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Introduction
2 Timothy 4:1–2 (ESV): 1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
The PK Situation
How the Culture of Toil Affects the Church
How to Address the Catch-22s of a Busy Schedule
A Tale of Two Parents
1 Samuel 1:6 (ESV): 6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.
1 Samuel 1:10 (ESV): 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.
1 Samuel 1:11 (ESV): 11 And she vowed a vow. . .
1 Samuel 1:11 (ESV): 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
1 Samuel 3:1 (ESV): 1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. . .
1 Samuel 3:7 (ESV): 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
Ezekiel 18:20 (ESV): 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.)
Galatians 6:9 (ESV): 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
1 Samuel 2:15–17 (ESV): 15 Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” 16 And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.
1 Samuel 2:22–25 (ESV): 22 Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. 25 If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.
1 Samuel 2:29 (ESV): 29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’
1 Samuel 3:13 (ESV): 13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.
1 Samuel 3:26 (ESV): 26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.
© Joshua D. Smith, Ph.D., 2024