DISCLAIMER - Today is the second of "ten days" where some people, including myself, are going to try and read through the whole Bible where we hit the 'highlights' in a sense. The second day is scheduled below. This is just a post so we can have a discussion group on the comments section. Everyone feel free to join the discussion at ANYTIME.
Let's stretch this second day into 2. That was a lot of reading last night and it made a bit tired. This can also be so anyone at anytime can join the "discussion". I will try to put out more questions this time around than points.
Day 2 - Tuesday, October 6 and Wednesday October 7
Joshua 1-6, 23-24
Judges 1-4, 13-16
Ruth 1-4
1 Samuel 7-10, 12
1 Samuel 15-20, 28, 31
2 Samuel 5-8, 11-13, 15, 18
Joshua 1-6, 23-24
Judges 1-4, 13-16
Ruth 1-4
1 Samuel 7-10, 12
1 Samuel 15-20, 28, 31
2 Samuel 5-8, 11-13, 15, 18
The walls of Jericho go tumblin down by the sound of the Israeli band... I know Ruth's story... I know there was a judge named Gideon and there was a lady judge... I know Samuel was important.... but other than that there is not much else I know before hand about this section in the Bible. This shall be very interesting.
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Some thoughts... on Joshua
Chapter 1
1. I can not help but see a resemblance of 1:9 to 2 Timothy 1:7, with the imputation of Christ's work on to us as the one key major difference. 1:9 demands obedience to God in order to prosper and succeed. Over and over again the Israellites (in these readings) and "Christians" (today) fail to obtain righteousness on their own. In 2 Timothy the Spirit is given as a gift. We are broken by His love... Joshua speaks of religion - obedience to be accepted. 2 Timothy speaks of the Gospel - I am accepted and loved, therefore I obey.
2. The "place of rest" promised to the Israelites foreshadows eternal rest when Christ comes down to make all thing new. Without obedience the rest is forfeited. Only through Christ will we have this rest.
Chapter 2
1. I have to go to James 2:25-26 to make sense of Rahab. According to that we SEE here her faith here. Like being alive, you do not have faith until their is evidence like breath for a living body.
2. 2:11 Incredible. God has the hearts of WHOLE PEOPLES in His hands.
Chapter 3
1. God knows that most of us need visuals cues in life, that if we don't experience something with our senses we misunderstand the significance. I think that is why there is so much symbolism in the Bible.
2. 3:16 In an instant the natural order stops on His command.
3. I love God's timing! He waits until the river is OVERFLOWING. He does everything to shwo the magnitude of what we have in Him. If He did not we would not see Him for who He really is.
Chapter 4
1. I am struck by the fact that God knows that we easily forget about significance in life. We often times need to experience something again to a certain degree in order to remember. He stresses remembrance of things He had done throughout the whole Bible. It is for our benefit because we easily forget His goodness is our lives.
Chapter 5
1. Could the Commander of the Lord's Armies be Jesus? That phrase is constantly used throughout my Old Testament for somebody. It is in 5:14 here. Is there any validity to that hypothesis?
Chapter 6
1. 6:20-21 I need to dwell on these accounts more I guess. I don't understand the full significance of these killings throughout the Old Testament. Does it have to do with God setting His people apart? with the Fear of the Lord? I don't know.
Chapter 23 and 24
1. Joshua's last words:
(a) "cling tightly to the Lord"
(b) "Be very careful to love the Lord your God."
(c) And I love how He pleads "Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true." This leads to the point that Faith has ALWAYS been at the heart level.
(d) He goes over the countless ways that God has proved Himself but yet it still is not enough "You are not able to serve the Lord". I cannot but help to see this as pointing to Jesus. The heart must be changed (Ez. 36)!
(e) this is what it is all about for us even today "destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel"
on Judges
Chapter 1
1. Is this the first mention of Jerusalem in the Bible. I don't even know. What's the history of this city?
2. And why is 1:14-15 in the Bible??
3. Why did the man i 1:25 not get as much fanfare as Rahab? It was the same thing done, right?
Chapter 2
1. We CANNOT overlook 2:22-23. This is why this confusing stuff is happening. I think, at the very least, we can get from this that: (a) God is very interested, if not solely interested, in the hearts of His people (b) you should throw out a timetable on God's promises, humans usually show a severe lack of patience because they cannot see the grand scope of things
Chapter 3
1. This makes my heart burn... over and over you see the phrase: "Once again the Israelites did evil in the Lord's sight... but when the people of the Lord cried out for help, the Lord again raised up a rescuer to save them." I cannot help, but see this declaring the very character of God.
*** Samson's story was difficult to grasp.
Chapter 13
1. Is it saying that the angel looked very human? I guess they can look like anything they want to.
2. 13:18 speaks to something very important - the angel's name "Is too wonderful for you to understand"
3. I think it is key to note that Samson DID NOT earn ANYTHING. The Spirit of the Lord was on him from day one.
Chapter 14
1. We cannot forget that the Spirit is God, so NOTHING is impossible.
Chapter 15
1. God is in control throughout it all. We have to see that God is behind the great loss that Samson is experiencing.
2. 15:14-16 God is again choosing to work through humans instead of doing something instantly and perfectly
Chapter 16
1. Samson is not following God's commands, right? Why is God staying with him if he is not? God leaves Saul later in 1 Samuel... I guess God is not as superficial as us, He sees to the heart and does not weigh the action as though they were weighed on an excel spreadsheet... or this most maximizes God's glory... I don't know.
2. Why is the Samson and Delilah backforth in the Bible? I think it is silly and childish...
3. 18:28-30 Samson sure ended his life strong. I think the big things was that he KNEW that he was NOTHING without God.
on Ruth
1. I think we first have to understand the concept of the "kinsman/family redeemer" to get as much as we can out of Ruth. I think one place it speaks of the concept is in Leviticus 25. And secondly, I think that we see Jesus as our ultimate kinsman redeemer if we think it all of the way through (Luke 24:27,312)
on 1 Samuel
Chapter 7
1. God responds when His people pray with urgency!
Chapter 8
1. 8:7-9 Sometimes God will not save us form our own mistakes.
2. 8:19 Speaks pointedly to human nature... wisdom is often not seen until lived through
Chapter 9
1. Even though Israel just rejected God in Chapter 8 He continues His mercy 9:16
2. 9:21 God will choose and use whoever He pleases
Chapter 10
1. 10:9 The hearts of kings are in God's hands.
2. 10:22-23 is striking. God makes this coward great so that there could be no honest speculation that it was by human effort.
Chapter 12
1. 12:7 It is good to follow this advice. Stand quietly and be reminded of all the good things that the Lord has done.
2. 12:13-15 I think this is important. Okay here is your king, yada, yada.... Remember God! He is who matters!
3. Continuining that theme we see in 12:24 that in order to fear the Lord and to serve Him faithfully you must continue to look at the good things He has done for you
4. I think 12:20-22 is the most important part of His speech.
Chapter 15
1. 15:1 Samuel begins by setting the heirarchy straight in Saul's mind. God made you King and He can unmake you King.
2. This makes 15:10-11 all the more striking. It speaks volumes on the mercy and patience of the Lord.
3. The story of Saul's sin in this chapter is very weighty! He does it partially, and reasons His way out of full compliance with God.
4. 15:22-23 is HUGE!
5. 15:35 The Spirit of God eventually molds you to the point of identifying with the Father. It is striking how many times Samuel is in step with God.
Chapter 16
1. 16:7 is HUGE! People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord judges by the heart! (I at first typed in "THANK GOD!" right after that, but then on second thought, it is a VERY scaring point... it must be part of why fearing God is important, for you are seeing things as they actually are)
Chapter 17
1. The different responses of Saul and David are striking. I especially like 17:45-47
2. I thought Saul already knew of David in Chapter 16. It speaks at the end of this chapter as though he does not know of David.
Chapter 18
1. 18:8 Saul is showing his foolishness. He already knows that he is not king in the sight of God anymore. Has his faith in God's reality already deteriorated to this significant degree?
2. David succeeds only because God is with him.
I think it is important to see God's complete rejection of Saul throughout the end of this book. I don't fully understand it though. I guess all I can see is that God is Lord over all things. How can creation question the Creator?
on Samuel 2
I suggest to sink into Psalms 51 before getting into this book.
Chapter 5
1. David is asking God first. This is so important to him and us. He knows where his real power comes from and he acts in accordance with that knowledge.
Chapter 6
1. 6:7 This is VERY hard. Did Uzziah really have to die??
2. 6:9 Is this the right type of fear of the Lord. I think verses like this contract the phrase we read in the Bible "fear of the Lord" with the all too common act of being afraid.
3. 6:14 That is worship!
4. I don't think I am grasping the full implications of Michal's encounter with David in this chapter.
5. 6:22 "I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!" David know his place in the Lord
Chapter 7
1. Is it too far-fetched to say that 7:12-16 is prophesying about Jesus
2. David understands the vast importance of the honor of God's name
Chapter 11
1. I think the warning about idleness is obvious in this story.
Chapter 12
1. This story speaks volumes! I im[plore you to read Psalm 51. I think I will spend all of tomorrow on the Psalm before I go onto the next reading. I also suggest John Piper's sermon on this story:
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/sermons/bydate/2008/2832_A_Broken_and_Contrite_Heart_God_Will_Not_Despise/
2. You see the importance of David's "broken and contrite heart" throughout the rest of his sotry in 2 Samuel
Scott, you are a man. I am keepign up with the reading but barely. I don't have time to share my thoughts yet but I will. Keep it up, and I will do the same.
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