After David left the Philistines, they went to Ziklag, where he had recruited the 600 men who went with him and supported him. And the Philistines destroyed the city, and carried off all the people. When David and his men got to Ziklag and found what had happened, they were devastated. And many of his…
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In chapter 14, Job talks about the frailty of man, the short time that he is here on Earth, and the fact that once he is gone, he’ll not return. He ends with the idea that once we are gone, we’ll not even know what becomes of our children. As a parent, I pray for…
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Paul’s advice to Timothy on how to deal with different age groups is very good. I have known of young pastors who went counter to this advice, very much to the detriment of their ministry. When a young so-called leader does not properly honor the more senior members, feelings are hurt and it is very…
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Saul seldom fails to the wrong thing, does he? He is terrified at the prospect of fighting the Philistines, who have gathered an army to fight Israel. Had Saul been willing to turn to God, had he truly repented of his previous sinful actions, he wouldn’t be facing the Philistines here and now, and God…
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In chapter eleven, Zophar has had enough of what he considers to be just a rash of wordy nonsense. In essence he accuses Job of running off at the mouth. He asks, “Just because you like to hear yourself talk, are we supposed to shut up?” And he accuses Job of saying things he didn’t…
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Paul has good advice for Timothy on pastoring a church. One of the most important parts of being an effective pastor is having a godly support team. Different churches have different names for them, but in the translation we’re using, the words bishop and deacon are used. Their functions and qualifications differ, but the bottom…
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Once more, David passes on an opportunity to take out Saul, because David refuses to touch God’s anointed, even though he knows that Saul is unjustly after his blood. David knows that God has promised to give the throne to him, and he won’t force the issue by taking matters into his own hands. Have…
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I’m going to focus on chapter 9:22-24 today. “It is all the same. That is why I say, ‘He destroys both the man of integrity and the wicked.’ When a sudden disaster brings death, he makes fun of the despair of innocent people. The earth is handed over to the wicked. He covers the faces…
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Some background might be in order before we start 1 Timothy. Up to this point, Paul’s letters have been directed at specific churches. Beginning now with 1 Timothy, Paul’s letters are now directed at individuals. There are two letters to Timothy, a letter to Titus, and one to Philemon. Like Paul, Timothy and Titus were…
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Well, the man whom two books of the Old Testament are named after had died, and his passing was dealt with in less than one full verse. Samuel is gone, and notably the entire nation came together to mourn him. To the very end, he had the respect of the people. They knew he was…
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