The next example in our series is David who had the courage to fight. There are several examples in David’s life of him courageously fighting against his enemies (and God’s enemies). But for our lesson, we will focus on his fight against the Philistine giant, Goliath.
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Islam is sometimes referred to as the “religion of peace,” even though violent attacks are regularly carried out by Muslims in the name of Islam. The reality is that the history of Islam is a history of violence in order to advance the religion. What we see happening across the globe in our generation is nothing new. A century ago in his book Plain Sermons, Daniel Sommer contrasted the religion of Christ and the religion of Mohammed (Mohamet). Even then, the violence inherent in Islam was evident.
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from 1 Chronicles 7-10.
There is an interesting piece of information that the Scriptures record regarding the events that transpired after the death of Saul.
“Thus Saul died with his three sons, and all those of his house died together. When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them” (1 Chronicles 10:6-7).
Why is it significant that these Israelites “forsook their cities” following the death of Saul? Remember a few points:
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Psalm 56, 120, 140-142.
“Too long has my soul had its dwelling with those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war” (Psalm 120:6-7).
The Scriptures say there is “a time for war and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:8). Neither one can be wholly eliminated, either in the context of affairs between nations or in our spiritual lives. There are times when wars must be waged and other times when peace must be pursued.
However, David found himself among those who hated peace. They knew war. They practiced war. War was all they were interested in. Peace was not to be preferred in any circumstance. When David spoke of peace, their response was one of war.
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Judges 8-9.
After defeating the Midianites with only 300 men armed with trumpets and pitchers, Gideon pursued the kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna. Along the way they stopped in Succoth hoping to receive bread to help them finish their mission. However, the leaders were not at all eager to help.
“Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing. He said to the men of Succoth, ‘Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.’
“The leaders of Succoth said, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?’ Gideon said, ‘All right, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thrash your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers’” (Judges 8:4-7).
The leaders of Succoth were perfectly willing to provide aid and support to Gideon and his men after the Midianite kings were killed. But while the kings were still alive, these men refused to get involved.
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Judges 3-5.
“Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan; only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerly)” (Judges 3:1-2).
Though the Israelites were now inhabiting the land of Canaan, there were still going to be wars and conflicts. It was important for the new generation to be willing and able to carry on the fight for the promised land.
Thought from today’s Bible reading from Deuteronomy 24-27.
The Israelites, by the help of God, were preparing to enter Canaan and dispossess the current inhabitants of the land (Deuteronomy 9:1-3). But God singles out Amalek in particular as being worthy of punishment.
“Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out from Egypt, how he met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God.
“Therefore it shall come about when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget” (Deuteronomy 25:17-19).
There are a couple of lessons to be learned from God’s condemnation of the nation of Amalek.
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What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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