finally, he appealed to their ANXIETIES: he swore to appoint Amasa, commander of Absalom’s army, in place of Joab. This was a signal that those in Judah who had supported Absalom needed fear no retribution from the new Davidic regime.

David still had the old magic:

“So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah, just as the heart of one man…” 2 Samuel 19:14a (HCSB)

Yes, David risked polarizing the rest of Israel, but Absalom’s revolt had begun in Judah. David needed to fortify his kingdom first with his own people (David was a Judean) as the foundation. It reminds us that just as “judgment begins in the house of the Lord” (1 Peter 4:17), it is also where reconciliation must happen first. And if there is to be REVIVAL in the World, it must begin with a “revival of unity” among the Church-at-large. Let it begin with us as we seek His Word!

“They were at the great stone in Gibeon, when Amasa joined them. Joab was wearing his uniform and over it was a belt around his waist with a sword in its sheath. As he approached, the sword fell out. Joab asked Amasa, ‘Are you well, my brother?’ Then with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him. Amasa was not on guard against the sword in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it and spilled his intestines out on the ground. Joab did not stab him again for Amasa was dead. Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.” 2 Samuel 20:8-10 (HCSB)

There was a revolution underway. A Benjamite named Sheba was trying (unsuccessfully) to get the ten tribes of Israel to secede from David’s tribe of Judah and the priestly tribe of the Levites. He was a rebel. David appointed a man named Amasa to muster a Judean army within three days to pursue Sheba and quash the rebellion. For whatever reason, Amasa took more than his allotted time, so David told Abishai to muster his army and march against Sheba. Joab and his men were riding out under Abishai’s command.

It seems cut and dried. Go get the rebel. But if you look closely, you will notice two rebels in this story. Joab is also a rebel, perhaps more dangerous than Sheba. On his way to bring justice to another rebel, Joab took the opportunity to kill his power rival within David’s kingdom. Sadly, we are not surprised. We have seen this all before. People who get in Joab’s way find themselves pushing-up daisies! Joab butchered Abner and Absolam. Now Amasa is his latest victim. Joab specialized in treachery and blood.

But was he really a “rebel”? Sure, he was a brutal warrior, but was he a threat to the kingdom? I believe so. Sheba wanted to leave the Davidic kingdom behind, but Joab refused to be controlled within the kingdom. He was always hacking away to keep his own position unrivaled. Jesus warned us of such men.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father Who is in Heaven.” Matthew 7:21 (HCSB)

There is such a thing as acknowledging the king’s sovereignty yet disregarding his will. You see, Joab is faithful to David. He does not try to become king like Sheba, yet he acts as his own king. He is extremely loyal to David but essentially un-submissive to David.

This kind of person has no place in the kingdom in the end. There are scores of “Joabs” in the Church. Do you have “Joabs” in your life? Are you a “Joab” to someone else in spiritual authority? Are you one who claims loyalty to God yet denies the authority of His Scripture?

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Samuel 21. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“David spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” 2 Samuel 22:1 (HCSB)

There is much that can be said about today’s chapter. Surely theologians have ripped apart and dissected this psalm and its companion, Psalm 18. Have fun with that. Today, I just want to point out some simple observations.

2 Samuel 22 is a psalm of Thanksgiving. Timely, don’t you think? Here, we have a reflective piece, looking back over a long dramatic saga of salvation: When the Lord rescued David “from all his enemies and from Saul.” This heading is the lens through which we are to view the whole psalm.

At this point in his life, David’s history could have been narrated as that of a great and powerful king. This chapter, however, corrects any misunderstanding that David’s life and kingdom should be understood as anything other than the result of God’s sovereign and powerful acts. David is not “King David” by any means other than God’s desire. Furthermore, David’s Kingdom is sustained by nothing other than God’s provision.

These are not the words of an observer. They are from David himself!

But why do we need a song to tell us that? Don’t we already know God has supported David, despite David’s apparent flaws? Yes, but songs and poetry convey emotions that we otherwise don’t assume.

For instance, when David eluded Saul’s spear, nothing really registered on my emotional Richter scale. Even when God held Saul in His own strait-jacket (having him incapacitated by prophesying while David escaped), I didn’t do much more than sigh. When David seemed doomed to commit political suicide and march out with the Philistines against Israel, there was not much emotion from me. One thing I definitely didn’t do was jump up and say, “God is awesome!!!”

By using poetic songwriting and explosive language, David provides the truth behind all these instances (and others): All these deliverances came from the Lord! He is the sky-splitting, world-shaking, enemy-bashing God!!

Does our worship represent such passion and remembrance as David’s? Is there intensity in our praise? Does our worship reflect our understanding of the importance of our personal righteousness? Does our worship celebrate the invincibility of God’s Kingdom, which we are a part of through David’s “Son,” Messiah Jesus? Most importantly, does our worship point exclusively to the One who calls, establishes, and sustains us?

“These are the last words of David: The declaration of David son of Jesse, the declaration of the man raised on high, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, the favorite singer of Israel...” 2 Samuel 23:1 (HCSB)

What are a redneck’s last words? “Hey y’all, watch this!”

What are his best friend’s last words? “Aw, I can do better than that!”

Today we are treated to a rarity in that David’s last words are less brief (and more profound) than others. It is important to note that there is no claim that these words were literally the last words David breathed. They are his last official words, “for the record.”

David’s last words on record are words with eyes, not to the past but the future. David’s “last words” might be compared to the blessings of Isaac (Genesis 27:2-4), Jacob (Genesis 49: 1, 28), and Moses (Deuteronomy 33:1) before their deaths. But this text does not exactly fit those molds.

David’s last words are not a blessing on persons but a prophecy about a kingdom. This passage, along with chapter 22, stands at the center of 2 Samuel 21-24. The psalm of chapter 22 looks back upon how the Lord established the kingdom; the prophecy of 23:1-7 looks forward to how the Lord will consummate the kingdom.

David is passing along (to us) his understanding that God’s Kingdom is:

Certain: (v.v.1-3a, 5) Our lives are filled with uncertainties. Don’t we all, at some time, wonder how our apparently senseless circumstances jibe with God’s wisdom? In many ways, we still have to encourage and convince each other that God is present, powerful, and Holy and that He cares about us in difficult seasons of life. We would never naturally ascribe Kingdom hope to our personal suffering. Therefore, David is speaking from Divine enabling. He is prophesying things we would not naturally assume: The coming Kingdom is not a political possibility but divine certainty.

Attractive: (3b-4) The Kingdom is attractive because the coming King (Messiah Jesus) is attractive. Not physically attractive, per se, but He does not crush or exploit His subjects. He refreshes and nourishes them. The King is attractive because we have seen so little of this kind of ruler. Given our current political climate, aren’t our hearts stirred to pray for the Kingdom of the “Final David” to come quickly?

Exclusive: (6-7) It is exclusive because not everyone wants the Kingdom to come. Some want no part of the Ruler’s reign. Jesus is the “Rose of Sharon.” The godless people in the garden are “like thorns;” He brings freshness while they inflict pain. And they will be excluded from the regime they despise, tossed away, and totally burned up on the spot (Matthew 13:41-42). So, what about you? Are you for or against Him?

“So Gad went to David, told him the choices, and asked him, ‘Do you want three years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, think it over and decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me.’ David answered Gad, ‘I have great anxiety. Please, let me fall into the Lord’s hands because His mercies are great, but don’t let me fall into human hands.’” 2 Samuel 24:13-14 (HCSB)

Several years ago, there was an inspiring episode at the Brookfield Illinois Zoo. A three-year-old toddler fell eighteen feet into an area inhabited by seven gorillas. He was crawling where toddlers shouldn’t and discovered the fate of those who are ignorant of (or disobedient to) the rules. The boy was still alert when taken to a hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. How did that boy ever get out of gorilla land? As it were, Binti, a seven-year-old female gorilla, picked the child up, cradled him in her arms, and put him down near a door where zoo keepers could get him.

The story seems amazing to us because we do not generally associate gorillas with kindness. The toddler’s parents may be grateful to Bitni, but I bet they would prefer not to trust the gorilla with their child again.

David cries, “Please, let me fall into the Lord’s hands because His mercies are great….” David is about to meet the Lord’s wrath and yet is convinced of the Lord’s mercies. Somehow, he imagines that the hand that strikes him will nevertheless spare him. David’s assumptions are astounding! His words in verse 14 communicate more than necessary resignation; they provide abundant consolation. See how well David knows His God! In his crisis, David’s theology seems to emerge almost by reflex action.

Isn’t this how it should be in our Christian experience? Must we always save our best theology for our darkest moments? When we sin (even great sins), is there a kinder place to fall than “into the Lord’s hands”?

I wonder if, in our gut-level thinking, we might have a gorilla view of God’s mercies. We tend to see mercy as a divine exception rather than God’s typical character. David knew he was not facing a fickle gorilla-god even in His wrath. Was David a believer who had a grip on God’s mercy? No, God’s mercy had gripped David.

“Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, ‘Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king and our Lord David does not know it? Now please come and let me advise you. Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.’” 1 Kings 1:11-12 (HCSB)

Big trouble in Israel. Adonijah, Absalom’s younger brother, is making his run for the kingdom. He has everything a king needs: ambition, style, image, position, and both military and religious support. Oh, but he lacks two things: David’s blessing and the Lord’s anointing. In the words of American Express, “Don’t leave home without it!”

1st and 2nd Kings begin by showing the kingdom of Israel in a somewhat depressing light. Then, things get worse. Throughout today’s chapter, there is a lot of dialogue and speeches, but the Lord is almost silent. Oh, God is working, but we don’t see or hear Him. It reminds me of a coming day that Jesus spoke of:

“Then He told the disciples: ‘The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t see it.’” Luke 17:22 (HCSB)

The savior of the day, so to speak, is Nathan, the Prophet. He is the only non-royal in the drama, and perhaps, not having a “chip on the table” makes him the most sensible counselor.

Nathan learns of what is going on (down at Abijah’s party) and decides something needs to be done to alert the King about the state of affairs, which happens to be “affairs” of the state. (I love a good pun.) Nathan’s role in this story is crucial! Looking at the whole scene, everything rests on Nathan. He not only intervened but also had a plan to stir David to action. Nathan was the man who stood in the gap – his vigilance got David off his couch (virgin hits the floor with a ‘thud!’) and protected Bathsheba and Solomon from almost certain death. Nathan makes the difference and saves the kingdom.

Isn’t it interesting how big of an impact a Kingdom-minded, Bible-centric servant of God can make? Apart from being Kingdom-minded, Bible-centric, and servant-minded, all we need (to be competent counselors) is to recognize that this World is not our home! When we don’t have a stake in some Worldly “kingdom,” isn’t it amazing how clearly we can see God’s direction? And how selflessly and effectively we can influence our surroundings for the Kingdom of God!

“Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: ‘I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; that the Lord may fulfill His Word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne in Israel.’ ” 1 Kings 2:1-4 (NKJV)

Many years ago, the Washington Times carried a story about the abduction of a police officer. Officer Bob, as he was called, sat in his patrol car at various locations in the Maryland village, where he served as a deterrent to speeding motorists. Officer Bob was, however, a mannequin dressed as a patrolman and propped behind the wheel of a police cruiser. After he had been sitting in the same location for several days, someone smashed the window and stole him.

Ultimately, police work cannot be done passively, i.e., with dummies. It takes a proactive approach. The same could be said of Kingdom work. The Kingdom will not be secure with merely passive attention. If the Lord’s Kingdom (which in 1 Kings 2 is also Solomon’s kingdom) is to be made secure, active and vigilant measures will have to be taken. No Officer Bob techniques will do. And those are exactly David’s words to Solomon.

As David is nearing death (and knows it), he charges Solomon with what matters most. Solomon is to show manhood and strength, walking in the Lord’s ways, which are CLEAR, AVAILABLE, and BENEFICIAL. Should Solomon (and the other Davidic kings) give wholehearted obedience to God’s Word, God will see that His promise to David remains in effect. The point is plain: Obeying God’s Word is the condition for enjoying His promises.

Here, we have, side-by-side, the promise to David and the Torah of Moses. And there is no conflict between them; they are perfectly compatible. On the basis of 2 Samuel 7:14-15, one can say that the unfaithfulness or disobedience of Solomon (or any Davidic king) would not negate the promise to David. BUT, that text assumes there will be no enjoyment of the blessings of that promise unless a king remains faithful. David knows it from experience: obedience is the internal means of Kingdom security.

And therein lies our application. Are we saved by Grace, through faith, and not of our good works? (Ephesian 2:8-9) Absolutely! But that does not mean we may live as we wish and expect to be successful. Our joy and success are linked to our obedience to God’s Word. And there are consequences for our sin, even as believers. Personally, I am grateful King Jesus (the Righteous “Son of David”) is ruling the Kingdom! And that He extends His grace to us.

“At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask! What shall I give you?’ And Solomon said: ‘You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours.’ The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.” 1 Kings 3:5-10 (NKJV)

The theme of this chapter is “wisdom.” Solomon’s request for wisdom is also a pattern of prayer for us.

1) The true incentive to prayer: The generosity of God. (5b, 13-14) We respond to God’s offer to “ask what I should give you” because we know He is generous. While we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us; that’s about as generous as it gets!

2) The true foundation of prayer: The faithfulness of God (6-7a, 8). God can be trusted. He is faithful, and His faithfulness is the foundation of our prayers. Why would we spend our time praying if God was not faithful to hear our prayers and was unable to answer them within His predictable articulated character?

3) The true anxiety of prayer: The people of God (7b-9) Solomon asked not for himself, exclusively. He counted himself among the people…not elevated as some demi-god/king. Solomon realized he had been chosen to serve the people, and his request was solely to that end: that he could fulfill his obligation to the kingdom.

4) The true goal of prayer: The pleasure of God (10-14). There is something so pleasing about the pleasure of someone you want to please! The goal of our prayer should not be simply for our pleasure. We should always be aware that it is God’s pleasure that we are created for. Part of reading God’s Word is learning what pleases Him and aligning our lives with His requirements…which truly pleases Him!