Short Reflection from 1 Samuel 1-17

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (PG as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[6:19 pm, 19/02/2022] S.R: 𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙:𝟚𝟛

"Elkanah her husband said to her, ‘Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the LORD confirm His word.’ So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him."

ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟚:𝟚𝟞

"Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the LORD and with men."

One of my favorite Bible verses to quote on birthdays!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟛:𝟙𝟠

"So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, ‘It is the LORD; let Him do what seems good to Him.’"

I agree with Eli, it's good to submit to the will of God even if he should slay me in the words of Job. 🙏

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟜:𝟡-𝟙𝟘

“‘Take courage and be men, O Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you; therefore, be men and fight.’ So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent; and the slaughter was very great, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.”

God used men of courage to win the battle either for or against the Israelites.

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟝:𝟜

"But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him."

I wish this happen again and again in our time also!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟞:𝟙𝟡

"He struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck down of all the people, 50,070 men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter."

Of all peoples, the people of God should have the greatest reverence for God, not familiarity because of its privilege. And I am afraid I and many of us are in great danger!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟟:𝟙𝟘

"Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel."

Should we pray to God to confuse Putin and his armies to go back to Russia? 🤔🙂

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟠:𝟛

"His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice."

There's no guarantee that our children will be Christians. Eli's sons were killed by God. Aaron's sons. Judah's son. Even David's sons.

In our times, Francis Schaeffer' son, John Piper's son. May the Lord save our children! Let's not be presumptuous. Rather, let's be like Job praying for his children every day!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟡:𝟚

"He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people."

Saul was handsome and tall. A perfect combination for greatness those days. Yet, God's favor didn't last long with him.

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟘:𝟠

"Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day."

Changed by God.

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟙:𝟞

"Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became very angry."

Anger, after all, is not a sin in itself. There's righteous anger and sinful anger. Deliver me from the latter one, Lord!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟚:𝟛-𝟝

“"Here I am; bear witness against me before the LORD and His anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you." They said, "You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand." He said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that you have found nothing in my hand." And they said, "He is witness."”

Oh! Samuel grew up like Jesus Christ. And He challenged the people to find fault in him like Jesus Christ. And he prayed for his people like Jesus Christ. I want this man's integrity!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟛:𝟙𝟛

"Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.’"

Fear of man vs Fear of God. Foolishness vs Wisdom. Destruction vs Prosperity!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟜:𝟜𝟜-𝟜𝟝

"Saul said, "May God do this to me and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan." But the people said to Saul, "Must Jonathan die, who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan and he did not die."

The brave people resisted the mad coward king to protect the righteous warrior!

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟝:𝟙𝟙

""I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands." And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all night."

Will the Lord regret me for commissioning me to His service because of my unfaithfulness!? 🥶

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟞:𝟙

"Now the LORD said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons.’"

For every rejection of Sauls there must be Davids. 🤔

 

𝟙 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟟:𝟚𝟞

"Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, ‘What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?’"

David was zealous for the honor and fame of God's name! May that be seen in me by all!

Short Reflection from Ruth 1-4

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (PG as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[9:00 am, 15/02/2022] S.R:

ℝ𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝟙:𝟙𝟜

"And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her."

Hmmm! The saints of the past had described Orpah to be a worldly woman, and rightly so.

But I would like to present Orpah in a better light. She had every reason to go back! Even Naomi persuaded her to go back. She herself wanted to go with Naomi. Even when she left, she was with a heavy heart.

Well, sinners (too, btw) have every reason to turn their back on Christ! To become a Christian is beyond reason and is the most difficult thing. The greatest decision in one's existence!

 

ℝ𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝟚:𝟙𝟟

"So she gleaned in the field 𝕌𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕝 𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley."

Ruth was an industrious woman! Are there a lot of such women around?

 

ℝ𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝟛:𝟙

"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?'"

Family members look out for one another. Blood Family. Spiritual Family. Church Family. Work Family. Political Family, etc.

Lord, do not let me neglect my family members!

 

 

[6:40 pm, 18/02/2022] S.R: ℝ𝕦𝕥𝕙 𝟜:𝟙𝟘

"Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today."

I never bothered to know or memorize whose wife was Ruth (of Mahlon).

It's not that significant, but I notice it differently today.

Short Reflection from Judges 1-21

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (PG) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[0:40 pm, 25/01/2022] S.R:

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙:𝟙𝟡

'Now the LORD was 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots."

𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 God is success, victory, and fruitfulness.

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟚:𝟙𝟘

"All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel."

A sobering reminder why there should be mentoring of younger men to be the leaders of tomorrow! In my case, I found myself mentoring those who are older than me than those who are younger than me. But I hope to see younger men soon...

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟛:𝟚𝟚

"The handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out."

The Bible often describes violence in a very gruesome detailed manner. Hmm! Just something I am rethinking again! 🙂

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟜:𝟚𝟙

"But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died."

Another one, gruesome murder! 🙂

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟝:𝟚𝟠

"Out of the window she looked and lamented, The mother of Sisera through the lattice, 'Why does his chariot delay in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots tarry?'"

An insight into a perspective of a woman regarding battles and war! I always love this part whenever I read this account!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟞:𝟛𝟙

"But Joash said to all who stood against him, ‘Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar.’"

I think we need some courageous parents like Joash for young leaders! 🙂👍😇

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟟:𝟟

"The LORD said to Gideon, 'I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home.'"

Huh! I have been misreading this account all these times (past). I always seem to have read that the 300 were those who knelt down and drank the water. 😬🤦‍♂️😂

Hmm! Thank God, I am corrected now! 😇

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟠:𝟚𝟚-𝟚𝟛

"Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son's son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian." But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.""

Something to learn from Gideon about leadership when followers are misguided!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟡:𝟝𝟛

"But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head, crushing his skull."

Killed by a random woman, what an insult it was to him! It was fitting for he was a man without honor! God knows how to avenge!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟙

"The LORD said to the sons of Israel, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines?""

God wants me to remember His faithfulness in times of trouble! Indeed, why would my soul be afraid? Forgive me, God!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟙:𝟛

"So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob; and worthless fellows gathered themselves about Jephthah, and they went out with him."

This is like Manipur's underground (insurgent group).

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟚:𝟞

"then they would say to him, "Say now, 'Shibboleth.'" But he said, "Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it correctly. Then they seized him and slew him at the fords of the Jordan. Thus there fell at that time 42,000 of Ephraim."

A demonstration that humans, even people of God (yea, even godly Christians) are often crueler to their own than to the outsiders.

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟛:𝟛

"Then the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son.""

The Serpent talked to Adam's wife. The Angel of the Lord talked to Manoah's wife. Manoah handled the situation better (and rightly) than Adam! Hmm!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟜:𝟚-𝟛

"So he came back and told his father and mother, ‘I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.’ Then his father and his mother said to him, ‘Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?’ But Samson said to his father, ‘Get her for me, for she looks good to me.’"

Love at first sight is after all not good as Hollywood and Bollywood portrayed!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟝:𝟙𝟞

"Then Samson said, ‘With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have killed a thousand men.’"

He seemed to praise himself for the slaughter rather than praising God for the victory! What a tragedy!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟞:𝟙𝟞-𝟙𝟟

"It came about when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death. So he told her all that was in his heart and said to her, ‘A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like any other man.’"

Is it really difficult to not listen to a woman? 🤔😬😂😎

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟟:𝟡

"Micah said to him, ‘Where do you come from?’ And he said to him, ‘I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to stay wherever I may find a place.’"

I identify myself with this young man to some extent for good or bad!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟠:𝟚𝟞

"So the sons of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house."

I thank God that this episode is recorded in the Bible. It helps me see that God sees everything going on earth and He is absolutely calm!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟙𝟡:𝟛𝟘

"All who saw it said, "Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day when the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take counsel and speak up!""

It happened in the days of Abraham. It happened in the days of the Judges. If it happens again one of these days, it will not be surprising, and also the judgment!

 

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟚𝟘:𝟙𝟛

"’Now then, deliver up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and remove this wickedness from Israel.’ But the sons of Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the sons of Israel."

These guys are stupid. But what to do!

 

[11:42 pm, 14/02/2022] S.R: 𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 𝟚𝟙:𝟛

"They said, ‘Why, O LORD, God of Israel, has this come about in Israel, so that one tribe should be missing today in Israel?’"

They prayed but didn't know what they were doing, had done, and were about to do. They were acting [professing] and probably thinking also that they were spiritual when they said this prayer, oh, what a bunch of sinners were they!

That's true for every human being. It's impossible to not sin. It's impossible to not hurt others. It's impossible to not suffer. Somewhere, someday, everyone falls. But thanks be to God for His great mercy and grace! 😇🙏