Category: Saturday Study

1 Samuel 4-8 (9.3.22)

This week, we get into Samuel’s life and testimony and Israel’s demand for a King despite the warnings given to them. Today, I want to pull open these chapters with you and help us flesh out what we can take away from this week’s reading.

The Sovereignty of God in Choosing Whom He Will Save and Send

In 1 Samuel 3:1-10, we read the testimony of the call of the Lord on Samuel’s life and the beginning of Samuel’s prophetic ministry. While the narrative is simple, the take-away is profound. The Lord is calling to Samuel, and yet Samuel doesn’t discern God’s voice thinking is it his elder, Eli. It says in 1 Samuel 3:7, “Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” This is another reminder that it is the Lord who must reveal Himself to us, for in our sin, we are not spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).When we have this understanding of how God saves and sends us, it is a solid rock under our feet. Why? Because if it was our own doing, our own inclination to follow and obey God, what security or lasting hope would we have if it is simply up to us to unravel it at any time?

No. Instead, it is God who saves His elect and sets us on His path of righteousness and obedience for Him.

1 Peter 1:3 … According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

Honest in Love with Those Above You

In 1 Samuel 3:11-18, Samuel is immediately faced with hearing God’s righteous judgment for an elder in his life. Not only that, but Samuel is the one God instructs to bring God’s word to Eli. How hard is it when God uses us to bring admonishment to someone who ranks above us in life–a parent or a boss or teacher or an older brother or sister? In this interaction, Samuel didn’t hold back in speaking honestly. We need to love each other enough to speak honestly with each other and not hold back if that person needs to hear something, even if it’s hard to hear. We don’t help them grow or change or improve if we simply leave it alone.

In 1Samuel 3:19-20, we read,“Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord.”Samuel is now established in all of Israel as God’s mouth piece and His chosen prophet.

1 Samuel 7:3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

We are to honor God and worship Him alone. This means we must put away our false idols and worship and serve God only. Samuel reoriented the Israelites to these truths, and God promised to deliver them.

Confession and Repentance

1 Samuel 7:4-6 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only. Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.

They were obedient and did as they were told. This is confession and repentance. Confession and repentance are needed in all of our lives if we are to honor God and grow in our faith. Repentance is taking up a new course considering God’s will. It is turning from sin and turning to obedience and honoring God. This is not always easy, as we are guilty of making excuses or delaying real repentance in our sin.

Confession is the First Part Needed in Repentance

Confess means “to agree together with.” God understands and knows all our sin, but it is key that we fully confess and understand our sin before Him. Confession sets the heart up for true repentance. Confession is simply acknowledging I have sinned by saying, “This was sin. You call it sin, and I am calling it sin. I am saying out loud to you, God, ‘I sinned!’”

1 John 1:8-9 (NLT) If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness

Now, there is much we know we have done in sin, but there is much we are not tuned into, also. So, one of the keys to repentant prayer is to sit in silence. To be still and quiet before God. Why?Because the Holy Spirit will reveal to us things we don’t think of, like sin that we need to acknowledge.

Psalm 19:12-13 (NLT) How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep me from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.

Confession leads to repentance. So what is repentance, exactly? It is commonly used in church circles, but do we really understand what it is?If confession is admittance (to agree together with God who knows already what happened), then repentance is new direction. It is surrendering your current wrong path to get on the right one.

God’s Deliverance

In 1 Samuel 7:7-17, we read about God delivering the Israelites from the hand of the encroaching Philistines. He helped drive them back and brought the Israelites great victory. God endured Samuel to rule over and be a faithful judge of Israel all the days of Samuel’s life (1 Samuel 7:15).

The Demand for a King

In 1 Samuel 8, Samuel has become old, and he has made his sons judges over Israel. The problem is his sons did not walk in his ways but took bribes and perverted justice.

I Samuel 8:4-6 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

It is amazing how quickly we grow inpatient with God and feel the need to cling to our own wisdom. Notice with me where this goes next:

The Rejection of God as King and the Problem with a Human King

Let’s read again:

I Samuel 8:7-18 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

God is so faithful, and the people forget so quickly. May we never lose sight of who God is and how much He has abundantly blessed us in Christ.

Who Are We to Think Our Way Is Better Than God’s Way?

Let’s read again:

I Samuel 8:19-22 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city”.

God’s ways are better than ours. We are foolish to think that our ways are better than His.

Romans 11:34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”

No one can counsel God and give Him insight He doesn’t already have. Let me ask you, what is the thing you tend to offer to God more than anything else–more than worship, more than obedience, more than respect, more than trust, more than honor? We offer Him counsel.“God, I think, you should … How could you … ? God, why would you … ?” This is like when a four-year-old in the car seat is asking his dad if he knows where he’s going or worse, tells him which way he should go! We have to realize that nobody gets to counsel God. Nobody gets to give God advice.

Nobody gets to straighten God’s path–no one.

Despite the people’s rebellion and lack of hearing the warnings, God is at work in His plan to bring forth the King of kings. Next week, we will study Saul–Israel’s choice to be king, and why he failed to honor God in his new position.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

Judges 20 &21 & 1 Samuel 1-3 (8-27-22)

Judges 21 ends with this sobering statement: verse 25 says,“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Our sin makes us very prone to deny or disobey God’s commands and to do what is right in our own eyes. Israel suffered many consequences for this, and yet God remained faithful to fulfill His promise to bring the King of kings to reign over God’s people forever. Next, we turn to delve into 1 Samuel and study the Kingdom era of the Old Testament. In this week’s reading, we were introduced to Eli and his sons, so let’s go deeper into their testimony, as there is much to learn from them.

Who is Eli?

In 1 Samuel 2:11, we read that Eli was a priest and in 1 Samuel 2:22, that he was very old. In general, Eli was known to be a good, God-fearing man: a man of influence and leadership in his role as a judge over Israel and as a priest who interceded for the people.

Who are his sons?

In 1 Samuel 2:12, we read that “the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.”

In 1 Samuel 2:12-17, we read how they profaned the house of God.  

Verse 22 says, “He kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting.”

A father’s plea to his sinning boys

1 Samuel 2:23-25 And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.

The error in Eli’s leadership over his boys was that he pleaded with them to change, but he did nothing to hold them accountable or to restrain them from their sin and wicked ways. Discipline is a good thing. It is not loving or honoring to God to let those under your care run headlong into sin.

Hebrews 12:5-6 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

Did you hear it? “Those whom the Lord loves he disciplines.” Our Father disciplines us because He loves us! Now, our English understanding of discipline is punishment—which is not the right picture here. The key is to look deeper at the word discipline. The Greek word for discipline is paideia. It is where we get our word pediatrics!

What is a pediatrician’s primary concern? The over-all health of the child. The same is true of a parent for a child. Out of love, we are to discipline our children and not let them practice or pursue sin.

God’s Rebuke

1 Samuel 2:27-29 And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’”

The word of the Lord came to Eli to remind him who God is, what He has done, and with what He has entrusted Eli. Then it goes on to say clearly that Eli honored his sons above God. This is a huge reminder to us. We too are guilty of forgetting all that God has done for us by sending Christ to live and die and rise again for our victory and new life, of which we did not deserve or earn. Yet we often spit on God’s grace and all that He deserves for who He is when we, too, make the things He has created and people we love more important to us than Him. 

1 Samuel 2:35 “And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.”

The promise of God in verse 35 of chapter 2 is huge. In the midst of declaring the demise of Eli and his house, the word of the Lord promises to raise up for Himself a faithful priest, who will not live for his fleshly desires but will do according to what God wants. Upon this priest, He will build a sure house, and he will be anointed forever. This is a beautiful pointing to Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:14-16 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need

Eli’s sin

1 Samuel 3:13 “And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.”

It is not loving to not restrain the evil in our loved ones’ lives. To let them practice sin is to endorse their rebellion against the Lord and to disregard the command of God on their lives, which is to worship God by obeying their parents. 

Eli was a priest when the judges governed Israel, and as such, he was supposed to be an example to the people as their worship leader. Yet his home life made it impossible for him to be a model for those under his care. Scripture minces no words in describing his sons as “worthless” men who “did not know the Lord” (1 Sam 2:12). In passing, we would not look at Eli as responsible for his sons’ adult transgressions, especially since Eli did plead with them to stop sinning (vv. 22–26). But in all actuality, Eli’s admonitions were half-hearted because God charged the priest with exalting his sons above the Almighty (vv. 27–29), something that Eli likely did from their youth. Eli’s disordered, undisciplined, sinful family revealed that his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord. Being unfaithful and unfit for ongoing leadership, Eli was finally removed from his position (vv. 30–36; 4:12–18).

The Judgment for the House of Eli

1 Samuel 3:14 “Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

This is a sobering and damning word on the House of Eli, which is why Eli’s response to this news is so surprising.

Eli is told his fate and receives it

1 Samuel 3:15-18 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him

Interesting that Eli doesn’t honor God by rebuking his sons but does honor God as God in His judgment against him, even though it is so terrible.

Eli recognized the word of God when he heard it, because he understood the character of Him whose word it was. God is good and perfect and right and righteous in all His ways. 

So if this is God’s will for me… If this is God’s judgment on my life… because of who God is… I receive it and do not rebuke it. Eli said, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”

Can you make this affirmation from the depths of your heart in difficult times as well as in good times?

Examples: 

If your child or spouse dies, do you say to God with Eli, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.” Do you say with Job, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

When you get demoted or lose your job for no fault of your own, do you say to God with Eli, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.” Do you say with Job, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

As hard as it is, God must be a first and greatest allegiance. We must never undermine His character and perfect will in the face of great hardship or loss. We who are His blood-bought children must follow the faithful before us and yield to His perfect will.

In 1 Samuel 4:1-11, we will read about the death of the sons of Eli and 30,000 soldiers of Israel and the capture of the Ark of God. In 1 Samuel 4:12-18, we will read about the death of Eli.

What are the take always from this testimony?

Parents should take seriously the commands of God on them to discipline and raise their kids to obey them and honor the Lord. Children need to take seriously the command of God to obey your parents.

Proverbs 6:20-23 My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s teaching.
 Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. Wherever you walk, their counsel can lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up in the morning, they will advise you.
 For these commands and this teaching are a lamp to light the way ahead of you. The correction of discipline is the way of life.

Most of all, God is worthy of our trust and our praise. We are to honor Him above all others and obey His commands. May we take seriously the commands of God and the opportunities He puts before us to live for Him despite great adversity.

Praise God we have a great high priest who intercedes for us before our holy God. In Christ we live and serve and do all things.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

Judges 15-19  (8-20-22)

In our Bible reading this week, we heard the testimony of God’s work in and through Samson. Samson is given recognition in Hebrews 11 also known as the faith hall of fame for those whom trusted in God and were used by God in mighty ways. Samson struggled with sin and a lack of obedience to God and for this he is often pegged as more of a failure than a success. But the truth of the gospel is that, in the end, we who trust in Jesus are measured by Christ in us and not our own merit or performance.

Is it important we understand that true believers in Jesus will obey His commands and grow in sanctification. This is true, but what we must see in Samson is less of his own ups and downs and to try to extract a moral story from him and recognize that it is ultimately God that Samson points us to. Samson was not only used by God in major ways, but he also served as a shadow of the great Redeemer to come! Jesus Christ would be a truer and better Samson.

In this, I want you to see Samson’s similarities to Jesus Christ.

-Samson and Christ are children of prophecy and promise.
-Samson “will begin the deliverance of his people”. Christ completed it.
-The promise was given by an angelic visit.
-The Spirit of the Lord came upon both of them.
-Their own people rejected them.
-Israel (Judah) handed both of them over to their oppressors to be killed by them.

While Samson was practically used by God for his strength, he is spiritually used by God through his weakness. Christ as a lamb, is defeated in his flesh but with this defeat on the cross he is victorious eternally for all whom he stood in place. After Samson’s haircut, he is weak but was put into a situation that he could have only been in by being temporarily defeated which was his God-given strength to publicly humiliate and defeat all of the Philistine kings, leaders, armies, and thousands of people.

So, what we need to do better when studying the Old Testament is to remember that much of it is looking to point us forward to Christ. See Samson’s key role in God’s larger plan in these ways:

1. Samson was the beginning of God’s deliverance.
2. Samson was prophesied by an angel delivering the news to his mother and father.
3. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson not once, but multiple times–mentioned more times than any one other person in the Old Testament.
4. Samson is the only one who was given great strength by the Spirit of God (multiple times).
5. Samson single-handedly defeated thousands of Philistines.
6. Samson was alone–his own people rejected him in favor of peace with their captors (Re: Caiaphas, in John 11:45-53).
7. Samson sacrificed himself in accordance with God’s plan to “begin the deliverance of Israel”.

Samson is an unnerving hero of faith. He did exercise faith and he was unfaithful in his obedience. But God still had a key role for him to play. God gives each of us gifts “according to the grace given to us” (Romans 12:6). They are undeserved and they are for the “common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). They are about God’s greatness, not ours.

So, let Samson’s faith soberly remind us that our spiritual or talent gifts are not God’s endorsement of us, that faithful obedience is better than impressive giftedness, and that faith must work through love (Galatians 5:6).

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

Judges 10-14  (8-13-22)

As Israel continues to struggle with denying God and choosing sin instead of obedience, God is forced to bring punishment to them, as per the terms of the covenant He made with them. Read Judges 10:10-14 again and hear the Lord’s response to them:

Judges 10:10-14 And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” And the Lord said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”

Wow. What a sobering thing to hear God say. While God is completely justified to hold a sinful and rebellious people accountable for their treason and disobedience, we all too often read God’s judgment as being too hard. Why is it that we want to make God soft when it comes to His judgment of sin and lawlessness? I think it is our flesh and its proneness to make little of God’s holiness and righteous justice and to make too little of our guilt and deserved wrath. To clarify, God is completely within the terms of the covenant He made with Israel. Let’s take a moment to review the Old Covenant God made with physical Israel.

The word covenant can commonly be used in social, marriage, and theological contexts. A divine covenant is initiated by God. In this, we need to see that God is the sovereign One. God has decreed what covenants He would initiate and into which He would enter. This happens by His eternal will. When God enters a covenant, it was not a good idea of someone else; rather, it was His decree to do so, and the terms are set by Him. So for the covenants that God has made with man, it was God who initiated them, for wise and excellent purposes, and He sets the terms.

A divine covenant may include obligations, rewards, and/or punishments from God. Some covenants require specific obligations be met by another party in order for the covenant rewards to be experienced. Some covenants include rewards for one party or another based solely on grace to them. And some covenants include various punishments for the breaking the terms of the covenant.

That is what we see here. God tells Israel they will be held accountable for not keeping their part of the covenant. The sobering part of this is that it can’t help but feel like our lives at times. Even as Christians, we still fight the temptation to sin and often give into the sin for which our flesh longs. The good news is that we have a better covenant in Christ—a new divine covenant between God and His elect, called the Church. This New Covenant has replaced the terms of the Old Covenant that God made with Israel. While many Jews who were under the Old Covenant have been given saving faith in Jesus and thereby entered into the New Covenant in Christ, many Jews have not. This is a sad reality when we see Jews reject the Messiah and therefore stand condemned. This is an important clarity that many modern-day Christians get wrong. Jesus was clear saying, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

We must rightly understand that God has not provided another way for people to be saved outside of Christ, and this includes the Jews. Any Jew who denies Christ as Lord and Savior is not saved according to Christ and the fullness of God’s word. We must understand that the Old Covenant pointed the true believers of God to the New Covenant and ultimately to the Christ. Any of God’s people who were under the Old Covenant who would be ultimately saved from their sin to reign with God forever put their faith in the future-coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. No one comes to the Father unless through Christ. 

Now, this all leads to good news for those of us who truly have placed our faith and lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Not only are we saved by His blood from our sin, but we are secure in this salvation and cannot be separated from God once saved. Paul says it most famously in Romans 8:37-40: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The Scriptures tell us again and again that the blood of Jesus is enough to cover all our sin. This means that nothing we can do can separate us from God’s saving us in Christ. The Scriptures are clear that those whom the Father has chosen, He will have; and all those He has saved, He will not lose.

Jesus speaks again of our security in His protection and power. For example, we see this in John 10:27-29: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” 

Our security is in God’s infallible commitment to fulfill the conditions of our eternal standing with Him.

By grace, He caused us to be born again by creating our faith; and, by grace, He protects us on the way to heaven by preserving our faith. Jesus has and will guard His chosen and redeemed ones to the end.

This is the good news I want us all to understand in light of reading Judges 10 this week. Yes, the conditions of the Old Covenant were that if the people did not obey, God would punish them. But the conditions of the New Covenant are that all that God truly saves through the perfect blood of Jesus are eternally secure in the power and promise of God and cannot be snatched, lost, or removed from His perfect choice and atonement in Christ on their behalf.

Surely, you are thinking about those who seemed to be saved and then walked away from God. What about them? Well quickly, the Scriptures are clear time and time again that there are many who will look to be of Christ and even give much of their lives for the name of Christ but so prove to not be of Christ, in that they do not endure but walk away; thereby, they prove they were never truly saved.

A few quick examples:

1. Judas who looked like he was among the brethren but was not. In proving not to be truly for God and saved by God, he did not persevere to the end.

John 6:70-71 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

Jesus ordained from eternity past that 11 would be saved and endure, and one would be reject and betray Him. Judas proved to be a false disciple—really, the most famous false disciple.

John 17:12 “… I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

Jesus is speaking here of Judas, whom God foreordained to walk with Christ but to never be of Christ; he would prove to be an enemy of Christ.

2. John 6:66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

This describes the many disciples who, for a while followed Jesus, but eventually walked away. They proved not to truly have given their lives to Jesus; they were only interested in what He offered them, and in the end, they proved their god was their belly or something else in creation that they longed for more.

Understand that this is not special or unusual; it happens all the time. People come and go from the church all the time. They try religion, they try Christianity, and in the end, they prove to not believe. They prove they are false followers of Jesus. They don’t endure. You must see that this is normal. It is sad but true. In the end, they only had superficial faith.

Understand this: proximity to the gospel doesn’t mean you are saved by the gospel. It is true and lasting fruit that proves true salvation. Will the saved sin and fall? Yes, but they will repent and return; they will grow and mature. These are the signs of the truly saved.

I pray that you are full of joy today if you have truly given your life to Jesus as Lord, because this means you are secure in Christ in the terms of the New Covenant that He has secured for you in His blood. The eternal commitment and power of God will ensure you remain His forever. This is the beautiful doctrine known as Perseverance of the Saints. God will not change His mind and reject them later. We did nothing to gain His love or acceptance. We can do nothing to lose it. We are forever His—forever secure in His power! When the storms rage in your life, do you stand in this assurance?

Jesus said in John 6:39, “… I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” We cannot be lost. Every one of His sheep is precious in His sight. Not only are we precious, but we will stand with Him in victory. He will raise us up on the last day.

John 6:40 “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Eternal life … Not eternal death and destruction.

This is truly good news. Now go and walk in these assurances and spread this gospel to all whom God puts in your path. And if you are guilty of sin, repent and honor God with your life, and know that He has you forever!

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

Judges 5-9  (8-6-22)

1. Brought Low

Read Judges 6:1-6. 

The Lord takes our obedience of Him and His commands seriously. He should because He is God. When His chosen people blatantly disregard His commands and do not give Him the worship He is due, they are ripe for judgment. The oppression for seven years at the hand of Midian was brutal on the Israelites. Can you imagine? You can’t just sit and do nothing, so you labor and grow your crops and raise your animals and try to live, but just as the hard work ends, the harvest is ready, and the animals are fattened, the enemy comes and consumes it all, leaving you none. 

With their tails between their legs, they come to God begging for mercy, and so God sends a prophet. The prophet reminds them all that God has done for them and that His command to worship Him alone and not the false gods of foreigners was clear, and yet they did not obey. We must take seriously the commands of God, because He is God. He is deserving of what He wants. He has been gracious to us and shown us great mercy. We must never forget that we were His enemies, and yet He sent His son to redeem us and make us His very own. What can He give us greater than that? And so, why would we trade Him for anything else? 

2. When Everything Seems to be Against You

Read Judges 6:11-16. 

Gideon’s situation was terrible. He had a hard time believing the stories of his ancestors about a God who delivered them out of great struggle and slavery. His clan was the weakest among his people, and he was the least in his house. Nothing about Gideon makes sense, at least in human thinking, to send him as the leader of the uprising that would conquer the long-time oppressor. Have you ever felt like Gideon? Like everything was against you? Like nothing was in view that gave you hope of getting out of your situation? What Gideon heard next are the greatest words we could ever hear: 

“I will be with you.” There are no greater words you and I could hear than the God of all creation saying, “I will be with you.” 

For us who are saved in Jesus Christ, He has said this to us in His great commission: 

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

May our Lord’s words to us give us the same vigor and faith as Gideon to trust in Him despite what we face!

Read Judges 6:17-21. 

Gideon showed great faith in his offering to the Lord. This was not like you and me going to the fridge and giving up our steak dinner. This kind of sacrifice cost him something significant. And the Lord saw this and was satisfied in it. 

3. The Lord is Peace

Read Judges 6:22-24. 

Gideon was in awe at the fact that he saw the Lord face to face. “Peace be with you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” These are the very words Jesus would say to His people, as He prepared to die in their place and rise to victory over death, so we would have true peace and not fear, for we are victorious in Christ forever. Praise God!

In Judges 6:25-40, the Lord gives Gideon a test, which Gideon completes, and then Gideon asks the Lord for more confirmation, and He does it. So the table is set for Gideon to trust in God and do what He asks, even though his leading the uprising is an unthinkable reality by humans’ measure. 

4. God Gives Us More Than We Can Handle

Read Judges 7:1-18.

The only thing working for Gideon, humanly speaking, was the large number of men he was poised to take into battle against their enemy. Thirty-two thousand men is not a small number of soldiers, but God wanted to be sure He would rightly receive the praise and adoration of His people. So, He only sent 300 men. 

The next time someone says that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle, point them to Judges chapter seven. 

God instructing Gideon to take on over 100,000 enemy soldiers with just 300 soldiers fits in the “more than you can handle” category. Imagine how Gideon and his servant, Purah, must have felt trying to come to grips with a humanly impossible assignment.

When people say, “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle,” what they mean is that God’s redeemed will endure to the end. The hardships we face will not undo us. But what it doesn’t mean is that God only gives us things we can handle. God gives us more than we can handle all of the time. Why? So we will rely on Him. So He gets the credit when we endure. So our faith is put on display. 

Picture this scene with me: Standing on the side of Mount Gilboa, Gideon gazed over the Plain of Jezreel, which sprawled beneath him northward toward the Hill of Moreh. The plain was a sea of tents, teaming with more than 100,000 Midian warriors.

With renewed faith, Gideon and Purah roused their mini army and launched a night attack. This threw the Midians into a panic, and as a result, they slaughtered each other in confusion. It was a rout. Not one of Gideon’s 300 men perished in the battle. God gave them more than they could handle to force them to rely wholly on Him. To God be the glory!

When we’re confronted with an impossible situation or trial, Gideon’s 300 men preach to us that “salvation… is from the Lᴏʀᴅ” (Psalm 37:39), and “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). God really intends for us to rest on these massive truths and for them to give us more-than-conquerors’ confidence and peace (Romans 8:37), no matter what we face.

The defeat of our sin that Jesus accomplished on the cross dwarfs Gideon’s victory. Compared to overcoming God’s wrath against our sin, defeating 100,000 Midianites was very small. And if God “… did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will He not also with him graciously give us all things” (Romans 8:32)?

God certainly does give us more than we can handle. And He does it “… to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9). If you’re facing some overwhelming adversary or adversity, and you wonder how God could possibly deliver and work it for your good (Romans 8:28), then take heart. He is granting you the joy of experiencing the reality of Judges 7, Romans 8, and 2 Corinthians 1. We must trust in Him despite how the situation is stacked against us. 

Judges 7:9-8:32 tells of the great victory and conquest of Gideon’s army against their enemies. Gideon had a huge family and many offspring and died at a ripe old age in peace. But how quickly Israel forgets all they have seen and runs back to their flesh:

Judges 8:33-35 As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal- berith their god. And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.

May we not be like Israel, but be like Gideon–faithful and willing to put our lives on the line to trust in God and fight for His glory to be the center of our praise! 

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church