Royal History

In the Holy Bible, the Royal History begins with the book of Samuel. When Samuel, the prophet of God took charge, the people were in an awful state. They had practically rejected God, and we hear them asking for an earthly king (1 Samuel 8:4-7). This book may be divided under the names of three chief characters –

·         Samuel, the prophet (1 Samuel 1-7)

·         Saul, the king (1 Samuel 8-15)

·         David, the chosen king (1 Samuel 16 – 31)

1 Samuel opens with the record of Hannah, Samuel’s mother, praying for a son whom God could use. Samuel, the last of the judges, was God’s answer to this prayer. We see the cry of Hannah for a child. There are couples who pray for a child. Pray for a child whom you will give back to God to do God’s ministry. According to this chapter, God will answer your request. Samuel brought victory to his people through prayer (1 Samuel 7:5-10). When the nation wanted a king, Samuel prayed unto the Lord (1Samuel 8:6). Intercessory prayer was the keynote of his life (1 Samuel 12:19-23). Whatever the world may give you, a fellowship with God will overpower it. We should not only pray for ourselves, but should do intercessory prayers also. 

Another point we see in chapters 1 to 7 is when Samuel grew into manhood, he took the leadership for which he had been born. We should understand that we are born to serve our God. So we should always know our way which has been shown to us through Christ Jesus. A serious note in these chapters is the people wanted to be like all other nations. God wanted them to be unlike the other nations. You who have accepted Christ as saviour are blessed to do things according to God’s way, so the world can see you and follow, not the other way.

Saul, the first king of Israel was a failure. He was handsome to look at, was tall and a noble man. He started out splendidly. He proved to be an able military leader. He was humble at first, but we find him becoming proud and disobedient to God (1 Samuel 8-15). No man had a greater opportunity than Saul and no man ever was a greater failure. When Saul failed, Samuel was faithful in warning him, then in loneliness he mourned over him (1 Samuel 15:35). In a battle with the Philistines, Saul and his three sons met death. Here a life so full of promise ended in defeat and failure. God sees your heart. Saul tried to defend himself with excuses when sinned, instead of confessing. World may take your excuses, but God sees your heart and knows your intentions.

David, Jesse’s son and the great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz, was born in Bethlehem. He was the youngest of eight sons. When he was only eighteen, God told Samuel to anoint him king to succeed Saul. As a boy he tended his father’s sheep, and we read of his brave deeds in defending them from wild beasts (1Samuel 16-31). One of the most charming stories of friendship is found between David and Jonathan, Saul’s son.

When David was promoted to a high command in the army, his great success roused the jealousy of Saul who determined to kill him. He made five attacks on David’s life (1Samuel 19:10, 15, 20-21, 23-24). But God preserved David. David was delivered from all these dangers. When God is with us, no one can put us down. They may attack us, but cannot win over us. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31.  David grew under his trials and afflictions. Instead of letting Saul’s hatred his heart, he returned love for hate. Twice was Saul’s life in David’s hand but both times he spared Saul. After Saul and his sons were killed by the Philistines David’s exile ended.

Saul died on the field of battle by his own hand. Advantages and opportunities in youth never guarantee success in manhood. One must keep true to God. Saul’s undoing was not so much disobedience, as half-hearted obedience (1 Samuel 15). He was a victim of human pride and jealousy. This book teaches us two things. One - Not to have pride. When we have pride, jealousy will arouse the moment we see someone blessed above us. The second thing is to walk close with God and God will take on our enemies and protect us to go ahead in life.

Praying that you chose the second way and go ahead in life to live a testimonial life.

Messianic Family

Ruth was the great-grand mother of David. This book establishes the lineage of David, the ancestor of Christ. It tells of the beginning of the Messianic family within the Messianic nation into which over thousand years later, the Messiah was to be born.

Ruth was a Moabitess. These people were descendants of Lot. They were pagans, worshiping many gods and goddesses. God, in establishing the family that was to produce the world’s Saviour, chose a beautiful pagan girl, led her to Bethlehem where she met Boaz, her “kinsman redeemer”, a relative of Naomi who first made her a family member and then made her his bride. This is God’s grace.

God adopts gentiles into Christ’s family. Even though Ruth was born a pagan, through Naomi, she learned of true God.

Another truth in this book is about Boaz. Boaz was the son of Rahab, the prostitute found in Jericho (Joshua 2). You can see it in the genealogy of Christ Jesus (Mathew 1:5). So we see that David’s great grandmother was a Moabitess and his great grandfather was half Canaanite. This is found in the bloodline of the Messiah.

God called a nation to be his chosen people. But he proved through this book that through faith; even a gentile can become his chosen one. That is why through Jesus Christ, the believers are called New Israel. Whatever blessings God pronounced to his chosen people in the Old Testament are available to the New Israel who is in Christ Jesus.

May God enable you to stay close with Christ Jesus to claim the blessings and companionship which God gave to the chosen one.

Dark Ages

Judges cover the period after the death of Israel’s great leader, Joshua, to the ascension of Saul to the throne. During this time, the people were ruled by Judges whom God raised up to deliver his oppressed people (Judges 17:6). There were 14 judges – Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, Eli and Samuel.

In Judges 1:1, we see the death of Joshua. Due to their disobedience to God, troubles started and continued in Israel. They did not exterminate the enemies in the land, but rather worshiped the idols of the people and became corrupted in their morals. In Chapter 1 we see a series of disobediences and Chapter 2 we see their defeat and failure. God gave them up to their own will. The children of Israel brought on their own judgement upon themselves and became their own executioners.

God wanted the chosen people to realize that they were a holy people. They must not mix with the wicked nations about them. They must continually separate themselves. God knew that separation makes a people strong. Believers today must remember that they cannot mix with the world. They must keep close to God and war against sin and unrighteousness. God wants every believer to be warriors (Ephesians 6:10-18).

The children of Israel intermarried with the surrounding idolatrous peoples, worshipped at their shrines and practised their values. They went through 7 failures (Judges 3:5 – 16:31). God used Judges to deliver them from these failures.

Last chapters give us a picture of anarchy and confusion. First we see confusion in the religious life of the nation (Judges 17:18). Second we see confusion in the moral life of the nation (Judges 19). Third we see confusion in the political life (Judges 21). The last chapter proves that the children of Israel had lost the way to God’s home, so low that they sunk.

The history of church through the ages has been like this with Martin Luther (1483 – 1546, leader of the Protestant reformation); John Knox (1513 – 1572, Scottish Reformer) and John Wesley (1703 – 1791, Methodist founder) as deliverers.

After reading Judges we may think that the whole of these three of four hundred years was spent in rebellion and sin. But if you read it carefully, you will see that only about one hundred out of these possible 30 years were spent in disloyalty to God.

One thing we learn in this book of Judges is that a people who spend much of their time in disobedience to God make little progress during their life time.

May God enable you to understand the spiritual meaning about this book and help you to be obedient to him to be victorious and prosperous in life.

Good Friday

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Maundy Thursday

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Take Possession

The book of Joshua has encouragement and wisdom for the soldiers of the Cross more than any other book. This is the book of conquest or the battlefield of Canaan. In this book, Israel not only overcomes the enemy, but also occupies the land God promised them. Joshua completes what Moses began. The nation that was led out by Moses was led in by Joshua. This book focuses on overcoming the enemy and occupying the land.

The beginning of the book we see the children of Israel right on the border of the land of promise, near the banks of Jordan. Canaanites, the people of the land, were the descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham (Noah’s son). They were wicked and idolatrous. God tells Joshua, the leader to get ready to cross the Jordan River (Joshua 1:2). God said to him to be strong and courageous and not be discouraged as God will be with him wherever he go (Joshua 1:5,9). Joshua sent men through the camp to tell them that in three days they would cross the Jordan, and to be prepared for the journey (Joshua 1:10-11).  Joshua sends two scouts to bring a report of the land. Read the story of Rahab. the prostitute in Joshua 2. Rahab helped the spies and hid them and let them escape through the window of her house which was part of the city wall. Rahab hung a scarlet cord out of her window so that her house might be marked and spared when the city was destroyed by Israel. This same woman’s name is found in the genealogy of Jesus (Mathew 1:5).

Joshua instructed the people to sanctify themselves, for on the morrow the Lord would do wonders among them (Joshua 3:5). The children of Israel had followed the cloud in the wilderness. Now they would follow the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the presence of Jehovah. Joshua told the priests to take up the Ark and step into the Jordan. When the soles of their feet touched the waters of the Jordan, they stood on dry ground (Joshua 3:9-17). After they crossed the Jordan River, from the river bed where the priests stood, stones were taken and piled up on the other shore as a lasting memorial of the wonders God did for them (Joshua 4:3).

Children of Israel needed to break the walls of Jericho to proceed to conquer the Promised Land, for Jericho was the key to southern Canaan. For bringing the wall down, God’s directions seemed strange, but they obeyed him. They marched around the city with the priests, Ark and trumpets for six days. (Joshua 6). On the seventh day they shouted glory to God with trumpets and the wall fell down for them to conquer the city. God knew that a certain vibration would destroy the wall. It was struck in the sound of the trumpet and shout. God accomplished the destruction with or without scientific means. God gives us victories through ways that seem utterly foolish to the world.

The capture of Jericho gave the Israelites a chance to enter central Canaan. The next place was Ai, which is the entrance into the valley leading into western Canaan. As he had done in the case of Jericho, Joshua sent spies to Ai to learn the situation. Made overconfident by their recent success, they gave poor counsel on their return that they can capture Ai with less people (Joshua 7:3). A small force was sent and they were attacked and saw the withdrawal of God’s guiding hand. They understood that one man (Achan) was the cause of the defeat as he hid a wedge of Gold (Joshua 7). It states us clear that every sin you commit will hunt you down, find you out and make you pay. You cannot escape the law of God.

Israelites went out a second time to Ai and they were victors. The fame of Israel began to spread far and wide. The kings of Canaan formed a league against them. But Joshua routed the allied army (Joshua 10: 10-13), where even the sun stood still over Gibeon for their victory.

Finally we see the land rested from war (Joshua 11:23). We see the name Jerusalem mentioned this time. It is a city with great past history and a bright future history. Here Christ will reign when he comes again in power and great glory (Luke 21:27).

Joshua 13 to 24, we see the division of the land. Although all this land was allotted to the various tribes, all of it was not conquered until the time of David. In Joshua 14, we see Caleb asking his friend Joshua for the high walled cities as his portion. Joshua gave his as his will as he valued Caleb’s part and hard work in capturing the Promised Land.

In Joshua 24 we see him old. He called first the leaders and then all the people together and urged them to remember the power and faithfulness of God and asked them to be faithful to him (Joshua 24:14). The book closes with his death at the age of 110 years.

This book gives us an account of how God will lead and guide his children to overcome all the odds, if they are truthful to him. Even though this book is about children of Israel, through Jesus Christ whoever believes in the sacrifice of Christ is New Israel and God is going to guide them to victory over all enemies. The enemies may be an addiction, or a sickness, or an abuse, through Christ Jesus, the victory will come to you when you believe in him and his salvation.

May the Spirit of God lead you to understand the sacrifice of Christ Jesus and help you to born again in Christ Jesus and possess the victory as New Israel.

Rules and Regulations

The book of Deuteronomy is a collection of orations and songs of Moses he gave as his farewell to the children of Israel. This book shows the blessings of obedience and the curse of disobedience. Everything depends on obedience – life itself, possession of the Promised Land, victory over foes, prosperity and happiness. Moses did this to remind the people what God had done for them and what they were to do to serve him when they reached the Promised Land.

As the book opens we see the children of Israel on the border of the land of Canaan, in a place where 11 days journey, some 40 years before, could have brought them. Yet it had taken them 40 years. How slowly they covered the ground. How often we have to go over the same ground again and again. We marvel at Israel’s slowness. We can rather marvel at our own. We, like they, are kept back by unbelief. We should be ashamed at the time it takes us to learn or lessons. God is a faithful teacher. He never lets us pass to another grade until we are ready.

Here God is putting before the children of Israel the conditions summed up in one great word, Obedience. The children of Israel entered the Promised Land under the conditions of Law. Moses gives the children of Israel a look back. He recalls the history of Israel and reviews their wanderings. He reminds them of Gods faithfulness and urges them to be grateful and obedient. He likens God’s care of them to a loving father who cherishes his little ones lest they should be lost in the wilderness or be injured by the heat of the sun. He supplied all their needs; they lacked nothing (Deuteronomy 2:7).

Moses repeatedly reminds them that they are a people of holy to the Lord (Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2, 21; 26:19). Because Gods people are his, he wants them to walk in the world in the way that befits them, separating themselves from evil (Deuteronomy 14). They should show charity toward their fellow humans (Deuteronomy 15). They must gather together to worship (Deuteronomy 16).

We see Moses giving the people some solemn warnings. He first spoke of the blessings the children of Israel could enjoy if they would be obedient. He then told them the results of disobedience. Misfortune would follow them in everything they would undertake – in business, in farming and in health. They would suffer for their disobedience to God.

Deuteronomy 28 is a most remarkable chapter. It traces what Israel might have been through obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) and is yet to be in the millennial age to come (Isiah 60-62; Zechariah 14:8-21; Jeremiah 31:1-9; Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Romans 11:25-31). Deuteronomy 28:47-49 refers to the Roman invasion (70 AD) which can be found in history. Deuteronomy 28: 63-67 describes the Jewish people in last century. God spoke these more than 3000 years ago.

The end of the book is the calling of Joshua. The charge that Moses gave to the people and to Joshua was built on one great fact, “The Lord is with you; be strong”. If God is present, fear is baseless.

In Deuteronomy 32, Moses closed his life’s work with a song.  After the song, in Deuteronomy 34, Moses went up to Mount Nebo (Pisgah) and there God showed him the Promised Land and there he died and Lord buried him.

In Deuteronomy 30:1-10, we see the present Israel. Everything which was said about their future got fulfilled and they cried and called the Lord and the Lord brought them back to their land. Now they are prosperous.

History and Old Testament tells about Israel’s curses and blessings. As believers of Christ, the New Testament Israel should analyse their life on what they are going through. If these curses are there in their life, do what children of Israel did – cry and call unto the Lord. Confess the sins, accept Christ as saviour and live a holy life. Whatever blessings the country of Israel is enjoying, the same can be inherited through the son of God Jesus Christ.

May God help you to analyse your life and confess before him and enjoy his blessings of salvation.