The Bible by David Alley

por David Alley

Superación personal Cristianismo Religión

Temporada 1

1 Samuel 11 - Saul's Victory over the Ammonites | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In 1 Samuel Chapter 11 is Saul’s first battle as king. In this battle he wins the hearts of the people of Israel and they accept him. Jabesh Gilead is threatened by Nahash of Ammon. The citizens plead peace, but Nahash wants to gouge out their right eyes. Apparently the name Nahash means “snake” or serpent. So we may be dealing with a symbol of Satan in this narrative. His name may also mean “oracle” according to Lockyer (cited in Coffman) According to Josephus this brutal eye-gouging act was so that they were unable to fight. Effectively it meant they couldn’t shoot a bow properly with only one eye, and make them subject permanently. In the Dead Sea Scrolls in 4QSam - an extra verse was found in the Samuel Scroll - “Now Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He would gouge out the right eye of each of them and would not grant Israel a deliverer. No one was left of the Israelites across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. But there were seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and had entered Jabesh-gilead.” Very interestingly in Matt 5:29 Jesus said if your “right eye” causes you to sin, pluck it out. In the early period of Saul’s kingship he was moved by God and served in the power of the Lord, but his hard heart and disobedience later grieved the Spirit. Saul struck in the morning watch, the middle of the night. The ammonites were unsuspecting, and defeated. Much later when Saul was killed by the Philistines on Mt Gilboa, it was the brave men of Jabesh Gilead who took down his body from the wall at Beth Shan and buried it. This city retained a sense of affection towards Saul all of his life after this event.

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7 nov 2022

15:17

1 Samuel 10 - Saul Anointed King | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 10, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In 1 Samuel Chapter 10 are stages 1 and 2 of 3 lifting Saul to the throne of Israel. First is the private anointing, second the public selection and third proving himself in battle which comes in the following chapters. First he is anointed privately by Saul. Physically, anointing is rubbing or pouring oil on another. This was done as a sign that someone was set aside or dedicated to service for God. It was often a sign that God’s favor and his Spirit was with that person. While many people were anointed for various tasks, there was one special anointed person... the Messiah, or “the” anointed one. Much later when Saul turned bad, he was still considered anointed by David. This is an important point, given that God knows the future and chose Saul, fully aware of how he would turn out. After his anointing, Saul changed. When the Holy spirit works in us it does change us - we are turned into different people. What it does NOT do is take away our choices. Those in whom the Spirit is working have to cooperate with the Spirit. This is completely unlike demonic oppression which is controlling. The result of this is that people have to learn how to cooperate with the Spirit. Essentially they have to practice. Finally he was selected publicly before all Israel - this was stage two. When this happened he hid himself in the baggage. Why was he hiding in the baggage? Was it because he had already been anointed, and already knew what was ahead. Was he so afraid of leadership he hid.

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6 nov 2022

15:37

1 Samuel 9 - Saul Chosen as King | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 9, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. In 1 Samuel Chapter 9 Saul is going to become king. He looked the part. He was going to be chosen because he “looked” like a king. A movie director would have chosen Saul for his great looks. He would have cast well. He is exactly what we would imagine a king to be like. However the people are getting what they want. Even in this king, we learn that what we want isn't’ always good for us. Saul is missing animals and goes looking for them. Ironically he is about to become the shepherd of Israel. Because of the missing donkeys, he ends up at Saul’s town Ramah. Here we see that God either uses the missing donkey circumstance to bring Saul to Samuel, or perhaps he orchestrates it. When things happen in life that seem unfortunate, God is often in them, or at least can work through them. Nothing complicates God’s life. They intend to pay a quarter of a shekel to see the prophet, Samuel. A quarter of a shekel wasn't much. Imagine cutting a dollar in quarters. Americans have an actual coin called a quarter, but back then they didn’t always have the smaller denominations, so this was an innovation. Samuel is going to the high place at Ramah to sacrifice to God. This high place, and the one at Gilgal when Solomon seeks the Lord seem at face value to be contradicting what God said in the Law. And later in the OT, God speaks against the high places, so why is there an allowance just at this period of time for about 70 years. It is because the tabernacle is in ruins, and Shiloh was taken offline by the Philistines. So the people are worshipping God as they can. Samuel as leader has set up a place where God can be worshipped and sought. God’s word through Samuel refers to “my people.” God still considers Israel his. It's always a mistake when someone rules God’s people and thinks they are their own. Pastors fall into this trap easily.

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5 nov 2022

16:35

1 Samuel 8 - Israel Demands a King | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In 1 Samuel Chapter 8 Israel wants to be like the other nations, but God had always wanted them to be different to the other nations. The “if” game is never possible, but what if Israel had truly followed the law from the beginning, how could this have been a unique nation unlike any other? Firstly poverty in Israel would have been minimal, the economy would have been strong, the land would have been healthy and produced continual harvests because of the sabbath rests, effectively fertilising the land. Other nations would have become jealous and it would have demonstrated that the fertility cults of other nations were false. Even without active evangelism, the nation would have become a witness to the power of God. Other nations would have wanted to have become like them. Instead with narrow minds they want to be like the other nations. From God’s perspective Israel not only has a king, but has a “real” king. They felt like they had no king, and even from our twenty-first century perspective we feel like God was only a “virtual king” of some type, but we don’t feel his realness. The problem was that God’s kingship and rule had not been followed. He had given them the most wonderful law, outlining how everything was to be done in Israel, but they didn’t follow it, and then felt that they needed a king believing they had none. It was a far greater tragedy that we imagine. Samuel tries to warn them, giving God’s words saying what will happen if they have a king. The people refused to listen. Remember when this happened previously at Sinai. They didn’t want to hear God speaking. Here though, they heard the words and refused to accept them. Finally God tells Samuel to listen to them. So even though they have not listened to God, he listens to them and gives them what they want. This also happened to the Israelites in the desert when they craved meat, but it killed them. God can answer prayers sometimes giving us things we shouldn’t have... be careful.

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4 nov 2022

10:54

1 Samuel 7 - Samuel Leads Israel to Victory | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In 1 Samuel Chapter 7 the second battle of Ebenezer is about to happen. The ark of the covenant had been returned to Israel, but not at Shiloh which was no longer functional, but at Kiriath Jearim. The ark however is not brought to battle like it was the first time at Ebenezer. The battle was prompted by a gathering of Israel to repent towards the Lord. They were at Mizpah at Samuel’s direction, when the Philistines sensed an opportunity. 3 Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to Yahweh with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to Yahweh, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” The language reminds us of what Christ said, “Seek first the kingdom and all these things will be added unto you.” The lessons and the struggles are the same today as they were three thousand years ago. After the repentance God fought for Israel. Thunder and lightning filled the sky and it terrified the Philistines. Many westerners have lost the sense that there are two realms that overlap each other in different dimensions. The spiritual and the natural are overlaid. Even the Philistines knew this, and interpreted the thunder as a sign that God was against them. In 1 Samuel 3 the Israelites had fought the Philistines at the exact same place, Ebenezer. Except in that case they had taken the ark of the covenant out as a king of magic wand to help them win war. They had no fear of God, and lost. Following on from this 50,000 men died at the hands of the ark, having no respect for God. But now, they have repented and the Lord has obtained a great victory in the same geographical place, Ebenezer. What a contrast. At the end of the chapter Samuel is labelled a judge.

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3 nov 2022

9:48

1 Samuel 6 - The Philistines Return the Ark | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 6, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. 1 Samuel Chapter 6 the Philistines are distressed and want to send the ark back. It cannot go to Shiloh - but Israel in general. Shiloh had been destroyed by the Philistines and the tabernacle quite likely too. Yet the Philistines aren’t 100% convinced that God was behind their problems, so they propose a test. The ark is placed on a cart pulled by cows, with their not yet weaned calves nearby. Despite this the cows walk off with the ark, proving that God wanted his ark back. The Philistines send it back with offerings of golden tumors and rats, signs of the bubonic plague which had troubled them. The ark went to Beth Shemesh, a border town in Israel. There Apparently 70 men tried to look inside the ark. Or was is 50,070? Chad Ashby has an interesting article on this. It seems that 70 men from Beth Shemesh sparked something much bigger and more terrible by their actions that may have affected many others. https://chadashby.com/2018/07/23/text... eir-heads/ Interestingly, the Philistines have treated the ark with great respect, but the Israelites have not to the same degree. The Philistines also would not have been aware of the rules concerning the ark, but the Israelites in theory should have known. Either way, this event which the Bible calls “a great slaughter” on the back of having lost the ark for seven months, was modifying the theology of the Israelites. It is on the back of this knowledge, that Uzziah later dies when he touches the ark 20 years after this. Both him and David should have been much much more careful. What about the holiness and the glory of God? Here Israelites were treating God like a common thing.

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2 nov 2022

15:48

1 Samuel 5 - The Ark of the Covenant Captured | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 5, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. 1 Samuel Chapter 5 the Philistines have captured the ark. In the mind of the Philistines they had defeated the Isrealite God, and they now believed their god to be superior. They knew the Israelite God had defeated the Egyptian gods, so this was quite a celebration for them, but their theology was also faulty. What God would allow himself to be defeated? Yahweh for one, because he cares more about the hearts of men, that the perception that he lost a battle. The great temple of Dagon was in Ashdod. Previously there had been a greater temple in Gaza, but Sampson had destroyed it. Ashdod is also the NT city Azotus, which Philip visits in Acts 8. Once the ark is put in the temple, the statue of Dagon falls down before it overnight. The Lord so amazingly puts messages before people of all times and places. Here God speaks to the Philistines showing them that He alone is to be worshipped, but nobody seems to pick up what is being said. After this the plague starts. Many people think this was the Bubonic plague because of the tumours and the rats. In the Bible, plagues are always associated with God’s action. It may well have been the Bubonic plague symbolised by both the tumors and the rats, but it can still be spiritually caused too. The plague causes the Philistines to change their mind about wanting to keep the ark.

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1 nov 2022

10:07

1 Samuel 4 - God Speaks to Samuel | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 4, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. 1 Samuel Chapter 4 the Isrealites are camped at Ebenezer for battle against the Philistines. Ebenezer means the Lord has helped us thus far. Strangely, they are about to go into battle at the end of God’s help. The Israelites bring the ark, but view the ark of the covenant like a magic wand that can be waved. They didn’t realise that the right heart and attitudes towards God are crucial. Today, someone can pray a good prayer for salvation, but not be saved because the heart is not truly humbled, and grace doesn’t flow. Here for Israel, despite the ark coming into the camp, grace doesn’t flow. So the Israelites lose the battle, and the ark is captured. This is the event prophecied in the last chapter that was going to make the ears of everyone tingle. When Eli hears the terrible news, he falls off his chair, breaks his neck and dies. The scripture says he was “very heavy.” Essentially he was fat. His privileged position, and his profligate sons who helped themselves to everything may not have helped. Finally Eli’s daughter in law dies giving birth and names the boy Ichabod meaning “no glory.” This is the low point that kind of ends the period of the Judges. Samuel is kind of like the last judge, and during the period of the judges, Israel had apostatized. This statement about the glory departing is a good statement to describe the low state Israel had come to. But under Samuel they were going to see the beginnings of Prophets and Kings. Despite it being a low point, it is also a very important moment, because it shows the Israelites that they don’t control God. He isn’t something brought out to perform as required. The removal of the ark no doubt prompted many theological questions, and this was good long term. Also, Shiloh was destroyed by the Philistines as recorded in Psalm 78.

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31 oct 2022

12:30

1 Samuel 3 - The Call of Samuel | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 3, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer. 1 Samuel Chapter 3 Samuel seems to be learning the duty of the priest. He in fact might have been Levite despite having lived in Ephraim. At this point he is about 12-13, a fact which comes from the historian Josephus. He is now old enough to be spiritually responsible for himself. Scripture says here that the word of the Lord was rare. Perhaps because people didn’t seek Him for them. Also note that the proper translation here is not rare, but precious. The fact that the word is not common is what makes it precious, but it indicates our attitude towards those rare times when God speaks. Samuel at first doesn’t recognise the voice as the Lord. Learning to recognise the voice of God is a skill that many people do not have. Even though this is a situation in which God seems to be speaking audibly, it doesn’t actually say that he is. God knows how to get the attention of people, so the onus is on him to be heard, but the onus is on his people to want to hear, and to seek his voice. Once God speaks however, it can take practice to learn to recognise Him. Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.” Or “speak for your servant is listening.” This phrase is an amazing phrase to speak to the Lord at any time. During our times of silent prayer at Peace Christian Church, I have often said this to the Lord. Moses aside, Samuel is really the first of the prophets and is also the last of the Judges. Counting the 12 in the book of Judges, there are 13 judges if we count Samuel, and Samuel is clearly the more significant.

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30 oct 2022

16:06

1 Samuel 2 - Eli's Sons | Bible Podcast, David Alley, Peace Christian Church

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 2, read by Hannah Batley, followed by comments and prayer. 1 Samuel Chapter 2 includes a prayer by Samuel’s mother Hannah. This prayer is one of praise, worship and thanksgiving. Many commentators also consider this prayer a song or prophecy. In the prayer, the justice of the Lord is emphasised, particularly in verses 9 - 10. As mentioned in Chapter 1, the Lord sees the needy, and he does provide. The chapter also gives us extra information on this family, telling us that Hannah went on to have three sons and two daughters. Once a year, Hannah would bring a robe to Samuel, and the boy grew, both physically and spiritually (verse 21 and 26). Finally, the latter portion of the chapter tells of the disobedience and wickedness of Eli’s sons, which will be touched on in later videos. The Lord is both just and merciful. This is sometimes a difficult concept for us to grasp, because our human minds cannot comprehend how someone could show both justice and mercy, and know when to act accordingly. Yet God isn’t limited to our finite minds, he created us and knows when and how to act. The Lord will forgive you when you sin, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t reap the consequences of your actions.

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29 oct 2022

9:26

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