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June 15

Reading 1 - Judges 16

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v.20 - God removes his support if we turn to the world, and allow the world to cause us to break our vow with God. Where would we be without God's support and blessing? We need to take steps to ensure that we never lose it. Jer.9:23-24.
Peter Cresswell
v.1 - There seem to be a number of times when people of God go in to harlots, and no condemnation seems to be made of them for this. I find this very difficult to understand (see also comment below from Bro. Lindsay Yuile)
Peter Cresswell

v.3 - This area of Samson's life is reflected in language speaking of Jesus

Upon his shoulders 16:3/Isaiah 9:6
give thee - pieces of silver 16:5/Matthew 26:15
vexed unto death 16:16/Mark 14:34

Peter Forbes

More links with Jesus death

16:5 will give thee pieces of silver Matthew 26:15
16:16 soul was vexed unto death Mark 14:34
16:20 Lord was departed from him Matthew 27:46
16:30 Bowed himself John 19:30

Peter Forbes

ch 16 - We may wonder why Samson took the gates of Gaza to Hebron. Maybe the answer is in the fact that Isaac was buried there and he received the promise Genesis 22:17.
Peter Forbes
About Rahab from a few days ago who told a lie about the whereabouts of the spies, I recall that you commented that this was one of the few occasions when we might consider a lie to be acceptable. The other is for Today''s readi ng about Samson - the simple comment that you do not understand the number of occasions when visiting a harlot is not condemned.

I don't have an answer, but I believe tht there are many occasions when men of faith failed and there is no specific condemnation. However, there are plenty of passages that show that telling a lie or committing adultery (or fornication) is wrong. I believe that we are meant to understand that despite our failings, God can still work with us because of the atonement, and all that that entails.

Brother Mark Vincent recently gave a talk on the book of Judges at a youth gathering. He drew our attention to the fact that there is little comment by way of Judgement in the book of that name. He suggested that we might be being encouraged to try and apply judgement to the situations that we read about. Further he said that when we try and do so we find it exceedingly difficult to the point of impossiblity. Therefore the message is perhaps that we should leave judgement to God.

If I understood him correctly, then I like what he said.

My point really is that God does not explicitly comdemn every sin committed by the characters in scripture. We would also be wrong to condemn the sinners - especially where we have confirmation of a place for them in God's king dom.

In short - I don't think that any lie can be said to be acceptable, and whilst I share your lack of understanding with regard to, for example, Samson and Delilah, I think that we can draw comfort from God's loving mercy when we fail. Ce rtainly we cannot justify any of our own sins because there are occasions when there is no direct condemnation of a similar sin to ours in the Bible.
Lindsay Yuile

Reading 2 - Isaiah 39

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v. 8 - Hezekiah is showing his appreciation that God has chosen to wait until after his reign to do this. As a righteous man, he would see that the people deserved it - even, it would appear, his sons (v.7), so he recognises that God's word is good.
Peter Cresswell
v.1-4 - In his delight at being given his extra life, or having had a miracle worked, he loses his guard a little and chooses to celebrate with the Babylonians. In naievity, it seems, he shows them round his palace, but Isaiah warns that this is the start of a bad time for the people leading to their captivity.
Peter Cresswell
v.6 - Maybe Isaiah reproved Hezekiah on the matter of the Babylonian ambassadors because he had already spoken about the Babylonian involvement against Judah Isaiah 13 and 14.
Peter Forbes
39:2 This event is reported also in 2 Chronicles 32:23,31
Peter Forbes
:8 These are not just the words of resignation. Hezekiah trusted his God and realised that he had sinned. So he was willing to acknowledge that what God was going to good was bound to be for the ultimate good of His servants.
Peter Forbes

[In response to Bro. Peter C's comment on v.8 above]

I have never thought of Hezekiah in this way. I always took him to be rather selfish. True, he did show remarkable faith under the threats of Sennacharib. But it seems that begging for extended life is questionable. He then became boastful after he had received fifteen more years of life. He opened up to the Babylonians in an alliance against the Assyrians. Where was the faith in his God now?
Having had this sin pointed out to him, and the subsequent punishment, he was joyful that it would not take place in his lifetime. "Whew!" he might have thought.
Comments?
Michael Parry

Reading 3 - 2Peter 3

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v.4 - This accurate prophecy has become more and more true as time has gone on. It reflects on the self-sufficiency required by individuals to learn when the scripture was complete and the spirit power removed, as prophesied in 1Cor.13:8, leaving us with the power of love (and hope) on which to build our faith in His Word. Heb.8:13.
Peter Cresswell
v.10 - [1 Thessalonians 5:2] The brethren and sisters knew that Jesus would come 'as a thief' because Jesus told his disciples as much in the Olivet prophecy. [Matthew 24:43] Confirming that they knew the 'times and the seasons' Paul reminds them that they are not in darkness. [1 Thessalonians 5:4] In a similar way Peter [2 Peter 3:10] reminds his Jewish audiences that despite apparent delays the destruction of Jerusalem will take place. And Jesus takes up his own warning [Revelation 3:3 16:15] giving two warnings to his disciples lest they become complacent.
Peter Forbes
3:4 In asking 'where is the promise of his coming' those who spoke like this were questioning the words of Jesus when he spoke of the overthrow of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:3, 48)
Peter Forbes
:1-2 In stirring up their minds about those things which were spoken by the prophets Peter is showing us
1 It is easy to forget things we once knew
2 What the prophets said is important to believers today.

Doing the 'daily readings' is probably the best way to keep these things in our minds.
Peter Forbes