A messenger tells ninety-eight years old Eli that his two sons have been killed in battle and that the ark of God has been taken. At the news of the ark of God, Eli falls off his chair, breaks his neck, and dies. The shock of the news sends Eli’s pregnant daughter-n-law into labor and she gives birth to a son. Before she dies she names her son Ichabod saying, “‘The glory has departed from Israel!’ because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.”

Ok, so you can’t just disregard the Lord and take the ark of God with no repercussions. The Philistines discover this once the Lord sends a plague upon them. He inflicts them with tumors, which many theologians think are hemorrhoids, and rats cover the land. The Lord also decapitates their beloved false god Dagon. Well this is a real pain in the rear for the Philistines. So after seven months of moving the ark of God around and experiencing tumors and death everywhere the ark goes, the Philistines decide to return the ark. They inquire of their priests and diviners who tell them to load the ark on a cart with a trespass offering of five golden tumors and five golden rats representing the five Philistine rulers – “Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from you, from your gods, and from your land.”

The cows, miraculously guided by the Lord, pull the ark back to Israel to the field of Joshua at Beth Shemesh. After a mishap there related to mishandling the ark, the people of Beth Shemesh have the ark of God taken to Abinadab’s house in Kirjarh Jearim and consecrate his son Eleazar to keep the ark of the Lord. It will remain there until King David brings it to Jerusalem later in the Story.

The prophet Samuel is now serving as judge and priest of Israel. Twenty years after the ark is in Kirjarh Jearim, Samuel tells the people, who continue to slip into idolatry, to “return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” When the people repent inwardly with their hearts and then outwardly by turning from foreign gods, the Lord provides victory over the Philistines.

“Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.” 🤦‍♀️ I guess Samuel didn’t learn from Eli and his corrupt sons. Anyway, because of Samuel’s sons’ wickedness, the people ask Samuel to give them a king like the nations around them. God tells Samuel to give the people what they want “for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” But first, the Lord tells Samuel to warn the people about what will happen when they have a king. God says the king will take your sons, take your daughters, take your fields, take your grain and vintage, take your servants, and take your livestock. That’s a lot of taking but the people don’t care, they still want a king. Keep reading because tomorrow the Lord gives the people what they want.

(1 Samuel 4:12-8:22)

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While in Shiloh at the tabernacle, Hannah cries and prays to the Lord for a male child. She makes a vow to the Lord saying if He will give her a son she will dedicate him back to the Lord as a Nazarite. Eli, the high priest, saw her lips moving but heard no sound and assumed she was drunk. 😏 Sometimes hurting women are misunderstood, even by the leaders in the church. But Hannah, whose hope in the Lord, responds graciously and once she explains herself, Eli says, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant you your petition which you have asked of Him.” So Hannah “went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.” 

Hannah bears a son and names him Samuel which means “God has heard” in Hebrew. Once Samuel is weaned she brings him to Eli in the house of the Lord at Shiloh where they give their offerings to the Lord. Hannah says, “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord, as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.” Then Hannah prays a beautiful prayer magnifying the Lord. It is much like the prayer Mary will say when she is pregnant with our Savior (Luke 1:46-55). Hannah’s prayer begins with – “My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.” I bet Hannah is thinking about that mean church girl, Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah. When our eyes are fixed on the Lord, we can smile in the face of our enemies knowing that “the Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash of heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory.”

Eli’s own sons, Hophni and Phinehas, “were corrupt; they did not know the Lord.” Wait. But they are priests. Is this possible?! 🤔 Jesus will later tell us to “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Yep. That sounds like these guys because they are saving the best offerings to the Lord for themselves and sleeping with the women who come to worship at the tabernacle. The Lord does not take this lightly. In His own timing and in His own way, He will deal with all the wolves in sheep’s clothing just like He does with Eli’s sons in today’s reading. The Lord tells Eli regarding his two sons, “in one day they shall die, both of them. Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.” We will see partial fulfillment of this promise through Samuel but the final fulfillment will come through the ultimate High Priest Jesus Christ. 

“So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.” Then during a battle against the Philistines, “There was a very great slaughter…the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” Tomorrow Eli gets the bad news about his sons and the stolen ark and the Philistines become eager to return the ark. Keep reading to find out why. 

(1 Samuel 1:9-4:11)

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Today Boaz and Ruth have a son named Obed and the women all say to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” Obed becomes the father of Jesse who becomes the father of King David landing a former widow Moabite woman, Ruth, in the lineage of Jesus Christ! So Naomi goes from calling herself Mara back to Naomi and the Lord continues working His plan through His people. This concludes the Judges Era. 🎉

The Kingdom Era begins with genealogies connecting the Story:

• Creation Era- After the fall, we learned that the Lord is sending a Savior to restore man’s broken relationship with Him. The Savior is coming through Adam’s son Seth. Ten generations after Adam we met Noah, a descendant of Seth, who was saved by grace through faith during the flood. 
• Patriarch Era – Ten generations after Noah we met the first patriarch, Abraham who is father to Isaac and grandfather to Jacob. We learned that the Messiah will be coming through Jacob’s son Judah. 
• Conquest Era – During the battle of Jericho we met the Canaanite harlot Rahab who went on to marry Salmon, a descendant of Judah. Rahab and Salmon are parents to Boaz. 
• Judges Era – Boaz married Ruth and they had a son named Obed. 

In the Kingdom Era we will meet Obed’s son, Jesse, and grandson, David. David will grow to be the mighty King David and the Lord will continue to work His plan through his lineage. 

But first is the story of Hannah, a barren woman. Her husband, Elkanah, has another wife, Peninnah, who has borne him children. This family goes every year to worship at Shiloh. At this time in the Story, Eli is the high priest and his wicked sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are priests. Peninnah, “a mean church girl”, makes Hannah miserable by tormenting her because “the Lord had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.”

We have learned that the Lord is the one who opens the womb in His timing to accomplish His purposes as He did with Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachael. Will He do the same for Hannah? Keep reading to find out.

(Ruth 4:13-22, 1 Chronicles 2:9-55, 1 Chronicles 4:1-23, 1 Smauel 1:1-8)

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14 Eras:

Creation Era (Gen 1:1-11:26)✅

Patriarch Era (Gen 11:27-50:26 and Job)✅

Exodus Era (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) ✅

Conquest Era (Joshua) ✅

Judges Era (Judges, Ruth) ✅

Kingdom Era (1,2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles 1-9, 1 Kings 1-11, various Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) is up now!

Eras to follow:

Divided Kingdom, Captivity, Return, Silent, Gospel, Church, Missions, and End Times/New Beginnings

“But King Solomon loved many foreign women…from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods”.” Solomon has 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines; and his wives turn his heart to their gods which angers the Lord.

Since Solomon turned from the Lord, the Lord tells Solomon he is going to tear the kingdom from him and give 10 tribes to his servant. “However, I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen…”

Today we meet Jeroboam, Solomon’s officer over his labor force. This is the man the Lord chose to give 10 tribes to bc of Solomon’s disobedience. However, God is still working His plan to send the Savior through King David’s bloodline. So for the sake of his covenant with David, He will give one tribe to Solomon’s son so that “… My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem.”

The Lord makes the same promises to Jeroboam. He tells Jeroboam that if he walks in the Lord’s ways and keeps His commands, like David did, then He will be with him and build him an enduring house.

When Solomon hears about this he tries to kill Jeroboam so Jeroboam flees to Egypt. Solomon later dies and his son Rehoboam takes place as the new king of Israel.

After we read the Book of Ecclesiastes we will begin the Divided Kingdom Era. Jeroboam will return from Egypt and become king over the 10 tribes in Northern Israel and Rehoboam will be king over 2 tribes in Southern Judah. But first, we are going to learn from the Book of Ecclesiastes that everything is meaningless apart from the Lord so keep reading!

(1 Kings 11:1-43, 2 Chronicles 9:29-31, Ecclesiastes 1:1-11)

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“Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, that I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may answer words of truth to those who send you?” The truth is that we are sinners in need of a Savior. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)

Solomon says today that even “a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again”. For those in Christ, we may still fall but we can run to Jesus to be restored. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (John 1:9) “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)

So for those in Christ, we will still stumble but we are not defined by our stumbling; we are defined as saints! Jesus’s bloodshed paid the price for our sins. “So then you are no longer strangers or aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19)

When we stumble, we have a Savior to whom we can run to confess our sin and be restored. Then we can rise again and walk in freedom. “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciple, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Tomorrow is Song of Solomon so keep reading.

(Proverbs 22:17-24:34)

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We learned in Genesis 2 that the Lord created us to work. “When no bush of the field was yet in the land…and there was no man to work the ground…the Lord God formed the man…” (Gen 2:5-7) “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Gen 2:15)

Solomon knows the value of hard work and he warns against being lazy in today’s Proverbs. “The lazy man will not plow because of winter, He will beg during harvest and have nothing.” “Do not love sleep lest you come to poverty.” “He who loves pleasure will become a poor man.” “The lazy man says “There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!”” “The desire of the lazy man kills him. For his hands refuse to labor.”

Later in the Story Paul will tell us, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain”. (1 Corinthians 15:58) And when Jesus is sending out the 72 to share the Good News, “And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2)

We will get to the Missions and Church Eras soon where Paul and Jesus are teaching us to go and do the work of the Lord, but if you are alive today and following Christ this is your work. Today is the day to labor for the Lord! “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.” (Hebrews 6:10)

One more day of proverbs reading and then Song of Solomon. Keep reading!

(Proverbs 20:1-22:16)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

“Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.” “The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.” “He who loves transgression loves strife”. The definition of strife is “angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues”. Disagreement is normal but the way we handle it can cause strife.

Solomon says that “Death and life are in the tongue”. “A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.” However, a wise person’s words give life. “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.”

Later in the Story James will say, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell…With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.” (James 3:6-10)

Solomon gives us some good advice today regarding the tongue. “Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.” 🤭 The struggle is real! 😩 Keep reading.

(Proverbs 17:1-19:29)

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Solomon teaches us the way of the fool: tears down his or her own house, full of pride, does not have knowledge, is deceitful, mocks at sin, rages and is quick tempered, self-confident, pours forth foolishness, and despises father and mother. 😳 From the mouth of Mr. T, “I pity the fool”. (surely I wasn’t alone in that thought)

Ok. So, left to our own devices we would all be fools. Solomon knows this and that is why he says 2 times in today’s reading, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death”. (Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25) Wisdom comes from the Lord. But see, no one is going to seek the Lord’s wisdom unless they understand their desperate need.

We are all born sinners deserving death since the fall in the garden with Adam and Eve. Paul explains this in Hebrews 2:1-5 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” However, the Lord provides a way to give us wisdom and make us righteous through His Son. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”

So apart from the Lord we are dead, walking in the ways of evil. The only way to walk in the way of wisdom and truth is to walk in the way of the Lord. A wise person does not trust his own thoughts and ways but seeks instruction from God through His Word and time in prayer.

Solomon says in order to guard our thoughts we should commit our lives to serving God. “Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.” Paul will say later in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will”. The renewal of our mind and thoughts comes through time spent in His Word, time spent in prayer, and time spent with others walking with the Lord.

With that said, let’s keep reading!

(Proverbs 14:1-16:33)

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Solomon talks a lot about righteousness today. We have already learned that our righteousness comes from our faith in the Lord. It all started back in the garden after Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan and ate the forbidden fruit which brought sin into the world and broke man’s relationship with God. However, the Lord did not leave them in brokenness without hope. He killed an innocent animal and covered Adam and Eve with its skin. He also made them a promise to send a Savior to crush Satan. The covering of Adam’s and Eve’s sin in the garden shows that the shedding of the blood of the innocent atones for the sins of the guilty and points to the perfect sacrifice to come. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, will be that perfect sacrifice whose blood will take away our sins and restore us to a right relationship with His Father, the Lord. We learned through the story of Abraham, before the law was even given, that his righteousness came from his faith in the Lord and His promises. Paul says is Romans 3:22 “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe”.

Today Solomon speaks of righteousness as leading to life:

“…But righteousness delivers from death” Proverbs 11:4

“As righteousness leads to life” Proverbs 11:18

“The desire of righteousness is only good” Proverbs 11:23

“But the righteous will flourish like foliage” Proverbs 11:28

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life” Proverbs 11:30

Our faith in Jesus Christ makes us righteous, which gives us life both here on earth and for eternity! “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21) “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” (1 Cor 1:30) 🙌 Keep reading.

(Proverbs 11:1-13:25)

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