King James Daily Bible Study: Body of Christ
Date: Sunday March 27, 2011
Chapters: Judges 12-14
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-march-27
Details of Today's Reading: The jealousy of Ephriam, forty-two thousand Ephriamites die as a result, the Israelites sin again and are delivered into the hands of the Philistines, the parents of Samson and his birth, Samson is Judge, Samsom fights a lion, his riddles, his deceitful Philistine wife.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
It's pretty scary to see everything that is happening around the world today, wars, earthquakes, and tsunami's, and poverty is everywhere you look these days. It's nothing that God has not been warning us about all along. It's amazing to hear the comments of people who live in the world, the vision of 2012 comes up often, but we who are Christian's and read the Bible are just reminded that all these are signs that Jesus is coming real soon. Jesus said, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows...But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” - Matthew 24:6-8,13. It's only the beginning, we have no idea when Jesus is coming, but each day that passes we are one day closer to His return. No matter how many people come together and try to save the planet, it's still coming to an end and that is why it is important that we reach as many people with the Gospel as we can before it's too late. Only those who know Jesus personally will be saved from all this.

After Jephthah lead the Gileadites to victory over the Ammonites here come the Ephriamites once again arguing that they did not have a part in the war, just as they did with Gideon. This time they started a war against them.

“And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire. And Jephthah said unto them, I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands. And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up unto me this day, to fight against me?” - Judges 12:1-3.

The Ephriamites jealousy lead to the death of forty-two thousand of their men. Jealousy brings serious consequences to those who should be as one to fight God’s battles. We are all members of one body and that is Christ, we are not to be fighting with and deceiving one another. We are to be setting the example and showing the world how important it is to receive Christ so they too can be saved. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” - I Corinthians 3:16,17.

A Nazarite is a person who was bound by a vow of a peculiar kind to be set apart from others for the service of God. The Nazarite, during-the term of has consecration, was bound to abstain from wine (juice) and grapes, with every production of the vine and from every kind of intoxicating drink. They were forbidden to cut their hair, approach any dead body, even that of his nearest relation. God chose a man named Samson to be raised up as a Nazarite. God Himself sent an angel to his parents and gave them specific instructions on how they were to raise him, his mother could not even eat certain food while carrying him.

“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” - Judges 13:3-5.


A Nazarite is like being a Christian, being a Christian is not about going to church, giving tithes, or donations, of course, it is good to do these things, but this is all surface stuff. Being a Christian is about allowing Christ to live in and through you, when others look at you they should be able to see Christ in you. Now, we all grow at different stages, but the more you grow with Christ the more He reflects through you. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” - II Corinthians 3:18.


Samson, although raised a Nazarite, did not live his life for God, in fact, he did everything the opposite. Yet, God still used him to be a judge for quite some time. To show him that God was his strength he allowed him to kill a lion with his bare hands.

“And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines...Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.” - Judges 14:1,5-9.

By enabling him to kill a lion, God let Samson know what he could do in the strength of the Spirit of the Lord. The lion has no strength against one who belongs to Christ. However, Samson did not keep himself from those connections with the world to which the condition of the people easily led. This is always a Christian's danger. We are not to just follow some of God's commands, but all of them. He gives them to us for a reason, not to punish or deprive us, but to warn and protect us. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” - Hebrews 12:6,7.

As Christian's it is important for us to do our part as the body of Christ, while we can not stop future events we can be prepared, we can be assured, and we can help save others. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” - Ephesians 6:13-17.

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through Samson, who, as a Nazarite, was to be consecrated in the ministry of God. Although not a Nazarite, Jesus was also set apart and consecrated in the ministry of God. Jesus, while hanging on the cross said, “It is finished:” - John 19:30.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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