May 7- The Cry of A Godly Woman

May 7, 2011

Scripture Readings:
I Samuel 1:1-2:21; John 5:1-23;
Psalm 105:37-45; Proverbs 14:28-29

Pray, and let God worry. 
~Martin Luther

I Samuel 1:1-2:21

With the advent of home pregnancy tests, women have a blessing and a curse.  If you are one to easily get pregnant and you want a child, you can rejoice in the privacy of your home very soon after conceiving your child.  If you are having a hard time conceiving a child, pregnancy tests can become your worst nightmare and a vehicle for pain and suffering.  Have you ever wanted something so bad that you were absolutely miserable?  People who are waiting to get pregnant often feel this way.  One of the hardest situations in the human condition is infertility. 

Not being able to have a baby can consume a woman.  I have known many women in this position.  I can relate to this as it took me three years to get pregnant with my first born son.  During that time, I cried out to God.  I remember the day that my home pregnancy test finally showed a positive result. I was filled with thanksgiving to God. I know that not all women get the "yes" from God on having a child, but todays reading is about a godly woman who cries out to God to give her a child and receives a "yes" from the Lord.

We are still in the times of the Judges in Israel, but congratulations to all of my fellow Bible readers, because you have finished another book of the Bible!  We are done with the book of Ruth and are now starting the book of I Samuel.  Samuel is the last judge in Israel. Today we read the story of his birth.

His mother's name was Hannah and Hannah has two problems.  First, her husband is married to another woman named Peninnah, besides Hannah, who Hannah despises.  Second, Hannah is unable to have children, but Peninnah is very fertile.  Although Hannah is the favored wife, this is not enough to make Hannah happy. 

The situation is at a boiling point by the time the family goes to Shiloh for the yearly sacrifice.  Peninnah has been taunting Hannah about being unable to have children.  Hannah is in tears and fed up with her miserable state.  Hannah cries out to God, begging Him for a son and promising to dedicate the boy to the Lord if He will answer her prayer.  Eli, the High Priest, is witnessing this.  He believes that Hannah is drunk and rebukes her for coming to worship drunk.  You can imagine how fervent her prayer must have been.  She prayed like a crazy woman, even though it was a silent prayer!  Have you ever prayed like a crazy person before God?  Have you ever wanted something that badly?

Hannah explains her situation to Eli. Eli prophetically prays for her and encourages her spirit.  Hannah goes home knowing in her heart that God is going to answer her prayer.  When she gets home and lays with her husband, the Lord remembers her prayer and Hannah becomes pregnant with a son.  She names him Samuel, which means "heard of God."  Hannah raises Samuel until he is weaned, which could have been three to four years old. After this time, she takes him to live with Eli, the High Priest, at the house of the Lord in Shiloh.  When she goes to Eli to dedicate Samuel to the Lord she says the following, "I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me my request.  So now, I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord."  The Bible tells us that he (Samuel) worshiped the Lord there.  Even as a young child, he has a heart for God.

Hannah then prays a beautiful prayer to God.  Can you imagine dropping off your young son who you prayed so fervently to receive?  What humility, obedience, and sacrifice this reflects.  Hannah is an extremely godly woman who endured suffering and is willing to suffer again.  Her prayer focuses on God's greatness, His sovereignty and His might, not her own needs.  It is the first prayer in Scripture to predict the Messiah (Anointed One).  Hannah's prayer has a similar tone to Mary's prayer upon her conception.  Hannah is a model for all women and all people who want to please God through humility, obedience, and prayer.

The story now focuses on Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas.  In the next section of our reading, they are stealing sacrificed meat for their own use.  Hophni and Phinehas are proud, disobedient, and self-serving louts.  But not Samuel, he is running around in the linen robes that his mother has made for him and serving the Lord with zeal.  What a contrast.

Are you serving the Lord with zeal?  Do you pray fervently through your problems?  Are you willing to suffer?

John 5:1-23

Today Jesus heals a man who has been laying by a pool of water that supposedly heals people.  He has been crippled for 38 years, but hasn't been able to get into the water for healing.  Jesus heals him and later seeing him at the Temple, reminds him to stop sinning or something worse may happen to him.  Jesus knows this man's heart and knows why he was crippled.  Jesus is trying to prevent this man from being crippled spiritually by sin.  This healing occurred on the Sabbath.

When the Pharisees find out that Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath, they are furious.  Jesus replies that His Father never stops working, so why should he.  This incenses the Pharisees because a son is equal to his father, therefore, Jesus is saying that He is God.  Jesus clarifies for them several key aspects of His relationship with God the Father:

• The Son does nothing by himself.
• He does what he sees the Father doing.
• He imitates his Father.
• The Father loves the Son and tells him everything that He is doing.
• The Son is going to do greater things than healing people on the Sabbath.
• The Son will raise people from the dead (anyone that he wants to raise).
• The Father is going to leave the job of judging everyone to the Son.
• Everyone is going to honor the Son like they honor the Father.
• If you don't honor the Son, you are not honoring the Father.

This would have been a new and radical teaching for these Pharisees.

Psalm 105:37-45

This psalm recounts God's great deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt.

Proverbs 14:28-29

Controlling your anger prevents mistakes.

What did you see today?  Do you like the story of Hannah?  Why?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

May 6- The Kinsman-Redeemer

May 6, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Ruth 2:1-4:22; John 4:43-54;
Psalm 105:16-36; Proverbs 14:26-27

Here's something to think about...How come you never see a headline like 'Psychic Wins Lottery'? 
~Jay Leno

Ruth 2:1-4:22

Do you ever wish you had a rich uncle who would offer to get everyone in the family out of debt?  It would be a dream come true to have someone so wealthy and generous that they could solve your money problems without batting an eye.  Imagine living in a nice house and driving a decent car completely paid for by this rich uncle.  Today we see a wealthy powerful man who is willing to pay the cost to redeem a beautiful, godly woman and her family.

Yesterday we analyzed the names of the people in this story, but we left out one name.  That man's name was Boaz.  Boaz is the near relative of Naomi's dead husband.  Boaz means "strength."  We see in this story that Boaz is strong in his faith, strong in the law, and strong in prosperity.  He is a man of integrity and a type of Christ in Scripture. 

There are three Old Testament practices that need to be described in order to understand the story of Ruth.  As our reading begins, Ruth and Naomi are in Bethlehem. Ruth has been sent out to glean in the fields.  This is according to the laws of Moses.  In Leviticus 19:9-10, 23:22, and Deuteronomy 24:19 the law of gleaning states that when harvesting one's fields, one should not reap all of the corners of the field or take all of the produce out of the field.  This was so that the poor people in the community could come to the fields and work to gather/glean the left overs.  This was a way for God to care for the poor in the community.  Unlike our modern welfare system, the participants worked for their gain and kept their dignity intact.

Ruth providentially arrives at Boaz's fields.  It was a good thing, because this allows her to meet a man who could be her kinsman-redeemer.  In Leviticus 25, as part of the explanation of the Year of Jubilee, regulations were established for a person who was widowed to be redeemed by the nearest relative to the dead husband (this could be a brother or cousin). The redeemer was required to redeem or buy back the land (if their was a debt on it) and take the dead brother's wife as his own in order to produce children and keep his dead brother's line alive.  If the kinsman-redeemer was not wealthy enough to pay off the debt of the land, he would still marry the widow and produce children and care for the land.  During the Year of Jubilee that family would get back their land. This insured that that property in the Promised Land of God would stay within the proper tribes of Israel.  It also meant that a widow, who was left with no income, would be cared for.  This was better than Social Security.  This method did not bankrupt the society.

Boaz sees Ruth when she comes to glean in the fields and falls in love with her. He requires his field managers to protect Ruth and favor her. Ruth is a hard worker and a graceful person.  She is humble and serves her mother-in-law well.  Naomi realizes that Boaz is able to redeem Ruth through the kinsman-redeemer program.  This will benefit the whole family.  Their property and name can be restored within the community.  Naomi encourages Ruth to go claim Boaz as a kinsman-redeemer.  This is the third part of the Mosaic Law. The widow had to claim the kinsman-redeemer.  He could not claim her.  And so we have the strange story of Ruth going to the threshing floor and laying at the feet of Boaz.  This is not a suggestive sexual act. This was a known method of claiming the kinsman-redeemer.  Boaz is pleased and states that there is a kinsman closer than him.  Boaz is going to talk to that kinsman and make sure that he (Boaz) can do the redeeming.

It works out for Boaz to redeem Ruth.  As a result, Ruth and Boaz get married and have children.  Ruth is the great grandmother of King David.  This beautiful godly woman is included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ!  Ruth's trials and hardship, her faith, and her redemption led to the world receiving its Savior Jesus Christ. Ruth's blood flowed through his veins.  In addition, Naomi, who wanted to be called Mara because she was bitter about her loss, now has good reason to be called Naomi, which means cheerful or pleasant.  God redeemed Naomi through this trial also! God is a good story teller, no?

Jesus Christ is our kinsman-redeemer.  A kinsman -redeemer had to be 1) a near kinsman 2) able to redeem the debt and 3) willing to redeem the debt. Here's how Jesus does that for you and me:

• We are a bride in need of our debts being paid.
• Jesus is our near kin because he came down from heaven, put on flesh as a man, and became part of the human family. He is a near kin.
• Jesus is strong, faithful, and able to pay our debt for sin because he lived a perfect sinless life. He is able to redeem the debt.
• Jesus is willing to pay our debt.  A kinsman must be willing to redeem.  Jesus willingly died on the cross for our sins.  This redeemed us.  Jesus is willing.
• The last peice of the puzzle is that we must go claim our kinsman-redeemer.  Have you claimed Jesus as your kinsman-redeemer?  Have you layed at his feet and asked him to redeem your sins?

Boaz loved Ruth and redeemed her.  Ruth accepted Boaz as her redeemer participating in a beautiful love story.  Jesus loves you and has redeemed you.  Have you accepted Jesus as your redeemer?  This is your chance to be part of a beautiful love story! Why not lay at his feet?

John 4:43-54

Today, while in the town of Cana, Jesus is confronted by an official from Capernaum who wants Jesus to come with him to Capenaum to heal his son who is dying.  Jesus sees the man's faith and says that the man can go back home because his son will live.  The man believed Jesus and went home.  At home, the boy was healed just as Christ said he would be.

Do you need healing in your life?  Be sure to persistently bring your needs and the needs of those around you to the Lord.  He wants this interaction with you. Remember, prayer changes things.  Keep praying and asking.

Psalm 105:16-36

Notice how many times this psalm has the words "The Lord" which is then followed by an action verb.  This is a psalm about God's actions in judgment.  This should cause awe and fear in us.

Proverbs 14:26-27

How convenient.  We are told today that those who fear the Lord are secure.  It is wise to be humble before such a mighty God.

What did you notice as you were reading today?  Did you like the book of Ruth?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal

Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

May 5- It's All In the Name

May 5, 2011


Scripture Readings:
Judges 21:1-Ruth 1:22; John 4:4-42;
Psalm 105:1-15; Proverbs 14:25


Judges 21:1-Ruth 1:22

Congratulations on finishing the book of Judges!  Before we leave this book we will look at the final incident recorded.  When we last studied, the tribe of Benjamin was on the brink of extinction because of their moral decay and God's punishment.  Now the twelve tribes find wives for the 400 men of Benjamin who are living in a cave. Their methods are again questionable.  Women are chattel to be owned by the men, but this insures the continuation of the twelve tribes of Israel.  The book concludes with a statement that is essentially the theme of the book of Judges, "In those days Israel had no king, so the people did what was right in their own eyes."  God forbid that you and I should live our lives doing what is right in our own eyes.


Now we begin the book of Ruth.  Ruth lives during the times of the judges of Israel. It is still a time of disobedience to God. Ruth is a short book of the Bible, but very important in its themes and genealogy.  One of the best ways for us to understand this story is by looking at the meanings of the names in the story.  Here is a list:

• Bethlehem-judah- "the house of bread and praise"
• Moab- "Moab is my wash pot" Psalm 108:9 or "garbage can"
• Elimelech- "my God is king"
• Naomi- "pleasant or cheerful"
• Mahlon- "unhealthy"
• Chilion- "puny"
• Orpah- "like a deer"  or athletic
• Ruth- "beautiful" and  "personality"
• Mara- "bitter"

So we have a man living during the times when people were rejecting God as their king, but his name means "my God is king."  He lives in "the house of bread and praise," but there is a famine in the land.  The man who should have God as his king leaves Bethlehem "the house of bread and praise" and goes to the land of Moab "God's garbage can".  Remember that the Moabites are descended from Lot and his oldest daughter after they fled to the cave when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.

Elimelech's cheerful wife (Naomi) has given birth to two sons, unhealthy and puny. They are grown and go with their parents to God's garbage can to find food to live.  When they get to the land of Moab, Elimelech dies.  The two sons break the laws of Moses by marrying two Gentile Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth.  After ten years, the two sickly sons die.  Naomi is left destitute.  Her only hope is to go back to Bethlehem "the house of bread and praise."  This is like the Prodigal Son story.  When you go off to a foreign land, you fall in with the pigs and suffer the consequences.  Can any good come from this story? Does God redeem the years that the locust have eaten?

Naomi tells the girls to stay in the land of Moab because as Gentiles they will not be able to get husbands in Bethlehem.  Orpah goes back to her family in sorrow, but Ruth shows her true colors.  Ruth is living up to her name's meaning.  She is a beautiful personality who loves God.  She tells Naomi, "Don't ask me to leave you or turn back.  I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God." (Ruth 1:17) This is not only a statement of loyalty to her mother-in-law, it is also a statement of faith in the One True God.

What a comfort this must have been to Naomi as she contemplated going home to Bethlehem completely devastated. When they get to Bethlehem, the town is stirred.  They ask, "Is it really Naomi?" She tells them to call her Mara, which means "Bitter."  With sorrow as her constant companion, Naomi declares that God has caused her to suffer and the Almighty has sent her tragedy. I won't judge Naomi.  She will get perspective on her suffering later in the story. For now, life stinks.  She wants people to call her Mara, but God has named her Naomi "Pleasant."  In the end, God will be correct in naming her this.

Do you feel at times that your name should be changed to "Mara?"  Are you bitter because of suffering that God has allowed in your life?  That's why we read the Bible, my friends.  We are not alone in our suffering.  Even Christ suffered.  God has His purposes. 

As our reading ends today, Naomi and Ruth have arrived in time for the barley harvest.  The house of bread and praise is producing bread again.

John 4:4-42

I love Jesus. You may have picked up on that as you have read my blog. Today we see Jesus reach out to a woman whose life was all screwed up.  She is no pristine example of virtue. She is a hot mess. But guess what?  Jesus reaches out to hot messes in order to bring them living water.

It's no mistake that Jesus is tired and stops at Jacob's well.  Do you remember when we read in the Old Testament how important wells were in the ancient world?  They were given names and owned by certain people and cherished.  It is noon and Jesus is weary under the hot Middle Eastern sun. Jesus asks a Samaritan woman to get him a drink of water out of Jacob's well.  Please do not lose the irony of a Samaritan dipping into a well owned by Israel (Jacob), the one who would bring us the Messiah. The Samaritans were descendants of Jacob who had intermarried with people from the north after the Assyrian Captivity in 721 B.C. The Samaritans did worship the God of Israel, but in a different place than Jerusalem.  They were also anticipating the coming of the Messiah.

Jesus is asking this woman to do this physical task for him in order to set up a picture of a spiritual reality. Jesus NEVER misses an opportunity to teach God's truth to those around him. He knows that as part of God's will for him on earth he MUST go to Samaria to teach this woman. He comes to you and me also and teaches us by using physical pictures of spiritual realities through God's Word in the Bible.

He asks this woman to get him some water from the well and she is shocked.  Jews and Samaritans did not normally talk.  She asks him why he is asking HER for a drink. He replies to her that if she knew the gift that God had for her and who he (Jesus) really was, she would be asking HIM for a drink and he would give her living water.

She comments that he doesn't have a rope or a bucket. She asks how is it possible that he can provide water that is better than their ancestor Jacob provided.  Jesus entices her by saying that one gets thirsty again after drinking Jacob's water, but the water that Jesus has is a perpetual spring that give eternal life.  Wow.

Guess what? The woman wants the water that will make her live forever! She mentions that if he gives it to her, she won't have to haul water anymore. Now that Jesus has her attention he is ready to have her realize her need to have her sins forgiven. He does this by bringing up a touchy subject...her husband. This is because Jesus knows that she has been a hot mess in her relationships.  She says that she doesn't have a husband. Jesus says that she is telling the truth, because she has had five husbands and the man she is shacking up with now is not her husband.  Bam. Right between the eyes. You can tell that Jesus has said this in love because the woman does not back down. Instead, she starts a religious argument as a diversion.

She asks why the Jews insist that God has to be worshiped in Jerusalem.  Jesus says that there will come a time when it won't matter where you worship.  Jesus establishes that the Jews know who they worship because salvation to the world is going to come from the Jews.  Ding, ding, ding.  Did we all get this lesson from Jesus?  The Jews are the chosen people designed to bring salvation to the whole world through the Messiah.

Jesus tells this woman that God is looking for people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. This woman then professes that she is looking for the Messiah.  She knows that he will explain everything when he comes. Jesus sees a willing heart. He tells this hot mess, "I am the Messiah!"

The woman leaves her water jar, runs to the town, and witnesses to the town that she has met the Messiah. She invites them all to come and meet Him. Samaria is converted by a woman who was a hot mess.  Don't you love God?  I do.

Jesus stays in the town for two days teaching everyone.  In the end, the townspeople believe because she pointed them to the Messiah.  When they heard the Word of God from his mouth, they believed.

Are you a hot mess?  Have you screwed things up in life?  Jesus has living water for you.  He can use you to spread the Good News of God's redemption to the world.

Psalm 105:1-15

This psalm reiterates God's covenant promise of the Land of Canaan for the people of Israel.  Jesus was walking on land that had been promised to his people centuries before.

Proverbs 14:25

Be truthful in your dealings.

What did you learn today from the book of Ruth and the Samaritan woman at the well?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal

Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

May 4- Israel Had No King

May 4, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Judges 19:1-20:48; John 3:22-4:3;
Psalm 104:24-35; Proverbs 14:22-24

Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned.  
~William Butler Yeats

Judges 19:1-20:48

When moral decay becomes a norm in society horrors abound.  In 2003 and 2004 at the height of the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, non-Arab African women were subjected to severe brutality.  It is hard to believe that other human beings could do this to their fellow man.  The Arab pro-government Janjaweed militias swarmed a town and gang raped the women.  Reports of their evil deeds included singing while they raped young girls, pregnant women having their unborn children cut out of their wombs, girls having their legs broken after being raped, and many girls being killled mercilessly.  When darkness prevails evil reigns.  Today in our reading, Israel is in a dark time.  They have no king.

We have another story of a gang rape.  This is the story of a Levite who owned a concubine.  A concubine is a woman who is not married, but has a man's children and is cared for by him.  Under societal rules, the concubine's children would not get an inheritance or would get a much smaller inheritance, but no other man was allowed to have sex with a person's concubine.  Anyway, this Levite traveled to a town occupied by the men of the tribe of Benjamin.  As the Levite and his concubine stayed in an older man's home for the night, the men of the town came to demand sex with the Levite man.  Does this story sound familiar to you?  Do you remember Sodom and Gomorrah?  This is an almost identical situation, only it's a Levite they are trying to have sex with, rather than some angels.  Anyway, true to how they handled things back then, the woman was thrown out the door to the homosexual/sex-crazed wolves, rather than the man who they really wanted.  The concubine was repeatedly gang raped all night.  In the morning, she crawled to the threshold of the door and died. 

After the Levite carries her dead body back home, rather than give her a decent burial, he cuts her body into twelve pieces and sends one part to each tribe in Israel.  I feel like I am reading about Jeffrey Dahmer.  Remember him? This guy is incensed by what happened to his concubine and is hoping to stir up righteous anger among the people of Israel.  This incident tells us how bad things had gotten in Israel. For a man to have to cut up a victim and send the body throughout the nation in order to get someone to take notice reveals how depraved the society was.  Depravity, depravity, depravity.

The Israelites get furious about this injustice and muster an army to go confront the men from tribe of Benjamin. The town of Gibeah will not give up their guilty men (another strike against them), so Israel fights several battles in order to finally kill everyone in that tribe except 400 men who managed to run away to caves.  This prevents the whole tribe of Benjamin from being destroyed because of  the sexual sins.  God's judgment was upon the tribe of Benjamin because of their complicity in evil. Religious apostasy leads to moral decay.

As a people, we rely on civil government to protect us from evil.  God shows us through the writings of Moses that laws and civil government are a God-given protection on earth.  Israel's lack of good civil government resulted in moral decay going unchecked.  But the root of the moral decay was Israel's rejection of God as their King.  This was intended to be a theocracy, but the Israelites were not interested in that.  Israel was in disobedience against God at this time.  We are reading about the results.

What are you and I doing to turn people to the truth of Scripture?  Is God the Sovereign King of your life? Obedience to God leads to peace and order in a society. Biblical principles practiced by governments produce freedom for individuals and safety in society.  It behooves us to promote Christianity.  Think of ways that you can do this.

John 3:22-4:3

One of my favorite books of all time is The Purpose Driven Life.  What I like about the book is that it clearly defines what each of us is truly looking for on earth.  We live with the questions "Who am I?" and "What is my purpose on earth?"  Today, we see that John the Baptist had a purpose driven life.  John knew Who had created him, what his purpose on earth was, and John was faithful to do what God created him to do.

Let's review some of what John says when he is asked why everyone is starting to go over to the guy that John said was the Messiah, rather than continuing to come to be baptized by John.  Here is his reply:

• God appoints every one's work (or purpose). -Vs. 27
• I am not the Messiah. -Vs. 28
• I am here to prepare the way for the Messiah. That's all. -Vs. 28
• The bride follows the bridegroom, not the bridegroom's friend. -Vs. 29
• I am the bridegroom's friend, who is happy for the groom and rejoicing at his success. Notice how he refers to the marriage picture again.  This man "gets it." -Vs. 29
• He must increase and I must decrease. -Vs. 30
• He has come from above and is greater than anyone else on earth. -Vs. 31
• I am of limited, earthly knowledge, but he has heavenly knowledge and gives us Truth. -Vs. 31
• He tells us what he has seen and heard in heaven. -Vs. 32
• He speaks God's words because the Spirit of God is upon him without any limits. -Vs. 34
• He is God's Son. God loves him and has given him authority over everything. -Vs. 35
• All who believe in him will have eternal life. -Vs. 36
• Those who don't believe in him will experience God's wrath. -Vs. 36

What do you think of John's lessons to us?  He certainly knows how to prepare a path for the king, doesn't he?  My favorite verse is "He must increase and I must decrease."  I love this verse because I feel that in my life my sinful tendencies must decrease, while God's Holy Spirit should increase. 

Psalm 104:24-35

I love this psalm.  To declare God's role in creation is to acknowledge His creativity and brilliance.  His power over all that we see is magnificent.  "I will praise my God to my last breath! May he be pleased by all these thoughts about him, for I rejoice in the Lord."

Proverbs 14:22-24

Try to plan good, rather than plot evil.

What did you see today?  I want to hear about what you thought of these passages.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal

Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

May 3- Everbody Did What Was Right In Their Own Eyes

May 3, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Judges 17:1-18:31; John 3:1-21;
Psalm 104:1-23; Proverbs 14:20-21

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. 
~Proverbs 14:12

Judges 17:1-18:31

Some people wonder if America is on a downward spiral to ruin.  It is a valid concern.  The history of destroyed countries is the story of religious apostacy, moral decline, and political anarchy.  Our country was founded for the most part by religious people seeking freedom to worship as they saw fit.  This seed created the tree of freedom from which the citizens of the United States still eat the fruit.  Over time, religious apostacy has overtaken our culture.  Back in the day, public schools used the Bible as a textbook.  Thomas Jefferson even declared that no person could be truly educated without knowing the Bible.  By the 1960's the Bible and prayer were no longer evident in our public education system.  We are living in a time of moral decay.  The morality problem is not just sexual.  There is a moral breakdown in integrity, financial issues, and the like. Any country with a national debt the size of ours is in deep moral trouble. Today, we see that the nation of Israel is adrift without a leader.  Religious apostacy is upon them.

Today in our reading, we meet a man named Micah.  He's a real piece of work!  We learn that he has stolen his mother's life savings.  She initially curses whoever stole the money, but when she finds that it is her precious, spoiled baby who stole the money she honors him instead of punishing him!  Does this sound familiar?  Do you know people in this culture who do not punish bad behavior in their children, but instead try to lift their self-esteem by embracing the child no matter how they are behaving?  This is a sign of spiritual anemia.

In order to honor her son for giving back her money, the mother takes the money and has an image carved and an idol cast for all to worship!!!  Oh, my.  How far this group has fallen.  Micah sets up a shrine, puts the images in it, creates an ephod, and installs his own son as priest.  Are they Levites?  NO.  Do you see problems with breaking the Ten Commandments and the Laws of Moses?  YES.

Next, we have a young Levite from Bethlehem who is traveling and looking for a place to live.  Micah decides to hire him as their personal family priest.  Do you remember this being legitimate in the Laws of Moses?  Probably not, because it is not in there!  The Levite is thrilled to be a paid preacher overseeing the pagan idols.  Captain, we have a problem. Be wary of paid preachers who like to tickle your ears because they are really only interested in money.

Later, we learn that the tribe of Dan is trying to expand their territory.  They coax this "priest" into becoming their personal tribal priest and leaving Micah's family.  They steal Micah's idols and shrine stuff and go to decimate a town they want.  Everybody keeps doing what is right in their own eyes.  After they rebuild the town of Laish and rename it Dan, they set up a carved image to worship and appoint Jonathan to be their priest.  Jonathan is Moses' grandson!  This is a sad statement on what can happen to a generation that does not follow God.

Remember, God sees Israel as a cheating spouse.  Each idol they set up to worship represents an adulterous relationship.  His intimacy and trust with Israel is broken.  You and I must be vigilant to not live our lives doing what is right in our own eyes.  It leads to religious apostacy. Don't cheat on God.

John 3:1-21

I love the story that we are reading today in the New Testament.  Here is a different kind of religious leader.  He is not in it for the money or the position.  He is a true seeker and his name is Nicodemus.  Nicodemus comes to Jesus by the dark of night in order to avoid being seen by the other Pharisees, but regardless of his fear, he really wants to know the truth.  Jesus can sense this.  Nicodemus starts by saying that "we" know that God has sent you to teach truth.  Who is "we?"  Why didn't he say "I know?" Nicodemus is putting up a small barrier of protection here, but Jesus interrupts and gets to the point, because he knows Nicodemus is an earnest seeker.

Jesus bluntly states that you can't see the Kingdom of God unless you are born again.  Nicodemus is justifiably confused. Jesus tells him that a person must be born of the water and the Spirit.  What does Jesus mean here?  Nicodemus would have been aware that in the Temple and in Moses' Law, the Word of God is a cleansing agent.  Jesus is saying that the Holy Spirit works through the truth in God's Word in order to save a person.  They become born in the Spirit and are a new creature.  Jesus explains further that this occurs like the wind blowing.  You know it is there, but you don't know where it came from and where it is going.  This is what God's Spirit is like.  Jesus really opens up to Nicodemus.  He chides him for being a religious teacher, but being in the dark about this. Jesus forthrightly tells Nicodemus that he has come to earth and will return to heaven.  Also, Jesus uses an Old Testament image of Moses' bronze snake on a pole to tell Nicodemus that healing will come to the earth when Christ is lifted up on a pole (cross).  Are you surprised at how Jesus is laying out the whole picture to this man so early in his ministry?  We know from this story that at least one Pharisee knew the truth during Christ's ministry on earth.

Jesus now states one of the most famous lines in Scripture, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him, will not perish, but have eternal life." 

Further yet, "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to SAVE IT." (emphasis added)

Here is another great teaching, "There is no judgment awaiting those who trust Him." 

Wow.  Double Wow.  Can you imagine what Nicodemus is feeling? 

These teachings are the foundations of Christianity.  They are the key to God's redemption of the world and the key to God showing us His True Nature.  I hope when you read Jesus' words that your heart is stirred.  I feel profound gratitude and love towards God.  Can you embrace that there is no judgment for those who trust Him?

I find it interesting that while Nicodemus and Jesus are meeting in the dark of night because Nicodemus wanted to hide this meeting, Jesus ends this conversation with the illustration that he is the light that came from heaven.  He states the fact that people will love darkness and want to keep their sin in darkness rather than have their sins exposed to the Light.  But those who trust in God and do what is right are comfortable being in the light.  This is a small rebuke and reminder to Nicodemus.

We follow an awesome God.  I love Him.  I hope you do, too.

Psalm 104:1-23

This psalm is where the hymn How Great Thou Art comes from.  It is a beautiful poetic piece.  Read it in a field, on a sunny day as birds chirp in distant trees.

Proverbs 14:20-21

It is a sin to despise your neighbor in need.  Remember Jesus' Good Samaritan story that teaches everyone is your neighbor.

What did you see today?  Please share.  It makes things more fun.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

May 2- Anger Management Denied

May 2, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Judges 15:1-16:31; John 2:1-25;
Psalm 103:1-22; Proverbs 14:17-19

Anger is only one letter short of danger. 
~Anonymous

Judges 15:1-16:31

Have you ever seen the movie Anger Management?  In the movie, Adam Sandler plays a guy who is ordered by the court to attend anger management group counseling.  The group contains all sorts of people who really do have problems with anger and his interactions with the group cause Adam's character, Dave, to really need anger management after a while.  In the story of Samson, God does not want Samson to attend an anger management group.  He wants Samson angry at the Philistines.

Let's list what makes Samson angry today and the resulting action against the Philistines:

• Samson's wife has been given to his best man without his knowledge. Result: Samson burns all of the Philistine's crops including the grain, grapevines, and olive trees by putting torches on pairs of foxes and having them run through the fields, vineyards, and groves.
• The Philistines kill his wife and her father.  Result: Attacks many Philistines and kills them.
• Samson is tied up and hears the Philistines shouting in triumph that they have captured him.  Result: He takes a donkey's jawbone and kills a thousand Philistines.
• After spending the night with a prostitute, Samson is angered that the Philistines are going to try to capture him. Result: Takes the two posts of the city gate and carries them on his shoulders to Hebron.

Next, we have the perplexing story of Samson and Delilah.  We saw that when Samson picked his first wife he chose a woman from the Philistines, rather than the Israelites.  Today Samson is in a relationship with Delilah who is another Philistine.  Samson is following his lust, rather than God, but God is using Samson (even his flaws) for a good purpose.  We all know the story, Samson gets in a relationship with her, she betrays him to the Philistines and after a back and forth, she pesters him relentlessly and gets the information from him that his strength is in his hair.  Being a Nazarite, he would never have put a razor to his head.  Delilah cuts off his hair and the Philistines capture him.  It is hard to believe how foolish a man can be when it comes to sex.  Some men just lose their minds over women.  Samson is an example of this.  Samson is flawed, to say the least.

Samson dies while being tormented in the Temple of Dagon in a celebration in honor of the Philistine god, Dagon.  His hair has grown back sufficiently to give him the strength to knock down the foundational pillars and kill everyone, including himself.  Not a glorious ending by any means. God did use the situation to kill the Philistines and punish them for idol worship.  Samson does not come off looking good though.

Let's compare Jesus and Samson:  Here are some comparisons found in J. Vernon McGee's commentary on the book of Judges.  How they are alike:

• Both births predicted by an angel. 
• Both  were Nazarites.
• Both were moved by the Holy Spirit to do God's work.
• Both were rejected by their people and handed over to the enemy.
• Both destroy their enemies (Jesus will finally do this in the end.  For now, he has destroyed death.).

How they are NOT alike:

• Samson lived a life of sin.  Jesus lived a perfect sinless life.
• Samson prayed to avenge his enemies at his death.  Jesus prayed for God to forgive his enemies at his death.
• Samson's arms were outstretch in wrath and revenge at death. Jesus' arms were outstretched in love and forgiveness at death.
• Samson died. Jesus lives.

Samson is listed in Hebrews chapter 11 in the Hall of Faith.  This tells us all that our flawed lives can still have enough faith to make us usable by God.

John 2:1-25

Today we get to go to a wedding!  Don't you just love weddings?  We recently witnessed the royal wedding of William and Kate in Britain.  It was fun to see the bride's gown and all of the spectacle surrounding the event.   We don't see that in today's story because the focus of this story is Jesus' first miracle.  There are several things of interest. 

Mary, his mother, is the one to suggest that Jesus do his first miracle.  I love this! How like a good mother to point her son to the proper way to start his ministry.  Notice that Jesus tells her that his time has not yet come.  What do you think he meant by that?  We know that Mary's claim of Jesus' deity is not fully confirmed until he is raised from the dead. Perhaps he is warning her that this miracle will not clear her name (on the virgin birth), just yet.  It will be his resurrection that clears her name.  Note:  Jesus starts his ministry with a miracle at a wedding.  He starts his reign on earth as the King of Kings after a grand wedding feast with his bride, the Church.

Regardless, Jesus performs the miracle using six old stone water pots.  He gives specific instructions that the pots are to be filled to the brim (20 or 30 gallons) with water.  Upon dipping a ladle into the pot, the water turns to wine.  Let's talk about some of the symbolism here.  Six is the number of man in the Bible.  Believers are called earthen vessels and clay pots.  The Holy Spirit is symbolized by water and so is the Word of God.  Jesus uses you and me as we are filled with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.  When we ladle the Word of God out of ourselves and into others, it is a sacred act that God uses to build His Kingdom.  Jesus does the work, we are merely the vessels.

Have you been filled with God's Spirit through belief in Christ? Can God do the miracle of salvation through you?

Psalm 103: 1-22

This is a beautiful psalm of truths that we should remind ourselves of every day.

Proverbs 14:17-19

This proverb speaks of what happens when we are short-tempered.  How appropriate to read as we study Samson!

What did you see today?  Please share your thoughts.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

May 1- You Want To Marry Her?!

May 1, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Judges 13:1-14:20; John 1:29-51;
Psalm 102:1-28; Proverbs 14:15-16

No object is so beautiful that under certain conditions, it will not look ugly. 
~Oscar Wilde

Judges 13:1-14:20

It is a story as old as the hills.  A young man sees a beautiful young lady.  He doesn't really know her, but he is attracted to her physically.  Regardless of her family background, education, personality or spirituality, he wants her.  Today, we read the story of a judge in Israel who wanted a good-looking lady.  There was just one problem, she was a Philistine.  ...or was it a problem?

Well, we are still reading the book of Judges, so that means that the Israelites are still stuck in the cycle of disobedience, slavery, cry out, judge revealed, and deliverance by God.  Our reading begins with the phrase,"Again the Israelites did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord."  This time, God hands them over to the Philistines, who keep them in subjection for forty years.

The story of how God raised up the next judge is a great one.  We have another infertility situation.  This time, a man named Manoah has a wife who is unable to get pregnant.  Have you noticed that Jesus pre-incarnate loves to come and announce good news about having a baby to women who are barren?  Here, the angel of the Lord comes to tell Manaoh's wife that she will have a child and he must be a Nazarite from birth.  Numbers 6:1-27 describes the Nazarite vow and being set apart for God in this way. As a result, she is not to eat grapes, raisins, grape juice or alcoholic drinks.  She must also follow the dietary laws of Moses, strictly, while she is pregnant with this child.

Her husband is not present for this auspicious event, so Manoah prays that the man of God will return and give further instruction on how to raise the boy.  Notice that he and his wife have faith that the man will return in answer to their prayers.  The angel of the Lord reappears and gives Manoah the same instructions.  Instead of staying for a meal, the angel tells Manoah that he can present a burnt offering to him.  Manoah obeys and then Christ goes up into the flames of the burnt offering and disappears.  It is then that Manoah and his wife fall on their faces in awe.  They have seen the Living God. 

They do have the son that God predicted and they name him Samson.  Samson is the next judge of Israel.  He will be the key to defeating the Philistines.  But first, he falls in love with a beautiful Philistine girl.  His parents are distressed.  This is not good.  It appears that life is not going the way they had hoped.  For goodness sakes, Samson is supposed to be set apart for God's work and now he wants to sleep with the enemy.  The Bible tells us that this is precisely what God wants!!!  Look at chapter 14:4, "His father and mother did not realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to disrupt the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at the time."

Does it surprise you that God is in the midst of what looks like a really bad situation for Samson's parents?  They can smell trouble and they have a good sense of smell!  Trouble is brewing and that is just the way God wants it.

Next,  Samson miraculously kills a lion with his bare hands, eats honey from the carcass, has a bachelor party, loses a riddle contest because his Philistine fiance is a trickster that can't be trusted, and finally, goes to a Philistine town, kills thirty men in order to steal their robes, and uses their robes to pay the bet to his thirty Philistine friends.  Wow.  Set apart for God, huh?  Some kinda Nazarite...

Does his behavior shock you?  This is no monk in a monestary.  But, this is just the kind of man that God needs in order to kill a bunch of godless Philistines.  Think about it.

The story ends with Samson's best man taking the beautiful, untrustworthy Philistine babe as his wife, instead of Samson.  Although Samson does not realize this. Tomorrow the fun continues and Samson still has lady troubles.  Some guys just never learn...

John 1:29-51

Have you ever taken an etiquette class and learned how to properly introduce someone? What you decide to call that person is important.  You can decide to name their title, for instance, "This is Dr. Smith," or you could just say their first name, " This is Joe."  How you introduce them sets the tone for how other people will view that person. Today John the Baptist picks a title to introduce Jesus to the world.  Here is what he says, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

Calling Jesus "The Lamb of God" would have had incredible significance to the Jewish audience who were coming to John the Baptist to be baptized.  Remember that even the religious leaders of the day were watching John's baptisms.  When Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to God, Cain's grain offering was rejected, but Abel's animal sacrifice showed faith in a future Messiah whose death would cover his sin.  There was also Abraham, who was asked to sacrifice Isaac.  Abraham obeyed, but God intervened and provided a ram for the sacrifice.  Finally, each Passover, a Jewish family would take a lamb that they had raised and sacrifice that animal as a sign of their belief in sins being paid for by the death of One who would come forth from Israel and save the world through Israel.

John the Baptist is telling this community that the One they have been waiting for is here.  The perfect savior who will die and be the final sacrifice for sins has come.  John makes sure that everyone understands that Christ existed before him.  It should be noted that John was born before his cousin Jesus, so John is not talking about their physical births.  He is talking about Christ existing before the foundation of the world.

John explains that God told John who the Messiah would be by a method of showing John the Spirit of God resting on an individual.  God told John that when he saw this happen to a person that person would be the Messiah.  When Jesus goes to get baptized, John sees the Spirit descend on his cousin, Jesus.  That is when John makes his pronouncement.

Today we also see the account of some of the twelve apostles being chosen by Christ.  Please note that Jesus chooses his apostles.  They do not choose Jesus.  They choose him, after he chooses them.  This is an important Biblical concept and mystery.  We also choose God after He chooses us.  Hard to wrap your head around this, but it's true.  We will see this concept discussed in the New Testament Epistles.

I will jump to Jesus' encounter with Nathanael.  Nathanael has a discussion with Philip, who is telling him that they have found the Messiah, his name is Jesus, and he is from Nazareth.  Nathanael sarcastically states, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"  Do you have places in your community that you would say that about?  I like this guy.  So does Jesus. 

When Jesus meets Nathanael, he states that he is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.  He then tells Nathanael that he will see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down upon the Son of Man.

What is Jesus talking about?  Well, my friend, because you have been reading your Bible this year, you are able to understand Jesus' reference.  Do you remember Jacob?  Do you remember how deceitful he was in taking Esau's birthright and blessing?  Do you remember how Jacob had to leave his home and go to Haran because Esau was going to kill him?  Do  you remember that on that journey on the first night Jacob had a dream and saw a stairway to Heaven?  Jesus is telling us that Nathanael is an Israelite, but he is not deceitful like his forefather Jacob was at that time.  God had to give Jacob dreams, hardships, and wrestling in order to turn him into a man of faith, but Nathanael is ready to follow God right now!  Jesus is the stairway to heaven.  The angels of God come to earth and go to heaven as messengers and helpers through the power of Jesus.  He is the ladder to heaven.  What a beautiful picture Jesus has just given to his new apostle!

Are you climbing the stairway to heaven through faith in Jesus Christ?  He is your access to God.

Psalm 102:1-28

Here are some verses I love.  Vs. 18 "Let this be recorded for future generations, so that a nation yet to be created will praise the Lord." 

vs. 25-27 "In ages past you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Even they will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment, and they will fade away. But you are always the same; your years never end."

Proverbs 14:15-16

"Only simpletons believe everything they are told.  The prudent carefully consider their steps."

What did you see?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011