1 Samuel 22:1-23; John 9:14-41; Psalms 113:1-9; Proverbs 24:15-16

NT: “So a second time they summoned the man who had been blind and told him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether or not he’s a sinner, I don’t know. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!” Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” “I already told you,” he said, “and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?” They ridiculed him: “You’re that man’s disciple, but we’re Moses’s disciples. We know that God has spoken to Moses. But this man — we don’t know where he’s from.” “This is an amazing thing!” the man told them. “You don’t know where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does his will, he listens to him. Throughout history no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.” “You were born entirely in sin,” they replied, “and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out. Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out, and when he found him, he asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, Sir, that I may believe in him?” he asked. Jesus answered, “You have seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” “I believe, Lord!” he said, and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, in order that those who do not see will see and those who do see will become blind.” Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and asked him, “We aren’t blind too, are we?” “If you were blind,” Jesus told them, “you wouldn’t have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.” (‭‭John‬ ‭9:24-41‬ ‭CSB)

Jesus’ healing of the man that was born blind was such an undeniable miracle that it put the Jewish leaders in a precarious position. They claimed that Jesus was not sent by God, and threatened anyone who claimed that He was sent by God with excommunication from the temple. They kept questioning the man and his parents as well… possibly in an attempt to get him to recant his story? Nevertheless, the man who was healed from his blindness could not deny the miracle that he experienced. As the religious leaders kept pestering him with questions, he facetiously asked them why they were so interested in Jesus… did they want to become His disciples as well. That put the Pharisees on the defense and they claimed they were disciples of Moses… not a no-name man that no one had heard of. The once-blind man’s response to their defense was a vague way of claiming that Jesus could be the Messiah. People believed that no one would know where the Messiah came from… and that He would be anointed to bring sight to the blind. That was more than the self-righteous Pharisees were willing to put up with, and they cast the man out of the temple. Jesus later found the man and revealed Himself to him… and the once-blind man worshipped Jesus. He didn’t have to be allowed in the temple to worship his Savior and Lord. Jesus then said something key: There would be people who were spiritually blind, who would believe in Jesus, and would be given spiritual sight. There would be others who would be too self-righteous to believe in Jesus who would remain in their spiritual blindness and be judged. Spiritually speaking, we are all born blind. To receive spiritual sight from Jesus, you must first humble yourself and confess that you can’t fully see… and that you need to have your eyes opened to the truth. The Pharisees were not willing to do that, so they remained in their blindness and sin.

1 Samuel 20:35-21:15; John 9:1-13; Psalms 112:4-10; Proverbs 24:13-14

NT: “As he was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him. We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After he said these things he spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he left, washed, and came back seeing.” (‭‭John‬ ‭9:1-7‬ ‭CSB)

The sixth sign that Jesus gave, as highlighted by John, that proved that Jesus was the Son of God was the healing of the blind man that was blind from birth. It is one thing to heal someone who went blind later in life. It is another to heal someone who had never had the capacity to see. For Jesus to heal this congenital defect, He would have to perform a creative miracle… creating something that didn’t exist before. This blind man never had the capacity to see, and Jesus made something out of nothing. In the working of the miracle, Jesus does two things that alludes to His divine nature. First, He formed mud from the dust of the ground and placed it on the man’s eyes, which was a clear parallel to God creating man from the dust of the ground. Then Jesus once again referred to Himself as the light of the world. The disciples assumed that the man was born blind as a judgement for sin – which was a common belief in those days. Jesus corrected their assumption and said that ultimately the man was blind that God would bear glorified through his weakness. God desires to bring light to those in darkness and sight to those who are blind. Jesus is the Light of the World and the One Who gives sight to the blind. As long as Jesus is in the world… and as long as Jesus is abiding in us, we are to be about doing the works of the Father: bringing people out of darkness into light and helping them see the truth.

Psalms: “Light shines in the darkness for the upright. He is gracious, compassionate, and righteous. Good will come to the one who lends generously and conducts his business fairly. He will never be shaken. The righteous one will be remembered forever. He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the Lord. His heart is assured; he will not fear. In the end he will look in triumph on his foes. He distributes freely to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. His horn will be exalted in honor.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭112:4-9‬ ‭CSB)

This psalm describes the blessings that belong to those who walk in Godly righteousness – to those who fear the Lord and take delight in His commands – to those who order their lives according to God’s word, will, and ways. Tying perfectly in with Jesus’ call to His followers to do the Father’s work while it is still day, is the first statement in this excerpt: “Light shines in the darkness for the upright.” When we walk uprightly… when we walk according to God’s word, will, and ways… when we follow Jesus, saying what He says and doing what He does, by the leading of the Holy Spirit – we will live in light and are able to bring light to all the darkness that surrounds us… helping people to see clearly. Just look at these benefits of following the Lord, and consider if these are relevant for us today. If so, to have these blessings – all that is required is to place your faith in Jesus and follow Him.

1 Samuel 20:1-34; John 8:37-59; Psalms 112:1-3; Proverbs 24:11-12

NT: ““Our father is Abraham,” they replied. “If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this…” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and I am here. For I didn’t come on my own, but he sent me. Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to my word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies… The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.” “…I do not have a demon,” Jesus answered. “On the contrary, I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and judges. Truly I tell you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” Then the Jews said, “Now we know you have a demon. Abraham died and so did the prophets. You say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham who died? And the prophets died. Who do you claim to be?” “If I glorify myself,” Jesus answered, “my glory is nothing. My Father — about whom you say, ‘He is our God’ — he is the one who glorifies me. You do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say I don’t know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” The Jews replied, “You aren’t fifty years old yet, and you’ve seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭8:39-40, 42-44, 47, 49-58‬ ‭CSB)

The skeptical Jews in the crowd, along with the Jewish leaders, claimed to be children of Abraham and partakers in the Abrahamic blessing. Jesus’ reply to them was basically, “Abraham may be your biological father, but he is definitely not your spiritual father… and neither is God. If Abraham were your spiritual father… if you had faith like Abraham, you would behave in faith like Abraham did and would recognize Me. If you truly were of the family of God, you would love me because God has sent me. Your true spiritual father is the devil because your desires for power, influence, self-gratification, etc. are his desires. You can’t recognize the truth, because there is no truth in your spiritual father the devil.” Those were pretty accusatory words coming from Jesus – but they were true. Jesus never shied away from telling the truth – even if it offended those in power. The Jewish leaders then turned on Jesus and accused Him of being demonically influenced, because He claimed to have power and authority over death. All the great prophets and patriarchs of old had all died – so Jesus was obviously crazy, or demon-possessed, or both if he claimed to be greater than the prophets and patriarchs. Jesus responded to their charge by saying that Abraham, the father of faith, by faith rejoiced to see Jesus in His role as Messiah. From the Jews’ standpoint – that was just crazy talk… how could Abraham have seen Jesus? Then Jesus said something very powerful that sent the Jews over the edge. He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” In that statement, Jesus spoke the unspeakable name of God almighty and said, I am I AM. Jesus, in this statement, claimed to be God Himself. I AM the God that Abraham worshipped… so if you were truly sons of Abraham… if you were truly children of God, you would worship Me as well. What a powerful moment! Out of which arises this question: who is your father? Whose traits have you inherited. Who do you look like? Whose desires and passions to you carry forward? Are you a person of faith who is willing to sacrifice all to see God’s will be done, or are you primarily after your own ambitions? Who do you bow down to… God or self?

1 Samuel 19:1-24; John 8:31-36; Psalms 111:5-10; Proverbs 24:9-10

NT: “Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “We are descendants of Abraham,” they answered him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus responded, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭8:31-36‬ ‭CSB)

When Jesus was teaching in the temple, He was speaking to a mixed crowd. He was speaking to His disciples, Jews who believed in Him, Jews who were skeptical of Him, and the religious leaders. Here, Jesus spoke to those Jews who believed in Him, but was then responded to by the skeptics in the crowd. To the believers, He said: “If you follow My teachings and obey my commands, you truly are My disciples… and you will also come to know (experientially) the truth, which will set you free (liberate you). The skeptics, retorted by saying, “As children of Abraham, we have never been in bondage to anyone,” which was a completely untrue statement. How ironic that the skeptics in the crowd argued against Jesus statement about truth with a lie. The truth was that the descendants of Abraham… the children of Israel… had been in bondage many times and were currently living as subjects of the Roman Empire – but they were so full of nationalistic pride that they couldn’t acknowledge the truth. They were in bondage politically and spiritually. Jesus then explained that everyone who commits sin (which includes everyone) is a slave – not a political slave, but a spiritual slave – to sin. Though they were biological descendants of Abraham, because of their sin, they had no familial rights in the Family of God. Abraham was righteous because God the Father declared him to be righteous due to his faith. The only One who could grant freedom from the bondage to sin, and welcome them fully into the family of God besides the Father, was the Son. The only way to be truly free is through faith in the Son – otherwise, you are hopelessly bound to sin with no claim to the Lord’s inheritance.

Psalms: “The Lord is gracious and compassionate. He has provided food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. He has shown his people the power of his works by giving them the inheritance of the nations. The works of his hands are truth and justice; all his instructions are trustworthy. They are established forever and ever, enacted in truth and in uprightness. He has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his covenant forever. His name is holy and awe-inspiring. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭111:4b-10‬ ‭CSB)

The Lord IS gracious and compassionate. He IS ever faithful to His covenant. He DOES redeem (set free) His people… but notice the conditionality of receiving all those benefits from the Lord. Only those who fear Him (honor and respect His word, will, and ways) experience the fullness His blessing. Only those who are truly known as His people are given a share in His inheritance. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom… those who follow the Lord’s instructions have insight. That sounds very similar to what Jesus told the believing Jews: “If you honor and obey My word, you will be My disciples (My people), you will come to know the truth, and you will be set free.

1 Samuel 18:5-30; John 8:25-30; Psalms 111:1-4; Proverbs 24:8

OT: “Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had left Saul. Therefore, Saul sent David away from him and made him commander over a thousand men. David led the troops and continued to be successful in all his activities because the Lord was with him. When Saul observed that David was very successful, he dreaded him… Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved him, and he became even more afraid of David. As a result, Saul was David’s enemy from then on. Every time the Philistine commanders came out to fight, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers. So his name became well known.” (‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭18:12-15, 28-30‬ ‭CSB)

In Numbers 6, God gave Aaron the High Priest a blessing to proclaim over the people. Part of that blessing said, “May the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” Other translations say. “May the Lord lift His countenance upon you…” The idea is that the Lord would look at you with favor and allow His presence to remain with you. That was exactly what David was experiencing. David’s faith and devotion to the Lord pleased the Lord… so the Lord looked on him with favor, and allowed His presence to remain with David in everything that David did. Saul, on the other hand, had grieved the Lord… so the Lord no longer looked favorably at Saul. Did the Lord stop loving Saul? No. Would the Lord have shown mercy to Saul had he humbly repented? Yes. God’s love is unconditional. His favor is not. As long as David remained faithful and obedient to the Lord, the Lord would be with him and show him favor.

NT: “So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own. But just as the Father taught me, I say these things. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭8:28-29‬ ‭CSB)

While the Pharisees were disputing Jesus’ claim of being sent from heaven and were asking Him who He “really” was, Jesus began talking of His death… which really confused the Jewish leaders. Jesus was telling them, “You don’t understand Who I am because I come from above and you are earthly… and you can only see through earthly eyes… but when you lift Me up, then you will know Who I am.” Then Jesus said something really important. He said, “I do nothing on My own… I only do what the Father tells me to do, and I only say what the Father has taught me to say. The Father is with me, and He never leaves me, because I always please Him.” Though Jesus was divine, He set His divinity aside to become a man. The only way He could walk with divine power and authority was through being one with the Father through the Holy Spirit. And for Him to be one with the Father, He had to please the Father through faith and obedience… that the Father would look upon Him favorably and allow His presence to remain. Thankfully, Jesus did live His life completely devoted to the Father… and the Father was well pleased in Him. And when we are faithful and completely devoted to Jesus, the same abiding presence and favor that rests on Jesus, rests on us. Jesus’ love for us is unconditional, but His favor, and His presence are not. Favor and presence that brings peace only comes through our faithfulness and obedience to His word, will, and ways.

Psalms: “Hallelujah! I will praise the Lord with all my heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The Lord’s works are great, studied by all who delight in them. All that he does is splendid and majestic; his righteousness endures forever.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭111:1-3‬ ‭CSB)

The word translated “delight” here is the Hebrew word “chephets.” It has to do with something that is extremely valuable – so much so, that you make that thing your primary purpose, pursuit, and desire. That is why the psalmist said that he will praise the Lord with ALL his heart. He made the Lord his primary and singular point of focus. His primary purpose in life was to pursue the things of the Lord and make the Lord’s purposes His purposes. His primary desire was to live a life worthy of the Lord’s favor. So what did he do? He studied the Lord’s works and sought out understanding of His ways.

1 Samuel 17:41-18:4; John 8:21-24; Psalms 110:4-7; Proverbs 24:7

OT: “The Philistine came closer and closer to David, with the shield-bearer in front of him… He said to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?” Then he cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” the Philistine called to David, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!” David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel — you have defied him. Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, remove your head, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God, and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s. He will hand you over to us.” When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in the bag, took out a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown to the ground.” (‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17:41, 43-49‬ ‭CSB)

As I read this story again, it became clearly obvious to me that David did not take on Goliath for his own glory. He confronted Goliath for the Glory of God. The conflict wasn’t just a contest between David and Goliath – it was a contest between the gods of the Philistines and the One True God of Israel. Goliath cursed David by his gods… and David met that challenge in the name of the Lord of Hosts. Goliath threatened to take David’s life and feed him to the birds. David, on the other hand, said that The Lord would use him to turn the entire Philistine army into bird food. When the Goliath moved in to attack, David ran at him in the power and anointing of the Lord God of Israel. David didn’t want to become famous. He wanted His Lord to be famous. He wanted to prove, once and for all, to the Philistines and to the entire world, that Israel didn’t need gods, for it had God. Faith like David’s truly pleases the Lord. If we place our faith on the Lord and seek His glory, God will glorify Himself by doing exploits through us. God desires for His people to demonstrate His greatness as they place their faith in Him… and it is as His ordinary people become extraordinary through Him, that all the world will know that there is a God.

1 Samuel 17:1-40; John 8:12-20; Psalms 110:1-3; Proverbs 24:5-6

OT: “David answered Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” Then David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”” (‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17:34-37‬ ‭CSB)

When Moses first sent 12 spies into the promised land, they came back with reports of giants in the land… and compared to the giants, they were like grasshoppers. That report struck fear in the hearts of the Children of Israel and they lost their faith in God. A descendant of those giants was now terrorizing the armies of Israel. As the soldiers in the army of Israel looked at the menacing size of Goliath, they felt like grasshoppers compared to him and they were afraid. David, like Caleb and Joshua of old, did not compare himself to the giant. He compared the giant to the Lord God. David, a young lad, had no formal fighting experience, but he had experienced the grace and  faithfulness of God as he protected his sheep from predators in the wild. He knew that if God helped him defeat lions and bears as he protected his flock of sheep, then surely God would grace him to defeat this giant as he defended the name and reputation of the Lord God. David didn’t just see with natural sight – he through eyes of faith. As Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” David’s sight wasn’t hindered by trusting in only what he could see. His vision was enhanced to see beyond the natural into spiritual reality by faith. His courage was not in himself. His courage was in the Lord God who looks to and fro throughout the earth to find men and women who will place their faith in Him.

NT: “Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” So the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.” “Even if I testify about myself,” Jesus replied, “My testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I’m going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I’m going. You judge by human standards. I judge no one. And if I do judge, my judgment is true, because it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. Even in your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am the one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”” (John‬ ‭8:12-18‬ ‭CSB)

Jesus said, “I AM the light of the world.” This was the second “I AM” statement recorded in John. Light brings life and light brings clarity of sight. The reason that the earth is teaming with life is because of its relationship with the sun. We have only one sun, and it brings life to all the earth. During the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jews would have been reminded of another light: the pillar of fire that led them at night through the wilderness. It is because of light that we have life and it is by light that we see and do not walk around lost and in confusion. Jesus claimed to be the Light of the World: the singular source of life, and the means by which anyone who believes in Him and follows Him can navigate life with clarity. The Pharisees disputed His claim, saying He had no corroborating testimony – that He was simply saying that of Himself. His response was that The Father testified on His behalf in His word, but the Pharisees couldn’t see that in scripture because they weren’t looking at scripture through faith. Blind people are the only people who can’t see and recognize light… and the Pharisees were blind because they didn’t have faith. They only judged by human standards. Faith in Christ opens our spiritual eyes to recognize and receive the Light of the World, Who then fills our lives with life, gives us clarity of vision, and leads us confidently through even the darkest of times.

Proverbs: “A wise warrior is better than a strong one, and a man of knowledge than one of strength; for you should wage war with sound guidance — victory comes with many counselors.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24:5-6‬ ‭CSB)

David was a wise warrior who, as we will later see, defeated the warrior of brute size and strength. Though David was inexperienced naturally, he had wisdom and knowledge from above as he placed his faith in trust in the God of ages. Our own sight and understanding is limited… we only see in part. But when we trust in the Light of the World and in others who also trust in Him, we are able to wage war with wisdom and understanding, and come out victorious on the other end.

1 Samuel 16:1-23; John 8:1-11; Psalms 109:22-31; Proverbs 24:3-4

OT: “The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected for myself a king from his sons.” …When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before him.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” …After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.” Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance. Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.” (‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭16:1, 6-7, 10-13‬ ‭CSB)

God selected both Saul and David. He directed Samuel to Saul, and He directed Samuel to David – but God said that David was the king that He selected for Himself. With Saul, God selected a man that the people would accept. Saul was tall and handsome and had the appearance of a king. If the people had been given the opportunity to elect Saul’s replacement, there is no doubt that David would have even been in the mix. There was nothing about David’s appearance that said, “King.” In fact, David’s father didn’t even consider him worthy to join them at Samuel’s banquet… the “red-headed step child,” if you will. As Samuel looked over Jessie’s sons, all of them looked kingly – but God wasn’t basing His decision this time on appearance. God was looking for someone with a heart after Him that could truly shepherd His people. People can only judge based on what they can see. God, however, is able to see people’s hearts. Though David didn’t look the part, he had the heart that God was after.

NT: “Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. “Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They asked this to trap him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse him. Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”” (John‬ ‭8:3-11‬ ‭CSB)

The law surrounding adultery stated that both parties in the relationship were to be stoned – not just the woman, so it was suspicious that the religious leaders only brought the woman. As it states here, the Pharisees weren’t after justice – they were trying to trap Jesus. If Jesus said that the woman was to be stoned, He would no longer be seen as One who forgives sins. If Jesus said that the woman should not be stoned, He would be in direct violation of the law. Instead of passing judgement on the woman, Jesus passed judgement on the accusers. The Law also stated that the accusers were to be the first ones to throw the stones. Jesus, who could see the hearts of the Pharisees, must have known that most, if not all, of the Pharisees there were guilty (in some way) of the same sin of the woman. So, as He wrote in the dirt, He said whoever of you can accuse this woman with a pure heart… who are not also guilty of the same sin, cast the first stone. Convicted of their own sin, each Pharisee shamefully dropped their stone and walked away. In this incident, Jesus was both just and forgiving. He was not easy on nor tolerant of sin, as some may suggest, for He warned the woman to not sin anymore. But He also did not condemn the woman, for He didn’t come to the world to condemn the lost, but set them free. He did not sentence her to death because relatively soon, He would take that death sentence upon Himself. Jesus is just, and He is the Justifier.

1 Samuel 15:1-35; John 7:37-53; Psalms 109:1-21; Proverbs 24:1-2

OT: “Then Samuel said: Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king. Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. I have transgressed the Lord’s command and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the Lord.” Samuel replied to Saul, “I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the corner of his robe, and it tore. Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he is not man who changes his mind.”” (‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭15:22-29‬ ‭CSB)

The Lord gave Saul very specific instructions through Samuel: he was to completely destroy the Amalekites as judgement for their treatment of Israel. Saul didn’t completely follow the instructions that were given, but took it upon himself to save the best of the Amalekite’s resources as spoils. When the Lord sent Samuel to confront Saul with his sin, Saul’s initial response was to make excuses and shift blame. Then he attempted to cover his mistake with “spiritual” reasoning: he saved the best of the livestock to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord. Samuel quickly corrected Saul’s faulty thinking. Far more than sacrifice, the Lord desires obedience. It was because of Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience that sacrifice was needed in the first place. Earlier, Saul’s lasting legacy was removed because of his lack of faith. Saul’s kingship was then stripped away because of his lack of obedience. The two things that prevent people from seeing God’s purposes fulfilled in their lives are a lack of faith and disobedience. Saul had enormous potential and was given every opportunity to live up to that potential, but he threw it all away through a lack of faith in God, which led to disobedience and defiance.

NT: “On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (‭‭John‬ ‭7:37-39‬ ‭CSB)

The Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was initiated by the Lord to remind Israel of the forty years the Lord sustained them as they wandered in the wilderness. Why did they wander in the wilderness for forty years? Lack of faith and disobedience… yet still the Lord sustained them, because He is ever faithful to His word. On the last day of the festival, there was a ceremony where the priest would pour out a pitcher of water on the ground to symbolize the times that God provided water in the midst of the barren desert. It was as the priest was pouring out the water… in the midst of all that symbolism, that Jesus cried out these words: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me…” If we come to Jesus and place our faith in Him, we will be resourced with an abundant flow of living water. Even if we find ourselves in a dry and barren place, if we place our faith in Him, we will never run dry. Not only will we not run dry, but that living water that bubbles up from within us will flow out of us to quench the spiritual thirst of those around us. How does He do that? Through the gift of the Holy Spirit. To those who fully place their faith in and on Christ, He will fill them with the Holy Spirit. Complete faith, which is evidenced through complete obedience, opens the door to an endless supply of life and sustenance that is not reliant on  a conducive environment. In Christ, we can thrive anywhere, and by the Spirit, we can bring life into any situation… and it all starts with faith and obedience.

1 Samuel 14:24-52; John 7:31-36; Psalms 108:5-13; Proverbs 23:29-35

OT: “The men of Israel were worn out that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath: “The man who eats food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies is cursed.” So none of the troops tasted any food. Everyone went into the forest, and there was honey on the ground. When the troops entered the forest, they saw the flow of honey, but none of them ate any of it because they feared the oath. However, Jonathan had not heard his father make the troops swear the oath. He reached out with the end of the staff he was carrying and dipped it into the honeycomb. When he ate the honey, he had renewed energy. Then one of the troops said, “Your father made the troops solemnly swear, ‘The man who eats food today is cursed,’ and the troops are exhausted.” Jonathan replied, “My father has brought trouble to the land. Just look at how I have renewed energy because I tasted a little of this honey. How much better if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Then the slaughter of the Philistines would have been much greater.”” (‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭14:24-30‬ ‭CSB)

Earlier that day, out of an act of faith in the Lord, Jonathan and his armor bearer attacked a garrison of Philistines and single-handedly put the Philistine camp into a panic. King Saul, on the other hand, watched from a distance and eventually got involved in the battle once the Philistines began fleeing. Before he joined the battle, he called for the Ark of the Covenant and placed his troops under an oath. At face value, one would think that Saul did that because of his spirituality… that he placed his trust in the Lord and that the Lord was with him. However, the truth was that Saul brought the Ark along and placed his men under an oath out of superstition. He was using the Ark as a lucky talisman and placed his men under the oath as a good luck charm. All Saul needed was to walk in faith and obedience, like his son Jonathan had done – but Saul didn’t have a genuine faith in the Lord. Had Saul’s actions been directed by the Lord, they would have been followed by the Lord’s grace; but instead they brought trouble. It is important to be able to discern the difference between superstition and genuine faith. Many people claim to be spiritual and would even consider themselves to be spiritual, but all they really are is superstitious. They do “spiritual” things (like go to church, give money to faith-based charities, etc.) to try and hedge their bets and hopefully “appease” God enough that He will be gracious. That begs the question: do we truly place our faith in God, trust Him fully, and obey Him completely; or do we simply do “spiritual” things to try and coax God’s blessing and protection? Do we fully surrender our lives to the Lord and place our faith on His salvation, or do we try to do good things to appease God and earn our way into heaven?