Today's Reading - May 7, 2010

1 Samuel 1:1-2:21
John 5:1-23
Psalm 105:37-45
Proverbs 14:28-29

Question of the day: What is significant about Samuel's place in Jewish history?

Samuel was the last of the Judges of Israel and the first of the major prophets. He appointed the first two kings of Israel.

Today's Reading - May 6, 2010

Ruth 2:1-4:22
John 4:43-54
Psalm 105:16-36
Proverbs 14:26-27

Question of the day: What did "uncovered his feet" mean in Ruth 3:7?

Hebrew translation reveals that the phrase is a euphemism for uncovering his genitals. Ruth meant to ensnare Boaz after his night of drinking. Boaz, to his credit, or his incapacity, did not have relations with Ruth, but made arrangements to marry her the next day.

Today's Reading - May 5, 2010

Judges 21:1-Ruth 1:22
John 4:4-42
Psalm 105:1-15
Proverbs 14:25

Question of the day: In John 4:22, Jesus said "You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship." Why did the Samaritans know so little?

The Samaritans were descended from the Israelite people who had not been deported when the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom (722/21 BC) and imported other peoples into the region (2 Kings 17:22-41). They continued to worship Yahweh, but also allowed the worship of other gods from the resettled peoples’ homelands.

Alexander the Great allowed the Samaritans to build or renovate a Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim. This became a point of contention to the Jews who had returned and rebuilt Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem. Tensions continued to degrade until the temple on Mt. Gerizim was destroyed by the Jews in 128 B.C. (The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, 726-7). Both groups believed that they were worshiping Yahweh, and both believed that they had the right place to worship Yahweh. The woman had met a prophet–someone who knew what had happened in her life, and one she was sure could answer the most pressing theological question of her heart and of the time.

For more information, visit http://www.crivoice.org/WT-samaritan.html.

Today's Reading - May 4, 2010

Judges 19:1-20:48
John 3:22-4:3
Psalm 104:24-35
Proverbs 14:22-24

Question of the day: Why is there a recurring statement that "Now in those days Israel had no king."

While it is true that Israel did not have a human king, the Lord had wanted Israel to look to Him as their king and serve Him only.

Today's Reading - May 3, 2010

Judges 17:1-18:31
John 3:1-21
Psalm 104:1-23
Proverbs 14:20-21

Question of the day: Why had the tribe of Israel not settled into the land that the Lord had allotted them?

The Tribe of Dan, while being the second largest of all the tribes, was unable to defeat the Philistines, to gain control of the land. Militarily, they were a very poor tribe, able to defeat only the weak and defenseless.

Today's Reading - May 2, 2010

Judges 15:1-16:31
John 2:1-25
Psalm 103:1-22
Proverbs 14:17-19

Question of the day: Why did God give Samson his amazing strength?

God foresaw that Samson would be a mighty warrior for Israel, and it was common for God to intervene for the Israelites, as we just saw with Gideon (Judges 8). God chose to endow Samson with great strength because of his love for Israel.

Judges 13:1-14:20
John 1:29-51
Psalm 102:1-28
Proverbs 14:15-16

Question of the day? Why would Nathanael say, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Nazareth was an insignificant agricultural village that was home to 200 to 500 people in Jesus' day. It was unremarkable in every way, so it would not be uncommon for someone to be surprised at the news that someone as important as the Messiah would come from there.