Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”
But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”
The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”
When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud. Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.
When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one. When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.
They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.’” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated. They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you like.”
The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Turn these men over to us so that we may put them to death.”
But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.”
Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.

• 1 Samuel 11:1-15

To read 1 Samuel 12, click the link HERE.

Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.
Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.
Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
“What have you done?” asked Samuel.
Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
Then Samuel left Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.
Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness.
Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened. The price was two-thirds of a shekel for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.
So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Mikmash.

• 1 Samuel 13:1-23

To read 1 Samuel 14, click the link HERE.

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

1 Samuel 11:1 ‘Nahash the Ammonite’: “Nahash, meaning ‘snake,’ was king of the Ammonites, the descendants of Lot (cf. Gen. 19:36–38) who lived E of the Jordan. Jabesh Gilead. A town E of the Jordan River, about 22 mi. S of the Sea of Galilee, in the tribal territory of Manasseh (cf. Judg. 21:8–14).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 11:2 ‘put out all your right eyes’: “This barbarous mutilation was a common punishment of usurpers in the ancient Near East which would disable the warriors’ depth-perception and peripheral vision, rendering them useless in battle.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 11:6 ‘the spirit of God came upon Saul’: ”To fill him with divine indignation and to empower him to deliver the citizens of Jabesh Gilead (cf. 10:6).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 11:13 ‘the Lord has accomplished salvation in Israel’: “Saul recognized the deliverance of the Lord and refused to kill those who had rebelled against his kingship (10:27).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 12:3 ‘Here I am’: ”These familiar words for Samuel throughout his entire life (cf. 3:4, 5, 6, 8, 16) emphasized his availability to God and the people. Witness. Samuel requested the people to ‘testify against’ any covenant stipulations that he had violated.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 12:13-15, 24-25 ‘Promise of Blessing and Judgment’: “In Samuel’s farewell address, as he passes the reins of leadership to Israel’s new king, he addressed the nation with a promise of corporate blessing for obedience and judgment for disobedience. Samuel’s words were then confirmed by a stunning meteorological display (12:17-18).
“With the conclusion of this address, Israel’s era of judges came to an end, and the period of monarchy officially inaugurated. Samuel’s prophesied blessings and judgment plays out throughout Israel’s checkered history as recorded in the biblical record.”

• Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson, Exploring Bible Prophecy

1 Samuel 12:14 ‘fear the Lord’: “A reminder of Josh. 24:14. Israel was to stand in awe of the Lord and submit to Him (cf. Deut. 10:12). you and the king … following the LORD your God. Both the people and the king were given the same command. The standard was the same, obedience to God’s commands.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 12:16 ‘this great thing’: ”Though rain during the wheat harvest (late May to early June) was unusual, the Lord sent the rain and thunder to authenticate Samuel’s words to the people.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 12:23 ‘intercessory prayer’: “Being permitted to prayer for our fellow human beings is a great privilege. But it must begin with prayer for oneself, for until we are accepted with God, we cannot act as an intercessor for others. Part of the excellence of intercessory prayer is that it is itself a mark of inward grace and a token for good from the Lord. When the heart is enlarged in believing supplication for others, all doubts about personal acceptance with God may cease. He who prompts us to love has certainly given us that love, and what better proof of his favor do we desire? It.is a great advance on anxiety for our own salvation when we have risen out of the narrowness of dread about ourselves into the broader region of care for the soul of another. Intercessory prayer is an act of communion with Christ, for Jesus himself pleads for the sons of Adam. It is a part of his priestly office to make intercession for his people. He has ascended up on high to this end and exercises this office continually within the veil. When we pray for our fellow sinners, we are in sympathy with our divine Savior who made intercession for the transgressors. Many of us trace our conversion, if we go to the root of it, to the prayers of certain godly persons. In innumerable instances the prayers of parents have brought young people to Christ. Many more will have to praise God for praying teachers, praying friends, praying pastors. Obscure persons confined to their beds are often the means of saving hundreds by their continual pleadings with God. The ‘book of remembrance’ (Mal 3:16) will reveal the value of these hidden ones, of whom so little is thought by the majority of Christians. Not only the conversion of sinners but also the welfare, preservation, growth, comfort, and usefulness of saints are abundantly promoted by the prayers of their brothers and sisters. Intercessory prayer is also a benefit to the one who exercises it and is often a better channel of comfort than any other means of grace.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Samuel 13:1 ‘one year … two years’: “The original numbers have not been preserved in this text. It lit. reads, “Saul was one year old when he became king and ruled two years over Israel.” Acts 13:21 states that Saul ruled Israel 40 years. His age at his accession is recorded nowhere in Scripture. Probably the best reconstruction of vv. 1, 2 is “Saul was one and (perhaps) thirty years old when he began to reign, and when he had reigned two years over Israel, then Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel …””

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 13:2 ‘Michmash’: “This area was located about 7 mi. NE of Jerusalem. Jonathan. “The LORD has given.” Saul’s firstborn son and heir apparent to the throne was evidently old enough to serve as a commander in Israel’s army at this time, much like David when he slew Goliath (1 Sam. 17:32–37). Gibeah of Benjamin. This city was located 3 mi. N of Jerusalem. It was called Gibeah of Saul in 11:4.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 13:4 ‘an abomination’: “Israel could expect retaliation from the Philistines for Jonathan’s raid. Gilgal. This is the town of Saul’s confirmation as king by Samuel and the people (11:14, 15). Saul chose Gilgal because of Samuel’s word in 10:8.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 13:9 ‘he offered the burnt offering’: “Saul’s sin was not specifically that he made a sacrifice (cf. 2 Sam. 24:25; 1 Kin. 8:62–64), but that he did not wait for priestly assistance from Samuel. See 10:8. He wished to rule as an autocrat, who possessed absolute power in civil and sacred matters. Samuel had wanted the 7 days as a test of Saul’s character and obedience to God, but Saul failed it by invading the priestly office himself.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 13:11-14 ‘Saul lack of faith left desperation in its place’: ”Finally, a thousand men showed up, and then another thousand, and then another thousand. And that was it. No more came. He compared this pitiful force of three thousand soldiers with the Philistines’ tremendous force. Then he sent for the prophet Samuel. In typical fashion, the man of the flesh depends upon his own resources until he gets into trouble; then he calls upon the Lord.
“But God was ahead of Saul as usual, and Samuel delayed in coming. While Saul waited for Samuel to arrive, his soldiers began to slip away one by one and return home. His army dwindled from three thousand to two thousand to one thousand and finally to only six hundred men. By this time, Saul was getting desperate.
“When Samuel had not come after five or six days, Saul took it upon himself to offer a burnt offering to the Lord. The moment he finished, Samuel came walking up.“

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

1 Samuel 13:12 ‘the unholy trying to be holy’: “For the unbelieving mind to tinker with the truth of God is as terrible as was the unauthorized act of Saul when in fear and unbelief he offered a burnt-offering at Gilgal. So the king explained his act, but there is something spine-chilling about it all. An unholy man tried to do a holy act and tragedy followed: From that hour Saul’s life degenerated till at last, deserted and terrified, he died by his own hand.”

• A. W. Tozer, The Size of the Soul

1 Samuel 13:13-14 ‘Saul’s Dynasty to be Temporary’: “On the threshold of battle, desperate in the face of mass desertion and anxiously impatient for Samuel’s arrival, Saul presumptuously bowed to the pressure of the moment and offered a sacrifice. This was in direct disobedience to the prophet’s previous instruction to wait for his arrival (10:8). More egregiously, for Saul, a Benjaminite, to offer a Levitical sacrifice was in flagrant violation of Mosaic legislation (Leviticus 6:8-13). As if on ruinous cue, Samuel immediately arrived on the scene to condemn the king for his act of audacious imprudence (13:8-12). As he did so, he prophesied the end of Saul’s dynasty (verses 13-14).
“Saul was not divinely rejected as king, but his dynasty was rejected. Even now God was already in the process of raising up a successor king who would be ‘a man after His own heart‘ as much a preparatory statement to the reader regarding the author’s imminent introduction of David to the narrative as a stinging indictment to Saul. This prophecy was fulfilled some decades later when the united tribal elders of Israel anointed David as their king (2 Samuel 5:1-4).”

• Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson, Exploring Bible Prophecy

1 Samuel 13:14 ‘from a nobody to a somebody’: “When we look for people to admire, when we choose our role models, our heroes, we are often swayed or impressed by things that are cause for boasting. We want the beautiful people, the brilliant people, the ‘successful’ people. We want the best and the brightest. We are terribly enamored of the surface. The superficial impresses us much more than we’d like to admit.
“But God says, ‘That’s not the way I make my choices. I choose the nobodies and turn them into somebodies.’”

• Charles R. Swindoll, Bedside Blessings

1 Samuel 13:22 ‘neither sword nor spear’: “The Philistines had a distinct military advantage over Israel since they had a monopoly on iron weapons.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 14:3 ‘Ahijah’: “’Brother of the LORD.’ He was the great-grandson of Eli the High-Priest, another house which had been rejected of the Lord (2:22–36). wearing an ephod. The ephod was a white garment worn by the priests that was attached to the body by a belt. A breastplate worn over the ephod had pouches that were used by the priests to carry certain devices used in determining the will of God, i.e., the Urim and Thummim, or sacred lots. See … Ex. 28:5–13. Apparently, Saul chose not to use it for seeking the Lord’s will.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 14:15 ‘the earth quaked’: “The earthquake affirms the fact that divine intervention aided Jonathan and his armorbearer in their raid. The earthquake caused a panic among the Philistines. God would have intervened on Saul’s behalf in such a manner had he chosen to be faithfully patient (cf. 13:9).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 14:23 ‘the Lord saved Israel’: “The writer uses similar language to that of the Exodus. In spite of their disobedient king, God was faithful to deliver Israel from her enemies. Beth Aven. See note on 13:2.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 14:27 ‘Jonathan had not heard’: “Jonathan apparently had departed before Saul made his oath.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Samuel 14:37 ‘Saul asked counsel of God’: “At the request of Ahijah, Saul inquired of the Lord regarding his battle plan. He did not answer him. Because of the sin that Saul had caused in his army, God did not answer his inquiry. This would not be the last time that the Lord would refuse to respond to sinful Saul (cf. 28:6).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

My Thoughts

Nahash, the Ammonite, laid siege on Jabesh Gilead.  They were willing to allow Nahash to rule over them, but he insisted that he would gouge out the right eye to shame them.  In the week that he gave them to decide their fate, they sent a messenger, possibly sneaking through the lines, and the messenger passed the message on to Saul.

Who were the Ammonites?  They were the people who descended from Lot’s younger daughter.  In fact, the capitol of Jordan today is Amman.  Moab was from the older daughter of Lot.  The Philistines were “sea people” who might have mixed ancestry.  And the Edomites descended from Esau, Jacob’s brother.  I place this here because these nations were not the remnants of the cursed Canaanites.  In fact, most were distant cousins who were attacking the people of Israel.  Through the prophets, God will curse these nations, but they were not part of the curse at the time of Noah.

Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Saul.  He mustered a large army, and he defeated the Ammonites.

Notice that when Saul was first anointed king, in secret by Samuel, the spirit came upon him and Saul prophesied.  Now the spirit came upon him and he led the army.  When the spirit came upon David, it stayed there.  When the spirit comes upon us, it stays there.  God dwells within us, but in Old Testament times, the spirit comes upon someone, in almost every case, to accomplish a task, not to stay.  And this was the case for Saul.

But the rescue of Jabesh Gilead (Jabesh in the land of Gilead) is important later on.

After the victory, Saul states that the Lord has rescued His people, but remember that the spirit was still upon him.  They return to Gilgal to offer sacrifices and renew the kingship of Saul.  Maybe reaffirm is a better word.

Then Samuel gave his farewell speech.  He was not gone, but with Israel becoming a kingdom, he was no longer the judge.  He first established that he had wronged no one and never demanded an ox or donkey – something that he said earlier that a king would do.  But Samuel is establishing that he owes no one anything.  Then he gave a history of the Israelites disobeying God and judges rising up.

He takes them to the point of Saul defeating Nahash.  Now they have chosen their king.  Samuel ends his address by admonishing them to not do evil and worship only God.  For if they do not, they and their king will perish.

Now, Saul sent most of the troops home.  Jonathan retained one thousand, and he attacked the Philistine outpost in Geba.  Although the Philistine outpost was in Judah’s territory, the much larger Philistine army advanced toward Saul’s location at Gilgal.  Saul’s army became scared.  They were waiting for Samuel to arrive to offer a sacrifice, but in seven days, he had not arrived.

Saul offered the sacrifice and almost immediately Samuel arrived and asked what he had done.  Samuel proclaimed a curse on Saul and his family.

Then the Philistines camped at Michmash, sending out raiding parties to rid Israel of the ability to make weapons.

It is not widely known, at least not in many history books, but the British did the same thing to the American colonies. They made it illegal for them to make and work to make steel implements.  But the colonists still had the steel making technology.  They moved their operations further inland where the British army would not travel in fear of Native American uprisings, places like western Massachusetts and upstate New York, not all the way to Pittsburgh, PA.  From there, the colonists made steel for both the necessary farming implements and the weapons needed for hunting and for their revolution against British tyranny.

Joel 3 speaks of turning plowshares into swords and pruning hooks into spears.  This was what the Israelites were left to do by the Philistines.  But in doing this, the promised peace of the reverse actions to regain their plowshares and pruning hooks in Isaiah 2 and Micah 2 become vivid reminders to the people of the plight they had been in and how God had rescued them.

Then Jonathan attacked again, this time at Michmash.  He used a sign from God to know that the victory was theirs.  With the Philistines in disarray, Saul orders the priest to withdraw his hand – and not inquire of God.  Saul saw the disarray of the Philistines and knew he had to attack now, but not inquiring of God meant trouble would come.  He swore that anyone who eats food before the end of the day when the enemy is crushed would be cursed.

Jonathan did not hear this.  He was already in the battle.  He had caused the confusion in the Philistine camp.  He saw some honey and dipped his staff into it.  He ate of it.  As the battle continued, Saul’s army became weary.  Jonathan asked why they tired so easily and the men told him what his father, Saul, had said.  While Jonathan was now “cursed” for eating a little honey, Jonathan admonished his father.  They had a great victory, but they could have had a greater victory if the men were properly nourished.

Of course, having the priest not inquire to God had an effect on the battle also.

Saul’s impetuousness and his arrogance were his downfall.  After starting off by hiding instead of standing tall to become king, he now relies on his own skills and knowledge.  He makes offerings to God when Samuel should have done that.  He tells the priest to withdraw his hand, thinking that his own power would win the battle instead of God winning it.  We can see that the spirit of God is not with Saul.

While the spirit remains in us, the Holy Spirit speaks in soft tones, and we can often have the world and its attractions drown out God’s voice to us.  We have the Spirit, but are we listening?  If we don’t listen, the same thing that happened to Saul could happen to us.  Recognizing our mistakes and repenting is important.

Note: Ahijah was in the line of Eli.  The full curse on the line of Eli had not been completed yet.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

1 Samuel 11:1-11 Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh 1. In what situation have you felt God truly energizing you? What did you do that, without God, you could not have done?
“2. When has God vindicated you in the eyes of trouble makers or skeptics (no names)?
“3. What challenge are you facing now in which you need God to embolden and empower you?
“4. Where does your small group or church need to function ‘as one man’ to achieve victory?
1 Samuel 11:12:15 Saul Confirmed as King In victory are you magnanimous? How are you in defeat? When are you more likely to give God the glory? Take pride?
1 Samuel 12: 1. On the strength of his campaign speech, record in office and party platform, would you re-elect Samuel? Or urge him to retire? Why?
“2. On a scale of 1 to 10, are you more guilt-free (‘1’) or guilt-ridden (‘10’)? Why do you think so?
“3. How do you respond when you really blow it before God? What is a biblical response?
“4. What ‘great things’ has God done for you the past year? How is that conveyed in your faithful­ ness to God since then?
“5. In what areas of your life has God continually proven faithful, yet you remain reluctant to trust him in those very areas?
“6. Are you more motivated by positive incentives, or negative ones? Why?
1 Samuel 13:1-15 Samuel Rebukes Saul 1. When you sin, which are you more likely to blame and why: (a) Circumstances? (b) Bad timing? (c) Parents? (d) Others?
“2. When has God been ‘late’ in keeping a promise to you? Did you rush ahead and take things into your own hands? What happened? How did, or can, you make restitution?
“3. How hard is it for you to admit when you are wrong?
“4. What aspects of your faith and personality only come out under crisis circumstances?
1 Samuel 13:16-22 Israel without Weapons 1. In what specific ways have you seen God exalted through your weaknesses and ‘unsharpened swords’?
“2. Which of your inferior tools will you entrust to God for sharpening and for his use today, so that his power may be seen?
1 Samuel 13:23-14:14 Jonathan Attacks the Philistines 1. What ‘cliffs’ do you think God would have you climb for him? How does your response to life’s obstacles compare with Jonathan’s?
“2. What would it take for your Christian walk to be characterized by ‘expectancy’?
1 Samuel 14:15-23 Israel Routs the Philistines 1. On a scale of 1 (trusting God) to 10 (trusting self), how would an impartial observer rate your current trust level? What story lies behind the rating?
1 Samuel 14:24-48 Jonathan Eats Honey 1. What position(s) of authority do you presently find yourself’ in (family, job, church, etc.)? How do you guard yourself from being ‘a heavy’ in exercising that authority? How can you be more Christ-like in the role?
“2. In what ways are you, like Saul, impulsive and uncertain in your words? Likewise, are you able to back up what you say? Or are you easily out-voted by others?
“3. When you are wrong, what does it take for you to publicly admit it?
“4. What do you rely upon as a means for making tough decisions? What is your version of ‘casting lots’?
1 Samuel 14:49-52 Saul’s Family 1. What would a 4-verse summary of your family look like? Whom would you list?
“2. How would you summarize your life’s work in one sentence?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

There are two sets of question(s) for 1 Samuel 11 and 13, if you ignore the fact that the last verse of 1 Samuel 13 is lumped with the first fourteen verses in 1 Samuel 14.  There is one set of questions for 1 Samuel 12, and there are four sets of questions for 1 Samuel 14.  Those chapters with multiple sets of questions are divided as noted.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.