Feb 28 (1 Sam 17)

1st Samuel 17

The Philistine army is on one hill, and the Israeli army is on the opposite hill. Goliath comes down to the valley between them, and taunts the men of Saul's army, and they hide in fear. It's no wonder...remember, a cubit is about 18 inches (measured from your elbow to the tip of your fingers). If Goliath was over six cubits, then he was at least 10 feet tall! And we know Goliath wasn't a skinny guy...the armor, helmet and spear he carried were very heavy...his strength must have exceeded at least three men!

So here is this young shepherd boy, who was only supposed to play the harp for the king to have his "bad spirits" go away. As we've already seen, God uses the weakest and least likely people to do great things! I stress this with my kids, since everyone has talents and limitations. But with God, we are strong!

All the books of the Bible relate to each other, and tell the same story...God's glory and plan of redemption for all of us! If we recall in Genesis 6:4, there were mysterious giants who were "mighty men of renown" and of great strength. There are different opinions as to what these giants were (descendants of Seth, or hybrid offspring of the Nephilim). I think the latter makes more sense, since we see in 1 Chr 20:6-8 that these giants were not only huge, but they had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot. This is a good example of what an abnormal union between angel and man would do.

(v.29) We as Christians and ambassadors of Christ, we are to be loving and kind. But God does call us to defend His name and especially His Word. Here, David is outraged that this Goliath is taunting and blaspheming the LORD, and no one will do anything about it! He utters a classic question:

"Is there not a cause?"

David knows that evil will win if good people don't stand up to them. He is given Saul's armor and sword, but they don't fit him. This is equivalent to the gifts of the Spirit...we all have our talents from the LORD, and if we try to do things that He hasn't gifted us with, we aren't successful. David knew this, and he went with what he was good at...the slingshot. As a shepherd, he used it to ward off wolves, lions and bears.

So with faith that God will have him slay Goliath, he goes to the river and gets five smooth stones for his slingshot. Why five stones? Why not just one, or ten? We don't know for sure, but 2 Sam 21:20 and 1 Chr 20:6-8 tell us that Goliath had four brothers! Perhaps David was determined to kill all five giants that day!

This is a lesson to us all...we can face our "giants" in life with God on our side!

Feb 27 (1 Sam 15-16)

1st Samuel 15

This is an important chapter for many reasons. First of all, God directed Saul to kill every man, woman, child and all livestock of the Amalekites because they fought against Moses and God's people when they were leaving Egypt (Deut 25:17-19).

Also, they had remnants of the giants with them, and God wanted those satanic hybrids to be destroyed. This is the main reason for killing all the people, instead of just the men. There was an evil culture in those people, both in their blood, and in their customs. They were pagan and satanic, and God didn't want them to influence His people away from Him. My kids ask, "Couldn't God control that?" I tell them He would've, but He did give us free will, so in order for the Jews to truly follow Him, they needed to obey and strive to be holy.

God has His reasons and purposes, and if we look into this, we catch a glimpse of why God wanted Agag and his people destroyed. We will see later, that the Amalekites took credit for the death of Saul, and during the time of Esther, Haman was a descendant of Agag. Haman killed many Jews and wanted to kill all of them.

(v.11) Much like in Gen 6:6, God was saddened by His people. He so wanted them (and wants us now) to love and follow Him. Samuel was sad as well, and we see here that Samuel actually loved Saul.

(v.13) Saul digs his own grave by building a monument for himself, and telling Samuel that the reason he got the livestock, was to offer to God!

(vv.15,21) I take notice with my kids that Saul, when speaking to Samuel, referred to God as Samuel's God...not "our God." This is quite telling of Saul's spirit. He went along with things, but he truly didn't believe in God. We can all think of friends and family who are like Saul. They may go to church, but there is no intimacy with God and passion that comes from one who is born-again.

(v.22) This is very telling to all of us...God wants us to live for Him by His commandments, than rather live a worldly life and go through the confessions and rituals without repentance. God forgives if we repent...He doesn't forgive before we repent.

This is another opportunity to teach my kids the meaning of repentance. It doesn't mean that you feel bad, and ask for forgiveness. It is a literal turning your back on your worldly actions of the past, and facing God again. Repentance is returning to God.

If there is a lifestyle or sin that keeps us stumbling, then we just can't feel bad and do it again thinking that God will forgive. He will forgive, but only if we change and turn away from that sinful lifestyle or deed.

I remind my kids that we all stumble back into our old ways now and again, but it will happen less frequently, and will not control us if we have His Spirit in us.

(v.33) This is how bad it got...a priest, Samuel, had to do the job king Saul should have done. Samuel shows an example of righteous anger here, and obeys God.

1st Samuel 16

(v.1) Samuel mourned for Saul, but God tells him that He has a true king to rule over His people. Jesse is a grandson of Boaz, and a descendant of Judah. As Jacob prophesied in Gen 49:10, the kings shall rule from the tribe of Judah. Jesus is to be in this line of kings.

(v.4) Along with Micah 5:2, we see that Bethlehem is the little town that would produce two kings...the first David, and then the King of Kings, Jesus!

Once again, God uses the little things and little people for big purposes! The firstborn status was given to the youngest of the sons, David. Like Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses...God uses the least likely sons to do great things.

I love how both Moses and David were shepherds...they both are types of Christ...our Great Shepherd.

(v.14) Here we see that God's Spirit left Saul...what a tragic thing to read! In the OT, God had not sent His Spirit to indwell amongst believers, but to come upon them. His Spirit was done with Saul, and never again came upon him...how sad and tragic.

(v.21) David knew that God was going to make him king, but he still showed respect and love for Saul...the current king. This is a great example to us today...we may have a boss, a politician or some other authority that we don't like, but we are still to respect and obey all that God puts into authority.

Feb 26 (1 Sam 13-14)

1st Samuel 13

This is the beginning of the end for Saul. He has confidence from the victory at Jabesh Gilead, and he "blows his own horn" when actually, his son did all the work! Jonathan, we will see, was a kind and faithful man who didn't seek his own fame. The biggest example of this, is that he will later accept and proclaim David to be Israel's next king...not him as the heir to Saul.

Saul makes a fatal mistake, by acting as Israel's priest, and offering a sacrifice to God before all the people dispersed. We can give Saul a break, in that, he was trying to diffuse a panicked situation, and he at least did offer to God BEFORE going to battle! However, he directly disobeyed God, by not waiting for Samuel, and to let God's anointed priest to do the sacrifice.

When Samuel confronts Saul about this, he said he "felt compelled" to act in Samuel's place. Samuel wisely told Saul that he had "done foolishly" to be king and priest.

I remind my kids, that God had the tribe of Levi be the priests, and the tribe of Judah to be the kings. They were NEVER to switch or combine roles for Israel.

(v.19) At the beginning of the chapter, we see that Saul has been king of Israel for two years. Yet, they still don't have weapons of war and self defense. By the time they are panicked to go to battle, they are without weapons to fight their enemies. This is absolute negilgence by Saul.

This reminds me of the war all of us face against Satan, and I read this to my kids:

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

~ Eph 6:11

We are at war daily against Satan and his demons, who tempt us and try to have us fall away from God. Our biggest weapon against this is prayer. Secondly, the more we read the Word of God, the more His Word will be in our minds, and will help us defend against temptation and evil.

1st Samuel 14

Jonathan is different than his father, Saul. He is compassionate, courageous and wise. He had every opportunity to seize power, but he didn't want to defy God. In the end, he defied his earthly father and king by helping David. Jonathan loved God more than his own flesh and blood. Jesus commands this from each of us (Luke 14:26). God wants us to love Him the most, that way, we can love our family and friends with a better and deeper love.

(v.37) Saul, in his arrogance and pride, decided to make an oath. In the process, he condemned his own son to death! I show my kids that Saul asked God if He would help him in the battle, and God did not answer. There can be quite a few reasons that God didn't answer:

~God was angry with Saul, and wasn't listening to him

~He wished to have everything play out first

~God answers prayers, but not according to our timing

My kids and I discuss this, since all three options could have been the case. When we pray to God, are we only doing so when we feel we need Him? Do we think we don't want to bother Him with all the everyday things of our lives? Do we expect an immediate response from God?

In the end, God did not have Jonathan killed, because it was Jonathan who "worked with God" and not Saul.

Feb 25 (1 Sam 11-12)

1st Samuel 11

For clarity, I review where we are at this point with my kids. The people didn't want to be special...they wanted to be like the other nations. Isn't that just like when we were growing up? Most of us wanted to wear the "cool" and trendy clothes of the time like everyone else. If a celebrity wore something unique, then all the youth would emulate.

But God wanted the Jews (and us Christians) to be different...to stand apart from the things of the world. That doesn't mean that we disengage with the world...quite the contrary...we are to engage the world with the Word! We are to live our lives FOR THE LORD, and be salt and light (Matt 5:13-16).

So the people wanted a king...so God gave them one. Remember, God said that the kings would come from the tribe of Judah, and Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. But God knew that the people wanted a king to look like a king, and Saul was as kingly as could be. He was handsome, tall and at first, humble.

(v.6) Here we see such a great start for Saul, that the Holy Spirit is upon him, and lead with courage.

(v.13) Saul shows us that he was giving credit to God for the victory...something that will change very soon.

1st Samuel 12

Now that Israel has its first king, Samuel will step down as their leader, and counsel Saul and his men. Samuel gives a speech, reminding them of his devotion to them and to God, and that he warned them of their wicked wish of wanting a king instead of God to lead them.

From his youth until now, he reminds them that he never mislead them, and that God has always been there for them. To prove that one more time, he has God make a roaring thunder and spectacular lightening in a time when it would be scarce. Also, it must have been exponentially greater than even the worst storms they've experienced, since the whole nation was afraid.

(v.19) Instead of the people repenting and rejecting their want of a king in Saul, they ask for forgiveness and want to still keep Saul! This is called "straddling the fence" or having it both ways. If they were really repentent, they would have abandoned their want for an earthly king, and cried out to God to lead them.

This is where I take some time to teach my kids that relativism is dangerous. If we try to mix worldly things into our spiritual lives, we will see it go the wrong direction. For it is written,

"A little leaven leavens the whole lump." ~ Gal 5:9

Leaven is yeast, which "puffs up" the bread and helps it stay edible longer. Leaven is likened to pride and sin, so what this verse is saying, is when we allow a little sin or worldly things into our lives, it will eventually overpower the purity of our beginnings.

Feb 24 (1 Sam 8-10)

1st Samuel 8

(v.5) Samuel is partly to blame for this situation, since he neglected to discipline his sons all this time. My kids pointed out that Samuel isn't responsible for his sons now, since they are adults, and their actions are there own. I agreed, but the people used Samuel's rebellious sons as an excuse to have a king lead them.

(v.6) This is a sad time in Israel's history, and we can see the similarities today in America. When we put our trust in man instead of God, we will only get oppression and disappointment. God warned the Jews of this, and we can see the same pattern today. We should only want one king...the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords!

(v.20) God set Israel apart from all the other nations, and through which to reveal Himself to the world. Here we see Israel wanting to be like all the other nations. We as Christians are set apart just like Israel (Psalm 4:3), and the more we want to be like the world, the more we're acting like Israel did then.

This is a time where I talk with my kids about the founding of America. They didn't want a king, and they made three separate branches of government to make sure one didn't rule over the others. It was a novel and unique aspect, but it was really derived from the Bible.

Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it layed the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity?

~ John Quincy Adams (6th President of the United States)

~ transcript of his speech at the 61st anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1837

1st Samuel 9

(v.2) And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

God is a gentleman...He will not push Himself upon us. He will repeatedly strive to draw us to Him, but the choice is ours to follow Him or not. After the people insisted they be led by a man, God gave them the most qualified candidate. Saul was over a foot taller than everyone, so he immediately commanded respect. He was handsome and respected. How could this go wrong?!?

I believe God gave the people the best choice possible, in order to show them that no man would lead them perfectly and justly like God would. God is our King...anyone else won't do.

1st Samuel 10

(v.6) In the Old Testament times, God's Spirit didn't enter people like He does after Jesus ascended into heaven. In those times, God's Spirit came upon them...temporarily. Saul had so much potential to be great, but as we'll see, he didn't rely upon God, and the outcome was tragic.

(v.9) When the Holy Spirit is working in our lives, He gives us a new heart. It's not a softer or cleaner heart...it's a new heart. When we are truly saved, we act and look upon things completely differently.

Feb 23 (1 Sam 5-7)

1st Samuel 5

We see the contest between the statue of Dagon, and the ark of the covenant. Dagon was a Philistine god, and was said to have been part man, and part fish (see picture above). It is believed that the Philistines main resource was fishing, so they worshipped Dagon to bring them their livelihood. Although not the same, that's why we have the fish symbol for Christians, since most of the disciples were fishermen, and Jesus told them they would be "fishers of men." (Matt 4:19, Mark 1:17)

The difference is that the Philistines made a god out of Dagon, much like the Jews made a golden calf in the wilderness (Ex 32:4)...both are idols, and are a direct affront to the living God we serve!

I love the confrontation between the ark and Dagon...first, Dagon bows. Secondly, he bows, but his head and hands are broken off! You would think the Philistines would've figured out who the REAL God was!

1st Samuel 6

The ark is returned because the Philistine priests remembered history, and they didn't want to end up like Pharaoh and the Egyptians did! We all need to study and remember our history, so we can learn from our ancestors' mistakes.

Unfortunately, the men of Beth Shemesh weren't as wise, and they looked into the ark. God told them that no one other than the high priest once a year was to do this...so God had to smite them. God is love, but He also must be just and fair...He can't go back on His Word, which He regards higher than His own name. (Psalm 138:2)

1st Samuel 7

(v.4) The people finally repented to the LORD and got rid of their idols. Samuel led them in their repentance, and they once again found favor in God's eyes. I teach my kids that as long as God is #1 in their lives, He will guide them and deliver them.

Feb 22 (1 Sam 3-4)

1st Samuel 3

This was a dark time for Israel and Eli. Not only was God not talking to them because of their disobedience, but Eli was going blind. But here now is Samuel, whom God brought up to serve Him. My kids like the way I act out the scene of Samuel running into Eli's room three times and waking him up!

I also point out, that God does speak to us often...in His Word, in prayer, and through other people and events...we just need to be open and receptive.

(v.10) Here we have another theophany since the LORD "stood" and called out to Samuel.

We see further evidence of this when (v.21) says that the Word of the Lord was revealed to Samuel. I then point out John 1:1 to my kids to show them who the Word of the Lord is!

1st Samuel 4

The Israelites made a big mistake here, and it's all because they didn't know God...they trusted in the ark of the covenant more than God Himself. God was not with them because they were not following Him...the ark that used to be a symbol of God's love for Israel, was reduced to an ineffective box.

This was a tragic time for Israel...they lost many men in battle, Eli's sons were killed, but most of all, the ark of the covenant was taken. To Eli's credit, he reacted to the loss of the ark instead of the loss of his sons...perhaps he finally put God ahead of his sons?

Feb 21 (1 Sam 1-2)

1st Samuel 1

Originally, in the old Hebrew manuscripts, the two books of Samuel and the two books of Kings as we have today, were one book called the Book of Kings. The book of 1 Samuel was written by Samuel, and finished after his death by the prophets, Nathan and Gad.

Samuel is a very interesting man...he was the last judge of the judge era, and the first prophet of the prophet era. He had the honor to anoint the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David.

With that in mind, Samuel warned the Jews that they should follow their heavenly King instead of wanting an earthly king. And, as we shall see, Samuel had his faults like all of us and others in the Bible, that we can learn from (2 Tim 3:16).

This book starts with an amazing woman named Hannah. She is so distraught about not having a child, and she pleads with the Lord to bless her with one, and in return, she will dedicate the child to Him.

I often wonder why Eli had the reaction he did when Hannah was praying in the Temple. Was it common to have people come in there drunk? It obviously was uncommon for people to pray silently...perhaps the arrogance of the day led all to pray out loud and let the others within earshot to hear how "holy" and "righteous" they are by their prayers! I remember Jesus rebuking the Pharisees about this in Matthew 6:5

I like to point out to my kids, that once Eli told Hannah that her prayers would be answered, she ate and moved on. That is a great testament to faith! We should lay our problems at the Cross, and let God deal with them, instead of trying to do it ourselves!

(v.20) God did answer Hannah's prayer, and gave her Samuel. This name in Hebrew means "heard of God." Like Sarah and Rachel before her, God heard her prayer and blessed her because of her faith.


1st Samuel 2

Hannah shows us a grateful prayer, which leads into the direct contrast of Eli's sons. Here we have a man of God, Eli, who has sons that are rebellious. Life is hard on kids who's fathers are pastors or priests...they are looked upon differently, and they are critiqued more strictly than the other kids.

Even with that said, that's no excuse for a kid to dishonor their parents, and perhaps Eli should have reminded his sons of Deut 21:18-21 to keep them in line!

However, Eli did well with teaching Samuel, and God remembered Hannah, and gave her three sons and two daughters to raise, since she gave Samuel to God.

(vv.27-34) God has a man confront Eli, and asks him the important question for all of us:

"Why do you honor your sons more than Me?"

God is done with the Levitical priestly line of representing Him, and He tells Eli that He will "raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind." (v.35)

This is alluding to Jesus, our High Priest, not in the order of the Levitical priests, but in the order of Melchizedek (Gen 14:18; Psalm 110:4; Heb 5:6).

Feb 20 (Ruth 4)

Ruth 4

At the end of chapter 3, we saw that Boaz gave Ruth six ephahs. Numbers represent things in Jewish culture, and obviously, in the Bible. The number six represents "incomplete" and seven represents "complete."

Naomi, being Jewish, knew that this was a message from Boaz, that he wasn't finished, and that he would not rest until he completed the transaction!

(v.5) I find it interesting that Boaz addresses Ruth as a Moabitess and the wife of the dead. I'm not sure if that would have been customary in those days, or even proper disclosure, but it sure got the desired effect that Boaz wanted!!!

In this chapter, we see Boaz performing the transaction at the city gate, with witnesses. My kids find it humorous that they "seal the deal" by giving each other their shoe!

The book concludes with the only proof in the Old Testament that David was from the tribe of Judah. This is important, since way back in Genesis 3:15, and to Luke 1:32, we see that the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah, and be a son of David. In order to rule in the Millennium, and sit on David's throne, Jesus had to be a descendant of David.

Here are some good points to make with your kids about the typology in this book:

~Ruth (Church) couldn't be grafted into Naomi (Israel) unless Naomi (Israel) was exiled from her land

~ This allows Ruth (Church) to marry into Naomi's (Israel's) family

~ Ruth (Church) doesn't replace Naomi (Israel), but is grafted into the same tree of Israel (Rom 11:17)

~ Ruth (Church) comes to know Boaz (Kinsman Redeemer) because of Naomi (Israel)

~ Naomi (Israel) comes to personally know Boaz (Kinsman Redeemer/Christ) through the marriage of Ruth (Church) and Boaz (Christ)

Feb 19 (Ruth 3)

Ruth 3

Here we see Boaz fulfilling the role of the Kinsman Redeemer, which is called a Goel in Hebrew. In those days, if you couldn't afford to keep your land, then a relative (a kinsman) could buy it on your behalf. This is what Boaz was doing for Naomi.

Boaz is a type of Christ in this book, Naomi is a type of Israel, and Ruth is a type of the Church or Bride of Christ.

In order to be a Goel, the kinsman must fulfill the following:

~ must be kin (Jesus became man to die in our place)
~ must be able to purchase (Jesus' blood purchased us)
~ must be willing (Jesus willingly was beaten and crucified for us)
~ must assume all debt (Jesus took on all our sins)

So here we see Boaz, as the Lord of the Harvest, taking on the role of the Goel, and redeeming Naomi (Israel) to her land. In the process, he has taken a Gentile Bride and had all debts forgiven...does this sound familiar?

Is it no wonder that the book of Ruth is read by Jews at the Feast of Shavout (Feast of Weeks) every year? Doesn't it seem strange that this is the only feast that uses leavened bread, and two loaves at that? Isn't this pointing to the existence of the Gentiles in God's plan and the two loaves represent Israel and the Bride of Christ?

Also, this is the very feast that the Church was born on Pentecost! (Acts 2)

Feb 18 (Ruth 2)

Ruth 2

Ruth and Boaz are to meet, and it may seem a coincidence, but we believers know that God doesn't work in coincidences...He directs our paths!

Boaz was probably in his forties and was the land owner of the fields of Bethlehem. It is believed that these were the very fields the where the angel told the shepherds that the Christ child was born, many years later!

Boaz is the son of Hagar, who was a Gentile who helped the two spies at Jericho. We will see that God had Gentile women in His purposes, and ultimately, in the royal kingly line of Judah. Boaz is an ancestor of King David, and thus, of Jesus Himself!

The gleaning of the crops was ordained in Leviticus 19:9, 23:12 in order to provide for the poor and for strangers in the land with no family to provide for them. We must remember that God had everything figured out, and we would have a better society today if we followed His guidelines. This makes me think of the fact that Israel didn't have prisons...that was because of the penalties for theft and murder, that was a huge deterrent. When people are godly and have God's laws on their minds, they are much less likely to break the law...look how far we've strayed from that in our country!

So here was Boaz, a 40-ish bachelor land owner, who probably had many women that wanted to marry him, but he was looking for someone special. Here comes Ruth, a "desirable" young woman (probably in her twenties) gleaning in his field. We see that Boaz is enamored with Ruth, and he instructs his workers to treat Ruth like one of his other workers, and not like a foreigner who is taking the scraps from the field.

Boaz must have found Ruth to be beautiful, but he also loved her heart, for he had already known of Ruth's love and devotion to his kin, Naomi. This is a wonderful love story, but as we'll see, it's much more than that!

Feb 17 (Ruth 1)

The book of Ruth is one of only two books named after women (Esther being the other one). The events in this book happened during the times of the judges, and some scholars believe Samuel wrote the record of this book.

This book is short, but it's full of important information for Christ's Church. Not only is the narrative of the story touching and full of romance, it's a revealing typology of Christ and His Bride...His Church. Also, we will see how the Jewish marriage customs mirror Christ with His Bride.

Ruth 1

The Hebrew language is often very revealing of people by their names:

Elimelech ~ "God is my King" ~ Husband of Naomi
Naomi ~ "Pleasant" ~ mother-in-law of Ruth
Mahlon ~ "Unhealthy" ~ son of Naomi
Chilion ~ "Puny" ~ son of Naomi
Orpah ~ "Fawn" ~ daughter-in-law of Naomi
Ruth ~ "Desirable" ~ daughter-in-law of Naomi

Naomi is from the tribe of Judah, and she lived in Bethlehem. A severe famine forced her to leave Judah, and venture out to Moab. Eventually, her sons married Gentile women (Orpah and Ruth).

After Naomi's husband and sons died, she decided to move back to Judah and rely upon her family there to start over. She encourages Orpah and Ruth to stay in Moab and marry again, but Ruth would hear none of that!

(vv.16-17) Ruth's oath to Naomi is not only beautiful, but it's a testament to her faith that Naomi's God was the real God. This would have huge ramifications later!

(v.20) Naomi is obviously sad and even bitter that she's lost her husband and sons. We can feel and understand her grief, but none of us should blame God for our troubles. He is in control, and this short life that we have on earth is not guaranteed to be easy! As we'll see, it took Ruth's love and faith to bring Naomi back to happiness and fulfillment.

Feb 16 (Jud 13-16)

Judges 13

These chapters are about Samson. He was a mighty man of God, but as with us and all the people of the Bible, he had his shortcomings (pun intended).

(v.18) We see the appearance of the Angel of the Lord again, and He confirms to us that He is Jesus in another theophany, but calling Himself "wonderful." I reference Isaiah 9:6 to tie this in with my kids.

(v.22) We see again that this was Jesus, since if they had seen the face of the Father, they would have died.

Judges 14

Samson led with his head more than his heart, and it got him in trouble. God forbade the Israelites to marry the Philistines, but Samson wanted this woman, so he demanded that it be so.

Judges 15

God works a great victory through Samson, and at the end He even provides water to sustain Samson...much like He split the Rock in the wilderness (Exodus 17) for His people.

Judges 16

This is a tragic story, and one that is often misunderstood. Many people think that Samson's strength was from his long hair...that is partially correct. Samson took the Nazirite vow, which meant that he would never cut his hair as long as he was committed to the Lord. The actual cutting of his hair didn't make his muscles and strength decrease...it was his cutting of the Nazirite vow...his commitment to the Lord, that made him weak.

When his hair grows back, and he commits himself again to the Lord, he brings down the house in a final act. We all can learn from this, that our strength is in God, not of our own.

Feb 15 (Jud 8-12)

Judges 8

Gideon was a very successful leader and warrior. I point out to my kids that this was so ONLY because he trusted in God, and let God lead him.

(v.23) Gideon got what the Israelites never did...God was their King, not any man. Gideon came from humble beginnings and God used him for great purposes.

I like to have my kids think of other people in the Bible that were like this:

~ Abraham
~ Moses
~ David
~ Jesus

Judges 9

This is a classic example of how greed and treachery come back to haunt you. Abimelech let his pride and ambition overtake any godliness he might have had. God allows things, but He is always in control, and He used this conspiracy to teach the Israelites that He is their King...not any man.

Judges 10

We see the same pattern here...the Jews go their own way with what's "right in their own eyes," and when they come to trouble, they finally call out to God to bail them out. But God does something different here...He gives them some tough love.

What I point out to my kids, is that even though God tells the Jews that He won't help them, they still obey God's commands and get rid of their idols. This is repentance, and that's what God requires of us in order for Him to forgive us. Since they changed their ways, and God is loving and merciful, He relented and helped them.

Judges 11

The account of Jephthah is both interesting and controversial. He makes a vow with God, that if God helps him to victory, he will sacrifice to the LORD the first thing from his household.

Since Jephthah only has a daughter, and she comes out of the house, it's believed that Jephthah killed her as a sacrifice. That may be true, but it's not clear exactly what was done to her.

Many scholars believe Jephthah could have redeemed his daughter by the Law, just by paying a priest 10 shekels according to Leviticus 27:5. They also point out that (vv.37-40) alludes to her sacrifice being that she would remain a virgin. We need to remember that the biggest shame of a woman in those days, was not being able to have children. It is very likely that the "sacrifice" was that Jephthah was giving her to the Lord, as a virgin for life.

Judges 12

Jephthah only reigned over Israel for six years. Scholars may disagree over whether he killed his daughter or sacrificed her to a life of virginity, but they all seem to agree that he suffered a broken heart because it was his fault for making the vow in the first place.

God isn't interested in us making vows to Him like this...He wants our devotion and faith...not silly acts of bartering with Him to have Him help us.

Feb 14 (Jud 4-7)

Judges 4-5

Deborah is an amazing woman. My girls like to take note that she is a prophetess AND a judge of Israel! Barak was the commander of the army, but he wasn't very brave.

Deborah warned Barak that he wouldn't get the credit for the victory that God gave them, it would go to a woman!

There is another brave woman, who acted like a warrior for Israel...Jael. She gives Sisera milk and a blanket, instead of water. This made Sisera sleepy, and she planted his head to the ground like a tent!

Jael, not Barak, got credit for the victory...just like Deborah said!!!

Judges 6

(v.1) Once again, after Deborah dies, the Israelites go back to the pagan practices. This is a pattern throughout the book.

(v.6) So God let's Israel's enemy enslave them, but He provides another deliverer when they cry out...Gideon!

(v.11) The Angel of the Lord is Jesus in another theophany.

(v.12) Jesus calls Gideon a "mighty man of valor" when here was Gideon, hiding from his enemies, dirty and sweating! Gideon had no reason to even think he would be used by God, and that's probably why God chose him!

(v.22) Gideon sees that this wasn't a normal angel, since angels are messengers, and they can't consume with fire like this one did. We know this Angel of the Lord is Jesus, since Gideon saw him "face to face" and didn't die. Remember, Moses would have died if he saw the Father's face, so He let Moses see the back of Him (Ex 33:23).

(v.31) Gideon does what the other men should have done long ago...tear down the Baal altar. Gideon's father makes a great point, where he says if Baal is really god, then he will punish Gideon.

Sometimes the scene where Gideon is "testing" the Lord can be seen as unfaithful and even disrespectful. But God doesn't see it this way. In fact, God follows through with Gideon's requests as proof of who He is. I like to point out this verse as a reference to my kids:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
~1 John 4:1

Judges 7

I love to show my kids how God thinks...He does have a sense of humor sometimes! I can just see Gideon's face when God told him that he had too many soldiers!

What Gideon didn't know, was that God wanted the odds to be so crazy that they could win, that it had to be only God who could have let them win.

Gideon showed great faith, and shows us that every good leader must follow God first!

Feb 13 (Jud 1-3)

Judges 1

The book of Judges covers the time between the death of Joshua, to the beginning of the kingly reign of the tribe of Judah. This spans around 450 years.

In this chapter, I point out to my kids that they didn't drive out all of the inhabitants. This would come back to haunt them.

(v.20) However, we see that the giants, the sons of Anak (Anakim) were driven out of the land. But they weren't eliminated...that will come back later.

Judges 2

The Angel of the Lord appears...this is another theophany...Jesus in the OT. Again, we know that this is not an angel, since He says that the Jews have not obeyed His voice, and He will allow the enemies they didn't eliminate, to torment them. This is going on to this very day.

(v.10) It only takes one generation to abandon all that was worked for and accomplished. The next generation after Joshua and his peers, didn't listen to what the Lord had done, and they went along by their own wisdom.

I point out to my kids, that we see this in America today. This country was established as a Christian nation. But over time, the parents failed to teach this, and now, we can barely recognize God in anything our government does. Even our culture and personal lives have excluded God. If we don't repent, we will have the same kind of troubles Israel did here.

(v.11) As God warned them not to do, they took on the pagan practices of worship. These are Satanic figures, and much of the world religions mirror what was done here. Jesus said that He is the only way to heaven (John 14:6), so all the other "faiths" are Satan's way of putting leaven into the loaf, to have uninformed people worship other things than God.

Judges 3

(v.1) Throughout the Bible, we see that God disciplines and tests His people by their enemies.

(v.9) Often we hear that the God of the OT is mean. Yet, here we are only one generation removed from Joshua, and they are acting like God was never with them! God was angry, and He let their enemies enslave them. However, God is merciful, and when He heard their cries, He provided for them a deliverer. First, Othniel, then Ehud and Shamgar. All did incredible things and showed the people that God was behind their actions, but they still slipped back into paganism each time their deliverer died.

Feb 12 (Jos 17-24)

Joshua 17-19

This is a documentation of the land that the tribes are to dwell in. It's important to note that the land is much bigger than what they have today, and their neighbors still want more land!

Joshua 20

God reminds the people of the cities of refuge. If someone kills another by accident or unintentionally, then they can get safety in one of these six cities. A Levite priest resides in each city, and until the priest dies, the accused must stay within the city walls to be protected. Once the priest dies, then all sins are forgiven and the accused is no longer accused.

This is where Jesus, as our High Priest, makes everything complete. He is the seventh city of refuge. When He died on the cross for us, all our sins and accusations from the devil are wiped away!

Joshua 21-22

God shows the people that He has fulfilled His promise to bring them out of slavery, and into a land of milk and honey. Now it's their job to obey and be fruitful.

Joshua 23

(vv.11-13) Joshua warns the people before his is to die, to remain faithful to the Law and God, or God will allow their enemies to torment them. As we'll see in subsequent books, God uses Israel's enemies to discipline them.

Joshua 24

There is one verse here that is a cornerstone of this blog, and as my ministry as a father and husband:

And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. ~Joshua 24:15

Feb 11 (Jos 9-16)

Joshua 9

The news of God's work with Israel has spread throughout the whole continent. Tribes of people are very afraid of Israel and their God...as they should be!

(v.14) Joshua and the Israelites made a treaty with these foreign people, and did so without praying and seeking God's wisdom...big mistake. In the 1800's, Joseph Scriven wrote:

"Oh, what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."

Joshua 10

A confederation of kings try to strike Israel, and God hands them over to Joshua. As a final note, God does in all the survivors with hailstones from heaven...they didn't have a chance! We need to remember this:

For if God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)

Joshua 11

(v.22) Joshua destroys all the enemies in the area God gave Israel...but Joshua didn't destroy all the Anakim (giants) in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod. Isn't it interesting, that these three places are the hotspots of trouble today for Israel...Gaza, West Bank and the Golan Heights? Joshua left these places in Satan's control, and he has used the people there to torment and persecute Israel ever since.

Joshua 12

This is a record of the kings defeated by Moses and Joshua. Not only is it there for historical importance, but also to show us that with God on our side, we can accomplish much.

Joshua 13

God instructs Joshua to divide the conquered land amongst the tribes.

Joshua 14

Caleb is 85 years old, and he wants to finish the job that God sent him out to do! Caleb is a warrior, and a man of great faith!

Joshua 15

The tribe of Judah is focused on here, and we see that Caleb didn't exterminate all the Anakim, but he did drive them off. Centuries later, the Jews are still battling these areas where the Anakim were allowed to live.

Joshua 16

The land of Ephraim is settled.

Feb 10 (Jos 1-8)

Joshua 1

From my Chuck Smith Bible, there are a few things I discuss with my kids before we jump into this book:

~This is the first book of the Bible that is named after a person
~Joshua in Hebrew is Yehoshua, which means "Yahweh is Salvation"
~Jesus in Hebrew is Yeshua, which means "Yahweh Saves"
~As we'll see, Joshua is a type of Christ

(v.4) There is so much hate and fighting about the land that Israel now possesses, yet in reality, God gave Israel a much bigger area. From Turkey in the north, down through most of Syria, through Lebanon and out to the Euphrates (Iraq) is what God calls Israel. Today, Israel is only a fraction of what it should be in size.

I remind my kids that Moses represents the Law, and they didn't enter the Promised Land by the Law (Moses). They entered by the faith of Joshua (Jesus). Living by the Law doesn't save us and allow us to enter heaven, it's our faith in God and Jesus!

Joshua 2

Here we meet an incredible woman named Rahab. She is a Gentile and a pagan, yet she believes the LORD is the only God, and she helps these two spies (witnesses). Later, we learn that one of David's ancestors, Salmon, married Rahab (Matt 1:5). She went from being a pagan Gentile harlot, to an esteemed mother of Boaz, who is in the kingly line of David!!!

Joshua 3

Israel crosses the Jordan, and says goodbye to the old ways of Egypt. Of course, they still will have their moments, but through Joshua, they cross over and have a new beginning. This is like when we gave our lives to Christ, we crossed over and left behind our worldly dependence, and trusted in another Joshua...Jesus!

Joshua 4

Numbers represent things in the Bible. Here is a list of ones that we come across a lot:

3 ~ Sanctification, redemption (Jesus, Jonah, etc in the grave for 3 days)
6 ~ Incompletion (Six days of creation needed a 7th for completion, rest)
7 ~ Completion (Seven days of creation, seven cities of refuge, all the sevens in Revelation)
12 ~ Represents Israel (the twelve tribes)
40 ~ Testing and Judgement (Flood of Noah, the Jews, and Jesus in the Wilderness)

Here we have the 12 tribes being represented by the monument of 12 stones. This is the very spot, where centuries later, John the Baptist did his ministry!

Joshua 5

All the men who left Egypt with Moses were circumcised, but the children were not. These children were circumcised now, since their fathers abandoned the Word of God. This was a painful lesson for them to learn!

(vv.13-15) Here we see another theophany...Jesus in the OT! We know it's Jesus, since an angel would've reprimanded Joshua for worshipping anything other than God. Also, this Commander has Joshua take off his sandals, since he's on holy ground (Exodus 3:5).

Joshua is a type of Christ...he will lead the conquest of Jericho, which mirrors Jesus' conquering of Babylon and the world in Revelation.

Joshua 6

God has Joshua tell his army a very peculiar plan to conquer Jericho...my kids laugh when I act out this plan and show their faces when they hear it! But if we compare this event in the book of Joshua to Jesus in the book of Revelation, we see many similarities:

Yehoshua (Joshua) ~ Yeshua (Jesus)

Commander of Israel ~ Commander of the army of the LORD

Seven days ~ Seven years

Priests sent out in front ~ High Priest (Jesus) leads

First send in two spies ~ Two witnesses sent in first

Seven trumpet blasts ~ Seven trumpet judgements

Judgment by fire ~ Fire and brimstone judgment

Kings hide in caves ~ Leaders hide in caves

Joshua 7

Here we see Israel getting overconfident and not reliant upon God. Not only are they thinking they conquered Jericho instead of God, but they disobey Him by taking things from there. I point out to my kids that we do this ourselves all the time!

Joshua 8

After the culprit, Achan, is stoned, they then win easily. This is God's Word speaking to us that we need to include Him in all parts of our lives, at all times. When we do, we will see His glory manifested in our lives!

They won because they had faith in God, and let Him have the glory!

Feb 9 (Deut 13-34)

Deuteronomy 13

God tells the people that it is better if someone was never born, than to lead the people away from God and to idolatry.

Deuteronomy 14

God speaks to the people about not mourning the way the pagans do, by cutting themselves. He wants them to act like the special people they are, and mourn properly.

He also goes over what meats are good and bad to eat. This is a part of the Law, to eat only kosher food, but since we as Christians are free from the Law in Christ, we have liberty. However, I tell my kids that God put these things in there to be a guideline for us to live healthier and more vibrant lives, so we should try to live by this as much as we can.

Lastly, God reminds the people that they should have a giving heart and tithe properly.

Deuteronomy 15

This chapter goes over the master-servant relationship. As I've noted earlier, a servant works for seven years, and all his debts are then forgiven. If that servant wishes to continue to live and work with that master, then they pierce their ear as a sign of their love for the master. I then ask my kids if they remember someone else being pierced to show His love for us!

Deuteronomy 16

God reminds the people about the Feasts that are to be performed in the Spring. They point to Christ, and He fulfilled them in His first coming. He will fulfill the Fall Feasts in His second coming.

Deuteronomy 17

(v.18) This is not known by many Christians, but God commanded all of Israel's kings to personally write out the Scriptures so they would remember them and pass them on to their descendants. First of all, there were no kings of Israel yet, so God is revealing that there will be one day, as He did in Gen 50 with the prophecy of the tribe of Judah. Secondly, isn't it the best way to remember something by writing it down yourself? I know when I try to remember something, I can picture where and what I wrote down, and I can see it.

Deuteronomy 18

God tells the people that the tribe of Levi will be the priests for them, and the sons of Aaron will perform the priestly duties.

Also, God prophesies of a coming Prophet that will be like Moses...He will lead the people out of slavery to sin like Moses led God's people out of slavery to Egypt.

Deuteronomy 19

I like to point out to my kids that there are six cities of refuge. If a person killed someone accidentally, then they can go to one of the cities of refuge and be safe from revenge from family members of the deceased. Once the high priest dies, all is forgiven, and the person can go about the country without fear of revenge.

I like to show my kids that the number seven means completion in Hebrew texts. Jesus is our seventh city of refuge, and since He is our High Priest, His death to conquer sin has enabled us to live without fear of death!

Deuteronomy 20

God speaks about warfare. We know that God is a God of peace, but He does allow and even encourage warfare if it is done to fight evil. War to control others is not God's will.

Deuteronomy 21

God covers the laws of dealing with unsolved murder, how to treat female captives and the rights of the firstborn.

Deuteronomy 22

I remember when I was growing up, all of us on the street knew and spent time with each other. Nowadays, that's rare. God wants us to encourage and support our neighbors.

We just moved into a new neighborhood, and we plan on inviting our neighbors over to meet them and get to know them. Who knows, perhaps the LORD wants us to minister to one of these neighbors!

Deuteronomy 23

God gives a total of 513 laws to the people, and all of them are important. The more we think on them, we can see that we would live cleaner and healthier lives if we followed these laws.

Deuteronomy 24

God hates divorce. But He doesn't hate the sinner. If anyone has experienced a divorce, they know the pain and suffering to all who are affected. Obviously, God wants marriages to stay together, and He only approves of divorce in cases of adultery or abuse.

Deuteronomy 25

Here, God tells the people to take care of their own, and resolve conflict internally. Too bad we don't do that anymore in America!

Deuteronomy 26

I teach my kids that it's important to have a grateful heart. In all that we have: health, wealth, family, friends, freedom, etc. we should praise and thank God for providing for us! Also, we should think of others before ourselves, and give to those in more need than us.

We say this together, "Thank God first, share with others, then use our gifts for ourselves."

Deuteronomy 27

This is a heavy chapter, and parents with young kids should read to them what is appropriate for their ages.

Deuteronomy 28

God shows us that we will be blessed if we are obedient, and we will have troubles if we are not. It's simple but effective.

Deuteronomy 29

God reminds the people of the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and now Moses. They are to remember who their God is, and obey and trust Him.

Deuteronomy 30

God tells the people that they have a choice...to follow and love Him, or to curse His name. Either way, there will be consequences.

Deuteronomy 31

God presents Joshua as the successor to Moses.

Deuteronomy 32

The song of Moses and God telling Moses it's time to die on the mountain with Him.

Deuteronomy 33

Moses blesses the 12 tribes like Jacob did in Gen 49. It's interesting to compare those two blessings.

Deuteronomy 34

(v.6) God personally buries Moses, and no one can find the body. No other person in the Bible was buried by God Himself. Also, it's interesting to read that Satan and Michael fought over Moses' body:

Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The LORD rebuke you!" ~ Jude 9

Feb 8 (Lev 11-15; Deut 1-12)

Deuteronomy 1

This is a review of the 12 men who spied out the land of Canaan. There they saw the ancestors of Goliath, called the Anakim there. These were the giants who were described in Genesis 6.

One thing to note...when a word has the "im" ending to it, that means the plural of the noun. For instance in Hebrew, a cherub is a high angel, and a group of them are called cherubim.

Deuteronomy 2

(v.10) The Anakim are mentioned again, as well as in (v.20)

(vv.26-37) Here we have a tough part of the Bible where God orders the Jews to kill every man, woman and child of a tribe. God ordered this because they were families who had giants amongst them, and their DNA was corrupted by Satan.

Deuteronomy 3

(v.11) We see that the king of Bashan was spared, and his bed was nearly 8 feet wide and almost 18 feet long! These were big and scary men, who had supernatural power, and were against God's people...God had to deal with them.

Deuteronomy 4

Moses reminds the people of God's commands and warns of idolatry.

Deuteronomy 5

Moses reminds the people of the Law that God gave them...the 10 Commandments.

Deuteronomy 6

(v.4) This is what is know as the Sh'ma or Shema, since the first word is "hear" and that's what Sh'ma means.

The word for God used here is Elohim, which is a singular noun in the plural tense...indicating the Holy Trinity!

Also, the Hebrew word for "one" is echad, which also indicates a compound unity...the Trinity!

(v.7) This verse is one of the reasons I created this blog...God commands His believers to teach their children about God. We need to do this daily, and in all things. I often point out the presence of God in the weather, in the complexity of our bodies, in nature and its animals. Doing one prayer at night as our "God time" with our kids is not enough...we need to stay consistent and have them know that God is real, and He loves them, by using the things around us to prove that point!

Deuteronomy 7

The Jews are called "God's Chosen People" and we must teach our kids to love and respect the Jews. God did not choose them because they were more righteous and good than all on earth, in fact, in some ways, they were worse than the pagans! God chose the tiny nation of Israel to reveal Himself to the world. If He did it with Rome, then people would fear Rome because of its immense size and power. But tiny Israel has grown mighty, and the only explanation is that God was with them!

Deuteronomy 8

God reminds the Jews that He provided for them for 40 years! They didn't go without food or drink, and amazingly, their sandals never wore out! I remind my kids that they wear out their sandals twice a year, and they aren't traveling many miles for 40 years like the Jews did!

Deuteronomy 9

God reminds the Jews that they failed 40 years earlier, because they feared the giants more than they feared Him. Now, God is reassuring them that He is with them, and they will conquer these giants, and dwell in the land that God gave them!

I take this time to discuss "giants" that we face in this life with my kids:

~finances
~peer pressure
~sickness
~pride

We usually go through a big list, and it changes according to what's happening in their lives at the time. But no matter what makes us fearful, we need to remember that God is with us and we are His. I quote this to make the point:

"What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? ~ Rom 8:31

Deuteronomy 10

God reminds the people that He loves them and gave them the Law to show them that they need God to provide for them. As the Apostle Paul writes in Hebrews 7:7, that he wouldn't have known he was a sinner unless he knew the Law.

Deuteronomy 11

I often hear that the Old Testament God is harsh, and the New Testament God is merciful. This just reveals to me that they don't know the God of the OT...He is loving and merciful, and He reminds us to do the same just as Jesus did in the NT. This is the same loving God in both Covenants!!!

Deuteronomy 12

God tells the people that one day, there will be a special place that is permanent (Temple) that will be much like the Tabernacle.

Also, God reminds the people to stay away from the pagan practices...it leads to idolatry and adultery.

(v.32) The last verse of this chapter reminds us what the Church has been fighting for centuries...the addition and subtraction to God's Word

Feb 7 (Lev 16-20; Num 26-33)

Numbers 26

This is one of those chapters that we read very quickly through, since it lists the names of the people counted in the census. What I stress with my kids, is that God is documenting the people and the time that this was happening, so unbelieving historians won't say that these people and events didn't take place!

Numbers 27

The big thing in this chapter is the part about inheritance laws, and the daughters of Zelophehad. Normally, when a man dies, he leaves the family estate to his male heirs or the next male kin. In the case of these daughters, there was no such avenue. They petitioned Moses to have him grant the estate to them, and their husbands by the father of the daughters to adopt the son-in-laws.

This is HUGE if we look forward to the situation around Jesus.

In Jer 22:30, God puts a curse on the king and ancestor of Jesus...that no man of Jeconiah's blood would rule as king and prosper. Satan must have been jumping for joy, thinking that God's anger got the better of Him, and He cursed His own plan for man's redemption! If Jesus was later to be a descendant of Jeconiah, then this curse would have applied to Him, and His legal right to the throne would have been for naught.

I read the genealogy of Jesus in both Matthew and Luke...most of it is the same except for one key point.

In Matthew, the kingship goes from David to Solomon, and eventually down to Joseph, the husband of Mary.

In Luke, the genealogy goes from David to his other son, Nathan, and down to Mary.

God has made it possible for Jesus to be the heir to the throne through Solomon, but He doesn't have the blood of Joseph since God had the Holy Spirit make Mary pregnant...the Immaculate Conception!

However, Jesus does have David's blood in Him, since Mary is a descendant of Nathan, David's other son!

So we have the royal line intact through Solomon to Joseph, and the bloodline without a curse through Nathan to Mary! Isn't it awesome how God planned that out?!?

So the daughters of Zelophehad did all this, so God could establish the adoption of Jesus by Joseph, with the inheritance of the throne without the blood curse!

The Bible is not a collection of stories and events...it is 66 books, with over 40 authors, spanning over 1,000 years...all speaking of the same thing...Jesus Christ!!!

Numbers 28-33

These chapters cover the offerings and legal issues for the people of Israel. I suggest you find out what your kids are interested in, and explore them more, since God didn't put them in there unless He wants us to study and learn from them!