Category: Old Testament
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1 Samuel 6
We reflect on the question, who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God, to whom shall he go so we may be rid of him? 1 Samuel 6: 1-21 The Lord’s chest was in Philistine territory for seven months. 2 The Philistines called for the priests and the diviners. “What should we do with the Lord’s…
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1 Samuel 5
The ark of God is among foreign people in a foreign place, but we see that God is still at work there. 1 Samuel 5: 1-12 God’s chest among the Philistines 1After the Philistines took God’s chest, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took God’s chest and brought it into Dagon’s temple…
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1 Samuel 4
God is present and at work, but maybe not in the ways we would expect. 1 Samuel 4: 1-19 And Samuel’s word went out to all Israel. The Philistines capture God’s chest In those days the Philistines gathered for war against Israel,[a] so Israel went out to engage the Philistines in war. Israel camped at Ebenezer,…
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1 Samuel 3
God is speaking, but who will listen? 1 Samuel 3: 1-19 Samuel’s call 3 Now the boy Samuel was serving the Lord under Eli. The Lord’s word was rare at that time, and visions weren’t widely known. 2 One day Eli, whose eyes had grown so weak he was unable to see, was lying down in his room. 3 God’s lamp hadn’t gone…
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1 Samuel 2
In this world, it is not by might that one prevails. God is the one that lifts up the lowly and brings down the powerful. 1 Samuel 2: 1-36 Hannah’s song1 Then Hannah prayed: My heart rejoices in the Lord.My strength[a] rises up in the Lord!My mouth mocks my enemiesbecause I rejoice in your deliverance.2…
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1 Samuel 1
The story of Samuel begins in unexpected places with unexpected people, so be ready to expect the unexpected. 1 Samuel 1: 1-28 1 Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite[a] from the highlands of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah. He was from the tribe of Ephraim, and he was the son of…
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Genesis 0
Though many people in my life took the Bible seriously, and though my life was immersed in it, I didn’t find myself reading it often. I occasionally felt compelled to dig in. I might stumble onto some of the more fantastic stories, and that was often fun. But then I would hit something like Leviticus,…