I Samuel 21 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson                        This chapter belongs with the next chapter, but we will try to stay on chapter 21.  Jonathan and the readers know from chapter 20 that Saul wants to kill David.  So, the anointed but not-yet-king is on the run from Saul, the current king.   David is running for his life. In 21, David first goes to Nob, a city a few miles from Jerusalem.  Nob is…

1 Samuel 20 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence             As God had promised back in the Garden of Eden, the seed of the serpent would continue to strike at the heel of the seed of the woman, so King Saul is maneuvering to strike David, God’s anointed one.  Even though he supposedly repented of his actions previously against David, his pride will not allow him to accept that David would replace him as king nor that…

1 Samuel 19 by Pastor David Groendyk To say nothing else of this chapter, it’s an awkward position that Saul is putting his children in. Both Jonathan and Michal have made covenants with David, and their father now expects both of them to help kill David. It’s not exactly model parenting. More than that, this chapter kicks off a lengthy section where David is on the run from Saul as Saul’s jealousy of David continues…

I Samuel 18 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson             Coming off the victory over Goliath, we see two different reactions from the same family.  In 18:1-5, Jonathan loves David and esteems him.  Saul, in vs. 6-9 is jealous of David.  Jonathan may have known what Samuel said to Saul (13:14).  Jonathan loved David, a verb that will be repeated in this chapter, and did the most surprising thing: He made a covenant with David.  That…

1 Samuel 16 by Pastor David Groendyk Today’s chapter marks a turning point in the book of 1 Samuel. From this point forward, the focus is upon David and his preparation for kingship. In some ways, the anointing of David mirrors the anointing of Saul, but there is one crucial difference—David is chosen by God whereas Saul had been chosen by man. Even more so than their own hearts, the most important difference between David…

I Samuel 15 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson             In chapter 15, we have a clear command to Saul and the reasons given.  This age-old hostility will be dealt with by Saul.  As uncomfortable for us to read v. 3, the Biblical authors offer nary a word of justification.  This refers to what Amalek did to Israel recorded in Exodus 17:8-14 and Deuteronomy 25:17-19 .  The command in verse 3 is crystal clear.  The word…

1 Sam 14 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence             The contrast between King Saul and his son Jonathan is one of the primary themes in this chapter along with Saul’s continual decline as a leader in Israel.  While Saul is hiding in a cave from the threat of the nearby Philistines, Jonathan is looking for an opportunity to confront the Philistines on their own turf.  Even though Saul got the credit for the victory over the…

Romans 4 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson             After Paul discussed the grace of God in the gospel at the end of chapter 3,  he stated that God’s righteousness is apart from the law.  Paul even posed the question in 3:31, “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith?” Paul may feel a need to explain how a person is justified.  Paul uses Abraham, the great patriarch of Genesis.  He is clearly counted as…

1 Samuel 13 by Pastor David Groendyk The people of Israel have finally recognized their foolishness in desiring a king for themselves (12:19), and it’s not long before the damning cracks start forming in their brand new king, thus leading God to reject Saul as king over Israel. Saul will win more battles as his time goes on, but from this point onward, he’s a lame duck king who has irrevocably lost God’s favor. Right…

I Samuel 12 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson             Samuel’s farewell address is deeply personal and theological.  He begins in vs. 1-5 declaring his innocence before all Israel and asking them to respond.  They respond that Samuel has been not stolen from them, defrauded them, or oppressed them nor has he accepted any bribe.             Samuel then provides a summary of their history from Egypt to the present.  This is a selective summary.  In fact,…

1 Samuel 11 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence            Oh, what could have been! Reading this short snippet at the beginning of Saul’s tenure as king, we are inspired by his bravery, clemency and zeal for the Lord.  It seems as if the people were right after all in wanting a king of their own, for Saul steps up to the challenge and defends the tribes of Israel from enemies foreign and domestic.            Following in…

1 Samuel 10 by Pastor David Groendyk This chapter is the fulfillment of God’s revelation to Samuel in 9:16—Saul is anointed and elected king over Israel. Saul is a perplexing and polarizing figure, both for Israel and for us. He has the Spirit of the Lord rush upon him, but he has already been called a king like every other nation; he is turned into a new man, but he still acts cowardly; he is…

I Samuel 9 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson             In I Samuel, we can divide the book into these three subjects: Samuel chapters 1-8 Saul      chapters 9-15 David   chapters 16-31             Even though Samuel continues to play a big role in this book, we now look at Saul, the first king of Israel.  This is a rather unusual way to introduce the first King of Israel.  Saul comes from a rather well-to-do family.  His positive…

1 Samuel 8 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence             After God’s judgment came down upon the house of Eli, there is great hope for the young man Samuel whom God raises up to serve as both priest and judge over Israel, but, sadly, his sons aren’t any better than Eli’s, for they are said to have turned aside after gain in their role as judges taking bribes and perverting justice.  It is this moral failure demonstrated…

1 Samuel 7 Devotional by Pastor David Groendyk The ark of the covenant, originally stolen while in battle with the Philistines, has finally finished its circuitous journey and been returned to Israel. But the real question is, Has Israel learned its lesson from the judgment of chapter 4? What is a proper response to their humiliating defeat at the hands of the Philistines? Apparently, about 20 years have passed since that major defeat in chapter…

I Samuel 6 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson             In I Samuel, we can divide the book into these three subjects: Samuel chapters 1-8 Saul      chapters 9-15 David   chapters 16-31 We find a fascinating chapter with paganism and disobedient Israelites together.  Hannah’s prayer in chapter 2 is often called an introduction to the themes of Samuel’s book, we will discover those themes in this chapter.  In this chapter we find: Heavy Hand of God 6:1-9     …

1 Samuel 5 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence            It almost seems risky for the Lord to discipline his people by allowing their enemies to overcome them in battle, for those enemies always assume that it was the hand of their own god who gave them the victory.  Clearly, that is the conclusion the Philistines reached after slaughtering thirty-four thousand Israelites on the battlefield as recorded in the previous chapter.  They firmly believed that their own…

1 Samuel 4 Pastor David Groendyk This chapter is a low-point in the first section of 1 Samuel which focuses on Samuel as a prophet, priest, and judge. So far we’ve seen the sorry state of the spiritual leadership Israel has in the form of Eli and his two sons, and we’ve seen God working his redemptive plans in the midst of darkness in the form of Samuel. Chapter 4 is a form of God’s…

I Samuel 3 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson             We could label this chapter the calling of Samuel since the word call appears 11 times in this chapter.  As exciting as Samuel’s appearance is for the nation of Israel, we are also saddened to see Eli’s end of life failures.  God is speaking to a 12-year-old (or so) instead of Eli.  After reading the scathing denunciation of Eli’s sons we understand but why God followed…

1 Samuel 2 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence The Lord “brings low and he exalts,” is just one of the notes of praise that comes out of the mouth of Hannah in the beginning of this chapter, but it also serves to demonstrate what is happening in the rest of the chapter.  Because Eli had honored his sons above the Lord and thereby had despised the Lord’s offerings, the Lord would esteem him and his household…

1 Samuel 1 by Pastor David Groendyk Historically speaking, the books of 1–2 Samuel follow immediately after the book of Judges which describes Israel’s failure to conquer Canaan and subsequent downward spiritual spiral into idolatry. The repeated description of Israel in the book of Judges was, “There was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Israel desperately needed a leader in those days, and, in fact, did have a…