May 7-13
Discussion Questions
Old Testament
Why did the Philistines
return the Ark to the Israelites after it had been captured and held
for 7 months? 1 Samuel, Chapters 5 and 6.
The loss of the Ark was a terrible event. When Eli heard about it he fell off his chair and broke his neck.
Eli’s daughter-in-law died in childbirth―she was so distraught at the
news that her husband and father-in-law had died; and the Ark had been
lost.
1 Samuel 4:21 (WEBME). She named the child Ichabod,
saying, “The glory has departed from Israel”; because the ark of God
was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
They put the Ark
in the same room as the idol of their false god, Dagon. However, Dagon
turned up fallen down and broken the next morning. The Philistines started getting tumors
The Philistines in
Ashdod decided to get rid of the troublesome Ark, by giving it to the
Philistines in Gath. The people of Gath got tumors too, so they decided
to send the Ark to the Philistines in Ekron. The Ekronites knew the
Ark’s reputation, and didn’t want it either.
Just like the
Canaanites in the days of Joshua, the Philistines knew and respected
the power of God, although they did not follow him. This knowledge
explains why the Philistines didn’t simply destroy the Ark, to be done
with it.
The Philistines
returned the Ark to the Israelites with a trespass offering. If their
physical afflictions were removed, they would know the Ark had indeed
been the source of their problems.
[Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary] 2, 3. “the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners”—The
designed restoration of the ark was not, it seems, universally approved
of, and many doubts were expressed whether the prevailing pestilence
was really a judgment of Heaven. The priests and diviners united all
parties by recommending a course which would enable them easily to
discriminate the true character of the calamities, and at the same time
to propitiate the incensed Deity for any acts of disrespect which might
have been shown to His ark.
Why did the Israelites ask Samuel to appoint a King to rule over them? Why did Samuel oblige them?
1 Samuel 8:3-22, (WEB)
[3] His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned aside after lucre,
and took bribes, and perverted justice. [4] Then all the elders of
Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah; [5]
and they said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in
your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” [6]
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, “Give us a king to
judge us.”
Samuel prayed to the LORD. [7] The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to
the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not
rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over
them. [8] According to all the works which they have done since the day
that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have
forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also to you. [9] Now
therefore listen to their voice: however you shall protest solemnly to
them, and shall show them the way of the king who shall reign over
them.” [10] Samuel told all the LORD’s words to the people who asked of
him a king. [11] He said, “This will be the way of the king who shall
reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them to him, for
his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his
chariots; [12] and he will appoint them to him for captains of
thousands, and captains of fifties; and he will assign some to plough
his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of
war, and the instruments of his chariots. [13] He will take your
daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. [14] He
will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive groves, even
their best, and give them to his servants. [15] He will take the tenth
of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to
his servants. [16] He will take your male servants, and your female
servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and put them to
his work. [17] He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you shall be
his servants. [18] You shall cry out in that day because of your king
whom you shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not answer you in
that day.” [19] But the people refused to listen to the voice of
Samuel; and they said, “No; but we will have a king over us, [20] that
we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us,
and go out before us, and fight our battles.” [21] Samuel heard all the
words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.
[22] The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and make them a
king.”
Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”
[Adam Clarke’s 1810/1825 commentary and critical notes on the Bible] Verse 6. (The thing displeased Samuel) Because he saw that this amounted to a formal renunciation of the Divine government.
[Geneva Bible Translation Notes] But
the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, “Give us a king to judge
us.” This was because they were not content with the order that God had
appointed, but would be governed as the Gentiles were.
[Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible] 4-9
Samuel was displeased; he could patiently bear what reflected on
himself, and his own family; but it displeased him when they said, Give
us a king to judge us, because that reflected upon God. It drove him to
his knees. When any thing disturbs us, it is our interest, as well as
our duty, to show our trouble before God. Samuel is to tell them that
they shall have a king. Not that God was pleased with their request,
but as sometimes he opposes us from loving-kindness, so at other times
he gratifies us in wrath; he did so here. God knows how to bring glory
to himself, and serves his own wise purposes, even by men’s foolish
counsels.
New Testament
Why did the man at the pool at Bethesda suffer so long (38
years)? What can we learn from Christ’s healing of this man? John
5:1-18.
The man was waiting
for a miracle to heal him at the pool. Every so often an angel stirred
the water. Whoever stepped in the water first would be healed. The man
told Jesus, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, another steps down before me.”
[Kretzmann Popular Commentary] Among all the sick people that
were lying in the porticoes at the pool’s brink there was no case more
pitiful than that of a man who had spent thirty-eight years there in
the misery of his sickness, thirty-eight years of alternating hope and
despair, of eager longing and painful disappointment. Note: Many a
person that is inclined to become impatient at a cross lasting but a
few weeks or months might well consider this case and learn patience
from the example of the man of Bethesda. Jesus, in accordance with His
desire to help all men in whatever trouble they might be, visited also
this hospital. He saw the man lying there in his misery; He knew that
the poor fellow had spent a long time in that place. It was not merely
that Jesus drew conclusions, or that He learned from the man himself or
from his friends of his long sickness; His knowledge was that of
omniscience. With a view to awaken the man to the nearness of divine
power, the Lord addressed him with the question whether he wanted to
become well. Through this question the Lord aroused and incited the
desire and the longing of the man for the long-lost gift of health. The
desire for help and salvation is awakened by the Savior Himself through
His Word. The sick man gave a sad answer. He addressed Jesus as the
Lord, indicating the beginning of faith in his heart; but he complained
in a hopeless tone that he had neither relative nor friend, not a
person in the wide world to help him into the water at the appointed
time; and when at last he had dragged his helpless limbs over to the
pool, some other person had preceded him, and therefore all his efforts
were futile. For at each bubbling up of the water apparently only one
could be healed. Note: The mere statement of trouble and misfortune is
in itself a prayer and well acceptable to the Lord. And Jesus heard the
prayer of faith. He gave the sick man the command to arise, a command
to be obeyed on the moment by faith in Him who gave it. And not only
that, but he should also take up his couch, or pallet, and walk, having
been restored to full health and strength. This was a miracle in the
true sense of the word, a deed against the course of nature. A sickness
of thirty-eight years’ standing was completely routed and replaced by
the full vigor of complete health, with a perfect use of all organs and
members. The man followed the words of Jesus to the letter; for faith
accepts, and clings to, the help of Christ. He went away, carrying his
pallet, though the day, not without design on the part of Jesus, was
the Sabbath.
[Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible] Observe,
When Christ came up to Jerusalem he visited not the palaces, but the
hospitals, which is an instance of his humility, and condescension, and
tender compassion, and an indication of his great design in coming into
the world, which was to seek and save the sick and wounded. There was a
great multitude of poor cripples here at Bethesda, but Christ fastened
his eye upon this one, and singled him out from the rest, because he
was senior of the house, and in a more deplorable condition than any of
the rest; and Christ delights to help the helpless, and hath mercy on
whom he will have mercy. Perhaps his companions in tribulation insulted
over him, because he had often been disappointed of a cure; therefore
Christ took him for his patient: it is his honour to side with the
weakest, and bear up those whom he sees run down.
Christ
was unknown to him when he healed him. Probably he had heard of the
name of Jesus, but had never seen him, and therefore could not tell
that this was he. Note, Christ does many a good turn for those that
know him not, Isa. xlv. 4, 5. He enlightens, strengthens, quickens,
comforts us, and we wist not who he is; nor are aware how much we
receive daily by his mediation. This man, being unacquainted with
Christ, could not actually believe in him for a cure; but Christ knew
the dispositions of his soul, and suited his favours to them, as to the
blind man in a like case, ix. 36. Our covenant and communion with God
take rise, not so much from our knowledge of him, as from his knowledge
of us. We know God, or, rather, are known of him, Gal. iv. 9.
[The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts of Apostles] [The
Jews] literally, "pursued," or "hunted Jesus" [for his crime of
breaking the Sabbath]. This is John’s first plain declaration of open
hostility to Jesus, though he has already implied it. From this point
the blood-red line of conspiracy against the life of Jesus runs through
this Gospel.
What did Jesus mean when he talked about eating his flesh, and drinking his blood? (John 6:53-58)
[Family Bible Notes from the Nazrene Users Group] Eat
the flesh--drink his blood; not literally, but spiritually, as the food
and drink of the soul; thus, by a living union with him through faith,
receiving from him forgiveness, sanctification, and eternal life. The
Saviour has in mind the gift which he is about to make on the cross, of
his flesh and blood for the life of the world. The view which he here
gives of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, is the same that
underlies the ordinance of the Lord’s supper, afterwards instituted by
him.
[Geneva Bible Translation Notes] Then
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the
flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
If Christ is present, life is present, but when Christ is absent, then
death is present.
[Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible] The
flesh and blood of the Son of man, denote the Redeemer in the nature of
man; Christ and him crucified, and the redemption wrought out by him,
with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance
with God, the way to the throne of grace, the promises of the covenant,
and eternal life. These are called the flesh and blood of Christ,
because they are purchased by the breaking his body, and the shedding
of his blood. Also, because they are meat and drink to our souls.
Eating this flesh and drinking this blood mean believing in Christ. We
partake of Christ and his benefits by faith. The soul that rightly
knows its state and wants, finds whatever can calm the conscience, and
promote true holiness, in the redeemer, God manifest in the flesh.
Meditating upon the cross of Christ gives life to our repentance, love,
and gratitude. We live by him, as our bodies live by our food. We live
by him, as the members by the head, the branches by the root: because
he lives we shall live also.
Random Quotes
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"Honesty pays, but it doesn’t seem to pay enough to suit some people." — Kin Hubbard (1868 – 1930)
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"How to store your baby walker: First, remove baby." — Anonymous Manufacturer
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"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." — Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
Notes:
© Tom Truex 2014, Davie, FL