In Everything Give Thanks to God

Judges 13:19 “Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain of offering and sacrificed it on the rock to the Lord.”

One the things I’ve ever learned in my life as a human being and as a Christian is to be a thankful man in everything we have and we can do it in many ways. As we read the text of the story of the married man name Manoah who doesn’t have child for long years and he was too old. The angel of the Lord appeared to his wife and say that the wife is going to conceive and have a son. The man of Zorah and his wife were believed to the word of the angel of the Lord. For this reason the man getting excited to have a child and in the first place he prayed and asked the Lord to let the man of God sent to him again to teach them how to bring up the boy who is to be born. Then after all “He took a young goat, together with the grain of offering and sacrificed it to the Lord.” They believe to what God say’s even though it is impossible because they are old and this child was chosen to be the deliverer of Israel from the hands of the philistines. His name is Samson.

The man was so thankful to God, and he gave offerings for the Lord. He prayed for the great things that would happen in their lives to become a father. He and his wife followed the commands of God for them.

Sometimes, when we are in need we usually pray and pray until we met that needs for our own but when it happens we neglect to thank God for that grace. We usually know God when we are asking for something and in times of difficulties. I remember the text that I read in my devotional book that says “Prosperity maybe a greater test of character than poverty or in times of difficulties.” I believe in this word because I had experience this in many times that we really forget God when we are sustained and capable.

God has a great purpose why he gave us the situations we have right now!

In many times in the first books of the bible in the Old Testament used the term judge to their leaders especially in the Israelites. As we read the story about the early Israelites in the Old Testament where God chosen Moses to be their leader to escape from the slavery of the Egyptians. And the leader will be the one who has the authority over the people. He has the one administering justice and rule to the people. Most of them were chosen by God to rule and lead over. Just like Joshua, and even Gideon and Samson. Those are people who were chosen by God to lead the people. They were called as “Judge or Judges” where God appointed them and usually to deliver people from oppression. The apostasy is usually rooted in the issue of religious syncretism offered in the Canaanite religion.

The judge has a high respect from the people. It has a great power to do his will and ruler over them. He has the authority to make his own decision for the people and ha was the one to be followed. And in their times it is more accurate label for the leaders during pre-monarchial period in the Israelites. Another clear example from the period of judges is to be found in the description of the institution of the monarchy. In fact the difference between the judge and the king can be seen in the story of Gideon, who was invited to be the “master” over the men of Israel.

In fact “judge” is more accurate because it serves as high position of a leader just like the king. And on the other hand a judge can be more reliable because in the time of the early Israelites. The task of a leader is not just to give order and they will follow him.    

Reference:

            The Bible

            Internet (Wikipedia)

            A History of Israel By: Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

Joshua. 24:15 “…But as for me and my Household, we will serve the Lord.”

Serving God is not an easy task or responsibility. God used Joshua to be the leader of the Israelites. It can be really hard for him to make his special task from God to the people. In many ways he showed his commitment to serve God through the people of Israel. And from this verse we can learn a lot of things that pertain to the obedience of Joshua to the Lord.

  Based from my real experienced in the ministry, it is really an important thing to be a mind set in every individual especially to the ministers that “serving God is a package deal. Many pastors today are really good in preaching and teaching the good news to the people. They were really educated theologically. But the problem is their family is not getting involved in the ministry. In this very simple verse from Joshua tells that even his every member of the family will serve God.

While I was reading this passage, it reflects on me the reality of what was happening right now in some churches. The ministers are not effective in their ministries because of his household or member of the family. In here, we have seen Joshua is an example of being a good servant of God because he used to bring his family to serve God. Ministering others is really difficult because it involves leadership like Joshua. And “leadership is influence” as Maxwell said. We can not influence others if we didn’t influence first our family. It serves as an example to other people how we dwell to God.

If we really serve God influence our households as a package deal to Him for the people.

            If we are reading the book of Joshua from the start, we see how God love those who love Him and follow Him. From the book of Deuteronomy, Moses was used by God to lead the Israelites for freedom from slavery in Egypt. And we have seen here the covenant of Yahweh to Moses that He will give the entire land of Canaan to the Israelites. That God will never leave and forsake them but instead He led them into land where he had promised.

After the death of Moses, God chose Joshua to be the leader of the Israelites. In the book of Joshua, the Israelites encountered lots of difficulties. When near places were against to them, God allows to strengthen their power to conquer their lands. The Israelites were given by God power to conquer all the cities and in every land in Canaan because they submit and followed the order of the Lord to them. One thing is that the people of Canaan disregard God. They are the one who influenced the Israelites to worship their gods and worship idols that will insult the Lordship of God.

The good thing here is that He is still a God of Mercy and Love because we have seen before. The Israelites conquered the land there is warning first, for them to know that God is not pleased the way they lived. Many of them want to rule over Israelites to show that they were the greatest power them the lands but God still the greatest when he ordered to destruct those lands and give to the Israelites. God loves the Israelites who are dwelling Him, obeying Him into all through those great leaders he chose. He showed his loved unto them even for those Canaanites but they disregard Him and worship their idols and wanted to rule over Israel. This is the consequence of what they did. The destruction of their land and it was given by God for the people of Israel who followed the will of God.         

Reference:

                The Bible
                A history of Israel By: Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

How to Be a Successful One?

Joshua 1:8 “Do not let this book depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Many people are looking for success in life. Some were believed that it is pursued when we are having a money, or even when you finished a degree course in education, and other says that we are successful when are financially stabled. But the bible explained to us the real success. I can say that it is the most unique and different answer to that question compared to the ideas and other insights of different people.

            The Bible had the answer to this very important question in our lives. Sometimes we just focus our lives to the things that we know we can find success. The truth is we don’t know, we are just relying on the insight and beliefs of other. If you really believe in the Bible, this is what God says “do not depart His word (bible) from your mouth, and you meditate it day and night.” God is the one who tells us about success and it is true. Because we often misunderstood that success is not focusing on material things that we have seen in our daily living. Even for our own effort and strength. If really expound our perspectives in this verse, the real success focuses on God alone. No other things, no other way, and reason. It only stands success when we are with His word that is pertaining to our relationship to God. Sometimes its really difficult to determine whether success in life is through his word because of our disobedience and not listening to God by His word. This is our guide leading us to the real success in life.
 

“No other instructions how can we find true success in life but by the word of God alone who direct us into the real success”

Numbers 21:34 “….Do not be afraid of Him, for I have handed of Him over to you, with his whole army and his land.”

            A lot of experiences that I have from the past, showed me what God wants me to do in my life. I even say the He gave it to me so I can use it in the ministry for the future. As what the Israelites did when they were under the Egyptians, they were afraid to face the trials they have. But God uses people who followed him like Moses and Joshua to lead the Israelites to leave away from slavery of the Egyptians.

            On my personal experiences, many times I felt afraid to be in the ministry in church especially when the time that I the one was leading in the church. Many people getting angry against me and I don’t know how can I lead to them. I felt afraid because I was the only guy in the church and many of the members are my relatives. But God molds me, I ask for guidance to be involved in the church ministry and in other programs of the church. Until time comes that my shame and afraid changed. God make me a person of being with the people, and getting involve in all church activities. Even in my seminary life I felt afraid the time that i don’t have any supporter in my studies but God make a way to be in seminary. 

       Maybe you had felt afraid sometimes in just a little matter but God promises one thing. He is the one holding us and bring us in a better situation. He will be the make for us so we can make it for our good.  

  He is our courage to do all the things that we had in life. We will just rely on Him and we can see His greatness, power, love and mercy unto us.

            The identity of the ancient nomadic people known as the Habiru/Apiru has been hotly debated for many years. These people are known chiefly from the Amarna Letters, as well as other sources such as Sumerian documents discussed below. These people obviously caused no small amount of turmoil among the neighboring cities and towns in the regions where they were active.

According to Rohl, these tablets number over three hundred and eighty, and were letters written by various city state rulers as well as the powerful “Great Kings” of the northern kingdoms primarily to the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. The kings and rulers wrote to Pharaoh in the Akkadian language (cuneiform), the tablets were translated upon arrival in Egypt for Pharaoh and his advisors, and stored in Pharaoh’s “House of Correspondence,” only to be discovered three thousand years later.

The Amarna Letters themselves fail to give much detail about the Habiru. It recognized as the Hebrews in I and II Samuel, particularly identified with followers of David during the period of the latter’s exile from Israelites court in the reign of Saul and David’s first seven years as king of Bebron prior to the King capture of Jerusalem. William Albright gives one of the best examples of a description of the Habiru from a Sumarian document that supposedly dates from about 2000 BC that gives reference to the Apiru. This document describes these people, “…As for their men and women – Their men go where they please. Others describe these people as “uprooted, stateless individuals who became seasonal agricultural workers, mercenaries, slaves, or bandits, depending upon circumstances.”One thing is certain: The Habiru/Apiru included nomadic people who were employed as mercenaries in the region of the conquest.

            Compare these descriptions with an interesting passage found in I Samuel 13, which reads in part, “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!” (Italics mine). This passage seems to differentiate between the terms Israel and Hebrew. Rohl takes this position and further identifies these Hebrews as the Habiru of Palestine.

            It is a new thought that we need to know about the early times in the Old Testament so we can be more identified and understand the chronologies regarding the Israelites and the Egyptians and other people related to the Old Testament times in the Bible.

To understand the function of cities of refuge we must clarify who are the “interested parties” opposing the murderer and demanding that he be punished for his action. A look at Scriptures shows that first and foremost is the “blood-avenger,” the next of kin wishing to avenge the blood of his relative. This week’s reading states several times that the murderer is to be put to death by the avenger: “The blood-avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; it is he who shall put him to death upon encounter” (Num. 35:19, and similarly in verse 21).

In this respect, the purpose of the city of refuge is to protect the manslayer from the blood-avenger. Indeed, this purpose is mentioned in the three passages of the Torah that discuss cities of refuge:

            As I read the text of the book of Exodus chapter 14, then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So the Israelites did this.

            In Exodus 14:8 say’s “The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh King of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.” For so long years that the Israelites are under the Egyptians God make a way to save them and free from the slavery of the Egyptians. God hardened the Pharaoh’s heart so He can show His great power and His love to the Israelites who followed Him. He also used Moses who led the Israelites to pursue them from Egypt. When He stretched out his hand over the sea and the waters were divided and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water. In this way the Israelites were saved by crossing the sea.

            In the bible, especially in the Old Testament we first heard about the Red Sea wherein the Israelites cross here going to Egypt. Moses led the Israelites to leave away from slavery of Egypt. And t was in the history of the Old Testament that God used the Red Sea to save the People of Israel to freedom by using the powers of God to part the waters. The Red Sea is one of the most saline water bodies in the world, due to the effects of the water circulation pattern, resulting from evaporation and wind stress. Salinity ranges between 3.6 and 3.8 %. It is necessary to know and study where in exact location so we can be more understand the History of the Israelites when they cross it.

Based on the information I searched, the Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Babel Mandeb sound and the Gulf of Aden. In the north are the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez (leading to the Suez Canal). Presumably the Red sea was since disappeared because of the Suez Canal water diversion.

 Occupying a part of the Great Rift Valley, the Red Sea has a surface area of about 174,000 square miles (450,000 km): being roughly 1,200 miles (1,900 km) long and, at its widest point, over 190 miles (300 km) wide. It has a maximum depth of 8,200 feet (2,500 m) in the central median trench and an average depth of 1,640 feet (500 m), but there are also extensive shallow shelves, noted for their marine life and corals. The sea is the habitat of over 1,000 invertebrate species and 200 soft and hard corals and is the world’s most northern tropical sea.

It is good that we discussed it so we can think more about what the things God made during the early times of the Israelites.