Samuel grew in favor with God and man but remained uncorrupted by the influences around him. God was working in Samuel through his daily routine and under the care of Eli. A word from the Lord was rare in those days, and visions were infrequent. Samuel had not experienced personal revelation from the Lord until one night when Samuel and Eli, who is elderly and almost blind, had retired for the night.
Hannah brings Samuel to Eli fulfilling the vow that she made to the Lord, but her response is not that of a mother struggling with temporary separation instead she breaks out in praise to the Lord. Hannah's song would echo later in a song from the mother of Jesus. The refrain in Hannah's song is the goodness, glory, and power of God. Joy has replaced the misery of being childless.
God is always at work; even when times are dark and challenging. Before Samson waged his personal war with the Philistines, there was another judge who was ruling in Shiloh. Eli was a high priest and a judge who would soon encounter the man who would be the last of the judges in Israel.
Jesus' incarnation is often sentimentalized to the point that his humiliation is ignored. Jesus did not insist upon what was rightfully his. God became like his creatures. These words should render us speechless and overwhelmed. Christ left the glory he had before the foundation of the world (John 17:5). The King of all creation became a servant (Philippians 2:7).
The wise men from the east need answers and when they make their inquiry, it troubles Herod and all of Jerusalem. These visitors from the East could not have imagined that Herod would respond with such paranoia. The days of Herod will prove to be a most dangerous time to be perceived an heir to the throne. Herod's power is waning as he nears the end and he repeatedly resorts to violence and terror to prove his dominance.
Mary and Joseph bundled up Jesus and traveled to the temple to present Jesus. These new parents obeyed the Lord and followed his command to call him Jesus. It is clear that from the very beginning of his life, Jesus was taught to follow the commandments of God and that even as a baby, Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Old Testament law.
Mary must have been excited and anxious to meet her holy child. One is left to speculate about how often Mary's thoughts turned to her son. For her, there was no question about whether she would have a girl or a boy. Gabriel had given the details concerning this child including his name. Mary's thoughts must have been filled with daydreams of tiny hands, infant cries, and the caress of a tender face. God had a unique call on her life, and she began to plan and rehearse how she would steward this privilege, she received news that changed everything.
Time, history, and creation all converge at God's behest on an ordinary carpenter and his betrothed, Mary. The fact that Matthew identifies Jesus Christ should not be overlooked. Jesus is his name, but Christ is his title which includes his office as the anointed savior. Matthew gives the account from Joseph's point of view.
Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied before those present. Zechariah, by the Spirit, understands God is not only faithful, but he is visiting his people. God himself has come bringing salvation and hope. Zechariah declares that his son would be the prophet of the Most High and he would prepare the way.
Just as Mary's greeting had roused the inhabitant of Elizabeth's womb, Elizabeth's words cause Mary to respond in praise. Mary breaks into a song which speaks of salvation and redemption. The lyrics of her song indicate her familiarity with God's word and her love for him. Mary cannot keep from blessing her Lord.
God's people have languished for four hundred years waiting on a word from the Lord. The people are acquainted with the scripture and Messiah, but it must seem like a distant dream or the kind of story parents tell their children to comfort them because nothing has happened for generations. Yet, the fullness of time would reveal the plan of Almighty God.
The Bible is one story contained in a one-volume library. The story is organized into two major sections that are called the old testament and the new testament. The story is the same, but the arrival of Jesus separates the two parts. Jesus' arrival was not an accident or the product of chance; it was the plan of God from eternity past. Matthew begins with the genesis or genealogy of Jesus Christ and joins the testaments by connecting Jesus to Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people.
This terrible news is followed by hope. A great ruler would come from the tiny village of Bethlehem, the house of bread. Bethlehem was small, too small in fact to be named by the cities allotted to Judah (Joshua 15:21-63) but a supreme ruler would come from this hamlet. God would intervene and send a king for his redemptive purposes.
Distress, anguish, and thick darkness describe the shroud enveloping the people because they have rejected God. Chapter nine announces that the gloom and anguish of God's judgment will not be permanent. There is a new dawn approaching when the region greatly oppressed and most influenced by pagan cultures will be made glorious. Galilee will be honored, and the nations will be affected.
Boaz is a skilled negotiator and initially he makes no mention of Ruth but states his willingness to purchase the parcel for himself if the nearer kinsman is unwilling. The kinsman seems agreeable to the purchase until Boaz included his obligation to Ruth the Moabite. The land could not be purchased if Ruth was not redeemed and this addendum changed things for the nearer kinsman. At this point, he withdrew from the negotiations and ceded his rights to Boaz.
Naomi knows that Boaz has taken notice of Ruth, so she proposes a daring move. Naomi longs for Ruth to have the security and protection of marriage, so she seizes the opportunity to persuade Boaz that it was time for him to fulfill his obligation as a redeemer.
Ruth takes the initiative and she seeks Naomi's permission to gather food for the two of them. Ruth hopes to find favor from someone during the barley harvest. Naomi tells Ruth to go knowing that she would be vulnerable in the fields. Ruth was not familiar with Bethlehem, and there is no indication that she received any instruction from Naomi so when she went to glean, she "happened" to come to the field of Boaz.
A famine leads a man named Elimelech, meaning my God is King, to take his family and leave their home in Bethlehem "the house of bread." He believed that moving his family to the country of Moab gave them a better chance of survival. Elimelech had a wife named Naomi and two sons, Mahlon and Chilion.
It seems that Samson could not resist Philistine women and he got involved with a woman named Delilah. The Philistine lords knew that Samson would not be taken by force, so they offered Delilah an enormous sum of money to learn the secret of his strength. The Philistines intended to overpower Samson and torment him. Revenge is not obligated to follow the rules, and they asked Delilah to use her feminine wiles and seduce him in order to ascertain the information.
The Philistines marshal their forces and prepare an assault on the people of Israel with the express purpose of capturing Samson. The men of Judah are afraid and seek to make peace with the Philistines. The Philistines explain that the invasion is intended to capture Samson. The men of Judah agree to deliver Samson to their enemies. Three thousand men from Judah go down and confront Samson.
