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Revelation 21:1-8

01 Jun

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Revelation 21:1-8

Dear God, as I read this passage this morning (verse 2-4 were the verses of the day for Bible Gateway), I thought about all of the teaching that has been done on the afterlife, the second coming, and even the rapture. Some of it has been based on this very passage. Some of it out of Thessalonians. Some from Peter. Some from what Jesus said in the gospels. Then I wondered, what would our theology be without this book? What if you hadn’t given John this “revelation,” and what if it hadn’t been preserved for us today? How much does our anticipation of an unknown future depend on all of this?

I also noted the “second death” mentioned in verse 8. I’ve learned in recent years about “annihilationism” or “conditional immortality.” They are basically the idea that it is possible to kill a soul. Eternal life in worship and service of you and a second death in the lake of fire. I honestly hope that’s true.

But I’m incredibly ignorant. There is so much I don’t understand. I was teaching the Sunday school class yesterday and Manoah and his wife (Samson’s parents) out of Judges 13, and one of the things the angel tells them is that his name is too beautiful for them to understand. Just his name is too beautiful for them to understand! How much more ignorant am I beyond that?

Father, Thank you that you are in charge. Thank you that, one day, I have serving and worshipping you n a more pure way to look forward to. I pray that you would have mercy on those I love, heal their hearts, and draw those who are running from you to you. As I teach Christian Men’s Life Skills tonight, help me to do it in a way that will draw the men to you. Prepare their hearts today for what they will hear from Jay, Larry, Joe, and me tonight. Prepare our hearts to share with them and love them.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 1, 2026 in Revelation

 

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1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

31 May

13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Dear God, I’m not one to sit here and pine for heaven or the afterlife, but that is probably because I am a comfortable American Christian who doesn’t really understand suffering. I don’t appreciate wanting this life to be short so I can get on with your perfect afterlife.

I was thinking this morning about estranged parent/child relationships. I’ve known people who had prents die when they were estranged from each other. I’ve known people who have lost children to suicide and, at least to some extent, blamed themselves. I think the good news for all of these people is that, if there is eternity with you to be anticipated by all parties, these few years on earth will be but a blip on their existence. I think part of the appeal of heaven isn’t the paradise it will be, but the idea that it will render the pain experienced in this life practically non-existent.

Father, help me to be a source of comfort for others who suffer by offering them you and your comfort. And help me to rest in the comfort of the knowledge that the pain I experience is only temporary. And I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to at least consider the people in the world who DO know what suffering means. They are attacked, threatened, and killed for their faith in you. They are denied an opportunity to support themselves. They helplessly watch their families and friends be tortured. They have governments or mobs attacking them. Oh, Father, please help. Raise up your people or raise up someone who will come to their aid. If there is someone I should support in that, please show me and let me know. And as I get ready to teach this morning about Manoah and his wife, give me your words to say. Speak through me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 31, 2026 in 1 Thessalonians

 

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Psalm 56

30 May

Psalm 56

For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time the Philistines seized him in Gath. To be sung to the tune “Dove on Distant Oaks.”

1 O God, have mercy on me,
    for people are hounding me.
    My foes attack me all day long.
2 I am constantly hounded by those who slander me,
    and many are boldly attacking me.
3 But when I am afraid,
    I will put my trust in you.
4 I praise God for what he has promised.
    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

5 They are always twisting what I say;
    they spend their days plotting to harm me.
6 They come together to spy on me—
    watching my every step, eager to kill me.
7 Don’t let them get away with their wickedness;
    in your anger, O God, bring them down.

8 You keep track of all my sorrows.
    You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
    You have recorded each one in your book.

9 My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
    This I know: God is on my side!
10 I praise God for what he has promised;
    yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised.
11 I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

12 I will fulfill my vows to you, O God,
    and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.
13 For you have rescued me from death;
    you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
    in your life-giving light.

Dear God, would this be a psalm of disorientation or reorientation? I am grateful we get the context for it in the introduction. When did the Philistines seize David in Gath? 1 Samuel 21 after he took Goliath’s sword from Ahimelech when David was running from Saul and escaped to Gath:

10 So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath. 11 But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. “Isn’t this David, the king of the land?” they asked. “Isn’t he the one the people honor with dances, singing,

‘Saul has killed his thousands,
    and David his ten thousands’?”

12 David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. 13 So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.

14 Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman? 15 We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?”

I never read this story before and thought about the fact that they had “seized” David as they brought him to King Achish, but that’s how the introduction describes the psalm so I’ll go with that image. I can’t wait until I teach this story from 1 Samuel to the guys in Christian Men’s Life Skills in a couple of weeks. Adding this psalm will be something fun. Wow! The Bible has so many layers and hyperlinks between the texts. For an uneducated man, it feels almost impossible to get my head around them. I guess that’s kind of how it is with you. There’s just so much to you! How can any of us think we’ve cornered the market on your truth or wisdom.

This is a different topic, but I was curious about a Christian singer I used to love in the early 90s so I looked him up this morning. What I found made me sad. He seems to have gotten angrier. He was pretty dogmatic and challenging back then, but what attracted me to him was being challenged to love you more and love others more. Kind of a Keith Green vibe. But now he just seems angry and, frankly, a bit deluded. I didn’t get any fruits of the Spirit vibe from what I read about him (and I read it direclty from his personal website, so I went to the source). He released a new album in 2024. I tried listening to some of it. Even the instrumentation sounded angry. I wondered if he thought these were the kinds of songs Jesus would sing along to if he were here in the flesh today. They seemed more like the kind of thing Moses would have written in his fury toward the Israelites coming down from the mountain. And yes, there is a place for the anger Moses had, but that anger seems to have completely permeated this man. His head shots showed an intense face, not a smiling, compassionate face. His description in his about page railed against the Christian music complex, but was self-aggrandizing at the same time. It was just a sad mess that left me…well, at first it just repulsed me. Now as it has soaked in over the last couple of hours, it makes me concerned for him. I was a real fan back in 1990. I bought his CDs in a time when I couldn’t really afford CDs. I went and saw him once in concert about 40 miles from where I lived while I was still in college. I remember featuring his music in the record club I managed, even when he was past his musical prime and the things being produced were greatest hits collections.

Okay, I really went down that rabbit hole, but maybe there was purpose to it. David was teetering here, trying to figure out how to survive moment to moment and still worship you. This psalm is David calling on you for help to escape both Achish, and, presumably, Saul, and yet he is lying and deceiving Achish for his survival. Is that much different than Peter lying in the garden? I mean, yes, I know Peter was denying knowing Jesus and being a disciple while Davis was only pretending to be crazy, but still…deception to save their own skin is a common thread between them. But that’s one of the things I love about David. He sinned. He sinned A LOT. But he was seeking you as well. He was imperfectly, pitifully, but earnestly seeking you. I love that about him.

Father, I am completely imperfect. I fail. I sin. I lie. I cheat. I lust. I hate. I judge. I’ve made mistakes as a husband, father, boss, friend, and community member. I just pray that you have also found me earnest in my seeking of you and pursuit of you. And I pray for this Christian artist. His current state of heart has touched mine. I know my current faith is imperfect and people could come to me and criticize any number of things, so I don’t sit here in judgment of him. Oh, I was judging him earlier this morning, and I am sorry for that. But my current thoughts are revolving around finding a way to love him and pierce a darkness I think he’s grown comfortable in. Help me know what to do, and if there is a role you would like me to play in his life. This is the second time he’s been on my heart in the last year or so. Maybe this is you nudging me. Guide me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 30, 2026 in 1 Samuel, Psalms

 

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“One Hundred Three” – Antioch Music – James Mark Gulley

29 May

“Psalm 103”

VERSE 1 
Father full of love 
You have not dealt with us 
according to our sins 
Father full of love 
You have shown mercy 
mercy for Your children 

For You know that we are merely 
dust in the wind 
And You know that we are weary 
from this world that we live in 

PRE-CHORUS 
But You are strong and You are mercy 
Great are You here in this place 
You are love and You're forgiving 
You've turned this world around 
by the pouring of Your grace 

CHORUS 
Bless the Lord O my soul 
Bless His holy name all the earth 
Bless the Lord O my soul 
You are worthy You are worthy 

VERSE 2 
Father full of love 
You wrap us up in grace 
crown us with compassion 
Father full of love 
You heal our sicknesses 
every single one 

BRIDGE 
You are worthy of blessing and honor 
Glory and power wisdom and thanks 

#AntiochMusic

Dear God, I started singing along with this song this morning, and I just go overwhelmed with worship for you. It was almost too much. In fact, I found myself having to throttle it back a little. Oh, how I do love you. I do need you. There are times when I get upset at myself for not praying to you more in supplication, but I think one of the reasons I struggle with intercessory prayer is that I don't necessarily think of you as this great "hander out of favors in the sky." You are God. I'm here. Yes, I need help with my family. Yes, I need help with my work. Yes, our community, state, nation, and world need help. We need you. I need you. But what I really need, above all, is relationship with you. I want to be more like David in purusing and wanting to know you, as opposed to Saul who just wanted to revere you. Yes, I revere you, but I want to know you, be known by you, and worship you. 

Father, full of love. You have not dealt with me according to my sin. Father, full of love, you have shown me mercy and mercy for all of us. You know that I am merely dust in the windn. You know I am weary from this world. But you are strong, and you are mercy. Great are you here in his room right now. You are love. You are forgiving. You turned this world around by the pouring out of your grace. Help us know how to live into that. And let me close by saying, bless the Lord, oh my soul. Bless his holy name, John. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. You are worthy, Father. You are worthy. 

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen
 
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Posted by on May 29, 2026 in Hymns and Songs, Psalms

 

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Judges 13

26 May

13 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. 3 And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, 5 for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” 6 Then the woman came and told her husband, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name, 7 but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born.” 9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, “Behold, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me.” 11 And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to this woman?” And he said, “I am.” 12 And Manoah said, “Now when your words come true, what is to be the child’s manner of life, and what is his mission?” 13 And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. 14 She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.”

15 Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain you and prepare a young goat for you.” 16 And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “If you detain me, I will not eat of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord.” (For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.) 17 And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?” 18 And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” 19 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord, to the one who works[a] wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching. 20 And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the Lord went up in the flame of the altar. Now Manoah and his wife were watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground.

21 The angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. 22 And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” 23 But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands, or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these.” 24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Dear God, I like this couple because they seem so common. They are two people trying to live their lives while the Philistines have all the power. They are just scratching out a living when your angel comes to Manoah’s wife and gives her great news. I’m curious about the grape/wine thing. Was that just for her? Was that kind of a “don’t drink while you’re pregnant” thing? Was the only rule for Samson to not cut his hair?

And poor Manoah. I say “poor Manoah” because he seems a little hapless. She seems to be the brains of the couple, but he seems really earnest and sweet. Is that all you needed him to be. Later, Samson will grow up to be a little unruly. Was that what you needed of him? Did he need to be a little unruly? Did you give Samson the exact father you needed him to have?

Father, I’m just a common man trying to make my way through this day. I have a finance committee meeting for our nonprofit coming up in a few minutes. Help me to be ready for that. Help me to be the man you need me to be for our organization. Help me to worship you and love you well through my work, through my personal life, and through my discipling life. Help me to love others well and to love you well. And for whatever my failings were as a father, please redeem them to be exactly what will bring my children to where you want them.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 26, 2026 in Judges

 

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James 1:22-25

25 May

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

James 1:22-25

Dear God, I have a lot of anticipation about today, but it starts with this time with you. Before I go too far, however, I want to stop and acknowledge the sacrifice of women and men who have given their lives serving in the military. It is a special thing they have done. And I want to not only acknowledge the Americans who have done this. I want to acknowledge everyone who died a seeminly senseless death. A death due to the evils of men. This is coming to me even as I type these words. When I think about the cause of death in war, going all the way back into recorded time, it is usually the greed of at least one person who drives the loss of life, and then they get their own people to take up their charge and then other people are forced to fight back. The human condition is tragic. Our sin is tragic. It’s amazing how awful we are capable of being to each other and how often we follow through on that capacity. It’s what happens when we make idols and we don’t make you our God. It’s what happens when we become hearers of the word and not doers. Funny how that came full circle. But before I start talking about that, once again, I want to stop and honor the people who, throughout history, selflessly gave the one earthly life any of us get on behalf of their countrymen–especially the ones who sacrificed so I can be sitting here this morning, safely in my home, praying to you.

So, yeah, what happens when we are just hearers of the word and not doers? I think about the people who were at the Rededicate America 250 rally last week. Were they hearers of the word or doers? I suspect they were largely hearers of the word. And maybe it’s unfair or even sinful for me to label them this way. Maybe I should be working with the log in my own eye before I look at the speck in theirs. Forget maybe. I should definitely do that.

I want to be a doer of your word. I want to absorb what you have for me and turn it into action. The action should always be formed and motivated in my love for you and love for others. I should be about mercy and service. I should be about learning how to worship you and love others better and then teaching others to do the same.

Father, help me to do today. Help me to not worry about the people who were at Rededicate America 250, but to instead worry about rededicating myself and then turning that dedication to you into action throughout my day. Introduce me to people you need me to meet. Love me through people from whom you need me to receive love, and give love to people whom you need to receive love from me. Help me to “do” today. Help me to live the life you have for me today.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 25, 2026 in James

 

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Romans 12:9-21

24 May

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:9-21

Dear God, I think there’s something implied in verse 21 that we sometimes miss: If we don’t follow all of these verses, including 19 and 20, then evil is overcoming us. Vengeance is dangerous to the avenger. Retribution is cancerous. Bitterness and hatred are destructive. There’s a reason Jesus said hating is akin to murder. And I’ve hated. I’ve hated others. And I’ve been hated. I am hated.

This passage is a good reminder that if I am to live peacably with others I must turn loose of hate and embrace compassion, forgiveness and love. That might mean dying to my own rights. That might mean being taken advantage of. It might mean being seen as week or soft.

I’m going to be teaching a Sunday school lesson later this morning about Eli and his sons, but I wonder how Samuel saw them. AFter his vivist from you overnight, how did he see Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas? Did he hold them with contempt? Did he judge them? Did he pity them? How did you want him to feel about them? “Hate the sin, love the sinner?” Try to influence them?

Father, I have the Rich Mullins song “Let Mercy Lead” going in my head right now. Help me to let mercy lead. Help me to follow Paul’s admonition to love my enemies, abhor what is evil, and love what is good. And with everything that I do, let it be with the goal of leading others into complete relationship with you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 24, 2026 in Romans

 

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1 Samuel 4:19-22, 14:2-3, 22:11-20

23 May

419 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed[b] from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”

142 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 

2111 Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. 12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?” 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and captain over your bodyguard, and honored in your house? 15 Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.” 16 And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.” 17 And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.

20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”

1 Samuel 4:19-22, 14:2-3, 22:11-20

Dear God, these passages are the fulfillment of the prophecy you gave to Eli in 1 Samuel 2:31: 31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. So here’s my question. Did you cause these things to happen to Eli’s descendants or did Eli and his boys set these things in motion through their actions? Did we end up with Saul as king because these men were unfaithful to you all those years before? I tend to think that you don’t do these things as much as you foresee these things. History could have been different for Eli’s descendants had he made a different set of decisions years before.

Oh, how this thought terrifies me. What have I done today that will ripple through time in a negative way? How am I failing future generations, or even those around me today, through the mistakes I make and sins I commit?

Lord, have mercy. Jesus, have mercy. Holy Spirit, have mercy. I really don’t have much more to say than that.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 23, 2026 in 1 Samuel

 

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1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-25, 27-36, 3:1-18

22 May

12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord 13 or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, 14 the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. 15 Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.

16 The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” 17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.

22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 23 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? 24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. 25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.

27 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: “I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. 28 I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. 29 So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!

30 “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. 31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. 32 You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. 33 The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death. 34 And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!

35 “Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. 36 Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. ‘Please,’ they will say, ‘give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.’”

3 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.

2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”

“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.

6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”

Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”

7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. 8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.

10 And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”

And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. 12 I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. 13 I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them. 14 So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.”

15 Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacle as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said to him. 16 But Eli called out to him, “Samuel, my son.”

“Here I am,” Samuel replied.

17 “What did the Lord say to you? Tell me everything. And may God strike you and even kill you if you hide anything from me!” 18 So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn’t hold anything back. “It is the Lord’s will,” Eli replied. “Let him do what he thinks best.”

1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-25, 27-36, 3:1-18

Dear God, I want to read this story and think about how awful Eli was. Come on, Eli! Do better! But I’m no Disney Princess. What parts of me are like Eli? Where do I fail when I shouldn’t? Where am I weak when I should be strong?

I think the answer is probably at work. There are times when I avoid confrontation at work when I shouldn’t. Nothing like what Eli is letting go here is happening, but there are little things I choose to ignore instead of address. It’s a huge weakness for me. I know I need to be doing something about it.

In the case of this story, I like the idea that you are setting Samuel up for leadership. Showing him both what to do and what not to do. Ironically, it will come to pass in chapter 8 that he has the same weakness with his boys. They aren’t this bad and contemptuous towards you, but they are corrupt and the excuse the Israelites use to ask for a king. But in the meantime, you warned the boy Samuel to not be like Eli’s boys, and I think this was a pivotal time for them.

Father, help me to learn from my own mistakes, from Eli’s mistakes, and even from Samuel’s mistakes. Don’t let any pain be wasted. And I want to stop a moment this morning and pray for two couples. One just got married three days ago. One will be married in three weeks. I pray for your presence in all of their lives. Help them to see beyond themselves. Help them to lean into the path you have for them and to lean on you as they walk that path. Help them to take each challenge and bring it to you. Help my wife and me to bring our challenges to you as well. Both as individuals and as a couple. Give these couples and us the protection you know we need. Guide us into humility.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 22, 2026 in 1 Samuel

 

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1 Samuel 1:9-18, 24-28, 2:11

21 May

9 Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”

12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!”

15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.”

17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”

18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

24 When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine. 25 After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. 26 “Sir, do you remember me?” Hannah asked. “I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord. 27 I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. 28 Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And they worshiped the Lord there.

211 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.

1 Samuel 1:9-18, 24-28, 2:11

Dear God, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’m going to teach for Sunday school this Sunday, and I think I’ve found it. As I’ve asked you about what I should do, it seems like Eli has been bubbling to the surface. But before I go any further in this prayer, I want to stop and thank you for the rain. It has rained overnight here the last two nights, and it has been wonderful. Thank you. We need it. We are helpless without it. We need you to provide it. Thank you for your goodness and for sending rain. We treat your earth foolishly. I treat your earth foolishly. Yet you are good. Thank you.

Back to Eli. I noticed this morning when I read these verses that the first thing we see him do is make a mistake. He’s not an especially perceptive person. He was quick to judge Hannah when he saw something he didn’t understand. And then he just kind of blanket-blessed her prayer request while having no idea what she was asking. She could have been asking you to kill Peninnah for all he knew. So Eli was already not the best when we met him. But Hannah didn’t let that stop her from fulfilling her vow to you. She offered up Samuel to you even though some people would have said it was a mistake because, well, we’ll find out in the next verses tomorrow that Eli didn’t have such a great track record in raising boys.

So the questions for me are 1.) how do I prejudge situations without fully understanding them, and 2.) how do I allow conventional wisdom to get in the way of what you’re calling me to do? The answer to the first one is ALL of the time. I prejudge situations without fulling understanding them ALL of the time. The answer to the second one is SOME of the time. There are times when I will make a quick decision based on worldly wisdom and let it get in the way of what you’re calling me to do, but there are other times when I am able to look beyond what logic dictates should be done and can mercifully see what your Spirit might be urging me to do.

Father, I give everything to you this day. Help me to see what you have for me to see. Help me to hear what you have for me to hear. I need your discernment, wisdom, and perception. Help me to do that. And help me to do the job you have for me to do this day. I still have so much to do at work. Help me to do it well and for your glory–not mine.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 21, 2026 in 1 Samuel

 

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