We continue the Bible Reading Challenge as we study the next 25 readings from The Old Testament. On Sunday 13th February Simon Morgan introduced "The Judges"
JUDGES & RUTH
We start with Deuteronomy 9.4-5 : “not because of your own righteousness”.
Date: Maybe 1250-1050 BC – the beginning of what we know as the Iron Age.
Summary of the book: Judges 2.7-17
Background:
Baal and his consort provided fertility by sexual intercourse and people thought that their farming would be more effective if they followed the same pattern.
Canaanite religion – degraded practices included ritual prostitution, child sacrifices. See Lev 18.26-28
What happened next?
Othniel 3.7
Ehud 3.12
Deborah 4.1
Gideon 6.1 then 8.33
Jephthah 10.6
Samson 13.1
SUMMARY 21.25
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Judges were…….
1 Military leaders:
Ehud rescued Israel from the Moabites
Deborah Canaanites
Gideon Midianites
Jephthah Amorites
Samson Philistines
2 Spiritual leaders: Saviours
3 Judges: Arbiters (Greatest of the Judges was Samuel.)
BUT…..God worked with individuals from His people. Who were these people?
The Book of Judges is about people doing what they saw fit – “doing your own thing”. A matter-of-fact book, detailing what people did and how God responded. Lessons for us!
All man-centred systems must ultimately fail. It doesn’t work! Need to live under the care of God. God has no grandchildren: you are a child of God or you are not!
Teaching:
- God's wrath at sin
- God's mercy upon repentance
- Man's total depravity (see ch.2.19)
Individualistic society shown to be inadequate as man, on his own, inevitably goes wrong. Israel needed someone in control!
How different are we? No fertility rites, ritual prostitution….but perhaps we are more subtle. We turn away from God in different ways! Easy to see the story described and interpreted for us in the Book of Judges, but what is different in our lives?
And what about Ruth…..? Do you know the story of Ruth?
It took place some time during the period of the Book of Judges (Preamble to…?). A sweet story, but:
- Moabitess! (see Ehud)
- Ancestor of David - and of Jesus!
Not just incidental. Ruth’s willingness to support her mother-in-law was part of God’s providence. She was committed – a powerful weapon!
Answer is in Hebrews. “By faith…”
“I know somehow that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” (Martin Luther King)
How dark does it look to you today? Is your life a succession of stop/starts, or is your commitment like that of Ruth: obedient, faithful, always willing?
Which does God want us to have?
How do we make the difference? By obedience, by faith, by being willing to let God work in our lives.
This week's readings.....................
THE JUDGES
26: Israel's Disobedience Judges 2:6 - 3:6
27: Deborah Leads Israel Judges 4:1 - 5:3
28: Gideon defeats the Midianites Judges 6:1 - 7:25
29: Sampson defeats the Philistines Judges 13:1 - 16:31
30: The Story of Ruth Ruth 1:1 - 4:22
On Sunday 20th February Rev Mary Turnock of Montgomery came to take the service and introduced "The Rise of Israel" from the Book of Samuel.
Samuel 1 & 2 - various verses - (Aberdovey)
Bad king, good king.
Reading: 2 Samuel 6 verses 12 - 22
Text: 1 Samuel 5 verses 9,10.
"David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the supporting terraces inward. And he became wore and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty wes with him."
There are several readings from within the books of Samuel to which I am to point you today: the text is not one of them! But I hope you will come to understand why I have chosen it. The story of Samuel, David and Saul is well-known within church circles but it holds a deeper significance than simply that of being a 'good story'.
Within it we see disobedience, straying from God's will and searching for God's will, trusting in self and trusting in God - amongst much else! Samuel follows God's will and anoints Saul as King, he then has to trust God and follow His will again, as he searches out David and anoints him as the future king. Indeed God has to deal with Samuel's reluctance to desert Saul and seek out David........"The Lord said to Samuel, 'How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way: I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king'."
And how true that scenario is for us on occasions, especially when the Lord wishes us to leave something which he had previously encouraged us to do and which we feel is still relevant within our lives.........but from which he knows we have to move on. It is true also of our church's life: do we stick with what we know, or do we seek out the new things God has prepared for us, leaving behind those things which have served his purpose well - but are now of little use - however good and comfortable they may seem. It is difficult, sometimes, to believe that God is asking us to change our lives, or change the Church, or change things which have always seemed to be according to his will. Is it God who is guiding us..... or is it us who feel the need for change? Is it right to change an activity within thechurch that has been ticking over for years and which, whilst not progressing, is at least fulfilling a need? Do we alter that thing which was an answer to prayer when we're not quite sure that it's the right course of action to take....... and yet our prayers are now leading us to change that original God-given answer to prayer?
The people who had been ruled by 'Judges' had asked that God provide them with a king. God warned them that this might not be as good an idea as they thought but agreed to set up a monarchy. His choice was Saul who was duly anointed and eventually, after showing his courage and his God-given power over the enemies of Israel, was enthroned. From that time forward the nation was ruled by a mixture of good and bad kings. Kings who did their best for their people, kings who did their best for themselves; kings who were truly willing to be guided by God and those who went their own way; kings who sometimes failed in spite of their good intentions and kings who sometimes excelled despite themselves!
Saul started well but didn't rely as much as he should upon God when it came to campaigns and politics. He even set up a monument in his own honour at Carmel. And so Saul is told that his reign will come to an end, that God had rejected his kingship and another would take his place.
God's choice this time was David, the son of Jesse of Bethlehem and David throughout the years between his anointing and his succession to the throne of Israel remained totally committed to and completely confident in the God who had chosen him. He waited patiently and with a quiet, almost serene confidence that one day his time would come and he would, in obedience to God, take up his duties as Israel's king. When faced with Goliath's defiant attitude toward King Saul and his army, David was the one who stated the obvious "Who is this man who defies the armies of the living God?" In other words condemning those, who ran from Goliath, and who had insufficient faith that God would give them victory over their enemies if only they stood firm. (1 Sam 17:26) "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." (1 Sam 17:37) And isn't this still true for us? How often do we run away from things we know we should be doing or saying because we feel inadequate, or because we know it will take us out of our comfort zone, or because of what other people may think? We need to be reminded that the God who puts these ideas into our heads is the God who will be at our side as we put them into practice and the God who will give us the victory. Like David, we must have confidence in him!
Now, we all know that David wasn't the most perfect of men! He had many faults - don't we all?! But what David did have was a huge sense of the sovereignty, power and authority of God. That's what we all need in an uncertain world - and it is that which, despite his many failings, made David a good king - his itter confidence in the fact that God was in charge.
David also totally committed himself to God - even allowing himself to look foolish as he showed that commitment and the joy he had in serving the Lord. The story of him dancing before the Ark of the Covenant as it was brought into Jerusalem is one of my favourite OT pictures. Would I have joined in with the dancing - or would I have agreed with David's wife that he was making a fool of himself. If I'm honest, probably the latter! So I too need to be chastised by David who told Michel, "I was dancing and celebrating before the Lord." And he regarded his own humiliation as nothing provided he followed the Lord and served him and was an honest and conscientious servant to him. If he kept those rules he knew that people would honour him and through him give glory to God.
Again, is this not a lesson to those who fear what other people may say if a certain action is taken either within the Church or within our lives. We are being told that what other people think is not as important as following the will of God. If we are truly attempting to follow his guidance, then he will honour that attempt and, however ridiculous it may seem to those around us, he will use it to his glory. So we must not be afraid to try new things, to do things in a different way, to take out the pews and provide chairs! To change the order of services, to innovate and experiment............for if we do this in order to further the Gospel message and enhance people's lives and glorify God, God will take our feeble attempts and use them for good.
Confidence and commitment....... and patience!
Patience does not come easily if one is eager to get on with the job; but we must take a leaf out of David's book and allow things to happen in God's time, not ours. That doesn't mean to say we should not make preparation for the future - we should. We should always be preparing the ground for the next instalment of the plan of God for us, our friends, our families and our churches. But we should also be waiting and listening for his voice that we do not miss the opportunity to put his plan into action.
There are times when we feel we'll never understand where God is leading us, when we find the mystery of his ways completely incomprehensible.......but he doesn't ask us to understand, he asks us to trust, to be absolutely certain that he WILL work out his plans for us. Confidence, commitment and quiet patience - that's what the passages from the book of Samuel tell us we should attain to. If you're like me, it's a hard road, but a necessary one if we are to see the glory of God shed abroad in this world.
This week's readings..............................
THE RISE OF ISRAEL
31: Samuel Listens to God 1 Samuel 1:1 - 3:21
32: King Saul 1 Samuel 8:1 - 10:27
33: David and Goliath 1 Samuel 16:1 - 18: 16
34: David and Saul 1 Samuel 23:7 - 24:22
35: King David 2 Samuel 5:1 - 7:29
On Sunday 27th February Simon morgan took the service and introduced "The Fall of Israel"
THE FALL OF ISRAEL
DECLINE & FALL
How have we reached this point? The story of the Old Testament so far has been pretty consistent.
From the peak to the bottom…
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David & Bathsheba
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Solomon’s outstanding achievements – wisdom and the Temple
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Elijah’s wonderful victory against the prophets of Baal
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Israel’s slow and steady decline.
Solomon’s marriages: More conflict between faith and culture, God and other gods.
But then read: 2 Chronicles 34.14 to 35.2 Hilkiah finds the book of the Law. See also in Nehemiah. How easily we forget and lose touch!
THE END OF OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY
Although not physically at the end of OT, there is little more history to read. Some decades later, the people returned to Jerusalem – outlined in the Books of Ezra & Nehemiah.
But even here, we see that God’s plan for salvation not forgotten: see 2 Kings 25. 27-30 – the line through to Jesus remains via Jehoiachin!
So what comes next? In the next two weeks we will look at the remaining books in the Old Testament, with references and prophecies to the coming of Jesus. That is the key reason for why we use the Old Testament – it provides the lead-in to Jesus.
Let us turn back to the lesson for us: 1 Kings 18. 21 (Elijah on Mt Carmel). The same sentiment is also taken up in James 4.8.
What had the people of Israel done?
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Taken their eyes off their God
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Seen the opportunity to make things better by making use of what was offered by the culture they lived in.
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Tried to have the best of both worlds
In a sense, what they did looks to be quite reasonable: they had to coexist with people around them, not give unnecessary offence, not turn down the opportunity to enjoy themselves.
Where does that leave us? Have we…….? How different is our situation: do we blur the edges of our faith – in a way that we might not think to be important – in order to fit in with the culture of our land? Do we limp/hop from one foot to the other?
Is it so wrong to look for the best of both worlds?? It is right that God has put us in His world to make the best of all it gives us. But don’t forget Matthew 6.24.
If it is not in line with God’s standards – then no, it isn’t! But it is if God says it is! Everything we have read over the past few weeks makes it clear that God is a jealous God. (A difficult word: intolerant of unfaithfulness or rivalry) And He is the same God today!
These historical books we have been studying make it clear that we are not talking about a habit or tradition of going to church, but a complete re-alignment of our lives.
See also James 1.5-8. Does your faith persevere – or do we hop from one foot to the other as we sense that the culture we live in offers what looks like a better option?
As you follow the story this week – ask where you would be standing: as single-minded followers of the one true God, or as double-minded hoppers?
This week's readings.....................
THE FALL OF ISRAEL
36: David and Bathsheba 2 Samuel 11:1 - 12:25
37: King Solomon 1 Kings 2:1 - 3:28
38: Solomon's Temple 1 Kings 8:1 - 9:9
39: Elijah and the Prophets of Baal 1 Kings 16:29 - 19:18
40: The Fall of Jerusalem 2 Kings 25:1 - 25:30
On Sunday 6th March Dr Derek Munday took the service and introduced "Psalms and Proverbs"
The week's readings.....................
PSALMS and PROVERBS
41: The Lord is My Shepherd Psalm 23:1 - 23:6
42: Have Mercy on Me Psalm 51:1 - 51:19
43: Praise the Lord Psalm 103:1 - 103:22
44: Godly Wisdom Proverbs 1:1 - 4:27
45: Proverbs of Solomon Proverbs 16:1 - 18:24
On Sunday 13th of March Rev Patricia Grudgings took our service and introduced "The Prophets"
THE PROPHETS
Reading: Jeremiah 1: 1 - 3: 5 - read in sections during the service.
Hymns: all from "Mission Praise"
20 All people that on earth do dwell
249 How lovely on the mountains
625 Take time to be holy
201 Guide me O thou great Jehovah
Setting: Arrange chairs so that everyone faces each other (like House of Commons). The readings are done on opposite sides.
Introduction: talk about the world disasters - Haiti, Australia, Christchurch New Zealand, Japan. Talk about feelings for other people, helplessness, despair, etc. Get each side to be a sufferer or a carer / onlooker.
Point 1: Place into context the history of the people of God from C8th BC to 4th BC. Talk about the conflicts between nations and also the religious warfare. Talkj about the calling of the prophets in chronological order and what was happening to the people of God.
Read: Jeremiah 1:1 - 4, -time
Jeremiah 1:5 - 12 - first calling
Jeremiah 1:13 - 19 - second calling.....................Tough job for Jeremiah
Point 2: The work of the prophets, messenges from God, visions etc, passing on God's will.
Read: Jeremiah 2:1 - 8 - God's people in the past
Jeremiah 2: 9 - 20 - God's disobedience
Fall of Jerusalem 586BC etc message of Jeremiah
Point 3: "The remnant shall return and come with singing unto Zion" Talk about the success and failure of the prophets.
Conclusion: Prophesy today, hearing God's call, listening to His will for each of us. God speaks; we obey.
This week's readings..............
THE PROPHETS
46: The Suffering Servant Isaiah 51:1 - 53:12
47: Jeremiah's Call and Message Jeremiah 1:1 - 3:5
48: Daniel in the Loin's Den Daniel 6:1 - 6:28
49: The Story of Jonah Jonah 1:1 - 4:11
50: The Day of Judgment Malachi 1:1 - 4:6
On Sunday 20th March Rev Mary Turnock will be taking our service and the Bible Reading Challenge moves to the New Testament with "IN THE BEGINNING"