Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. – 1 Samuel 6:7

Today's Scripture Reading (March 31, 2022): 1 Samuel 6

It is a scientific principle that has been practiced for centuries. You make an observation, consider the possible explanations for what you have observed, and plan a test that will examine the hypothesis. In so doing, we can learn more about the world surrounding us. We have all heard the tale of a young Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree when an apple began its descent toward the scientist's head. The story is likely apocryphal, as in, it didn't really happen, at least, not that way. William Stukeley, an archaeologist and an early biographer of Newton, might have the key to what happened at the apple tree. In "Memoirs of Sir Isaac Newton's Life," Stukeley relates what might be the real story of the apple tree.

"After dinner, the weather being warm, we went into the garden and drank tea, under the shade of some apple trees…he told me, he was just in the same situation, as when formerly, the notion of gravitation came into his mind. It was occasion'd by the fall of an apple, as he sat in contemplative mood. Why should that apple always descend perpendicularly to the ground, thought he to himself…"

Of course, the result of the observation was "The Theory of Gravity," and many scientists have observed and conducted many experiments to examine precisely what was happening as Newton's Apple, or any other object, fell perpendicularly to the ground. And, if we are willing to listen, we learn more and more about this force we call gravity with every experiment. We have varied the size and shape of the object and watched for any differences as the thing fell. And with every experiment, we learned a little more about the force of the earth that seems to draw everything to itself.

The Philistines are suffering under a sickness that has created tumors in the people and has killed many. The priests have observed the illness, but they don't know the cause. But they have come up with a hypothesis. The priests believe that the sickness is related to the Philistine possession of the Ark of the Covenant. But the Ark is valuable, and if it is not the cause of the illness, they don't want to lose the Ark.

So, the priests propose an experiment. They suggest that the Ark be placed onto a cart, and then two cows who have never been yoked, but have calved, be placed at the front of the cart. Then take their calves away from the cows and set them loose. Nature says these calves who have never been yoked should rebel and go nowhere. If they do go somewhere, it should be in the direction of the calves and not toward Israel, the home of the Ark. For these cows to take the Ark to Israel was going to take a miracle of God. If the cows did carry the Ark to Israel, it would only be because God decided that Israel was where the Ark needed to be.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 7

The LORD's hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors. – 1 Samuel 5:6

Today's Scripture Reading (March 30, 2022): 1 Samuel 5

The Bubonic plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. The plague often spreads through flea bites that jump to humans from dead animals, especially mice and rats. The first recorded epidemic of the Bubonic plague occurred during the reign of Justinian the Great from 541-549 C.E. The Justinian plague continued appears to have continued to break out throughout various European cities over the next two centuries. Death totals that can be directly attributed to the Justinian version of the Bubonic plague are unknown. Still, experts suggest that as many as 100 million people could have died between the 6^th and 8^th centuries due to the pandemic, or 60% of the 6^th-century population of Europe. The Plague of Justinian is thought to have been the deadliest pandemic that this world has ever known.

The Black Death has been with us for a long time. Archeologists have discovered the Yersinia pestis in ancient D.N.A. from Asia and Europe, dating back as far as possibly 5000 years. The Justinian plague of the fifth century was not the first appearance of the Black Death on this beautiful world of ours; it was just the first-time historians have recognized that it was the Bubonic plague that was causing significant deaths in a particular region.

Historians have long fought over what the illness might have been that broke out in Ashdod in 1070 B.C.E. or 3800 years ago. Some have suggested it was a severe outbreak of hemorrhoids, although that doesn't seem quite to fit the situation. The Septuagint adds a little more information to this verse. In the Septuagint, 1 Samuel 5:6 reads, "The Lord's hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors. And rats appeared in their land, and there was death and destruction throughout the city" (1 Samuel 5:6 Septuagint and Vulgate). It is a description that has led many modern experts to openly wonder if this outbreak that devastated the Philistines might have been an early outbreak of the bubonic plague pandemic.

The people would not listen to the warnings given to them when their God Dagon was found face down in the Temple at Ashdod. They simply put Dagon back into position. And so, God's hand was heavy on the people. He allowed the mice and rats to explode in the area, each carrying the bacteria that would cause the tumors accompanying the Black Death. Without understanding precisely what was happening, they knew enough to suspect that the cause of their discomfort was the mighty God who had come to the assistance of the Israelites. Now, it wasn't the army that was suffering; it was the citizens of Ashdod and other Philistine cities. Dagon literally could not stand in the presence of the God of Israel, and now the people were learning that they could stand in his presence either.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 6

Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!" – 1 Samuel 4:9

Today's Scripture Reading (March 29, 2022): 1 Samuel 4

On the doorstep of the Great Depression, Calvin Coolidge offered this advice to a hurting nation.

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race" (Calvin Coolidge).

Nothing will change our world if it is not accompanied by persistence. And the truth is that our contemporary society is not good at persistence. We start with great aims but, all too often, that great start slides into compromise as we get tired of the cost associated with doing great things. We hear the cry to "Press On!" but respond that we are tired and that we just want things to be easy again, regardless of what the cost to our lack of persistence might be.

A great cry has risen from Israel as the Ark of the Covenant is brought into the Israelite camp. It is a cry that is heard by the Philistines. And the Philistines are aware that a great God has come to the aid of the Israelites. And they ask the question, who can stand against a God like that.

It is a good question. We believe that no one can stand up against our God. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church at Rome, asks the question, "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us" (Romans 8:31)? And the answer to his question is direct. "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" Romans 8:37). 

But the Philistine answer to the God who has entered into the camp of the Israelites is not to give up or give in. The Philistine Generals encourage their troops to respond to this situation with persistence. The reality is that the command to "Press On" will always win against the forces who are willing to compromise, even if the cause is just and good. And history is filled with examples of armies who have won only because they refused to lose. And this is true even for militaries that are standing on the wrong side of the situation.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 5

And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. – 1 Samuel 3:20

Today's Scripture Reading (March 28, 2022): 1 Samuel 3

Best25.net lists Mahatma Gandhi as the best leader of all time. Gandhi tops the list that includes Jesus Christ (at number 3) and Muhammad (at number 5). The site lists Gandhi as its top leader because of his pioneering efforts to promote peaceful resistance and revolution. And it was because of Gandhi's leadership that India was able to gain its independence from the British Empire peacefully.

But Gandhi was not universally loved. One of Gandhi's dividing decisions included a move toward religious tolerance. Gandhi believed that the religions in India should be able to co-exist with each other peacefully. The move was specifically aimed at the growing conflict between the Indian Hindus and Muslims. But the action caused some of the more radical Hindus to revolt and challenge Gandhi's leadership.

On January 30, 1948, at 5:17 pm, Nathuram Godse, a radical Hindu nationalist, fired three bullets into the chest of Mahatma Gandhi. Godse did not attempt to flee from Indian officials. At his trial, Godse stated that he had killed Gandhi because of his complacency toward Muslims, holding Gandhi responsible for the increasing violence occurring on the sub-continent. Godse was executed by hanging for the murder of Gandhi on November 15, 1949. But as recently as 2019, there has been a movement in India to restore Godse's good name and market him as a hero by some Hindus.

Samuel rose from obscure beginnings to be recognized by all of Israel, reflected in the phrase "from Dan (in the north) to Beersheba (in the south) " as a prophet. Israel had had few prophets since the days of Moses, and none that rose to reflect the greatness of Moses until Samuel. We are told that all of Israel respected the prophet who emerged from the corruption that had characterized the reign of Eli as the high priest. That respect would be necessary if Samuel were to accomplish the radical change in the nation for which God had chosen him.

The reign of Samuel was important. He simultaneously occupied both the offices of Judge and Prophet. And because he had the respect of the nation, he was able to bridge the gap between the era of the Judges and the emerging monarchy. Samuel himself anointed the first two kings of Israel, Saul, and David, a feat that he could not have accomplished if he had not had the support of the people. He was the last of the Judges and the first of a list of great prophets that included Nathan during the days of David, Elijah (c. 900 – 849 B.C.E.) in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and Isaiah (7^th Century B.C.E.) in the Southern Kingdom of Judah). And none of this would have been possible without the respect that all of the people held for Samuel, making him one of the greatest leaders this world has ever known.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 4

One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. – Judges 16:1

Today's Scripture Reading (March 27, 2022): Judges 16

I have never slept well, and sometimes that led to me watching TV in the early morning hours on which I shouldn't have wasted my time. But it's not what you think. During my college years, I watched Christian Shows like the PTL (PTL stands for "Praise the Lord") Club with Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker in those early morning hours. The PTL Club seemed to sum up everything I passionately hated in the Christian Church. (My deepest apology to all of my readers who passionately loved the PTL Club and its many clones, but what were you thinking.) But, in the absence of something better to watch, I would occasionally tune in and then wonder why anyone watched this garbage, let alone believed in what they were selling.

I remember one episode of the Bakker's show that closed with a men's quartet singing "The Second Chapter of Act's" hit "Easter Song" (Hear the bells ringing, they're singing that we can be born again …) At the time I liked the song. This quartet turned a piece that had a beat and swing to it into a funeral dirge that didn't seem to match the song's positive message. As the song ended, the camera cut to a tearful Tammy Faye with her mascara running, a common image for the PTL Club, begging that the quartet would sing the song again. I responded to no one but my TV Screen, please don't, or I think I will start crying, and not for a good reason.

If only the evil of the PTL Club was restricted to questionable songs and theology, but the depth of the problem proved to be much deeper. The sin of Jim and Tammy included fraud, dubious accounting, theft, and serious moral violations that didn't just include sexual misconduct but rape and the payment of hush money. Yet, as a severe critic of the ministry, I also have to admit that the Bakkers did some good. It is just that they could have done so much more. But as they fell deeper and deeper into sin, they seemed to be able to divide their lives between the good into which they had once believed God was leading them and all of the evil that they ended up doing. They started to think that there were some things that God cared about and some things to which God was willing to turn a blind eye. But they were wrong.

Samson fell into the same trap. The author of Judges makes this statement so casually; Samson saw a prostitute, and he spent the night with her. Samson's morals were so low that he saw no problem with this. As long as he was doing the things God wanted him to do against the Philistines, then maybe God didn't care about the sin he allowed into his life. But perhaps the worst sin is that Samson kept the external features of a man of God and a Nazirite while not allowing those commitments to shape his character. The charge that Jesus made against the Pharisees of his day might have been even more appropriate to be said about Samson. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence" (Matthew 23:25). The tragedy of the life of Samson is that he didn't realize all that he could have been until it was too late. May we avoid the same sorrow.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 3

"I was so sure you hated her," he said, "that I gave her to your companion. Isn't her younger sister more attractive? Take her instead." – Judges 15:2

Today's Scripture Reading (March 26, 2022): Judges 15

Before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, it appeared that the citizens of both countries took their relationship for granted. Vladimir Putin argues that Ukrainians were Russians; therefore, Ukraine should be part of Russia. And with that belief in his back pocket, he began his invasion of a sovereign country. And in some ways, he was right. The repeated refrain from Ukrainians was that the Russians were their friends and family. And they never expected their neighbors to treat them this way. Families divided in Eastern Europe over the legitimacy of Putin's action. All of this despite Western warnings to the Ukrainian people that Russia was planning an invasion.

It is a situation that I understand. I am Canadian, and it is impossible to tell a Canadian apart from our American cousins from a first glance. I have relatives and friends that live on both sides of the border. How would I feel if the United States invaded my country, saying that Canadians were nothing more than Americans living under a different name? I also know that if you talk to a Canadian and an American, you will find that their attitudes are very different. And that is why Canadians are sometimes accepted in places where Americans are held in distain and why some Americans put Canadian Flags on their stuff when they travel.

But the truth about the American-Canadian relationship, and I suspect about the Russian-Ukrainian relationship, is that we often take that relationship for granted. I often feel that my American friends assume that the friendship between our nations is automatic because of our close proximity, and no work needs to be done to keep the relationship fresh. There is also a tendency to believe that because one party has great power (i.e., the United States or Russia), the other party (Canada or Ukraine) has no say in what happens in the relationship. It is a result of this belief that allowed Russia to invade the land of their friends and family.

Samson comes home to see his wife. It seems evident that Samson assumed something that was not true; that his neglected wife was simply going to be there for him. But Samson's prolonged absence and neglect of the woman he had married told a different story to those watching. It appeared to those outside of the marriage that Samson held no affection for his wife; in fact, he seemed to hate her. Neglect often sends that message. And so, his father-in-law had given Samson's wife to a companion of the strong man, maybe in the hopes that he would treat her properly. What seems perplexing to the contemporary mind is that the father was willing to give his younger daughter to Samson, possibly opening her up for the same kind of neglect that had plagued her older sister. Maybe he hoped that Samson would learn his lesson, but all that any of this did was fuel Samson's anger.

Samson would take this situation as proof of the evil that existed in the Philistines. But the truth was that evil resided in the heart of Samson. Evil had prompted him to make bad decisions and then blame the results on someone else. Evil had allowed him to take the people close to him for granted and to think that his bad decision-making was really the problem of those around him.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Judges 16

His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel. – Judges 14:4

Today's Scripture Reading (March 25, 2022): Judges 14

George Washington Carver commented that "Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses." Maybe we think if we make excuses for our failures, then there is nothing to learn so that we can improve ourselves. Or we forget that failing at something doesn't make us a failure; failing at a task just makes us people who are on the path to success. Excuses are the tools of failure and nothing else. We don't need to be excused but rather to find ways to be better.

I have to admit that there are passages in the Bible with which I struggle greatly. And this is one of them. It sounds like someone making an excuse for Sampson's ill-advised behavior to my ears. My problem is that the story of Samson leaves the reader with the impression that Sampson is nothing more than a selfish child who wants what he wants and doesn't care who gets hurt in the process. His relationships are superficial. All that Samson cares about is what appeals to his eyes; he never asks what it might be that God wants. Samson makes excuses for his behavior, and as a result, he is a failure as a Judge for most of his life. His greatest success doesn't actually happen until the moment of his death.

And the author of Judges, likely Samuel, seems to jump in and offer more excuses for Israel's strongman. The author of Judges argues that because something good happens in the end, then everything leading up to that good must be okay and, in this case, God-ordained. But the truth of life is that just because something good happens in the end does not justify the way that we got there. And the reverse is also true. Just because things don't turn out does not mean that the path we took to get there was wrong. Jesus himself reminds us that God "causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45). 

There is no doubt that at the end of his life, Samson dealt a significant blow against the Philistine enemies of Israel. But part of the message of God has to be that the way that we get there matters. And Sampson's life was dominated by his lusts, and he took his commitments to God very lightly, not seeming to care if he broke them. Sampson was a selfish judge, and just because everything turned out right in the end should not give him a pass for the way he lived his life. I believe that God expected better of Sampson, and he expects better of us. And I think that in making this statement, the author of Judges is in error.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Judges 15

Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. – Judges 13:4

Today's Scripture Reading (March 24, 2022): Judges 13

Now we understand that everything that a woman puts into her body during pregnancy affects the unborn child. We tease women amid their cravings that they are eating for two, but the reality is that it goes far beyond food. As men, I think we too easily forget the awesome responsibility accepted by the women in our lives when they get pregnant. As a guy, I don't have to worry about the pain relievers or other legal medications that I might need during the nine months of my wife's pregnancy, but it is something of which a woman has to be aware. And while they are pregnant, they deserve an extra heaping helping of our respect.

But, this knowledge is also a fairly new revelation. It is disconcerting to watch an old movie and see a pregnant woman drinking alcohol or even smoking a cigarette, activities that we now know can have a detrimental effect on the unborn child's life. And we have to remind ourselves that the movie was made in an era when we didn't realize how dangerous these things could be to the fetus. We know better now. It is something that the "Right to Life" movement has been trying to remind us of for decades. Life doesn't begin on the day that the baby is born. Life actually begins at the start of the pregnancy. Your true age is about nine months older than you think it is.

We didn't know, but maybe we should have. Judges contains a story about an unnamed woman, the wife of a man named Manoah. Manoah's wife is barren; she desires a child but has never been able to get pregnant. An angel appears to this woman with a welcome message; God has decided to give her a child. But this child is going to be different. From the moment of his birth, this child would be a Nazirite and would remain a Nazirite throughout his life. A Nazirite made an oath not to cut his hair, drink alcohol, or come in contact with unclean things throughout the length of the vow. The idea of a lifelong Nazirite is a rare one. The child of Manoah's wife would be one of the first lifelong Nazirites, and he would be followed by the Prophet Samuel and John the Baptist, both of whom would be Nazirites throughout their lives.

The child born to Manoah's wife would be called Samson, and when he was older, he would be a special judge over all of Israel. But what is significant is that Samson's life as a Nazirite didn't begin with the moment he was born; it began with the moment he was conceived. From the time God placed this tiny life inside of Samson's mother, mom needed to live according to the cultural restrictions placed on a Nazirite, not because she was a Nazirite, but because Samson would be. And everything that she put in her body would affect the one that was yet to be born. His developing body needed to be kept pure from the moment of conception, and from the moment of his birth, Samson would live in a way that was different from anyone else in his culture.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Judges 14

He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel eight years. – Judges 12:14

Today's Scripture Reading (March 23, 2022): Judges 12

Political leaders come from all walks of life and socio-economic backgrounds. And it should be that way. It almost seems obvious that if our political leaders are going to lead our nations, representing the people, there should be people elected from among all the people groups of the nation. And while that makes sense intellectually, it is often harder than it at first sounds. And evidence of that difficulty is found in that minorities have been historically underrepresented throughout our histories. If there is an appropriate use of gerrymandering, which seems to have become epidemic in contemporary politics, it might be to ensure that our governments reflect the populations they serve.

God inspired Judges to deliver his people from the oppression of their times. But there was not just one image or set of qualifications for a judge. Deborah was a woman; Samson was a Nazirite from birth, someone who was supposed to have an especially close relationship with God (although, as we read through his story, we find that Samson often struggled with that relationship like us.) Samuel was a man of great wisdom who grew up watching Israel during one of its most corrupt eras. Gideon was a timid farmer. They came from various tribes and towns, united only in the calling they had received to rule over Israel, or a portion of Israel, during a time of crisis. Some ruled for relatively short periods of time, but others led the nation for longer periods. 

And Abdon, the son of Hillel, was wealthy and likely a Judge called from a privileged class of people in the nation. And while we might know quite a lot about someone like Gideon, we know relatively little about Abdon other than his wealth. But children, grandchildren, and donkeys were all evidence of the way that God had blessed Abdon. And Abdon took his blessing and served Israel at God's request for eight years. In this time of crisis, it was Abdon's turn to lead the nation into the safe space that God wanted to give to his people.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Judges 13