1 Samuel Chapters 15 and 16

by Linda Claassen Mitchell When enough is enough: Day 1 I Samuel 15:2 (IEB) Samuel says to Saul: "This is what Yahweh of the armies of heaven says: When the Israelites came up out of Egypt, the Amalekites (b) tried to block their way to Canaan.(c) I will punish the Amalekites for what they did." Following the footnotes: (b) They were Bedouin nomads who had descended from Esau and lived mostly in the Negev. See Genesis 36:12,16. Genesis 36:12,16 (IEB): "12) Eliphaz (Esau's son) also had a concubine - Timna. She gave birth to Amalek for Eliphaz. These…

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1 Samuel Chapters 11, 12 and 13

by Linda Claassen Mitchell Trusting God: Day 1 The Spirit of God comes over Saul. 1 Samuel 11:1-3 (IEB): "About one month later (after Saul was made king), Nahash the Ammonite and his army surrounded the city of Jabesh in Gilead. All of the people of Jabesh said to Nahash, 'Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you!' But he answered them, 'I will make a pact with you...on one condition; that I can gouge out the right eye of each one of you! I want to humiliate all Israel!' The elders of Jabesh said to…

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1 Samuel Chapters 8, 9 and10

by Linda Claassen Mitchell The people demand a king: Day 1 They have rejected God. 1 Samuel 8:1-7 (IEB): "When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. His oldest son's name was Joel, and his next son's name was Abijah. They were acting as judges in Beer-Sheba. However, Samuel's sons did not live the same way he did. Instead, they tried to get money dishonestly. They took bribes. They twisted justice to obtain money. Therefore, all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, 'Look,…

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1 Samuel Chapters 5, 6 and 7

by Linda Claassen Mitchell Yahweh is the One True God: Day 1 The Philistine god Dagon is a dud. The Philistines had defeated the Israelites and captured the Holy Chest of the one true God and took it to Ashdad. 1 Samuel 5:2 (IEB): "They took it and brought it into Dagon's temple and put it next to Dagon."(d) Following the footnotes: (d) a false god or idol; sometimes depicted as half-man and half-fish. Samson had already destroyed Dagon's temple at Gaza (Judg. 16:21-30). Treating the sacred objects of Israel as captured trophies, the Philistines probably did this…

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1 Samuel Chapters 3 and 4

by Linda Claassen Mitchell Eli and Samuel — Day 1 Today I am reading in 1 Samuel Chapter 3 where God Calls Samuel. I'll be following the footnotes as I go. 1 Samuel 3:1 (IEB): "The boy Samuel (i) was serving Yahweh under the supervision of Eli. (j) In those days, Yahweh did not speak directly to the people very often. (k) There were very few visions coming from God." Following the footnotes for 1 Samuel 3:1: (i) Josephus thought that Samuel was about 12 years of age at this time. (j) Samuel performed both prophetic (1 Samuel…

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