Normally you get to hear my thoughts in this blog. This week, you'll get to do that on Sunday. Pastor Ben will be gone next weekend, so I'll be leading the Bible class Sunday morning. Instead of getting my thoughts twice, I figured it would be nice to get your thoughts.
Sometimes people ask me where I get my ideas. Of course, the answer is the Bible, but I know what they are asking. The main thing that I do, besides reading the story of course, is ask questions. Below are the questions I ask myself each week in preparation for writing my blog post. I'd like you to answer the questions this week. I'd be fascinated to hear from YOU!
Of course, these questions can work for about any portion of scripture. Save these questions for the next time you're studying God's word. It's amazing what treasures you can uncover on your own.
My wife and I are buying a house. We actually signed an offer to purchase agreement just a couple of weeks ago. I have to say, it's a very surreal feeling. We actually met our real estate agent at a coffee shop. It felt like a very normal day. And we simply wrote our signatures on a piece of paper. But with the scribble of a pen, we knew that so much more was changing. It was at that moment that our real estate agent said, "Welcome to the grown up world."
I'd say I've been a grown up for some time. I've been driving for 15 years. I've been voting for 13 years. Graduation from school is a number of years behind me. I've been married for a couple of years. Yet our agent was right in the sense that we had moved on to a different stage in our lives. In more than just the physical way, we were beginning to build a home.
This week we watch as David grows up. Like Saul, we don't hear much about his family background. What matters is that the Lord chooses him. And so we first hear about how the Lord sends Samuel to anoint David as the next king of Israel. However, it will be a long time before he is actually king. That doesn't mean they weren't important times for David. In fact, many of the most memorable stories from David's life occur before he is king. Most importantly, in each of the lessons we see how the Lord was with him and working through him.
If you had to pick four or five stories from when you were growing up that were pivotal moments or summed up a period from your youth, what would they be? What stories would you want to tell your grand-kids if they came over for the weekend and you only had a few hours with them? Now in each of the stories, how would you explain the Lord's roll at that point in your life? Let's read and see how the Lord was integral in the maturing David's young life...
Time to Slow it Down - Pages 158 "But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor."
Last week our reading ended with the Lord's words to Saul that the Lord had sought a "man after his own heart" to appoint as ruler of his people. While the people looked for a king that had all the looks of king, the Lord looked where? "At the heart" (p. 145). What do you look for in people? Do you like to follow sports figures with the best throwing percentage? Or celebraties with the best looks? Or politicians with the most popularity? Or, on the other hand, do you vote for those leaders that share Biblical values or follow social figures who use their fame to promote Christ?
While we can't see into David's heart, we can see the fruits of his faith - how he made his faith visible in his life. The first real actions of David that are recorded show how strong his faith is. While everyone else was terrified because they were looking at the physical state of things, David was confident because he was looking to the Lord. But not only did he trust the Lord, he also gave God the credit, "The battle is the Lord's!" (p. 149)
What would you say is worse: not trusting the Lord, or trusting him and not giving him the credit? I guess it's a bit of a silly question, because hopefully we don't fall into either trap. But how often don't we loose sight of who is really in charge? I'll admit, it's all too easy to lose focus. I recently took on a new position at work. At first I thought to myself, "Wow...I can really be proud of myself because I was selected for this position." I was all excited and telling everyone about my new position. On top of it, one of our biggest clients was coming to visit. I started thinking of all the things on my "resume" that I could pitch to the client about how I would be great at serving them. Out of all the reasons the client should be excited to have me as their contact with our company or all the reasons in my mind why my boss had chosen me for the new position, what was a missing? Oops...there I was forgetting to give credit where credit was due.
Then, once I started and was overwhelmed the first couple of weeks with all the new responsibilities, I started to think, "How am I going to make it!?" There was so much to learn. I had so many tasks to take care of. On top of it, we were in the middle of this house buying process. I realized how much about purchasing a house I didn't know. And then I also started to realize that with all the tasks at work and all the chaos with the house that I was failing to be concerned about my wife and her needs. I felt like I was failing all around. Oops...there I was forgetting to give credit where credit was due.
One minute too proud, the next too scared - but the problem was the same! On the other hand, what made David different? I'd summarize it with one word: humility. In the midst of battle, David knew who had what it took to win: the Lord. And when in victory, David knew who deserved the glory: the Lord. Remember how David was the celebrity - parades in his honor, people flocking to see him come back from battle, news about his conquests on everyone's tongues. Yet how did David act? Well not the way that his wife wanted him too! She knew how celebrities should act: they should wear the fancy clothes, work the crowds and the media, walk the red carpet and milk it for all it's worth. What was David doing? Well in her mind, he was acting like a fool. He wore simple clothes and humbled himself before the ark of the Lord. David didn't care, "I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes...I will celebrate before the Lord" (p. 158).
What was this valiant warrior afraid of? "How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?" (p. 157). David realized that in spite of his high position, he wasn't worthy of the Lord's presence. He was a sinful human. He knew that he wasn't even worthy to be in the presence of the ark of the Lord, the symbol of God's presence among his people.
Yet did you see God's grace again and again through this chapter? In spite of the fact that David wasn't worthy to come to the Lord, the Lord came to him, chose him, used him, "I took you..." (p. 159) the Lord said through Nathan the prophet. Saul recognized that the Lord was with David, "Go, and the Lord be with you" (p. 149). What made David special wasn't David, it was the Spirit of the Lord that was in him.
What makes you fit to face the battles that you will encounter this week? What makes you special in the eyes of those around you? What gives you beauty or fame or respect? May we always admit like David, "You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely" (p. 152).
When You're Done Reading - Thoughts to Ponder:
When David came home from his work of fighting, he realized that what he really needed was a house. Not a house for himself, he already had that. In fact he had a very nice house - real hardwood floors made of cedar! No, what David wanted was a house for the Lord. While we often put more thought and money and energy into our own homes, once again we see David's faith shining through.
But the Lord wouldn't let David build the temple. The giving would go in the opposite direction: the Lord would give David a house. This wouldn't be a physical house of course. No, the Lord would give David a household of kings. David's family would rule on the throne of Israel for generations to come.
Yet, as you read those words, do you get the sense that the Lord is talking about something bigger than just a physical kingdom? I hope you do. Once again we see the connection between the lower story and the upper story. David was worried about a physical kingdom, the Lord was working on a spiritual kingdom. The Lord promises to David a king who would sit on the throne forever (And notice how many times he repeats that word "forever."). This son of David, the Lord says, would be, "My son." How could this eternal king be both David's son and God's son? I think by now you are putting the pieces together.
While David's thoughts are on earthly houses, the Lord is building a spiritual house. David wanted a place where people could come to worship the Lord. The Lord was promising to David that through his descendants the God-man Jesus would come who would conquer our greatest enemies of sin, death, and the Devil so that we could live in the kingdom of heaven forever. In that kingdom, Jesus will sit on his throne as King of the Universe forever, and we will have an eternal home.
Hymn of Praise:
David was a great warrior, but he also was known for his songs. At least 75 of the 150 Psalms were written by David. David loved music, and he loved giving God glory through music. We read one of David's psalms in our reading today. We too can give God glory through our songs. In fact, some of our hymns are based on the Psalms of David. One of Luther's most popular hymns is based on Psalm 46 and gives glory to God for being our fortress:
A mighty fortress is our God, a trusty shield and weapon; He helps us free from every need that has us now overtaken. The old evil foe now means deadly woe; deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight; on Earth is not his equal.
With might of ours can naught be done, soon were our loss effected; But for us fights the Valiant One, whom God Himself elected. You ask, who is this? Jesus Christ it is. Of Sabaoth Lord, and there’s none other God; He holds the field forever.
Though devils all the world should fill, all eager to devour us. We tremble not, we fear no ill, they shall not overpower us. This world’s prince may still scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none, he’s judged; the deed is done; One little word can fell him.
The Word they still shall let remain nor any thanks have for it; He’s by our side upon the plain with His good gifts and Spirit. And take they our life, goods, fame, child and wife, Let these all be gone, they yet have nothing won; The Kingdom's ours forever!
For those who like more:
How much did David know about his Redeemer-son? Read a Forward in Christ article about David's faith in the coming Messiah.
Whose son is the Christ? A devotion on Matthew 22:41-46.
Our dog Millie loves to play catch! She starts prancing around when you grab the ball. She jumps in the air trying to catch it. And if she misses it, she goes running across the room to get the ball. The only thing she isn't good at is bringing the ball back. Like I said, she loves to play catch. She is terrible at retrieving!
I think about this whenever I get in an argument. You are probably wondering where I'm going with this. You see, when I was in college my professor for interpersonal communications had us play catch. The deal was that we couldn't speak unless we had the ball, and we couldn't throw the ball to anyone unless we had summarized what they had said to us and asked them a question first or said something that gave them something to respond to. It really visualized for us how a good conversation works.
It's amazing how terrible we can be at communicating when we argue though. Have you gotten in an argument with a spouse, parent, or friend? Pay attention how that communication works. I find it fascinating how people argue on television - they do such a good job. For the most part, characters on television shows take turns speaking. If they didn't, we as the viewers would go crazy trying to listen to both sides of the argument. Yet when we argue in real life, we tend to speak over one another and don't really listen to what the other person has to say. If we were really concerned about resolving the issue we would listen first - and I mean listen to the point of being able to put in our own words what the other person had said - and then respond.
Which finally brings me to our reading today.... When you first read 1 & 2 Samuel (which are actually one book split in two by translators), it seems like the main point of the book is the history of the first two kings of Israel. But what's interesting is that we don't hear about Saul's parents or David's birth. Instead the book of Samuel introduces us first and foremost to Samuel. Samuel was born during the period when the judges ruled Israel. In fact, both Samuel and Eli are referred to as judges themselves. Most likely Eli was priest and judge during the reigns of Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. Remember that the period of the judges was the days in which, "Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit" (Judges 21:25).
The name Samuel means "heard of God." As we will read, we'll hear how God heard Hannah's prayer and gave her a son, which is why she called him Samuel. As we read today, beyond just paying attention to the history, let's pay attention who is asking God for what, how God responded, and how the people reacted to God's response. In other words, beyond just the historical facts, let's pay attention to the communication between God and his people that's also recorded in the book of Samuel.
Time to Slow it Down
Bottom of p. 131 -What did Hannah ask for? How did the Lord respond? When the Lord answered Hannah's prayer, how did Hannah react? How would you rate the communication between Hannah and the Lord?
First Paragraph of p. 133 - When the Lord spoke to Samuel, how did he respond? Would you say that Samuel was able to summarize the Lord's words truthfully or did he listen half-heartedly and only speak what he thought would make people happy? On the other hand, when the Lord's message reached Eli, how did he respond? Would you say that his response was genuine repentance or a half-hearted, "Well if that's the way it's gotta be, then that's the way it's gotta be?" Between Samuel and Eli, who was going beyond just listening and actually reacting appropriately to the Lord's words?
Middle of p. 136 - What did the people of Israel ask for? How did the Lord respond? Although the Lord said he would give them what they asked for, how did the people react to the warning that was included?
Middle of p. 142 - What did Saul want from the Lord? Instead of listening to the Lord's response through the prophet Samuel, Saul took things into his own hands - he thought that he had to earn the Lord's favor rather than trusting the Lord's word. What was the result?
When You're Done Reading - Thoughts to Ponder:
So was it wrong for the people to ask for a king? The Lord gave them a king, right? And you remember how terrible things were during the period of the judges, right? Having a king wasn't bad in and of itself. The problem really was what role the king would serve. Now you are saying, "What does he mean by that? A king is a king!" What I mean is this: who was going to be the ultimate ruler of Israel and who was the real leader of the people? Remember where the book of Samuel starts? With Samuel - the Lord's prophet! The Lord wasn't opposed to a king, as long as the king subjected himself to the will and word of the Lord. The Lord, through Samuel, chose who would be king. The king, then, was supposed to listen to the Lord's words and follow his commands. The king's sword was only as powerful as the sword of the Spirit. What upset the Lord is when the people rejected him as the ultimate ruler. They followed the king, but not necessarily the Lord who gave the king power. They listened to the king, but not necessarily the Lord's words through the prophet. The Lord was even with Saul, that is until Saul stopped listening to the commands of the Lord.
Making it My Own:
How good is your communication with God? How often do you ask something from the Lord, but not necessarily pay attention to his response? Two weeks ago the Lord blessed me with a promotion at work. When you tell people you got a promotion, their response is "congratulations," and rightfully so - it's a blessing from the Lord. Then again, wasn't a king a blessing from the Lord as well? It wasn't until I was stressed because of the new duties and responsibilities, and was carrying that stress home and treating those around me differently, that I realized that I also had to listen to the Lord's words about how I was to carry out my duties as a husband in addition to his commands about being a worker. When we ask for something from the Lord, we have to pay attention to his WHOLE answer. We are tempted to get distracted by the gifts and ignore the directions that come with those gifts.
Luther, as he explains the Lord's prayer in his Small Catechism, writes, ""Our Father who art in heaven.' Here God tenderly invites us to believe that he is our true Father, and that we are his true children, so that we can ask him confidently with all assurance, as dear children ask their dear father.'" Usually through the first line of the Lord's prayer I'm still pretty focused. But I'll admit that a good portion of the time I'm already off in my own little world by the time I get to the Third Petition "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Luther explains the petition this way, "The good and gracious will of God is certainly done without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it might be done among us also." God's will is certainly done! Who ruled Israel? Well Saul thought he did, but God ultimately decided who would be king, which battles would be won or lost, and who would get the glory. What the Lord asked was that the people followed his will for their lives. The Lord's will was to be done!
The Lord invites us to pray with the full confidence that he is listening, but he also expects us to listen to his response - to listen to his whole response. Once we've prayed to our heavenly Father, we should then follow his will for our lives. I don't know how many times I've asked my wife something, and then responded with, "What did you say?" right after she answered me. I'm terrible like that: I ask a question, but then only hear the part I really want to hear and not the whole answer. God wants us to communicate with him, which means not only throwing the ball in prayer, but also being ready to listen when he is the one speaking.
What do you want from the Lord? Is the request in keeping with the Lord's will? Then ask for it! What warnings may the Lord also give with that request? Also pray that the Lord may keep you focused on his will if he gives you what you asked for. What blessing would you like to ask for your family? For our congregation? For our society? Now what direction does the Lord give us in regard to those requests? Just because we are around God's word, we have to be careful to listen to his word. Hophni and Phinehas were priests in the Lord's house, and yet they failed to listen to God's commands for their lives.
The good news is that the Lord won't forsake his people. Even though we have failed to keep his commands and have done much evil, "For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own" (p. 141). We follow the Lord's commands, once again, not out of fear. We follow the Lord's commands because he gives them to us to bless us. He wants us to use the things he gives and the prayers he answers - he wants us to use them according to his will so that they can be the blessings he intends. He gives us directions with his gifts because he loves us.
Prayer/Hymn:
Speak, O Savior I am list'ning,
As a servant to his lord.
Let me show respect and honor
To your holy, precious Word,
That each day, my whole life through,
I may serve and follow you.
Let your Word e'er be my pleasure
And my heart's most precious treasure.
As I pray, dear Jesus, hear me;
Let your words in me take root.
May your Spirit e'er be near me
That I bear abundant fruit.
May I daily sing your praise,
From my heart glad anthems raise.
Till my highest praise is given
In the endless joy of heaven.
For those who like more:
Read James 1:19-25
What practical advice does James give on communication skills?
What attitude does the Lord warn against?
What advice have you heard from God's word this week that you want to hang on to, not just forget about?
What portion of God's word would you like to look intently into? Read it and then write down how you will apply it in your life. Make a plan of action.
Introduction
to the Reading: Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit. I reminded my wife just
yesterday of that one little phrase of Latin I still remembered from college.
We were driving in the car chuckling about the past. What was the event that brought
smiles to our faces just to think about? What brought laughter and was the
basis of our joking?
Well it
actually was a car accident that she had been in a few years back. She had
totaled the car. What made it worse was that it had taken place only a day or
two after she had gotten out of the hospital. It had been an absolutely
terrible week for her. It was a “rock bottom time” for her, like Pastor Ben had
been talking about last week. I’m sure you’ve had times like that, times when
you couldn’t imagine how things would work out or how you would make it. Do you
remember a moment like that in your life?
Yet
looking back, my wife Mel & I realized that as terrible as things were at
the time, we now were able to joke about them. The phrase I quoted to her was
one that I had said to her that devastating week. I had quoted Vergil's Aeneid,
"Perhaps someday it will be
pleasant to have remembered even these things."
Today we
will read about a woman whose life was "bitter." She had suffered in
many different ways: she had endured a famine, lived in a foreign land, lost
her husband, and even saw her only two sons die. Nonetheless, in the end, it is
a joyful, happy story. It is a love story - a story of love between a couple,
love between in-laws, and if you notice - love from the Lord.
Before You
Read - Background of the Book of Ruth: The story of Ruth stands in stark
contrast to the book of Judges, even though the events occur during the same
period. You may think of it as a diamond in the rough: a shining ray of hope
during a very dark period for the Israelites. We see love and faithfulness
between individuals. More than that, while the Israelites are turning away from
the Lord, we see an unbeliever coming to faith in the Lord.
Interesting
Tidbit: The book of Ruth is traditionally read by the Jews on Pentecost.
You may wonder why because we think of Pentecost as the festival of the Holy
Spirit. But do you remember why the disciples were gathered together in the
first place? Pentecost is a harvest festival. They were having what amounts to
the Jewish version of our Thanksgiving dinner. Ruth had something more than
just food to be thankful for at the harvest, and so we too are reminded that
the Lord has richly blessed us as well.
Time to
Slow it Down - Bottom of Pages 122 "Where you go, I will go..." Things
weren't going well, were they? Naomi had left home with her husband because of
a famine. Now, not only was he dead, but her two sons as well. As a woman,
Naomi (whose name actually means "pleasant.") had a problem: she had
no way to support herself. On top of it, as a foreigner in Moab she wouldn't
get much help from anyone, and the only two individuals who she was close to,
her daughters-in-law, had lost their husbands and were essentially in the same
boat.
On top of
the physical difficulties, we also notice a spiritual problem. Like many of the
Israelites during the period of the judges, Elimelek had apparently turned to
foreign, pagan nations for help rather than turning to the Lord. Then his sons
married the "wrong type of women" for a faithful Israelite - they
married Moabites. The Lord said his people were not to intermarry with the
pagan nations around them. In fact, do you remember how the Lord sent a plague
on the Israelites for having sex with the Moabite women? (p. 82-83; Numbers 25;
cf. also Nehemiah 13:23) In many ways, the story of Ruth starts out at a point
where "everything is going wrong."
But in the
words of Ruth, we see a glimmer of hope. While the book of Judges was a
downward cycle, a cycle that keeps repeating, in Ruth the cycle is broken. Ruth
takes another path - not away from the Lord but toward the Lord's people. At
this point, where is her faith at? I'm really not sure. Does she believe in the
Lord or is she just that dedicated to Naomi? Either way, let’s see how
following the Lord brought blessings to Ruth…and us.
When You're Done Reading - Thoughts to Ponder: Ruth
chose a difficult path, at least from a lower level perspective. As a widow
life was pretty difficult to begin with. I’m sure she was worried how she would
provide for herself, nevertheless the mother-in-law she had committed to help.
Now throw on top of that a move to a foreign, well actually enemy land. Can you
imagine what it would have been like for her to hang out by the harvesters and
what they would have thought? It would be like a woman in a burka hanging out
by the combines in rural Wisconsin. Do you think the rumors might have begun to
fly? And just to make things even more difficult, the Jewish customs and
beliefs were still probably a bit foreign to her. I’m sure her parents would
have taught her as a kid to worship the Moabite god Chemosh. Ruth was in a very
awkward, very stressful place in life.
Yet notice
how the Lord blesses her & Naomi. He provided someone to look after their
physical needs by giving them food and eventually buying back the family
property. He gave her a husband who was loving and respectful. He took care of
the family name and inheritance. From a lower level perspective, Ruth and Naomi
had much to be thankful for.
But
remember how we also need to pay attention to the upper story as well? The
other night my wife, while we were reading the book of Judges, asked why the Israelites
were commanded to fight the Moabites and other pagan nations. If you remember,
we discussed a couple of times over the last few weeks how the Lord used the Israelites
to bring judgment on the unbelief and wickedness of the Canaanite nations that
had occupied the land. But then she asked the question, “What if they became
believers?”
The book
of Ruth is a reminder that the love of God extends not only to those who are
down-and-out or those who can’t take care of themselves. We are reminded that
God’s love is for ALL people. In Deuteronomy, as Moses repeats God’s commands
to the Israelites before they enter the promised land, he reminds them, “[The
Lord] executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the
foreigner, giving him food and clothing” (10:18). How many of those categories
does Ruth fall into? All of them! God’s love is for all people – rich and poor,
male and female, foreigner and stranger.
God’s love
is for us! Did you notice it in our lesson how this story ties directly in to
the story of salvation – into your story?
Your Savior, Jesus, was a descendant of Ruth! Her son was the great-grandfather
of King David, who would become the king of Israel and great-great-great…grandfather
of Jesus – the one who paid the price of death to buy you back, to redeem you
from the punishment for sin. (cf. Matthew 4)
The story
of Ruth is the story of a faithful Moabite during a period of Israelite
unfaithfulness. From a lower story perspective it is the story of God’s
faithfulness to look after our needs. But more than either of those, from an
upper story perspective it’s the story of God looking after our greatest need:
a redeemer from sin.
Making it My Own – Questions to ask:
Who do you know whose life is “bitter?”
Who do you know that might feel like an outsider?
Who do you know who may need physical
food or care?
Who do you know who needs spiritual care?
Who do you know needs to hear the story
of Ruth?
Will you be like Boaz and show them love?
How?
Prayer (A Hymn of Thanksgiving):
(Luther
reminds us what we mean when we pray “Give us today our daily bread.” He writes
in his Small Catechism, “God surely gives daily bread without our asking, even
to all the wicked, but we pray in this petition that he would lead us to
realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. What, then, is
meant by daily bread? Daily bread includes everything that we need for our
bodily welfare, such as food and drink, clothing and shoes, house and home,
land and cattle, money and goods, a godly spouse, godly children, godly
workers, godly and faithful leaders, good government, good weather, peace and
order, health, a good name, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.”)
We praise you, O God, our Redeemer, Creator,
In grateful devotion our tribute we bring;
We lay it before you, we kneel and adore you,
We bless your holy Name, glad praises we sing.
We worship you, God of our fathers, we bless you;
Through life’s storm and tempest our guide you have been;
When perils overtake us, you will not forsake us,
And with your help, O Lord, our battles we win.
With voices united our praises we offer,
To you, great Jehovah, glad anthems we raise.
Your strong arm will guide us, our God is beside us,
To you, our great Redeemer, forever be praise.
For those
who like more:
Forward in Christ article "Is
He 'The One'?" - Mom
gives advice on what to look for when searching for Mr. Right.
