Redefining what is good is never a good idea. Faithlife.com           SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... The Israelites have rejected God as their king and demanded one like the nations, So the LORD commanded Samuel to anoint Saul as king. Saul began with promise but quickly revealed a pattern of self-reliance and disobedience, showing that Israel’s nation-like king could not replace their need for the LORD. The LORD commanded Saul to completely destroy the wicked Amalekites - including ALL of their men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys - and so Saul does... mostly. 1 Samuel 15 (NIV) 9  But Saul and the army spared King Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. 10  Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: 11  “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all that night. 12  Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.” 13  When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The L ORD  bless you! I have carried out the L ORD's  instructions.” 14  But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?” 15  Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the L ORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” 16  “Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the L ORD  said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied. 17  Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The L ORD  anointed you king over Israel. 18  And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ 19  Why did you not obey the L ORD ? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the L ORD ?” 20  “But I did obey the L ORD ,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the L ORD  assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21  The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the L ORD  your God at Gilgal.” 22  But Samuel replied: “Does the L ORD  delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the L ORD ? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23  For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the L ORD , he has rejected you as king.” 24  Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the L ORD 's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. 25  Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the L ORD .” 26  But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the L ORD , and the L ORD  has rejected you as king over Israel!” Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 91 Q. What do we do that is good? A. Only that which arises out of true faith, conforms to God’s law, and is done for his glory; and not that which is based on what we think is right or on established human tradition. Summary The LORD is easy to love and worship when He accommodates Himself to our preferences. We want a God with a little of this and a bit of that - a God that's rich in compassion and graciousness (Exodus 34) - but whose sweetness is paired with just a pinch of wrath and vengeance (Rom. 12:19). We want a God who gives the wicked king Agag what he's got coming, but who spares the women, children and infants (!!). So when God's commands seem out of touch with what we consider to be right, we feel pretty good about doing most of what God has said, but doing it our own way. King Saul sure did! The moment he sees Samuel heading his way, Saul sprung up and eagerly said, The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD’s instructions! Saul's logic almost seems to make sense. When Samuel, who'd given Saul God's command of total destruction, heard the bleating of Amalekite sheep and the lowing of their cattle, Saul has a great answer. We spared the best to sacrifice to the LORD your God, he explains. But Saul wasn't motivated by compassion or a desire to delight the LORD with sacrifices . He didn't have any issues totally destroying everything that was despised and weak - including the women, children and infants - but he was unwilling to destroy completely everything that was good . Good in his own eyes, at least. Saul's true motivation becomes clear when Samuel can't find him, because he'd gone to Carmel to set up a monument in his own honor . When we define goodness on our own rather than that which arises out of true faith, conforms to God’s law, and is done for His glory , it always results in idolatry of the worst sort: honoring ourselves above the LORD.   Dig Deeper   So many of God's commands seem harsh and severe - not the least of which His demands for genocide. Our sense of fairness and justice recoils at the idea of women, children and infants being slaughtered, no matter how wicked their king and fighting men were. And why kill the calves and the lambs? But the LORD was not being unfair at all. These Amalekites were sinners, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). God gave them exactly what they deserved. The holy and righteous Creator and Sustainer of all things was completely just in ordering their slaughter. If anything isn't fair, it's that God has spared you from this same fate. Your wickedness manifests itself in a more civilized way than the Amalekites' did, but you were born into the same dreadfully sinful condition they were, and you deserve exactly what they got. This is what the amazing grace of God made possible for you because He poured out His perfectly justified wrath upon His Son in your place. This is why we don't just celebrate Resurrection Day once a year, but every moment of every day. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who values obedience as better than sacrifice; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will submit to God's definitions of goodness, rather than trying to redefine it on your own; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Learn to think about politics from a Biblical perspective.           SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... the LORD was with Samuel as he grew, establishing him as a faithful prophet in Israel. Yet Israel’s spiritual condition remained fragile. The ark was captured by the Philistines and returned only after the LORD demonstrated His power over their false gods, proving that His presence could not be controlled or manipulated. Under Samuel’s leadership, the people were called to put away their idols and return to the LORD, and He graciously delivered them from their enemies. Still, this repentance did not run deep. As Samuel grew old, his sons failed to walk in his ways. The people of Israel then began to demand a king like the nations. 1 Samuel 8:6-20 (NIV) 6  But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 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. 8  As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9   Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” 10  Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11  He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12  Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13  He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14  He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15  He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16  Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17  He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18  When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.” 19  But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20  Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” Belgic Confession Article 36: The Civil Government ...And being called in this manner to contribute to the advancement of a society that is pleasing to God, the civil rulers have the task, subject to God’s law, of removing every obstacle to the preaching of the gospel and to every aspect of divine worship. They should do this while completely refraining from every tendency toward exercising absolute authority, and while functioning in the sphere entrusted to them, with the means belonging to them. They should do it in order that the Word of God may have free course; the kingdom of Jesus Christ may make progress; and every anti-Christian power may be resisted... Summary Today's Summary and Dig Deeper are re-posted from December 2, 2024 God knew this day was coming - this day when His rebellious people would formally reject His divine kingship and trade it in for a cheap royalty like what everybody around them had. Even before Israel had taken possession of the Promised Land, G od had laid down strict limits designed to constrain kings' ever increasing appetites. But God's prescriptions have never been a match for man's sinful nature. In today's passage God warns them that the 'security' a king might provide would come at a steep price. It's interesting that in our day and age, we measure cost in financial terms like how many dollars a proposal will cost or how a certain policy will affect the interest rate or the stock market. In conveying the LORD's words to the people, Samuel does use one financial term, stating that kings will take a tenth of their produce, but everything else is meted out in much more personal terms. Samuel tells them, speaking on behalf of the LORD, that the king will take the people's sons and daughters  into his service. He'll conscript them into his armies, to reap his harvest and to provide for himself the finest things. In other words, the king will do much more than just than levy exorbitant taxes. He'll suck up the peoples' entire future.   Dig Deeper   Lots of people think there needs to be an impermeable wall of separation between the church and the state. Although it's been exhaustively demonstrated that the 'separating wall' metaphor Thomas Jefferson referred to in a personal letter has been egregiously ripped from its original context, the concept that the 'church' ought not influence the state is deeply baked into American psyche. So it might seem surprising that our Confession, which only addresses the most central Christian doctrines, includes a relatively long article about how the ideal state ought to function. Maybe reading what we believe the Bible says about God's design for civil government makes you feel a bit smarmy, as if politics have no place in your devotions. After all, there's no shortage of political analysis on the internet... what have we become here at Unfading Truth? Shouldn't we spend our Bible reading time on something that's purer? But the fact of the matter is that politics are an inseparable part of your life, so like every other realm of life, you need to understand politics theologically and from a Biblical standpoint. Like nearly every other topic, the Bible holds politics in tensegrity . On one hand, there is no authority except that which God has established ( Romans 13 ) . On the other, passages like today's show us that governments naturally continually grow and demand more and more of us. Let's take two primary lessons from our passage today. First, as a voter, always be wary of government encroachment into people's lives; it will take your sons and daughters if left unchecked. But most importantly, know what a blessing it is that we have a divine King who gave of Himself rather than ripping prosperity from His people! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who calls us to put our hope and trust in Him; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be a good subject of the one true King even as you submit to governments here and now that are far less than ideal; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Don't be led by what you see... be led by what God's Word says. Faithlife.com           SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... The book of Judges ends on an ominous note: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). As the story turns to 1 Samuel, the spiritual darkness remains: the priesthood is corrupt, and the people are adrift. A little boy named Samuel has been dedicated by his loving mother to serve the LORD under the high priest Eli, whose own sons were wicked. 1 Samuel 3 (NIV) 3 The boy Samuel ministered before the L ORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. 2  One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3  The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the L ORD , where the ark of God was. 4   Then the L ORD  called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5   And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6   Again the L ORD  called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” 7  Now Samuel did not yet know the L ORD : The word of the L ORD  had not yet been revealed to him. 8   A third time the L ORD  called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the L ORD  was calling the boy. 9   So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, L ORD , for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10  The L ORD  came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 11  And the L ORD  said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12  At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13  For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14  Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ ” Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 84 Q. How does preaching the gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven? A. According to the command of Christ: The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of what Christ has done, truly forgives all their sins. The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the anger of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. God’s judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony. Summary The final words of the book of Judges and the opening words of today's passage make for quite a combination. With no visible king, Israel had replaced the LORD as their God with their own definitions of whatever was right in their own eyes. So we read that by the time young Samuel had been dedicated to the LORD's service, the word of the LORD had become quite rare. Israel had been sucked into a vicious cycle: the more they depended upon their eyes to determine right from wrong , the rarer the word of the LORD became, pulling them farther and farther from the truth, until even what was clearly wrong had become quite right in their own eyes. But the text says that God's word had become rare, not altogether absent. The house of the LORD was still very much open and operating, even if much of its operation came from the hands of a young boy because the young men who should have been running it were wicked and corrupt. Besides, God's word is ever present everywhere. Psalm 19 reminds that even the heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of His hands. God's existence and rule are evident to all people. But when people become so distracted by what they've set their eyes upon, their ears become deaf to God's Word. The fact that the LORD needed to call out to Samuel three times before capturing his attention is more than a cute anecdote - it's a diagnosis of His people's primary problem. They weren't listening.   Dig Deeper   It's interesting to read that although Samuel literally grew up in the 'church,' he did not yet know the LORD. Just surrounding yourself with religion - VBS, Sunday School, GEMS & Cadets, Christian Schools, etc. - is not what makes you a Christian.  The word of the LORD  must be revealed to you by the Spirit, as it was to young Samuel. It must not just be seen and heard, but listened to and acted upon. And young Samuel learns quickly that the LORD's word isn't always pleasant. Ultimately, God's calling Samuel was just another step forward in His bringing salvation to His covenant people, but this good news begins with bad news: the LORD would judge Eli's family forever because of the sin Eli knew about. His sons blasphemed God and he failed to restrain them. What a tragedy! Eli himself is a godly man, but for too long he'd turned a blind eye to his own wicked sons. When our passage reports that his eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, it was referring to more than just his physical vision. Ironically, as the people were doing what was right in their own eyes, Eli's eyes were weak. So on one hand, this cute story of a little boy being called by God is actually quite dark and depressing. But that's why we're reading it in context! In isolation, God's plan often seems disjointed and unfair, but if you're a Christian, then the Word of the LORD has been revealed to you; you know that although Samuel's calling will be difficult, he'll go on to anoint God's king over Israel - one who's greater Son will bring salvation to all who hear His voice. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who speaks His Word to those who listen to His voice; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you, like Samuel, will listen to the Word of the LORD; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Wondering where your blessedness is? Don't fret! Discover how to dwell in it today. Faithlife.com           Psalm 37 (NKJV) A Psalm of David. 1       Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2      For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3       Trust in the L ORD , and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4       Delight yourself also in the L ORD , And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5       Commit your way to the L ORD , Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it  to pass. 6       He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7       Rest in the L ORD , and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8       Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret— it  only causes  harm. 9       For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the L ORD , They shall inherit the earth. 10       For yet a little while and the wicked shall be  no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be  no more . 11       But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12       The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13       The L ORD laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. 14       The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. 15       Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken. 16       A little that a righteous man has Is  better than the riches of many wicked. 17       For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the L ORD upholds the righteous. 18       The L ORD knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. 19       They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 20       But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the L ORD , Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. 21       The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives. 22       For those  blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those  cursed by Him shall be cut off. 23       The steps of a good  man are ordered by the L ORD , And He delights in his way. 24       Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the L ORD upholds him with  His hand. 25       I have been young, and now  am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. 26       He is  ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are  blessed. 27       Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. 28       For the L ORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. 29       The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever. 30       The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. 31       The law of his God is  in his heart; None of his steps shall slide. 32       The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him. 33       The L ORD will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged. 34       Wait on the L ORD , And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it . 35       I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. 36       Yet he passed away, and behold, he was  no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. 37       Mark the blameless man,  and observe the upright; For the future of that  man is  peace. 38       But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39       But the salvation of the righteous is  from the L ORD ; He is  their strength in the time of trouble. 40       And the L ORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 125 Q. What does the fourth request of the Lord's prayer mean? A. “Give us today our daily bread” means, Do take care of all our physical needs so that we come to know that you are the only source of everything good, and that neither our work and worry nor your gifts can do us any good without your blessing. And so help us to give up our trust in creatures and to put trust in you alone. Summary Most of you are reading this on the first Friday in April, and already a quarter of 2026 is in the rear view mirror. Certainly there may be a few of you for whom everything about this new year is turning out splendidly, just as our first Psalm of the year promised , that the man who rejects sin and delights in God's law will be blessed. But for most of us, this year hasn't been a bed of blessed roses. For some of you, maybe even many, this year's been anything but blessing - even though you've not walked, stood or sat in the company of evildoers and have made a concerted effort to meditate on God's Word. David wrote today's psalm for those who find themselves in that second group - those who look around them and see evildoers prospering while they languish. David's message to you is clear: Do not fret because of evildoers. In other words, don't let their apparent success fool you; don't be envious of them, because they shall soon be cut down like the grass and whither. It may seem like everything is going their way now, but David pulls back the curtain. These evildoers will be cut off; the swords they draw to slay the upright shall instead enter their own heart; The wicked shall perish, David continues, writing that into smoke they shall vanish away. Ultimately, the LORD laughs at the evildoers, for He sees that their day is coming , but, the LORD knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever.   Dig Deeper   Psalm 37's overall message is that the blessedness that God's people are promised isn't always evident on a day to day basis (or year to year, or even decade to decade). This isn't just a theoretical claim presented in poetry. David gives a whole list of practical instructions that will help you persevere as you continue on your journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Pick one of these imperatives that you need to improve on the most. Share your pick and explain why you picked it in the comment box below. Do not fret Trust in the LORD and do good Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness Delight in the LORD Commit your way to the LORD Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him Do not fret (mentioned twice!) Cease from anger, and forsake wrath Depart from evil, and do good Wait on the LORD, and keep His way AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who shall save and deliver us from the wicked; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Choose one of Psalm 37's imperatives and pray that God will strengthen and equip you to live it out; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Samson is one of the Bible's most fascinating characters.           SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... Gideon's son Abimelek, whose name literally means 'my father is king,' rises to power. After slaughtering his 70 brothers to solidify his power, he 'reigns' until he's killed by a woman in battle. Several other judges come and go in the intervening years, and after the Israelites once again descend into evil, the LORD delivered them to the Philistines. But then He gives rise to the most famous of all the judges: Samson. Dale Ralph Davis explains Samson well : "Samson is a paradigm of Israel: one raised up out of nothing, richly gifted, who panders around with other loves and yet, apparently, always expects to ‘have’ Yahweh... Samson’s tragedy still speaks: watch out, lest you abandon the divine call, leave your first love, and forfeit the divine presence." We catch up with Samson in his final moments, after he'd confessed to Delilah that his long hair - which as a Nazirite, he had taken a vow to never cut - was the key to his strength. Delilah then cut his hair off and called in her Philistine co-conspirators. Judges 16:21–31 (NIV) 21  Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison. 22  But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. 23  Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.” 24  When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, “Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain.” 25  While they were in high spirits, they shouted, “Bring out Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. When they stood him among the pillars, 26  Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.” 27  Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. 28  Then Samson prayed to the L ORD , “Sovereign L ORD , remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29  Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30  Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived. 31   Then his brothers and his father’s whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led Israel twenty years. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 37 Q. What does it mean that Christ 'suffered'? A. That during his whole life on earth, but especially at the end, Christ sustained in body and soul the anger of God against the sin of the whole human race. Summary Most people are familiar with the name Samson even if they don't really know much about the rest of the Bible. He's one of those characters who's larger than life. His super human strength, his exploits, and his one weakness - women - have made him legendary. Take some time to read the four chapters of Judges that tell his full story sometime soon. I guarantee it will be far more entertaining than anything you can watch on TV. The scene in the Dagon's temple shows humanity at its worst. Certainly the Philistines are sickening, as they pour out praises to their pagan god, who in their mind delivered our enemy into our hands. Everybody who was anybody in Philistia had gathered there that night; the temple was crowded with men and women... and on the roof, were about three thousand, whose weight strained the temple structure. It was a real rager for sure - they were in high spirits. Most importantly, all the rulers of the Philistines were there. This obvious lapse in national security shows the overconfidence they had now that the blinded Samson was in their hands. But the ugliest aspect of this scene began once the drunken crowd shouted "Bring Samson out to entertain us..." So the mighty Samson was led out, guided by the hand of a young boy to perform. It was in this moment of the enemy's triumph and celebration, when the hero of Israel was led out, humiliated, broken, and seemingly defeated, that God's people would gain their salvation. Samson deserved what he got, unlike our Savior, who would ultimately save God's people in a very similar way - by dying in the presence of His gloating enemies.   Dig Deeper   Commentator Mark Boda captures the tragedy of Samson, and the judges as a whole: The account of Samson highlights a community that has lost all faith. By failing even to cry out for help and by handing over their judge-deliverer to the enemy, the community reveals their acceptance of the status quo of divine discipline and the reign of his agents of wrath... Samson, the judge-deliverer himself, is one who receives Yahweh’s Spirit violently, acts by personal vendetta, enters foolishly into dangerous zones, and is depicted largely as a powerful human who pursues his physical lusts (honey, sex, water). ...Theologically challenging is the way Yahweh uses this tragic figure’s inappropriate patterns for his advantage. In no way does this action by Yahweh absolve Samson of his guilt, but it does remind the reader that God will use even one’s failures for his greater glory, even if in the end these failures are destructive. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who snatches salvation even from the jaws of defeat; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would use the gifts God's given you for His glory, rather than your own, as Samson so often did; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

How much proof do you need that God is calling you? Faithlife.com           Judges 6 (NIV) 6 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the L ORD , and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. 2   Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. -- 7   When the Israelites cried out to the L ORD because of Midian, 8   he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the L ORD , the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 9   I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10  I said to you, ‘I am the L ORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.” 11  The angel of the L ORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah... 12  When the angel of the L ORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The L ORD is with you, mighty warrior.” 13  “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the L ORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the L ORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the L ORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14  The L ORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” -- 17  Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. -- 19  Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and... he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak. -- 21  Then the angel of the L ORD touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the L ORD disappeared. 22  When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the L ORD , he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign L ORD ! I have seen the angel of the L ORD face to face!” -- 36  Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— 37  look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” 38  And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. 39  Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” 40  That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. Gideon goes on to rout the mighty Midianites with an army that God had reduced down to 300 men. Sadly, rather than giving all the glory to God, Gideon elevates himself, and in many ways sets himself up as a de-facto king over Israel. His dysfunctional son Abimelek goes on to a reign of terror, killing his seventy brothers. Canons of Dordt Article 8: The Certainty of Our Preservation It is not by their own merits or strength but by God’s undeserved mercy that we neither forfeit faith and grace totally nor remain in our downfalls to the end and are lost. With respect to ourselves, this not only easily could happen, but also undoubtedly would happen; but with respect to God it cannot possibly happen, since his plan cannot be changed, his promise cannot fail, the calling according to his purpose cannot be revoked, the merit of Christ as well as his interceding and preserving cannot be nullified, and the sealing of the Holy Spirit can neither be invalidated nor wiped out. Summary The sad cycle once again repeats itself as today's chapter opens: The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD. So, as He has in the past, and will again in the future, the LORD gave them in the hands of their enemies. This time the Midianites raid Israel each harvest season and loot the entire crop as the Israelites cowered in mountain caves. This time it only takes seven years for the Israelites to come to their senses and cry to the LORD for relief, but rather than immediately raising up a judge to save His people, this time He sent them a prophet. The unnamed prophet's message from God is quite simple: "I told you so." Although He would have been justified in doing so, the LORD doesn't leave His people in the misery they brought upon themselves. This time, the Angel of the LORD Himself shows up while the cowardly Gideon was threshing his wheat while hiding out, ironically greeting him as a mighty warrior. Gideon's response is anything but faith filled humility. He begins by rejecting the Angel's announcement that the LORD was with them, because, as Gideon puts it, all this happened to us. Gideon wants to know what happened to all the LORD's wonders that our fathers told us about. Three times, Gideon demands proof of the Angel's veracity, and each sign that he's provided never seems quite good enough.   Dig Deeper   The men God raises up in the Old Testament to lead His people are a miserable lot. Though they all demonstrate faith in one way or another - oftentimes quite profoundly - they also all have significant character flaws. Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph and Moses - just to name a few - all make huge mistakes, especially when they detach themselves from the LORD and rely only on their own strength. Now we can add Gideon to this club of misfits. Perhaps he's the most dysfunctional of them all. We won't have time to dig into the stories of all the judges as we keep pushing forward, but we'd see the same pattern emerge time after time. These 'heroes' of the Bible are all massively broken people who had often got tripped up by their own mistakes. But the story really isn't about these men. It's about the God who always comes to save His people. It's about how God raised them up and used them despite their faults. It's about the morsels of faith that they do demonstrate which enabled them to do amazing things as God poured out His saving power through them. That's why men like Gideon are mentioned in the 'Hall of Faith' passage in Hebrews 11. So the practical take away today is certainly not 'be like Gideon.' The take away is that you can always count on your covenant God to save you, despite your continual sin. And be reminded also that God can and will use you, just like He used a less than stellar guy like Gideon, to help proclaim that salvation to those around you who need it so badly. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sends salvation for His people; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would recognize and trust in what God has called you to do without talking back and continually asking for more proof; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Sometimes salvation seems downright disgusting.           SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... As one commentator has put it, the longer Israel lived in Canaan, the more Canaan lived in them. They fall into a vicious cycle in which they rebel, the LORD brings discipline, they cry out for salvation, which the LORD sends. Then it all starts over again. Judges 3:12–31 (NIV) 12  Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the L ORD , and because they did this evil the L ORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. 13  Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.  14  The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. 15  Again the Israelites cried out to the L ORD , and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16   Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17  He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. 18  After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. 19  But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left. 20  Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace  and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, 21  Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. 22  Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23  Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. 24  After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace.” 25  They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead. 26  While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. 27  When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them. 28  “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the L ORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. 29  At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. 30  That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years. Belgic Confession Article 13: Providence We believe that this good God, after he created all things, did not abandon them to chance or fortune but leads and governs them according to his holy will, in such a way that nothing happens in this world without his orderly arrangement. Yet God is not the author of, nor can he be charged with, the sin that occurs. For his power and goodness are so great and incomprehensible that he arranges and does his work very well and justly even when the devils and wicked men act unjustly. Summary If you'd never heard of Ehud the Sinister ( the Latin word for 'left handed ') before today, there's a good chance your jaw is on the floor right about now. It just doesn't seem very Biblical. For some reason we don't put up much of a fight when the sort of disgusting content we read about in Judges 3 fills our screens, but it just seems plain wrong to see it fill the pages of scripture. But the dagger being plunged into the smelly nether regions of King Eglon isn't what ought to disgust you the most in this strange tale. Rather, it's the passage's opening words... words that we've become so accustomed to that we've become used to their stench: Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD. Examples of God's people - including us - doing evil after all He's done to make us holy so often pass by unnoticed because we've become so desensitized. The cycle presses on. Because they did evil, the LORD gave a wicked king power over Israel. Start making a mental list of how many wicked kings God uses throughout history as we read the Bible together to shepherd and discipline His people! But notice that how long it took before the Israelites once again cried out to the LORD: eighteen years. They were so numbed to their own evil stink and a pagan king taxing them to the hilt (pun intended) that it took nearly two decades before they even reached out to God for salvation.   Dig Deeper   Today's episode raises an important hermeneutical question ( hermeneutics is a fancy word for 'interpretive method'): We read that the LORD gave His people a deliverer - Ehud, a left handed man. Does this mean that all of Ehud's subsequent actions in this passage are divinely ordained and free from sin? After all, the sinister Ehud didn't just obscure his true purpose in returning to the king after delivering that year's tribute (likely a hefty dose of produce that the Israelites desperately needed), but he flat out lied - even more, he lied in the LORD's name, telling the king that he had a secret message from God for him. Nowhere do we read of Ehud consulting the LORD's will or being told what to do. Were Ehud's actions a manifestation of God's justice, or was it his own sinful retribution that God used in a sinless way? I don't have a solid answer. And we're going to come across lots more similar curiosities that will cause us to scratch our heads as we continue reading the Bible together. But we can be OK with this, because the primary point of these stories isn't for us to be sinister and sneaky like Ehud. The primary point of every story we read in the Bible is that God will always save His covenant people. And quite often, as we see here in Judges 3, God's salvation comes in strange, unexpected, and sometimes even disgusting ways. Keep that in mind as this week we once again are reminded of what our Savior experienced on the cross. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who always saves His people; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that in the strength of the Spirit you would break the cycle of sin that's so easy to fall into; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Your purpose in life is to know the LORD and teach the next generation what He's done. Photo Credit: Amit Rai, via Unsplash           Judges 2:6–23 6   After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. 7  The people served the L ORD  throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the L ORD  had done for Israel. 8  Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the L ORD , died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9  And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10   After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up who knew neither the L ORD  nor what he had done for Israel. 11   Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the L ORD  and served the Baals. 12   They forsook the L ORD , the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the L ORD ’s anger 13   because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14   In his anger against Israel the L ORD  gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15   Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the L ORD  was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. 16   Then the L ORD  raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17   Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their fathers, who had been obedient to the L ORD 's commands. 18   Whenever the L ORD  raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the L ORD  relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19   But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways. 20   Therefore the L ORD  was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their fathers 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 L ORD  and walk in it as their fathers did.” 23   The L ORD  had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua. Belgic Confession Article 2: The Means by Which We Know God We know him by two means: First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe... Second, he makes himself known to us more openly by his holy and divine Word, as much as we need in this life, for his glory and for the salvation of his own. Summary The people of Israel had now fully settled Israel (well, mostly settled, but we'll get to that later). Their exodus was finally over, but in many ways their story is just beginning. Verses 10-12 summarize the whole sad theme of the book of Judges: 10  After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. The Israelites here demonstrate our primary problem as fallen human beings: we do not know the LORD nor what He has done. Solomon famously begins the proverbs by proclaiming that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; therefore any people or nation separated from truly knowing and fearing the LORD is doomed to failure. This is good reminder that our primary purpose as God's people is to glorify God by teaching the new generations about what the LORD has done. Not only do you have this obligation for your own children, but also for those who are part of your own covenant community - the children of your church whom you stood up and promised to help instruct when you witnessed their baptism. God included the book of Judges in the Bible as a sad example of what happens when one generation fails to teach the next about who the LORD is and what He's done for His people. But you need not look far to see evidence of this lack of knowledge in our own day and age - and unfortunately, even in our own churches. So as we see this sad pattern unfold in Judges over these coming days, pray that it deepens your own resolve to use and develop the gifts God has given you to teach those He's trusted to you about who He is and what He's done.   Dig Deeper   The actions people take are a direct reflection of the knowledge they have. So it's no surprise that as the knowledge of the LORD is forgotten, 11   Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12  They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. This brings us to the other big problem the Israelites never solved: they had only mostly settled the land. The LORD had commanded them to completely rid the Promised Land of the wicked Canaanites that had inhabited it - a command that's difficult for our modern ears, which are used to equating love with tolerance. But this command was no less difficult for the ears who heard it first. Surely completely didn't really mean completely. So in various places and for various reasons, pockets of paganism were left intact as the Israelites made Canaan home. And then it didn't take long for their limited knowledge to disintegrate into a full fledged forsaking of the LORD. And since mankind is incapable of religious neutrality, the Baals and various gods of the peoples around them quickly filled the void. But God gave us the book of Judges for a bigger reason than just to illustrate the ugly results of rejecting Him. It's an account of how over and over, the LORD raised up judges, who saved them. Unfortunately, each of these judges demonstrate their own serious lack of knowledge regarding the LORD, and so the salvation they offer is always limited and fleeting. So the book of Judges, just like the rest of the books in the Old Testament, points us forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit, who softens our hearts so that we can truly repent (a word that literally means to think differently - to know the LORD) and recognize the one true Savior who has saved His people in a full and final way that the judges never could. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who never gives up on His rebellious people; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would more and more fulfill your obligation to help subsequent generations know the LORD and what He has done; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

With God's light, you can see truth that others can't. In the LORD's Light, we see light. - Psalm 36:9           Psalm 36 For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. 1   I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:  There is no fear of God before their eyes. 2  In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. 3   The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. 4  Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong. 5   Your love ( ḥěʹ·sěḏ ), L ORD , reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6  Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, L ORD , preserve both people and animals. 7   How priceless is your unfailing love ( ḥěʹ·sěḏ ), O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8  They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9   For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. 10  Continue your love ( ḥěʹ·sěḏ ) to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11  May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12  See how the evildoers lie fallen— thrown down, not able to rise! Canons of Dordt Point III/IV Article 1 Man was originally created in the image of God and was furnished in his mind with a true and salutary knowledge of his Creator and things spiritual, in his will and heart with righteousness, and in all his emotions with purity; indeed, the whole man was holy. However, rebelling against God at the devil’s instigation and by his own free will, he deprived himself of these outstanding gifts. Rather, in their place he brought upon himself blindness, terrible darkness, futility, and distortion of judgment in his mind; perversity, defiance, and hardness in his heart and will; and finally impurity in all his emotions. Article 11 God enlightens the minds of His elect powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God... Summary Summary section reposted from June 20, 2025 David wastes no time getting to the crux of the matter in defining why wicked people are the way they are: There is no fear of God before their eyes. David doesn't reach this harsh conclusion on his own, perhaps at the end of a hard day when he's in a bad mood so as to skew his objectivity. No, his definition concerning the sinfulness of the wicked  comes as the result of a message from God in his heart. In this regard, Psalm 36 isn't any different than any other psalm, or any other passage of scripture for that matter; God, through His Spirit breathed   His message into the writer's heart, who then took up a pen and committed it to paper. David begins his description of wicked people negatively - that is, he indicates what's missing: there is no  fear of God before their eyes. Whenever something is missing or removed, a vacuum results. Something will fill the void. So in this case, when the fear of God  is removed, it's quickly replaced with self flattery in their own eyes and wicked and deceitful words in their mouths. This exchange sparks a vicious cycle of increasing depravity. As the fear of God decreases, the flattery increases to the point where a person can no longer even detect , much less hate their sin. As the words of their mouth  becomes more and more wicked and deceitful, they more often fail to act wisely or do good. Once the fear of God is removed from a person's life, sin becomes all consuming. Even on their beds they plot evil! Instead of just dipping their toes in sinful waters from time, they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.   Dig Deeper   It's so easy to stop reading Psalm 36 at the end of v4, where the Psalm transitions from being an exposition of wickedness to a reminder of God's ḥěʹ·sěḏ ( unfailing covenant love ). Just think of the conversations you've had this past week; did you spend more time talking about problems or God's goodness in the midst of those problems? If you're like most people, you focused on the problems caused by sin. But notice how Psalm 36 is weighted. David certainly doesn't ignore the issues caused by those mired in a cycle of flattery, deceit and sinfulness, but he spends the majority of the psalm writing about God's love, righteousness and even His river of delights! And David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, makes a stunning claim: whereas those blinded by sin wander in darkness unable to properly interpret truth, in the LORD's light, we see light! Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck writes, Augustine adopted this image and said, "God is the sun of our minds." Just as with the physical eye we cannot see anything unless the sun sheds its rays over it, so neither can we see any truth except in the light of God, which is the sun of our knowledge... These beautiful images make clear to us the principles from which all science proceeds.  It's only through the light of God's Word that you can truly see and appreciate the beautiful truth that God's creation reflects - truth that most people miss in science, mathematics, music, literature and the arts. But this light illumines a knowledge which is far more valuable, for it's only in this Light that you can see and believe in Christ, who is the true light of all mankind (John 1:5). AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose love reaches to the heavens and whose faithfulness to the skies; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would walk in the LORD's light; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Choose this day whom you will serve... then let go of your sticks! These hapless dogs refusing to let go of their giant sticks are a good example of trying to serve the Lord while refusing to let go of our idols.           SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... After Jericho fell by the LORD’s power, Israel’s conquest of Canaan unfolded with both victories and warnings: Achan’s hidden sin brought defeat at Ai until it was judged, the Gibeonites deceived Israel into a treaty because the people failed to seek the LORD’s counsel, and God then granted Joshua sweeping victories over coalitions of kings in the south and north so that the land could be divided among the tribes as their inheritance. The remainder of the book shows this inheritance carefully allotted, cities of refuge and Levitical cities established, and examples of faithful perseverance such as Caleb receiving his portion. As Joshua neared death, he's gathered Israel to remind them that every victory came from the LORD alone, urging them to fear Him, abandon their idols, and serve Him with covenant faithfulness. Joshua 24:14–28 14  “Now fear the L ORD  and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the L ORD . 15  But if serving the L ORD  seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the L ORD .” 16  Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the L ORD  to serve other gods! 17  It was the L ORD  our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18  And the L ORD  drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the L ORD , because he is our God.” 19  Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the L ORD . He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20  If you forsake the L ORD  and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.” 21  But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the L ORD .” 22  Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the L ORD .” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied. 23  “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the L ORD , the God of Israel.” 24  And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the L ORD  our God and obey him.” 25  On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26  And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the L ORD . 27  “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the L ORD  has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.” 28  Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 94 Q. What does the Lord require in the first commandment? A. ...That I sincerely acknowledge the only true God, trust him alone, look to him for every good thing humbly and patiently, love him, fear him, and honor him with all my heart... Summary Now that Israel is fully settled in the Promised Land, Joshua has summoned the entire nation one last time to assemble where it all began - a place called Shechem, the very place that God had 600 years earlier promised Abram to your seed I will give this land . Joshua here presses the people to faithfully recommit themselves to the covenant they have with the LORD in a series of four statements, to each of which the Israelites respond enthusiastically. Joshua calls the people to: 1) SERVE THE LORD: Being in covenant with God is an all consuming commitment to serve , a word used 13x in this short passage. It means to offer work, toil, accomplishment and dedication. Joshua famously sets a choice before the people: if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But our sinful nature doesn't want to serve anybody but ourselves... we just want freedom. But freedom isn't an option. You can serve the LORD, or you must define the pagan deity you will serve. If the Israelites wouldn't serve the LORD, they needed to choose from either the traditional gods their fathers served or the newer contemporary gods of the Amorites. The Israelites, who finally recognize all that the LORD has done for them, promise to serve the L ORD , because he is our God . 2) REALIZE THE GAP BETWEEN YOUR COMMITMENT AND ABILITY: Joshua, perhaps stunned by the people's quick and enthusiastic choice to serve the LORD, immediately tells them that they are not able to serve the L ORD . The problem is clear: the LORD is holy , and His people are not. Furthermore, He is a jealous God. Anyone who fails to serve Him wholeheartedly would deserve the disaster God would bring, and He would make and end of them. It's here that the Israelites make a fatal mistake. Instead of acknowledging their obvious history of failure and pleading for God to continue graciously giving them strength to serve , the people brazenly witness against themselves that they have chosen to serve the LORD.   Dig Deeper   3) SERVICE BEGINS WITH REJECTION: Now then, Joshua continues, throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel. Maybe you've seen videos of dogs futilely trying to carry wide sticks into a narrow gate. They simply need to let go of the stick and go forward, but they won't, so they can't move forward. You're not surrounded by the allure of physical pagan idols, but we all are guilty of keeping one foot firmly planted in the allurements of this world, even as we try to serve the LORD with our other foot. It doesn't work. Soon both feet are set in the here and now. You need to let go of the world's sticks and put every effort into serving the LORD. 4) LIVE IN COVENANT: The Bible is the story of God covenantal relationship with His people. The flow always goes one way: God sets the terms, conditions, and promises of a covenant, invites people to enter into it, and then ends up keeping it on our behalf. But within this larger Covenant, we make smaller covenants amongst ourselves - for example, many people have entered into a marriage covenant. So Joshua calls the Israelites to a covenant within the Covenant - they reaffirmed God's decrees and laws and promised to hold each other accountable. This is just one more example from God's Word illustrating the value and need for us all to live into God's Covenant promises by living in a covenanted community of Christians in order to help one another let go of our sticks. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the LORD, who is our God! A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the Spirit would equip you and your family to serve the LORD; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: