1 Samuel 17:1-11, 26, 32-51 This famous story of David and Goliath is a picture of good vs. evil, or rather, God vs. evil, the evil of non-believers. We still have a battle today, not a giant like Goliath, but the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. Thanks be to God that He sent […]
1 Samuel 16:1-23 In the world that tells us to live our lives with no regrets, we hear in God’s Word that He regretted making Saul king. God has regrets? His Word makes that clear. There is, however, one thing God does not regret. Sending Jesus.
1 Samuel 8:1-22; 9:1-4, 15-17; 10:1a, 17-27 The people of Israel wanted to be like all the other nations, and so they asked Samuel for a king. In doing so, they reject their one true king, God. Even though we may reject God with our words and our actions, God does not abandon us, but […]
1 Samuel 3:1-21; 7:15 – 8:3 God directly called to Samuel, and Samuel began to serve as a prophet, and judge, of the Lord. God calls to us too, though not like Samuel. He speaks to us through His Son, He reveals Himself to us through His Word and Sacraments. He calls us in Baptism, […]
1 Samuel 1:1-28 In the history of Israel, we find another barren woman with the story of Hannah. And then we find another answered prayer when Hannah is able to conceive. That child, Samuel, is then dedicated to God. What do we do when life doesn’t seem to go our way, or when it doesn’t […]
Ruth 1:1-18, 22; 2:1-3, 19-20; 3:1-5, 10-13; 4:1, 5-6, 13-17 As Naomi goes through the loss of her husband and two sons, Ruth the Moabite goes back to Naomi’s land and people with her. Though she had no people of her own in Israel, Ruth becomes a part of the family of God by faith, […]
Judges 13:1-11, 19-25; 16:4-6, 15-31 Samson was a man that was set apart from birth, as a Nazirite. He was strong and his hair was not to be cut. However, he was deceived multiple times by the women in his life, and it cost him his hair and it cost him his strength. But his […]
Judges 6:36-7:25 Sometimes God doesn’t just use the unlikeliest of people for deliverance, he uses the unlikeliest of ways for deliverance, for victory. As Gideon leads an army, that army becomes just a small number of men, with some torches, trumpets and jars. Not the deadliest of weapons, but with the power of God, it […]
Judges 3:12-4:4, 5:1-7 The cycle for the people of Israel goes like this: sin, judgment, repentance, deliverance. Judges were sent to bring deliverance and sometimes it comes from the least likely people. As we see three different judges with three different stories, we are reminded that God can use anyone, because it’s His work in […]
Judges 10:15 – 11:11. 28-40, 12:7 Jephthah is a Judge over the people of Israel. Judges came along before kings and were the ones who would save or deliver the people of Israel against other nations. As Jephthah goes off to battle he makes a vow, a promise, to the Lord that ends up costing […]