Day 20 of Vitamin Filled Bible Food

Good morning and happy Sabbath Day to you.

Today we are in 1 Samuel chapter 3 and will read through chapter 15.  This chapter begins with the Lord calling Samuel to give a vision of prophecy against Eli the priest.  ¹¹And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
 ¹²In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 
This Lord makes His prophets known by putting fear in the people
²⁰And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
 ²¹And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

This is how the Lord establishes His leaders and the people fear who the Lord puts in charge.  This is the first time in a long while that the Lord God showed men visions or communicated with them.

In chapter 4 the children of Israel went to battle against the Philistines and the Philistines smote the children of Israel up to 30,000 men and the Philistines also took the Ark of the Covenant with their victory.  And the news came to Eli; and it was told what happen to the children of Israel in war; also that his two sons had died.  Eli then fell off his chair breaking his neck and died; fulfilling the prophecy God showed to Samuel.

Eli's son's wife summed it all when she heard the news...especially since the Ark of the Covenant represented God in their midst.

²⁰And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.
 ²¹And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.
 ²²And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

In chapter 5 the Philistines attempted to put the Ark of the Covenant into their temple but the Lord wouldn't allow it.  The Lord even smote them with boils in their privates, so the Philistines gathered together and decided to get rid of Ark (I guess they would); and the Lord still destroyed a lot of Philistines.

The reading in chapter 6, the Philistines consult on how to give the Ark back; and they were told to make a sacrifice.  Then Samuel spoke to the people in chapter 7:  ³And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
 ⁴Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

The Philistines came up to war against Israel and now since the people repented and were under the leadership of Samuel the Lord was with them; and the Lord discomfited the Philistines.  And Samuel judged Israel all his days.

In Chapter 8, Samuel has kids and they are like Eli's children, not serving God.  ³And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

This let's us know that kids do not necessarily do all that their parents do.  It is good to know today so when you see your kids rebel you can be comforted knowing that even Samuel's kids rebelled.

This caused the people to do what was in their mind already and get a king like the rest of the pagan nations around them.  They did not know they were asking the Lord to move over or step down, who brought them out of Egypt and has taken cared of them all throughout their generations.  Samuel didn't like the request; but God told him to listen to them.  However, the Lord told them to listen to what the king they appoint over them will demand of them.

¹¹And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
¹³And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.


Perhaps the roles women and men have today is what the other nations implemented and since Israel wanted to be like the other nations this is what we have today; since they did not want the Lord to be their King.  Maybe women could join the army and didn't have to be cooks and bakers while the man brings how the meat (bacon is unclean)!

1 Samuel chapter 9 is the appointing of the 1st king of Israel.  ¹⁶To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.
 ¹⁷And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.

A man named Saul was a Benjamite whom the Lord selected to rule His people; a guy who was chasing his daddy's donkeys a few days prior.
And Saul asked Samuel, ²¹And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?  You see, Saul was not thinking about doing this at all.  And you notice that the Lord picks leaders who are humble (if they remain humble, I don't know), and God picks them from the least likely family or part of the country.  It's like a skinny kid from the south side of Chicago (by way of Hawaii) with a funny name becoming president over the entire US.

In chapter 10 Samuel tells Saul a prophecy of what will happen to show him that the Lord indeed chose him to reign over His people.  ⁶And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
 ⁷And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.
And it came to pass and Saul had a new mindset; that is what it meant to be another man.  

Then Samuel begins to make the announcement to the people:

¹⁷And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh;
 ¹⁸And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you:
 ¹⁹And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.

The people rejected God as their King; and wanted a flesh and blood man.  Israel is continuing to make bad mistakes before the Lord.  And still with this, you will have some evil men always not believe.  ²⁷But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought no presents. But he held his peace.

In chapter 11 Saul shows his leadership in strength; he had a better first 100 days than President Obama:

 ¹¹And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.
 ¹²And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.
 ¹³And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.

Those same men who didn't bring gifts were to be put to death; but Saul pardoned them

In 1 Samuel chapter 12 Samuel is getting old and ask a question; but I want to point out something...
³Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed:

Samuel told the people to witness against him before the LORD and before His anointed.  Anointed means the anointed one, and that translated is Messiah, in Greek, it's Christ.  We just learned that Samuel knew about the Godhead back here.  Amazing.  Samuel also let's the people know they did wickedly by asking for a physical king instead of trusting the Lord.

Chapter 13, Saul begins to make mistakes and make excuses for them.  Israel was fighting the Philistines and they were waiting for Samuel to come down because he was taking to long; and Saul went ahead and sacrificed a burnt offering; something only Levites were to do only.  And Samuel tells him bad news...

¹³And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
 ¹⁴But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

Whoever the Lord picks next, it is a man after His own heart to command His people since Saul had a tough time obeying commandments of the Lord.
Jonathan decides to go and fight the Philistines with his infantry and makes a powerful statement in chapter 14.  ⁶And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

It does not matter the number you have when you fight if you fight with the Lord; all that matters is if the Lord is with you.  And the Lord had the Philistines fighting against themselves.  ⁵²And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

1 Samuel 15

Samuel goes to Saul to destroy the Amalek people who troubled Israel in days past.  And Saul was given detailed instructions by Samuel from the Lord.
²Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
 ³Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

However Saul spared a few people: ⁹But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

He left the king alive and the best animals for sacrifice and other things he thought was good.  Did he listen to the Lord?  

NO!

Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel in what to tell Saul because he failed in obeying the commandments of God.  If you're going to be a king or a pastor for the Lord or any kind of official for God; you MUST follow instructions to a tee.  The reason is because you are a leader and if you can't follow God's instructions to the letter; how will the people follow you or God?


The Lord knew this that is why He was sorry for His decision to select Saul as king over His people; man's free will attempts to make God look bad as it did with Adam, and picking Israel as the leading nation, and selecting Saul.  We make God look bad because we are His children.  You know when your kids or close friends make crazy choices; it reflects on you.

 ¹¹It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
All this time Saul believed he did the right thing and obeyed the commandments of God saying, "Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD."

¹⁴And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
But he did not obey; in fact he did evil in the sight of the LORD?

 ²⁰And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  

This is where we get this famous quote from; it is better to listen to God than to offer sacrifices.  God needs absolutely nothing from us except we listen to Him clearly.  Nothing else.  I mean what can you really give a Being that lives forever and that created the world you live in?

 ²³For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.  Now Saul is being totally rejected from being the Lord's captain forever.  Saul could have been God's vice president forever, even in New Jerusalem; but he failed to listen well.

Saul finally confesses; and even tells why he sinned against the Lord; because he feared the people.  I wonder how many people fear man before they fear God?  It is because you don't believe in God if this ever happens to you.  Man can only torture and kill you; I'm sure God can do much more.  Fear Him!

 ²⁸And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
 ²⁹And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.  The Strength of Israel is God, God is not a man that He should lie or take back something He said.

Then Samuel brought Agag the king of the Amaelekites and he thought they would free him; but instead Samuel had the commandment of God in his mind.  Keep in mind; this is a priest and prophet of God.

 ³³And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.  He chopped this king into pieces!  Men of God were very tough back then.

³⁵And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Samuel knew that God was no longer with Saul; so he saw no point in coming around unless he become as Saul; but he felt very sorry for Saul as I'm sure they'd become good associates.  However, when you see your pal not able to listen to the Lord; you must keep a bit of distance so you don't find yourself following your pal instead of God.

That is our reading today.  Thank and we will commence again tomorrow.
DD


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Bible Food Day 17 - Finishing Joshua

Good morning it is 5 AM central standard time and I'm on no coffee just pure excitement to read the Word of the Lord.

We are starting in Joshua chapter 15.  This chapter begins by reading Israel's land borders mainly the tribe of Judah, for all the land they had.  Jebu of the Jebusites was what the Israelites called Jerusalem.  The children of Judah (the Jews) had a great deal of land.  However they didn't push the Jebusites out of the land completely (remember this later on).

⁶³As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.

Chapter 16 shares the border of the children of Joseph, which in this case was Ephraim.  They also didn't push the prior inhabitants totally out.  ¹⁰And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

In chapter 17 we learn that Manasseh also had land as the oldest child of Joseph.  Manasseh had Machir who had Gilead; when you hear of Gilead that is a son of Joseph.  We see a trend of not being able to drive out the inhabitants of the land as God commanded; but put these people to tribute.  This means the Canaanites will be a thorn in the side of the children of Israel, as Moses warned them.  ¹²Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
 ¹³Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, but did not utterly drive them out.
In chapter 18; there are still 7 tribes have not taken their land in which the Lord gave them; and Joshua charged them to go through the land and described it for Joshua to cast lots for them, that means divide it to them.  And Benjamin was given their lot in the land according to their inheritance.
Chapter 19: The second lot was cast on Simeon.  ¹⁰And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid:  
This may be boring reading to you but it has a big meaning for the future.  ¹⁷And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.
²⁴And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.
³²The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.
⁴⁰And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.
Now every tribe received a plot of land for an inheritance; and the children of Israel gave Joshua a plot of land as well and they set up the Tabernacle of the Congregation in Shiloh.
In chapter 20 the Lord reminded Joshua to tell the children of God to build cities of refuge for someone who murders or kills on accident.  So they can seek refuge there from the retribution from a hot family member until the killer has had a trial.
The Levites were given their inheritance among the suburbs of the cities among the tribes of Israel.  ⁴¹All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs. This is in chapter 21.  The Lord Israel all the land He promised to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the Lord gave them peace from all their enemies and delivered Israel from their enemies.  The Lord did not fail to give the children of Israel any good they wanted.
In Joshua chapter 22; the tribe of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh; Joshua blessed them for keeping their promise to help their brothers and sent them back to the other side of Jordan but admonished them to: ⁵But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Now when they left they built an altar unto God; and the ten tribes sent leaders there to ask why they had done this (as they thought they were rebelling against God in doing so)?  And the Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh did it that years later when the 10 tribes children will say to 2 tribes; you have no part in the Lord, so they wanted to make sure their children were taught about the God of Israel and were not utterly put out from before the Lord.  Thus it pleased Phinehas and the 10 tribes who came up to them.
In chapter 23 Joshua is old and is preparing to pass and gives his final orders to the children of Israel.  He tells them to ⁶Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;
As all the good things the Lord promised had happen to Israel; Joshua let's them know the evil tings will come to pass that the Lord has spoken if they break the covenant of the Lord.
In chapter 24, Joshua gathers the heads of state and gives them the history lesson of Israel:
²And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
 ³And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
 ⁴And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
He ran it down all the way to their current state and all the good the Lord had done for them driving out their enemies.
¹⁴Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
 ¹⁵And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
This is what we have to do independently today; "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Jesus."  And Joshua made a covenant with the people, and wrote it on a stone and made the stone a witness unto the covenant.  Then he died at 110 years of age.  Even Eleazar died, the high priest, and Phinehas his son took over.
In Judges chapter 1; Israel ask the Lord who should go up first and fight against the Canaanites.  And the Lord sent Judah telling them He has given them the land already.  And they did; destroy the city of Jerusalem as they took it; and killing over 10 thousand Canaanites.
Some of this reading is a recap of what we read in Joshua chapter 15 to 16 just given in more detail.  In Judges chapter 2, because Israel did not utterly destroy the prior inhabitants of the land and angel appeared and said this:
 ¹And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
 ²And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
 ³Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
It is so greatly important to follow the instructions of the Lord to a tee.  After this generation passed the next generation did not seek the Lord and took up other gods; and the Lord delivered them to their enemies and the Lord gave them for evil as He had spoken to Moses.  However, the Lord would send them judges to correct them; but they would not listen to their judges.
¹⁹And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
The Lord did not like it; and the Lord promised not to remove those nations out, but keep them there to prove Israel to see if they will serve the Lord or not.  We have to be aware of test the Lord gives us so we fail not.
Judges chapter 3
¹Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
³Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
 ⁴And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
 ⁵And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:
 ⁶And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
 ⁷And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
 ⁸Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel,
The Lord then gave them into the hands of their enemies and they served their enemies for 8 years.  The Lord sent a judge Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother to deliver Israel and he did and they had rest 40 years.
Then they rebelled again.  ¹⁴So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
Then Israel would pray to be delivered and the Lord sent them a judge named Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite.  And he killed Eglon.  After a judge would die a new generation would come up and serve other gods and Israel would go back to their vomit and the Lord would punish them.  
Today, why put ourselves through all that hardship.  Serve God and keep His commandments for it to be well and good with you and your family throughout all generations.
I thank you for reading with me today; tomorrow we will read Judges 4 through 15.  Have a biblically knowledgeable day in Jesus name, Amen.

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