1 Samuel 1: Re: dedication

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 09 Sept. 2012
Presented on behalf of Corps 614 Regent Park in Toronto, 06 Aug. 2016

By Captain Michael Ramsay

Today’s pericope relates the prophet Samuel’s dedication to the Lord by his parents. This particular dedication falls in the midst of quite an extreme situation. It is even quite extreme for today’s world. To re-cap the situation we read about earlier: Hannah, Samuel’s mother-to-be, has been praying for a child for a long time. Now this is significant and the fact that the Lord answered this prayer in the affirmative is wonderful and I have heard testimonies from others about how the LORD has blessed parents after many, many years of praying for a child. There are many people who have not been able to have children and then when they almost give up the Lord miraculously provides. This is the grace and the wonder of God, of course, but there is even more to the story today of the baby Samuel’s birth and dedication.

Hannah and Elkanah, Samuel’s parents-to-be, they love each other very much and they really want to have a child and, for the record, having a child was even more important to families 3000 years ago in Israel, when this story takes place, than it is today. And that relates to, among other things, one’s retirement (Deuteronomy 5:16, Exodus 20:12).[1] In those days there were no seniors’ cruises, no seniors’ discounts at the stores, no old age pensions, no RRSPs, and no retirement homes; so, if you did not have someone to look after you in your twilight years, then you were alone and you were probably hungry and you may not even survive. Having a child in this time and place was a blessing not just for the child herself or for the help that she could provide around the house or the farm, the child really was your only retirement plan. He was your life savings and Hannah and Elkanah had no child.

Now our text today mentions that Elkanah has two wives. While this situation appears more than once in the Old Testament – we all know Abraham and Jacob, for example, and later many of the kings had more than one wife - it is rare, however, for the non-wealthy ancient Israelites like Elkanah to have more than one wife.[2]  Hannah, the wife he loved, was his first wife. Given this rarity of polygamy amongst everyday people, some scholars have assumed that it is precisely because one’s life depended so much on having a child that Elkanah would have taken another wife. Even though they were hoping and praying for a child, they were unable to have a child so Hannah and Elkanah may have even decided together that he should take a second wife – Peninnah[3] (cf. the actions of Sarai, Genesis 16:2; Rachel, Genesis 30:3; and Leah, Genesis 30:9).

Now this did solve the problem of getting a child. Peninnah bore many children (1 Samuel 1:3,4), but - as you can well imagine - one husband with two wives brought its own problems. Particularly since Hannah, who loves her husband very much, is now not only without a child herself but she has to deal with the children of her husband and this other woman who all living under the same roof, in the same house with her. Can you imagine? Sounds like it could be a reality TV show or something.

So then with all this turmoil going on and the other woman and the other woman’s children all living in the same house, Elkanah, in the full perception of a modern TV husband, he comes up to his wife and says, ‘Is there anything wrong? You look sad,’ he says; can you imagine?

It is in this state; it is in this time that Hannah goes to church, the sanctuary, a temple at Shilo to make a sacrifice to the Lord.[4] She is truly begging and pleading with God. She promises the LORD, “please, if you give me a son, I will give him back to you to serve you all the days of his life” (1 Samuel 1:11). This is the oath; the vow that she makes to God and God takes this vow like all covenants, oaths and vows very seriously.

Before we look more at Hannah, Elkanah, the vow and the particulars of their situation, let’s take a look at the general situation in the time of Israel when this is taking place. These events here are recorded in the book of 1 Samuel and Samuel is a judge.[5] Samuel is the last judge of Israel actually and last week we spoke a little bit about what Israel was like in the time of the judges.[6] But first, who can tell me what it means when someone is referred to as a judge in the book of Judges or in the book of Samuel? What is a judge? A judge – with the notable exception of Deborah - is a primarily military ruler. They are like despots or a combination between generals and regional kings.

We also remember what happened to Israel in the time of the judges. They walked further and further away from the LORD. They served idols and other gods. They forsook the LORD many times over. In the time and the place of the judges they repeatedly turned away from the Lord and suffered the consequences of just that (Judges 2:11, 3:7, 3:12. 4:1, 6:11, 10:6, 13:1, 20:13). The time of the judges probably takes place over a period of 400 years. After those 400 years the Hebrews had put themselves into a pretty bad situation. As the Israelites walked away from God, they obviously didn’t see Him regularly anymore; as they did not call on Him much anymore, they did not hear from Him much anymore (1 Samuel 3:1). Eli, the priest, was the penultimate judge of Israel and his sons and presumed heirs were as bad as anyone (cf. 1 Samuel 2:12-25).

Of Eli the priest’s own sons -who were themselves priests at Shilo- 1 Samuel 2:12 records, “Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord.” They would eat food that was dedicated to the Lord that they were not supposed to eat. When people protested their disregard for the Lord’s instructions, Eli’s sons, the priests would threaten those who challenged them with violence (1 Samuel 2:16). And on top of all of this they even, 2 Samuel 2:22b, “…slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” This was the condition of even those serving the Lord and this was the condition of even those leading the people of Israel at the Tent of Meeting in Shilo.

Last week, we shared in a particularly pointed sermon, more so than most that we share here, in which we exposed ways that even we in this very city (which is probably among the holiest in Canada) are probably not all that different from Israel at the time of the judges. We looked at what happened to ancient Israel as they attempted to leave the Lord behind. They suffered many natural and logical consequences of their sin but God still kept calling them back to Him. He did not give up on them just because they gave up on Him; He is faithful even when they are faithless (Romans 3:3,4; cf. Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5). This faithlessness of mankind and this faithfulness of God through His covenant vow is where the story of 1 Samuel picks up with Hannah and Elkanah’s faithfulness and their covenant vow. When Israel had gotten as bad as it was, when Israel was idolatrous, prostituting themselves to other gods (Judges 2:17), God still was calling them back. Things kept getting worse and worse and worse and then at the beginning of the book of Samuel here, God gives the priest Eli a vision that God later confirms through Samuel (2 Samuel 2:27-36, 3:11-14). Like with the time before the Exodus, things had gotten as bad as they were going to get and then God is moved to action.

It is in this time when their society was then, like our society is now, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord through doing what is right in their own eyes that Hanna goes to the temple; she goes to Shilo, to make a sacrifice to the Lord - and she is truly begging and pleading with God. She promises the LORD, “please, if you give me a son, I will give him back to you to serve you all the days of his life” 1 Samuel 1:11)

We should look at this very quickly. I was asked this week, what good a son would do Hannah if she just winds up giving him back to God anyway? Visiting him only once a year? One thing is that his existence proves that she is not barren. Barrenness represents quite a negative stigma in the Bible. Both Hannah and Elkanah see that it is God who is withholding the blessing of a child from her (1 Samuel 1:6). She wants desperately to receive this blessing from the Lord; she wants so much to have the barrenness replaced with fertility (1 Samuel 2:5) that she is even willing to offer up the first fruits of this fertility to the Lord. God answers her pleas; God honours her request and more.[7]

God is moved. God is moved to action. God accepts Hannah’s offer. He accepts her vow. God blesses Hannah with the child, Samuel, and she offers this child right back to the Lord to serve Him forever. Hannah and Elkanah are faithful to this covenant made with the Lord at Shilo. This is a true story and Elkanah and Hannah have many more children – sons and daughters - after Samuel (1 Samuel 2:5, 21). Samuel, the baby, grows up serving God, and there is even more. The blessing of this covenant involving God and Samuel’s parents doesn’t stop with them.[8]

Samuel actually grows up to become the last pre-monarchy ruler of Israel. God actually uses Samuel to deliver Israel and, more than that, God uses Samuel to anoint the first two kings of Israel. God uses Samuel to anoint King David, through whom the Messiah descends. God uses Samuel in this way to prepare the way of the anointed, to lay the groundwork for the Messiah.

When the children of Israel are acting as bad as anyone can act. When it looks like they have totally rejected the Lord so that even those serving in ministry before the Lord are evil, when their whole society has spiralled seemingly out of control, one lady goes to Lord and prays. One lady who desperately wants a child, offers that child as a living sacrifice to the Lord. One lady seeks the Lord and He finds her and He saves her and He finds the whole Israelite community and He provides salvation for the whole Israelite community (cf. Matthew 6:33). Where the community was barren, He plants the seed of revival and lays the groundwork here for salvation.

This story -as extreme as it is- has some things in common with what we are dealing with today in this time and place actually. Last week we ran through a lot of the problems that exist not just in the big picture of this country with the false gods of capitalism, democracy, individualism, consumerism, pluralism, secularism, atheism, etc.;[9] We also spoke about the very real worship of other possibly even more tangible false gods that is happening right here in our community of Swift Current. We spoke of classes in the demonic arts that are offered to children and adults alike in this city and we spoke about how even in our schools and churches people are exposed to evil movies that promote, among other things, occult practices. Our country – which was founded on the word of God – has been seemingly profaning that word vigorously in recent years. As we said last week, in general we here seem to be guilty of the same sins of the time of Samuel’s birth and the book of Judges where we are doing what is right in our own eyes instead of putting God and our neighbour first.

Canada was founded on the Word of God, Psalm 72:8. Our highest honour, the Order of Canada, by claiming as its verse Hebrews 11:16 implies that those honoured by this honour reflect the traits of those heroes of Hebrews 11. We now, as a nation, however seem to be acting as bad as anyone nation can act. When even now, when it looks maybe our country has almost totally rejected the Lord, when our whole society may seem to be spiralling out of control, one person, like Hannah, can go to Lord and pray. The Scriptures tell us that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). One lady sought the Lord and He found her and He saved her and He found the whole Israelite community and He saved the whole Israelite community. One righteous Canadian, one righteous person from Saskatchewan, one righteous person from Swift Current, one righteous person here today, as any one of us and all of us, as we seek the Lord and as we offer up our lives to Him as a living sacrifice, He promises that He can save us and He promises that He will save us (cf. Matthew 6:33). And God Himself has already provided –between the cross and the empty tomb- for that salvation for the whole world so that whosoever believes in Him need not perish but indeed can have everlasting life (John 3:16). So with all of this in mind, if there are any of us here who have not yet offered up our lives through the Lord Jesus Christ to God our Father, I would invite us to do just that today. His Salvation is just as real today in Canada as it was 3000 years ago in Israel and He invites each and every one of us to experience the joy of that salvation both now and forever more.

 

Let us pray.

 

www.sheepspeak.com

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[1] Captain Michael Ramsay, Holiness Test: Deuteronomy 5:1-21, Exodus 20:1-17, Luke 10:25-27, Mark 12:28-34, Matthew 22:34-40, presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army (August 12, 2012). Available on-line at http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2012/08/holiness-test-deuteronomy-51-21-exodus.html  (cited September 06, 2012).

[2] Ronald F Youngblood in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, CD-ROM: The birth and dedication of Samuel (1:1-28)

[3] Bruce C. Birch, The First and Second Books of Samuel in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 2, ed. Leander E. Keck, et el. (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998), p. 974.

[4] Cf. Joyce G. Baldwin, 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1988 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 8), S. 56.

[5] Marjorie Menaul, "Between Text & Sermon: 1 Samuel 1 & 2", Interpretation Vol. 55 (2001), 175: Internal indicators suggest alternative boundaries for the ‘book’ that includes these chapters, boundaries that begin at Judges 2:11 and end with 1 Sam 12

[6] Captain Michael Ramsay, Judges 2:11-19: Return to the God of Our Fathers, presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army (September 2, 2012). Available on-line at http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2012/08/judges-211-19-return-to-god-of-our.html  cited September 06, 2012.

[7] Cf. Terence E. Fretheim, Deuterononomic History in Interpreting Biblical Texts, eds. Lloyd R. Bailey, Sr. and Victor P. Furnish (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press), 101, 107.

[8] Cf. Terence E. Fretheim, Deuterononomic History in Interpreting Biblical Texts, eds. Lloyd R. Bailey, Sr. and Victor P. Furnish (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press), 101.

[9] Cf. K. Lawson Younger, Judges/Ruth in The NIV Application Commentary, ed. Terry Mick (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), 96: “Everything in our culture… pushes us in the direction of advancing our standard of living for more comfort, pleasure, and self-confidence without any thought of the Creator”

Judges 2:11-19: Return to the God of Our Fathers

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 02 Sept. 2012

By Captain Michael Ramsay

We have a friend in our congregation from the Dominican Republic. We met last week. He was looking around for anyone who spoke Spanish or French. Unfortunately, I don’t. Being from Vancouver Island, I was born pretty much as far away from Quebec and French-speaking Canada as any native born Canadian can be.

As I spoke to our new friend, my mind raced to find the only French that I could actually remember from high school.  This is one of the French phrases that I probably heard the most in school. Let’s see if anyone here recognizes it? Does anyone recognize this phrase – the almost only one I remember from Grade 11. My teacher used to always say to me: ‘Ne lances pas la papier; ne lances pas la papier.’ (Don’t throw the paper!) French wasn’t my best subject. That being said I did do all right on my final grade. I’m guessing though that that might have had something to do with the fact that the student who sat nearest to me, Edmund, I think, earned the highest mark ever in French 11 and he was kind enough to…um… share his work with me… Occasionally during a test, I may have been known reach behind me take the test off his desk and copy, I mean, compare and check my work with his… Now I don’t want to set any bad examples here. I did do really well on my provincial examination and for some reason they wouldn’t let me anywhere near Edmund for that test. In the end I did actually study hard and earn my grade. It is too bad though that indeed I have forgotten much of what I did learn in French class.

Our story in Judges today talks about a people who forgot a lot more important things than a second language. They disregarded the most important thing their teachers, their leaders, their parents taught them. Judges 2:17: “…they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.” Judges 2:12-13: “They forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the Lord to anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.” This is sad. There are consequences for forgetting whom most of even our parents, relatives, or at least our ancestors knew: the Lord.

In our text today it mentions Baal and the Ashtoreths; do we know who they are? They were false gods, regional deities, idols. Baal was known as the god of storms and rain and therefore the controller of vegetation. Baal worship was very popular in the Ancient Near East and Ashtaroth was the consort of Baal, and she was known as the goddess of war and fertility.[1]

We remember what is the first commandment, Deuteronomy 5:7 (Exodus 20:3; cf. Leviticus 26:13; Numbers 15:41; Deuteronomy 13:4-5): You shall have no gods before the LORD. Judges 2:17: “Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.” This is sad. This is very sad. S. Dean McBride points out that often times in their history, the worship of the LORD wasn’t even Israel’s official religion much less its most popular faith. As often as not it seems that Baalism was their state religion (cf. 1 Kings 11:1-8; 16:31-33; 2 Kings 21:1-9). Even when the worship of the LORD was the primary religion in their country, Israel many times worshipped both God and Baal and the Ashtorehs at the same time (e.g., 1 Kings 18:21; 2 Kings 17:29-34; Jeremiah 7:9-10; Zephaniah 1:4-6).[2] Did you know that King Solomon, King David’s son, as well as erecting the Temple to God also promoted the worship of Ashtorehs (1 Kings 11:15)?[3]

Their country often followed both religions. It would be like people today who come to church but have a lucky rabbit’s foot on their key ring or read their horoscopes in the newspaper or pay attention to their fortune cookies. I read newspapers on-line. Did you know that the most viewed page in some newspapers is the horoscopes? Like people in our time and place, the ancient Israelites seemed also to try to have it all. They seemed to want to worship the Lord sometimes but they seemed to also want to turn to other gods when it suited them. Ancient Israel was primarily an agricultural society (herdsmen and shepherds especially). Baal, credited as the god of the storm and the rains, was seen as the controller of vegetation. Sure, they would still sacrifice to God but for good measure they might just turn to the ‘specialist god’ too. Astarte was a goddess of fertility, love, and war, often linked with Baal; so if you were going to war, or if you wanted a certain someone to notice you, or if you were trying and trying and trying and just couldn’t get pregnant, as an ancient Israelite you might just turn to the Ashtorehs for a little extra help as well. The Israelites, after Joshua died, Judges 2:17: “…prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.” This led to the collapse of their whole society by the end of Judges.[4]

Well how about us? Are we any different? Canada was intentionally founded on the word of God. Our Country’s motto is taken from Psalm 72:8 and our Country’s highest order, the Order of Canada’s motto is from Hebrews 11:16 but today we seem to be walking away from the Lord, turning from the way in which our forefathers walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.

Our Holiness Test of a couple of weeks ago displayed the truth that when we make our decisions based on our finances or popular opinion, rather than on prayer to God and study of His Word, we are indeed turning away from the Lord and putting other gods before Him (cf. TSA doc. 2). Baal and the Ashtorehs are long gone. What are some of the false gods that Canadians, Judges 2:17, prostitute ourselves to and worship that our forefathers didn’t serve?

Democracy seems to be a false god that our culture puts a lot of faith in. North Americans have provoked and waged wars all over the world in the name of spreading Democracy. Not only has this caused a lot of death and destruction of innocent people but did you know that in our countries’ race to promote the false god of Democracy, we are contributing to the persecution and near annihilation of some of the oldest Christian communities in the world?

Many people claim that these wars that have been waged in the name of Democracy have really been fought for the false god known as Mammon, Capitalism, or Materialism. K. Lawson Younger says, in our society, “Materialism with its pursuit of possessions and financial independence and security are [is] probably the biggest obstacles to spiritual advancement.”[5]

Younger also speaks of the false god of Self. Our “narcissistic society constantly promotes the self over all others… It urges ignoring, and if necessary dispensing with, whatever and whoever stands in our way in this quest for personal satisfaction.”[6]

Richard L. Christensen reminds us, “Christians in today’s pluralistic society are confronted by numerous rivals to the God revealed in Jesus Christ, rivals with strong appeal to contemporary people. [As another example he reminds us that] Atheists write books attacking the idea of the Biblical God on the basis of the god named Reason”[7]

In our world today, there is no shortage of false gods staring down at us from our flat screen TVs, I-Pods, or computer monitors seeking our obeisance. Our forefathers chose our nation’s motto from Psalm 72:8. Our forefathers chose Hebrews 11:16 for the Order of Canada. Now, of our generations they might rightfully say with the author of Judges 2:17, “Yet they …prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.” But let us take an even closer look at this, shall we.

It is one thing to stand up here and pontificate about what is wrong with the world. We all know that. We all know that there are problems in the world. We all even know that there are problems in Canada with turning away from God and towards money, self, and power but what about in Saskatchewan and Swift Current? We’re still doing good, right? There is a church on almost every corner here it seems. Most of the people we know here are Christians, right? We’re okay. We’re safe from serving other gods. You might even say to me, ‘Captain, look it doesn’t really matter about money and politics; that’s the world we in which we live.’ You even might say, ‘those aren’t really idols and false gods, that is a bit of a stretch.’ You even might say, ‘Captain, look maybe they actually worship other gods in Vancouver and Victoria where you’re from originally – Buddhism, Sikhism, Wicca, New Age whatever – but this really isn’t relevant to our life here. No one I know really worships false gods.’ You might say, ‘my kids are safe growing up here: they aren’t going to séances and contacting dead spirits or being proselytized by demonic evangelists or people from other religions.’ You might say, ‘Captain, my children and grandchildren are safe here from this worshipping of other gods nonsense.’ You might say this… but you would be wrong.

Here and now in Swift Current it is not in this way that much different from then and there in the book of Judges. I went to a funeral about a year or so ago in this city led by a (lay) minister in a local church who aspires to teach children in the art of contacting the dead and seeking their spirit guides. This is a person who serves in a church in this city; this is a lady who councils maybe even your own children or own grandchildren in this community; this is a lady who teaches drama to children, maybe even your own children or your own grandchildren; this is a lady in town here who promotes to children and to everyone else who will listen these false gods and traditionally anti-Christian religious practises that are condemned in the Bible. Do you know who I am talking about? Let me read you this from the Internet: “Christine _______: Certified Soul Coach and Past Life Coach, Registered Private Practice Counsellor, Drama Therapist, and Drum Circle Facilitator.” The service she offers are: 28-Day Soul Coaching Program, Soul Journeys, Past Life Soul Journeys, Bell Clearings & Feather Clearings, Soul Oracle Card Readings and Clutter Clearing Consulting…

What is soul-coaching, that was mentioned in this lady’s biography? It includes the following: finding your Spirit Guides, Power Animals, Past Life Guides and more. These are things that would have had her executed in the times of the book of Judges. This lady is very active in the community and she actually teaches the Saskabilities people once a week. She has access to the most vulnerable in our small city here. She wants to – and maybe she even does - teach your children or your grandchildren drama, drumming, zumba. Like the churches often try to point the children to salvation at an early age, the Enemy wants to turn them the other way. This isn’t just in some big city. This is in Swift Current. In this community we used to follow God. Now we here seem to, Judges 2:17: prostitute ourselves to other gods and worship them. Unlike our forefathers, we are quickly turning from the way in which our fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands and like the people in the book of Judges, as we turn away from God, leaving Him behind, He will not be with us anymore and that is sad.

Now so far this is only one lady who is possibly trying to turn people away from the Lord in our community that we have been talking about. If it were just her that would be one thing. It is not just her though. There is a lot more of this encouragement to turn away from the Lord, the God of our forefathers, and towards false gods in our city. There is this place called Kokopelli’s. Events and workshops at Kokopelli’s this summer included a number of things that the Bible considers idolatry: Aura Photography Readings, Past Life Regression & Progression, Tea Leaf Readings & Workshop, and it goes on and on and on... each taught by a different person here in Swift Current. In this very community where we used to follow God, now people seem to, Judges 2:17, prostitute themselves to other gods and worship them. Unlike our own forefathers, we are quickly turning from the way in which our fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.

There is more still. This transgression of the covenant with God in today’s scriptures through the worship of false gods, it led to the Hebrew society slipping into anarchy in the book of Judges.[8] This very same worship of other gods is seemingly rampant here, not only in our city but also in our churches and Christian schools. I know that a Christian school in this community, when the students were waiting to perform for a Christmas –or some other sort of concert- they played for the students (whose parents in good faith sent them to a Christian school!) Disney’s ‘The Princess and the Frog.’ For those who aren’t familiar with this movie, a review of this movie says that it is pagan, mixed worldview movie with light humanist and strong occult elements where a voodoo witchdoctor communicates with the dead and possibly even the devil; he conjures up scary, demon shadowy figures (who seem to be able to be killed by light, which could have Biblical connotations), tries to tempt main characters into making a deal with him by showing them the futures that they desire, and also engages in spells and occult practices such as tarot cards, charms, potions, a talisman, etc…[9] They showed this movie in a Christian school to children entrusted to them by some Christian parents. They promoted, I trust unintentionally, Judges 2:17, they “…prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.”

There is more, Susan showed up at a youth event in a Christian church, in a trustworthy denomination, in Saskatchewan. In a church, with young children from Christian churches all over the province, Christian leaders ignorantly were going to show to our children a movie entitled, “The Golden Compass.” Part of a review of that movie says that it promotes a pagan worldview encouraging getting rid of all authority, lying, killing, plus a church organization is demeaned. Also there is strong occult content, commending such things as witches and everyone has an animal companion externally embodying one’s soul and the soul-spirits are called daemons (pronounced: dee mons) like the evil beings who serve Satan.[10]

In Saskatchewan and Swift Current we are showing movies in officially Christian schools and presumably Christian churches openly promoting demons, voodoo, and witches. There are courses taught in this very city, not only to willing adults but also to vulnerable children, about Spirit guides, contacting the dead, and the occult. Even here and now in Swift Current, Judges 2:17, they prostitute themselves to other gods and worship them. Unlike our fathers, we quickly turn from the way in which our fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord’s commands.

Now this has been a lot of bad news. The book of Judges too ends on even more bad news as the ancient Israelites suffer the consequences of repeatedly transgressing their covenant with God through this very same worshipping of false idols. When I went to seminary, Training College, they taught us to always end a message on a good note. This is sometimes difficult to find in a book that starts by telling us what will happen if we forsake the Lord to follow other gods and finishes after the people have repeatedly done just that.

There is good news today though. The good news is that, because of the grace of God and the salvation provided through Jesus Christ, it is not too late to avoid the same fate as the ancient Israelites. As real as the threat is for our hearts and the hearts of our children to turn away from the Lord, as long as we have breath in our body there is still time to return to the Lord, the God of our forefathers. God promises that when we are faithful we will be blessed for generations. As we return to the Lord, He is waiting here for us with open arms. He loves us. It hurts Him that we are turning away from Him but as we come back what a day of rejoicing that will be.

God did not give up on the ancient Israelites. God did not give up on them and God will not give up on us. As bad as everything can get in our lives: when everyone around us seems to be turning away, when it looks like all those who are around us are going to perish, when we are caught in the midst of trouble, God is good. He is still there for us.  Even after maybe we have disobeyed or even defied God like the Israelites and even after we have suffered some of the consequences of those actions, it is not too late to turn back around - as long as we still have breath in our body there is still time for us to repent, there is still time for us to return to the God of our forefathers, who is the creator of heaven and earth; there is still time for us to experience that salvation which Christ provided between the cross and the empty tomb. As long as we have breath in our body, even if thus far we have turned and served false gods like the Israelites in the book of Judges, as long as we have breath in our body, we can still repent, we can still return to the LORD and we can still be a part of His Salvation both now and forever more.

Let us pray.

www.sheepspeak.com

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[1] Arthur E. Cundall and Leon Morris, Judges and Ruth: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1968 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 7), S. 70

[2] S. Dean McBride, ‘Essence of Orthodoxy: Deuteronomy 5:6-10 and Exodus 20:2-6’ Interpretation 60, no. 2. (April 2006): 134.

[3] Cf. Scott Langston, ‘Ashtaroth’ in Holman Bible Dictionary, ed. Trent C. Butler (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 1991), 112.

[4] Cf. Susanne Gillmayer-Bucher, “Framework and Discourse in the Book of Judges”, Journal of Biblical Literature 128, no. 4 (2009): 687.

[5] K. Lawson Younger, Judges/Ruth in The NIV Application Commentary, ed. Terry Mick (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), 96: He continues, “Everything in our culture… pushes us in the direction of advancing our standard of living for more comfort, pleasure, and self-confidence without any thought of the Creator”

[6] K. Lawson Younger, Judges/Ruth in The NIV Application Commentary, ed. Terry Mick (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), 97. He also says of Materialism, “It encourages at every turn the pursuit of personal happiness and gratification.”

[7] Richard L. Christensen, “Colossians 1:15-28”, Interpretation 61, no. 3 (July 2007): 319

[8] Cf. Robert H. O'Connell, The Rhetoric of the Book of Judges. Cited in Review by A.D.H Mayes, ‘The Rhetoric of the Book of Judges’, Journal of Theological Studies 49 (1998).

[9] This review can be found at http://www.movieguide.org/reviews/movie/the-princess-and-the-frog.html

[10] This review can be found at http://www.movieguide.org/reviews/movie/the-golden-compass.html