1 Samuel 14:1-23; John 7:14-30; Psalms 108:1-4; Proverbs 23:25-28

NT: “When the festival was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach. Then the Jews were amazed and said, “How is this man so learned, since he hasn’t been trained?” Jesus answered them, “My teaching isn’t mine but is from the one who sent me. If anyone wants to do his will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. The one who speaks on his own seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Didn’t Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”” (‭‭John‬ ‭7:14-19‬ ‭CSB)

The Jews were amazed at Jesus’ teachings because He hadn’t studied at any of the approved rabbinical schools of the day. Yet, even though He wasn’t an accredited teacher, He still spoke and taught with authority. The Pharisees, on the other hand, taught from the authorities… they regurgitated the teachings of other accredited rabbis. Jesus didn’t need to gain His insight from other rabbis, for He knew The Authority of all scripture, for He was one with The Father who originated scripture and the Holy Spirit who inspired scripture. His teachings were not His own ideas. They came from The Father. Then Jesus said something very key: “If anyone wants (resolves, determines, purposes, desires) to do His will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or from My own thoughts and ideas.” Jesus wasn’t seeking His own glory. He was seeking the glory of The Father. Therefore, His teachings aligned with the will of the Father. The Jewish leaders didn’t singularly desire to do God’s will – they desired to bring honor and recognition to themselves. Therefore, they couldn’t recognize truth from God because they had no idea what His will was. We come to know (have an intimate, experiential knowledge of) the truth by having our wills aligned with and submitted to the will of The Father, and subsequently the will of Jesus our Lord. As the Apostle James taught, wherever there is selfish ambition, there is evil and confusion. To confidently know the truth, you must submit to and obey the will of The Truth… and the more you submit and obey, the more the truth will be in you.

Psalms: “My heart is confident, God; I will sing; I will sing praises with the whole of my being. Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn. I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your faithful love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭108:1-4‬ ‭CSB)

Psalm 108 begins as Psalm 57 ended. Psalm 57 was written during a challenging time in David’s life: when he had to flee for his life and hide out in a cave. As David made the Lord his primary pursuit and sought to obey the will of the Lord, he was rescued from his enemy’s hand and was delivered from his challenges. As David faced another challenge later in his life, I wonder if he recounted those early days in his life when God proved Himself faithful… and began this plea with praise born out of God’s past faithfulness. He began by declaring, “My heart is confident… my heart is firmly established and secure.” David could say that because he knew his God. How did he know his God? Through a lifetime of earnestly seeking and obeying the will of God… and as David sought and obeyed, God proved Himself to be ever faithful. What began as a statement of faith in Psalm 57, had become in Psalm 108 a statement of confidence born out of experiential knowledge. Knowing what he knew, he would not allow the day’s challenges to get the best of him. Instead, he would arise before the day began and place his faith and trust in the God he knew: the God of eternal mercy and faithfulness.

1 Samuel 13:1-23; John 7:1-13; Psalms 107:33-43; Proverbs 23:24

OT: “The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear. He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering. Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him, and Samuel asked, “What have you done?” Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, I thought, ‘The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.” Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel, but now your reign will not endure. The Lord has found a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded.”” (‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭13:6-14‬ ‭CSB)

Saul’s son Jonathan attacked a garrison of Philistines and initiated a war between the Philistines and Israel. Saul only had a couple thousand men with him, and none of them were armed. The Philistines, on the other hand, had 3,000 charioteers, a cavalry 6,000 men strong, and an innumerable amount of foot soldiers. On paper, Israel was massively out manned and didn’t stand a chance. Instead of gathering together to stand with Saul, the men of Israel hid and even fled over the border. Even Saul’s army began to desert him. Saul had been instructed to wait at Gilgal for Samuel to arrive and seek the Lord on their behalf, but Samuel was running late. It was a make or break moment for Saul as a leader. Would he stand in faith and honor the word of the Lord, or would he react in fear and take matters into his own hand? Unfortunately, Saul reacted in fear. Though he was King, Saul had limited powers. He was not permitted to offer sacrifices to the Lord. That was the responsibility of the appointed priest at the time – which happened to be Samuel. Saul’s decision to offer his own sacrifice to the Lord not only demonstrated his lack of faith in the Lord and in Samuel, it also was a blatant disregard for God’s law. When Samuel confronted Saul on his error, Saul could have humbled himself and repented, and everything would have been made right… but he didn’t. Instead, he made excuses and shifted blame. Saul’s lack of faith demonstrated that he was not faithful… he couldn’t be trusted to lead the nation according to God’s word, will, and ways. The Lord had offered Saul every opportunity to be a patriarch and begin a dynasty of faithful Kings under the Lordship of God Almighty. But because Saul proved to be a faithless man who could easily be swayed into disobedience, God would seek out another man to lead who would be faithful. Do we truly believe God’s word? Do we trust the Lord to be faithful? Or do we merely view His words as a list of guidelines that can be broken if they don’t seem to meet the needs of the moment? Do we ultimately trust in ourselves more than we trust in the Lord and those the Lord has chosen to use? Faithfulness is a big deal to God. It is the differentiator between sinfulness and sainthood. Are we easily swayed by fear, or will we push beyond fear to stand in faith?

1 Samuel 12:1-25; John 6:53-71; Psalms 107:4-32; Proverbs 23:23

NT: “So Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day, because my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna your ancestors ate — and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.” …Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? …The Spirit is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” …From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭6:53-58, 61, 63, 66-69‬ ‭CSB)

Sometimes Jesus says things that are hard for us to hear and accept. Many times, He says things that we don’t want to hear. What do we do when that happens? Do we reject His words and walk away? The Jewish law had strong prohibitions against eating human flesh and drinking blood of any kind. Jesus’ words to the crowd that was following Him was offensive to them. Jesus went on to explain that He wasn’t speaking literally – but was speaking spiritually. He was using the words flesh and blood as an analogy to the life that He would make available to them as He allowed His flesh to be broken and His blood poured out. I personally think Jesus framed his words that way to intentionally offend His followers – for in offending them, He revealed their hearts and their motives. They weren’t following Him because they believed who He was. They were following Him because they hoped He would give them what they wanted… and when the words began to become to hard to accept, they left. I hope that Simon Peter’s response is our response when Jesus calls us to something that is hard to accept: Lord – You have the words of life… You are the Word of Life… where else would we go?

Psalms: “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all humanity. For he has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things… Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all humanity. For he has broken down the bronze gates and cut through the iron bars… Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all humanity. Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices and announce his works with shouts of joy… Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all humanity. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭107:8-9, 15-16, 21-22, 31-32‬ ‭CSB)

This psalm celebrates the Lord’s redemption of His people. As the introduction of the psalm says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…” The psalmist then begins to detail the various ways that the Lord has been faithful to redeem His people… and at the end of each example, he calls everyone to give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love (checed in Hebrew) and His wondrous works that are for all humanity (not just Israel). Some wander in the desert – lost, with nothing to eat or drink… but the Lord rescues them and leads them to life. He satisfies their hunger and thirst with good things. Some sit in darkness and gloom, chained to their circumstances and oppressed by an enemy they cannot conquer… but the Lord breaks their chains and leads them out of darkness and depression. He breaks down the bronze gates and cuts through the iron bars of oppression and sets them free. Some suffer from endless sickness or affliction… but the Lord sends His word and heals them. Some are faced with enormous adversity that could destroy their lives and bring them to ruin… but the Lord stills the violent storms and calms the crashing waves. He leads them through the challenges and sets them in a place of honor and influence. No matter the situation or circumstance, when we humble ourselves, call upon the Lord, and place our trust completely in Him, He moves on our behalf, because of His faithful love towards us, and redeems us. So give thanks to the Lord.

1 Samuel 11:1-15; John 6:43-52; Psalms 107:1-3; Proverbs 23:22

NT: “Jesus answered them, “Stop grumbling among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets: And they will all be taught by God. Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to me — not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God. He has seen the Father. Truly I tell you, anyone who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭6:43-51‬ ‭CSB)

When Jesus claimed to have come down from heaven, that was too much for many in the crowd to believe, and they began to grumble under their breath. “Come down from heaven… that’s impossible. He grew up here… we know his father.” The Jews in the crowd only believed what they saw. There was more to Jesus than growing up in Nazareth as the legal son of Joseph the Carpenter… but they didn’t see that, and thus were having a difficult time reconciling Jesus’ claims with what they knew. So Jesus told them to stop grumbling and allow themselves to be taught by God through His word, instead of only relying on what they could see. The only way they would be able to fully come to Jesus was if they allowed the Father to teach them through the words of scripture… the words given to the Prophets of old by the Father that foretold of Jesus’ coming. The Jews didn’t need to see to believe, they needed to learn and believe. No man has ever seen God. God doesn’t reveal Himself through sight – He reveals Himself through His word. The only way to see God in this life is to open up the pages of scripture and learn. If they would learn about the Father, then they would be able to recognize the Son and believe… and by believing, they would receive eternal life. Jesus, as the Bread of Life, was not only like manna – He was better than manna. The Children of Israel that ate the manna in the wilderness eventually died. Those who “feed” on Jesus through belief will have life eternally. The manna in the wilderness was only available to the Children of Israel. Jesus, on the other hand, had come to lay down His flesh in order to give life to the whole world. Jesus had so much to offer – but for the Jews in the crowd to receive it, they had to stop their grumbling, learn from the Word of God, and believe.

Psalms: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord proclaim that he has redeemed them from the power of the foe” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭107:1-2‬ ‭CSB)

The Lord is good… and His faithful love… His checed… His zealous mercy, goodness, and covenantal faithfulness towards us endures forever. Some translations word verse 2 in this way: Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Don’t mutter or grumble under your breath… say it out loud… proclaim the truth that you have been redeemed. The ransom for your life has been paid. You aren’t just out on bail, you are free of all charges. It is because of the Lord’s goodness and enduring faithful love, that He sent His Son to earth to redeem us. As Jesus said in John 6, He sacrificed His flesh to pay for our life. If we place our faith on Him and are found in Him, then we are completely, 100% redeemed. If that is true of you, then give thanks to the Lord, and say it out loud… for others to hear, and for you to hear. I have been redeemed!

1 Samuel 10:1-27; John 6:30-42; Psalms 106:47-48; Proverbs 23:19-21

NT: ““What sign, then, are you going to do so that we may see and believe you?” they asked. “What are you going to perform? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always.” “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again… For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me… For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭6:30-35, 38, 40‬ ‭CSB)

Not only did John highlight 7 signs that Jesus gave to prove Who He was, John also included 7 “I AM” statements that Jesus gave about Himself. Jesus preferred to use the title, “Son of Man,” but He didn’t shy away from claiming His divine eternal nature. The crowds that followed Jesus to Capernaum wanted Jesus to show them a sign to prove that He was the Messiah – as if miraculously feeding 5,000 people with a few loaves and fishes wasn’t enough. Rabbis taught that the Messiah, when he came, would reproduce the miracle of the manna in the wilderness – so they wanted to see Jesus do that. Firstly, Jesus adjusted the crowd’s perspective by reminding them that it was not Moses that produced the manna, but God – and they needed to stop looking to Moses and the law as the source of life, and turn to God instead. Then Jesus said that He didn’t need to produce manna, for He was manna… He was the Bread of Life sent from heaven. God told Moses that His name was I AM. When Jesus said, “I AM the Bread of Life,” He was in essence saying that He was God and that He was the source of sustenance in the midst of a barren and dry world. We don’t find life in the law or in the requirements set forth by the religious leaders. We find life when we come to Jesus. Though we live in a dry and barren world that is ravaged by sin, when we come to Jesus, we will be sustained – just as the Children of Israel were sustained in the desert. If we come to Jesus and believe on Him, He will give us eternal life – and at the end of the age, we will be bodily raised to life to spend eternity with Him and the Father.

1 Samuel 9:1-27; John 6:22-29; Psalms 106:32-46; Proverbs 23:17-18

NT: “Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.” “What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked. Jesus replied, “This is the work of God — that you believe in the one he has sent.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭6:26-29‬ ‭CSB)

The next morning, when the crowd of 5,000 plus that took part in the feeding of the 5,000 realized that Jesus and His disciples were no where to be found, they headed off to Capernaum to find them. When they found Jesus in Capernaum, they asked Him how he got there so fast. Instead of answering their question, He responded with this statement. Basically, He told them that they weren’t seeking Him because of Who He was, they were seeking Him because He fed them and satisfied their hunger. The only reason they were looking for Him was because He could give them what they wanted. It reminds me of people that I encounter that say they “tried out” Christianity for a while, and it didn’t work for them, so they rejected it. Following Jesus isn’t about satiating your desires. Following Jesus is about laying down your desires in order to receive the eternal life and satisfaction that He desires to give you. Jesus told the crowd to not work for food that perishes (the satisfaction that the world provides), but to work for the food that lasts for eternity (abundant spiritual life that can only come from the Father through Jesus). Because Judaism had devolved into a merit-based system, they assumed that Jesus meant that they had to do something to earn this eternal satisfaction. When they asked Him what works they needed to perform, He responded by saying, “You just need to believe in Me.” It is by grace through faith in Jesus that we are saved and given eternal life – not through any works that we can do. The “work” that the Lord requires for His food is faith – in and on Him.

Proverbs: “Don’t let your heart envy sinners; instead, always fear the Lord. For then you will have a future, and your hope will not be dashed.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭23:17-18‬ ‭CSB)

So much of what is driving the various social justice movements of the day isn’t born out of a desire for true righteousness and justice, but is driven by envy: That person has more than me… this group of people is more privileged than we are… etc. As King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new under the sun. As long as there have been sinful people on the earth, there has been inequality, unfairness, and injustice… and with that comes envy. God’s answer to that has never been to take from those who have more… to want what others have. God’s answer to the injustices and inequalities of the world has always been, “Trust in Me… Respect and honor Me, and walk obediently in My ways.” There is no future nor hope for true satisfaction in envying sinners. Even if you did get everything they had, your hunger would never be satisfied. So work for the food that the Lord provides.

1 Samuel 8:1-22; John 6:16-21; Psalms 106:24-31; Proverbs 23:15-16

NT: “When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. Darkness had already set in, but Jesus had not yet come to them. A high wind arose, and the sea began to churn. After they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea. He was coming near the boat, and they were afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then they were willing to take him on board, and at once the boat was at the shore where they were heading.” (‭‭John‬ ‭6:16-21‬ ‭CSB)

According to John 6:15, after Jesus fed the 5,000, the people in the crowd were ready to forcibly take Jesus and make Him their king… but Jesus put a stop to that. He send His disciples to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and He left to go pray in the wilderness. Did Jesus know that a storm was coming and that He was sending His disciples into danger? Most likely… but the greater danger was allowing His disciples to get swept up in the mob and pulled away from The Father’s Kingdom purposes – so He sent them away. Though Jesus was not physically with them in the boat, they were not left alone. Jesus had just demonstrated to them through the feeding of the 5,000, that help comes from the ever-present Father. Would they remember that when the storm hit? Based on the other Gospel accounts, the disciples didn’t call out to God. Instead they tried to push through the storm in their own strength and weren’t getting anywhere. Jesus caught up with them and would have passed them by if they hadn’t cried out to Him. Once Jesus entered the boat, the storm immediately stopped and they were transported to their destination. The disciples witnessed 3 mind-blowing miracles in that moment: 1) Jesus transcended the law of gravity and physics to walk on storm-tossed waters, 2) Jesus demonstrated His power and authority over the power of nature by causing the storm to cease, and 3) Jesus transcended the laws of space and time by immediately transporting the boat and its passengers to the shore. One commentator noted that at the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus had the people sit down in green pastures… and when He stepped into the boat, He brought still waters. Jesus was the Lord, the Good Shepherd – and His walking on the water was the 5th sign that proved that He was (and is) the Son of God, and that we can have life in His name. What a great story for our times: We need to stay away from power and influence of the mob… and by doing so, it may put us in a tumultuous situation and impossible predicament… but don’t be afraid. If Jesus is with us and we are with Him, following Him; He transcends all, overpowers all, and accomplishes His will in us despite the challenges we face.

1 Samuel 6:13-7:17; John 6:1-15; Psalms 106:13-23; Proverbs 23:13-14

OT: “Time went by until twenty years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel longed for the Lord. Samuel told them, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths that are among you, set your hearts on the Lord, and worship only him. Then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths and only worshiped the Lord. Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.” When they gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out in the Lord’s presence. They fasted that day, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah. When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. When the Israelites heard about it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, so that he will save us from the Philistines.” Then Samuel took a young lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord answered him. Samuel was offering the burnt offering as the Philistines approached to fight against Israel. The Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel… Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, explaining, “The Lord has helped us to this point.”” (‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭7:2-10, 12 ‭CSB)

When you hear the name “Ebenezer” most people think of Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge is a bit of an ironic name… an oxymoron, if you will. For most of the story, Scrooge lived up to his last name: miserly old man with a bad attitude. As the story unfolded, Scrooge ended up living up to his first name, Ebenezer. The name “Ebenezer” means stone of help. From the Book of Judges, we learn that Israel was under Philistine oppression for 40 years. At some point in the midst of that 40 years, the nation finally came to their senses and longed for the blessing they had under the covering and leadership of the Lord. After hearing their cries, Samuel told them that if they truly wanted to return to the Lord, they had to do it completely… they had to completely renounce their trust and reliance on other gods, destroy their idols, and commit to only worship the Lord. As all of Israel gathered to repent from their unfaithfulness and turn to God, the Philistines saw that as an opportunity to rid themselves of their Israelite nuisance. What a test for the nation of Israel! Faced with an immanent attack from their enemy, would they stay faithful to the Lord and trust Him, or would they reject the Lord’s covering and take matters in their own hands? In dramatic fashion, the Philistines arrived to attack just as Samuel was offering the sacrificial lamb in worship. Because the nation of Israel sought the Lord in worship, The Lord stood against the Philistines and won the nation of Israel a decisive victory. As a memorial, Samuel set up a stone and named it Ebenezer to always remind Israel that The Lord God is their steadfast and rock-solid source of help in time of trouble if they will remain faithful to Him and abide with Him through worship.

NT: “After this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias ). A huge crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was performing by healing the sick. Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. So when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?” He asked this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish — but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place; so they sat down. The men numbered about five thousand. Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated — so also with the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were full, he told his disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭6:1-14‬ ‭CSB)

Jesus, desiring a little respite from the crowds, headed into the remote countryside with His disciples. The crowds, however, found out where He had escaped to, and soon 5,000 men with their families were coming toward them. As they day progressed, it became evident that the crowd needed food, and no one had come prepared. As Phillip considered the situation, he surmised that 6+ months of wages wouldn’t be enough to buy bread for the crowd. Andrew found a boy who was willing to sacrifice his small meal, but that was all they had. They were faced with an impossible situation. Jesus, however, knew where to go for help in time of need. Jesus had everyone sit down. Then He looked up to heaven, thanked His Father, and began dividing the loaves and fishes. Miraculously, everyone was fed with 12 baskets of left-overs. When the crowd considered what had just happened, they knew that Jesus was no ordinary man – but was the Messiah. This was the 4th sign that proved that Jesus is the Son of God and that we can have life in His name. Jesus is our Ebenezer. He is not limited by our lack. If we offer what we have to Him in worship, He will multiply our little into an abundance that meets our needs and the needs of those around us.

1 Samuel 5:1-6:12; John 5:39-47; Psalms 106:6-12; Proverbs 23:12

NT: “You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me. But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life. I do not accept glory from people, but I know you — that you have no love for God within you. I have come in my Father’s name, and yet you don’t accept me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, since you accept glory from one another but don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. But if you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe my words?” (John‬ ‭5:39-47‬ ‭CSB)

Jesus explained to the Jewish religious leaders that He wasn’t a self-proclaimed deity, but that John the Baptist, the miraculous works that He did, and the Father Himself testified to the fact that Jesus was the Son of God. Then Jesus turned to the authority that was most dear to the religious leaders: the Holy Scriptures. Not only did John the Baptist, God the Father, and Jesus’ miraculous works testify to Who He was, the scriptures themselves testified as well. The scribes and Pharisees were self-proclaimed experts of the scriptures. They poured over the scriptures incessantly – but because they didn’t love God, they failed to see that the promises of life found in the scriptures all pointed to Jesus. The Apostle Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 8:1 that knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The scribes and Pharisees studied the scriptures to gain knowledge that would benefit their own purposes and social standing. They didn’t study the scriptures out of a love for God. They were all about impressing each other with their knowledge, all the while failing to grow in their familiarity with God. Because they did not know the God of the word, they did not recognize His Son. If they had truly believed the things that Moses had written in the Law, they would have recognized Jesus the Son and believed on Him as well. But they had no faith in the Word – they only used it as a tool for personal advantage. God has chosen to reveal Himself through the word and through The Word made flesh. There are plenty of Biblical scholars that know a lot of information about the word, but they don’t know The Word, nor do they know the God of the word. Lord, help me to not be devoted to discipline, but to be disciplined because of my devotion to You. Help me not to be puffed up with knowledge, but to be built up on my most holy faith as I grow to know You more fully.

Proverbs: “Apply yourself to discipline and listen to words of knowledge.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭23:12‬ ‭CSB)

The word discipline here carries the connotation of the correction and admonishment that children receive from their parents. To be built up to maturity, we must allow our heart, mind, and understanding to enter into discipline, and allow our ears to enter into words of knowledge. That discipline and those words of knowledge come primarily through the scriptures. As we open the door and enter into the revelation of God through His word, we will be admonished and corrected as to how we are to live our lives, and we will grow in the knowledge of God, His will, and His ways.

1 Samuel 3:19-4:22; John 5:24-38; Psalms 106:3-5; Proverbs 23:9-11

OT: “Samuel grew. The Lord was with him, and he fulfilled everything Samuel prophesied. All Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a confirmed prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, because there he revealed himself to Samuel by his word. And Samuel’s words came to all Israel.” (‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭3:19-4:1a ‭CSB)

During the times of the first testament, a prophet was confirmed to be a prophet if his prophecies came true. If a word of prophecy was given and it didn’t come true, the prophet was considered a false prophet. All of Israel knew Samuel to be a prophet of the Lord because every prophesy of Samuel’s came true – every one. Was that because Samuel had special powers and could see into the future? No, it was because the Lord was with him and spoke to him. Samuel never saw God, but he did hear God… and he knew God by His word. God spoke to Samuel and shared with Samuel the things that He was doing, Samuel heard God’s words and shared them with Israel, and the words came true – because they were God’s words.

NT: “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life. Truly I tell you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted to the Son to have life in himself. And he has granted him the right to pass judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come out — those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me. If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true… These very works I am doing testify about me that the Father has sent me. The Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You have not heard his voice at any time, and you haven’t seen his form. You don’t have his word residing in you, because you don’t believe the one he sent.” (‭‭John‬ ‭5:24-31, 36b-38‬ ‭CSB)

Jesus, as a man, could do nothing on His own. Though He was the Son of God and the Word of God, He had limited Himself to being a man and was powerless on His own – yet He wasn’t on His own. The Father had sent Him, was with Him through the Holy Spirit, and remained with Him because Jesus didn’t seek His own will, but sought only to do the will of the Father and say only the words of the Father. Jesus was (and is) the Word of God, and all the things that He spoke were the words of God the Father. Because of that, His words had life and continue to have life to this day. Jesus said that the day was coming when the dead would hear His voice and live. That prophecy had an immediate physical fulfillment with Lazarus, but it happens every time someone hears and responds to the words of the Lord: people who were dead in sin are brought to new life in Christ when they hear and believe His words. Anyone who hears Jesus and believes His words will be justified and will pass from death to life! Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and claimed that His words were from God, but He Himself said that His own testimony of Himself would never hold up and pass scrutiny. However, The testimony of John the Baptist, the miraculous works that He performed, and the testimony of the Father Himself (Matthew 3:17) was proof that Jesus was not a self-proclaimed deity. Samuel the prophet knew God by hearing His word, and the religious leaders of Jesus’ day could have known God by hearing His word as well. Though they were experts of the law and studied God’s word, they didn’t know the God of the word because the word of God wasn’t residing in them… and because they didn’t know God, they rejected the One that God sent.