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March 15 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 74

Samson judged Israel for 20 years and gave us a few interesting stories along the way. 

Image result for birth of samson

DAILY READINGS

Judges 13-15 & Psalm 73

DAILY NOTES

Judges 13

  • Samson's mother is barren, but is visited by an angel  and told she will "bear a son."
  • She is given certain prohibitions and her son is to be a nazarite to God.
  • The parents don't seem to completely realize the angel of the Lord has visited them.  It isn't until he ascends in fire.
    • They believe (trust, hope?) the man's words and look forward to the day they come true.
Judges 14
  • Samson chooses a wife from the Philistines.  The Philistines rule over the Israelites.  
  • His parents ask him why he didn't choose someone from his own people.
    • Samson comes off as pretty bratty, no?
  • Maybe he would have come up with a riddle anyways, but trouble for Samson begins when he defeats a lion and later takes some honey from bees that are flying around its dead body.
  • After Samson marries, he gives a riddle about the honey to the Philistines who are at his wedding.  They can't figure it out. So, they threaten Samson's wife.  She convinces him to tell her the answer.  
    • In return he kills 30 people and leaves town in a hot rage.  Consequently, his wife is given away (to his best man).  
Judges 15
  • Samson returns to visit his wife only to find out she was given away.  He burns their fields.  They kill his wife and her family.  Samson promises revenge and eventually kills 1,000 men.
Psalm 74
  • Enemies have overtaken the temple of God.  They have left it in ruins and disgraced God and the people.  The psalmist asks God to intervene.  The psalmist believes in God's power that has been demonstrated before.  Therefore, he trusts that God will demonstrate power again in this much needed time.  Amen.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Kids don't come with instruction books.  That's for sure!

Samson's parents, though, got a little heads up.  They were given particular instructions on how to raise their child.  He was to be a nazarite (read about that here) to God.  His parents were given a second chance to ask the man/angel about what they were to do.  He told them to do what he already told them. Thanks.

The text then says "The angel of the Lord did not appear again..."  That was the last time they saw him.  Now, they were going to have to follow through on their own.

Raising kids, living life and everything else in between is hard work.  What does God want us to do.  He's already told us.  That's why we're reading the Bible together.  Does that mean God doesn't reveal new things to us?  No, but quiet often those new things are inspired from the stories we read from the Bible.  

We'll never have another book of the Bible added to the Bible because God's already told us what to do.  With prayer, fasting, faith and commitment we'll have to figure the rest out on our own--good thing we're never alone!

Stay blessed...john

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