March 21

Today’s Reading - Judges 9-12

(Judg 11:39 KJV) And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,

In today’s reading we come across this passage of Scripture which tells of the culmination of the vow Jephthah made if he was victorious over the Ammonites. Now there are many who feel that the only thing in view here was the virginity of his daughter but not the actual sacrifice. Because Jephthah sacrificed his daughter according to his vow, does not mean that human sacrifice was accepted by the Lord. In fact, human sacrifice was an abomination unto the Lord and Israel was forbidden from partaking in any form of it. This is why God did not want any of the children of Israel to participate in any of the false Canaanite religions, for they all included human sacrifice. When speaking of Jephthah, we must realize that when he was approached to deliver Israel, he was an outcast, which means he was not viewed as part of the nation of Israel. If we look at verse 2, in Chapter 11, the language seems to indicate that he was a young man when he was thrown out by the other siblings of Gilead. It is very possible that Jephthah was raised in the milieu of the false religions of the surrounding area. If he was a good Israelite and knew the Law, he would not have made such a foolish vow. Since he was also the leader of the band of men, if he did not keep his word, then his men would have lost trust in him. Remember when Herod kept his vow to kill John the Baptist, it also grieved him but because of those who heard him, he had to save face and keep it. (Mat 14:9 KJV) And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. Jephthah’s daughter bewailed her virginity because now there was no chance of the family line to continue, it ended right there with her. This would have been an abomination to any woman in Israel and may have been part of the reason that Jephthah was grieved. He also must have kept this vow a secret, because if it had been known, I am sure one of the members of the household would have made sure that a ram, goat, or a sheep would have come out of the house first, instead of the daughter. In Leviticus 5:4-5, we read: (Lev 5:4-5 KJV) Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. {5} And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing: The Law had given a specific offering designed for those who made a vow of evil or good. This would have fit Jephthah since as we read in verse 4, “…and it be hid from him;” This saying means that the person is making a vow without really knowing what they are doing. The next phrase in verse 4 reads, “…when he knoweth of it…” This phrase means when the person finally realizes what type of vow they made, then if it is evil, they must make a trespass offering. There is nothing stating that Jephthah had made any sacrifice. He only had remorse, the same type that Esau had. If he was a proper Israelite, he would have brought the sacrifice to the priest to confess his sin. This he did not do. In Hebrews 11, we read him listed in faith’s Hall of Fame which may mean that he became saved at a later date. Let us learn one major lesson from Jephthah. Never use your tongue as a substitute for your brain!

March 22

Today’s Reading - Judges 13-15

(Judg 14:8-9 KJV) And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. {9} And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

In today’s reading we come across these two verses which show us how disobedient Samson was to his Nazarite upbringing. According to the Nazarite vow he was not to come near to any dead body or else he would be unclean. There is no distinction as to what type of body is in view. It could be either the dead body of a person or an animal. Samson was really not concerned about his vow. Some time after he killed the lion, he came upon the carcass again but this time it had much honey in it for a swarm of bees took up residence in it. By eating honey out of the carcass of that lion, he violated his Nazarite vow by touching a dead body. When I read these few verses about honey coming from the dead lion, it reminds me of how many are doing the very same thing today. (1 Pet 5:8 KJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: In this verse, Satan is referred to as a roaring lion walking about. The Samson episode is a good spiritual narrative about how many are eating the honey of a false gospel out of the dead carcass of Satan. Satan has no authority over the true Christian and he is like a dead carcass just waiting to be judged. He is still active in the world today but he has no rule over the Christian. (John 14:30 KJV) Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. Since we are in Christ, he has nothing in us either. However, it seems that many Christians are eating of the honey out of the dead carcass. The Bible typifies the Kingdom of God as a land flowing with Milk and Honey. Whenever we follow the honey of a teaching, we must make sure what source it is coming from, Heaven or the dead lion. There is much teaching going on both inside and outside the church which has the smell of honey, but when we carefully compare it to the word of God, we will quickly find that the honey is out of the carcass. (Psa 81:16 KJV) He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee. God promises to satisfy us with the honey that comes out of the rock. The Rock, in Scripture, is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Upon His return to Heaven after his resurrection, ten days later He sent us the Holy Spirit who would guide us into all truth. He will give us the discernment between the honey from the rock and the honey from the dead lion. If you notice that Samson gave some of the honey to his parents and they ate, but they did not know that the honey came out of the dead lion. This is also a warning for us that whenever anyone gives us the honey of a teaching, we better find out where the source of that teaching came from. If it comes from the dead lion, then it is to be rejected.

March 23

Today’s Reading - Judges 16-18

(Judg 16:4 KJV) And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which is the beginning of the woes of Samson but ultimately of the Philistines. Samson knew he should not be involved with any woman from a pagan culture, yet he chose to ignore those biblical boundaries and pursue Delilah who was probably a very beautiful woman. As the story progresses in Chapter 16, we find that Delilah was secretly working for her Philistine lords in trying to ascertain the source of Samson’s strength. She tried several times to gain the information but was unsuccessful. She finally chipped away at Samson’s defenses and he revealed to her the source of his strength. Then Samson was taken into custody and placed into forced labor. He was made sport of by the Philistines. This story reminds me of what happens when we listen to a false teaching. It may not strike us as being false instantly, but if we keep listening it will eventually overtake us and we will then become blind to the truth. Just as Samson was physically blinded by the Philistines, a false teaching can eventually blind us spiritually. This reminds me of a famous Roman General, Fabius Maximus. He opposed the encroaching army of Hannibal but not with a normal battle pattern. General Maximus chose to wait and make little campaigns instead of one major battle. He believed in waiting until he had full strength to strike. As you chip away the opposing army by pieces, you eventually break their strength. You may have heard of a political movement called Fabian Socialism. This is the encroachment of Socialism on a country which happens very slowly and significantly. Fabian Socialism chips away at the freedoms a country possesses until they are gone and controlled by the state. False bible teachings are the same way. They don’t come at you in one major onslaught, it comes piece by piece. A few verses here and a few verses there. You then consider them, and then a few more are given which seem to harmonize with what you already have. The teaching envelops you and you see it in every verse until you are completely blinded to truth. Samson became physically blinded because he chose to disobey the Lord, because he thought he was strong enough to outwit the enemy and that did not happen. It is the same with Christians who feel they are strong enough to look at some teachings which do not seem right and they become captive to those false teachings, to the point they begin to fight against the truth. Then everyone is wrong but them, and that is when Satan has the blindfold on them. Let us not be like Samson who was looking where he should not have been looking.

March 24

Today’s Reading - Judges 19-21

(Judg 21:25 KJV) In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which ends the book of Judges on a sad note. We see that the nation of Israel was suffering from a tendency to go into sin and God would have to deliver them, and then shortly they were right back into sin again. It was a vicious cycle. This is what happens when there is no leadership, whether it be a country, business, ministry, or church. God is giving a mighty principle here that without Godly leadership, there will be serious consequences. Israel was a theocracy where God was to be the ruler. Can you imagine what this world would be like without leadership? It would probably be like the middle ages where you would have the feudal system and there would be a land boss every few miles and if you wandered on to his territory you would risk death. Can you imagine a business without any leadership? No one would know what to do and there would be no accountability plus bankruptcy would soon occur since obviously, no one would work. Can you imagine a church without Pastors or Elders? Christians would have no guidance and there would be utter chaos since no one would be accountable to anyone. Each individual church would disintegrate by sinful attrition. God is giving the principle for need of Godly leadership in the Judges verse. This is why God had ordained leadership for each individual assembly. There had to be order and accountability in every church. How would you like to walk into a church on Sunday morning and in one corner you would see a card game going on, in the other corner there is a smoking section, in the other corner there is someone trying to bring a message, and in the other corner an Internet café. Sounds ludicrous doesn’t it, but it also sounds like everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes. Whenever you remove leadership and accountability from any group setting, you will have trouble. Leadership in the local church is ordained of God and will continue until the last day. Have you ever seen a riot? In the riot, everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes. Godly leadership in a local church is a gift from God as we see in Ephesians 4. (Eph 4:11 KJV) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; This gift of God has not been rescinded because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (Rom 11:29 KJV) For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. This verse is not only speaking of salvation but of God’s permanent gifts in the church. If you have Godly leadership in your church, then show your appreciation to them, for they are under more attack today than ever.

March 25

Today’s Reading - Ruth 1-4

(Ruth 3:4 KJV) And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.

In today’s reading we read an entire book. The Book of Ruth is four short chapters yet it is hard to pick just one verse and comment on it. There are so many types in the book of Ruth and all lead to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. I chose the above verse because it gives a mighty principle of enjoying the Christian walk in contrast to the works gospel. When I look at this verse and seeing Ruth laying down at the feet of Boaz, it reminds me of how Christians can live the Christian walk in peace, by resting at the feet of Jesus. Whenever we rest in Calvary, we are giving over all our battles and struggles to the Lord Jesus Christ. Resting in Christ shows that we have full trust and confidence in God to be able to handle all our problems. Living in peace requires us to rest our emotions in the Lord. We rest our eternal salvation in Christ, never worrying that loss is an option in the Kingdom of God. The reason that someone like the Apostle Paul could do so much in such a short time was that he was resting in Calvary and just continuing to do the work the Lord had assigned him. Whenever we doubt our salvation or we feel that some type of circumstances are causing us to stray from the Lord, we can always count on the keeping power of God. (1 Pet 1:5 KJV) Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. God is our sustainer and our keeper. Resting in Calvary allows a Christian to continue marching forward in the Lord’s army. Whenever Satan gets us to believe we have lost our salvation or just doubting it, we have regressed and Satan will have a won a temporary victory in stalling the onward march of the believer. When a situation crops up in our life which seems overwhelming, resting in Calvary allows us to walk through it with the confidence that all of Heaven stands behind us. (Isa 32:18 KJV) And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places; One of the most beautiful benefits of the Christian life is that when life gets hectic, that we are able to dwell in a peaceful place and in a quiet resting place. It is in these places where Christians are able to maintain their strength of walk and belief. And of course, how much more of a sure dwelling can you have than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

March 26

Today’s Reading - 1 Samuel 1-3

(1 Sam 3:19 KJV) And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which should be an encouragement to all Christians. Here we see a testimony of the faithfulness of both the Lord and Samuel. First, when there is a true believer, the Lord is always with that true believer, even as a young child, God guides that Christian along. The second testimony of God’s faithfulness is that not one word of Samuel’s speech fell to the ground or in other words, came to naught. When we look at this, we figure that the only reason that Samuel’s words came to pass was that the Lord was giving him verbal guidance. If you are a true believer, then you also are guided of the Lord and not one word of yours will come to naught either. How is this possible? Whenever we proclaim the Word of God, which is God’s verbal word written, the words we proclaim out of Scripture will always stand. We are no different than Samuel. As God guided him, He will also guide us through His Word. (Isa 55:11 KJV) So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. This is the principle that God had in mind when relating to us that not one word of Samuel’s would fail. This is because Samuel was speaking the word from the Lord. Whenever we bring the Bible into any setting or evangelistic-teaching situation, the Word of the Lord will stand sure and we never have to worry about whether God will back up His word or not. (Psa 138:2 KJV) I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. God has placed His Word above all His name. Samuel had a reputation of speaking things that came to pass. He was a prophet of God and the last Judge. Every true believer is a prophet in that we prophesy the Word of God from the Bible. Sometimes when we speak the Word of God we may not see results instantly, but know for sure that God’s Word is verity and what He has ordained in any situation will come to pass. This is why it is so important that if we speak in the name of the Lord that we better make sure we are speaking His word properly and correctly. Samuel had a godly upbringing in the house of Eli which means he learned respect for the Word of God. We must never treat the Word of God as common or flippantly quote it. It is a serious matter to take the Word of God in hand and teach it. This must never be entered into lightly. We must handle the word of God correctly, because behind the Word of God stands the reputation of God. Be careful what you teach and proclaim. The Word of God must never be used to teach our ideas, it is to be used to teach the teachings of God.

March 27

Today’s Reading - 1 Samuel 4 - 7

(1 Sam 4:5 KJV) And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which lies in a narrative which should be a word of warning to all of us. The Israelites were losing the war against the Philistines and they didn’t know what to do, so they sent for the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark had arrived in the Camp of Israel but they did not know that the Lord was not with them on this. The reason is found in chapter 7, when Samuel admonishes them to put away all the false gods and goddesses which they were worshipping. When the Ark came into the Camp the Israelites shouted and even the Philistines stepped back for a minute and realized that if the Ark was in the camp, then they could face defeat. The Philistines heard about what God did to Egypt on behalf of Israel and there was a little apprehension to continue the battle. However, the battle continued and the Philistines defeated the Israelites and the Ark of the Covenant was taken into the Camp of the Philistines and remained there for seven months. The Israelites thought that if they had the Ark, they could win the battle but something went wrong. What went wrong was they were using God as an errand boy. They called on Him when things were going bad but when things were going good, they were playing around with the false gods of the very same people who overtook them in battle. This is a good lesson for us. When things are going good and there is no need to call on God for anything, we forget about Him. When things start going awry in our lives, it seems the first thing we think of is God and how He can get us out of the predicament we are in. Remember 9/11, when the USA was under attack by terrorists? Who was the first one the people turned to? God! The very same people who just used the name of God as a swear word now expects God to come running to their rescue. This was the mind set of the Israelites, if we could just bring some symbol of God into our camp, we would win the war. Well it didn’t work out that way because God was dealing with them because of their idolatry. As Individual Christians, do we possess a fox hole mentality that when all is going good we don’t need God but when things are going amiss and my good life is threatened by a situation, do I then realize my need for God? The Philistine defeat of Israel should remind us that if we are not living the consistent Christian life, then we can expect defeat in our Christian walk and it will be no mystery as to why these things are happening to us. Take time today to do a little introspection, it can have far reaching effects for the good. Don’t leave God in church on Sunday, because you are the one who will become lonely.

March 28

Today’s Reading - 1 Samuel 8-10

(1 Sam 8:5 KJV) And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which begins another era in the history of Israel. The people were dissatisfied with the sons of Samuel as they were not following in the footsteps of Samuel. So the people now demanded that they wanted a King instead of another Judge. The fact that they wanted a King may not have been so bad if their motives were correct and if they would have sought the Lord on it, but their intention was to have a King like the surrounding nations. They wanted to be like all the pagan nations with a King. This request was not done in the right spirit but it was done in the spirit of rejecting God as the one to reign over them. So God granted them their request but He also instructed Samuel what the conditions under a King would be. It was going to be entirely different than under the Judges. Even after Samuel laid out before them the situation which would exist under a King, it was like Samuels’ discourse fell on deaf ears because when he was done the people were still adamant that they wanted a King just like the nations around them. Unfortunately, they wanted to be like the surrounding nations. Those nations were all pagan in their belief systems. This scenario should serve as a warning to us today. How do we want our Christianity? Like the world or dedicated unto the Lord? Today I went to the local Christian Book Store and purchased a copy of “Today’s New International Version.” When I went in, I saw the gospel of the surrounding nations in there. There was a poster of a Christian group on the wall, as I looked at it, I realized that if I saw these guys on a street corner, I would cross over to the other side in fear of my life. Many Christians want their brand of Christianity to be as the surrounding nations. Christianity has been divided into two groups: One group is dedicated unto the Lord and does not get carried away by every wind of doctrine or fad, they choose to view Christianity as a holy continuum with no room for embellishments; the second group, has their own bibles, their own music, their own liberal ideas, and always room for embellishments. The second group is the gospel of the surrounding nations. We must be very careful that we do not envy the world and attempt to amalgamate its ideas into Christianity. Remember, Christianity can be turned into a religion, but religion can never be turned into Christianity. You must muse on these principles and make sure you are not found in the second group. You may get angry reading this, but there is coming a day when God is going to end this world. All your religious philosophies will not help you if you are found unsaved. All your good works, your ideas, your jumping up and down in church, your Christian rock music, will be to no avail when you stand in the presence of true holiness and see what a stench in the nostrils of a holy God your corruption of Christianity will be. (Jer 48:10 KJV) Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

March 29

Today’s Reading - 1 Samuel 11-13

(1 Sam 12:22 KJV) For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

In today’s reading we come across this great verse which should be of comfort to the child of God. It proclaims to us that God will not forsake His people for his name sake. Recently there have been a spate of believers who have been questioning their salvation. Sometimes they mistakenly question their salvation when they should be questioning why they have sinned or if they have departed from the straight and narrow. You see, the principle is if you question “your salvation” then you would definitely have a problem. Thanks be to God that it is “His salvation” and it is not affected by any sin you commit, because they have all been atoned for. Your relationship to God may be marred but you still remain His child. As a son or daughter, even if you commit murder, you may go to prison for life but you are still your parents’ child, but don’t do that. There are two basic reasons why a person would question their salvation. The first, is that we have allowed too much of the world to creep into our lives. Sometimes we get too busy and we neglect our spiritual time with the Lord. This is why we send out the daily reading along with a little commentary. Even if you can’t read it on line, you can remember the section to read and you can do it later on. God gave us Sunday so we can attend church and be with God’s children and at least spend some time thinking on spiritual things. This is why if you are in a good church, then thank the Lord that you have a wilderness Oasis where you can recharge your spiritual batteries. The second reason that we may question our salvation is the following of false teachings. Sometimes false teachings are mixed in with true teachings and there is trouble separating the two. This can bring in a frustration which can lead to a questioning of our salvation. Spiritual frustration can lead to all kind of problems in our walk. It can lead to neglect of our studies, neglect of worship, takes away our joy in Christ, it negates our thirst for God and our joy of Bible study. We must be careful what we attach ourselves to. It is a good thing to do, that everyone study their Bible objectively and not subjectively to the whim of every teacher, including this one. Yet in all this we can thank God that no matter what condition we find ourselves in, God will never forsake us, even if we feel forsaken. You probably notice that in these daily commentaries I have mentioned false teachings quite numerously. That is because as a teacher of the Bible, I want to make sure that all those who read this commentary (about 1000) are walking in the light of the truth and not under the bondage of false teachings. I want to provoke you into a deeper search and study of the Scriptures for your own soul’s sake. I want you to experience the same joy I have in studying the Scriptures without the radio on. (He who has ears to hear) Read your Bible again, for the first time!

March 30

Today’s Reading - 1 Samuel 14-16

(1 Sam 16:7 KJV) But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which should give great comfort that every Christian, no matter what their physical make up is, has a place in the Kingdom of God. When God was telling Samuel that he had rejected Saul as King, he commanded Samuel to go to the house of Jesse and there he will find the next King of Israel. Samuel arrived at the house of Jesse, so Jesse had all his sons line up in front of Samuel. Samuel looked at Eliab and said that this must be the Lord’s anointed to rule Israel. Right after Samuel made that comment the Lord spoke to Him, and basically told him that he shouldn’t allow the outside of a person to be the decisive factor on the spiritual essence of the person. Obviously Eliab may have been a tall, well-built man and Samuel made the mistake believing that physical stature is a key in identifying a person’s ability to rule. God tells Samuel that He sees not as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance of a person and uses that as a tool of judgment of the entire person. If a church was looking for a Pastor and two equally qualified individuals applied for the job, one was six foot tall (1.83 meters) and slender but the other candidate was five feet four inches (1.63 meters) and slightly overweight, now which one will get the job? C’mon don’t get religious, you know which one is going to be sent away! A few posts ago I had mentioned that many good people are rejected for ministry simply because of the fear in the leadership. Well, the plain truth is that many good Christians are rejected for ministry, simply because their packaging isn’t the most eye-catching. We expect prejudicial treatment in the world for bodily imperfections but that should not once be found in the body of Christ. Personally, I am five foot three inches (1.6 meters) and have not been rejected based on my body size or configuration. I remember at my graduation at Bethany Seminary in 1990. I was standing next to a brother, Dr. Robert Middleton (80 years old and the same height) as we were lining up for the procession. We were standing next to each other, when Dr. Rainwater, one of the Theology Professors (about 6 feet four inches-1.93 meters) looked at Robert and I and said, “Why don’t you two stand up?” We all got a good laugh at that because it was just an ejaculatory comment that no one expected. I think what we need to be on guard for is not to reject people because of their body type. If rejection of a person for some type of a position must happen, then it must be for the same reason that God gives us in this verse. The person is not qualified for the position applied for and this will happen many times. This just means that God has a plan for that other person’s life and they need to continue seeking what that plan is. But their seeking must never be hindered by the personal prejudice of someone else. It is also a two-way street. Let us go back to the Pastor job for a moment. If God wants the short, fat guy in there and the people don’t want him, then the church will suffer too because they rejected the person God wanted there. Let us always be on our guard about this.

March 31

Today’s Reading - 1 Samuel 17-20

(1 Sam 17:26 KJV) And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?