Convinced that King Saul desires to kill him David looks for ways of escape. As an officer in Saul’s army and a member of Saul’s family he lives at the center of Saul’s kingdom. Jonathan, unconvinced that his father has determined to kill his friend attempts to convince David that he is safe. David and…
Love or Fear – 1 Samuel 19
While fear of God is the beginning of understanding, the fear of other people is often the beginning of foolishness. This chapter begins with an example of the foolishness that flows from fear. King Saul commands his son Jonathan to kill David. Fear of God leads people to respond in love and that is how…
October 2021 Family Photo Contest
Our October theme was LEAF or LEAVES. Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night….
A Tale of Two Relationships – 1 Samuel 18
Powerful people tend to polarize the responses of the people around them. In this chapter the responses of two members of the same family illustrate how this reveals character. Jonathan After killing Goliath David becomes a commander in Saul’s army and leads the army to one victory after another. Jonathan, who is heir to the…
Sibling Rivalry – 1 Samuel 17
Philistines line up against Israelites. Nine foot giant named Goliath appears. Goliath issues challenge. Israelites cower in fear. David sent to check on brothers. Next, David hears Goliath’s challenge. Then, David questions soldiers. Eliab gets angry. Saul sends for David. David rejects armor. Goliath insulted by David. David and Goliath run toward each other. The…
September 2021 Family Photo Contest
Our September theme was a challenging one as usual. The theme was LEARN. Which image do you think best portrays that theme? Be sure to click on each image to see it full size. Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. Proverbs 9:9…
Judging God – 1 Samuel 16
This chapter contains one of the more difficult verses to interpret in the Bible. God demotes Saul from his role as king, yet leaves him in position for many years. When God removes Saul from the throne He also removes the Holy Spirit from Saul. God instructs Samuel to anoint a new king and Samuel…
Devoted to Destruction – 1 Samuel 15
One of the most challenging things for many people today is the occasional command of God to totally destroy a group of people. The Biblical term often used for this is that the people have been devoted to destruction. As the verses below make clear, the army must kill everything living. This is what the…
Courage and Rebellion – 1 Samuel 14
If you search you will have a difficult time finding a positive human father story in the Bible. God provides an incredible example of what it means to be a father, and the characters we meet through scripture rarely measure up. King Saul is no exception. In observing the world around us we have grown…
A Devout and Holy Life
I have just started reading “A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life” by William Law. The book was first published in 1728 and this makes the text challenging to read. The bigger challenge is that the principles presented are not of either the feel good or self help variety. It is very observable,…
