Psalms 56, 120, 140 - 142 (16th April)

Psalms 56

This was written by David when he fled from Saul to the Philistine territory (1 Samuel 21:10-15). The theme of this Psalms is mainly trusting in God in the midst of fear.
V3 - When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
V4 - In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
V11 - in God I trust; I will not be afraid.

And the promise is
V13 - For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Psalms 120

This is a prayer against false accusers. The writer is unknown but some suggested that it was Hezekiah.
V1 - I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me.
V2 - Save me, O LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues
Be a man of peace – V7

Psalms 140

This Psalms is a prayer written by David. It is a prayer for protection against those who slander or threaten you.
V1 - Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men; protect me from men of violence,
V4 - Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet.

Prayer against the plans of the evil
V8 - do not grant the wicked their desires, O LORD; do not let their plans succeed, or they will become proud.

And the promise is
V12 - I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.
V13 - Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you.

Psalms 141

This is a prayer written by David for help and protection against temptation.

V3 - Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.
V4 - Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.
V8 - But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.
V9 - Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers.

Be accountable and accept critics and rebukes.
V5 - Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it.

Psalms 142

A prayer by David when he felt no one cares. It is a prayer of desperation for God’s help and protection when he was hiding from Saul in a cave (1 Samuel 22)
V1 - I cry aloud / I lift up my voice
V2 - I pour out my complaint
V5 - I cry to you
V6 - Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.
V7 - Set me free from my prison

Cry out to God in desperation, for the Lord cares for you and He will set you free.

Psalms 7, 27, 31, 34, 52 (15th April) - Pamelia

PSALM 7
David wrote Paslm 7 about Cush, a man of the tribe of Benjamin.
At first, David prayed that God would deliver him from his enemies. He had not done anything wrong to them and if God had found that David had done them wrong, he was willing to die. (v1-5)
David prayed that God would judge all men fairly, and he was willing to have God judge him. He knew that God will punish wicked people and hold up the man who is righteous. (v6-10).
The wicked will be punished and destryoed by their own weapons if they do not repent (v11-13).
He will act according to his own evil nature but the wicked things he has doen to others will come back to him (v14-16).

This reminds me of the idiom: “hao ren you hao bao, er ren you er bao.”

Don’t worry! We can have confidence on Judgment Day because God has made us righteous in Christ and He will judge all men according to His own perfect righteousness.

PSALM 27
This psalm is aso a prayer of David but at first he was praising the Lord. He was sure that God would help him because he had given him light and kept him safely (v1). Why should he be afraid of any man? Why should we be too? As warriors of light, we are warriors of God so fear no one but God alone!

This is the only time David called God his light, but others used this word for God in Isaiah 60:20, Micah 7:8 and 1 John 1:5.

David was sure that his enemies would not be able to stand up against him (v2). Goliath said he would kill David and feed his dead body to the birds to eat. Instead, Goliath was the one who fell! (1 Samuel 17:44,49). David would not be afraid even if a whole army came against him (v 3). All he wanted was to live with Lord and to see His beauty, where David would be safe from his enemies and just praising the Lord (v 4-6).

David was sure that the Lord would take care of him but still he felt that he should pray to God (v7-13). He asked the Lord to hear him and not to hide Himself from him or to leave him. He prayed that the Lord would teach him His ways and to deliver him from his enemies.

It is the same with us. The Lord will give us strength if we wait on Him. Doesn’t it amaze you when we wait on the Lord and meditate on His word even though we may feel very tired after work or school, he gives us strength that cannot be explained? Trust the Lord in all that you do, and he WILL give you strength and help you.

PSALM 31
This is another prayer of David so we can see again that he really trusted the Lord. He also gave thanks to the Lord for answering his prayer.

David went to God for safety and asked him to deliver him. God was like a solid rock. He was able to save David (v1-2). David also asked God to lead him. His enemies wanted to catch him in their net like a bird, David put his spirit into God’s hands. This means he would trust God to look after him even if he died.(v3-5)

It is better to trust in God than in other things, whether its our career, people or money. God does not hate anyone but He will still judge all who trust in idols. David knew God loved him because he often delivered him from his enemies. (v6-8) He had so mch trouble that his body was getting thin and weak (v9-10). His enemies just laughed at him and his friends were afraid of him. Some had forgotten about him and others were secretly planning to kill him. (v11-14) People knew that David trusted in God and he would be ashamed if God fif not save him.

David fully trusted in God and he spoke now as if God had already answered his prayers. He also praised God because He is so kind to men. (v19) God brings men close to Himself to protect them from wicked men, and from those who say bad things about them. (v20) He also shows them mercy (v21-22).

In this psalm, David prayed, believed and praised God. God heard his prayer even when his faith was weak. When God answers our prayers, we should remember to give Him the glory. David did this when he called on the people of God to love Him and be brave. In verses 23 and 24, we have the three great things: love, faith and hope (refer: 1 Corinthians 13:13). The Lord saves those who have faith. We should wait for God in hope and should love Him for saving us.

PSALM 34
David wrote Psalm 34 after the Lord delivered him from Abimelech, King of Gath as in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. David had run awau from Saul, the king of Israel, but he was afraid and did not trust God to take care of him. He went to the Philistines in Gath but he was more afraid still. He acted as if he had gone mad until Abimelech let him go.

In Psalm 34, David calls on us to praise, trust and to fear him (v 1-10). David himself promised to praise the Lord and called on us to do the same. As Christians, we should praise the Lord all the time, when we’re alone, and when we come together as a network or church.

This psalm also makes us think of Jesus Christ. David calls himself, “This poor man”, in verse 6. Our Lord was rich but He made Himself poor for our sake (2 Corinthians:8-9)

David taught the young people and other believers the truth about God. Solomon wanted to teach his sons, as David his father taught him, (Proverbs 4:1-5). God always wants us to teach our children the truth, whether physical or spiritual children.

Deuteronomy 4:10
Tell them especially the say when you stood before the Lord, your God at Mount Sinai, where he told me, “Summon the people before me, and I will instruct them. That way, they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will be able to teach my laws to their children.”

Jesus always taught his disciples to learn from Him. We can become more like Christ and this will please our Father. God loves His Son and wants us to become more like Him.

PSALM 52
David wrote this psalm before he became king of Israel. Saul was very jealous of David because he won great victories in the war with the Philistines. David had to run away and he hid with Ahimelech, the priest. Careful, do not be confused with the King Abimelech – it’s really interesting how a change of one letter makes you a priest.

Anyway, to continue, Doeg the Edomite reported to Saul that he saw David talking to the priest and Saul went after Ahimelech. When Saul could not find David, he killed Ahimelech and 84 other priests of God, what evil! David must have felt horrible on top of his present situation.

Note: The people of Edom were the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. The name Edom is almost the same as Adam and speaks of the natural man without God. Esau himself is a man who lives for the things of the world, remember he rathered give up his birthright for the stew just to satisfy his growling stomach. The Edomites were enemies of Israel. In the same way, the men of this world are the enemies of God’s people. No one can love both God and the things of this world.
1 John 2:15
Stop loving this evil world and all that if offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you.

1 Samuel 21 - 24 (14th April) - Jason

Andrew Bolt: “For those aspiring journalists out there, I recommend you the bible. It’s the best selling book in history simply because it tells the best stories.” –Herald Sun Columnist.

A story of a man who took things into his own hands, and one who left it in God’s.

Chapter 21:
(v1-v9) David fled to Nob where he met Ahimelech (not to be confused with Abimelech). David inquired of Ahimelech the priest for some bread with urgency (He must have been really hungry). Only consecrated bread was available, and its interesting that David kept himself holy whenever he set out. Furthermore, His men kept themselves holy as well. What an influence he must have been, remembering that the men who followed him to the desert were discouraged men.

(v7) God’s in control- Doeg the Edomite is said here to be present during these events. He was “detained before the Lord”. He would later be used to kill the entire family of Ahimelech. (This would later test Saul’s heart, if he would once more take things into his own hands)

(v10-v15) Shows us a very humbling thing David went through. Being the supposed king of Israel, he was reduced to a state of feigned madness (This is MADNESS! THIS is SPARTA!!) All this while, David was obeying God’s commandments and would not go against Saul, despite being greater. (v11 “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands”)

Chapter 22:

(v6-23) Saul justifies his stance despite wise council from Ahimelech. He makes up his mind without seeking God and speaks as authority that has no submission to God’s will.

(v20) Abiathar, son of Ahimelech escapes.

Chapter 23:

David fights the Philistines and God hands them over to his armies. He did so seeking God. (v4).

David inquired of the Lord with Abiathar and concluded that he has to seek refuge from Saul. He was hiding in a cave when Saul appeared to make cupcakes.

Chapter 24:

Here we see a very human David. A very emotional man who knows he has been wronged. He does not hide his anger, but in it, does not put his heart before God’s.

V6- Saul was delivered to David on a platter, however David spared him. He would not strike God’s anointed. “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed…for he is the anointed of the Lord.”

David was angry; however he kept his emotions in submission to the Lord. (v12).

David kept his heart bowed before the Lord, Saul did not. It was a test which showed the 2 in disparities of submission. God wanted to promote David, and the first thing He did was to go enemy shopping; first Goliath, now Saul (from a conversation with my uncle Daniel). If David was a man after God’s heart, and not another Saul, he must be measured on his surrender and not his strengths.

Psalms 11, 1 Samuel 18 - 20, Psalms 59 (13th April) - Weiling

Psalm 11

This is a psalm by David, probably written when he was pursued by enemies.
The psalm tells of David’s firm hope and trust in a God who is his refuge and protection.
Though others tell him to run and hide and tell of the hopelessness and helplessness of the righteous -- “what can the righteous do?”(v.3).
David’s faith rests in a God who is just and punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous, who will see His face.

1 Samuel 18-20

David had favour with many. Jonathon “loved him as himself” just after David had finished speaking to his father! (v.1) Jonathon made a covenant with him and took off the robe he was wearing, along with his tunic, sword, bow and belt – representation of his position as the king’s son, and gave it to David. David was also successful in all that he did (v.5) that Saul gave him a high rank in the army, which pleased everyone. In short, David found favour with people, success, and honour because God was with him. He did not have to strive or fight. God chose him to be the new king of Israel.

In contrast we see Saul, whom the Lord has rejected as king over Israel because he rejected God’s word by not obeying God completely (1 Sam 15). He knew God was no longer with him but with David. Even the people’s affections were turned towards David (v.7). Saul became deeply jealous and insecure, seeking to cling on to the kingdom that he will lose. Twice he tried to personally kill David with his spear in the three chapters. He also sought to use the hands of the Philistines to kill David. All attempts were unsuccessful. Saul was afraid of David because God was with him and because of his success. Both his children (Jonathon and Michal) loved David and because of that they helped David to get away.

We do not need to be jealous and insecure like Saul if our conscience is right before God. Is there anything against our conscience or is there any sin in our lives? Let us repent and get right with God.

We do not need to strive or be jealous of others. We do not need to be insecure or fear that others will take away what is ours. He whom God chooses, God will bless and protect.

Psalm 59

This is a psalm written when Saul had sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him. A lot of psalms give expression to the heart-felt cries of the psalmist.
Here, David was crying out for God to deliver and protect him from those who are lying in wait to harm him, even though he was innocent. Then, David turns his focus to God, whom he calls “his Strength” (v. 9, 16 & 17), of who he is fully assured is able and will deliver him. And, like many psalms, it ends off with David praising God for His love.

This is something we can all learn from David. Often, the psalms give expression of what he feels and think to God. And indeed, we can be real with God in sharing our deepest thoughts and feelings. And yet, David almost never wallows excessively in what he feels, but he would turn his focus to God, who is able and loving, and praise Him.

1 Samuel 15 - 17 (12th April) - Sylvia

1 Samuel 15

Samuel had been commanded by the Lord to attack the Amalekites and destroy EVERYTHING but he did not obey His insructions. Instead, those that he deemed weak and despised, he destroyed, but kept the good stuff.

The Lord was unhappy because of his disobedience. Saul's excuse was that he meant to sacrifice the best to God. However, God wants us to be OBEDIENT. He does not want us to sin, and then just say sorry and make sin offerings to him.

Wouldn't it be better to just OBEY and NOT sin at all?

Because of this, the Lord no longer accepted Saul as king, but rather took away from him the kingdom of Israel.

Remember: The Lord gives, and the Lord can take too.
Cherish what we have been blessed with and don't let sin cause it to be taken away from us.

1 Samuel 16

God chooses a new king for Israel.
One important thing to take note: God does not see the appearance unlike the world for His anointed one, He sees our hearts.

v7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Among the seven sons that Jesse had, God chose David, the youngest son. David was not chosen for his strength nor height (he was a just a young kid). God saw that David's heart was pure and he had a heart of worship for God - obedience.

So dear family, let's not think that often we cannot do anything for God simply because of our young age and then start to feel bad. Because, God is pleased with us simply when our hearts are pure and when we obey Him wholeheartedly.

1 Timothy 4: 12 "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

1 Samuel 17

Showtime! Its war between the Philistines and the Israelites. The Philistines had a lethal weapon i.e.: Goliath. He was so big and mighty and super gigantic loaded with solid armour that everyone feared him.

Thank God. Our God is way way waaaay much more stronger and more mighty then Goliath. He had anointed David so powerfully such that him being a small sized puny little fellow could muster such courage and bravery, not fearing for his life, to go up against a giant.

David conquered Goliath with just ONE sling and ONE stone. no armour, no guns no bombs.

What are the 'Goliaths' in our lives? Lets surrender these obstacles and difficulties to Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"

Our God is great indeed!

1 Samuel 13 - 14 (11th April)

1 Samuel 13

Saul was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled over Israel for 42 years. In this chapter, Saul chose 3000 men to fight the Philistine which they had 3000 chariots, 6000 charioteers and numerous soldiers to fight back. Saul troops lost and were fearful so Saul with his own decision started burnt offering and fellowship offerings. Samuel came and rebuked Saul (V 11, 13) because Saul did not keep the Lord’s command. It was later that the whole Israelites were without weapons because they sent their weapons to the Philistines to sharpen their weapons.

1 Samuel 14

Jonathan together with his young armor bearer went ahead to attack the Philistines without any Israelites knowledge. Jonathan and his young armor bearer about to kill some Philistines and sent the Philistines in fear. Then Saul sent his army to further attacke the Philistines and on that day, the Lord rescued Israel (v 23).

Saul had put a curse that no one was supposed to eat in the day. So the Israelites were in distress but Jonathan who did not know or heard about the curse and ate honey (v 27) and immediately Jonathan eyes brightened up and his strength renewed. That day Jonathan and his men (strengthen and renewed) struck down the Philistines. Saul wanted to go on pursuing the Philistines all the way till the next day and the priest reminded him to inquire of God. So Saul inquired of the Lord but there were no answer.

Lesson to learn: Let us always inquire of the Lord for the direction of our lives and decisions.

Dear Livingstones,

With much apologies, the post for 7th April has been posted. Sorry for the delay.
God bless! =)

1 Samuel 9 - 12 (10th April) - Sky

1 Samuel 9 – Samuel Anoints Saul

We have a new character in the book of Samuel and that’s Saul the first King of Israel even when it was displeasing to the Lord. What was interesting is how Saul first knew Samuel was when he was out looking for his lost donkeys. He was certainly not looking for a chance to become king. Similarly, Samuel was a small boy when God called him and later David was anointed king while tending sheep. It shows how God chose his people not necessarily those seeking power, but who God see is right.

Saul was a Benjamite the smallest tribe of Israel, the least of all clans of the tribe of Benjamin, naturally he was filled with doubts when Samuel said he was to be king.

Bombardment of doubts about ourselves comes to us daily when we serve God or even at work or school. Are we good enough? Are we smart enough? Or for myself am I mature enough to do God’s work? But it is written in the Great Commission, whether young, old, big, small we are commissioned to do God’s work, as our gesture of love to HIM.

1 Samuel 10
Samuel affirms Saul that he was to be the leader over the Lord’s inheritance and prophesizes the signs during the journey that Saul is about to take. He would receive the Spirit of the Lord, in power and whatever his hand finds to do, God will be with him.

Going down the chapter, the signs were fulfilled, and GOD changed Saul’s heart.
(Hearts can be changed in an instant; do u have a friend who needs God’s intervention in their hearts? Its time to ask and it be done)

But Saul hid the truth of his kingship from his uncle; it shows how doubt was still in him. When Saul was publicly chosen to be the first King of Israel he hid himself again showing the doubt in his heart. Following that Samuel explained the regulations of kingship. There to be some safeguards to regulate their sovereignty.

1 Samuel 11 – Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh

Soon Jabesh Gilead was attacked by Ammonites. Saul heard the weeping of the people and he responded with anger. Cutting a pair of oxen into pieces and sends them throughout Israel. The terror of the Lord galvanizes the nation and motivates the people to immediate obedience which enables Saul to muster an army so quickly. Before the battle, Saul proclaim to the men of Jabesh they will be saved. (A man of doubt transforming to a man of Faith) and the next day, it came true, slaughtering the Ammonites.

After the battle, Saul was reaffirmed as King on 2 reasons.
1. To unify the nations as there were still doubters
2. To solidify his role as King

1 Samuel 12 – Samuel’s Farewell Speech

As Samuel was getting old, he started off his speech with being publicly accountable, he gave the opportunity for anyone to stand up and testify that he had been dishonest. He retold the history of Israel going through the transition phases and repeatly the people have forgotten the Lord their God. But with mercy and grace the people of Israel were always delivered from the hands of the enemy.

Continuing on with that how they were wrong and did an evil thing when they asked for a King. But Samuel reaffirms them even with all these evil, do not turn away from the Lord. But continue serving God faithfully and fear Him.

The real issue of these 4 chapters was never who ruled the nation but who ruled in their hearts!

Josh once told me, Christianity is not Democratic but it’s a Monarchy.
If Obeying GOD is democratic,
1. We would give way to our flesh and sin
2. Giving them a foothold in our lives.
3. Having different morality in our lives
4. Not living in the standards of God
5. Sin will reign in your heart.

Give the Devil nothing and have no place in our hearts, but take from him everything!

1 Samuel 4 - 8 (9th April) - Vivien

1 Samuel 4 - 6
In chapter 4, the Ark of Covenant was captured by the Philistines. How come Israel lost the battle with the Philistines even when they brought the Ark along with them? If we were to go back to chapter 2, where the Eli’s wayward sons and the prophecy against the house of Eli was written, it was God’s will to put them to death. And when Israel went out to battle, who went along with them? Hophni and Phinehas. Although it seemed like Israel’s faith had risen when they had decided to bring the Ark along, it seemed rather more like the lack of faith in God, that they needed an object that signified God to boost their morale – they missed the point…

Looking at the Philistines, when they heard that the Ark was with them, they actually feared! Even they, who are not believers, knew that God is powerful and ought to be feared, even after so many generations passed. Not like the Israelites, who has forgotten the mighty wonders that God had done in their midst. There is something to learn even from the Philistines! That moment of humility had caused them to win the battle. It is like, you accept the fact that you are fighting a losing battle, but you choose not to give up and just fight. Yes… The enemy won and had captured the Ark, but God is still a God of His words. In chapter 5, we can see that the enemy did not have a good time with the Ark in their territories, and ended up that they even offered guilt offerings with returning the Ark to the Israelites in chapter 6.

Can you see how God kill many birds with one stone? Just in this chapter, the prophecy of Eli’s household was fulfilled, the importance of humility was shown, and at the same time the power of God was shown to the nations, including Israel, through showing that the Ark did not need the protection of men, but God Himself is capable of protecting the Ark. It is like in Matthew 27:41-43 and Luke 23:35, when the priests and teachers of the law mocked at Jesus at the cross, and ask Jesus to save Himself if He is God. Not that Jesus couldn’t, but He chose not to.

When the Ark returned to Israel, the people rejoiced. However, there were 70 of them who got struck down by God. The consequence of disobedience.

1 Samuel 7 – 8
After 20 years, Samuel got the people to get right with God again and he would intercede for the Philistines to be subdued. So finally the towns initially captured by the Philistines were restored to Israel again and there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. And Samuel continued to judge over Israel all his lifetime.

Disappointingly, when Samuel had grown old, the Israelites ask for a king to rule over them. And their reason for doing so? So that they would be like the other nations… Bringing this to a more relevant issue, is there anything in life that you wanted to have, be or do because others are doing it, and you think that is cool?

1 Corinthians 10: 23
"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive.
Think about it.

God did not force it unto His people that they shall have no king before God, because He is King. Instead, God told Samuel to listen to them and give them what a king.

Even in the midst of being a warrior of Light, we might face discouragement. Don’t feel bad or lousy about yourself when you are rejected when discipling or sharing Christ.

1 Samuel 8:7
And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

1 Samuel 1 - 3 (8th April) - Vivien Po

1 Samuel 1
If God is bias, He is biased towards the unloved. In this chapter, we can see that Elkanah (Samuel’s father) was biased towards Hannah, so God closed the womb of Hannah and let Peninnah bore many sons and daughters. (Doesn’t this sound familiar… Jacob, Leah and Rachel.) However, Peninnah was very bad, she kept provoking Hannah until she cry, which I think God also cannot tahan her behaviour. So when Hannah prayed and declared to God that if God would look into her misery and not forget to give her a son, she would dedicate her first son to God. When Eli blessed her, and after eating something, she was no longer downcast. It is like a sudden surge of confidence in God has assured her that it would come to pass. And yes, Samuel came to earth.

The prayer of Hannah is a powerful prayer of faith that God is for those who are oppressed. And victories are with them too. This reminded me of the Beatitudes in the New Testament.

1 Samuel 2
The Bible describes Eli’s 2 wicked sons. Hmm… It is so sad to see that so there are quite a number of cases that priests and righteous men had sons who were not even half as righteous as them. It is really a joy to see FCBC Senior Pastor, Apostle Lawrence Khong, and Youthnet Pastor, Pastor Eugene, serving as a family. Thanks to Pastor Cesar Castellanos for being such a good role model. And of course God for giving us the G12 vision.

There is a prophecy of Eli’s household too. Here is a lesson of the sin of omission. As a father, Eli did not discipline his sons for sinning, and so he would not escape from punishment too.

1 Samuel 3
In this chapter, the Lord calls for Samuel. While Eli’s sons were sinning, God is preparing Samuel for the future, knowing that Israel cannot be entrusted into the hands of the 2 wicked sons.

As Samuel grew up with the Lord with him, he gradually gained recognition that as a prophet of God. Be patient and focus on God. Recognitions come gradually with Emmanuel.

Ruth 1 - 4 (7th April) - Alvin

The book of Ruth is an interesting book and quite a different book compared to those we have been reading thus far.

First of all, my apologies for this late blog entry. Took me a while to have something to write as it seemed very difficult to write about a book that is so simple.

You will notice that the Book of Ruth is a very mundane book compared to previous books we have read, where we see God speaking face to face with Job, Abraham, Moses, Joshua etc. There’s no war going on or great miracles of God being performed in the entire book of Ruth. Even the book of Esther (which has no mention of God) has a theme about God’s salvation for the Jews. The book of Ruth however just seemed like a very nice story of a good daughter in law and a romantic love story between Ruth and Boaz.

To really understand this book better thus requires us to have a little background knowledge of the context of the story. It begins by telling us that Ruth existed in the later times of the Judges, Ruth 1:1. When we read Judges 21:25 it says, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” It’s only in this context that the story really makes a lot more sense.

In a time when people live their lives not according to the laws of God but according to their own moral judgments, we see an amazing story of 3 people who decided to live according to the laws of God.

The book of Ruth isn’t only about Ruth, but it’s really about the relationships between Ruth, Naomi and Boaz (the Ruth less man before marriage…heh)

In the Jewish custom, the widows are the poorest of the people. This is true even to the New Testament days when there are special instructions for the churches to care for the widows. We also know that our God is a defender of the widows and the Father to the fatherless. This is so because when a man passed away, his inheritance is not passed on to the wife but to the nearest male next of kin. It was because of this that God instructed special laws such as the allowance of the poor to glean the fields and the next male kin to be the kinsman redeemer in order to care for the widows and the poor.

Naomi was a widow. So she really was very poor. And she was old, so it’s very unlikely that anyone will redeemer her (ie to marry her). Yet despite knowing this, Ruth decided to still to follow Naomi and remain loyal and faithful to her, and to care for her. She has every right like Orpah to care for her own self and leave Naomi and returned to her homeland, yet she made this astounding proclaimation: "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

Now pause to think, this is amazing on two folds, one, in a time when people do as they deemed fit, here comes a woman who did the RIGHT thing, even though it was in a trying circumstance. Second, what’s so special about Naomi that Ruth wanted to follow her and her God?

We do not read much about Naomi in this book, but I believe it is safe to say that she must have been a great testimony so as to have Ruth decide to care for her and to follow her and her God.

Are we such testimonies of our God that people will follow us and our God?

And this was so not just for Naomi, but also for Ruth and Boaz. We see in the lives of Ruth and Boaz that they have a good reputation before men, a living testimony.

Ruth 2:11-12, Ruth 3:11 and Naomi was certain that Boaz will keep his word about redeeming Ruth if the next of kin won’t, I guess it is safe to say that Boaz at least had a reputation of one that keeps his words. (Ruth 3:18)

We also see that he gave special instructions to his servants to make sure that Ruth is not harassed or embarrassed but to allow her to glean and made provision so that she could glean more. Ruth on the other hand worked hard from dawn to dusk gleaning in the fields to provide for her mother in law.

Lesson 1 from the Book of Ruth:
Living our lives as a testimony before God requires us to do only that which is right. It is not just in the big events in our lives, but even in the little things God sees and He rewards.

It is interesting that Ruth is a Moabite and Boaz is a descendent of Rahab the prostitute. But they became the ancestors of King David and later, Jesus Himself. It is interesting that God chose the two of them to be the one whose lineage will come forth our savior. Jesus is a descendant of a prostitute and of the enemy of the Jews!!! What’s more interesting, is that this happened in Bethlehem, the home town of Jesus, a small forgotten town, unlike the great city of Jerusalem.

What does this tell us about God?

Our God is impartial and loves everyone. And He never overlooks the “insignificant” like the world does. And He honors those who honor Him. God looked down and saw a man who did the right thing by redeeming Ruth and caring for her and her mother in law as the law requires, though he has every right not to do so. One who made special arrangements so that Ruth’s dignity will be protected while she worked in the fields. He also saw Ruth who chose to lay down her rights to look after her mother in law and care for her. One who works hard daily to ensure Naomi is well taken care of. One who chose to follow the real God.

And because of that, a descendent of Rahab (who God remembers also since the day of Joshua) and a Moabite received a tremendous inheritance, to be part of the lineage in which the Messiah will come from. And God remembers them to have their story recorded down for us through the generations.

Lesson 2:
Nothing is insignificant before God. God’s eyes are always on the upright. We remember the Lawrence Khongs and the Billy Grahams, but God remembers also those who mentored these great men of God. Sometimes we might feel that the things we do seemed so insignificant, but still continue to do that which is right before God. Just like Ruth abd Boaz, if you think, about it, they didn’t really do anything remotely spectacular, but God saw, and remembers them and gave them an everlasting inheritance. The friend beside you, or your cell member could just be the next Lawrence Khong, but God has chosen you to do impart into that life until the time is right. Will you do that which is right then?

Judges 19 - 21 (6th April) - Weiling

Judges 19
What unfolds in these chapters is a very scandalous story that would definitely make it to the headlines of The New Paper if it happened in these times.

A Levite’s concubine cheated on him and then returned to her father’s house. However, he still loved her and pursued her there to ask her to return to him. After much delay at her father’s house, they finally set off for home.

They had to find some place to spend the night as it was late. At first, his servant asked him to spend the night in a Jebusites city. However, he refused to spend the night there because they were not Israelites. Perhaps he thought it would be safer staying with his own people. He was so wrong.

The Benjamites of Gibeah harassed them where they were staying for the night and demanded that the old man who put them up to hand over the Levite so that the men could have sex with him. They have lost all conscience. To appease them, the concubine was handed over and she was tortured the whole night until she died. When the Levite realized she was dead, he brought her home and cut her up into twelve parts to send them to all the areas (probably tribes) in Israel as a protest against the violence done.

Judges 20
The Israelites of the different tribes were of course appalled and shocked by what happened. They decided to unite as one and seek justice. But the Benjamites refused to hand the men responsible over and were ready to fight the rest of the Israelites.

The Israelites sought God. They fought the Benjamites and lost 22,000 men.
They encouraged one another and positioned themselves to fight again. They sought God. God told them to go up against the Benjamites. Another 18,000 men were cut down.
The Israelites again inquired of God after weeping and faster. Again, God told them to go and said He would give them victory. They obeyed.

In the beginning, it looked like what it did before and the Benjamites were killing off the Israelites. But the Israelites had a new plan and drew the Benjamites away from the city to the roads. The Benjamites were ambushed and “the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel” (20:35). All the Benjamites were wiped out save for the 600 who fled into the desert at the rock of Rimmon.

Judges 21
The Israelites had vowed not to give their daughters to the sons of Benjamin for wives because of what had happened before. However, they were grieved because they did not want to see one tribe missing from Israel. They had to figure a way out for the tribe of Benjamin to continue its lineage. They extended peace to those who had fled to the desert and instructed them to seize girls of Shiloh for their wives, because while the daughters cannot be GIVEN to the Benjamites, they could TAKE them.

It is indeed terrible when people simply do as they see fit or as they pleased without God in their lives (21:25). The sin of men and the acts they were capable of committing is frightful and yet we are also all sinners saved by grace.

What struck me in chapter 20 was that even though the Israelites were seeking justice and to redress a wrong, they still suffered great losses in two battles. But the Israelites stayed the course. They did not give up. They sought God. They trusted Him when He said go and they obeyed. They were united. And God gave them victory.

Though we may face struggles or “fights” and sometimes come away a little scratched, a little bruised… But take heart, warrior of God! Stay the course. Fight the fight. God will give you the victory. Amen.

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
– 2 Cor 4: 8-10

Judges 16 - 18 (5th April) - Li Juan

Judges 16 – Samson and Delilah
Samson fell in love with Delilah and the rulers of Philistines wanted her to lure him into showing the secret of his great strength, so that they can overpower and subdue him.

1st Try
Delilah: Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued
Samson: If anyone ties me with 7 fresh thongs that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man

So, Delilah tried it out and it did not work!

2nd Try
Delilah: You have made a fool of me and lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied. (Think she’s a lil angry now!)
Samson: If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become weak as any other man.

And without a doubt, Delilah tried it out and it did not work too!

3rd Try
Delilah: Until now, you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied. (Changed tatic, can you sense that there’s this really whinny tone? *shivers*)
Samson: If you weave the 7 braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become weak as any other man.

Of course, Delilah tried it out and it did not work either!

4th Try
Delilah: How can you say ‘I love you’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength. (She’s a really naggy woman! She nagged Samson TO DEATH! This guy can’t resist such nagging, and so he told her..)
Samson: No razor has ever been used on my head because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.

And the Lord left Samson when his head was shaved by Delilah. Samson was seized by the Philistines and they gouged his eyes out (yucks) and made him a prisoner in Gaza.

Moral of the story for the ladies, if you sense that your husband / boyfriend is hiding anything from you, just NAG and NAG and NAG and… =)

Judges 16 – The Death of Samson
God strengthened Samson the last time when he was brought out to entertain the rulers of Philistines. Samson reached the 2 central pillars holding the temple and pushed with all his might. The temple came down on everyone who was in it!

Judges 17 & 18 – Micah’s Idol & Danites Settle in Laish
These chapters show the religious confusion in Israel, and picture the downward path of Israel resulting from the departure from the Word of God. In those days, Israel had no king and everyone did as he saw fit.

Micah and his mother were involved in idolatry, and this symbolizes what the whole nation was into at that time.

The Danites seeked further territory, took Micah’s idol and his priest, attacked the unsuspecting Laish and dwelled there.

Judges 13 - 15 (4th April) - Sylvia

Judges 13

The Israelites continued to do evil and were unholy in the eyes of the Lord so He gave them to the Philistines for forty years.

Our god is merciful and gracious. He sent a leader who would grow upto deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. He blessed Manoah, who was sterile and childless with a son, Samson. In return, she had to ensure that during the term of her pregnancy, she could not drink wine or any fermented drink and not eat anything unclean (v 4). When he was born, no razor could be used on his head as he was to be a Nazirite, consecrated and set apart from God.

As Samsom grew up, God blessed him and he began to be filled with the Spirit of the Lord. Samson was blessed with the gifts of strength and ability in physical battle.

The term Nazirite is described as "being holy unto the Lord"

Judges 14

Samson grows up and is of age to marry. Whilst on the streets, he sees a young Philistine woman from Timnah and wants to marry her. (Little do they know that it was actually an opportunity created by the Lord to confront the Philistines.)

As Samson and his father approaches Timnah, a young lion came roaring towards him and Samson was filled with the Spirit so powerfully that he just tore the lion apart with his bare hands. Can you imagine yourself tearing a live lion with your bare hands? Its not by our might or power, but by the strength of the Lord.

Few days later, as Samson goes back to marry the Philistine woman, he saw the lion's carcass and saw honey inside, which he scooped out and ate. He then used it as a riddle to the thirty Philistines. (his companions)

When they were unable find an answer, they got his wife to get the answer from him. After days of her tantrums and pressurising him, Samson finally told her the answer on the seventh day of the feast. When the other Philistines were able to answer his riddle, Samson knew that it was because his wife had told them and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he 'struck down thirty of their men', taking their belongings and giving their clothes to the men who had explained the riddle. His wife was given to the friend who had attended to him at the wedding.

All these were part of God's plan for Samson to go against the Philistines and battle with them.

Judges 15

Samson gets even with the Philistines and takes revenge.
He provokes them by burning up their shocks and standing grain, and vineyards and olive groves. After they retaliate by brning his wife and father to death, he takes revenge by attacking them viciously and slaughtering them.

When the Philistines tried to capture him, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he used a mere jawbone of a donkey and killed a thousand men.

Our God is Almighty indeed. Amen.

Judges 10 - 12 (3rd April)

Judges 10

After Abimelech died, Tola rose to save Israel and he led Israel for 23 years (v 1, 2). Then followed by Jair who led Israel for 22 years (v 3). Then Israel did evil and God was angry with them and for 18 years they lived in oppression and distress (v 6 – 9). Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help and God could not bear Israel’s misery (v 10, 16)

Judges 11

Jephthah was a mighty warrior but was driven away because he was born by a prostitute (v 1, 2). Then the Ammonites came to wage war against Israel and the elders of Gilead went to look for Jephthah for help to lead the army and to be the head. Jephthah vowed to the Lord that if God give the Ammonites into his hands, whatever came out of his house to meet him when he is back from triumph, he will sacrificed to God (v31).

The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah (v29) and of course he won the war. He returned home and his one and only daughter came out to meet him and sure Jephthah needed to keep to his promise with God and he sacrificed his daughter.

Judges 12

Can you imagine, if someone comes up to you and ask you whether you know how to pronounce “Shiboleth”, if you pronounce wrongly, you will be killed immediately. That’s what happened in this chapter where Jephthah and his men had victory over Ephraimite.

Jephthah led Israel for 6 years, then
Ibzan led Israel for 7 years,
Elon for 10 years and Abdon led for 8 years.

Judges 8 - 9 (2nd April)

Judges 8

Right from Joshua to Judges, there were so many battles. Troy and Gladiator were movies I like. But if there are movies on Joshua and all the fights going on in Judges, must watch man. This chapter talks about Gideon pursuit the Midianites until all were killed. In verse 22, the Israelites were happy that Gideon saved them and asked Gideon to rule over the Israelites. Gideon replied was that he will not rule over them but the Lord will rule over them.

Lesson to learn: Do not look to man but look to God. It is God that rules over our lives. Put all your hope in God. The Israelites still looked to Gideon to rule over them and when Gideon died, the Israelites started to go back to worship Baal (v 33).

Judges 9

People said you cannot kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Look at this chapter and you will see Abimelech killed 70 of his brothers with 1 stone. Except one of his brother (Jotham) escaped and later cursed Abimelech. This chapter is all about Abimelech and how he and his troop fight in the battle and in the end woman dropped a millstone on his head and fractured his skull. He was full of pride and did not want to die under a woman’s hand, he get his armor-bearer to kill him instead (v 53 & 54). The curse of Jotham came to pass (v 57).

Judges 6 - 7 (1st April) - Kelvin

Judges 6

Its amazing each time the Israelites cried out to the Lord, He will always send to them a deliverer. This time, Gideon was chosen to set his people free from the powers of the midianites. Gideon was initially unsure whether he was seeing the right thing. But he was wise enough to ask God for signs by giving an offering to make himself sure it was really God’s calling. Then that’s where Gideon begin to grow in faith and believe God. God instructed him to tear down the asherah pole and use the wood for his burnt offering to God.

This is just like our modern day tearing down of religious temples – Only the Spirit filled dare to. Gideon did so and in the end got himself into trouble. The people from the town wants Gideon to die for what he had done.

Over here, I just want to elaborate further in our modern day context. I think this is similar for some of us who are afraid of trouble even though there are some things we as Christians should not compromise with. Are your friends getting you into unright interests? Are your colleagues leading you into tempting activities? God wants you to know that it is perfectly alright to reject the world, lose every favour from the world and follow His decrees. We as Christians must not be afraid to stand our ground!

Then Joash came out to help Gideon and to appease the anger of the people. In the words that he said, I sense great wisdom imparted by the Spirit.

Verse 31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “ Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Who ever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”

The Lord then filled Gideon and revealed to him that Israel would be saved through him. Gideon being cautious, humbly asked the Lord for signs not once but twice to confirm His anointing for him.

Perhaps many of us in our walk with God, we find it very hard to hear God clearly in our future or any other agendas. I believe we can always use the Gideon’s method of communication with God, ask for signs. Of course do not treat this method with contempt and ask with the fear of the Lord.

In this Chapter, there are a few conclusions to it:
1. The Lord loves us even when we know that we are not worthy for Him.
2. Be humble, God chose Gideon because he was not proud.
3. Obey the Lord and He will remain with you.

Judges 7

This a chapter of Miracles.

Gideon led 300 soldiers and fought a Victory against the mighty army of the midianites, amalekites and others. From thirty thousand to 300 men left. God shows us that no matter how strong our enemies are, we are able to overcome them with Him no matter how small we can be. Truly everything is possible with God. Though Gideon’s initial method of battle seems to be foolish ( holding trumpets and jars to war ? ), it caused confusion in the enemy’s camp and that’s where God gave them the Victory.

A point to note here would be, are we willing to do foolish things for God to use us?

In this chapter we can conclude a few points:
1. God uses the weak to overcome the strong.
2. With God, even foolish ideas can work out.

Judges 3 - 5 (31st Mar) - Weiling

Judges 3 – 5

Theme and Message: It is a number of accounts of recurring cycles (apostasy – to abandon one’s faith, oppression, distress and deliverance).
Judges revealed an age when “Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit” (17:6)

Judges were leaders that the Lord raised up to save the people of Israel out of the hands of the enemies. (2:16)

Because of incomplete conquest/ obedience and a turning away from their faith, God said that He will no longer drive the occupiers out. Instead, He will use them to test Israel to see if they would obey the Lord’s commands.

Recurring Cycles
Very often they don’t keep the God’s commands. In a recurring cycle:
1. Apostasy & Oppression.
The Israelites would do evil and provoke God’s chastening. (3:5-7,12; 4:1) One of it was inter-marrying with the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, etc. They ended up serving their gods (3:6)
2. Distress & Deliverance.
When the people faced oppression by the enemies or foreign invaders, they would cry out to God. God would be moved and have compassion on them. He would then deliver them through a judge. (3:9,15; Deborah)

Sadly, the Israelites often sin against God again.

Deborah
Now, to highlight an interesting personality. Deborah was one of the leaders God rose up. She was a wife, a mother (5:7) and had a powerful prophetic anointing. God appointed her and she awoke to His calling.

G12’s vision in rising up women to be leaders and to be all that God wants us to be is very much affirmed in Deborah’s life.

In fact, God also used the hands of another woman Jael, wife of Heber to kill the enemy in a shrewd way. Barak was going to be given the honour of killing Jabin, a powerful king who had 900 iron chariots. However, because he was fearful and said that he would only go if Deborah did, he lost out on that honour. Indeed, the enemy was very intimidating, but we see that somehow Deborah was not fearful. She knows God and hears His voice.

Judges 1 - 2 (30th Mar) - Sylvia

As we look into the book of judges, we also see the transition of how the Israelites began to lose faith and started sinning as compared to when they were under the leadership of Joshua.

Judges 1

1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?"
2 The LORD answered, "Judah is to go; I have given the land into their hands."
3 Then the men of Judah said to the Simeonites their brothers, "Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours." So the Simeonites went with them.

Notice in v1-3 how the Lord had commanded the tribe of Judah to go up and fight against the Canaanites yet they did not have faith that God would bring be with them and give them victory.. They asked the Simeonites to go with them to fight.

Thank God for His faithfulness, keeping His promise by giving the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands.

Moving on, as the Israelites continued to fight the remaining Canaanites, they disobeyed God's word. How did they do so?

Previously in the book of Joshua, they were supposed to drive out their enemies and not ally with them nor intermarrying or associate with them as these people would bring the Israelites down in time to come.

12 "But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them,
13 then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you."

Despite the warning, the Israelites did not obey as they never did drive them out completely. Instead they COMPROMISED God's word - they did not intermarry nor allied with the nation YET, but they made them their slaves.

**I mentioned "Yet" because as you read on the following chapters, the Israelites lived among the Canaanites and intermarried, serving their gods... **

It may not had been their intention to disobey God but pride got in the way when they though they were strong enough to handle it.

Application: Dear family, let's take a moment to pause and reflect. How many times have we disobeyed God by compromising His word, trying to do or explain things in a way such that it seems right?

Judges 2

Pride gave way to sin. The Israelites had broken their covenant with the Lord. When the Lord spoke that He would not drive out the Canaanites and also allow them to be obstacles to the Israelites, they repented, offering sacrifices to God.

A new generation of Israelites grew up, not knowing God nor what He had done for Israel. They fell to sin, worshipping other gods. Because of this, God allowed their enemies to take control over them, and whenever they went to battle, they would be defeated.

God had a heart of compassion for His people still, raising up leaders(Judges) to save them yet they would only listen for a short moment, before quickly turning their backs on God again and again.

Notice the cycle of sin:
Israel serves God --> Israels falls to sin and worship other gods -->Israel goes into slavery
-->Israel cried outs-->God gives them a leader(Judge)--> Israel is delivered

They serve the Lord for a while before falling back into sin..

This sparked the Lord's anger.
20 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and said, "Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me,
21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.
22 I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their forefathers did."
23 The LORD had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

Application: Dear brothers and sisters, do we have any cycles of sin in our lives that need to be broken?

Joshua 22 - 24 (29th Mar) - Stanley & Madeline

In Chapt 22 and 23, joshua reminded the people twice... To keep the commandments and the law that Moses gave, to love the Lord and do not bow down to other gods...

In Chapter 24, Joshua gathered the high authorities of Israel and reminded them of the goodness of God from the beginning of their generation. Again, he was reminding them to serve, obey and love our God Almighty only.

Just wonder... Why does Joshua have to be so lor soh? The people had heard and seen the miracles & promises of God. Why does he have to keep reminding them? Are they so forgetful? Is the worldly temptation overwhelming?

I'm just very grateful after Christ's sacrifice, we live by and in grace, not by law. We have the Holy Spirit, whom constantly keep us in God's presence. We do not need to solely depend on memory and will power although these are important. Let's be thankful to the Holy Spirit who is our constant reminder to love and obey God. Let's count of blessings and remember His
goodness to us and our forefathers.

Let's say together, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"