Pastor’s Blog

“But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.” (1 Samuel 12:24, NIV) Ever told God He wasn’t enough for you? Israel did when they asked Samuel to set a king over them. God wasn’t good enough to be their … Read More

1 Samuel 11-14 In ancient times, the sweetness and value of honey was well known. Jonathan was tired after routing the Philistines.  On his way back to the camp he dipped his staff into a honeycomb that was lying on the ground and when he tasted the honey, it brightened his eyes. It was almost disastrous for … Read More

2 Samuel 24 finds Israel under a curse that King David had played a part in causing. The prophet Gad directed him to build an altar at a certain place to stop the plague that had already killed 70,000. Now when David went to purchase the items for the altar the owner offered to give … Read More

God answered Israel’s call for a king by having Samuel anoint Saul. When you look at Saul’s genealogy, occupation and life experiences, Saul seemed an unlikely candidate to do anything great for God. But God never looks on a person’s past to determine their future and He fully knew Saul’s calling and what he’d need … Read More

In 2 Samuel chapter 22, David had a song in the night. He began to sing unto the Lord. He reminded himself of where his strength came from. He said, “The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress, my Deliverer. He recalled the times the Lord had helped him before. Back in the 30th chapter … Read More

Following THE King? Samuel serves as the bridge leader between the judges and kings of Israel. Here, the elders have come to Samuel to ask for a king (v5). This request distressed Samuel greatly, not because his sons, who should have been Samuel’s successors, had strayed away from the Lord, but because the Hebrew leaders … Read More

“They said to Samuel, ‘Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that He may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.’ Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf and the … Read More

1 Samuel 6 Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? In their disrespect for God, the men of Beth Shemesh offended the holiness of the LORD. The primary idea behind holiness is not moral purity (though the idea includes moral purity), but it is the idea of apartness – that God is separate, different from His creation, both … Read More

I Samuel 5 In I Samuel 4, the Bible records the great devastation that the Philistines brought upon the Israelites. Israel lost over 30,000 soldiers, their priests had been killed and the Ark had been captured. In chapter 5 the Bible shares “behind the scene” action that transpired within the very temple of the enemies … Read More

David fled from the home of the priests in Nob with Saul in hot pursuit. He made his way to Gath, the home of his enemies, where he was instantly recognized. David’s fame was celebrated everywhere in story and song. He had slain thousands of Philistines (1 Samuel 21:11), a reputation established at the expense … Read More