1 Samuel 5:1-7:17 + John 6:1-21 + Psalm 106:13-31 + Proverbs 14:32-33
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Old Testament - Interesting chapters in First Samuel today! The idol Dagon was no match for the Ark of the Covenant! You'll notice in verse 4 that Dagon ends up in a worship position before the Ark: "And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD." Dagon was the "god" of the Philistines, and was thought to have been some sort of man / fish combo. The idol of Dagon may have looked something like this:
Below is a pretty good map of that will show you where three of the Five Cities of the Philistines (Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath) that we read about in today's readings are located in the Philistine territory:
It's fascinating to see the Philistine's send back to Israel a "guilt offering" of golden tumors and rats with the Ark. Not quite what was prescribed for guilt offerings in Leviticus... but, I guess you can give them an E for effort. :) We read in chapter 6 verse 11 - "Then the Ark of the LORD and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors were placed on the cart."
Then we arrive at the people of Beth-shemesh who look in the ark and perish - and then the ark is sent off again to another town. We then arrive at some wonderful words from Samuel in chapter 7 verses 3 & 4: "Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, "If you are really serious about wanting to return to the LORD, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the LORD; then he will rescue you from the Philistines." So the Israelites destroyed their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD." And later in verse 10 we read - "Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived for battle. But the LORD spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them."
Bible.org's commentary on our 1 Samuel readings today titled "The hands of Dagon and the Hand of God" is at this link.
New Testament - It is very interesting to note that Jesus' miracle of feeding the 5,000 is the only miracle, along with the resurrection, that is described in all 4 gospels! In John chapter 6 verse 14 we read - "When the people saw this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, "Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!"" The Prophet the crowds are referring to comes from Deuteronomy chapter 18 verses 15 & 18 - "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.... I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him."
Bible.org's commentary on our John chapter 6 readings today titled "The Messiah: Mightier than Moses" is at this link.
Psalms - Today in Psalm 106:19-21 we read: “At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass. They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt.” This of course sounds very familiar to Romans chapter 1 verses 22 and 23: "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." Was this wise that the Israelites exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull? Why did they do this? What should have been their Glory? What is your Glory today? Do you, at times, exchange your true Glory for something else? Is this wise? Are you forgetting the God who saved you? The God who has done great things for you? Please don’t ever exchange the true Glory for a false idol!
Verse 13 in this Psalm also stands out: "Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn't wait for his counsel!" Is this true of us? Do we forget or take for granted all of the blessings God has poured out into our lives? In doing so, do we decide to take matters into our own hands - not waiting on God's counsel for our direction? Will we remember? Will we wait? Patiently...?
Proverbs - I really like Proverbs 14 verse 33 today - "Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart." I pray we all develop understanding hearts that are full of godly wisdom!
Worship Video: Today's readings in John reminded me of Needtobreathe's song "Testify:"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCKU7kAUrvU
Have you testified? Click here to Testify!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass." Psalm 106:20 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you will never exchange the Glory of God in your life for a useless dying idol.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What do you think this Proverb means when it says "understanding heart"? What is an "understanding heart"? How is it different from other hearts? Maybe hardened hearts or foolish hearts? Have you ever prayed to God for an understanding heart? Would this be a good prayer? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless,
Mike
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BLOG READERS HISTORICAL COMMUNITY COMMENTS:
1 Samuel 5-7:17
For me this entire story of the capture of the Ark and its return can be played out today in our dealings with God either individually, as a congregation, a community and a nation. The Ark was captured because Israel used it as a “good luck” charm. It had become a symbol of God, something to carry into battle because they had lost a previous battle and not because they trusted God, they had put God in a box and kept Him there in the reasoning of their minds.
The Philistines now had the God of Israel in a box and took Him to their temple where their god, Dagon, fell before Israel’s God. [(I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear [allegiance] Isaiah 45:23); (It is written: " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' " 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:11-12)]
Instead of getting a clue and either being too stupid or stubborn to buy one, the Philistines kept their god and tried to reason and placate the God of Israel. Their means and methods of dealing with Israel’s God, placing it in a chart being pulled by cows that had given just given birth to calves that were not allowed to travel with them and the gold idols, were about “blind” men searching in the dark for God. In the natural new mothers don’t leave their babies. Israel took this as a sign, which it was; however, they misinterpreted the “sign” because they failed to seek God’s direction. They went by how things appeared to them instead of what God said because they failed to have fellowship with God to find out what He required, they failed to adhere to the Laws handed down by Moses so they went by it kinda-sorta-seems-like-to-me.
We still do that today. We try to keep God in a box and only bring Him out in crisis, then only to cry, “Why God, why?” When we don’t have God in our lives, His Presence, when manifested, defeats the gods in our lives and instead of asking questions and examining the reasonableness of the gods we serve, we send the true God back. When the God we say we serve out of tradition shows up in our lives in a powerful way, we then forge a worship method based on what we think we have seen instead of drawing closer to Him in fellowship to find out what He requires. We then begin to forge a worship system formed out of the ignorance of our own minds based on traditions formed from the lifestyles of unbelievers, a deadly formula.
John 6:1-21
This sentence/verse has caught my attention,
2 And a huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miracles as he healed the sick.
Am I following the pattern of the crowd? Am I following Jesus because of His miracles, because he “fed” me? Am I looking for a feeding program? When we read through the Book of Luke we came across the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16: 19-31). At the end of that story there is a punch line which was, 31"But Abraham said, `If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.' " Signs and Wonders do not bring belief and faith, signs and wonders just make us wonder, “Hmmm” Hopefully our curiosity will send us on a journey to find “Truth.”
What the now well-fed crowd wanted was a king to keep them fed. This desire not only indicted the crowd back then but it indicts us today. We seek the “right” politician or leader not for what is right and moral but for what they can do for us and at the same time not give to the other guys living across the tracks or the other side of the political spectrum. Like us, they wanted a prophet/king to give them “stuff” but they didn’t want the Messiah part because they, like, us, don’t really want to submit to anyone however we do just want the “stuff.”
Psalm 106:13-31
24 The people refused to enter the pleasant land,
for they wouldn't believe his promise to care for them.
25 Instead, they grumbled in their tents
and refused to obey the LORD.
I am always fascinated by how the readings from different books written at different times parallel and compliment each other. This division of the Book of Psalms, at least to me, clearly shows the fickleness of “us folks.”
Proverbs 14:32-33
32 The wicked are crushed by their sins, but the godly have a refuge when they die.
Our bodies were never created to withstand the weight of sin. For those who are “saved” go get a B.S. (Before Salvation) picture and one now and see the difference on your face. Salvation lifts burdens.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
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Mike,
thanks for putting the links "steps to peace with God"cos I found some wonderful passages from "God can make a difference in the unknown" and "where to look in times of need".God bless you for your labour of love.
Today's OT reading I feel is loaded with meaning.God can't be used,put down or mocked.We need to leave all the security blankets and throw ourselves into God's arms.The Israelites had to be told to leave their gods aside and seek ONLY God.
I really don't get the "they drew water out and poured it out in front of the Lord"bit but I can see that they in all sincerity turned to God in worship.The enemy chose a really bad time to strike...during a family reunion...God gave them victory because they did their part and God took care of all the rest.Our part is trusting Him and my prayers are "please teach me how to trust you,to love you"..it may sound really silly but I honesty look into my heart and it's not pretty.
God bless you all
Anka
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Commenting on Psalm 106:19-21 "The people made a calf at Mount Sinai; they bowed before an image made of gold. they traded their glorious God for a statue of a grass eating ox. They forgot God..." Alas, the last three words are the ruin of many people---"they forgot God." Everytime I read this passage I am reminded of what the famous preacher and scholar Jonathon Edwards said about "goodness". He said, "The ultimate good in life is to treat something according to its true value." How true. The ultimate good is to treat God according to His true infinite value, but these people chose not to, and in not treating God according to His true value, they destroyed themselves. When we fail to treat ourselves according to our true value as the 'imago dei'--image bearers of our great God, we then also turn to lesser gods that end up destroying us over time. Aplly this principle to every relationship in your life--treat your spouse/children/friends/enemies/fellow parishiones/neighbours---according to their true value as image bearers of our Triune God. The Israelites chose as we/I do at times to 'bow before an image made of gold" and we pay the price for our unwise choice. May God help all OYB readers to practice this discipline of treating people and God according to their true value.....
Luch
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John 6:15 "Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself."
After the miracle of feeding the 5000 they were so awed that they figured he must be the Messiah and wanted to forcibly make him king. That was not Jesus' plan, clearly. He would not allow them to be guided merely by their appetites (like the wandering Israelites in the desert) and to make an idol of what He could do for them.
This flies in the face of Western materialistic Christianity which is all about what we can get from God. Instead, we need to approach God on His terms and not simply to satisfy our needs. He is indeed the Giver of every good gift we have. He is also the King, but not in the way they imagined. Instead He is the King of Kings and so much more than anyone could hope for.
Micah Girl
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I love this passage about the Dagon statue falling over. God is powerful, and He acted supernaturally--making Himself known-- in the midst of a nation that did not believe or honor Him.
And the offering of the mice and tumor. It was an "E" for effort and God accepted it apparently. Except after the Israelites repented and brought in a an army it may not have seemed like it. But God let his nation expand their borders as a result of their obedience.
Kristie
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Old Testament
Enjoying reading about Samuel
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New Testament
I love reading about Jesus and today we read the great story about the feeding 5,000. I wonder what they did with the left overs - feed even more people???
What a let down for the disciples when they reached shore before Jesus could get into the boat with them
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Psalms -
No it was foolish for them to worship an image of a bull. We are called to worship only God. God knows the best things for us and for our lives to rush on a head without consulting Him is foolish.
Proverbs
An "understanding heart" is a sensible one that follows Gods path for our lives. That is being sensible and wise.
Jen
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What do you think this Proverb means when it says "understanding heart"? What is an "understanding heart"?
I think that to have an "understanding heart", I would have God's heart in matters. Consequently, I would see others as He sees them and see my circumstances as He sees them.
How is it different from other hearts?
It would be totally different than other hearts since human hearts are centered on self and God's heart is always concerned for others.
Have you ever prayed to God for an understanding heart? I've prayed that God would give me His heart for people, but I haven't prayed specfically for an understanding heart that I can think of.
Would this be a good prayer? Yes
Robert
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I never thought the OT would be this fascinating! I have to be honest and tell you that I don't understand everything, but at least I'm trying! I guess I'll understand more and more every year when I join the 1Yr Bible! I like to see how strong Samuel is (verse 7:5) "Then Samuel told them, “Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.”
John ... very powerfull, as usual!
6:14 "When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!”
6:20 "but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!".
Psalms
21 They forgot God, their savior,
who had done such great things in Egypt—
24 The people refused to enter the pleasant land,
for they wouldn’t believe his promise to care for them.
People can be so impatient! They want all the good things from God, but as soon as things aren't going fast enough or when things get hard, they give up on Him. They expect God to be the 'giving God' and all they do is receive and give nothing in return. Don't give God the praise and glory he deserves. People like that make me sick to my stomach! I know people like that and I pray for them! They come to church on Sundaymorning, they come to 1 Biblestudy because the pastor asked them personally otherwise they wouldn't have come and they always look around them before they do something; just to check if others are doing the same thing. I'm glad they still come to church though, that way God can work in their lives. But I do miss the personal relation they have with God. They need material things to claim their 'religion'; carrying around bags with Jesus on it, wallets with Jesus on it, wearing crosses etc. I'm not judging them, I'm just surprised because many many many sermons have been about this subject. At the other hand I do hear them judging me, for going to fast in 'my religion'. Well, I have a relationship with God and I'm hungry for more and more!
Mae
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Amen Mae! The fact you dont understand (and none of us fully do) but are trying shows you have a deep hunger and perseverance and thats commendable. I cant tell you how many believers i know who give up bcos they "dont understand", but i think its really a deeper issue; and in fact, they havent really given the Word a chance! The more we get in the word, the more God opens our eyes and we will hear God's word for us and find deep blessing...if we truly want it.
God sees we are serious about Him and increase our wisdom, little by little. We reap what we sow and if we sow to the spirit we will bear fruit. This is a life long process. I think Bible dude said he's been through the Bible 5 times? and he learns more n more each time...like this time through he really got something out of Leviticus. See, perseverance will be rewarded!
God bless you all who continue in Him!
I agree with Mae, the OT is a page turner! We're headed for some really great OT readings!
Proverbs stood out for me:
"The wicked is banished in his wickedness, But the righteous has a refuge in his death"
Gosh, this week has been the worst, as far as the allergy season goes, that i have ever been through. Just debilitating. I just spend the first hour of my day sneezing, blowing my nose, coughing, wheezing, asthmatic, itchy watery eyes. Til my medicine kicks in and makes me feel better, but so tired. then it wears off n the cycle begins again. I never had this so bad b4.
Anyhow, "the righteous has a refuge in his death"...jumped out at me. One day, no more suffering!
Also v 33 "Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, But what is in the heart of fools is made known."
My Study Bible commentary:
'Wisdom is quietly preserved in the heart of the wise for the time of proper use, while fools are eager to blurt out their folly.'
How true is that! and i'm not saying i never act like a fool!
Jenny
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I like God's display of HIs wonderful providence in the chapter of John we read - God is able to provide for ALL my needs and even more than I need today!
The fall of Dagon before the ark of the lord is equally note worthy - Our God is above all other gods and before Him will all knees bow! 'Who is like our God, glorious in faithfulness, fearful in praises, doing wonders'!
God Bless, Susan
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i just recieved my OYB (one year Bible) in the mail three days ago and I am thrilled to find this blog!! its great! thanks for this means of fellowship. Todays Proverb really struck me as i had asked Him to speak a direct word into a relationship conflict in one of my freindships. i believe to have an "understanding heart" means that you take things to how they are meant to be expressed, that you see the truth and the meat and matter of situation, circumstance and/or persons, maybe even if it means to put aside your own pride, personal hangups, insecurities, assumptions, for the benefit of those involved. To have an understanding heart requires goldy discernment, humility, purity, and compassion. To attain this may iclude reevaluating and readjusting your position in Christ and allowing His Holy Spirit to reign in your heart and mind.
Sab
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My favorite verse today is John 6:21, "Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading." The moment we are willing to take Jesus into our heart is the moment we have eternal life. The abundant eternal life that Jesus gives starts now! I like that!!
Teriann
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So many times I have read about the death of Uzzah for trying to prevent the Ark of the Covenant from falling; this is the first time I realized that 20 years prior to this, 70 people had died when the Ark was brought to Beth Shemesh. Later it was brought by the Levites to Kiriath Jearim to the house of Abinadab's son, Eleazar. Though I knew only the Levites were allowed to touch the Ark, it had seemed a huge price to pay when Uzzah was trying to save the Ark, but now I see that it was already quite clear that God was quite capable of taking care of his own Ark.
Another lesson on trusting God, eh?
Psalm 106
30 But Phinehas prayed[d] to God,
and God stopped the sickness.
31 He considered what Phinehas did a good work,
and it will be remembered forever and ever.
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Is this the same Phinehas who was killed yesterday?
My, what a change-up. I don't see that Hophni was remembered forever and ever...but Phinehas did have some good qualities...alas, we are so easily "charmed," but the goodies in the world, huh?
Filty rags...all our righteousness.
Chris
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Wow..how foolish God's people can be sometimes..Lesson 1: don't put God in a box! Instead let God's light shine before all men! We may know and recognize the God and Lord of creation!
To be Phillip, Andrew or any (little boy) there with Jesus on mountainside..and see this miracle illustrated..and I bet that was the best fish and meal they have ever had.
Love Psalms and Proverbs each day. Psalms always parallels what we read in the old testament to me..just confirms it. Proverbs is always speaking wisdom and from the heart. Good stuff
Dee