1 Samuel – The Beginnings of the Monarchy

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith 


 
Hannah With Samuel
Photo Credit: jesusfootprints.wordpress.com


Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.

Major Old Testament Route No. 2:
Taking A Walk Through The History Of Israel

A key to understanding any place you visit, is having a general grasp of its history. When Melodee and I traveled to Hawaii, although we were going for romance and leisure, a general understanding of this tropical paradise was helpful.

So it is with our journey through the Bible. On our second major route through the history of the Old Testament, we will see how Israel rose to power, and how it was erased from power. We also see the tender compassion of the God of the Universe through the return to their homeland of a remnant of Israel.

On this route we will explore approximately 1,000 years of the definition history for the nation of Israel. In other words, this section of the history will define the national identity of Israel in significant ways.

Our second route was written as a diary or journal of the actual travels of the people of God in the Old Testament. It will include the glory days of David and Solomon, and the disaster days of Civil War and captivity. It will end with a broken and weak Israeli remnant that is allowed to return as guests to their own country. When we complete this route, [Joshua – Esther] we will have read the entire history of the Old Testament.

As We Review: We have already seen …

• Joshua: The Invasion of the Land for Israel (about 25 years)

• Judges: The Cycles of Compromise (about 350 years)

• Ruth: The Loyalty of one Woman (about 30 years)
We now look at:

1 Samuel: The Beginnings of the Monarchy (about 95 years)

1 Samuel could actually be called the book of rejection. First, we see Eli, the judge of Israel, as he rejects God’s commandments in favor of spoiling his sons. Then, we see the nation of Israel reject God’s leadership in favor of an earthly king. And finally, we see King Saul rejecting God’s guidance in favor of following his fears. Watch as we begin this book with …

Judge Eli’s Parenting Failure Removes His From Office (1-4)

Notice that when the leader fails in his own home, the results become tragic for his house, his future and the future of the people he leads.

• Samuel, the future judge of Israel, is born in answer to the prayer promise of a faithful woman, and dedicated in faithful obedience to that vow. (1-2)

• Eli, the present judge of Israel, is failing as a result of honoring his sons by refusing to discipline them instead of being willing to honor the Lord over them. (2)

• Eli, the present judge of Israel, is removed from the service of the Lord for his failures in fathering, thus bringing God’s judgment upon him, his sons, and his nation. (2-4)

• Eli, the present judge of Israel, dies as a result of the judgment of the Lord upon his family and nation, in fulfillment of the prophecies to both him and Samuel. (4)

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

You Can Book Dr. Smith For Your Meeting or Event!

“Dr. Matthew Smith has a passion and love for God’s Word and for God’s people. He lives to equip God’s church and He uses many of his God-given talents to galvanize, energize and equip the body of Christ. Dr. Smith not only has the brilliant mind but also a humble heart. The best sermon I heave heard him preach is the life he lives. He is a loving father, family leader and a leader in the faith community. I recommend him without hesitation.”

By Daniel Mehrabian, researcher at Araratministries, (Greater Los Angeles Area)

Biblical leadership, passionate evangelism and discipleship, a missional heart and lifestyle, authentic personal relationship with God – Dr. Smith will come to your church or organization and speak on any of these areas. We have open dates in April, May and June and would love to talk with you about making your meeting, event or worship service a special time of growth, joy and inspiration. For more information, contact us at admin[at]EaglesInLeadership.org (of course, remove the [at] and replace it with @). We look forward to your email!

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Ruth – The Loyalty of One Woman

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith 

 
Naomi and Ruth
Photo Credit: captainhastings.com


Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.

Ruth: The Loyalty of one Woman (about 30 years)

During this time of trouble in the book of Judges, one very personal story is told. It is about a woman who was not of the nation of Israel by blood, but by marriage. The importance of this story cannot be minimized, for Ruth becomes the great grandmother of David, future King of Israel! As we see her story, we are confronted with the agony of a foreign woman in a strange land.  But she is also a woman of great integrity, and one whom God chooses to use for this very reason! Notice Ruth’s story …

  • Ruth’s husband dies, and she chooses to return with her mother-in law to Israel. (1)
  • Ruth cares for her mother-in-law Naomi, despite the enormous sacrifices it costs her as a young woman. (2)
  • Boaz takes notice of Ruth ands cares for her through special provisions. (3)
  • Boaz and Ruth begin the family of David, revealing the importance of the Kinsman – Redeemer provision within the Law of God, which was given to Moses. (4)

In our next study, we will see the Rise and Fall of the Nation of Israel as a super power. The reasons will not change from those given to Joshua and renewed at Shechem. So far, we have provided you with the basis of your understanding of how God operates in time. Perhaps it is time for you to make the covenant promise with the God of the Universe as well.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

You Can Book Dr. Smith For Your Meeting or Event!

“Dr. Matthew Smith has a passion and love for God’s Word and for God’s people. He lives to equip God’s church and He uses many of his God-given talents to galvanize, energize and equip the body of Christ. Dr. Smith not only has the brilliant mind but also a humble heart. The best sermon I heave heard him preach is the life he lives. He is a loving father, family leader and a leader in the faith community. I recommend him without hesitation.”

By Daniel Mehrabian, researcher at Araratministries, (Greater Los Angeles Area)

Biblical leadership, passionate evangelism and discipleship, a missional heart and lifestyle, authentic personal relationship with God – Dr. Smith will come to your church or organization and speak on any of these areas. We have open dates in April, May and June and would love to talk with you about making your meeting, event or worship service a special time of growth, joy and inspiration. For more information, contact us at admin[at]EaglesInLeadership.org (of course, remove the [at] and replace it with @). We look forward to your email!

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Falling in Love With Jesus!

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Have you ever wanted your love for Jesus to grow deeper? How does that happen? In this exciting episode, Falling in Love with Jesus, Dr. Matthew Lee Smith shares the actions we need to incorporate into our life with Jesus.


Matt uses his humorous experience of pursuing Melodee before they were married to illustrate this process. We know you will benefit greatly from this personal and passionate episode of Transformed!

So, grab your Bible and open it to Luke 11 as we listen to Falling in Love with Jesus with Pastor Matt.

You can learn more about this subject in two of his daily devotionals.

  • In His Image explores the idea “God Created You to Love You!”

Both books can be found on our website, using the links provided in the show notes, as well as on Amazon or BarnesandNoble.com

Until next time, thank you for listening to the Transformed podcast.

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7 Actions of Valor in a Leader

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

A Study of Gideon

Judges 8

 

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.

 

Once God has removed fear from the leader, the mission can be accomplished with haste. Fear holds us back. Valor moves us forward. Valor can be defined as: “strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness; personal bravery.” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valor)

 

Gideon’s fear has been removed (Judges 7-8) and now he lives out the title the Angel of the Lord had given him, “mighty man of valor.” (Judges 6:12, ESV) When Gideon embraced his valor, he changed significantly. In his transformation, we can see seven actions in the new leader that instruct us in becoming “mighty leaders of valor.” How do I flesh these out …

  • Valor Calms Disputes By Praising Others Accomplishments. Judges 8.1-3

If I am to be a mighty man of valor, I must recognize and applaud the efforts and contributions of others on my team to them publicly.

  • Valor Remembers the Uncooperative, But Remains “On Mission” Until The Victory Is Won. Judges 8.4-9

It is all right to remember when groups of people don’t want to help me, because of fear, mistrust, or orneriness. However, I can’t let that distract me from the urgency of the mission God has sent me on.

  • Valor Attacks a Secure Enemy, Throwing Them Into a Panic. Judges 8.10-12

One of the best strategies I can use, when God has given me a mission, is to go to the stronghold and take it out first. Victory is won when the giant falls!

  • Valor Removes the Uncooperative After the Victory Is Won. Judges 8.13-17

After the victory is won and the celebration is about to commence, it is appropriate to assess who helped and who did not. Those who didn’t help need to be removed for a lack of loyalty and cooperation.

  • Valor Exacts Consequences From Unrepentant Enemies. Judges 8.18-21

When victory comes, the resistant to change need to be removed permanently from the scene. This allows for the mission to proceed and the momentum to continue without fear of reprisal or insurrection by the naysayers.

  • Valor Requests Compensation From a Great Victory’s Abundance. Judges 8.22-28

While the leader is never “on mission” for the spoils, it is appropriate od me to ask for a portion (here a small one – “the earrings”) of the spoils from the victory’s abundance.

  • Valor Is Forgotten Quickly Once the Mighty Leader Dies. Judges 8.33-35

I should not think that the people who joined the battle and enjoyed the spoils with me would remember or even follow my leadership lessons once I am off the scene.

 

That’s my take on valor. Did you see any other lessons in the account of Gideon from Judges 8? I’d love to hear about them!

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

 

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

 

You Can Book Dr. Smith For Your Meeting or Event!

 

“Dr. Matthew Smith has a passion and love for God’s Word and for God’s people. He lives to equip God’s church and He uses many of his God-given talents to galvanize, energize and equip the body of Christ. Dr. Smith not only has the brilliant mind but also a humble heart. The best sermon I heave heard him preach is the life he lives. He is a loving father, family leader and a leader in the faith community. I recommend him without hesitation.”

 

By Daniel Mehrabian, researcher at Araratministries, (Greater Los Angeles Area)

 

Biblical leadership, passionate evangelism and discipleship, a missional heart and lifestyle, authentic personal relationship with God – Dr. Smith will come to your church or organization and speak on any of these areas. We have open dates in April, May and June and would love to talk with you about making your meeting, event or worship service a special time of growth, joy and inspiration. For more information, contact us at admin[at]EaglesInLeadership.org (of course, remove the [at] and replace it with @). We look forward to your email!

 

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Israel Follows The Corruption of the Surrounding Culture (Judges)

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith 


 
Baal
Photo Credit: itwasjohnson.impiousdigest.com


Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.

Israel Follows the Corruption of the Canaanite Lifestyle (Judges 17-21)

The conditions of the nation, as the people of God, during the times of the judges are deplorable! While calling themselves, “the children of God,” they behaved more like “the children of the devil!” In this section we see the roots of their failures during these long 350 years of oppression. Discover as you read …

  • The roots of the failure in idolatry. (Judges 17-18)
  • The roots of the failure in immorality. (Judges 19)
  • The roots of the failure in instability. (Judges 20-21)

Closing the book of Judges is like closing a sad and disastrous novel with a poor ending – an ending of hopelessness. Such a people, trapped in these recurring cycles of captivity, can leave one wondering, “What’s the point?” In the midst of this hardship and endless futility, we will come to the next book, one that ends with hope and encouragement!

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

You Can Book Dr. Smith For Your Meeting or Event!

“Dr. Matthew Smith has a passion and love for God’s Word and for God’s people. He lives to equip God’s church and He uses many of his God-given talents to galvanize, energize and equip the body of Christ. Dr. Smith not only has the brilliant mind but also a humble heart. The best sermon I heave heard him preach is the life he lives. He is a loving father, family leader and a leader in the faith community. I recommend him without hesitation.”

By Daniel Mehrabian, researcher at Araratministries, (Greater Los Angeles Area)

Biblical leadership, passionate evangelism and discipleship, a missional heart and lifestyle, authentic personal relationship with God – Dr. Smith will come to your church or organization and speak on any of these areas. We have open dates in April, May and June and would love to talk with you about making your meeting, event or worship service a special time of growth, joy and inspiration. For more information, contact us at admin[at]EaglesInLeadership.org (of course, remove the [at] and replace it with @). We look forward to your email!

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7 Lessons on How God Removes A Leader’s Fear

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith


A Study of Gideon, “Mighty Man of Valor”

Judges 6-7

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.

We all know what fear in leadership is all about. One of the classic examples of fear trapping a leader is found in the book of Judges. When we come on the scene, Gideon is hiding while processing wheat for fear the Midianites would see the harvest and pounce on it and him.

In the midst of this stealth operation, God shows up and says, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” (Judges 6:12, ESV) Gideon isn’t buying the line and counters the angel …

“Please, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” (Judges 6:13, ESV)

At this point, you can see Gideon’s point: God forsook us, that’s why I’m in hiding here! Now note the strange response of the Lord: “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” (Judges 6:14, ESV)

Lesson 1: When God calls us, he sees us as we will be, not as we are!

When Gideon objects, the Lord tells him: “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” (Judges 6:16, ESV)

Lesson 2: When God calls us, he goes with us!

In order to conquer his fear, Gideon asks for a sign of assurance. God prescribes an offering on a rock. Gideon complies and the Lord touches the offering with his staff and it is consumed with fire. “Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” ” (Judges 6:22–23, ESV)

Lesson 3: When God calls us, he is willing to relieve our fears by granting us a sign!

With such a powerful sign, you would think Gideon’s fears would be relieved, but, when God gives him his first mission, Gideon complies by destroying his own father’s idol of Baal at night with ten friends. Amazingly, Gideon’s father defends him for his action and tells them that Baal should be able to defend himself.

Lesson 4: When God calls us, he provides surprising support from important people!

From that day forward, Gideon’s new nickname was, “Let Baal contend against him.” (Judges 6:33, ESV)

Lesson 5: When God calls us, he provides a name and the fame for the mission!

Soon the enemies of the Israelites come in droves and Gideon, knowing what he must do, is scared stiff. He asks for a sign, and then another one. BOTH of these signs are GRANTED by the gracious and merciful God, because God longs to pull out the valor He sees in Gideon.

Lesson 6: When God calls us, he will do what it takes to assure the leader of His presence and power!

Ultimately, Gideon is told to whittle down the massive troops of Israel to 300, so that God will get the glory when the victory comes. Gideon’s fear level rises again and God proposes a quiet trip to the camp of the enemy.

“When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.” As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.” ” (Judges 7:13–15, ESV)

Gideon is victorious and destroys the armies of the enemies of Israel as a result, commanding his troops to shout out these words as they attacked: “For the Lord and for Gideon.” (Judges 7:18, ESV)

Lesson 7: When God calls us, he will do what it takes for us to become what He has seen in us all the time!

Gideon finally saw what God saw in him: He WAS a mighty man of valor.

What does God see in you and what has he been doing in your to confirm what he sees?

I’d love to hear about it!

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

You Can Book Dr. Smith For Your Meeting or Event!

“Dr. Matthew Smith has a passion and love for God’s Word and for God’s people. He lives to equip God’s church and He uses many of his God-given talents to galvanize, energize and equip the body of Christ. Dr. Smith not only has the brilliant mind but also a humble heart. The best sermon I heave heard him preach is the life he lives. He is a loving father, family leader and a leader in the faith community. I recommend him without hesitation.”

By Daniel Mehrabian, researcher at Araratministries, (Greater Los Angeles Area)

Biblical leadership, passionate evangelism and discipleship, a missional heart and lifestyle, authentic personal relationship with God – Dr. Smith will come to your church or organization and speak on any of these areas. We have open dates in April, May and June and would love to talk with you about making your meeting, event or worship service a special time of growth, joy and inspiration. For more information, contact us at admin[at]EaglesInLeadership.org (of course, remove the [at] and replace it with @). We look forward to your email!

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Living Healthy, Losing Weight, Leading Energetically

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

It was 12 weeks ago when I started the Daniel Plan – January 1st, 2011. 6 months earlier, on June 1st, 2010, I had made a commitment to lose 50 pounds in 52 weeks. By November, I realized I had been struggling a lot, and the holidays coming wouldn’t help. I had lost less than 16 points in 5 months and was way behind to reaching my goal by June 1st.

All this started when I realized that my health was deteriorating. A call from the doctor while in Chicago telling me about some tests I needed to take to find the cause of some abnormal blood panel numbers got me thinking. (It turned out I had a fatty liver – not a good thing!)

I knew I needed to lose the 85 pounds I had put on, but willpower alone, even with the weekly weigh-in chart on the bathroom mirror, hadn’t been enough. I needed help and I knew it.

That’s when my pastor, Rick Warren, shared the Decade of Destiny vision he had for our church, the plans for the New Year, and the Daniel Plan. I was a part of the Daniel Plan from the first moment! With each week of the Daniel Plan, I have learned so much about health, weight, processed foods, disease and imminent premature death from my lifestyle choices.

So, I decided to share a bit from time to time in this blog, and encourage you to consider what you could do for the Kingdom of God with more energy. Today I want to start talking about how I’ve lost 29+ pounds since January 1st, 2011 on the Daniel Plan (making my total weight loss since June 1st, 2010 over 47 pounds).

Just Don’t Put It In My Mouth!

One of the first things I learned was, if you don’t eat it, it won’t hurt you! (Duh!) But what shouldn’t I eat? Let’s start with the whites …

  • White sugar – instead, use Stevia products
  • White flour – instead, use whole wheat flour sparingly
  • White rice – instead, use brown rice

Each of these white products adds to your weight and metabolizes into sugars – which are sources of diabetes, and a host of other diseases. These simple changes were the first to cause my weight to come off!

As the weight dropped, I found that I have more energy, sleep better and my moods are sweeter. (Who would have known food could make you cranky?)

I’ll share more about these things in other posts. And, oh yeah, total strangers stop me on the street – two today alone – and comment on my weight loss and how good I look. That’s a nice side benefit!

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Israel Fights in Cycles to Conquer the Canaanites

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

Judges

Israel Fights in Cycles to Conquer the Canaanites (Judges 3-16)

As Israel drops into the disastrous consequences of their evil ways, God allows them to repeat a cycle time and again in these chapters that can be seen by these specific steps:

  • The evil disobedience of the nation to follow other gods, known as idolatry.
  • The quick oppression by a Canaanite King for years.
  • The reluctant request by the people of Israel for deliverance.
  • The merciful provision of a deliverer by the God of Heaven.
  • The victorious deliverance by the judge sent by God.
  • The counterfeit obedience of the nation until the death of the judge.
  • The evil disobedience of the nation to follow other gods, known as idolatry.

When you read through these chapters and see the failures of the people of God, be sure to resonate with them. These are people for whom God loves. While they have chosen a path of rebellion, they pay with wasted lives. Also note, years are passing and their pain and oppression is all of their own creation.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

For Our Los Angeles County Friends!

Dr. Matthew Smith will be speaking on Sunday, March 27th in Long Beach and would like to invite you to attend. He will be speaking on the subject, “Are We Living Jesus’ Ultimate Purpose?” There is no fee for this event and all are welcome. Here are the details:

March 27 – 10:45 am Worship Speaker @ University Baptist Church, 3434 Chatwin Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808 – (562) 425-0912

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Judges: The Cycles of Compromise

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general. Today we want to explore …

Judges: The Cycles of Compromise (about 350 years)

Graphic Source: http://narrabriyouth.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/judges-cycle-of-sin/

After such a glorious five-year beginning, one would think that the future of Israel would just get better and better. But such was not the case! The principles of conquest were clearly stated by God to Joshua, and renewed at Shechem by the leaders before Joshua. At Shechem, Joshua challenged to leaders and the people:

“Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed.  And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God.”

But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.” And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD!” So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD for yourselves, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses!” “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel.” And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. Joshua 24:14-25 (New King James Version)

But how quickly Israel, without Joshua, forgets their covenant [sacred promise] with God and falls into the consequence of straying from God’s commands. When we read this book, we discover the cause-and-effect principle that runs the length of this sad story! Watch the cycles of failure in this book, as we divide it into three easier-to-understand parts. In the first section we see …

Israel Fails to Complete the Invasion Against The Canaanites (Judges 1-2)

Almost immediately the failure begins. Notice as you read the first two chapters, that there are clues for the rest of this book. Failures are found by actions previously performed. God judges the nation quickly for their failures to act on His commands. See as we discover …

  • The failure to work together to conquer the land; resulting in hundreds of years of miserable terror at the hands of oppressors. (Judges 1)
  • The unfaithfulness of the children of Israel; resulting in the anger of God and His testing the sincerity of their faith. (Judges 2)

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

For Our Los Angeles County Friends!

Dr. Matthew Smith will be speaking on Sunday, March 27th in Long Beach and would like to invite you to attend. He will be speaking on the subject, “Are We Living Jesus’ Ultimate Purpose?” There is no fee for this event and all are welcome. Here are the details:

March 27 – 10:45 am Worship Speaker @ University Baptist Church, 3434 Chatwin Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808 – (562) 425-0912

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Just Read It!, Leadership Blog | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Stop Praying!

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

A Lesson from Joshua 7

You bang on the doors of Heaven and nothing! You wonder, what is wrong with God? Why won’t he answer me? Or maybe you can’t seem to get a break. You can be a pastor, elder, deacon or ministry leader who loves God with all you have. Still, God won’t move, the ministry is failing and you can’t put it all together.

The Lord tells us from his experience with the nation of Israel, that sometimes he doesn’t want us to pray, he wants us to discover! Let’s look at what he means by this by remembering a little background.

  • Joshua had led the nation to supernatural victory over Jericho. (Joshua 6) You will remember the “walk in silence, shout in victory” strategy God gave the leader. The walls fell down on the biggest obstacle to their mission!
  • God had expressly forbidden any benefits to the first victory – it all belonged to him. (Joshua 6.18-19) Joshua clearly tells the warriors to put the valuables (Called here, the “devoted things”) in the treasury and leave the rest alone.
  • Joshua sends a small contingent to conquer a little town called Ai – but his forces are thrashed! (Joshua 7.2-6) Despite every outward indication of a swift and total victory, the people of God were severely beaten and many were killed.
  • Joshua goes to prayer, pleading with God for help! (Joshua 7.6-9) As any great leader of God, Joshua goes to the Lord for help!

What does God say in response to Joshua’s heart-filled pleas? STOP PRAYING! Specifically, he says: “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? ” (Joshua 7:10, ESV) In God’s response we discover one of the key reasons why we, as God’s people on mission, often fail: Israel has sinned!

How did they do that? Note God’s answer in Joshua 7:11 …

  • One man transgressed God’s covenant!
  • One man took some of the devoted things!
  • One man stole what was God’s!
  • One man lied about stealing those devoted things!
  • One man put those devoted things with his own stuff!

And what was the result of ONE MAN’S FAILURE?

“Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. ” (Joshua 7:12, ESV, Emphasis Added)

God prescribes a simple way to get back to unity with him. You can read about it in rest in Joshua 7. The question today is this:

  • Is someone among you bringing defeat to your ministry?

And what are you going to do about it – other than pray?

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

For Our Los Angeles County Friends!

Dr. Matthew Smith will be speaking on Sunday, March 27th in Long Beach and would like to invite you to attend. He will be speaking on the subject, “Are We Living Jesus’ Ultimate Purpose?” There is no fee for this event and all are welcome. Here are the details:

March 27 – 10:45 am Worship Speaker @ University Baptist Church, 3434 Chatwin Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90808 – (562) 425-0912

Hope to see you there!

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