Day #101 | "Passive Faith in God's Timing"

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Samuel 31-2 Samuel 1, 1 Chronicles 10:1-14, and Psalm 5

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

1. Refuse to take the morally questionable short cut (1 Samuel 31-2 Samuel 1). 

Leading up to these chapters, we saw how David repeatedly refused to gain the kingdom by means of assassination. Open, honorable battle appears to have been a legitimate option, but not cold-blooded murder. This is not a stance that all people have taken throughout history, so it is notable. Many of David's men were probably pushing him to take the easy way, but David refused. We see that stance continue to be taken here, as David refuses to accept the man who says he killed King Saul. (Side note: there does appear to be a contradiction between the start of 2 Samuel and the end of 1 Samuel, but this only appears to be the case--the man who brings the report is evidently not telling the full truth to David, and the books of 1-2 Samuel are in fact one single book whose author saw no contradiction between what he wrote in both places, side by side.) This stance against inheriting the kingdom through assassination likely slowed David down quite a bit, but it also helped to legitimize his eventual claim to the throne and delegitimized any future efforts to overthrow his own kingdom by similar means. We will see David continue to take this principled stance.

When we see a road block in front of us, often we want to deal with it ourselves by any means necessary. But if there is no honorable way to deal with the roadblock, we are generally best to just let it be and allow God to deal with it in his own timing. Trust God. It might be that God will deal with the issue, but he might (as was the case with Saul, and eventually Ish-Bosheth/Eshbaal) deal with it by allowing something to happen that you will be glad you weren't the cause of. It is not up to you to make everything work out; instead, it's up to you to travel down the path as God opens it up.

2. Let God make his way straight before you (Psalm 5).

David writes, "Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me" (Psalm 5:8). This verse models the thought process of David, which we made note of in yesterday's reading. He expected God to align things so that the correct path would become clear along the way; a path which would both accomplish the goal and keep him from guilt. While we generally want to maintain an active faith (see yesterday's reading), situations like the one that David encountered occasionally call for passive faith, where there are no good options for going ahead and so we must wait for God to "make his way straight" before us.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? IN OUR ATTITUDES, when there are no honorable actions that we could take to move ahead to what we believe God wants to do in our lives, we can adopt a "passive faith" which waits -potentially for a long time, as David waited- for God to "make his way straight" before us. In these seasons, while we are watching expectantly for opportunities that God might create for us, we are also learning to wait and to depend on God. This is good for us as well.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

Day #100 | "Active Faith in God's Timing"

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Samuel 29-30, 1 Chronicles 12:19-22, and Psalms 12 and 13

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

1. If you are open, God will get you where you need to be (1 Samuel 29-30; 1 Chronicles 12:19-22). 

In 1 Samuel 29 David was rejected by the Philistines just before he was set to join a battle with them against the armies of King Saul. Apparently, according to 1 Chronicles 12:19-22, some men from Manasseh actually broke away from Saul and joined David leading up to that battle. Whatever David's actual plan was at this point, it would have been incredibly difficult for him to ever assume a tenable place as Israel's chosen King if he had actually participated in a battle against Israel on behalf of the Philistines. So right when it appeared that this would be the case, the Philistines all of a sudden decided to send him away. And not only did they send him away, but they allowed him to go freely. This was likely God working behind the scenes to take David, his willing servant, out of the conundrum that he had got himself into, and to get him into the correct position going forward. The events of 1 Samuel 30 also appear to be part of God's providential work on behalf of David: though it seemed like a further setback at the time, the Amalekites' raid against Ziklag had some improbable elements (for example, "They killed no one, but carried them off," 1 Samuel 30:2), and the battle that ensued actually gave David what he needed to make a gift to the towns of Judah to be welcomed back into their midst--just as Saul was about to be killed in the battle that he had recently been prevented from participating in (1 Samuel 31). If any of these events, which all occurred together, had not happened, David would have had a much more difficult time becoming the leader of the united tribes of Israel. But instead everything happened the way that it needed to. If we are open to God's leading, and we are committed to serving him with a humble and willing heart, we can trust that God will take us where we need to go. This is the case even when, as in 1 Samuel 29-30, it appears that God is giving us a series of road blocks (i.e. the rejection by the Philistines and the raid against Ziklag). Don't despair, but trust that God is working in this situation and push forward. There is likely something even better than what you had planned around the corner.

2. God will arise in his own timing (Psalms 13 and 12).

Psalm 13 asks, "How long, O Lord?" in reference to David's desire that God would act on his behalf. It must have seemed at times like God had abandoned him--he was living outside his homeland, rejected by the people that he had joined with, his city had been raided, his wives were captured, and the people wanted to stone him to death. But David also knew the truth: that though God seemed to be absent at the moment, his strong arm would be revealed in time ("I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation," Psalm 13:5). Then in Psalm 12, David wrote the God would arise and return his poor, plundered, and needy people to safety (Psalm 12:5). Though our situation might appear dire, we know who we trust in. If we perish, God will bring us into glory. If we err, God will direct our steps. If we are prevented from moving forward through spiritual warfare, God will fight on our behalf. We can deal with all manner of setbacks by committing ourselves to trusting in him.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? IN OUR ATTITUDES, we can adopt a posture of "active faith." In contrast to passive faith which sits back and expects God to move (and this is not always a bad thing; sometimes it is the only thing that we can do), an active faith presses ahead and looks for opportunities and actively looks to overcome obstacles, while believing that God will "show up" in unexpected ways to direct our steps as we go ahead. This is the posture that David seemed to have. He was personally proactive, and yet he was also responsive to how God might be directing him through the various circumstances, opportunities, and roadblocks that he encountered. This seems to be a good "sweet spot" for people who have faith in Jesus to maintain, as it avoids inappropriate passivity on one hand, while keeping us from a stubborn attachment to our own plans on the other.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

Day #99 | "Where to Run When You Find Trouble"

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Samuel 27-28, 1 Chronicles 12:1-7, and Psalm 7

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

1. Be careful where you turn when you find trouble (1 Samuel 27-28).

There is some difference of opinion over whether David did the right thing in 1 Samuel 27. On one hand, he joined hands with Israel's enemies, which was incredibly ethically inadvisable. Who knows what David was asked to do in those days to earn the trust of the Philistines? If David never outright sinned, I would bet that he was still made to enter into a lot of morally tricky situations in order to secure favor. On the other hand, he seemed to try to make the best of it by working on Israel's behalf secretly, and then by lying about it. There are some kinds of people from whom you do not want help. Nothing good will come out of it. The best thing that happened to David was that the Philistines eventually rejected him, and that they let him go freely. On the other hand, Saul also looked for help from a witch to summon the spirit of Samuel, because he could not get an answer from the Lord by normal means. (We are going to leave, for now, the tricky questions of whether Samuel's dead spirit was actually raised, whether witchcraft actually holds any real power, whether ghosts exist, etc.--but these are conversations that could legitimately arise from the text.) The result is only trouble for Saul, and another sign of his moral failings.

2. The Lord looks on our hearts--but us, not so much (1 Samuel 27-28).

I do not have exact answers about why Saul is condemned for seeking out help from a bad source, while David isn't. My best guess is that God saw that David was trying to be careful to follow the Lord, even as he was making some bad decisions. David was trying to make it work ethically, and took mercy on David, because he saw David's heart. Meanwhile Saul justified his own actions, but God saw Saul more clearly than he saw himself. For Saul, this was just another instance of casting the law of God aside so that he could get what he wanted. Maybe there is a word here for us: sometimes, in following God, we will make bad decisions without realizing it. And in those times, God knows what your intention is, even if you are hiding it from yourself. He will save and rescue us despite our bad decisions if our hearts are entirely set on him, and he will judge us if we are inwardly rebellious against God, however we might justify things to ourselves. Take comfort because God knows our heart better than we do. And walk with carefulness and humility, because God knows our heart better than we do. It cuts both ways.

3. Turn to God's people in the midst of trouble (1 Chronicles 12:1-7).

In 1 Chronicles 12:1-7, we see a whole group of people uniting together under David's banner to follow God's chosen king. When we are in the midst of trouble, God has given us other brothers and sisters in Christ who we can join with as the family of God. We are not meant to walk through life alone.

4. Turn to God in the midst of trouble (Psalm 7).

When David was dealing with harsh words and ever-present troubles, and accusations, and dangers, he asked God to show him the truth and to protect him if he was walking in obedience: "O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands... let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it... Arise, O Lord... lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment" (Psalm 7:3-6). We can never go wrong in trusting the Lord with our souls, our future, and our eternity.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? IN OUR WORSHIP, we can take some time to reflect and ask what we tend to run to when things get tough. Do we run to the comfort of distractions, food, and entertainment? Do we run to security, money, and possessions? Do we run to get the approval of other people? All of these things can result in negative outcomes when these things act as saviors that exercise control over our lives--in fact, maybe they already are. But as we realize this, we can change course and run to God. Whatever we run to when things get difficult, that is what we worship.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

Day #98 | "How to Not Be Controlled By Others' Words"

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Samuel 25-26 and Psalms 54 and 63

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

1. Don't be controlled by insults - David and Nabal (1 Samuel 25).

David admits in this chapter that he nearly sinned and took things into his own hands because he felt insulted by someone. When other people appear to look down on us, or mock us, or insult us, and they don't treat us the way that we deserve due to our position or experience, we tend to want to show them that they are wrong. Maybe we do what David almost did to Nabal, and we try to get back at them. Or, maybe we do the opposite, and dedicate seasons of our lives to trying to prove to that person that we are better, or know better, or can do better, than they seem to give us credit for (only to be disappointed when they remain unmoved). Either way, we are living a life where we are being controlled by the negative words of others. When we are tempted to do this, we need to remember that our primary relationship is with God: he alone defines who we are, and we live to please him, not those who look down on us.

2. Be open to reason - David and Abigail (1 Samuel 25). 

Abigail is a noteworthy, virtuous figure, because she was able to be the calm voice of reason in this passage. She turned David away from the path that he was on. While David was not controlled by her words, he did listen to her, and he was able to understand that he had been in the wrong. It is not "being controlled by others" to listen to them and find out that they are right and you are wrong. The difference is that when David listened to Abigail, he wasn't doing anything to make her think of him a certain way, but rather he listened because he found that what she said was right.

3. Don't be controlled by compliments - David and Saul (1 Samuel 26).

In this chapter David has learned the lesson of the previous chapter, and that lesson saved his life and future kingdom. Though Saul has pursued David, he doesn't react to Saul's newest provocation; instead he spares Saul's life (yet again). By not assassinating Saul, he wisely keeps his own kingdom from being founded on a cycle of kings being killed in order to grab power. But at the same time, he does not react to Saul's compliments, either. Saul had previously shown through repeated actions and reversals of favor that he could not be trusted. So when Saul said "I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm... I have acted foolishly... You will do many things and will succeed in them" (1 Samuel 26:21, 25), you should notice a couple of things about David's reaction. One, David did not return to Saul. Instead he had a representative of Saul's come into the midst of his forces, to retrieve Saul's belongings. And we also see that David did not accept Saul's invitation at face value: "So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place" (1 Samuel 26:25). Sometimes we are so hungry for affirmation or peace that we listen to people whose words should not be trusted, and we make terrible mistakes because of that. David shows that we can treat people well, but not be gullible either. While we are to forgive everyone, that is not the same as trust.

4. Be attentive to God's voice - David and God (Psalms 54 and 63).

Both of these Psalms show David running to find his rest in God, when the words of men proved to be unreliable. Psalm 63 was written in the shadow of "those who seek to destroy my life" (Psalm 63:9), and Psalm 54 was written "when the Ziphites went and told Saul, 'Is not David hiding among us?'" (Psalm 54:0). But David was able to stand on the promises of God: he wrote about how God was his helper and the upholder of his life (Psalm 54:4), and that he was sustained by meditating on God throughout his sleepless nights (Psalm 63:6). 

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? IN OUR ACTIONS we can stop when we hear someone say something to (or about) us, whether good or bad, before we act. We can ask what God would want us to do in this situation. We can ask whether the person is reliable. We can sort through the reasonableness of what they are telling us. And then, after taking some time in prayer, we can act based on what we believe God would have us do, and not (primarily) out of a desire to get a certain response from another person--though as we are trying to be a witness to them, we may act partially in order to gain a hearing.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

Day #97 | "God Is With the Outlaws"

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Samuel 23-24, 1 Chronicles 12:8-18, and Psalms 4 and 57

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

1. God is with the outlaws (1 Samuel 23-24). 

In these chapters we see David on the run, followed by a growing group of men, hiding out in caves and out-of-the-way towns, and pursued by a wicked King. David's crime was more or less being out of sync with the values and goals of the dishonorable King Saul, the father of his own wife (see, David knows what it's like to be an outlaw from your in-laws). David conducted himself differently from Saul and his court, making Saul look bad in comparison. And so David had to flee from "justice" which in this case was defined by a man who was filled with wickedness. But God is with the outlaws of the world. God is with the man or woman on the run, who has been driven "out of town" and pursued in anger, for the crime of being out of sync with this world and with the way that it does things. It is when you have been cast aside by the world and have placed yourself in God's hands alone that you begin to notice the blessing of God, as David did: You attract to yourself a group of people who also see that this world is not as it should be. You are given insight about how to carefully avoid the wounds that others intend to inflict upon those whose ways conflict with their ways. Opportunities that you could not have planned on suddenly materialize. And, if only momentarily, even those who meant to do you harm come to admit that you have been right. God's people will rarely be at perfect peace with a world that lives in opposition to God--we do not worship what they worship; our hopes are different; and our understanding of the created order is different. What we hold to be self-evident will often come to be seen as an affront to the world's competing value systems. But as we come to see God bless the holy outlaw, the righteous fugitive, and the pious rebel, we see that God is doing a work in and through his people even now. The one who, like David, was persecuted as a criminal will unite all those who are weary and afflicted. And the work that we see being accomplished even now in the time of our sojourning, will finally be brought to completion when the rightful King takes his place upon his throne.

2. United in purpose, favored by God (1 Chronicles 12:8-18). 

In 1 Chronicles 12, we see the gathering of warriors from various tribes of Israel to join David's cause. These valiant men, skilled in warfare, recognized David as the chosen leader anointed by God. Together, they formed a formidable fighting army, united in purpose, and devoted to the one who God had chosen to be King. This passage shows us the importance of uniting together as the body of Christ: when we stand together in faith, behind Jesus as our rallying focal point, we become instruments of God's favor and blessings. Just as David was surrounded by faithful allies, we too gather around Jesus and are united with fellow believers who strengthen one another and uplift each other in a common cause.

3. Finding peace in God's presence (Psalms 4 and 57).

The Psalms in these readings are a great part of this chronological plan, since we get to see what David's devotional and prayer life was like during these difficult days. Psalms 4 and 57, written by David during times of distress, offer us some profound insights into finding peace in God's presence. In Psalm 4, in the midst of incredible adversity, David pleads with God for deliverance, but ultimately acknowledges him as the true source of his peace even in the midst of adversity. In Psalm 57, David writes that he finds refuge in the shadow of God's wings, confident in his steadfast love and faithfulness. It's an interesting challenge for us as we read these words--what do we find peace in: our circumstances, or in the God who is bigger than our circumstances?

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? IN OUR WORSHIP we can respond by challenging ourselves to find comfort in God rather than in our circumstances, and by asking whether we are too much at ease right now because the world around us does not see us as fundamentally different from themselves--if that is the case, might this be a worship issue? IN OUR ACTIONS, we can surround ourselves with others who have united around the things of God, we can reach out to him in prayer in the midst of distress, and we can call to mind the different ways that we have incredible blessings in knowing Jesus that surpass anything that the world could offer in his place.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 96 | 1 Samuel 21-22, Psalms 34, 56, and 52

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Samuel 21:1-22:23 and Psalms 34, 56, and 52

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Praise in the hard times. Today's reading has the highest number of Psalms associated with it of any other historical reading so far, and at the same time it is also the most difficult time of David's life up to this point. I don't think that is a coincidence. When David was confronted with difficulties, betrayed by friends, humiliated by his circumstances, and cut off from support--there he became the most resolute in his conviction that God was good. It was in the cave of Adullam that David, while hiding out, attracted to him "everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul... And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men" (1 Samuel 22:2). God lifted David up in the midst of his descent out of the royal palace and into the place of wandering and darkness; and there, like his Promised Descendant after him, he would attract "all that are weary and heavy laden," (Matthew 11:28) to his cause, and they were able to find rest in him. So who did the people find rest in? David. Who did David find rest in? God. What was God's promise to David, that David could find rest in? That God would build David an everlasting house, and that a descendant of his would sit on his throne continually. To whom was this promise referring? To Jesus. The one that David rested in at this time was in God; and the one who provides the ultimate rest that David foreshadowed is Jesus. This is especially true in times of difficulty. So like David, we may also put our trust in God when things look bleak; and we can attach ourselves to the true and better David, the one who is truly worthy to be commander over us, who is Jesus Christ.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? IN OUR WORSHIP AND ATTITUDES we can use times of hardship to point us back to God. We can pray, we can sing, we can write verses like David did, we can gather around other people who share the same hope, and we can attach ourselves ever more closely to Jesus in our wandering.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 95 | 1 Samuel 19-20, Psalm 59

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Samuel 19:1-20:42 and Psalm 59:1-17

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

How to avoid the hostile, harmful person. There are many times where we might misunderstand another person and their motives, and so we attribute harmful intentions to them that they don't have. But there are also situations where someone does genuinely hold bad intentions for us, and in that kind of situation we need to protect ourselves. But how can we discern whether this is the case? David was in this situation with Saul. On one hand, Saul put David at the head of his armies, made him his son-in-law, welcomed him into his court, allowed him to have a good relationship with his son Jonathan, and even allowed for the people to sing about David's accomplishments in more glowing terms than his own. By all accounts, Saul sounds like a pretty great guy! Privately, though, (1) Saul kept putting David in increasingly difficult situations where he was being set up to fail--that David succeeded through those attempts, gaining greater notoriety in the process, was no thanks to Saul. (2) In this reading we find that those close to the hostile person share that the person is expressing their hostility in private. Jonathan and Michal have no reason to lie, and so David should believe them. (3) David also has had to navigate repeated overt attempts to do him harm, as he has twice had to avoid Saul pinning him to the wall with a spear, despite whatever niceties happened between those two events, or possibly explanations after the fact that Saul was just playing around and knew David could get out of the way in time. (4) Things get to the point where the outward action of the secret hostility of the other party is predictable, as soldiers show up to David and Michal's apartment right about the time when they figured something was going to be done to David. In 1 Samuel 20, David actually starts using the predictable hostility of Saul to establish a test that makes this hostility fully apparent not just to him but to Jonathan as well. And finally, (5) David had finally realized that the hostile party was trying to control all of his movements and relationships, and keep him off balance, as he had to deal with men watching his house and making surprise visits to his apartment--likely for "security reasons," or having representatives come to observe him while he was spending time visiting with Samuel, or being welcomed into Saul's personal circle while at the same time having Saul speak negatively about him to others (1 Samuel 19:1), or extending kindness to him while suddenly withdrawing it in unpredictable ways, as when David had originally been set to marry Saul's oldest daughter Merab (1 Samuel 18:19). This is only taking into account what David himself would have seen, not including the words of the author who explicitly states that Saul "was David's enemy continually" (1 Samuel 18:29). Given all of this, David was justified in seeing through the fake niceness of Saul, and removing himself immediately.

God is our strength in the midst of hostility. In the midst of the confusion and mixed signals that David was getting from Saul, when he was pretty sure that he needed to get out, he wrote in Psalm 59 that God was his strength. Whatever we go through with other people, our relationship with God is the one that matters. He will make things clear in time.

Faithful is a friend in the midst of hostility. Throughout all of this, David also had his friendship with Jonathan tested. Because Jonathan committed to doing good to David even when it did not benefit him, and even continued when it created difficulty between Jonathan and his father, David had all the proof he would ever need that Jonathan was genuinely his friend. The tests for a genuine friend -which we can not engineer ourselves, or that would make us a bad friend- are the opposite of the tests of hostility above. Does that person set you up to do well? Do other people report that the person shares good things about you? Does that person do good to you even though they aren't getting anything out of it? Can you actually predict that that person will be helpful or kind when you need them to be? Does that person help you to feel stable, free, and well supported? Then keep that person around, as David did to Jonathan.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? IN OUR ACTIONS, we can remove ourselves from situations or relationships where repeated, covert hostility may be bringing harm into our lives. In doing so, we can lean on the strength provided by God, and on the genuine friendships that God brings our way.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 94 | 1 Samuel 17-18

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Samuel 17:1-18:30

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Rally in the Valley: David vs. Goliath. When I ran youth groups about a decade ago, I did a series that took our group through the entire Bible over the course of 12-15 weeks (I did it four times: once at each youth group, and twice more as two series of camp talks). The most intense of these was always the story of David. This shepherd-king represented the first time in *checks notes* 800 years, since the days of Jacob and Judah, that any significant progress seemed to be made towards the arrival of God's Promised Deliverer. And his public rise begins here in today's reading with his God-given victory over Goliath of Gath. Imagine what it would have been like to have front-row seats for that one!

The public intellectual figure Malcolm Gladwell actually has a very well-researched (and well told) presentation of this battle available on YouTube as a TED Talk which gets into the relevant geography, customs of warfare, the physiology of giantism (acromegaly), and the physics of stone slings, which I highly encourage you to check out. In Gladwell's words, "everything I thought I knew about that story turned out to be wrong." For one thing, "If you do the calculations on the ballistics, the stopping power, of the rock fired from David's sling, it's roughly equal to the stopping power of a .45 caliber handgun." It's fascinating. It was in writing his book David and Goliath about a decade ago that Malcolm Gladwell actually became a Christian--a commitment to which he still holds.

Are you and I David? There is a common application, and I think it's a mis-application, of this passage which encourages you to find the giants in your life (your difficulties) and battle them in faith like David. One problem is that we aren't David. David was able to meet the challenge of Goliath's stature because he stood on the shoulders of God's historical covenant promises. (1) He knew that God would not give Israel over to the Philistines; and (2) He knew that God had anointed him -through Samuel- as Israel's next king, and that God would keep him alive long enough for him to fulfill that promise. That's what he took into battle with him. But God has not made any such promise to you and me to make our business venture succeed, or to win a political campaign, or anything similar. Instead of seeing ourselves as David, it's better to see Jesus as David. Like David, Jesus is the one who wins the battle on behalf of his people, who are unable to do anything to assist him, and his victory is imputed to them, so that his victory becomes our victory.  I don't think it's an accident that the first significant story we have of David, who is the "type" or shadow of the future Messiah, is one of  a prophesied and anointed king, whose royal identity is unknown to all around him including his brothers, who appears to be lowly and humble, who comes to save his people as a shepherd saves his sheep, saving his people by accomplishing a vicarious victory on their behalf in the name of God.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? IN OUR WORSHIP rather than seeing ourselves as the point of Scripture, and God's role in our lives as raining down various blessings on us, we can take a fundamentally God-first approach to all things. Rather than us being the point of Scripture, we can believe that Jesus is the point: As he says, "You search the [Old Testament] Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life" (John 5:39-40). These things are meant to show us Jesus. He is the key to the unfolding meaning of every book of the Old Testament; every significant story. God is not there to serve us by blessing our chosen paths, but we are here to serve God, and to trust him by walking the path that he lays before us--even if, like all the apostles, it brings earthly hardship. Because we will not find life in earthly accomplishments or in our social standing; instead, we find our life in him.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 93 | 1 Samuel 15-16

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Samuel 14:47-16:23 and 1 Chronicles 9:35-44

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

The treatment of the nations by Israel. The details of the conquest of the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15 are hard to stomach, and I won't pretend otherwise. Somehow we need to come to terms with a picture of God that is both righteous and just, and who would command this kind of action to be carried out. Here are a couple of things that might start to help: (1) This takes place around 400 years after Israel first began to conquer the land of Canaan. It is very possible that, in God's mercy, he allowed an extra period of time so that the Amalekites could have additional time to repent. (2) As we have seen with Rahab, Ruth, Caleb, and the Gibeonites (as well as among others Shamgar the Judge, who I didn't really put much focus on), God was more than willing to adopt the Canaanites and surrounding nations into his own people. These previous examples are just the highlights, and so we can expect that during the 1000 or so years since Abraham's time (see Genesis 15), as well as the 400 years since the battle of Jericho, God had allowed for many people of the nations to seek him and to make peace up to this point. It is very possible that many did so. (3) As we see in the time of the Judges, and later in Israel's history, the presence of the other peoples really was a corrupting influence that helped to ruin spiritual vitality of the project of Israel. God knew what he was doing here. (4) Israel did actually have the first code of conduct for carrying out war (Deuteronomy 20), and though some aspects of it were suspended specifically in the case of the people of Canaan (Deuteronomy 20:15-18), the presence of that code in Israel's law shows that God has compassion on the peoples of the earth. These lines of thought are just the beginning of an answer to this problem. But they blow some holes in the idea of Israel as monstrously and unfeelingly killing, indiscriminately, the peoples of the land. For the ancient world, they actually seemed unparalleled in their practice of making peace with the surrounding nations and adopting them into their own midst--with Caleb, Rahab, and Ruth as especially notable examples, given their role in the tribe of Judah.

Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head? Saul has a few troubling patterns, but among them is his fear of the people. He reacts to their desires and finds a way to look like the leader in the midst of doing so, but he is not a strong leader. He hides among the baggage, goes on plowing his fields instead of carrying himself as the king, does not deal with those who divide the people by speaking against his leadership, consistently blames the will of the people for what he allows to happen, and allows the people to make his decisions for him. That may look like humility, but God appears to see it as a breach of his responsibilities to lead: "Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. And the LORD sent you on a mission... Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD?" (1 Samuel 15:17-19). In fact, what appeared to the people to be a gentle and humble way of ruling was actually the pride of a man who wanted to be lifted up and celebrated by others. In doing so, Saul put his own glory before God's.

The LORD sees not as man sees. The introduction of David in 1 Samuel 16 could not be more different from the introduction of Saul. Saul looked like a leader, the tallest member of a wealthy family, but he was laying around in the house rather than looking after the flocks. David did not look like a leader. He was short, the youngest member of a poor family, and was too busy out among the flocks to be first noticed by Samuel. But he was a man of incredible ingenuity and productivity--as we see in his introduction to Saul at the end of this chapter (which, chronologically, likely takes place after 1 Samuel 17). We are prone to look at the surface to decide whether someone "looks like" a leader. Are they tall? Are the handsome? Are they poised? Do they speak evenly? Can they convey strength, warmth, and calmness all at once? Saul could check off all these boxes--and yet, spiritually, was a disaster of a king. David was none of these things, and he was God's man for the job. A more recent parallel for us might be Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill--Chamberlain was the more polished politician, but his policy of appeasement showed that he was not the right man to lead Britain through the second World War. He maintained the moderation and class of how a leader should look but was a failure. Churchill, the rougher, wilder, more uneven, more wild-eyed bulldog of a man (in appearance as well as disposition) turned out to be the far superior Prime Minister. In the same way the outward appearance of Saul does nothing for God, who sees deeper into David's heart. It would be better for us to have the character that God expects rather than the kind of appearance and mannerisms that endear us to other people.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? IN OUR ACTIONS we can begin to act more in light of what God says is important, rather than just trying to keep the peace and make other people think favorably of us. Many of us may confuse professionalism or good manners with godliness--yet Saul had more of these things than David, and God chose David over him. We could all use more of the characteristics that recommend people like David and Peter to the heart of God: enthusiasm, a willingness to jump into the action, an expectation for God to move, passionate worship, a desire for God to be glorified--these are things that God loved in these men, even when they also had significant ups and downs. God looks at the heart and loves it when he sees these things; but for God, the outward appearance of a man (or woman) does nothing for him.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 92 | 1 Samuel 12-14

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Samuel 12:1-14:46

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Samuel, the best of the Judges, is also a fallen man. The commentators Fix and Vannoy see in 1 Samuel 12:1-7 that Samuel, himself, has his own weaknesses which he is blind to as well. The human narrative in the historical books continues to tell us a story of sin, through which God is making clear how much greater his redemption story is. As for Fix and Vannoy's comments on the character of Samuel:

Samuel demands the people attest by oath that he has been faithful to serve Israel in administering God’s rule justly (1 Sam 12:1–3). Although they happily affirm Samuel’s faithfulness in leadership (12:5–6), there are hints here that Samuel has his own weaknesses and failures. For instance, he references his own sons (12:2) despite their dissolute behavior (8:1–5). He also seems to describe himself in royal, kingly terms as having “walked about before” Israel as the king would now do (12:2; cf. comments on 1Sam 8:6–9 above), further suggesting that he may have wanted the role of king for himself. His taking Israel’s request for a king personally may be implied in the fact that although he mentions Saul a few times, he never does it by name but only as “his (the Lord’s) anointed” (12:3, 5). Furthermore, Samuel couches this whole covenant renewal ceremony in the language of a civil case between him and Israel (“take your stand, so that I may enter into judgment with you before the Lord”; 12:6–7 NRSV). Samuel’s wounded ego may still be on display here, as he puts himself right into the list of some of the most major judges—Gideon or Jerubaal (Judg 6–8), Barak (Judg 4–5), and Jephthah (Judg 11–12)—specifically mentioning those who led Israel in mighty victories in battle (1Sam 12:11)... Samuel’s wounded pride may be further seen in his presentation of Saul as king: “Behold the king you have chosen, whom you asked for” (12:13, emphasis added). Finally, Samuel’s irritation seems to color his conveyance of the stipulations of the covenant. Ordinarily one can expect the promise of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedient breaking of the covenant (e.g., Deut 28). But Samuel stops short of communicating the blessings, though most translations supply the missing apodosis of conditional blessings with something like “[then] it will be well with you” (12:14; ESV).11 Instead, he seems to omit the promises, and jumps right to the “bad news” of promised curses for disobedience (12:15). [SEAN: I did not see this at first, so I checked the Hebrew. In the ESV, the words "it will be well" are added. Samuel literally just does not finish the thought, but jumps straight to curses for disobedience.]

 

In this sense, the book of 1-2 Samuel continues on the tradition of the book of Genesis, where every likely candidate for the role of Promised Deliverer (first hinted at in Genesis 3:15) is shown to come up short. By their failings, each possible candidate for Promised Deliverer illustrates the need for a future Deliverer who will be greater than each of them. Throughout the books of 1-2 Samuel, the four figures who illustrate the need for Jesus to be greater will be the fallen characters of Eli, Samuel, Saul (and Jonathan), and David. In their own way, each of them will point us to our need for Jesus.

Jonathan, a man after God's own heart. Contrasted with Saul, Jonathan seems to be the person whose decision-making and character we are supposed to follow. Where Saul puts off the battle and hides in a cave, Jonathan goes forward and expects God to act. Where Saul places a rash vow on the people that nearly ends in disaster, Jonathan can immediately see the fallacy of such an action. Saul is easily turned away from doing what God requires; meanwhile Jonathan is willing to follow the Lord even if it results in his own death (1 Samuel 14:43). The one way that Jonathan falls short, where David will not, is in his disobedience of Saul. Though Jonathan is in the right, and though his father is foolish, Jonathan goes out on his own and he speaks against his father to the people. David will also have to contend with Saul, but in each case he will refuse to take action against him. In this way David will be shown to be a greater Jonathan, doing everything that Jonathan did but even better. Jesus is also a greater Jonathan, as in Jesus' earthly ministry he perfectly obeyed and submitted to the voice of the Father. Aside from this, though, Jonathan's actions and wisdom and godliness are examplary, and are worth imitating.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? IN OUR WORSHIP AND ATTITUDES, we can look on our own guilt and shame and not be overwhelmed by them. We have no need to suppress the truth of our failure to do as we should, because we know that Jesus has won a victory over those failings in our place. Though they are real failings and must be addressed for our sake and the sake of those around us, they do not define our identity. Instead they point us to the one who is greater than our failings; who is Jesus Christ, the greater Samuel, the greater Saul, the greater Jonathan, the greater David, and the greater version of you and me. He wins where we lose, and his victory is given to us.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 91 | 1 Samuel 9-11

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Samuel 9:1-11:15

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Worrying signs for Saul, in the details. The commentators Fix and Vannoy, having taken some time to go through the text more slowly, see a number of worrying signs about Saul's character right from the start. Their comments are worth posting here at length: 

Despite Saul’s dashing good looks, his character comes into question as the story unfolds in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways. In the Ancient Near East, good kings were likened to shepherds (e.g. Hammurabi’s prologue), which is how we’ll meet David—keeping his father’s sheep (16:11). Furthermore, Israelite kings were forbidden from amassing horses (Hebrew susim; Deut 17:16). Though somewhat ambiguously, Saul’s character comes into question, as he not only comes from a family who is amassing donkeys (ʾatonot), but he also seems to be failing to “keep” them well. In fact, there may be a subtle indication that Saul is “lying about,” as his father has to go to him and tell him to “get up, go look for the donkeys” (1Sam 9:3), a job he doesn’t trust him to do alone (“take one of the young men with you”). It is not clear where Saul and his servant traverse, but it seems that they did not go too far before Saul was ready to give up out of “concern” for his father’s worry about him (9:5). It is no surprise that his servant knows of Samuel’s residence at Ramah (3:20; 7:15–17), but the fact that he has to inform Saul may further imply Saul’s lack of spiritual life, especially given Samuel’s “renown” (from Hebrew kbd) in Israel (9:6). Saul’s lack of ability to lead is further highlighted in his inability to problem-solve their situation, as he needed to be told of Samuel and then slowly persuaded to go to him by Kish’s nameless servant who even offers to pay for Samuel’s help with his own money (9:6–10)... Though some see Saul’s humble disclaimer (9:21) as genuine, in context it appears to be false humility given his good pedigree introduced in the opening of the narrative (9:1–2), and this may be confirmed by his not protesting his royal treatment at the feast (9:22–24). However he got to bed, Saul’s willingness to lay about sleeping seems to be highlighted by the need for Samuel to call up to Saul on the roof, and like Saul’s father in 9:3 he has to tell him to “get up” (9:26).8 As we meet Saul here in chapter 9, his characterization sets forth a stark contrast with the coming “king after the Lord’s heart” in David (13:14), who will better foreshadow the true Shepherd King of Israel, Jesus Christ.

Still, even with these things being true, Saul starts off well. He scores a major military victory and gives credit to the Lord, and he seems to be genuinely humble as he is still working his field after being selected as king. He is merciful towards those who insult him. He inspires his people. What we see is a figure who appears to be a genuinely good king... except Saul continues to have significant character issues which repeatedly pop up. In his own leadership he fears the people and does not fulfill his responsibilities to the Lord; and in his relationship with David we will later find him to be a mad king, wild with growing jealousy.

How many of us have significant character issues that, if they had the opportunity to be expressed, would be as damaging or more damaging than Saul's? Imagine you had to write an autobiography of The Rise and Fall of (Insert Your Name Here). What part of your story, currently, would make sense as the beginning root of that fall? These would be important things to begin to deal with now. Saul did not become a bad king overnight; he merely had some character flaws that finally had a chance to be expressed.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? IN OUR ACTIONS we can ask a few trusted people, known for their honesty and bluntness, to give us their feedback about troubling issues that they see with our character. Things that may not be a problem now, but that you need to watch out for. Rather than becoming defensive, write those bits of feedback down. Then ask a second person. Then a third. Start with any common areas of concern and then work from there. You might be glad, when you have larger responsibilities or a bigger platform, that you did this kind of work now.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS, CALL, and PRAY methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 90 | 1 Samuel 7-8

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read 1 Samuel 7:2-8:22

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

The problem with kings--right as we're finally about to get one. 

From Genesis up until now, there has been a consistent thread that shows God's plan for a Promised Deliverer from the line of Judah, who will reign as king over his people. Then throughout the book of Judges, we saw that for nearly 400 years the nation was divided and wayward because they did not have such a king. The book of Ruth then showed the story of how God was watching over the line that would eventually produce God's chosen king, from the line of Judah, to rule over the people. But then, all of a sudden, these chapters show us the problem with kings. There are two problems that are shown to us: (1) Like Eli and Samuel, other godly leaders and kings may have children who do not follow in their ways, and who may become corrupt rulers. (2) A human king, to secure himself and safeguard his administration, will take from the people to further his own ends. He will take the peoples' sons, daughters, produce, servants, and flocks, and put them to use--he will provide stability, but the costs of supporting his administration will be significant, even if he is a good ruler. 

It's interesting to look at this. We're about to get David, who seems to finally be the Promised Deliverer. But the narrative is already getting us ready to see that even David has problems. Because David will die, and leave his kingdom to less godly leaders. And David is just a man whose administration has the same drawbacks as anyone else's. And, as we will find out in the coming chapters, David is also a broken and sinful man in need of someone greater to deliver him. Something more is needed.

We need one from the line of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David who will not die, and who has no need of anything. We need him to be something greater than a man (like David) who is after God's own heart. We need someone who will not be overwhelmed by the darkness of sin as David was, but who can be a light in the midst of that darkness, to bring us to the light. We need the true and better David--Jesus, the Messiah, the Rescuer, God-man, the true and rightful King.

DO | HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How can we respond in our worship, attitude, and actions? IN OUR WORSHIP we can look to Jesus, who does what nothing else in the Old Testament narrative has done up until now. We can't get rid of all the bad people as in the Flood, because we are all touched by brokenness. We can't just wait for a better method or system of rules to follow, or Moses' law would have done the trick. We can't hope for the will of the people and decentralized government to act as checks and balances against corruption, otherwise the time of the Judges would have been peace on earth. And here we are finding out that we can't simply wait for a good human ruler either, because they will die or be tempted to lose their way. We are finding out that the solution to our brokenness, and the state of the world, can only be for God himself to come and to rule as King in our midst. And so in our worship, we can pray and long for him to do so. And we can start by allowing God to rule in us, in our hearts, and in our midst.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US TO GOD?

Whether in response to anything pointed out here, or to something else in your Bible reading time, take a few moments before you close up your Bible to pray in response to God. If you need a format for prayer, both the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), CALL (Confess, Ask, Love, Listen), and PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) methods are helpful ways to stay consistent.

-Sean