Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food. – 1 Samuel 14:24

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 28, 2019): 1 Samuel 14

“An army marches on its stomach.” The quote has been attributed to both Frederick the Great, the King of Prussia, and Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France. Both leaders lived in approximately the same era, with Frederick the Great slightly preceding the life of the French ruler. But regardless of who said it, the quote underlines the need for secure supply lines if an army is going to be successful. We might add that an army also fights on its stomach. Hunger tends to interfere with both our physical and mental abilities, both abilities that are greatly needed in the middle of the fight.

Saul, however, was not on the same page with either Frederick the Great nor Napoleon. Saul probably believed that if his army were hungry, they would fight harder to get to the place where they could eat. The King holds a future meal in front of his army like a carrot on a stick. The message is clear; fight well for me, and I will feed you.

In hindsight, Saul’s strategy with regard to his hungry troops is not well thought out. Even Jonathan, Saul’s son and Israel’s top general, will later agree that dear old Dad has handicapped the army of Israel by not feeding them. But the problem presented in this passage goes much deeper than the physically deprived condition to which Saul subjects his fighting army. There is a direct contrast between the attitudes of Saul and his Son. Earlier in the story, Jonathan acts dependent, not on his military strength, but rather on the actions of God. “Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few’” (1 Samuel 14:6). But Saul dangles a carrot in front of his soldiers so that they will complete his (Saul’s) vengeance on his (Saul’s) enemies. God’s desires and assistance seems to be the farthest thing from his mind.

The difference is significant. Jonathan accomplishes amazing things, including his initial invasion into Philistine territory, which actually makes the victory of Saul’s army possible, depending on God to prepare the way. Saul is insistent here, and elsewhere during his reign, that victory is dependent on him and his strategy. And, ultimately, this will be the reason why Saul’s reign as King would be destined to fail.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 15

Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” – 1 Samuel 13:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 27, 2019): 1 Samuel 13

French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry argues that “I shall look at you out of the corner of my eye, and you will say nothing. Words are the source of misunderstandings.” Words can be misleading. I have to admit that there have been times in my life that I have argued things I did not believe. It is a process that probably started back in school when I was learning the art of the debate and randomly assigned subjects and positions that I was expected to defend, whether or not I personally supported the position. It was then that I learned the power of seeing a subject through the eyes of someone else, and finding understanding by walking in their shoes. I found out that I could argue a side of an argument and not actually live my life as if I believed it.

It is one major challenge in this medium. If all that you know about me is found in the words that I write, then you really don’t know what I believe. The ones who know me are the ones who are willing to read my words and watch my actions. And it is in the actions of my life that the truth is revealed. I hope that the words that I write, and speak, match the actions of my life. But that verdict will have to be left to the ones who get to watch me live my life.

Israel existed in an uneasy peace with the cities of the Philistines. Essentially, they had become the subjects of Philistia. As long as they realized that their place in the world was under the thumb of the Philistines, then there would be peace. But if they stepped out of line, that peace would end.

Saul, as the King of Israel, exists as a subject to the Philistines for a time. But it is apparent that there is an expiry date on his willingness to live as a subject nation to a foreign power. But it is interesting how Saul sends the message that the time of Israel living as subjects to the Philistines was over, both to the Philistines as well as to the rest of Israel. Saul entrusts his son Jonathan, who had become one of the nations great military generals, to attack the Philistine outpost at Geba. The attack was largely symbolic. He did not attack into the heartland of Philistia. It was an outpost. But without speaking a word, Saul had sent the message that the time of Israel living as the subjects of the Philistines was over. The Philistines woke up to the fact that they had a problem and following the attack Saul sent out a message to all of Israel, asking them to come and support the war of independence that was about to begin.

He could have sent out the message before the attack. But then spies would have told the Philistines of the King’s plan, and the people would have asked the question as to whether the King was really serious about the proposed conflict. With Jonathan’s campaign, both the Philistines and the inhabitants of Israel knew that King Saul was serious about his intention to remove Israel from under the thumb of the Philistines.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 14

Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. – 1 Samuel 12:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 26, 2019): 1 Samuel 12

College Basketball coach Abe Lemons said that “the trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off.” I have heard the same thing from a lot of retirees, along with the amazing thought that they are busier now that they are retired than they were when they were still at work. The expectation seems to be that since they are no longer at work, why can’t they help out with the need of the day. Which often means that they are even more in need of the day off that they never seem to get until, finally, sickness forces the issue.

In our mind, as we read this passage, it sounds to us that Samuel is retiring. He was old and grey, and now his sons were men. Samuel had ably led Israel from his youth until this day of his retirement. But it is more likely that Samuel felt like he was being fired and discarded by the nation. Samuel is hurt. He is saying goodbye, but not because he feels it is time to retire, but because the nation has thrown him away and told him it was time to leave.

But that was not God’s message. As far as God is concerned, Samuel, the last Judge of Israel, may have finished his career, but the task of Samuel, the Prophet of God, was continuing on into the foreseeable future. Saul might pretend that he was leading the nation, but the truth was that God was going to monitor Israel’s grand political experiment and transition into a monarchy; and through the mouth of the Prophet Samuel, would continue to speak truth to Israel and truth to power that would be represented by Saul and his court.

And Samuel’s truth is our truth as well. No matter whether we have retired or been forced out of the “work for pay” world, we continue to be led by God. We understand that even when we are old and grey, and our kids have grown up to be adults, God still has a job for us. And through us, he can speak his wisdom and his love to the world if we will let him. We never retire from his kingdom until the moment that he decides to take us home.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 13

The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.” – 1 Samuel 11:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 25, 2019): 1 Samuel 11

Sylvain Reynard in his book “Gabriel Redemption” makes this comment. “God wants to rescue us, not destroy us. You don't have to be afraid of being happy, thinking that he wants to take that happiness away from you. That's not who he is." I agree with Sylvain. Destroying us is not part of the essential character of God. Everything that he does, he does to make our lives better; he wants to rescue us from our desires and the things that carry us toward our destruction. I can say with honesty that the things that I regret in my life would never have been given life if I was only listening a little closer to the voice of God.

I also recognize that this is not everyone’s experience. We are all broken, and we are all broken differently. And the things that haunt us are different. One of the things that are broken in our lives is our ability to trust, even when the object of that trust is God. And so it sometimes takes us a little time to get to the point where we can believe that God is out to rescue us, not to hurt us.

We have commented that the theme of the era of the Judges is summed up with the comment “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25). But, now Israel had a king. The problem was that while they believed that a king would change the nation, no one was sure exactly how. And while Saul was made King, the people were not entirely behind him. Like a political campaign, there were likely other contenders, and some really believed that Samuel had gotten it wrong. They wanted their person crowned over the nation and not this kid from the tribe of Benjamin.

So Jabesh Gilead, a city in Israel, is threatened by an Ammonite King named Nahash. They try to make peace with him, but that peace only comes with dishonor. To make peace with the Ammonite King would cost everyone in the city an eye. Naturally, the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were reluctant to give an eye to the Ammonite King. But the question that plagued them was simply this; did they have a choice? Did the presence of a King in Israel change anything in the reality of life in Israel? Or was the reality the same as it always had been. In those days, Israel had a king; and everyone still did as they saw fit.

So the elders of the city struck a deal. Give us seven days to think this over. We will send a message to the King. If someone comes, we will fight. But if no one comes, then we will surrender our city and our eyes to the King of the Ammonites. It is better to lose our eyes rather than our lives.

This was Saul’s first test. Would he walk away from the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead? Or was he willing to come and rescue? The inhabitants of the city had no idea what to expect. And so, they waited for seven days to see if maybe things had changed, and hoped that maybe rescue would come.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 12

So they inquired further of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?” And the LORD said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.” – 1 Samuel 10:22

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 24, 2019): 1 Samuel 10

As a Protestant, it might be surprising that I do have a few “favorite Popes.” Historically, one of my favorite Popes is Gregory the Great who reigned over the Christian Church in the late seventh and early eighth century. One of Gregory’s claims to fame might be that he was the first to argue that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, something that the Biblical record never actually states. But one of my favorite Gregory stories is about the Monk Gregory’s ascension to the papacy. Gregory had no aspirations to the seat of Peter. One of his first actions as Pope was to write a series of letters that disavowed any ambition that people might believe that he had to ascend to the throne of Peter. And rumor has it that when he was elected Pope, Gregory hid. A papal game of “hide and seek” ensued as the church physically had to search for their new leader.

Something is reassuring to me about people who reluctantly step into power. I am a little suspicious of people who campaign for leadership, especially church leadership. I often wonder if the people who campaign for leadership really understand what it is that waits for them on the other side. Gregory thought that the throne of Peter would interfere with the things that he thought were important about living as a Christian. Yes, Gregory would be in a position to influence the church for the coming generations, but the texts produced by Gregory early in his reign all reveal that Gregory felt that the burden of the office often interfered with the undisturbed prayer life that he had enjoyed and valued as a monk.

Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon he entitled “Hiding Among the Stuff” from this story in the life of Saul. He argued that, as Christians, we are often guilty of doing the same thing as Saul did in our Christian lives. We run and hide from our crowns, crowns that we have earned as Christians. But I am not sure that Spurgeon is right. It would have been interesting to be able to have a discussion with Spurgeon about the beginning of the reign of Gregory the Great, and whether the monk should have embraced his election rather than running from it. Here, Saul shows a healthy respect for the office of King as well as a strong humility as he looked into what the future held. He had no desire to live on center stage. And he was not sure that he was the right person for the job of King, maybe even questioning the trade of the theocracy for the monarchy that was about to be born.

The truth is simply this: If Saul had maintained the attitude that he had in the beginning days of his reign, he would likely have been a very good king. His fall happened when he lost this humility and the desire to hide among the stuff disappeared. And another reality is that most of the errors that Christians make would disappear if we could live out our spiritual lives with this kind of humility about our lives with Christ.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 11

There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. – 1 Samuel 9:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 23, 2019): 1 Samuel 9

Power is fickle. Where it exists today, it might not exist tomorrow. Where it is absent today, it might inhabit tomorrow. And the problem is that we struggle to identify the change. Just ask President Jeb Bush or President Hilary Clinton. At one point in 2016, the assumption was that one of those two people would hold that title. Few, if anyone, early in 2016 saw President Donald Trump as a possibility. Oops.

Richard Nixon was re-elected in 1972, defeating the Democratic Candidate George McGovern, by one of the largest electoral landslides in the history of American politics. No one in 1972 would have predicted that two years later he would make history by being the only President to resign from the office. The most powerful man in the world in 1972 had experienced a severe power outage by 1974.

Power, or the lack of it, presents us a struggle with the elevation of Saul, the son of Kish, to the position of King. If we take the events in the book of Judges as telling us a story that is in chronological order, then the almost absolute destruction of the Tribe of Benjamin happened during the lifetime of Samuel and the judgeship of Eli. If that is true, there does not seem to be enough time for Benjamin to recover to the point where they would have a man of standing, Kish, who would have a son who could be considered to be King. And even if there were such a family, the political backlash from the nation would have been significant. Why should Israel follow the son of the dishonored tribe? There is forgiveness in the close of the tale of Israel’s first civil war, but a king from their defeated numbers? It just doesn’t seem possible.

We should not underestimate the tragedy and power of the story told in Judges 19 through 21. The Tribe of Benjamin was soundly defeated. The Book of Judges seems to indicate that maybe 600 warriors of Benjamin survived in hiding after the war took place. But “the men of Israel went back to Benjamin and put all the towns to the sword, including the animals and everything else they found. All the towns they came across they set on fire” (Judges 20:48). The rout of Benjamin was complete.

At the end of the story in Judges 20, the tribe of Benjamin was not just weak; it was decimated. It would take some compassionate thinking on behalf of the rest of Israel if the tribe were even to survive. Israel gathered at the end of the war with the task of finding wives for the Benjamite women in an attempt to try to repopulate the tribe. It is one reason why we place the events of the first Israelite Civil War at the beginning of the period of the Judges, rather than at the end.

But the reality of the rise of Saul, the son of Kish, to the position of King is that God had restored Benjamin to power. The tribe that had almost been written off of the pages of history now became the tribe that would offer one of their sons as the first King of the nation. Benjamin was once again a tribe of power within the nation of Israel.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 10

The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.” – 1 Samuel 8:22

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 22, 2019): 1 Samuel 8

I am tired of the force of gravity, especially when I am stuck in the middle of rush hour traffic. I mean, have you ever noticed that there are no roads that will take you directly where you need to go. Instead, you have to plan a route through the city or countryside that has more twists and turns than a good mystery novel. The city in which I live also possesses a river that winds its way through the city, often influencing the twists and turns of the city streets. And everywhere, there is the ever-present reality that there are thousands of other people trying to do the same thing. If only I could fly a straight line from where I am to where I need to go. But then there is that pesky thing called gravity.

Obviously, my tirade is done with great amusement. There is never going to be a reality where the force of gravity disappears, nor would it really be a good thing if it did. Almost everything that exists requires gravity. And to be honest, I am not sure that I want hundreds of thousands of flying cars piloting themselves over top of our cities. That sounds, at least to me, like a recipe for catastrophe.

There is something humorous about the people’s cry for a king, and God relenting and telling Samuel to give them what they want. God is clear. The people’s desire for a king is not a rejection of Samuel and his leadership. It is a rejection of the Theocracy and the reality that God is king. But humorous part is that it will be God who will be choosing the king. The people will never get away from the reality that God is still leading the nation.

Sometimes I have to admit that I wonder if God’s choice of Saul as King was a message or a joke that God was playing on the nation. Saul checked off all of the boxes that the people would want in a king. Tall, handsome, and physically powerful, Saul projected a great image of the newly founded monarchy, and yet he was a failure. Did God not know that Saul would fail? Or was that the point of the first King of Israel? I don’t know the answer, but it is a good question to ponder.

The Bible seems to indicate that our leaders are still chosen by God. But the most interesting question might be “what is the message that God is trying to send us?” Is he giving in to our desires, letting us suffer from the choices that we have made, or is he leading us into a better tomorrow? It is a hard question to answer, and in the end, I think that the answer to that question might surprise us.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 9

Samuel continued as Israel’s leader all the days of his life. – 1 Samuel 7:15

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 21, 2019): 1 Samuel 7

George III ascended to the throne of the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and Ireland with the death of his grandfather on October 25, 1760. His father, Frederick the Prince of Wales, died nine years earlier from what was likely to have been a pulmonary embolism. At first, the reign of George III was welcomed by the nation. George himself proclaimed that he was "born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of Britain." The statement was a recognition that the people had begun to feel distanced from the throne which they claimed was increasingly more focused on Hanover and Germany than on the people of their glorious island. George III insisted that he was a product of Britain and not Hanover, even though he was a member of the house of Hanover.

But the long reign of George III was marred by struggle. On his accession to the throne, the United Kingdom was already in the middle of the Seven Years War, a war that enveloped Europe and a conflict that Britain emerged from as the world’s leading colonial power. Next, George III lost control of the United States in the American War of Independence. George himself was committed to never acknowledging the independence of the Americans.

Next came France’s overthrow of the monarchy and a war between Great Britain and Napoleon of France. But by late in 1810, fifty years after he had first become King, George was enjoying the height of his popularity. Over the fifty years, there had been many highs and lows. By this time George was almost blind because of cataracts in his eyes and in constant pain from rheumatism. And then everything fell apart. His favorite daughter, Princess Amelia, grew ill and died on November 2, 1810. And George never recovered. He would spend the last decade of his life permanently insane, a condition that was blamed on the stress of his life, and particularly due to the death of Amelia. George lived in seclusion at Windsor Castle until his death. George, the Prince of Wales and the future George IV of the United Kingdom, would discharge the duties of the king until George III’s death. A reign that had begun with promise ended in insanity, mourning, and disgrace.

The Judges of Israel were varied. Some judged Israel for a period of their lives, and then retired from their positions and went back to who they were before they answered the call of God. Some, like Samson, failed at the end of their lives. But Samuel served as a judge of Israel all the days of his life. This statement is significant when we consider the life of Samuel. To satisfy the people, Samuel made Saul the first official King over Israel. We might have thought that Saul would then have acted as the leader of Israel ending the need for a judge. At this point, Samuel could have stepped away from his responsibilities, or at the very least the King would discharge the duties of the Judge. The presence of a King ended the need for a Judge. But that was not God’s plan. When Saul failed both God and Israel, it was God’s Judge, Samuel, who pronounced the sentence on Saul and anointed David as Saul successor.

Samuel served faithfully as Judge until the day he died. God honored him well into the age of the Kings. And it was not until the day that Samuel died that the age of the Judges concluded. Samuel ended both his time as a Judge, and the age of Judges, well. He honored God to his very last breath, something that we should all hope to do.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 8

Make models of the tumors and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory to Israel’s god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land. – 1 Samuel 6:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 20, 2019): 1 Samuel 6

When bubonic plague broke out in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1900, it was the first appearance of the black death in the continental United States. But the immediate response of California Governor, Henry Gage, was to deny that there was a problem. Gage had been instrumental in attempts to open San Francisco’s ports to increased trade from Asia. He reasoned that he needed to keep the image of San Francisco and California clean so that the state could profit by both tourism and trade. At the time, San Francisco was the heart of trade and commerce in the state.

The plague arrived when the ship “Australia” laid anchor at the Port of San Francisco, and the disease quickly took root in the poorer sections of the city. Gage feared that if San Francisco was subject to quarantine, income would be lost and both the city and the state might never recover financially. As a direct result of the governor’s denial, the plague was given the opportunity to establish itself among the city’s animal population.

At the end of 1902, California elected George Pardee as a replacement to Gage as the California Governor. Pardee was a Medical Doctor, and he was able to offer a medical solution to the plague problem in the city, reforming the state’s boards of health and promising to be transparent when it came to cases of the plague. By the end of 1904, the plague had been brought under control. Close to 200 people died as a result of this outbreak of the Black Death, a number that might have been much lower if the existence of the Black Death in San Francisco had not been concealed in the beginning.

We don’t know exactly what happened to the Philistines during the time that the Ark of the Covenant dwelled in their land. But we do know that the bubonic plaque has existed in cycles throughout history and that the symptoms felt in the Philistine cities seem to match the plague, right down to the apparent realization that the tumors that were causing pain and death among the people were connected to the rat infestation that was also bothering the cities. And they had a choice. Their first response was to ignore the problem and deny that it was there. The Ark of the Covenant was a tremendous prize that they did not want to give back. But, eventually, it became clear that they needed to do something.

The “something” was to send the Ark of the Covenant home, along with a gold offering. But it was not just any gold offering. The offering was specific. It came in the shape of the tumors and the rats that had afflicted the people. The offering was a monetary atonement for the sin that the Philistine rulers had committed by taking the Ark in the first place. But it was also a prayer that the God of Israel would lift his hand and that the affliction that he had caused in the Philistine cities would cease. The offering was also a statement of praise and recognition that the God of Israel was really more powerful than even Dagon of the Philistines. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 7

Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. – 1 Samuel 5:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 19, 2019): 1 Samuel 5

Formula One racing driver, Fernando Alonso, argues “I would not be happy if I had many trophies at home and people think I don't deserve them.” Trophies are supposed to be a recognition of our accomplishments. You can actually go out and buy trophies in a store, but I am not sure why you would want to make the purchase. A purchased trophy just proves that you could walk into a store with money in your pocket. Winning the trophy is what matters. It means that we have sacrificed something in order to excel and accomplish some feat in our lives.

The Philistines worshipped the god Dagon. Dagon was a merman; a half human and half fish god who was associated with fertility and agriculture. The description that we have of Dagon is that from the navel up, he bore the form of a man, but from the navel down, he was a fish. Dagon was believed to be the father of Ba’al. In ancient mythology, it was Dagon who discovered both grain and the plow. And in turn, he passed that knowledge on to those who followed him.

As the Philistines defeat Israel, part of the understanding was that this was another example of the superiority of Dagon over all other gods. And the gift of the Ark of the Covenant was even more proof that this was true. Israel had lost control of their holiest and most precious possession. From the point of view of the Philistines, the tabernacle in Shiloh was built to house the Ark of the Covenant, and now it was just an empty place with no tenant, just as the Temple built to honor Dagon would be empty and useless if the image of Dagon was stolen or destroyed. Without the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle was now empty, and Israel was without a God.

So the Philistines take the Ark of the Covenant to the Temple of Dagon and place it inside the Temple beside the image of their man-fish god. But the Ark was not intended to be an additional object of worship in the Temple of the merman. The Ark of the Covenant was nothing more than the trophy that had been awarded to Dagon in reward for his triumph over both Israel and her God.

But the events that were about to unfold would reveal that Dagon was not worthy of the trophy that had been presented to him. Dagon didn’t deserve to stand in front of the God of Israel, a reality that God would make clear to the Philistines.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 6

When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led Israel forty years. – 1 Samuel 4:18

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 18, 2019): 1 Samuel 4

Our lives are built around a few precious elements. These are the important things in life, and without these things that we cannot live. One of the great problems with life is that we sometimes do not figure out what these things are until it is too late. The result is that we often give too much time to what is essentially unimportant. And, therefore, we do not give these essential items the attention that they deserve. Too often we are driven by the winds of necessity, and we ignore the things that should be the most precious to us.

Eli was a failure because he did not place a priority on the important. And as a result, he lost everything that was important to him. The NIV says that Eli led Israel for forty years. Other translations say that he judged Israel for forty years. Judged does make sense. The stories of Eli, and Samuel, pick up on the theme of the Judges that in those days Israel had no king and everyone did as they saw fit. The importance of that statement when considering Eli is that there was no one in a leadership position in Israel other than the Judges that God raised up. If Eli led Israel during this time, then he most likely would have been a Judge.

As a Judge, the nation of Israel was a priority that had been laid on him by God; it was one of the precious elements of Eli’s life. The Judges were raised up to confront a threat to the nation. In the stories that he have, most Judges were at least nominally successful. Other than Eli, the only other Judge that might be considered to be an almost complete failure was Samson, and even Samson, with his final act, redeemed himself.

As a father, Eli’s sons were another priority; one more of his precious elements in life. But Eli apparently spoiled his children, giving to them what they desired rather than disciplining them so that they would grow strong.

As the High Priest, the Tabernacle and all that was in it was another priority, but the most precious possession of the Tabernacle would have been the Ark of the Covenant. These were the essentials things that Eli was supposed to have dedicated his life to protect.

Eli was ninety-eight years old. He evidently had some health issues, and some of those issues were a result of age. But here, in one moment, Eli lost everything that was important to him. Some have argued that it was the loss of the Ark of God that Eli felt the deepest because it was at the mention of the Ark that he fell over and broke his neck and died, but the reality is more likely that the effect of the news was cumulative. The health and sovereignty of the nation, his sons, and the Ark were all precious to him. And losing all that was precious to him was simply too much for the High Priest to handle. And so Eli died, ending an era in the history of Israel.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 5

The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the LORD, where the ark of God was. – 1 Samuel 3:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 17, 2019): 1 Samuel 3

I still love the 1981 adventure film “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the first of the “Indiana Jones” tales, even though Indiana Jones does not seem to have any purpose in the adventure. In the story, he is simply swept along with the action and going for the ride. And also in spite of the huge exaggeration to the destructive powers of the Ark of the Covenant. But the movie does raise one issue. The things of God should not be taken trivially. Making the holy common was one of the repeated sins of Israel. And something that they learned too late to avoid.

The Tabernacle during the days of Eli was experiencing a dark period. They were making the things that were Holy, common. The greatest example of this might have been when the sons of Eli decided to kidnap the Ark of the Covenant from the Holy of Holies and carry it into battle against the Philistines and, in the process, they lost the Ark. The law was clear in this matter. Other than at times when the Tabernacle was being moved from place to place, and by the days of Eli the Tabernacle had not been moved for generations, the Ark of the Covenant was to remain in the Holy of Holies. And only the High Priest, in this case, Eli, was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies and the High priest could only enter the area once a year, on the Day of Atonement.

So, even though the things of God were treated as if they were common, this verse still confuses me. Was Samuel really sleeping in the Tabernacle, or even worse the phrasing of this sentence could indicate that he was sleeping in the Holy of Holies beside the Ark of the Covenant, the holiest thing of which Israel was in possession. Even during the days of Eli, this seems like an unlikely occurrence, and a gross violation of the Laws of Moses considering the Tabernacle. It does not appear that Eli was a great spiritual leader or teacher, but one would think that even he would have moved Samuel out of the Holy of Holies if the child decided that that was where he wanted to sleep.

Maybe things were so lax in the days of Eli that a child could sleep in the Temple, or even behind the heavy curtain that divided the Tabernacle from the Holy of Holies. Or maybe we have this verse wrong.

Translation is often an art. The Bible itself is written without punctuation and with few divisions. Trying to decide what is meant and dividing it into sentences and paragraphs is often a difficult task. And sometimes we might even get it wrong. I often read a passage in several translations to get at the meaning of a verse, and might I suggest that it is possible that the King James Version gets at the central meaning of this verse better than the NIV or many other translations. The King James phrases this verse in the follows: “And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep.” The phrasing allows us to understand that Samuel was in Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was, but not necessarily lying down in the Temple, nor in the Holy of Holies. And that, to me, makes much more sense.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 4

Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. – Judges 16:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 16, 2019): Judges 16

Margaret Atwood in “The Year of the Flood” makes this comment; “How easy it is, treachery. You just slide into it.” Maybe, the traitor lurks inside all of us. All we need to become a Benedict Arnold or a Guy Fawkes is the opportunity and either a perceived hurt for which we want to gain revenge (Benedict Arnold) or some issue about which we believe strongly (Guy Fawkes and the fight of Catholicism against a Protestant King). But treachery always involves some kind of motive combined with opportunity.

The many women that Samson loved, or more likely lusted after, remain unnamed except for one: Delilah. Delilah was from the Valley of Sorek, an area known today Nahal Sorek, which is one of the largest and most important drainage basins in the Judean hillside. In the ancient world, Nahal Sorek provided a border between the Philistines and Israelite Tribe of Dan. Although we really aren’t told, the context of the story and Jewish tradition says that Delilah was a Philistine woman. Samson, who for twenty years had let his anger burn against the Philistines, now finds himself desiring a Philistine woman. Hate suddenly turned to lust all in the person of Delilah.

We are not told whether Samson and Delilah had a sexual relationship, but that is implied in the biblical text and taught explicitly by Jewish tradition. Delilah would take advantage of her sexual relationship with Samson and allow the rulers of the Philistines wreak vengeance on her lover, Samson.

Some traditions argue that Delilah was the mother of Micah, from the story of Micah’s idol in Judges 17, but that is highly unlikely because the story of Micah seems to be misplaced and should be considered historically to have taken place much earlier in the time of the Judges. Samson and Micah were not contemporaries.

Samson fell in love or lust with Delilah. And that relationship, combined with the actions of the Philistine Rulers, gave her the opportunity to become a traitor. And as a result, Delilah is remembered as a traitor and someone who was able to slip into her treachery.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 3

So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves. – Judges 15:4-5

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 15, 2019): Judges 15

Philosopher and Social Critic Mokokoma Mokhonoana argues that “It is human to be angry, but childish to be controlled by anger.” We all get angry, but we also learn to deal with that anger more productively. When we were kids, often our anger produced some kind of a negative outburst. But as we mature, we learn to deal with the anger differently. There will always be things that will make us angry, but that anger does not have to control us, causing us to react violently or to attempt to exact our vengeance on the objects or causes of our anger, instead of being willing to sit down and work out our differences, and learning to love our neighbors as ourselves.

The story of Samson often seems like the story of someone who never really matured or grew up. Samson seemed to be someone who was controlled by his passions throughout the length of his life. He often acted like a juvenile delinquent. And this story is an example of his teenage delinquency that he suffered from until the last moments of his life.

There is so much that is wrong with this story, especially from a contemporary point of view. The idea that Samson would light foxes, or more likely jackals, on fire (okay the fire was tied between the tails of two animals, but the situation even if the animal did not get burned must have caused terror in the animal) is a situation that must make PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and many others cringe. Obviously, in ancient times, this kind of protection for animals was not a consideration.

But there are other objections to the story, especially to the idea that Samson could have trapped three hundred foxes. Admittedly, three hundred foxes are a large number, especially for an animal that tends to live in small family groups or even exist as solitary individuals. But it is likely that the text actually refers to jackals, who are known to live in packs of up to two hundred animals. There is also nothing in the text that says that Samson captured the animals all by himself or that the animals were taken all in one day. It could have taken a period of time for him to gather all the animals.

But in the end, after these animals were captured, the teenage bully tied fire between their tails and allowed the animals lose to destroy the crops of his enemies. Maybe the most surprising thing is that God, in spite of Samson's immaturity, was still able to use Samson to accomplish his purposes.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 16

When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.” – Judges 14:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 14, 2019): Judges 14

Ninety-years ago today, February 14, 1929, Al Capone made an attempt to kill George “Bugs” Moran in a Chicago garage. On a day when we celebrate love, we have a very real reminder of the effects that greed and hate can have in our world. As far as Capone and Moran, their story of hate is bound up in their competition for illegal profit in the early twentieth century. Al Capone led the “Chicago Outfit” and Bugs Moran was the head of the “North Side Gang.” Their competition in the 1920’s was over the lucrative bootlegging trade and various gambling opportunities in Chicago. Neither the “Chicago Outfit” nor the “North Side Gang” were content within their territories, so conflict was a constant companion as the two organizations tried to maximize their profit line.

On February 14, 1929, two police officers and two civilians walked in a garage where five members of the North Side Gang happened to be present, along with two other men. The two police officers were not real, but the men inside the garage did not know that. The officers ordered the men to line up facing a wall of the garage. After the men in the garage had turned their backs, the two civilians brought out their Thompson Sub Machine guns and killed the five gang members as well as the two other people present. Bugs Moran was the main target of the attack, but he was not in the garage at the time of the killing. Apparently, Moran had decided to sleep in that day and had arrived on the scene after the killing, although it is believed that one of the men that was killed may have looked like and dressed like Moran. The “Saint Valentines Day Massacre” stands as an example of our need for more, and a testament of our willingness to do anything to get it.

Samson was chosen before his birth to be a Judge. From the moment of his birth, Samson was blessed by God. But Samson was also a spoiled brat. There are very few redeeming characteristics that we can find in the Samson saga. Samson was prideful and demanding. He had apparently known no boundaries in life, and he expected to get what it was that he wanted. In this, there was very little difference between Samson and people like Al Capone and Bugs Moran. All the way through the story we see an immature man demanding that he be given whatever his heart desired.

And it starts here. On this day when we celebrate love, I am not sure that Samson ever really knew what love was. Samson knew lust. He knew greed. He wanted what he wanted, and if he was ever denied what he wanted, the strongest man in the world flew into a violent rage. Understanding the severe character defects present in Samson, I sometimes wonder why he was included in the great listing of the faithful that we find in Hebrews 11.

Maybe the answer is this. While Samson led most of his life as the poster child for the spoiled brats of the rich and famous in our world, in the final moment of his life there may have been understanding and true faith. And maybe what is important about the story of Samson is that God was able to work through him, in spite of Samson’s unruly and prideful behavior. Samson was decidedly less than I think God desired him to be, but that did not stop God from accomplishing great things in his midst, although that greatness was in spite of Samson, rather than because of him. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 15

The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the LORD blessed him … - Judges 13:24

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 13, 2019): Judges 13

We miss that the Stephen King’s “Green Mile” is essentially a retelling of the story of Jesus, especially the last portion of the life of this Rabbi from Nazareth. Even the hero of the story bears the same initials as Jesus Christ. In the book and movie, his name is John Coffey. And the casting of someone like Michael Clarke Duncan to play the part of John Coffey was also not accidental. Duncan, who stood 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm) and weighed in at 315 pounds (143 kg), was a powerful and imposing figure, a fact that helped him when he was a bouncer at the Chicago clubs earlier in his career. Duncan was not someone that the average person would look at and say “That is someone that I want angry with me.” But in the movie, this powerful individual was actually a gentle soul. Enter Jesus, someone who had the power to heal the sick and raise the dead, and yet openly cried over the death of a friend. And this is a connection that I think Stephen King wants us to make. This idea of a powerful man who is also a gentle soul is something that matches both Jesus and Stephen King’s “John Coffey.”  

When we think of Samson, a man who might be the strongest person in the Bible, it is usually someone like Michael Clark Duncan that we picture in our minds. But Samson was not a John Coffey; there does not seem to be a hint of gentleness about him. He is often viewed as a powerful and imposing figure, who became increasingly prideful and self-absorbed. In the character of John Coffey, as was true with Jesus, the strength of the person was combined with a gentleness and genuine concern and love for others, and while it seems almost counterintuitive, his gentleness and concern actually increased the power of the person. In Samson, the lack of gentleness and genuine concern became a character deficit on which a tragic story was about to be built.

But it is likely that Samson looked nothing like John Coffey or Michael Clarke Duncan. As the story progresses, if we are willing to listen to the narrative, it becomes obvious that part of the story is that Samson did not look like a strong man. If we met Samson in a dark alley, there would likely to be little about him that would cause us to fear him. And that is the main issue of the story. Samson was the most powerful man in the world, but he didn’t look like it. He did not have the physical attributes that we often think of when we imagine someone who is physically strong. Instead, he might have looked like that skinny guy who everyone loves to torment. The question for those who knew Samson was “How can someone who looks like you be as strong as you are.”

The answer is here. Samson was strong because God blessed him. It had nothing to do with how long his hair might have been. The hair was a symbol of his special relationship with God. When, in his pride and self-absorption, Samson forgot that his strength was a result of God’s blessing, and God’s blessing was then removed, he became as weak as any other man – or maybe as weak as he looked.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 14

After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel ten years. Then Elon died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. - Judges 12:11-12

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 12, 2019): Judges 12

One of the first musical influences on my life was the Canadian Rock Band “Rush.” One of the first albums that I purchased with my own money was their classic work “2112.” The first half of the album is the title track, and it tells a dystopian story where the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx have banned all kinds of unique self-expression, including music. The hero of the story finds a guitar, and begins to play it, discovering the wonderful tones that a guitar can make. The guitar solo at this point in the story, played by Alex Lifeson, is still one of my favorite guitar solos in Rock. All of this culminates in the hero taking the guitar to the priests, only to have Father Brown crush the instrument under his feet, claiming that it was this kind of self-expression that destroyed the “elder race of man.” The priest sings at this point “Just think about the average, what use have they for you.”

It is an interesting thought. First of all, who is it that numbers among the average. Maybe all of us, but then again, possibly none of us. I am convinced that each one of us is gifted in some area of our life. Part of our struggle is in finding that area where we are strong and continuing to grow in that area so that we can excel. God has somehow gifted all of us. The church is not just a building or a particular set of people. It is all of us. There are some things that I do, I think, rather well. But there are also things at which I could not be considered to be competent. There are people who I depend on in the community because they do well the things that I cannot do. This is the basic idea of the community of God.

The Judges were not anything special, and yet they were special. They were called by God to do something extraordinary out of the ordinary, or the average. And that should be all of our stories. The Judges were not kings. There was not always a Judge in control of Israel. Many Judges were regional leaders and sometimes the reigns of the Judges overlapped with other Judges. They came in various shapes and sizes, and even genders, and each had a unique purpose in the history of the nation.

And all of this is to introduce us Elon, a Judge in Israel for ten years. We know nothing about him. He is probably the Judge about whom we know the least. And so it is very tempting to think that Elon was an inconsequential Judge; that he was Rush’s “Average.” And if we arrived at that conclusion, we would some support. Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, calls Elon “Helon” and sums up his reign as Judge with these words; “Neither did Helon do anything remarkable.” But that statement is short-sighted. Elon did something to justify his inclusion in our list of Judges. Like at least some of the other Judges, he was likely the average who God used to do something remarkable. He may have had a local rather than national significance. He may not have measured up to the exploits of a Gideon or a Jephthah, but it was something that only Elon could do. And what made Elon special, and what can make us special, is that when God called, Elon said yes.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 13

The Sermon "Man and the Sabbath" from the Sermon Series "The Hard Sayings of Jesus" is now online. This sermon was preached on February 10, 2019 at VantagePoint Community Church (Edmonton).