Week three: There Goes the Judge 1st Samuel 7

Every fall at ECU some young man [I've never seen a young woman do this] stands in the central lawn of campus and preaches hell,  fire, and damnation. His audience is whomever might be walking by that part of campus. The time is usually the busiest time of day when classes change or students are enroute to the dining hall. A few people  always stop for a few minutes. Some listen quietly but soon resume their walking. Others will snicker. A few will even heckle and make fun of the "preacher". The theme of the preaching will vary. It is often about end times and the judgment of God. Sometimes, it about living a decadent life-style as a student on a college campus. One theme is recurring, every year with every preacher--- he invites the audience to repent...he might call them sinners, or maybe not, but he always invites them to repent. The word "repent" means to turn around; to go in the opposite direction. The context might be walking, running, moving the entire body, but it always means to make a 180 degree turn. And the preacher has it right, when in wrong, turn in the opposite direction. This week's lesson is about repentance and what it meant to the Israelites and what it means for people in Greenville.

Last week, we had left the Ark in the hands of a good Israrelite man who kept it in the home of Abinidab for many years (1 Sam 7:1). We don't hear any more about this famous artifact of God until later in 2nd Samuel. During those years when the people had no physical representation of God, they began to drift. They had a good leader in Samuel but they were so insecure they fussed and complained to God that they wanted a King like "all the other nations." This is a shame, for the Israelites had a good many excellent leaders known as judges. The list includes, Othniel, (Judg 3:7-11) Ehud, (Judg 3:12-20 and Deborah (Judg 4:1-23). Read these passages to see how far away the people had really strayed.

Adult Samuel--Priest and Prophet

Samuel was a good leader and judge. Read 1 Samuel chapter 7 to learn more about Samuel as leader and priest of the Israelites. We know he was a leader because he guided the people to remember Yahweh and to honor Him as their God. We know Samuel was a priest because he offered sacrifices and interceded in prayer for the people (1 Sam 7:9). Samuel told the people they should repent. He said, " If you are returning to the Lord (repenting or turning around) with all your heart, then put away foreign gods and the Astartes from among you. Direct your heart to the Lord, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines (1Sam 7:3). Samuel cried out to the Lord and He answered with a thunderous and mighty voice. There are other passages in the Bible that describe God's voice like thunder.

It must be terrifying to actually hear these sounds. See 1 Sam 2:10; 2 Sam 22:14; Psalm 18:18; Psalm 81:7.

The Lord heard Samuel's prayer and caused the Philistines to be so confused, they went into a senseless panic and were promptly defeated. This is where Samuel erects a stone in remembrance, called the stone of Ebenezer. It was after this great victory that the people fell into stupidity again and became frightened and insecure. They didn't remember how God provided but instead looked to what other nations had...a king of their own. Do we do the same thing today? Do we recognize our foolishness, feel convicted and turn from those things we idolize, only to take up old habits of insecurity and doubt? I think the lessons of Samuel are there to help us remember, to trust and not lose faith. To look to God to provide and not at how others around us cope with 21st century problems.

As Tony Cartledge says in his book Sessions with Samuel, repentance or transformation of our lives, " cannot be in principle alone; it must be put into practice. As demonstration of their return to Yahweh, the Israelites were to put away their false gods. This may have involved the physical removal out of their homes...but it also means they were to serve the Lord their God only." It was only after Samuel was sure the people had truly repented before he called a public assembly to address the conditional promise he had made to Yahweh on their behalf (1Sam 7:9). If they turned to Yahweh with their whole hearts, God would deliver them out of the hands of the Philistines.

Here are some reflections questions to think about:

1. Think of times of conviction when you felt sorry for your sins. Can you distinguish between true sorrow over the sin as an offense to God, or sorry for the discomfort, pain, or trouble the sin brought you?

2. Psalms 57:7 and 108:1 use the same verb found in 1 Sam 7:3 to speak of one's heart being fixed on God alone. The translation means to fix on as to set your eye through the scope of a firearm--fixed on the target. What does it mean to you to have your heart fixed on God? What does this look like?

3. What contemporary Philistines [or philistine behavior] threatens your walk with God?

God in a Box-- I Samuel 4 (week 2, January 23, 2011)





Hannah, Samuel (age 3) and Eli the Priest

Samuel learned his lessons well in the “house of the Lord”. He learned to read, keep a clean neat living quarters. He learned to serve, respectfully, under those who were in authority over him. In short Samuel grew “before Jehovah”. And he grew in favor with God and man (I Sam 2 v26). This is the same description given of boy Jesus in Luke 2:52. …he grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.

Not so with the priest, Eli’s sons. In verses I Sam chap 2, verses 13 through 17 there is a description of how Eli’s sons were disrespectful of the offerings to the Lord. They brought dishonor to God’s name and also to their position as priests. What was sad also-- Eli knew what was going on. He heard about the corruptness from the people, yet he didn’t take a strong stand against his sons, see v22. Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting. Eli’s sons were priests. It was the duty of the priest to intercede for the people. If a person sinned, the priest would offer a sacrifice and ask for forgiveness on behalf of a person. The priest was the intercessor for the people. But, if the priest commits a deplorable sin, then there was no one to intercede. This is explained again in Hebrews 10:26. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins. We hear this warning also in Proverbs 29:1.

Ancient art--Philistines

The difference between the time the Bible writer wrote in Proverbs and now, 2011, is Jesus Christ. The people of Samuel's time looked forward to a Savior. They are still under Moses' law, but after Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, we now are in a time of grace---if we confess and repent.



This lesson actually begins with battles raging in the lands of the Israelites.

The Israelites were in a place called Ebenezer. They had just experienced victory. The Philistines (see picture above) were nearby in the city of Aphek. The two armies charged one another and a terrible battle resulted in the death of 4,000 soldiers from Israel. One of the men said, “Why did the Lord bring defeat upon us today?” We often ask this same question when we face tragedy or trouble. So, the people decided they should use God’s most sacred artifact, The Ark of the Covenant” (see above) as a kind of good luck charm and carry it into battle.



See Ekron

Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinehas, as priests, must accompany The Ark. The Philistines had heard the stories of Moses and his God who brought misery and defeat to opposing armies. At first they trembled but then rallied themselves and charged once more into battle. In the end 30,000 men died and the Ark was captured by pagan armies. The worst of this catastrophe was knowing that God’s Ark was now in the hands of wicked nonbelievers. The Philistines carried the Ark into their temple in the city of Ashdod and placed on a stand near their god Dagon. During the night, Dagon fell to the ground and lay before The Ark. The next day, the Philistines put Dagon back up on his stand, the same thing happened the following night, only this time Dagon, hands, feet and all appendages were broken off. The “god” could not move or touch the lives of the people, but the Israelite God remained in place. From here the Philistines decided they would move The Ark to another city. They wanted nothing to do with this God who was known to bring much trouble to the enemies of Israel. So they transported The Ark from Ashdod to Ekron and from Ekron to Gath. In each place, the Lord’s hand was heavy on those people. They suffered from plagues of tumors and of mice. Finally the people asked the Israelites, “What can we do to be rid of your God”? The priests suggested returning the Ark along with a guilt offering. The guilt offering is given to cover for unintentional sins. It is part of the Levitical laws (Lev 5:14-19.). Using this law, the priests advised the Philistines to load the Ark on a cart pulled by cows that were not used to being beasts of burden and who also were still nursing their caves. The point in this is that the cows most likely would balk and not pull the carts to any useful direction, but instead they did pull the cart directly to the home of a godly Israelite man. It remained at this house until, many years later, David comes to rescue the Ark and bring it back to Jerusalem.

This strange story reminds us that “…humans cannot control God any more than they can stop a hurricane. God will be God. A God who cannot act freely but is manipulated by humans is no God at all. Modern believers may try to control God through their particular interpretations of the Bible, or through prayer formulas they believe will obligate God to action. But God is not a genie in a bottle. (Cartledge, p.15).

Dagon, the pagon god lies broken beside God's sacred ark.

God is not a good luck charm to be carried as a reminder that He’s going to take care of us. He does keep His promises but His perspective of the world is not our perspective. …”people who would never bow before a statue or make-believe god but may fall prey to the worship of materialism, to the acquisition of things or the accumulation of wealth. Some worship career gods, while others give themselves to leisure. To support opulent lifestyles we put ourselves under great stress, and to deal with our stress we take longer and more frequent vacations. These, of course, require more money, which puts us under greater stress, which makes us want to get away even more. When our gods fall down, we keep propping them back up …like the Philistines propped up Dagon. If we want God’s strong hand to comfort us when we are in darkness, to guide us as we walk life’s journey, and to lift us up to a higher plane when this world’s walk is over, we will want to live without any other gods between us.” (Cartledge, p. 17).

Chapter 4, 5, and 6 are a bit unsettling. We are less comfortable with the notion of a deity who will not be trifled with. He expects our respect and for us to show reverence when in His house of worship. God will not bow down to our demands. He will not act or give just because we think we can’t live without a certain position, object, or standard of living. He’s a God who will not be put in a box.

Questions for reflections:

1. Have you ever been disappointed because you had certain expectations of God that were not met?


2. Prosperity preachers promote a gospel of “name it and claim it,” as if God exists to do our bidding. The idea is quite popular. Others who have good educations or come from privileged families maintain an entitlement attitude. A very popular book written by Bruce Wilkinson is called the Prayer of Jabez. It is based on 1 Chronicles 4:10. God did grant Jabez’s prayer request. Does one story in the Bible of one answered prayer mean that all of us are entitled to call on God to give us a guaranteed answer to what we request? What scripture can be used to show the answer to this question?

3. We tell children that they can have Jesus in their hearts. Adults are more likely to speak of having God in their lives. Is there a difference between “having God” and allowing God to have us?

4. If we give anything in our life a higher priority than serving God, we have effectively erected an idol or false god. Can you think of things, people, or aspirations that you have put before God in your life?

5. What gods have been in your life that have let you down? Did you try to prop them up? How did you do that?

6. The people of Israel misused or showed disrespect to the Ark of the Covenant, the sacred symbol of God’s presence. Can you think of ways in which contemporary people trifle with God and disdain what is sacred?

I Samuel Chapter 1 - 2

Saturday, January 16, 2011
Desperate Housewives I Samuel Chapter 1 - 2, v11.

Desperate Housewives: a story of desperation, jealousy, divided loyalties, and victory through faith in God.

Like all good stories we can see a definite setting, characters, plot, and resolution of a problem.

Setting: Troubled times for Israel; Ramah, the home of Elkanah and his family; Shiloh corrupt; Philistines attacking and stole God’s most sacred artifact. People wanted a king who could lead them into victory over their enemies. God is willing to provide an earthly king but wanted the people to depend on Him as their eternal King.

Characters:
• Elkanah: husband to two wives, one who produced a lot of children and one who was childless.
• Hannah: first wife who was desperate for children• Peninnah: smug and unkind wife with children; she was smug but also jealous because she knew her husband loved Hannah more.
• Samuel--- the baby who was an answer to prayer and became prophet, priest, and helped establish Israel’s earthly kingdom. Samuel was the person God chose to identify and crown/anoint the first kings of Israel.
• Eli--- priest who meant well, but…
• Hophni and Phineas : selfish corrupt kids who disobeyed their father.

Plot:
All good stories have heroes, villains, a problem, a solution to the problem, and an ending---sad or happy. Hannah was childless and heart broken, desperate for a son. Peninnah was smug and self-sufficient---even her husband gave her double portions for supper because of all her children. Elkannah was a good husband, providing for his family, taking them to the annual sacrifice and prayers in Shiloh [similar to weekly church in Greenville]. He loved Hannah, but he also was glad to have his children through wife Peninnah. Like the blended families of today there were a lot of hurt feelings, jealousy, and strife.

Read verses 6 and 7 in Chapter 1. In short, Hannah and Peninnah were desperate housewives.


Resolution of the Problem. Then Hannah prayed.

Read verses 9, 10, 11

What are the characteristics of her prayer?

1. She confessed her misery v10

2. She asked God to remember her

3. She vowed to return to God what He gives

4. other?

How does this translate into our prayers for today?

1. Be open and honest with God. Use the laments of the Psalms as a guide. It is better to complain to God than the people around you. You can’t confess to God anything that He doesn’t already know. V.8

2. Ask God to remember who you are as a child of His and a joint heir with Christ.

Read I John 3:2
Read Gospel of John 15:7
Read Romans 8: 14-17

3. Make your vows and ----keep them.

To your family
To your friends
To your employer or customers [contracts]
To your co-workers through promise and as ambassadors of Christ

What might happen when you pray?

Read verse 12 and 13 With courtesy and respect defend yourself. V15

Hannah’s prayer relieved her desperation. She had peace that she had done all she could do and could only rely on God to provide according to His will. God gives us the best we are willing to receive. Sometimes anger and resentment can sabbotage God plans to give us His good gifts. God did hear and remember Hannah. She raised her son Samuel which means, “Because I asked the Lord for him”. She cared for him for about 3 years then brought him, herself, to Shiloh and turned him over to Eli. Samuel would live and serve God in the tabernacle. Eli's sons Hophni and Phineaus were there also…remember how wicked and corrupt they were, but Hannah trusted God and kept her vow. I think of Julie and Eric and their children in the jungle of Central America. They have taken their two small children to live in the jungle near Camelote. Despite obvious dangers and discomfort, they are faithful to their mission in Belize.

4. Don’t forget to say thank you.

Hannah visited Samuel yearly and took him a coat to wear…just as he grew in size and as well as wisdom. She offered thanks through her prayer which has been recorded and saved for all time in I Samuel 2.

Read verses Chap 2: 1-8.

Questions for reflection:


1. Have you ever known someone like Peninnah who sought to guild his or her self-esteem by tearing down other people? Has that someone ever been you? What do you think about such situations?
2. What would you consider to be God’s greatest blessings to you? Do you also sense empty spots in your life? Can you trust God with your lack as well as your abundance?3. Can you name things you prayed for but never received? Has this negatively impacted your faith, or have you learned to find peace in the particular circumstances of your life?

Posted by Carol at Saturday, January 08, 2011 1 comments