Walking Through the Bible: 1 Samuel 8-15

Samuel got older and made his sons judges over Israel. But they didn’t walk in his ways; turning after dishonest gain and perverting justice (1 Samuel 7:1-3). The elders of Israel demanded Samuel make them a king to judge them like all the other nations (1 Samuel 8:5). This displeased Samuel, but God told him to heed the voice of the people; they hadn’t rejected Samuel, but God (1Samuel 8:7).

Samuel warned what their king would be like, conscripting their sons into the army and their daughters as labourers. He would take the best of their fields, vineyards, olive groves and tax their grain, wine, and sheep. But the people refused to listen and still demanded a king (1 Samuel 8:11-22).

A man of Benjamin had a choice and handsome son named Saul and sent him to look for lost donkeys. In his search he came upon Samuel and asked the prophet for help. God had told Samuel to make Saul commander over the people (1 Samuel 9:1-16) and Samuel poured a flask of oil over Saul and anoints him. Returning to his father Saul met up with a group of prophets and the Spirit came on him and prophesied to the amazement of the people. Samuel brings the people together and publicly proclaims Saul as king reminding them that they are rejecting God (1 Samuel 10-11).

The Ammonites came against the Israelite city Jabesh Gilead. The Spirit of God comes on Saul and he leads an army of three hundred and thirty thousand men prevailing over the Ammonites (1 Samuel 12:1-5). When the people accept Saul as king over them, Samuel reminds them of the goodness of God and the price they’ll pay for rejecting Him. But if they’ll fear the Lord and do not rebel against His commandments it will go well with them. If not, then the Lord will be against them (1 Samuel 12:7-15).

Two years pass, and Samuel’s warnings come true. As Saul asserts his authority, Saul’s son, Jonathan leads an attack against the Philistines putting fear in the hearts of the people of Israel who hide in caves; some cross the Jordan to escape. Samuel told Saul he would join him in a week, but when Samuel didn’t come after seven days, Saul took it upon himself to act as a priest offering burnt offerings and sacrifices. Samuel, arrives shortly thereafter and chastises Saul for his foolishness. Because he has not kept the commandment of the Lord, the kingdom will be taken from him and given to another; a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13). 

Another battle occurs which Jonathan and his armorbearer initiate. Hearing the tumult of the fighting Saul foolishly orders his men under oath not to eat anything until the fighting is over. But Jonathan, not having heard his father’s command, ate a little honey. And the battle is won. But the people, fainting with hunger, took sheep and oxen, slaughtered them and ate them with the blood. Saul sought the Lord for instructions before continuing the battle, but God didn’t answer him. Thinking it was because of sin, Saul surveys the men proclaiming death on the one who sinned. Jonathan is discovered to have eaten the honey and Saul condemns him to death, but the people intercede for Jonathan and Saul relents from his foolish oath. War with the Philistines followed Saul all his days (1 Samuel 14).

Later, Samuel instructs Saul to attack the Amalekites and utterly destroy them because they had ambushed them when they came up from Egypt. But Saul and the people spared their king, Agag, and the best of the herds and all that was good and were not willing to destroy them (1 Samuel 15:1-9). God rejects Saul regretting that He made him king. Samuel tells Saul he had started out well with humility, but is corrupted by his position and disobeying the Lord saying, “Has the Lord delight in offerings and sacrifices as in obedience? It is better to obey than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). Samuel kills Agag and never sees Saul again.

Walking Through the Bible: 1 Samuel 1-7

The prophets Nathan and Gad may have written 1 Samuel from information supplied by Samuel, the last judge over Israel (1 Samuel 7:15). Originally 1 and 2 Samuel comprised one book and looks at the life of Samuel, Saul, and David during a time after Judges when Israel was in great distress because they’d turned away from God.

1 Samuel begins with his birth and concludes with the death of Saul, the first king over the entire nation. From Genesis 49:10 we see that God’s plan always included a king. But men are impatient rather than wait for God’s perfect timing and would soon demand a king. What they got was Saul. 

Hannah, Samuel’s mother was barren and in bitterness of soul poured out her heart to God (1 Samuel 1:11) promising she would give the child back to Him as a Nazarite. God answered her prayer (1 Samuel 1:20). After the boy was weaned Hannah kept her promise and dedicated him to the Lord to be raised by Eli the priest (1 Samuel 1:24-28). 

The word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation (1 Samuel 3:1). Then the Lord called to Samuel. But being young and not having heard the voice of God before, Samuel thought it was Eli (1 Samuel 3:4-8). Eli realized the Lord was calling Samuel and told him to answer the next time He called. God reveals His judgment on the house of Eli because his sons were vile and Eli had not restrained them (1 Samuel 3:10-14). And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him; he became a man of God’s word (1 Samuel 3:19-21).

The Philistines waged war against Israel. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, take the ark of the Lord in the hopes God would fight for them, but the ark is captured, Hophni and Phinehas killed along with thirty thousand foot soldiers, and Israel was defeated (1 Samuel 4). Hearing the news, Eli died too. The Philistines take the ark and place it in the temple of their god, Dagon. But God broke apart the idol (1 Samuel 5:1-4) and struck the people of Ashdod with a plague. So they sent the ark to Gath. But the hand of the Lord was against them. So the ark was sent to Ekron where a plague broke out (1 Samuel 5:6-12). 

After seven months the Philistines sent the ark back to Israel along with an offering. The ark arrived at Beth Shemesh, but the men of Beth Shemesh looked into the ark and the Lord struck fifty thousand and seventy men (1 Samuel 6). So they moved it to Kirjath Jearim where it remained a long time. Samuel initiated reforms bring Israel back to God and the people put away their false idols and fasted, prayed and repented from their sins. During this the Philistines attack, but God caused confusion in their ranks as Israel drove them back and the Philistines were subdued and the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel (1 Samuel 7).

Walking Through the Bible: Ruth 1-4

Naomi’s duty was to seek security for Ruth. The duty of the kinsman-redeemer would be to Ruth as Naomi would be beyond childbearing age; Ruth would continue the line of Elimelech (Ruth 3:1). Naomi advises Ruth to let Boaz know she is available to be married (Ruth 3:2-5). That night Ruth approaches Boaz and asks him to marry her (Ruth 3:9-18) and Boaz agrees, but tells her there is a closer relative than him and he will have to see if the other man will redeem her and Naomi.

Matters of law were discussed and decided by the elders at the gate (Ruth 4:1). Boaz asks the close relative to perform his duty, if not, Boaz is prepared to redeem the field and Ruth and perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance (Ruth 4:4). Not wanting to ruin his own inheritance the close relative declines. So Boaz states His right and acquires the land and Ruth (Ruth 4:8-12). 

Ruth and Boaz are married and Ruth gives birth to a son. Tragedy has turned to triumph and the women give praise to the Lord as Naomi becomes a nurse to the child (Ruth 4:13-16). As the chapter ends we see the son Ruth bore will become the grandfather of King David. Although God is mentioned very little in the story of Ruth, His grand plan to bring forth a Redeemer for all mankind from the seed of a woman (Genesis 3:15) proceeds. The genealogy (Ruth 4:18-22) is the same as that of Jesus in Matthew 1. Ruth the Moabites is destined to be included in the genealogy of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). God’s grand plan works out in the lives of ordinary men and women most wouldn’t take notice of in places like Bethlehem, an insignificant town.

Walking Through the Bible: Judges 17-21

Israel moved further and further away from following the Lord. The key phrase in chapter 17 is verse 6, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” When people have no standard they are their own standard. A man from Ephraim sets up his own religion and temple and makes idols, and hires a Levite to become his priest. This is probably the first instance of a “professional” clergy (Judges 17:10). Like today, having religion and doing religious things makes one believe God is pleased (Judges 17:13).

God had given each tribe a portion of the land, but the tribe of Dan seeks more land from the tribe of Ephraim (Judges 18:1-2) because it was too hard to conquer their own land. Spying out the land they find Micah and his priest (Judges 18:14) and decide to take the idols and the Levite for themselves. The Levite went willingly because he saw opportunity to enrich himself (Judges 18:19). Micah gathered men to fight Dan because they had taken his gods which he had made (Judges 18:24). The irony of his statement is powerful. A god who can’t take care of itself is no god. Against God’s command in Deuteronomy 20:10-11, the Danites attack the peaceful town of Laish and turn to idolatry (Judges 18:31).

Morally and ethically Israel declined. There was no king because they had forsaken God (Judges 19) and allowed immorality to fester in the land (Judges 19:22) and rape and murder too as they began to fight each other (Judges 20). The horrific events of chapter 19 catalyzed the tribes to action against Benjamin believing they were doing God’s will. Though they suffered losses in their fight with Benjamin (Judges 20:21). they eventually prevailed over Benjamin almost wiping them out. Things got worse as they decide to attack Jabesh Gilead because they had not joined in the fighting. The depravity of man knows no bounds when we abandon the Lord and lose all semblance of reason as everyone does what they think is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).

Walking Through the Bible: Judges 9-16

Abimelech, a son of Gideon, conspired to succeed his father as leader. To secure his ambitions he killed his seventy brothers. Only the youngest, Jotham, escaped. And so Abimelech became king over Shechem. But Jotham cursed Abimelech and the city Shechem for choosing such a worthless man as Abimelech (Judges 9:1-21).

God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem (Judges 9:23) because of their conspiracy against the sons of Gideon. But Abimelech prevailed, laid siege agains the city and destroyed it (Judges 9:45). Then he attacked Thebez as people took refuge in a tower; and Abimelech fought against it. As he tried to burn the tower with fire a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and crushed his skull. Mortally wounded he ordered his armorbearer to kill him. So God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech (Judges 9:56).

God raised up other judges (Judges 10) who judged Israel for some forty-five years. But the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord serving false gods and forsaking God (Judges 10:6). As they languished under the attack of the Philistines and Amorites they cried out to the Lord (Judges 10:10). This time however, God said He would deliver them no more, telling them to have their false gods deliver them (Judges 10:13-14). But the people repented and put away their foreign gods and served the Lord.

They then called on Jephthah to lead them (Judges 11). Though he was man of questionable reputation God used him and placed His Spirit on him (Judges 11:29). But when he sought God he made a foolish vow which would cost him his daughter. Jephthah judged Israel six years and then he died (Judges 12). 

Twenty five years pass during which other men judged Israel. But again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and He delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years (Judges 13). Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to a baren woman and her husband telling her she was too conceive. The child she would bear would be set apart as a Nazarite dedicated to God who would deliver Israel from the Philistines (Judges 13:3-5). So the woman bore a son and named him Samson. When he grew up the Spirit of the Lord began to move upon him (Judges 13:24-25). 

Samson falls in love with Philistine woman against the objections of his parents. Yet, God used this to move against the Philistines (Judges 14:4). Through the Spirit of God Samson had such amazing strength that he was able to kill a lion (Judges 14:6) and kill thirty men (Judges 14:19). Samson’s wife was given to his best man. When Samson found out, in his anger, he used 300 foxes to burn the standing grain and vineyards and olive groves of the Philistines. In retaliation they killed his wife and father-in-law. Samson attacks the Philistines and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him and with a jawbone of a donkey killed a thousand men with it (Judges 15:14-15).

Afterward it happened that Samson loved a woman whose name was Delilah (Judges 16) who would be his undoing. For a great sum of money she betrayed him when she learned the secret of his strength lay in the Nazarite vow he had taken. Shaving his head, his strength left him, and he was captured, his eyes put out, and forced to entertain his captors. But his hair had grown back. Asking God to avenge his eyes, in one last feat of strength, he pushed the two pillars of the temple apart, which was full of people, and brought the house down on them killing more enemies at his death than he had killed in his life. He had judged Israel twenty years (Judges 16:30-31).

Walking Through the Bible: Judges 1-8

The Book of Judges covers about 350 years of the history of Israel as they lived in the Promised land. The author of the book is unknown. The Judges were 12 men and one woman whom God raised up to lead His people during times of trouble. As we will see, it was a continuous cycle of rebellion, repentance, and restoration as they struggled to break free from sin. While the people gave up on God, He never gave up on them.

Before the death of Joshua the people fought successfully against the nations around them. God was with them (Judges 1:2). Simeon helped Judah and together they were able to prevail over the Jebusites and take Jerusalem (Joshua 1:8). But it wasn’t long before success was followed by struggle. Benjamin was unable to drive out the Jebusites in their territory and they remained and lived among the Benjamites (Judges 1:21). Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, and Asher also failed to drive out the Canaanites from their lands and coexisted with them (Judges 1:27-36). 

The Angel of the Lord, a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus, chastises Israel for their failure to obey and tells them He will no longer go before them (Judges 2:1-3). Things went from bad to worse as they intermingled and began to live with the nations around them and followed their false gods (Judges 2:11-13). God’s anger was hot against Israel and He delivered them into the hands of their enemies (Judges 2:14-15). But God raised up judges to deliver them. Nevertheless, they would not listen and turned away from obeying the commandments of the Lord. And so the cycles of rebellion, repentance, and restoration continued. Through their enemies, God tested His people (Judges 2:20-23). 

As Israel dwelt among the various people groups and took their daughters to be their wives and gave their daughters to their sons; they served their gods (Judges 3:5-7). God sold them into the hand of the king of Mesopotamia and they served him for eight years. When the children of Israel cried out to God, He raised up a deliverer and the land had rest for forty years (Judges 3:7-11). This cycle continued.  The people rebelled, and were given over to the enemy until they cried out to the Lord who would give them grace by sending a saviour to restore them until they did it all again (Judges 3:12-Judges 5). 

God uses whom He uses and not necessarily the strongest, but often the least likely. God chose Gideon to be the next judge. But Gideon said, “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest and I am the least.” Paul writes, “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

With God we can do all things and God used Gideon to defeat thousands of Midianites and Amalekites with only 300 men (Judges 7-8). But after Gideon died, the children of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-Berith their god (Judges 8:33).

Walking Though the Bible: Joshua 13-24

Time passed as they took the land. Joshua is now old and advanced in years and yet, there remains much land to be possessed (Joshua 13:1). The process of allotting the land begins. The tribes would themselves dispossess any remaining Canaanites. But they struggled to carry out this task (Joshua 13:13).

Judah struggled taking the land from the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Joshua 15:63). Ephraim didn’t complete the task either, making the Canaanites forced labourers instead (Joshua 16:10). It’s always a mistake thinking we can make sinful things do our bidding. What often happens is we fall prey to sin. Failure to drive the Canaanites out became the rule rather than the exception (Joshua 17:12).

Ephraim and Manasseh wanted a greater share, but weren’t even able to take what they were given because of the people in the valley had chariots of iron (Joshua 17:16). Seven tribes still had not received their inheritance (Joshua 18:2) because they neglected to go and take possession of the land which God had given them (Joshua 18:3).

“Cities of Refuge” were designated as God had instructed and the Levites were given cities throughout the allotment of territory from the other tribes (Joshua 20-21). The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, having fulfilled their obligation to help the other tribes, returned to their territory on the east side of the Jordan. When they crossed the Jordan they built an altar and this caused the other tribes to go to war against them (Joshua 22:12). It was all a big misunderstanding.

Happily the threat of a civil war ended when wisdom prevailed as Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, along with ten rulers from the people, spoke with them (Joshua 22:13-14) and determined it wasn’t treachery, but a desire to remain connected to the other tribes (Joshua 22:26-27). So they called the altar “Witness”.

Joshua gives his final words to the people, just as Moses had done, and reminds them to be faithful and do all that is written in the Book of the Law (Joshua 23:6). This is where their strength would come from (Joshua 23:10). But he warns them of the consequences should they fail (Joshua 23:12-16). Once again the people make a covenant promising not to forsake the Lord being reminded of what the Lord had done for them since leaving Egypt. And Joshua dies at one hundred and ten years old. Shortly after, Eleazar the priest dies too.

Walking Through the Bible: Joshua 6-12

Jericho was a fortress. But God was going to give it into the hand of Joshua in a way that boggles our minds. Before the fighting began, Joshua met with the Lord in worship (Joshua 5:13-15).

Our victories are won before we ever enter the battle when we are with the Lord. Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

Taking a fortified city takes a lot of effort and time. Siege ramps need to be built and walls need to be broken down before the battle really begins. But God had the men of war march around the city once every day for six days with the priests going before them blowing rams horns and the ark following. Unconventional to say the least.

On the seventh day they marched around the city seven times. Then the priests gave a long blast on the trumpets and the people shouted and the walls fell down flat.

So the city was taken and utterly destroyed and a great victory won; all perished except Rahab and her family. The city was burned and the silver, gold, bronze and iron put into the treasury of the Lord. The Lord was with Joshua and his fame spread (Joshua 6). But sometimes victory is followed by defeat.

When they attacked Ai (Joshua 7), what should have been an easy battle, Israel found itself defeated. Victory is lost when we are defeated by sin. Achan had taken some of the loot from Jericho for himself against the command of Joshua (Joshua 6:18-19). The sin of Achan cost him his life, but also the life of thirty-six others and the defeat of Israel all for a garment, and some silver and gold (Joshua 7:21).

Once sin had been dealt with, Israel easily took Ai and defeated the kings of other cities (Joshua 8-10). The battle against the five kings was won in an interesting way. God had said He would fight before Israel. And He did, casting down large hailstones which killed more than the sword (Joshua 10:11). Joshua asked God to extend the day and the sun remained in the sky for another day (Joshua 10:12-14). 

Israel continue to fight and take more territory (Joshua 11-12). It took seven years for Israel to take the Promised Land and many more to mop up. Our rest in Jesus isn’t accomplished over night. There are battles to fight and win. It takes time. But we have victory every step of the way when we hold fast to our faith knowing Jesus goes before us, defeating our enemies, and who has prepared a place for us.

Walking Through the Bible: Joshua 1-5

Moses died, Joshua is now the leader over Israel. God instructs him to go over the Jordan to the land “I am” giving you. This was God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Joshua 1:1-4). As a leader, it was important for Joshua to be a man of the word (Joshua 1:8) to be prosperous and successful in all that God commanded him to do.

Before they cross over, Joshua sends two spies to scope out the land, but especially Jericho. The spies came to the house of Rahab and lodged there (Joshua 2:1). The king of Jericho sought to capture them but Rahab hides the men on the roof under stalks of flax and tells the king the men have left.

Rahab has heard all the Lord has done since they came out of Egypt and has come to believe God is God in heaven and on earth below. Of all Jericho only Rahab has the faith to believe. The men promise to deal kindly with her and her family and instruct her to tie a scarlet cord in the window as a sign and to remain in the house (Joshua 2:2-20).

The name Joshua is Yeshua in Hebrew which is Jesus in Greek. Here is a clear picture that salvation is found in Jesus. Scarlet, is the colour of royalty, but also reminds us that we are saved by the blood of Jesus. Those who trust in Him will be saved. But those who reject Him will be judged. This is not the last we hear of Rahab. She would marry an Israelite, be found in the lineage of King David, and included in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5).

Israel crosses the Jordan, enters the promised land for the first time, with the ark of the covenant going before them. The ark is where God said His presence would dwell and God said He would go before them into the land. Like the waters at the Red Sea did, as soon as the priest bearing the ark touched the water of the Jordan, the waters stood still and the people crossed on dry land (Joshua 3). 

Once in the land, the first thing they do is set up a memorial to remind them of God’s faithfulness and as a testimony to all the peoples of the earth (Joshua 4).  The second thing they do, at the instruction of God, the men were circumcised. All the previous generation had died in the wilderness. And in their forty year of wandering had not obeyed the Lord to circumcise their children (Genesis 17:10). 

Now that they were in the land they could enjoy the fruit of the land. And the manna ceased. Joshua is then visited by the Commander of the army of the Lord. Scholars believe this to be a preincarnate appearance of Jesus as we see Joshua falling on his face, worshiping Him, and calling Him Lord. Joshua is the leader over God’s people, but Jesus is His Commander in Chief (Joshua 5).

Walking Through the Bible: Deuteronomy 31-34

Deuteronomy 31-33 are the final words of Moses to his people; words of encouragement, comfort and strength. Probably because the previous generation had turned in fear from the people of the land, Moses wants to ensure this new generation doesn’t do the same.

He assures them, “The Lord will go before you to destroy the nations.” (Deuteronomy 31:3). “Be strong and of good courage. God goes with you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) “He will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) 

Moses, the law giver, reminds the Levites to be faithful to it and to read it every seven years to the people during the Feast of Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 31:10-11). Moses knew what was coming because God told Him the people would play the harlot and forsake Him and break His covenant (Deuteronomy 31:16) and gives Moses a song to teach the people to testify against them as a witness (Deuteronomy 31:21). 

God gives the leadership to Joshua with the promise that He will be with him (Deuteronomy 31:23) and Moses speaks the words of the song in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel (Deuteronomy 31:30-32:1-47). 

Moses gives one final blessing to the children of Israel (Deuteronomy 33) and ascends the mountain where God shows him all the land (Deuteronomy 34:1). And Moses dies there and is buried by God in a valley. There would never again be a prophet like Moses; not until the Messiah, Jesus Christ.