January 29, 2017 - Samuel the Last Judge is Born

TONY & MICHELLE PAWLAK

MEMORY VERSE

Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him.

Psalm 127:3

Are children important?  YES! How important are children? EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! Does God love children?  Yes, more than we could ever understand.  Can God use children?  Yes and He often does.  In fact, everybody God has ever loved or used has started off as a child (except Adam and Eve, of course (-;  ).

Last week we learned about Ruth and Boaz and the beautiful story that brought a very important family together.  Naomi had lost her joy when she lost her children.  She regained it when God gave her a grandson, Obed.  It is truly a privilege that God has given people to have children. Unfortunately, not all people have this joy...

During the time that the story of Ruth happened, the Bible says that "In those days there was no king in Israel." Judges

17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25.  Without a King, who ruled Israel?  Starting with Moses, God appointed people called Judges to rule over people.  Some were Judges over large ares, some smaller. Many of them were great heroes like Samson, Deborah, Ehud, and Gideon. But today we're going to talk about when Israel's LAST JUDGE was born.  

There was a man who was a Levite from the tribe of Ephraim named Elkanah.  

Elkanah had two wives (not a good idea).  One was named Peninnah and the other was named Hannah.  Now, Peninnah had children but Hannah didn't.  For some reason God had not allowed Hannah to have have them.  Peninnah would tease Hannah about it all the time and make her very

sad.  Hannah wanted children so badly and Peninnah making fun of her only made things worse.  It got so bad that Hannah would cry and refuse to eat!  Elkanah tried to comfort her but it was no use.

Every year, Elkanah would take his family to the town of Shiloh where the Israelites

had set up the Tabernacle in the Promised Land.  When Elkanah would make an offering to God, he gave meat to Peninnah and all her children but he loved Hannah so much that he gave her twice as much.  It didn't matter to him that she had not had any children for him.  

Hannah decided one year that she would go to the

Tabernacle and ask God to give her a son.  She promised God that if He gave her a son, she would give him back to God to serve Him for his entire life.  While she was praying, she was so sad that no words would come out of her mouth even though her lips were moving because she was praying in her heart.  This looked very strange to Eli, the High Priest.  He thought that poor Hannah was drunk!  

Eli said to her, "How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine!"  But Hannah, who was not drunk, explained to him, "I'm not drunk.  I'm here pouring my heart out to God.  I look this way because I am so sad." Eli saw that she was telling the truth and said to her, "Go in peace and may God give you what you have asked for." 

Not too long after, God allowed Hannah to have a child and

she named him Samuel (which means Asked of God).  She raised him for a few years but always remembered her promise to God.  So, when Samuel was about three years old, Hannah took him to Shiloh to live with Eli the High Priest.  Every year, however,

Hannah came to visit Samuel and gave him a new robe she had made for him that looked like one of the priest's blue robes.

Eli taught young Samuel everything he would need to know to serve God.  God was about to start doing some wonderful things through Samuel, eventually making

him Israel's last Judge.  We will see what happens to Samuel next week.

January 22, 2017 - Ruth and Naomi

TONY & MICHELLE PAWLAK

MEMORY VERSE

But seek first the kingdom of God and his

righteousness, and all these things will be

     added to you.

Matthew 6:33

When things are going badly, sometimes I wonder if God is still looking out for me.  I worry about things like, "what will I eat?" or, "what will I wear?"  The Bible tells us that God knows about all our needs and has a plan to provide for them.  Our job is to seek God and be as much like Jesus as we can.  Then God will make sure that we have everything we need.

Last week we talked about how Rahab, a woman from Jericho, helped Joshua's spies escape and ultimately helped the Israelites take Jericho.  Rahab later married an Israelite named Salmon and they had a son who became a wealthy land owner in the town of Bethlehem.  But we'll talk more about him later.

Right now we're going to talk about a relative of his, a man named Elimelek.  Elimelek lived in Bethlehem with his

family during the time before Israel had kings and they were ruled by Judges.  One year, a famine hit Israel and there wasn't enough food for everyone.  Elimelek decided that it would be best to move his family to the country of

Moab until the famine was over.

So Elimelek, his wife Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, moved to Moab and were there for about ten years.  Both Mahlon and Kilion married Moabite women.  One was named Orpah and the other one was named Ruth.  But then tragedy

struck.  Elimelek, Mahlon, and Kilion, all died leaving the women without anyone to take care of them.  

Naomi and her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, prepared to go back to Bethlehem.  As they went, Naomi told them to go back home. Both girls loved Naomi and refused to leave

her but Naomi insisted saying, "I have no other sons to marry you and I am too old to have children.  Go home and find new husbands and may God be as kind to you as you have been to me and my family."  

Finally, Orpah reluctantly returned home but Ruth threw

her arms around Naomi and refused to let her go saying, "I will go where you go, live where you live, your people will be my people, and your God will be my God."  Finally, Naomi agreed to let her come along and they headed back to Bethlehem, Judah in Israel.  When they arrived, everyone was so happy to see Naomi but Naomi was

not happy at all.  "Please don't call me Naomi." she said.  "Naomi means sweetness but I don't feel very sweet.  When I left I had my family but now I have nothing so I feel very bitter.  Call me "Mara" because that means bitter."  

So Ruth and Naomi (Mara) settled back in Elimelek's land but they had no money to pay workers.  Ruth decided that

she would have to go and glean in another farmer's field in order to get money.  (Gleaning is where the harvesters would leave the crops in the corners of the fields for the poor to eat.)  Ruth found a field to glean in and went to work.  It just so happens that the field belonged to the son of Rahab and Salmon, a man named Boaz.

Boaz was a kind man who treated his workers well and they were happy to see him when he came to the field that day. After he greeted them, he noticed a new woman gleaning in his field.  Curious, Boaz asked his head servant, "Who's woman is this?"  "This is Ruth, the daughter-in-law of your relative Naomi.  She came back from Moab with her and has been caring for Naomi ever since.  She's been here all day working very hard."

This pleased Boaz so he walked up to Ruth and told her, "I would like you to stay working only in my field until harvest time is over for the year.  I have told my workers to treat you well and you may even drink of their water."  Ruth was so

happy about his kindness that she had to ask, "Why are you being so kind to me?  I am not even from Israel!"

"I have heard what you have done for Naomi, leaving your home and family when you didn't have to, and moving here where you knew nothing and nobody.  May God bless you for what you have done."  Boaz said.

So Ruth stayed in Boaz's field and even ate with him and his

 servants.  Boaz even gave her special treatment so she would have plenty of food to take home.  In fact, when she got home, Naomi was amazed at how much barley she had gleaned. "Where on earth did you go today?  She asked Ruth.

"To the field of Boaz.  He was very kind to me saying that I could stay until the end of the harvest." Ruth answered.

"He is one of our close relatives.  If he wants to, he could be what we call a kinsman redeemer, someone who cares for the land and family of a relative who has died. Stay in his field as he said.  You will be safe there."  Naomi instructed.

So Ruth did everything that Naomi said.  As the year went on Naomi realized that Ruth would need someone to care for her.  So she called Ruth to her one day and said to

her,"Ruth, I think it's time that you think about getting married again and I believe Boaz is the man.  So listen and do as I say.  Tonight, go down to the threshing floor where the men separate the grain.  When Boaz is done working, he will sleep there to guard his grain against thieves.  Uncover his feet and lay down there.  This way he'll know that you want him to be your kinsman redeemer."  So, once again, Ruth did what Naomi said.

When Ruth laid down at his feet, Boaz awoke with a startle.

 "Who's there?" he asked. " "I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” (Ruth 3:9b) She said.  "I will, if I can." Boaz said. "But there is another relative who is closer and first in line. If he won't redeem you, then I will.

The next day Boaz went into town to find his relative.  Boaz then took his relative before the city elders and said, "Naomi, our relative, is selling Elimelek's land.  I would like

to buy it but you are first in line. If you won't buy it then I will."  "I will buy it." The relative said.  

"Fine, but you would also have to marry Elimelek's daughter-in-law." 

"In that case, I'll let you buy it, Boaz." He said as he gave Boaz his sandal to seal the deal.

So Boaz stood up before the city elders and said, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelek and all that belonged to Kilion and to Mahlon. Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife..." (Ruth  4:9-10a)

So Ruth and Boaz were married and had a son named Obed.

 Naomi was so happy that she became Obed's caregiver.

 Ruth had sought God and God had provided everything that Ruth would ever need.  So remember to seek first the kingdom of God.  He will take care of you.

January 15, 2017 - Battle of Jericho

TONY & MICHELLE PAWLAK

MEMORY VERSE

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)

Do you believe in God? I would hope that you'd say yes.  But what does it mean to "Believe?"  When things are tough do you believe that God will help you through?  When you're hungry do you believe that God will make sure that you eat? The main question is; Do you TRUST GOD?  It's easy to say that we believe but do we really trust that God can do the impossible?  Well, Israel had to do just that...

Last time we saw the Israelites, they were wandering in the wilderness and eating manna for forty years because they did trust that God would give them victory in the Promised Land.  Now they were going to get a second chance.  Moses, however, would not be going

with them.  Instead, his servant Joshua (one of the only two spies that trusted in God) was going to be their new leader. It was time to conquer the Promised Land which was called Canaan.

The first city they would come to in the Promised Land was called Jericho.  Jericho was a huge city with enormous walls to protect it from attack.  Joshua decided to send two spies to check it out.  The spies crossed the Jordan River and went into Jericho.  They found a place to stay at the house of a woman named Rahab, who's house was actually on the city wall.  

However, the king of Jericho heard that there were Israelite

spies in the city and he was afraid.  Everyone had heard about how God had rescued them from Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and taken care of the Israelites for the past forty years.  He knew that the Israelites were planning on attacking Jericho and he couldn't let that happen so he shut the city gate so they couldn't get out.  

The king of Jericho then sent soldiers to Rahab's house to arrest the spies.  You would think that the spies were in big trouble, wouldn't you?  When the soldiers came to the door, Rahab answered and said to the soldiers, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." (Joshua 2:4-5 NIV)

So the soldiers went after the spies thinking they could

catch them but Rahab had actually hidden the men on her roof under a bunch of flax stalks she had laid out to dry in the sun.  After the soldiers left she went up to them  and said, "I know that your God has given you this land and everyone has heard about the great things He has done for you and we are all very afraid.  I know

that the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. (Joshua 2:11b NIV)  

Now that I have saved your lives, please promise me that me and my family will not be killed when your army comes to attack us.  The spies promised her that they would spare her life since she had saved theirs.  So Rahab, trusting the spies, found a

Scarlet (red) rope and let them out of her window and down the city wall so they could escape.  They told her, "Tie this scarlet rope in your window so the army will know which house is your.  Make sure your family stays inside or else they will

get killed." Rahab agreed and the spies ran back to tell Joshua everything that had happened.  

It was now time for the Israelites to enter into the Promised Land.  But there was a problem.  How do you get millions of people across the great Jordan River which was even wider than usual?  God told Joshua just what to do.  So Joshua, trusting what

God had said, gathered the people at the banks of the Jordan and had four priests carry the Ark of the Covenant into the river.  As soon as their feet touched the river, God made the water upstream stand up on end.  So the Israelites were able to cross on dry land.  

Joshua also had twelve men gather twelve large stones from the riverbed and stack them on the other side.  This was so future generations would see them and remember what God had done that day.

Now the Israelites were wondering how they were going to defeat Jericho when the wall around the city was so massive.  God had a plan but it

sounded crazy.  They were really going to have to trust God this time.  God had Joshua make the people with seven priests and the Ark of the Covenant march around the outside of the city. The only sound was the priests blowing their shofars (ram's horn). 

They walked around once and then went back to camp.

 They did this for six days in a row while the people inside the city watched.  Then on the seventh day they marched around the city seven times.  Then Joshua said, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab ... and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.... All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.” (Joshua 6:16b-17, 19 NIV) 

When the priests blew the shofars and the people shouted

the walls crumbled to the ground!  Then the Israelite army ran in and easily conquered the entire city.  Only Rahab and her family were saved.  Rahab then lived with Israel and later married an Israelite named Salmon.  

When God makes you a promise, you can trust Him to keep it, even if He has to do the impossible.  If we trust in God then He will do some wonderful things in our lives.

TWO CYBER POINTS THIS WEEK!  IF YOU ONLY GET ONE, YOU WILL GET ONE POINT. IF YOU GET BOTH OF THEM YOU WILL GET THREE POINTS!!!