BIAY - God's provision
1 Samuel 7-9, Proverbs 25:15-28
Welcome to the Bible in a Year for 2025. Intro to this series and resource links available here, plus here’s how I’m approaching this year.
Scriptures for Today:
Reflection:
“Here I raise mine Ebenezer” (7:12) - God delivered a great military victory to Israel, led by Samuel the priest, over a constant nemesis, the Philistines. As a response, Samuel marks the spot with a stone and calls it “Ebenezer,” which means “stone of help” in Hebrew. It’s a great image for our formation as disciples too. This is the inspiration for verse two of the classic Christian hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”:
Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.
Careful what you wish for (8:10-22) - It turns out that Samuel had the same trouble with his sons as Eli before him. He also does what humans (and leaders in particular) often struggle with: he gets defensive. The people ask for a king—instead of a priest like himself—to lead them, he takes it personally. That said, this passage is vital to understanding the big story of God and His people. Samuel is reminding them the lessons of Deuteronomy 17. A king can bring benefits, but he is fallible just like anyone.
Like the other nations have (9:1-2) - The first king of Israel is a man named Saul. He’s handsome and tall, qualities associated with assuming someone would be a good leader. The people’s desire is to have a king “like the other nations have” and in Saul, that’s what they get. This will be evident over the coming chapters. This is a good example of God giving the people what they ask for, even though that isn’t what they truly need.
Questions:
When and/or where in your life are your “Ebenezer” moments—when God has helped you?
When have you mistaken what you thought you needed and learning (or admitting later) what God knew you needed?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, grant me your divine help in the challenges I face, both with obstacles and with myself. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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