Ruth 4:16-17
16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Since my name is David, you can probably guess that my favorite Bible character is David. As a boy, my father taught at David Liscomb University (College, at the time). There was always an annual Christmas party for the faculty and families. I remember one year when gifts were handed out to each child, I received a child’s book about David and Goliath. It was a very special book to me.
When you think of David, what comes to your mind? David was the great-grandson of Boaz and Ruth. When David was anointed by Samuel, God told Samuel “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” The Bible says that when David came in from the field that he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. The Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.
David became Saul’s armor bearer. It came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.
The next big event is the confrontation between David and Goliath. David was the youngest son of Jesse. The three oldest brothers were soldiers of Saul. David became quite upset that Israel was afraid of Goliath. David asked, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” Saul sent for David. David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.” Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.” Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. Thus, David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. Then David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem. What lessons can we learn from David and Goliath? What do we learn about David?
Other great stories and events happen in David’s life. David and Jonathan become great friends. Saul turns against David. David marries Michal, Saul’s daughter. David, while running from Saul, takes the consecrated bread at Nob. This results in Saul killing all the priests at Nob. David delivers Keilah from the Philistines. On at least two occasions, David spares Saul’s life. David always saw Saul as God’s anointed.
Then, we have the story of David and Nabal. After Nabal’s death, David marries Abigail.
While running from Saul, David hides amongst the Philistines. Even though David showed allegiance to the Philistines, they did not trust him.
David defeats the Amalekites. After all, they had taken two of David’s wives as prisoners. After the victory, David is wise in his dividing of the spoils.
Finally, David learns of Saul’s death. Soon afterwards he is anointed king of Judah. Despite how Saul had treated David, David sings a dirge for Saul and Jonathan. Over time, there was a war between the house of David and the house of Saul. David became stronger while Saul’s house became weaker. Soon, David becomes king over all Israel. We then have the incident with the ark being captured and finally returned. David dances before the Lord, but Michal is very displeased.
David desires to build a Temple for God, but God says he will not build Him a Temple. David shows kindness to Mephibosheth, a son of Jonathan. There is peace on every side. David continues to grow stronger.
Then, we have the story of David and Bathsheba. This became the low point in David’s life. Not only did David commit adultery with Bathsheba, he made sure that Uriah, her husband, was killed in battle. The baby conceived because of the adultery dies. It took Nathan the prophet to help David see how terrible his sin was. Later, Bathsheba has another child. This child is Solomon. He will be the next king.
David’s family life is a mess. Despite all his wisdom and success, David could not do right by his family. One son rebels and wants to become king. Absalom is killed. Eventually, David is restored as king.
In David’s old age, he makes Solomon king. Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years he reigned in Hebron and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem.
David wrote many of the Psalms. David’s influence was great in Israel. In Ezra, we learn that when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord according to the directions of King David of Israel.
In Matthew, David is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. David was a benchmark in Jesus’ genealogy. Jesus is mentioned as the “Son of David” by two blind men who followed Jesus. Jesus uses David in one of his examples. He reminds His audience that David took the showbread at Nob. Several more times in Matthew Jesus is referred to as the “Son of David.” Why? In fact, Jesus is referred to as the “son of David” in most of the Gospels. Jesus was born in the city of David.
In Acts, we have several references to David. Jesus is the fulfillment of the words of David. God raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’
What is your favorite David story? The Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart. Can you explain this? David had his great moments and his not so great moments. What can we learn from the life of David?
1 Samuel 10:20-24
20 Thus Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the Matrite family was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was taken; but when they looked for him, he could not be found. 22 Therefore they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” So the Lord said, “Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage.” 23 So they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people.” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!”
Have you ever been the first to do something? What was that like? Did you stay in that position for a long time? Why were you the first?
Saul became the first king of Israel. God chose Saul through the anointing by Samuel. Saul looked like a king. He was a choice and handsome man. There was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people. He looked like a king.
At first Saul resisted. Saul said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?” Saul even hid when selected.
One of Saul’s first acts as king was to defeat the Ammonites.
The Bible indicates that Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty-two years over Israel. Then, Saul defeated the Philistines. But Saul made a mistake by offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings. Samuel should have been the one to do this. This was the first of several foolish acts by Saul. They cost him his kingship. Saul faced constant warfare.
Then, two famous events occur that involve Saul. First, Samuel anoints David as king. Saul is not made privy to this. There was fear on Samuel’s part that Saul would hear of this and kill Samuel. Then, we come to one of the most famous stories on the Bible: the story of David and Goliath. Just before we get to the story of David and Goliath the Bible says that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him. Even his servants recognized this change.
We find the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. Saul’s army is camped opposite the Philistine army. Saul and his army are frightened. David comes to him and says that he can defeat Goliath because God is with him. Saul puts his armor on David only to discover that it is too big. So, David approaches and kills Goliath with only a sling and a stone from the river.
After this event, David went wherever Saul went. However, Saul did not like the song that the women sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” The Bible says that Saul became very angry.
Then, Saul turns against David. He even tries to kill David with a spear. We find David on the run from Saul for the rest of his life. Now Saul was afraid of David, for the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.
David marries Saul’s daughter, Michal. Saul was David’s enemy continually. Jonathan, one of Saul’s sons, even protected David from Saul. Jonathan even persuaded Saul to not kill David…for a while, anyway.
Saul became persistent in capturing and killing David. Sometimes, he had to turn back from his chase to handle situations that arose in the kingdom. David even spared Saul’s life on at least two occasions. David saw Saul as the Lord’s anointed.
After Samuel died, Saul deceived a medium to summon Samuel from the dead. Samuel did appear and he and Saul had a conversation. What does this say about Saul?
Saul and his sons are killed at Mount Gilboa by the Philistines. The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua the sons of Saul. When Saul was fatally wounded, he instructed his armor-bearer: “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me through and make sport of me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. So, Saul took his sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. Thus, Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on that day together. Saul and his sons were hung for all to see by the enemy. Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men rose and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there.
Soon, David learns of Saul’s death. David chanted a lament over Saul and Jonathan his son.
The genealogy of King Saul is found in 1 Chronicles 8 and 9.
Five of the psalms mention Saul in the opening comments before the psalm begins. They help set the stage for the psalm.
Saul is also mentioned in Acts 13 on Paul’s first missionary journey.
What are your thoughts on Saul? How do you feel about Saul? Where does he fit in God’s story? Where does he fit in your story? What was Saul’s greatest strength? What was his greatest weakness?
According to umcdiscipleship.org:
“Hallelujah! What a Savior” (“Man of Sorrows!”)
by Philip P. Bliss
The United Methodist Hymnal, 165
Man of Sorrows! what a name
for the Son of God, who came
ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Christianity is, among many things, a faith of paradox—the paradox of the Incarnation that the God of the universe would take on human form in a powerless and impoverished family in a politically occupied country. The paradox that Christ’s ministry among the economically disadvantaged, the socially disenfranchised, and culturally marginalized was such a threat to the halls of power that God would humiliate God’s self on one of the cruelest instruments of human torture ever devised. This hymn explores the latter paradox. Philip Bliss (1838-1876) employs the rhetorical device of paradox in each stanza, detailing an aspect of Christ’s sacrifice on behalf of humanity. The expected conclusion of each stanza would seem most naturally to be one of the classic Christian responses of the church throughout the ages: “Kyrie eleison” (Lord, have mercy”) or “Agnus Dei qui tolis peccata mundi, miserere nobis” (Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us).
Bliss’s response is indeed a surprise and another paradox: “Hallelujah! What a Savior!” This brief refrain—the final line of each four-line stanza—is the unique feature of this hymn. There are other hymns for Holy Week that cover many of the same biblical and theological themes, indeed, more eloquently. For example, “When I survey the wondrous cross” by English non-conformist Isaac Watts (1674-1748) or “O Sacred Head now wounded” by German pietist Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) are more poetically articulate. What is it, then, about Bliss’s contribution that makes this hymn so powerful?
Bliss comes from a different theological and cultural perspective than do Watts and Gerhardt. He was nurtured in the evangelical revival movement of the nineteenth century in the United States. He received some musical training from William B. Bradbury (1816-1868), a disciple of Lowell Mason (1792-1872) and a leading music educator, church musician, and composer, of this era. Bradbury, following in the steps of his mentor Mason, was a major music educator. He was trained in the classical tradition and provided music for many notable text writers, including Fanny Crosby (1820-1915).
Bliss, in turn, became an itinerant music teacher in 1860, sometimes traveling on horseback, while continuing his studies at the Normal Academy of Music (Genesco, NY). He then worked for George F. Root and C.M. Cady, a Chicago publisher, for four years as a staff composer and editor of gospel song collections. His career direction became clearer when he and his wife Lucy became associated with Chicago evangelist Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899), who encouraged Bliss and Lucy to become evangelistic singers as members of Moody’s revival singing team. Drawing upon his earlier experience as a song book editor, Bliss compiled Gospel Songs (1874), Gospel Hymns and Sacred Songs (1875), and Gospel Hymns No. 2 (1876), the latter two with Moody’s famous musician, Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908). Other volumes were geared toward the Sunday School movement including The Charm, a collection of Sunday School music (1871) and Sunshine for Sunday Schools (1873). His work as an editor of gospel song collections helped to establish the designation “Gospel Song” for this emerging genre of evangelistic revival hymns (Watson, “Philip Bliss,” n.p.).
His experience as a composer resulted in approximately 200 gospel hymn texts and tunes, many of which remain staples in this genre, including “Almost persuaded” (1871), “I will sing of my Redeemer” (1876), “Wonderful words of life” (1874), and “Let the lower lights be burning” (1871). Though less known today, he was most famous during his lifetime for “Hold the fort, for I am coming” (1870), a hymn inspired by an account of a Civil War battle near Atlanta when William T. Sherman was making his famous (or infamous) “march to the sea” in 1864. Indeed, Bliss told Ira D. Sankey that he hoped that he would be known for more than “Hold the fort.” Alas, however, his tombstone in Rome, Pennsylvania, reads, “P.P. Bliss, Author of “Hold the fort.”
Those who know “Man of sorrows!” might note that it is different from many of the revivalistic gospel songs for which Bliss is primarily known. The music is more somber than what we might expect, employing only quarter and half notes for three lines. The dotted eighth-sixteenth note rhythm on the words of the refrain, “Hallelujah, what a Savior!”, is a sudden and powerful change that highlights the theological paradox inherent in the response. In general, this hymn draws much more from the compositional style of Lowell Mason, who often employed stately block primary chords (I, IV, V) with minimal chromaticism. For example, see DENNIS, HAMBURG, and OLIVET. ANTIOCH (“Joy to the world”). Mason’s adaptation of Handel, demonstrated that the dotted could be used for more triumphant themes. Bliss would probably have learned this style from his mentor William Bradbury. Though “Man of sorrows” often appears in the Holy Week section of most hymnals today, its use would not have been restricted to this week in the evangelistic context, but could have been sung at any revival meeting where Christ’s suffering and sacrifice for humanity was emphasized.
Ira D. Sankey provides the following account of the composition of this hymn:
Written in 1876, shortly before his death, this was the last hymn I heard Mr. Bliss sing. It was at a meeting in the Farwell Hall in Chicago, conducted by the English evangelist, Henry Moorhouse. A few weeks before his death Mr. Bliss visited the State prison at Jackson, Michigan, where, after a very touching address on “The Man of Sorrows,” he sang this hymn with great effect. Many of the prisoners dated their conversion from that day.
When Mr. Moody and I were in Paris, holding meetings in the old church which Napoleon had granted to the Evangelicals, I frequently sang this hymn as a solo, asking the congregation to join in the single phrase, “Hallelujah, what a Saviour,” which they did with splendid effect. It is said that the word “Hallelujah” is the same in all languages. It seems as though God had prepared it for the great jubilee of heaven, when all His children shall have been gathered to sing “Hallelujah to the Lamb!” (Sankey, 1906, p. 101)
The hymn first appeared in The International Lessons Monthly (1875) under the title of “Redemption” and later in Bliss and Sankey’s Gospel Hymns No. 2 (1876) with the inscription, Isaiah 53:3, “A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” The tune name, added later by others, appears either as HALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVIOR, MAN OF SORROWS, or GETHSEMENE in hymnals today.
The first stanza begins with the scriptural allusion, “Man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3). The purpose was “ruined sinners to reclaim.” Stanza 2 describes the abuse of the Suffering Servant and identifies with substitutionary atonement: “In my place condemned he stood.” Stanza 3 employs an effective use of antitheses (a juxtaposition of contrasts)—“Guilty, vile, and helpless we; / spotless Lamb of God was he”—followed by a rhetorical question, “full atonement can it be?” indicating the utter astonishment at the capacity of God for grace and forgiveness. The crucifixion is depicted in stanza 4 with Christ’s final words from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), followed by his Ascension. The final stanza points toward the Second Coming.
Carlton R. Young, The United Methodist Hymnal editor, suggests the following performance practice to emphasize the paradox of the text: “. . . each statement about Christ’s passion may be sung slowly with deep devotion, followed ad lib with a rousing ‘Hallelujah! What a Savior’” (Young, 1993, p, 386). “Man of sorrows” is found primarily in Baptist, Methodist, some Reformed, and evangelical hymnals today.
Philip Bliss died in a train crash near Ashtabula, Ohio, en route to sing for a revival led by evangelist Daniel Webster Whittle (1840-1901) in Chicago in 1876 at Dwight Moody’s Tabernacle. Accounts suggest that Bliss initially escaped the accident but returned to the train to rescue his wife from a burning coach.
Isaiah 35:10
And the ransomed of the Lord will return
And come with joyful shouting to Zion,
With everlasting joy upon their heads.
They will find gladness and joy,
And sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 53:3-6
3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
1 Samuel 1:19-20
19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.”
Do you know where your name comes from? Do you know what your name means? Do you know why your parents gave you the name they gave you?
Hannah had prayed for a child. God answered her prayer with the birth of Samuel. Hannah named him Samuel “Because I have asked him of the LORD.” Wouldn’t that be a great story to tell at the dinner table?
When Samuel was weaned, he went to live in Shiloh. As a boy, he was ministering to the Lord wearing a linen ephod. How can a boy minister unto the Lord? What is an ephod? Why is this detail important? 1 Samuel 2 says that Samuel grew before the Lord. Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the Lord and with men. Can you remember any place else in the Bible that has similar wording?
In 1 Samuel 3, we find Samuel ministering to the Lord before Eli. When God called Samuel, he was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was. Does this mean he was sleeping in the Holy of Holies? Samuel kept going to Eli when God was calling to him because Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him. When Samuel was informed that it was God calling to him in the night, Samuel responded “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” This seems to be a very mature answer from a boy. Did Samuel understand what it meant to be a servant of the Lord? Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. Why? But Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Thus, Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fail. This is amazing. All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. When the Bible says from Dan to Beersheba, this indicates the northernmost and southernmost cities of the nation. In other words, the entire nation knew that Samuel was a prophet.
Not only was Samuel a prophet, but Samuel also judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah. In fact, he was the last judge of Israel. At Mizpah Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel and the Lord answered him. Do you ever cry to the Lord? How does He answer you? Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” Why is this significant? The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The Philistines were a constant thorn in Israel’s side. It must have brought comfort to the people that the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
However, things changed as Samuel got older. It came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. But the people wanted a king instead. This was displeasing in the sight of Samuel. Why? Samuel prayed to the Lord. God told Samuel to listen to the people. The Lord made it clear that Israel had rejected God from being king over them.
So, Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked of him to anoint a king.
Eventually, Saul became king. Samuel anointed him as instructed by God.
In 1 Samuel 13, Saul is instructed to wait seven days for Samuel so that sacrifices could be offered. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from Saul. So, Saul offered the sacrifices. As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. Samuel let Saul know that he had acted foolishly.
A second time Saul disobeys Samuel. Even though Saul admitted his sin, Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” Saul seized the edge of Samuel’s robe as Samuel left, and it tore. So, Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.” In addition, Samuel hewed Agag, the king of the Amalekites, to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal. Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death. And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel. How does the Lord have regrets?
In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel anoints David king of Israel. The Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.
1 Samuel 25:1 simply says, “Then Samuel died.” He was buried at his house in Ramah. And, you would think that this was the end of the story. But it is not.
In 1 Samuel 28, Saul disguises himself and goes to a medium and asks her to summon Samuel. Sure enough, she summoned Samuel. What does this tell us about the souls of men? Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and did homage. Samuel rebukes Saul for summoning him. After all, since God has left Saul, why would Saul think Samuel would or could do anything?
We learn that Samuel is also considered a seer. What is a seer? We learn in 1 Chronicles 29 that the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet and in the chronicles of Gad the seer. Are these records available today?
Acts 13 confirms that Samuel was the last judge. And Samuel is mentioned amongst the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:32, “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.”
What is your favorite Samuel story? Why is Samuel significant? What do you wish everyone knew about Samuel?
1 Samuel 1:9-18
9 Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10 She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 She made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”
12 Now it came about, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” 15 But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” 18 She said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Which is more important? To be a good father or a good employee? To be a good husband or a good employee? How do people judge what kind of person you are? Do they judge you by your family life? Do they judge you by your vocation life? Do they judge you by your personality? Do they judge you by another standard?
I am a Christian. I am a man. I am a husband. I am a father. I am an employee. I am a senior citizen. How am I judged? By what standard am I judged? How does God judge us?
Eli is a priest. He is a member of the tribe of Levi. We first meet him in 1 Samuel 1. We are introduced to Elkanah and his family. They have an annual tradition of going from Ramah to Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord. We are told that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord there. Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord when Hannah comes to pray before the Lord. Eli notices that her lips are moving but her voice was not heard. Eli concludes that she must be drunk. Have you ever jumped to the wrong conclusion? Although Hannah is speaking in her heart, Eli concludes that she is drunk. Eli chides her for being drunk. She replies that she is not drunk but praying to the Lord. After she explains herself, Eli said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” Was Eli embarrassed? Did Eli apologize? Was Eli more careful in the future? How about you? Would you be embarrassed? Would you apologize? Would you be more careful in the future? Eli was not a novice priest. He should have known better. God answered Hannah’s prayer with the birth of Samuel. When Samuel is weaned, the family comes to Shiloh for their annual worship and sacrifice. They slaughter a bull and bring Samuel to Eli. Why? Did Eli remember Hannah? Hannah had promised to dedicate Samuel to God. So, Samuel was left with Eli and the family returned to Ramah. The Bible says that Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest. What does this mean? How did Samuel minister to the Lord?
We then learn that the sons of Eli were worthless men. Was this because Eli was a bad father? If so, was leaving Samuel with Eli a bad idea? Why were the sons worthless men? Although they were priests, the Bible says they did not know the Lord. How was that possible? Weren’t they raised in a priest’s home? Weren’t they priests themselves? What does it mean that they did not know the Lord? At the same time that we learn about Eli’s sons, Eli blesses Elkanah and his wife and says, “May the Lord give you children from this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the Lord.”
When Eli is very old, he rebukes his sons. But it is too little too late. Can you think of other stories that are similar to this one? Who’s to blame when too little too late is done?
One of my favorite stories about Samuel is when God calls to him. The Bible says that word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent. This may help explain why it took Eli a while to understand what was happening. Does it ever take you a while to figure out what is going on? The Bible says that Eli’s eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well. Samuel hears a voice, and three times comes to Eli during the night because he is convinced that it is Eli calling him. After the third time that Samuel disturbs Eli, Eli discerns that the Lord is calling Samuel. I wonder how Eli finally discerned that this is what was happening. Eli tells Samuel what to do and Samuel follows his instructions. Eli may have been a bad father, but he was a great mentor for Samuel. God tells Samuel what will happen to Eli’s family because of their iniquity. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli what God had said. Wouldn’t you be afraid to tell? But Samuel did tell Eli about what God had said. He did the right thing.
The ark is taken, and the sons of Eli died. Eli was sitting on his seat by the road eagerly watching, because his heart was trembling for the ark of God. So, the man came to tell it in the city, and all the city cried out. When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What does the noise of this commotion mean?” Then the man came hurriedly and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were set so that he could not see. The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle line. Indeed, I escaped from the battle line today.” And he said, “How did things go, my son?” When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. Thus, he judged Israel forty years. Thus ends the life of Eli. What a legacy. How is Eli remembered?
Eli is mentioned a few more times in the Bible. He is mentioned in 1 Samuel 14. In 1 Samuel 14:2-3 the Bible says “2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord at Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.”
Again, in 1 Kings 2:27, we find the following words, “So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.”
When you think of Eli, what comes to mind? Do you remember Eli in a positive way? Do you remember Eli in a negative way? What lessons can we learn from Eli?
Judges 13:24-25
24 Then the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson; and the child grew up and the Lord blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Have you ever watched one of the strongest man contests? It’s amazing to watch these men strive to accomplish the strength challenges in the quickest time. I doubt any of us understand the training and discipline that goes into preparing for these events.
When we think of Samson, I dare say we think of strength. Where did his strength come from? Most of us would say that his strength came from his hair. What does the Bible say?
The first mention of Samon by name is found in Judges 13. Judges 13:24 says, “Then the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson; and the child grew up and the Lord blessed him.” We know nothing about his childhood. The Bible simply says that he grew up and the Lord blessed him. How did the Lord bless him? What does this mean?
Judges 14 says that Samson fell in love with a Philistine woman because she “looks good to me.” Did you marry the person you married because he/she looked good to you? Was that the sole basis of your decision? My wife is beautiful, but that was not the basis upon which I desired to marry her. How about you? Samson asked his father to get her for him. His parents really desired that he choose a woman from the Israelites. Do parents often have an opinion about who you should marry? Are they ever right? Are they ever wrong? How did your parents react to the person you chose to marry? However, his parents did go down to the woman at Timnah to honor Samson’s request.
Samson married the woman, but soon she was given to his companion who had been his friend. What does Judges 14 say are the circumstances behind these events?
In response, Samson catches 300 foxes, attaches torches to them, and sets them loose. The Philistine fields are burned. In response to Samson’s antics, the Philistines came up and burned his wife and her father with fire. Samson promised revenge. The Philistines want to take Samson by force. Three thousand men of Judah approach Samson to find out why the Philistines are after him. They remind Samson that the Philistines rule over them. It appears that Samson and the men of Judah are in trouble. The men of Judah say they have come to bind Samson and give him over to the Philistines. Samson wants assurance that they will not kill him.
So, what is Samson’s weakness? Samson goes to Gaza and goes to a harlot. Men lie in wait for Samson all night at the gate of the city. At midnight, Samson takes the gates of the city and pulls them to the top of the mountain which is opposite Hebron.
Samson falls in love with a woman named Delilah. She demands to know his weakness. He tells her that if he is bound with seven fresh cords that have not been dried, then he will become weak and be like any other man. He is bound and ambushed by the Philistines. However, he snapped the cords as a string of tow snaps when it touches fire. So his strength was not discovered. Delilah pleads with Samson again to learn of his weakness. Again, he does not tell the truth. Samson does not tell the truth a third time. Finally, Samson tells her where his strength comes from. After Delilah cuts his hair, the Bibles says that the Lord had departed from him. Samson is captured and taken by the Philistines. When they gather to celebrate this great victory, they prepare a feast to their god Dagon. They believe that their god has given Samson into their hands. During the feast, they bring Samson out of the prison to be a part of their entertainment. They had blinded Samson after capturing him and they made him stand between the pillars. Samson asks the boy who was holding his hand to let him feel the pillars on which the house rests, that he may lean against them. The house rested upon these pillars. Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there. And about 3,000 men and women were on the roof looking on while Samson was amusing them. Samson prays to God. He grasps the two pillars and with all his might he caused the house to fall upon all the men and women who were present. Samson is killed, as well. The text says that the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life.
Hebrews 11 mentions Samson as a hero of faith. Hebrews 11:32 says, “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.”
So, how do we deal with Samson? Was he a good guy or a bad guy? Was he a man of faith? Was he a man who did what pleased himself? What about his relationships with the three women mentioned in his story? What about his relationship with his parents? What about his relationship with God? Where di his strength come from? Samson seems to be a complicated man. Hebrews says he was a man of faith. What lessons can we learn from the story of Samson?
Judges 6:11-18
11 Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” 13 Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15 He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” 16 But the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.” 17 So Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. 18 Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.”
In Judges 6-8, we have the story of Gideon. Deborah sat under the palm of Deborah. Our story with Gideon begins with an angel sitting under the oak that was in Ophrah. This oak belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. The angel was sitting under this oak as Joash’s son, Gideon, was beating out wheat in the wine press to save it from the Midianites. Gideon has a conversation with the angel. He addresses the angel as “my lord.” He says, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” Gideon is convinced that God has abandoned the Israelites and given them into the hands of the Midianites. Have you ever felt abandoned by God? Have you ever doubted God’s love? Gideon demands a sign from God. Didn’t some groups demand a sign from God in the New Testament? Weren’t they criticized for this? Gideon goes and prepares a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to the angel under the oak and presented them. Gideon then realizes that he is indeed talking to an angel of the Lord. Gideon builds an altar to the Lord and calls it “The Lord is Peace.” Why did he build an altar? Why does he give it this name? As of the writing of the book of Judges that altar still stood. Gideon takes ten men with him to do what the angel had instructed him to do. He was quite afraid of following the instructions. He was afraid of his father’s household. He even chose to do what he was instructed to do by night because of his fear. Have you ever been afraid to do something? Have you ever been afraid to do something, even when you knew it was the right thing to do? Following his actions the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him.
At the end of Judges 6, we find the story of the fleece. God had chosen Gideon to lead his people. Gideon needed to test to see if God truly was going to be with him. What is your understanding of the story of the fleece in Gideon 6?
Judges 7 says that Gideon was also known as Jerubbaal. All the people who were with Gideon rose early and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. You may want to look at a map. God tells Gideon that there are too many people with him. Have you ever heard of an army that was too big? Why did God tell Gideon his army was too big? God’s explanation is that Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me.’ God wanted to show that it was God who had delivered Israel from the Midianites. So, one way to diminish the numbers was to take the men down to the water to drink. Gideon separated the men as instructed. Those who lapped the water like a dog were chosen. This dropped the number of soldiers to 300. So, the 300 men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. Gideon overheard a dream being told by a man to his friend. The man who had the dream interpreted his dream as showing that Gideon would be victorious. When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. When do you spontaneously bow in worship? Gideon returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands.” Gideon instructs the 300 men what they are to do. He tells them that when he and all who are with him blow the trumpet, then they also should blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”
The army was divided into three companies of 100 men each. They approached the enemy at night. So, Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and cried, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against Midian and take the waters before them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.” So, all the men of Ephraim were summoned and they took the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. They captured the two leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, while they pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from across the Jordan.
Then, in Judges 8, the story continues that Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing. Judges 8 continues to talk about the victory of Gideon over their enemies. When all was said and done, the men of Israel asked Gideon to rule over them. But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.” Would you have reacted this way? Gideon requested a gold earring from each of them. Apparently, the Ishmaelites wore gold earrings. Gideon collected the gold made it into an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household. Why did Gideon do this?
However, because of the defeat of the Midianites, there was peace in the land for forty years. Notice in the Bible how often forty years shows up. Gideon had seventy sons who were his direct descendants, for he had many wives. And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. What do you make of the life of Gideon following his defeat of the Midianites? Did he live a life that was pleasing to God?
Judges 8 concludes by saying that as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god. In addition, they did not show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in accord with all the good that he had done to Israel. Do we behave this way?
Gideon is briefly mentioned in Hebrews 11 amongst the heroes of faith. Hebrews 11:32 says, “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.”
Did you notice that Hebrews 11 mentions Barak but not Deborah? Why?
What is your reaction to the life of Gideon? Should he be honored? Should he be ignored? Should he be praised? Should he be scorned? What lessons can we learn from Gideon?
Judges 4:4-10
4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 Now she sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “Behold, the Lord, the God of Israel, has commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. 7 I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his many troops to the river Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.’” 8 Then Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9 She said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up with him; Deborah also went up with him.
My sister’s name is Deborah. I have a daughter-in-law who is also named Deborah. Deborah means “bee.” There are two Deborah’s in the Bible. I bet you did not know that. There is a Deborah in Genesis who was Rebekah’s nurse. There is Deborah the Judge found in Judges 4-5.
All we are told about the Deborah in Genesis is that Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and was buried below Bethel under the oak; it was named Allon-bacuth. This is found in Genesis 35:8.
What do you know about Deborah the Judge? I’m guessing beyond knowing she is a judge you know nothing about her. I know I am very ignorant of who Deborah was. I would not do well on a trivia quiz about Deborah. Deborah is the fourth of the twelve judges of Israel not including Eli and Samuel.
Judges 4-5 tell us the following about Deborah. Deborah is a prophetess. What is a prophetess? She was the wife of Lappidoth. Who was Lappidoth? Why is it important for us to know these two things about Deborah? The Bible says that Deborah was judging Israel when the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. Who was Ehud? What evil was Israel doing?
According to Scripture, Deborah sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment. Do you have a palm tree named after you? I wonder what judgments she made. What were some of her cases? What qualified her to be a judge?
Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. You may need to get a map to help with the various locations that are mentioned. Who was Barak? She had prophesied that the honor shall not be Barak’s on the journey that he was about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman. What woman?
Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh, and ten thousand men went up with him; Deborah also went up with him. What was their mission? Barak goes down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. He has been assured that God is with him as he goes up against Sisera.
Then, Barak and Deborah sang a song. Judges 5 records that song.
Without Deborah, victory would not have been found. Without Deborah, Barak would not have been successful. Can you think of any other stories in the Bible where success would not have occurred had it not been for a Deborah? Deborah was very important. Read Judges 4-5 to be reminded of the full story.
Exodus 3:1-10
3 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3 So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
7 The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9 Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.
10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”
We are studying the life of Moses in our adult Bible class on Sunday morning. We began on the first Sunday of 2024 and will not finish until sometime in October.
I read somewhere that the name of Jesus is the most plentiful name in the Bible. Second, was David. Then, third was Moses.
Also, in my generation, I cannot think about Moses without thinking of Charlton Heston. And how often do we see cartoons where Moses is shown parting the waters — whether it be for fishing, bathing or swimming?
What is your favorite story from the life of Moses? Being discovered in the basket as a baby by Pharaoh’s daughter? How about the burning bush? Maybe it is the ten plagues or the crossing of the Red Sea. How about the Tabernacle and the giving of the Ten Commandments? Maybe it is the story where Moses got to look into the land of Canaan even though he was not allowed to enter Canaan. The book of Exodus through Deuteronomy covers the life of Moses. Most people argue that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. Moses is considered one of the greatest men of the Bible. Outside of the first five books of the Bible, what does the Bible say about Moses?
Joshua 1:1 says that Moses was a servant of the Lord. What does this mean? God promises Joshua that God will be with him just as he was with Moses. What a great promise!
In Judges, Caleb is given Hebron just as Moses had promised.
All throughout the Bible, the law that God gave to Moses for the people to follow is referred to as the Law of Moses. Why? We are reminded from time to time that the two tablets of stone that had the commandments written on them were kept in the ark of the covenant. Why was this important? What else was kept in the ark?
Moses’ name is found eight times in the Psalms. Psalm 90 is a prayer of Moses. Here he is called the man of God. Would you like to be called a man of God? Are you a man of God?
Moses’ name is mentioned seven times in the prophets. Moses is found throughout Scripture. How about the New Testament?
Jesus healed a leper in Matthew 8. He told the leper to go and show himself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded. Why? Moses and Elijah appeared at the Transfiguration of Jesus. What was the significance of that? The people tried to use Moses against Jesus when it came to marriage.
In Acts, the people secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” This led to the speech made by Stephen that culminated in his martyrdom. This was followed by the spreading of the Gospel to the rest of the world. Stephen reminds us that Moses was educated in the ways of the Egyptians. Stephen mentions Moses numerous times in his sermon found in Acts. The council of Jerusalem is focused on the fact that the Judaizers said that “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Paul said otherwise. How significant is this?
Hebrews mentions Moses eleven times. What does this say about the importance of Moses? Moses is mentioned as one of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11: “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.”
Jude says that Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
Moses is even mentioned in Revelation. Revelation 15:3 says, “And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!”
Books have been written about Moses. There are many wonderful lessons we can learn using Moses. Without Moses, we would not be who we are in Crist.
What is your favorite story about Moses? What is your favorite lesson you learned from the life of Moses?
In Psalm 64:7-10, the composer proclaims his or her confidence that God will respond to the threats of his or her wicked enemies and overthrow them:
“But God will shoot his arrow at them;
they will be wounded suddenly.
Because of their tongue he will bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake with horror.
Then everyone will fear;
they will tell what God has brought about,
and ponder what he has done.
Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in him.
Let all the upright in heart glory.”
1. The psalmist’s wicked enemies aimed bitter words like arrows against her or him and shot suddenly from ambush at the blameless (verses 3-4). In response, God will shoot his arrow at these enemies, and will wound them suddenly (verse 7). Similar language arising from a similar situation appears in Psalm 7:12-13:
“If one does not repent, God will whet his sword;
he has bent and strung his bow;
he has prepared his deadly weapons,
making his arrows fiery shafts.”
God punishes the wicked as they have oppressed the blameless and helpless.
2. Verse 3a says the psalmist’s wicked enemies whet their tongues like swords. In response, God will bring them to ruin because of their tongue (verse 8a). God’s punishment will be so severe and impactful that all who see it will be stricken with horror (verse 8b).
3. Verse 4b says the psalmist’s wicked enemies oppressed the defenseless without fear. In response, when God punishes these enemies, everyone will fear (verse 9a). “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).
4. When people experience God’s mighty works in the world and in their lives, it is natural for them to want to “tell” others what God has done. And as they live each day, they cannot help but “ponder” his amazing acts, which reveal his magnificence (verse 9b-c). The composer of Psalm 66 says in verse 16:
“Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell you what he has done for me.”
5. All who hear reports of God’s mighty acts will naturally “rejoice” and “glory” in the Lord, and when life’s troubles and danger come, will “take refuge in” him (verse 10). See Psalms 16:1; 18:2. God is not pleased with those who merely “appear” to be upright but delights in those who are truly “upright in heart.”
David's Memories 