Saul has been rejected by the Lord but is still on the throne as king of Israel. David has been anointed and in 1 Samuel 16:13 “the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon David from that day on”. While Saul struggles,…
Tag: March
Have You Come in Peace
Saul is rash, he is courageous and a man of war, but not wise in his words or actions and also swayed by the influence of those around him. Saul returns from battle with the Amalekites saying he has done…
Perhaps Yahweh Will Act For Us
Saul is anointed by Samuel, then rallies the people to fight the Philistines but the Philistines respond with overwhelming forces. Saul’s army is scattering and in 1 Samuel 17:7 “followed him (Saul) trembling”. Samuel had told Saul to wait seven…
Serve Yahweh With All Your Heart
The elders of Israel are afraid because there are armies around them. The Philistines have been a long-standing threat and now they fear the Ammonites so they come to Samuel and asked for a king. In their minds, a king…
Let Us Go Up To The Seer
Samuel is nearing the end of his time as a judge of Israel and the leaders come to him asking in 1 Samuel 8:5 “appoint a king for us to judge us, like all the nations”. While this was never…
Commit Your Hearts to Yahweh
Israel has been plagued by their enemies, the Philistines and they have suffered at the hand of Eli’s sons, the “worthless scoundrels” in 1 Samuel 2:12. But it wasn’t just these two, the nation as a whole had fallen away.…
Yahweh Came and Stood There
Hannah and her faithful husband Elkanah are blessed and the Lord gives her five more children. And she still sees her son Samuel in 1 Samuel 2:19 “His mother used to make for him a small robe and take it…
Build This House of God
The opposition of the returning exiles has challenged them and they provide a short history and progress update to the present King Darius. Darius investigates and finds the decree from Cyrus. Darius understands what is happening and confirms the decree…
I Have Returned to Zion
The people had been scattered, the land at rest for seventy years. Now, God says, “I have returned” and as they were blown away by the wind, they will return. This happened in Zechariah’s day and this is also a…
Grace Grace To It
Zechariah sees into heaven and is at the throne of God. Joshua is dressed in filthy rags and Satan stands as his accuser, the angels are at work though, and dress him and prepare him to stand in his position…
I Will Fill This House With Glory
The work on the temple had stopped. The people were going about their lives. The opposition was still there. Then the word of the Lord comes to stir them to work. God confirms that he is with them. He explains…
Consider Your Ways
The exiles that had returned were faced with local officials that were in control of the region, they were all still under Persian rule. These, the enemies of the exiles were contending for power over this “Province beyond the river”…
We Were Like Dreamers
The exiles are home and the people settled in their home cities, well at least in the right place. Jerusalem’s walls are down, the temple destroyed, and the Assyrians had relocated people to their land. But they were home. They…
Go Up To Jerusalem
Cyrus acknowledges Yahweh, the God of the heavens, the one who is the God of Israel, the one who is in Jerusalem. Cyrus issues a proclamation for all to return “whose spirit God has stirred” then returns all of the…