May 9 – When the Philistines understand God better than the Israelites

May 9
1 Samuel 5:1-7:17
John 6:1-21
Psalm 106:13-31
Proverbs 14:32-33

merian
The broken Dagon statue in the Temple of Ashdod in front of the Ark of the Covenant (1Sam 5: 1-5 – Merian’s Iconic Biblicae, Frankfurt 1625-30)

I Samuel 6:3 – The Philistine priests were wiser than the Israelite priests – they knew they had sinned and needed reconciliation.

I Samuel 6:6 – Apparently word got around about the Egyptians.

I Samuel 6:15 – Scholars have noted the differences between the Israelites and the Philistines in Beth-Shemesh by their diet.

I Samuel 7:12 – Have you raised an Ebenezer?

John 6:14-15 – After which miracle did they want to make him King? Not His baptism (John 1:32), identification as the Lamb of God (John 1:36), the cleansing of the temple (John 2:15), his dialogue on salvation with a leading Pharisee (John 3:36), confronting the Samaritan woman (John 4:39), Jesus theological dialogue with the Jews in Jerusalem (John 5:19-47), but only when they had a good meal (John 6:13). What did Jesus know about the crowd?…..

Psalm 106:13 – Just like Israelites of old, “they soon forgat his works” (re-iterated in Psalm 106:21). Yes the crowd that wanted to crown Him King would cry Crucify! (John 19:15).

Proverbs 14:32 – From the Pulpit Commentary:

even in the greatest danger the good man loses not his trust in God. It is like Job’s word (if our reading is correct, Job 13:15), “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him;” and the psalmist, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). Thus the Christian martyrs went joyfully to the stake, and gentle women and little children smiled on the sword which sent them home

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