Category: Saturday Study

Saturday Study

Jonathan (8-6-16)

Grab your Bibles and let’s dig into 1 Samuel and the life of Jonathan.

Many of us will say, “I would die for Jesus” or “If someone put a gun to my head, I would not deny Jesus”. These are bold statements in big situations with huge ramifications yet at times they are easy. My associate pastor at our church spent time in Russia on a mission trip. While there, he worked with a pastor whose brother was bulldozed with his church when he would not give up the names of the congregants to the Communist regime.  This was a great sacrifice! It was not a one moment of faith thing, but a pattern of trusting and obeying God in all things. Because that small local assembly was being led faithfully, the Communists wanted to shut it down. If the pastor was not teaching and modeling faith, then the Communists would not have wanted to shut it down. It is living our faith in the everyday situations that prepares us to take the bigger steps of faith in extreme situations.

Jonathan is an inspiring biblical character. As we have read of his life and his death over the past week hopefully you were impacted by his testimony. Jonathan made a lot of little choices that laid the pattern for bigger steps of faith. There are many lessons we can learn from Jonathan as we meditate upon the scriptures. First, Jonathan’s faith in God is so big it routes an army. Second, Jonathan’s submission to the plan of God is dethroning. Third, Jonathan’s support of a friend is a bullseye. Fourth, Jonathan’s legacy is powerful.

First. Jonathan’s faith in God is so big it routes an army. We start out this week with the garrison of the Philistines and the army of Israel under Saul hiding in caves (I Samuel 14:11). A garrison that is literally protected on three sides by sharp (literally toothy) rocks. Saul had 600 men with him. We see again where the lack of Saul’s faith in God leads him to ungodly behavior. This is a great contrast to his son Jonathan. Praise God for his work in Jonathan that he did not follow in Saul’s footsteps. Even if we are godly, there are things that we do not want our children to follow us in doing. Jonathan was godly. He did everything for God’s glory and trusted in His name. Saul did everything to protect his own power and authority.

Jonathan then proceeds to sneak away from camp with his armor barer (squire) with him while not telling anyone else. Jonathan knew his father would prevent him from doing this. In 1 Samuel 14:6, Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.” First, by calling them ‘uncircumcised’ Jonathan is saying these are not people that are part of the covenant. They are not God’s covenant people.

Second, seeing the final sentence from the verse ‘nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few’. This is Jonathan’s faith coming out. This is like David’s statement against Goliath, “I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel…”. The continued trust in YHWH is shown in verse 10, “But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.”

As we continue, we see that the Philistines mock Jonathan and his armor barer (I Samuel 14:11-12). They allow them to come up. Then Jonathan and his armor barer set to work. They kill 20 men one right after another in their first surge. Half a furrow is half a row that oxen could do in a field. The idea is that it is a very short distance.  Jonathan and his esquire routed that garrison. We read that they started shaking like a leaf and flee. The Philistines fleeing is noticed by Israel and they do a head count and realize Jonathan is missing. They then proceed to chase the Philistines. This is an amazing story. The obedience of one man saves many.

Jonathan was obedient to God and conquered the Philistines garrison. This points us to Jesus who was also obedient. Romans tells us through one man’s disobedience sin entered the world and through one man’s [Jesus] obedience the many will be made righteous. Jonathan’s faith foreshadows Jesus’ perfect faith. We are to trust in Christ as the payment for our sin.

Second, Jonathan’s submission to the plan of God is dethroning. This is one of the great narratives (historic story) in scripture. Jonathan and David were best friends. Their hearts (souls – innermost being) were knit together in love. Understand that this is a brotherly love at its best. This is not a sinful homosexual or off color relationship. It is a description of two men who have something very deep in common and have bonded in a very God-honoring way.

Let’s look at the text,

1 Samuel 18:1-4  As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.  2  And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house.  3  Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.  4  And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.

Jonathan was the son of Saul, the king of Israel. He was next in line to be the king of Israel. What makes this exchange so amazing is the fact that we essentially see Jonathan giving up his birth right to David. They covenanted together. Covenants are made based on trustworthy relationships and they are made before God. A covenant should not ever be broken for any reason. For example, the covenant of marriage is only completed by death.

Jonathan shows sacrificial love and great humble submission as he takes off his earthly vestments, his robe (signifies importance) and takes off his armor. This is saying you are more important than I am. I will lay down my life for your protection. His sword is a representation of his duty to administer justice and the bow is a representation of provision of food. Jonathan gave up the throne willingly! Jonathan gave David the means to defend, rule and provide. These were not some extra items. This was HIS armor, HIS sword and HIS bow. Now, realize that the text doesn’t tell us that Jonathan knew David was anointed by Samuel to be the next king. Jonathan bowed and submitted himself to the plan of God which literally was giving up his throne. How many of us would be humble enough to see this through and not fight and argue if God called us to this?  What a testimony in that Jonathan did not prize these things or this lifetime position above God’s plan.

In response to this, Saul gets mad at Jonathan and tells him that he is giving up the kingdom. Jonathan didn’t let things, positions, or power get in the way of his relationship with his God. If you reread the passages and look for the ways Jonathan trusted and humbly submitted himself to God, you will be blessed. Even in the attack on the garrison, Jonathan had no guarantee he would live, but willingly pressed on to fulfill God’s plan to extend the kingdom according to the promises of Old Testament Israel.

If we were next in line to be king, would we willingly give up that plan for God’s plan- stepping aside to let someone else be king and have authority, wealth, and power? To spend our life in obscurity often times is more challenging than to go out in a blaze for God’s glory.  Would we forsake our lives to extend the kingdom of God? Are we willing to serve Him in any capacity: scrubbing toilets, picking up trash, giving up the American dream, packing up and going to a foreign country, giving up hobbies to spend time discipling our kids? Are we willing to dethrone ourselves and our plans for the plan of God?

Third, Jonathan’s support of a friend is a bullseye.  The text says that Jonathan and David’s souls were knit together. This should not be some weird thing. These two had similar faith, similar desires, they bonded on a much deeper level than just sports, war or physical items. Jonathan and David bonded at a level much deeper and that is their desire for the glory of God’s name. It is because of this bond and the desire for God’s glory that Jonathan warns David and sets up a strategy using archery. Though Jonathan missed the bullseye or the mark, he placed the arrow where it needed to be to protect his friend.

Hopefully you see the trust that David had in Jonathan. David obeyed the plan and was patient. Jonathan could have had David killed to secure the throne for himself, but he doesn’t. He takes the ungodly anger of his father and sets out to do what is right. If you look at the way Jonathan disobeys his father for the plan of God you will see that this was not in your face rebellion, but honoring and obedient in a sense. Saul was belligerent yet Jonathan does not respond in any negative ways.

Jonathan and David’s relationship is an example of what a godly friendship looks like. Each person trusts the other. Each knows the other has his best interest in mind. Humbly submitting to one another. Trusting each other for advice. Supporting each other to do the plan of God even to the point of denying oneself benefits and pleasures.

How many of us have someone we trust like this that we would be willing to submit to, listen to, forsake pleasures for their greatness, like-minded in our faith, pushing one another in a closer walk with God?

Finally, Jonathan’s legacy is powerful. In the text this week, we read that Jonathan was killed in battle along with his three brothers. This is important for us to understand. God took Jonathan’s life opening the way for David to fulfill his role. In 2 Samuel 9:1-9, we see the legacy of Jonathan. David brought the only living heir who was crippled to live in the house of the king and to provide for him. Jonathan’s legacy was powerful. He was a mighty warrior, he was son to the king, and he was a trustworthy friend. The most powerful part of Jonathan’s legacy is the fact that he was a man that followed after God. Jonathan submitted willingly to the plan of God trusting in God’s sovereign plan, not the results he desired and not in what he could gain nor for fame. In life and in death Jonathan was obedient to God.

What kind of legacy are you leaving? Are you a parent like Saul? Are you an obedient servant like Jonathan? Are you seeking the kingdom of God first? Are you trusting by faith in the promises of God? Are you following in the little things- the minor stuff? These are the building blocks of great faith. Are you willing to dethrone yourself?

What little patterns of faith are you establishing in your own life? Faith is shown by obedience. We see how Jonathan was obedient. How are you being obedient? God tells us if you love me, you will keep my commandants. Are you doing this by loving the Lord your God above everything, loving your neighbor as yourself, loving your wife, training up your children in the word, and reading and studying the word? These are the little things.  Spend some time this week evaluating the little things in your life and asking if you are being faithful to God in them?

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Olive Drive Church

Saturday Study

Saul (7-23-16)

In I Samuel 8:7-18, the people demanded a king.

Why was this a bad thing?

1. Because God was Israel’s King and who can be a better King than God? So, their desire to have a human king was to fulfill selfish, fleshly longings that they believed would bring them to a better place in the land.  But, in the end, this desire was a rejection of God as King.  This is a total offense to God and all that he deserves.
2. The other problem with the people’s demand for a human king was the negative things that would happen to them under the rule of a man.  Samuel warned them of all of this, but they still wanted what they asked for.

Illustrating the old adage, “be careful what you wish for because you just might get it,” the Lord responded to the pleas of the Israelites to give them a king like the other nations. As we turn to 1 Samuel chapter 9, we see Samuel obey God’s command to give the people what they ask for and to raise up Saul as the first King of Israel.

Saul is the people’s idea of a king as he is attractive, large in stature, impressive and noble. But as we have read, he lacks the key quality God wants to see in a king which is “faithfulness of the heart that leads to covenant obedience”. Without this attribute, Saul is a failure in God’s sight, no matter how successful he may appear to the human eye.

Let’s dig into Saul’s story and worship God who is at work in all these things, even in the failed leadership of Israel’s first King.

In 1 Samuel 9:1-2, we read that there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish. He was a Benjamin and a man of wealth. He had a son whose name was Saul- a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

Oh, how we love to judge each other based on our looks and outward appearance or performance.  As we will study next lesson, God looks beyond the outer appearance and performance and looks into the heart and character of a man. Again and again, God’s word leads us to look for the fruit and not just the fruit of words or actions, but the fruit that reveals the heart and character of a person.  We would do well to focus on the inside and let that produce what is on the outside.

In 1 Samuel 9:3-14 we read that Saul is sent by his father to look for some lost donkeys and it becomes quite the adventure until he runs into Samuel.  By God’s sovereign appointment, Samuel has instructions for Saul that will change his life and alter the course of all of Israel.

1 Samuel 9:15-16- Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel, “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.”

In 1 Samuel 9:17-27, Samuel blesses Saul with food and provisions and a place to sleep.

In 1 Samuel 10:1-8, Samuel tells Saul that he will be the prince of the people of God and gave him very specific instructions to follow until Samuel would come meet him again and there provide a burnt offering for the Lord.

1 Samuel 10:9-13 shows us how God was with, working in and through Saul. Saul was given a new heart and the things Samuel said would happen came to pass.  This was especially highlighted in the fact that Saul was prophesying which took the people by surprise as it was out of place for Saul to do this.  The Holy Spirit was at work in these things and God’s hand was setting the table for Saul’s rise to power.  But it is super interesting how it is noted that the people were so shocked as these spiritual things were not who Saul was and weren’t in line with his character. This is yet another sign that what we see on the outside is not always a right indication of who that person is on the inside.  We must take our time to really know who a person is.

In 1 Samuel 10:17-24, Samuel reveals that Saul is the one who will be their king and the people celebrate and shouted, “Long live the king!”.

Read 1 Samuel 13:1-23.

Saul goes from conquest and victory to being pinned in a corner and ultimately out of patience.

In Verse 12, we read that Saul usurped the authority and role of the priest and offered sacrifices to the Lord on his own authority.  This is a blatant act of disobedience.  Now, this doesn’t seem that big of a deal to you and me, but we must understand it is a transgression and willful disobedience against God’s command and even though Saul might have intended to honor the Lord in his actions of sacrifice and burnt offering, he dishonored God by doing it his way.

Can you think of a time when you did what you thought was the right thing, but in the end was still an act of disobedience to your parents, the law or God?  We must be oh so careful to not ever decide that our way is better than God’s way even when it seems to be a good idea in our minds.

1 Samuel 10:13-14- And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

Samuel makes it clear to Saul that he had broken God’s command and therefore his reign as king will not continue.

Instead God will command another man who lives to honor God. In verse 14, we read the phrase that will become most famous in describing King David, “a man after his own heart”.  While David will be far from perfect and will himself have many moments of disobedience and sin, he will have a heart, a character, a core desire to honor God and not himself.  Just like the heart of the saved and redeemed that lives to honor God even though we struggle with sin.  We no longer live as slaves to our sin but live to honor and worship the one true God.

God is surely at work to show the people of Israel the difference between the kind of king they desire and pick based on outward appearance and the kind of king that God has for his people ultimately a King that will be totally righteous forever and ever- Jesus Christ.

Later in chapter 15, we see the next step of selfish disobedience by Saul against God.

Long before the time of Saul in the days of the wilderness wandering, Israel had been savagely attacked from the rear by the Amalekites, a deed the Lord had promised to avenge someday (Ex. 17:8- 16). The time had now come so Samuel commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites totally, that is, to place them “under the ban”. This was a wartime practice of total destruction of a people and their property.  This kind of ban was only able to be decreed by God, but Saul failed to obey the command and kept some of the spoils of the land and even the king himself to benefit by personally and to show off to his people upon his return.   Once again, Saul is a perfect representative of his people who only want what they want.  He doesn’t hold in high regard the instruction of the Lord and does his own self-benefitting thing.  For this, he would be punished.

Read 1 Samuel 15:10-35.

Saul is filled with excuses and doesn’t own up to his sinful actions.  Samuel is patient with him and makes it clear that God desires our obedience before our sacrifice or offerings.  If we obey him from the get go, we show him that we honor him above our sinful longings.  To ignore his commands and be disobedient and think we will just bring an offering of atonement is to manipulate our Lord. May we fight sin and our desire to do it our way.  May we love to honor God and obey his commands.
May we be men and woman after his own heart in that we truly want to live for him in all we do despite the fact that we struggle with sin.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Olive Drive Church

Saturday Study

Samuel (7-16-16)

Grab your Bibles and let’s go deeper into the testimony of Samuel.

God Chooses Samuel

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 his voice thinking it is 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). 

Therefore, we are desperate for God to awaken our dead heart and call us to himself. 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.”

When we understand that it is God who saves and sends us, this 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 do we have if it is simply up to me 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.  It is God who will endure us to the end and lose none of his chosen people.  So, Samuel is called by God and commissioned to be a prophetic voice to the people.

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 does he have to hear God’s judgment on someone he loves, 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 his interaction with Eli, 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 1 Samuel 3:19-20 we read, “Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 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.’”   

Samuel makes it clear to the people that they are to honor God and worship him alone. Put away your false idols and worship and serve God only and he will lead you and deliver you.  This is surely the command of God on us.  We too must hear and act on these words.

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.’ 6 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.”

The people were obedient and did as they were told. They practiced confession and repentance.

This is what we are called to do in Christ when we see our sin or are called on our sin- confess and repent.

Let’s look at these closer…

1. Confess:

(Confession) –from the root word meaning “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…

“This was sin… you call it sin… I am calling it sin.   I am saying out loud to you, God…  I sinned!”

1 John 1:8-9 If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. ⁹But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.

Now there is much we know we have done in sin, but there is much we are not tuned into also.

One of the important things we must practice is being still and quiet before God. Why? 

Because the Holy Spirit will reveal to us the sin that maybe we haven’t seen or acknowledged yet.

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

2. Repent:

Confession leads to repentance. So, what is repentance exactly?

It is commonly used in church circles, but do we really understand what it really is?

Repentance is:  Taking up a new course in light of God’s will.   It is turning from sin and turning to obedience and honoring God.

If confession is admittance!  –to agree together with God who knows already what really happened-

repentance is new direction!  It is surrendering your current wrong path to get on the right one.

We must practice regularly confession and repentance. It is not enough to say we sinned in confession. We must turn from that sin and practice righteousness. We must turn in repentance and take up a new course or practice that honors God.

Repentance is not something you do one time to be saved. Martin Luther said famously: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said “Repent,” he intended that the entire life of believers should be repentance.”

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 to great victory.  Here, we also see that God endured Samuel to rule over and be a faithful judge of Israel all the days of his 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.

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

In I Samuel 8:7-18, we see the problem with the people’s desire for a human king and the consequences that will come if they choose to have a human king.  When we read narratives like this, it is often too easy for us to declare that they were stupid to choose to deny God as King and long for a human ruler in his place.  But is this not what we do often in our everyday lives? We must be oh so careful to not ever think that a human ruler is our hope or refuge.  God alone is our King and we are members of his kingdom in Christ.  In this we must carefully navigate the politics of the temporary land we find ourselves living in.

We must remember that we don’t live for politics. We don’t base our confidence about the future on who gets elected.

Pastor John Piper said this well when he said,

“Let those who vote or do politics do it as though they were not doing it [1 Cor 7:29-31] which means there’s a kind of engagement that is not all consuming. There is a kind of voting, a kind of doing politics a kind of advocacy which is not   investing out whole selves in it because we are not here fully. We have a foot in heaven and a foot on the earth, we are   citizens of two kingdoms, and this is not our main home. This world is passing away…”

1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

We know this system is disappearing. We shouldn’t be so worked up about our opponent getting elected that it will undo our life.  What we ought to be saying is:  “I am God’s child.  Jesus Christ is my KING. I will trust in and serve Him all the days of my life”.

Daniel 2:21 tells us that God is the one who ultimately removes kings and sets up kings.  So we vote and engage in all that is before us trusting that God can and will use the upcoming season in the life of our country for his glory and our good no matter who gets elected president.   May we avoid doing what the Israelites did which was to put their hope into human kings and instead be sure our priorities and thoughts and hope is for HIS kingdom first and foremost.

The Faithfulness of God Despite Our Rebellion and Sin.

In 1 Samuel 12:20-25, Samuel remained faithful until the end of his life.  God used him in major ways despite the ups and downs of the people he led.  We can learn a lot from Samuel in that the fact that he remained faithful to God and those he led despite how hard they made it.  We must remember we serve the Lord at the end of the day.  We must remember he is sovereign over all things.  We are not led or swayed by our circumstances.  We are led by the Lord of hosts.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Olive Drive Church

Saturday Study

Eli (7-9-16)

Grab your Bibles, and let’s go deeper into the testimony of Eli.

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. 24 No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. 25 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. 6 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? 28 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. 29 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 comes 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 Levi 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. 15 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. 16 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. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 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.” 18 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 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 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.
21. Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck.
22. 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.
23. 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

Olive Drive Church

Saturday Study

Hannah (7-2-16)

Grab your Bibles, and let’s go deeper into the life of Hannah.

First Samuel 1:1–2:12 testifies of the story of Hannah.

Hannah was a godly woman married to Elkanah the Ephraimite. For several years of her marriage, she was unable to conceive any children. This was a big deal in this culture and time, and the Scriptures tell us that she was mocked heavily for being barren. While this surely was hard to endure in addition to not having the great blessing of bearing a child, she remained faithful to worship and pray to God.  Each year she would go up to Shiloh with her family, and on one of those occasions, we are let into Hannah’s fervent prayer for a son and her pledge to dedicate him to the Lord, should she bear one.

Hannah gives us three important areas we should be practicing in our prayer life.  I want to highlight those today and encourage you to look to grow in each of them in your prayer life.

Constant Prayer

Do you share Hannah’s practice for faithful and constant prayer, instead of giving up when your circumstances are not going your way?

Matthew 7:7 says, “Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.”

Do you see the true value and importance of prayer?  How powerful is it to you?

Let me ask you: How often do you pray?  “This is a sign of how powerful you believe prayer is.”

To teach us the need for constant prayer, Jesus told this story in Luke 18:

Luke 18:1-8   One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up. ²“There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who was a godless man with great contempt for everyone. ³A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, appealing for justice against someone who had harmed her. ⁴The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she wore him out. `I fear neither God nor man,’ he said to himself, <sup>5</sup>`but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’ ”
⁶Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this evil judge. ⁷Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?”

If you know something is in God’s will, keep praying.  Do not lose heart.  Keep interceding.  Keep going to Him, the source.
When you do this it will:

1. Keep hope alive!  When you stop praying, it is a great sign you have lost hope in that situation.
2. It will maintain a willingness in to you to be led by Him in His timing.  When you stop praying, you believe you have learned all there is to learn, or that God is not able or willing to move in the situation..
3. It will guard your heart from sin. When you are going to God, you are not looking to something else to be the source or the answer.  EXAMPLE: If you are single and you are praying for a godly spouse, keep praying. Because as you pray in God’s will for the godly person He is preparing for you, you are constantly reminded of the kind of godly person God longs for you to be ONE WITH. When you do not do this, in sin you forget; you compromise; you begin to look for answers on your own: in your timing and in your power and by your discernment.

If we truly understood prayer’s power and how important it is, then we wouldn’t pray just once for something, but all the time. In some ways, it’s our constant submission that’s more important than what we are asking for!

If we learn this we won’t pray just when it gets too hard but when we begin, during and after.

Thankful Prayer

Now back to Hannah: God heard her prayer, had mercy on her, and gave her the child she requested (1:1–20).

Not only do we see that Hannah prayed for what she desired from the Lord but also she thanked Him for giving it to her.

God’s word is clear that we are to be thankful to God, and this should be a regular part of our prayer life.

Thanksgiving Prayer: Expresses gratitude and thanks to God for what He has done and is doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18:  pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Ephesians 5:20: giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Psalm 7:17 I will thank the Lord because he is just

Psalm 30:12 Oh Lord my God I will give you thanks forever

Psalm 95:2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving

Acts 13:48 they were very glad and thanked the lord for his message

What we see is an incredible prayer that is focused not only on God’s goodness in the specific instance of giving Samuel to her but also on the mercies of the Lord for the entire nation of Israel.  Her prayer celebrates the sovereignty of our Creator in making Hannah’s barren womb fruitful (2:5b), and it looks for God to give strength to the king who is not yet on the throne of the nation (v. 10b). Hannah saw in the answer to her prayer a sign of the Lord’s grace on the entire community and thanked Him accordingly.  We should have a similar focus in our prayers. It is very easy to get so focused on our needs that we ignore the needs of the body of Christ and others around us. When God blesses us, it is appropriate to thank Him and to look for how that blessing might be shared with the Lord’s people as well.

Yielding Prayer

Hannah asked for Samuel with an eye toward giving him over to serve God and prepare the way for Israel’s king (1 Sam. 9:16), and we too should intercede with an eye as to how the answer might be used to extend His kingdom. Our prayer is truly to be selfless and openhanded. We need to practice prayer that takes into account the needs of God’s people.

We need to practice yielding to God the things to which we are prone to hold too tightly.

Jesus modeled this for us in the Garden of Gethsemane!

Jesus did not “want” to be mocked, beaten, have his flesh torn off, and suffer a slow death on a criminal’s cross, but rather than demanding his way, he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” -Luke 22:42.   This is a Yielding Prayer.  This is YIELDING TO GOD WHO KNOWS BEST.

If you stop and think about it, we should always want God’s will over our own. Because our will is desperately selfish and many times driven by sinful desires or motivations.  Also God has such a better perspective for what’s ahead than we do.  Why would we not trust in His holy will and better view for our lives?

The question is do you truly want what God wants.  Or are you just saying that?

I pray that Hannah’s faithfulness in prayer is a great encouragement and reminder to you.

She was faithful to ask and bring her request to God.

She was faithful to thank God for His response and hand in her life.

She was faithful to yield to God what He had entrusted to her to be used ultimately for His purposes and will.

I have always enjoyed considering the acronym for the word PRAY as a great reminder of these things.

1. P raise – Praise and thank God! It is not about you but all about God. For who He is!
2. R epent – Confess sin and ask for forgiveness. Experience renewal!
3. A sk — Ask God earnestly all your needs and let Him know your concerns.
4. Y ield – Leave it in God’s hands! Trust His deliverance and timing and want for His will to be done.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Olive Drive Church