Graves' This and That

I am a sucker for the "happily ever after" stories whether in Scripture or real life.  I love it when the hero, who is the lone and insignificant person, is able rise to the impossible and overcome victoriously.  Of course, he or she may end up with a few minor and in some cases, major wounds, but is victorious in spite of the challenge/challenger.   The Philistines have harassed Israel most of the reign of Saul.  David is now in service to Saul and is in fact, his armor bearer.  David is  tending his sheep when he is given the task of taking food to his brothers who are encamped and preparing to fight the Philistines.  Israel is encamped on one side of the Valley of Elah and the Philistines are on the opposite side of the valley.  Goliath, the champion and giant mouth,  challenges Israel to a contest between he and a warrior of Israel. 1Samuel 17:11 records that Saul and all Israel are dismayed and greatly afraid.  So fearful that the...

  Saul is still king of Israel and now will not have the guidance of Samuel. Even though Saul has been rejected by God as king, he will reign for 25 more years.  Samuel has been directed to go to Bethlehem where he will anoint a king.  The youth, David, is called in from keeping the sheep, a servant's job, and is brought before Samuel.  God chooses David, and Samuel anoints him as king. It has been guesstimated that David may have been 10-15 years of age. Super kid for sure!  He will become king in waiting for 25 long and arduous years as Saul pursues David relentlessly.  All of Saul's character flaws will drive him even to the point of murderous attempts against David's life in the readings which will follow.   At this point in the narrative, Saul is being visited from "an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him".  Not sure what all that may mean, but we do know that God is good and that He is Sovereign over all principalities and powers, goo...

  1 Samuel 16 opens with Samuel grieving over Saul and God is asking him how long he is going to grieve over Saul. Without answering, God gives Samuel the directive to go to Bethlehem to the home of Jesse and there "God has selected a king for Myself among his sons."  Of course, Samuel is fearful that Saul will hear and may kill Samuel.  God does not respond to Samuel's  question.  Samson is instructed to go to Bethlehem and offer a sacrifice of a heifer and invite Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice.  Each of the sons are called before Samuel.  The Lord has already reminded Samuel that HE does not see as man sees for God looks at the heart.  None of the sons are chosen, and when asked if there is another son, Jesse states that the youngest son, David, is tending the sheep.  Samuel requests that David come before him.  God speaks to Samuel and affirms that this is the one, He has chosen, and commands Samuel to anoint him with the horn ...

  Oh my, Saul is given another opportunity to show that he can function as a man after God's own heart and in today's reading, 1 Samuel 15, we will find more flaws revealed in his character.   Samuel again comes to Saul and give him instructions from the Lord.  Saul is to strike  the Amalekites and utterly destroy them and spare no one and no thing. (I am the first to confess that I do not fully understand such a directive, but I do know that God is good.  He is long-suffering and that fact is shown in that it had been a  couple of hundred years since Israel had come up from Egypt and  the Amalekites sought to fight and destroy Israel.)  The Amalekites are defeated.  BUT Saul and the people spare the king, the best of the animals, and all that is useful.  What they could not use or deem as worthless, they destroyed.   Of course, God knows Saul's heart and reveals to Samuel what Saul has done.  The Lord's take, "I regr...

     Saul has now reigning as king.  He encounters the Philistines who have been the consistent enemy to Israel.  Saul's son, Jonathan, has routed a Philistine garrison and is victorious.  This only angered the Philistines and they are prepared for battle against Israel.  The have 30,000 chariots, and 5,000 horsemen, and men as numerous as the "sand on the seashore".    They are encamped near Gilgal , not far from where Saul is waiting on Samuel, per his instruction to "wait 7 days until I come to you and show you what you should do."   The Israelites have already seen the great number of the troops of the Philistines and realize they are out-numbered and hard-pressed .  Their response is to hide themselves in caves, thickets, cliffs, cellars, and pits.  Can we feel their fear ?  When we come up against obstacles, isn't the first response to gaze at the obstacle?  We analyze and plan with the obstacle, a...

    To be like all the nations around them, Israel has demanded a king.  I find it very interesting that Scripture plainly states in 1 Samuel 9:16 that it is God who chooses Saul to be the first king.  God reassures Samuel that Israel's demand for a king was rejection of God being their King and not the rejection of Samuel.   Saul is the king, however, Samuel, like any well-meaning parent, wants to remind Israel of their history to this point.  Samuel gives them four pertinent reminders: 1. Serve the Lord with ALL your heart . 2. Do not turn aside from following the Lord because loss of focus on Him will cause you to value worthless things which will not benefit you long term. 3.  Samuel vows to continue to intercede/pray for them and instruct them. 4. Remember the great things that God has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:20-25.  His last statement in this chapter to them is not a threat, but rather a promise: " But if you sti...

  My reads in 1 Samuel are still in the latter period of the judges who ruled.  At the present, Samuel is the judge of Israel.  He is a circuit walking or riding judge who is a judge over several city areas.  He has two grown sons that he appoints as judges, however they do not have Samuel's heart for commitment to the Lord, and are dishonest, take bribes, and pervert justice.   The elders of Israel gather and come to Samuel and bring Samuel their demand and complaint :Samuel, " you have grown old, and your sons don not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations. " 1 Samuel 8:5.  Samuel is a man of prayer.  He has interceded for Israel these years that he has been judge.  Upon hearing their demand, he is displeased.  As he is praying, I just betcha that he is busy taking inwardly all their complaint and guff personally.  God reassures Samuel that the rejection is not of Samuel, but the rejectio...

        The reader gets to Chapter 7 of 1Samuel and sees that the Ark of the Lord has a new home, and it is no longer in the hands of the Philistines.  It is first in the town of Beth-shemesh and they offer burnt offerings and sacrifices to the Lord.  It is   perhaps a sigh of relief to have the Ark of the Lord returned to them.  The towns-people decide to check out the contents of the Ark, and  they are immediately struck dead by the Lord.  Their curiosity and presumption cost them their lives.  A very pertinent question is asked by the men of Beth-shemesh,  "Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?"   (I know you might be asking as I wondered...when the Philistines opened the Ark and put the golden mice and the golden tumors in it, why weren't they struck dead?  The Philistines were not Israelites  and would not have known the Levitical laws concerning the Ark, maybe they would not be "held...

  Israel is again facing the consequences of her disobedience.  She has been in war before and even taken captive by other nations.  This battle with the Philistines has resulted in the Ark of God being taken by them,  Eli's two sons are killed, and the early birth of Eli's grandson named Ichabod which means "no glory".  (If you ever disliked your name, have some compassion for Ichabod!)  Tragically, when Eli hears the news of the loss of his two sons and the Ark of God being taken, he falls over in his chair and dies of a broken neck.   1 Samuel 5. I love the comical foray that ensues in this reading for today.  The Philistines take the Ark of God and place it in the house of Dagon in the city of Ashdod.  Dagon is the major god of fertility of the Philistines.  The Ark of God is set by the idol of Dagon.  Remember, the Ark of God is the symbol of God's Presence.  The worshipers come the next morning and find that Dagon...

There were always at least two Bible stories that I could never read to my three little boys: Moses being placed in a basket to float in the Nile for his protection(?), and the story of Hannah giving Samuel, the child of 2-3 years of age to the Lord and leaving him with an elderly priest, Eli.  I never could wrap my mind and heart around that part of the stories of these two men.   Being an analyzer, too many questions would scream into my reality as I read those passages  while looking at my own three year old.  The questions are still there as I read the  story again.  God is gracious and answers Hannah's prayer for a son.  She has vowed to God that she would "give him to the Lord all the days of his life."  According to Deuteronomy 23:21, "When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin to you, and the Lord your God will require it of you."   Hannah must have been devout and committed to her L...

I know you thought I would never leave the book of Ruth.  I always love to have an ending to a reading that is redemptive and most of the readings in Judges were not, so I decided to nest on Ruth for a while since Naomi and I had some commonalities even though separated by 2,000 years.   I enter the book of I Samuel, who is the last Judge during the rule by judges, and this read will last for a month or so as I write of some events in the book.  I am so thrilled that God uses flawed, finite, and sometimes pitiful people to tell His story of His love and His redemption for you and me.   The first character I encounter is Hannah.  She is barren and probably the first wife of Elkanah. The ancient custom of the Levirate Marriage: in order to secure the family lineage, this law also included the interpretation if the first wife is barren, the man can take on a second wife.  I just betcha this is a man's stretch of legal jargon, because throughout Gene...

Boaz readily and wholeheartedly agrees to be the kinsman -redeemer for Ruth BUT there is a closer relative than he, and Boaz must give her that information.  He, also must speak with the closer relative than he.   Ruth hurries home, excited about her news to tell Naomi, and she is given Naomi's wisdom and take on the event.  " Wait ,  my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today."   Scripture gives no mention of Ruth's activities during the waiting time, and all her emotions about a marriage, and the questions which must have filled her heart. "Will the closer relative agree to take me into his home and give me children to continue my deceased husband's family name?" " Will Boaz?"  I guess clothing was not even an issue, like what will I wear?  She will not have the helpful insights of Randy on "Will She Choose This Dress".   Boaz goes to the city gate, a very publ...

In my reading of Ruth, I wanted to know more about the Kinsman-Redeemer.  I found a writing online by Chuck Missler of Koinonia House on the subject and his writing gave valuable information of cultural customs of ancient Israel that was most helpful.   Naomi is alert to the custom, the law of Levirate Marriage, and she knows that Boaz is the kin of her deceased husband.  Naomi instructs Ruth to return to the threshing floor at night.  After the reapers and Boaz have celebrated, they return to the threshing floor to sleep near the piles of grain which have been threshed.  Ruth follows the instruction and quietly sleeps at Boaz's feet.  When he awakens, he sees her, is surprised and of course asks her to identify herself.  Ruth complies and follows it with a question asking him to spread his covering over her because he is her close relative.  Be cautious and do not read in any inappropriate suggestions.  Boaz's covering is the like a s...

    A casual reading of the book of Ruth would have suggested a love story with a hero that comes to the rescue of Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi. I have read Ruth numerous times casually, but in this read, I began to relate to the mother-in-law, Naomi. I enter her world as one who has experienced the deaths of a husband and a son.  For the first time, I could feel her loss and some of her grief even though removed by several thousand years. I could also hang with her and her glimmer of hope arising that her grief have some profit for the Lord's purpose and plan.   Naomi and Ruth have returned to Bethlehem during the harvest time of barley.  Harvest time is especially celebratory this season, for the Bethlehem area has experienced severe famine. Three of the ancient customs of Israel are mentioned in the book.  One custom is the Law of Redemption : If land is sold to pay debts, it is viewed as a lease only so that the land could eventually be return...

From The Message ,  Isaiah gives an encouragement to Judah,  who has long been in Babylonian captivity and after years of mourning, is returning "home" Isaiah 61:3, "To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit." Grief has no rule book, no set emotions, and seemingly at times, no boundaries.  When the waves of grief wash over me, I cannot define my emotions except to say, "I grieve."  As I read the book of Ruth, I decide not just to read it casually, but to read it with empathy for Naomi because I, too, am a fellow traveler with her as you may be also. Naomi and Ruth have returned to Bethlehem, Naomi's hometown.  Grief has changed her facial demeanor, I assume because "and the women said, "Is this Naomi?" (I read from one author that it may have been some ten years that Naomi had been in Moab.) Her n...

  Thank goodness, I finished Judges and the final chapters record events which presented  the turbulence of evil and the degradation of the "sons of Israel".  Judges, is the narrative of a people who lived by their impulses doing what was right in their own eyes.  Hello, today's culture of 2017! I joyfully moved on in my read to Ruth, which is the next book narrative after Judges. It occurred during the same time period, about 1000 B.C. of the Judges, but it portrays a faithful people, a family of four who experience shattered dreams, their responses to the losses, the loss of hope, and their recovery of hope.  Their story could be your story or mine whether all of it, or some of it, there are some commonalities we share. Famine has occurred in Bethlehem, Judah, and Elimelech, the husband moves his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion to Moab which is southeast of Bethlehem near the Dead Sea.  Their intent is to remain in Moab until t...

When a chapter begins:"Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, so that the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines forty years", you understand, it is going to be a painful read. Chapter 13 is  Samson, the deliverer's story, his biography. Samson judged Israel for twenty years. It was to be a story of freedom for Israel, but it becomes a story of enslavement of a stronghold. A stronghold that helped to bring about Samson's death. (A stronghold is a mindset regarding a sin that is a reinforced and practiced by lies that we tell ourselves.)   We each have a story and our story can only be read or told from the details that we choose to live out. I prefer to read a biography of an individual who is obedient and serves the Lord living "happily ever after". The real reality is that God uses us, the flawed,the broken,the wounded,and even the rebellious at times,to accomplish HIS plan and purposes. Praise HIM...in spite of me! ...

Valiant Warrior, Gideon is all in!  He has seen the LORD. He has demolished the statues of Baal and Asherah. Now, all he has to do is lead the  Israelites in battle to deliver them from Midian! In Judges 7, the Midianites, the Amalekites and the sons of the east are assembled in the valley of Jezrell.  Minor detail: There are about 135,000 of them and their camels.  Gideon gathers some 32,000 Israelites to go with him.  Through a series of God's inventions, the final number has been reduced to 300 men and Gideon. God's encouraging word (NOT) to Gideon before His intervention, "The people who are with you are too many for ME to give Midian into their hands, lest Israel become boastful, saying, 'My own power has delivered me."  We are not told of Gideon's replies at this point, but I just wonder if this is what a crap shoot looks like?  The odds are now 450 to 1! Before the battles, the LORD has told Gideon that HE will give Midian into his hands two mo...

  I could be wrong, but Gideon has gotten over the shock of speaking with the LORD, HIMSELF, and is still alive, but now, the LORD comes to him the same night and reveals Part B to the plan of taking down Midian, and this will require more gumption and daring obedience from Gideon!   The LORD announces to Gideon: 1.  Take your father's bull and a second bull.  Gideon is to use them to pull down his father's altar to the Baal and  the Asherah (Canaanite god and goddess of fertility.  The people were synergistic in their worship: a little allegiance to the GOD of Israel and too much allegiance to idols.  ). 2.  He is to build an altar to the "LORD your GOD" and sacrifice the second bull using the wood from the Asherah for the fire.  Gideon now gets to see the ire of his father and unbeknown to him, the whole city.  He uses 10 of his father's men to take the two bulls and tear down the altar and the idols, but because of his fear of his ...

  Gideon has been so very comfortable hiding in the caves from the Midianite hoards.He has even resorted to threshing his wheat in a wine vat so his grain would not be taken.  He gets a surprise visit, not from the Midianites, but the LORD.  He has given Gideon a task, a challenge that is certainly beyond his own ability.  He is going to be sent to deliver Israel from Midian.  The LORD gives Gideon the promise, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man."  Judges 6:9. Gideon reminds me somewhat of Moses when God gave him his assignment to deliver Israel from the Egyptians.  Moses also offers up his excuses why he is NOT the man for the assignment.  Gideon now moves to try to negotiate with the LORD.  Remember, Gideon may have been an idol worshiper with his family.  He may not have been taught or has heard the stories of God's wonders and miracles in delivering Israel from Egypt. This is before the Holy Spirit i...

  Chapter 5 closes with the "the land was undisturbed for forty years" .  Chapter 6 opens with "..the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years."   The cycle continues!  Midian, (relatives of theirs by Abraham who married Keturah after the death of Sarah) like hordes of locusts, would come into Israel with their livestock, tents, and camels  at harvest time and totally decimate the land and the produce.  The marauders came in such numbers that Israel would hide in the caves in the mountains for protection.   An angel of the God (another theophany, preincarnate Jesus) comes to Gideon who is threshing his wheat in a wine press.  Gideon is on constant watch for the furtive marauders who might catch him and take his wheat. Usually the wheat is threshed on a high area to catch the winds to separate the wheat from the chaff, and the wine press is in a low place with a ...

  A call goes out to women...be a Deborah from Judges 4.  Again the sons of Israel have done evil after their judge-military leader dies and they are being sorely harassed and greatly oppressed by Sisera.  Sisera is the commander of the military for the king of Canaan.  At this time, Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth is judging Israel.  What a woman: her roles, judge, deliverer, wife, and a military leader. God has told Deborah to command Barak to fight the Canaanites and she will draw out Sisera and his chariots and troops.  Her words... "I will give him into your hand."   Don't you love her courage and gutsy attitude? What is really interesting is that Barak states to her if she will go with him, he will go.  If she doesn't go with him, "I will not go ".  Read her stern reply and I just betcha her hands were on her hips:  "I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about...

    Joshua has died, been buried, and the Israelites have fought and taken the land that was promised to them.  They were forewarned by the angel of the Lord, a theophany ( the Lord Himself manifest before them) not to make any covenants with the inhabitants of the land and certainly not to worship their idols.  He further told them that they (the inhabitants) would become as " thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you."  Judges 2:2-3  Warning given!   Years have now passed, the generation who came with Joshua has died, "and there arose another generation after them who did knot know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel."  They begin to serve the Baal (a god of the Canaanites) and have forsaken the Lord.  God, in His righteous anger gives Israel into the hands of plunders and sells them into the hands of their enemies.  The same pattern of disobedience: the worship of idols, Israel cries out ...

        Joshua gathers all the tribes of Israel at Shechem and begins his farewell address to them.  He began with them at age 40 and now, he is 110 years old.  He was blessed to have served under Moses during those 40 years and now they have entered and settled in the land God promised to them.  In his speech he reminds them of all the God has done in their behalf as if God was speaking: "I brought you"; "I destroyed"; "I gave you"; "I took"; "I sent"...all instances of God's leading and intervening for them.   Joshua put a challenge before them and the same challenge is before you and me TODAY: " Now fear the Lord and serve Him will all faithfulness.  Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.  BUT if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served....BUT as for me and my hous...

There are some days that I can and will walk in faith and then there are some days that I get weary in "in the waiting process".  Things I have prayed about for days, months, or even years are still before the Lord and I wait, sometimes expectantly, and sometimes, I stop and frisk my requests to be sure of my heart and checking out His will. Then, there are those times, I begin to doubt with the "will God?"  His promises made; His promises kept! I love reminders from the Word of God.  He well knows how fragile and flawed I am and I NEED reminders so that when doubt comes knocking at the door of my heart, I can send His Truth to answer the door.  Joshua is elderly, hopefully older than I am, and his statement: "Now I am about to go the way of the earth.  You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your GOD gave you has failed.  Every promise has been fulfilled, not one has failed." Joshua 23:14 My declaration for...

  Joshua and the people have taken control of they lands that they we re p romi sed .  It is  unpacking time and settling down time on the land that they have fought to claim.   Dear old Caleb approaches Joshua at Gilgal.  He reminds Joshua of Moses' and God's promise to Joshua and him.  At the time when the promise was made, they both were a mere forty years old.  They had spied out the land which Moses had assigned them with ten others to explore and to check out the size of the cities, the fortifications, and their crops.  Caleb relates that he brought back a report according to his convictions, and so had Joshua, however, the other brothers who went brought back a report which "made the hearts of the people melt with fear."  As God had promised, HE kept Caleb and Joshua alive for forty-five years .  They are now in the Promised Land.   I can just hear Caleb as he stands straight as a poker, and speaks strongly and lou...

These words of Joshua have confounded commentators of Scripture....some trying to explain away the miraculous hand of God and some who are willing to say the miracle happened.  Joshua's  bold and brazen words in the presence of Israel who is moving on to take the land are at Gibeon and his words "are said to the Lord " "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon, So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies." Joshua 10:12  Land had to be taken at this very opportunity, and the army was beginning to lose daylight.  The words of Joshua "said to the LORD " is his daring prayer in determination to fight on with God's intervention. My take:  IT HAPPENED BECAUSE JOSHUA DARED TO ASK THE LORD!  I recognize that many of our prayers are childhood bedtime prayers we uttered, "Now I lay me down to sleep..." Surely as maturing Christ followers, we have moved to be bold enough to ...