Slideshow image

Hi everyone! I hope you’re having a wonderful week and enjoying the sunshine that has been brightening up our days. If you enjoy Mexican food, I hope you’ve had your fill over the Cinco De Mayo season as well.

This week, my mind has been occupied with the launch of a new sermon series. I enjoy the study and planning process involved with a new series. I always learn a lot, and the creative side of the process gets my juices flowing. Extra time and energy are required, though, because I have to think about the overall shape of the next 11 weeks as well as what’s coming this Sunday. So, the transition to a new series has definitely kept me entertained! 

From now through July, we’re going to take “A Peek at Some Prophets.”

I’m a firm believer that it’s important for us to hear, and become increasingly familiar with the message of the whole Bible. Jesus is the center of Scripture and of our faith, and He always deserves first place. Yet Jesus Himself taught us the importance of knowing the Hebrew Scriptures—the Bible that He and the disciples read before our New Testament letters were written. So, having spent a number of months exploring 1 Corinthians, it will be good for us to take a brief tour through parts of the Old Testament again.

The New Testament frequently refers to the Old Testament as “The Law and the Prophets.” This is a reminder that the prophets play a crucial role in the unfolding of Scripture. So, our study in the coming weeks will focus on some prophets.

Now, we could approach this by exploring the books written by one or more of the prophets. (It’s probably been a while since you’ve heard a sermon series from Obediah or Zechariah!)  But after so many weeks listening to Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians, I think everyone will enjoy coming at things from a different angle. So, this time around, we’re going to look at the lives of a few prophets, as their stories are told in the narratives of 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings. I always enjoy preaching these narrative sections, and I suspect that everyone will like a series that includes more stories.

(By the way, did you know that Samuel and Kings are listed as “prophetic” books in the Hebrew canon? In Jewish tradition, our Old Testament is divided into “Law,” “Prophets,” and “Writings,” and the prophets include Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and 12 minor prophets not including Daniel—which falls into the “Writings.” In other words, in the Hebrew Bible, the “Prophets” aren’t just the books written by prophets—they also include books that feature the ministry of prophets. So, it’s quite appropriate for us to peek at prophets in Samuel and Kings.)

This week we’ll begin in 1 Samuel 1 and 2, specifically 1:1-2:11 and 2:18-21. These verses give us the story of the birth and early childhood of Israel’s first great national prophet: Samuel. It’s worth reading ahead if you have the chance. If you do, you’ll quickly notice that this is also—mostly—the story of Hannah, Samuel’s mother, which makes it a very appropriate passage for us on this Mother’s Day Sunday.

As you read, please don’t skip Hannah’s song in 2:1-10. I know it’s easy to whip past these songs to get back into the narrative - like we often do when we read The Lord of the Rings and other stories that are interrupted by pages of what can feel like endless poetry. But the song tells us some important things about Hannah. And, if we had the time to explore it, this song also serves as an introduction to the larger story of God’s patient work with disobedient Israel, and His faithfulness to accomplish a plan through the Messiah in the future. It’s there for a reason, though we won’t do it justice in this week’s message.

In weeks to come, we’ll talk more about Samuel, then we’ll consider the lives of some other prophets: Nathan, Elijah, Elisha, and several whose names are less familiar or in some cases not even mentioned. I pray that the study will be enriching as well as enjoyable for us all. 

Meanwhile, though, have a great week. Remember to let Mom know how special she is. Special blessings on all of you who are mothers. May God bless you all richly, and hopefully, we’ll see many of you on Sunday.

Pastor Ken