A Simple Observation/Comparison

In this read-through I found something particularly intriguing to me as I compare David and Saul. Has anyone else noticed that Saul does the same thing to David that David does to Uriah the Hittite?

While devising how to dispose of David, Saul instructs him to procure 100 Philistine foreskins as a bride price (1 Samuel 18). Likewise, while devising how to dispose of Uriah, David instructs Joab to put Uriah in the place of the worst fighting (2 Samuel 11).

What are your thoughts on this? Why is David exonerated, while Saul is condemned?

Samuel Worksheet

I apologize for the lack of a full post. I have been busy traveling and being sick.

Oh, the joys of life...

Here is the worksheet for 1 and 2 Samuel.

I will have a full post soon.

Derek

Late Post

I know that I am late in posting the Samuel worksheet. I will have it up tomorrow. I am traveling the rest of the day. 

Derek

Notes on Judges 1:21-36

I approached this text with one objective: I wanted to remember the tribes involved. Simeon and Judah function as the heroes in 1:1-20. Here we are left with some failures. Seven tribes are involved. I decided to group them as follows: 1) Benjamin the loner; 2) Ephraim/Manasseh as Siamese Twin Joseph; 3) Naphtali, Dan, Asher, and Zebulun as the TMNT. Further, I wanted to circle them around the main idea of the text, namely that nations remained as thorns in their sides (hence the porcupine-ish creature).

Also, there are clouds and pomegranates.

Question regarding spokes remains unanswered.

Judges in Stream-of-Consciousness Drawings

Judges has no shortage of memorable scenes. Judges 1:1-20 is tricky though. How do you capture the many nuances present? Here is my attempt.

Making Some Memories

Joshua: what a book, right?

Confession 1: I struggled with my time in Joshua this go-around.

I am also assuming for those of you participating that you have struggled through at least one of the two readings thus far. So, I thought I would take this blog to share my quick fix when I find that I am grasping at straws in a book of the Bible.

What is the magic elixir, you ask? Drawings!

Confession 2: I am a terrible artist.

Above is my graphic representation of Joshua, Act 1, Scene 1. Crude, but effective. I made it using the section titles from the worksheet. I plan to make one for each subsection. 

So, if you feel like you are not learning anything take a few minutes and draw a few pictures. Trust me: it will create stronger connections in the text for you.

Enjoy Judges with this fine worksheet. Each day in this reading of Judges, I will post a drawing of one of the subsections. Be ye warned.

From Joshua to Zedekiah

Think about where we have come since the beginning of July. From Joshua to Zedekiah: we have seen the hope of crossing the Jordan as well as the failure resulting in the exile of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms by Assyria and Babylon respectively.

The cycle that we see is frustratingly consistent. Several times throughout the reading I felt the despair and agony of the seemingly fruitless project that is Israel (indeed, us as well). However, I ask, as a final favor, that you read Leviticus 26 after you have finished 2 Kings. Notice the consistency with which God treats the people of Israel. Also pay attention to what God promises after exile, “Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt lin the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 26:44-45).

The key to understanding the early prophetic writings is the faithfulness of God in the midst of human unfaithfulness.

On Monday, we will begin our second read-through. Here is the worksheet.