M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

War with the Philistines

13 Saul was forty years old when he began to rule. He ruled over Israel thirty-two years. ² Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel. There were 2,000 of them with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel. And 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent. ³ Jonathan destroyed the place where the Philistine soldiers were in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul sounded the horn through all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” ⁴ All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the place where the Philistine soldiers were. And they heard that Israel had become a hated thing to the Philistines. Then the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.

⁵ The Philistines gathered to fight against Israel, with 30,000 war-wagons, 6,000 horsemen, and people like the sand on the sea shore. They came and set up their tents at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. ⁶ The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble. The people were in a place of danger. So the people hid themselves in caves, bushes, hill-sides, graves and wells. ⁷ Some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him in fear.

⁸ Saul waited seven days, the time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal. And the people were leaving him. ⁹ So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt gift and the peace gifts.” And he gave the burnt gift to the Lord. ¹⁰ As soon as he finished giving the burnt gift, Samuel came. Saul went out to meet him and say hello. ¹¹ But Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “I saw that the people were leaving me. You did not come when you said you would. And the Philistines were gathering at Michmash. ¹² So I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and I have not asked for the Lord’s favor.’ So I made myself give the burnt gift.” ¹³ Samuel said to Saul, “You have done a foolish act. You have not kept the Law that the Lord your God gave you. For now the Lord would have made your rule over Israel last forever. ¹⁴ But now your rule will not last. The Lord has found a man who is pleasing to him in every way. He has chosen him to rule over his people, because you have not obeyed the Lord.”

¹⁵ Then Samuel got up and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul numbered the people that were left with him, about 600 men.

No Swords or Spears

¹⁶ Saul and his son Jonathan, and the people with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines stayed at Michmash. ¹⁷ Soldiers came from the tents of the Philistines in three groups. One group turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual. ¹⁸ Another group turned toward Bethhoron. And another group turned toward the side of the country that looks over the valley of Zeboim toward the desert.

¹⁹ Now there was no one to be found in all the land of Israel who made things of iron. For the Philistines said, “The Hebrews might make swords or spears.” ²⁰ So each one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to get his plow, his pick, his ax, or his grain cutter sharpened. ²¹ He had to pay two-thirds part of a piece of silver to have the plows and picks sharpened, and one-third part of a piece of silver to have the axes and grain cutters sharpened. ²² So on the day of battle there was no sword or spear in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But Saul and his son Jonathan had them. ²³ And the Philistine soldiers went out to the pass of Michmash.

11 I ask then, “Has God put His people, the Jews, aside?” No, not at all! I myself am a Jew. Abraham was my early father. I am from the family group of Benjamin. ² God has not put His people aside. He chose them from the beginning. Do you know what the Holy Writings say about Elijah? Do you know what Elijah said to God against the Jews? ³ He said, “Lord, they have killed Your early preachers. They have destroyed the places where You are worshiped. I am the only one left. They are trying to kill me.” ⁴ But what did God say to him? God said, “I still have 7,000 men. None of them have worshiped the false god Baal.” ⁵ It is the same now. A few of the Jews are being chosen because of God’s loving-favor. ⁶ If they are saved from the punishment of sin because of God’s loving-favor, it is nothing men have done to earn it. If men had earned it, then His loving-favor would not be a free gift. ⁷ This is the way it was. Many Jews did not get what they were looking for. Only those God chose received it. The hearts of the others were made hard. They could not understand it. ⁸ The Holy Writings say this about them, “God gave them hearts and minds that want to sleep. He gave them eyes that could not see. To this very day He gave them ears that could not hear.” ^{(A) 9} David said, “Let their table of food become a trap to hold them. Let it be a hole into which they fall and will suffer. ¹⁰ Let their eyes be closed so they cannot see. Keep their backs from being straight always because of their troubles.” ^(B)

¹¹ I ask then, “Did the Jews fall so they would be lost forever?” No, not at all! It means the people who are not Jews are able to be saved from the punishment of sin because the Jews sinned by not putting their trust in Christ. This made the Jews jealous of those who are not Jews. ¹² The world received good things from God because of the sin of the Jews. Because the Jews did not receive God’s free gift, the people who are not Jews received good things from Him. Think how much more the world will receive when the Jews finish God’s plan by putting their trust in Christ!

¹³ I am speaking to you people who are not Jews. As long as I am a missionary to you, I want you to know how important my job is. ¹⁴ I do this so it will make my own people, the Jews, jealous. Then it may be that some will be saved from the punishment of sin. ¹⁵ Because the Jews have been put aside, many other people in the world have been saved from the punishment of sin. Think what it will be like when they are also gathered in. It will be like the dead coming back to life!

¹⁶ If the first loaf is holy, all the bread is holy. If the root is holy, all the branches are holy.

¹⁷ But some of the branches (who are the Jews) were broken off. You who are not Jews were put in the place where the branches had been broken off. Now you are sharing the rich root of the olive tree. ¹⁸ Do not be proud. Do not think you are better than the branches that were broken off. If you are proud, remember that you do not hold the root. It is the root that holds you. ¹⁹ You may say, “Branches were broken off to make room for me.” ²⁰ It is true. They were broken off because they did not put their trust in Christ. And you are there only because of your faith. Do not be proud. Instead, be afraid. ²¹ God did not keep the first branches (who are the Jews) on the tree. Then watch, or He will not keep you on the tree. ²² We see how kind God is. It shows how hard He is also. He is hard on those who fall away. But He is kind to you if you keep on trusting Him. If you do not, He will cut you off. ²³ If the Jews would put their trust in Christ, God would put them back into the tree. He has power to do that. ²⁴ You people who are not Jews were cut off from a wild olive tree. Instead of being there, you were put into a garden olive tree which is not the right place for you to grow. It would be easy for God to put the Jews back onto their own olive tree because they are the branches that belong there.

²⁵ Christian brothers, I want you to understand this truth which is no longer a secret. It will keep you from thinking you are so wise. Some Jews have become hard until the right amount of people who are not Jews come to God. ²⁶ Then all the Jews will be saved, as the Holy Writings say, “The One Who saves from the punishment of sin will come out of Jerusalem. He will turn the Jews from doing sinful things.”^{(C) 27} “And this is My promise to them when I take away their sins.” ^(D)

²⁸ The Jews are fighting against the Good News. Because they hate the Good News, it has helped you who are not Jews. But God still loves the Jews because He has chosen them and because of His promise to their early fathers. ²⁹ God does not change His mind when He chooses men and gives them His gifts. ³⁰ At one time you did not obey God. But when the Jews did not receive God’s gift, you did. It was because they did not obey. ³¹ The Jews will not obey now. God’s loving-kindness to you will some day turn them to Him. Then the Jews may have His loving-kindness also. ³² God has said that all men have broken His Law. But He will show loving-kindness on all of them.

³³ God’s riches are so great! The things He knows and His wisdom are so deep! No one can understand His thoughts. No one can understand His ways. ³⁴ The Holy Writings say, “Who knows the mind of the Lord? Who is able to tell Him what to do?” ^{(E) 35} “Who has given first to God, that God should pay him back?” ^{(F) 36} Everything comes from Him. His power keeps all things together. All things are made for Him. May He be honored forever. Let it be so.

God Speaks through Jeremiah about Babylon

50 The word which the Lord spoke about Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, through Jeremiah the man of God: ² “Make it known among the nations. Lift up a flag and make it known. Do not hide it, but say, ‘Babylon has been taken. Bel has been put to shame. Marduk has been broken down. Her objects of worship have been put to shame. Her false gods have been broken down.’ ³ For a nation has come up against her from the north. It will make her land an empty waste, and no one will live in it. Both man and animal will run away.

⁴ “In those days and at that time,” says the Lord, “the sons of Israel will come, together with the sons of Judah. They will cry as they come, and will be looking for the Lord their God. ⁵ They will ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, ‘Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in an agreement that lasts forever, one that will never be forgotten.’

⁶ “My people have become lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them the wrong way. They have made them turn away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill and have forgotten their resting place. ⁷ All who found them have destroyed them. Those who hate them have said, ‘We are not guilty, for they have sinned against the Lord, their true resting place Who is right and good, the hope of their fathers.’ ⁸ Run out of Babylon. Go from the land of the Babylonians. Be like male goats that go before the flock. ⁹ For I am going to raise up and bring against Babylon a group of great nations from the land of the north. They will come ready for battle against her, and she will be taken. Their arrows will be like an able soldier who does not return with empty hands. ¹⁰ Babylon will become a prize of war. All who take things from her will have enough,” says the Lord.

Babylon Is Punished

¹¹ “You are glad and full of joy, O you who take what belongs to My people. You play around like a young cow in grain, and sound like strong horses. Because of this, ¹² your mother will be very ashamed. She who gave birth to you will be put to shame. She will be the least of the nations, a wilderness, a waste, and a desert. ¹³ Because of the Lord’s anger no people will live there. She will be left with no people. Everyone who passes by Babylon will be surprised, and will make fun of her because of her sores. ¹⁴ Come up for battle against Babylon on every side, all you who use the bow. Shoot at her. Do not save any of your arrows, for she has sinned against the Lord. ¹⁵ Raise your battle cry against her on every side. She has given herself up. Her strong pillars have fallen. Her walls have been torn down. Since this is the punishment of the Lord, punish her. Do to her as she has done to others. ¹⁶ Cut off from Babylon the one who plants seeds and the one who cuts the grain at gathering time. Because of the sword of the one who makes it hard for them, everyone will return to his own people. Each one will run to his own land.

Israel Is Like a Flock of Sheep

¹⁷ “Israel is like sheep sent everywhere, driven away by lions. The first one who destroyed Israel was the king of Assyria. And the last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. ¹⁸ So the Lord of All, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria. ¹⁹ I will return Israel to his field, and he will feed on Carmel and Bashan. And his desire will be filled in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead. ²⁰ In those days and at that time,’ says the Lord, ‘sin will be looked for in Israel, but there will be none. And sin will be looked for in Judah, but it will not be found. For I will forgive those whom I allow to return.’

Words about Babylon

²¹ “Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the people of Pekod. Kill and destroy all of them,” says the Lord, “and do all that I have told you. ²² The noise of battle is in the land, and much is destroyed. ²³ How the strong one of the whole earth has been cut off and broken! Babylon has become a complete waste among the nations! ²⁴ I set a trap for you, and you were caught, O Babylon, and you did not know it. You have been found and caught, because you have fought against the Lord.” ²⁵ The Lord has opened His store-house and has brought out the swords of His anger. For the Lord, the God of All, has work to do in the land of the Babylonians. ²⁶ Come to her from the farthest land. Open her store-houses. Gather her up like grain, and destroy all of her. Let nothing be left of her. ²⁷ Kill all her young bulls. Let them go down to be killed. It is bad for them, for their day has come, the time of their punishment. ²⁸ Listen! They are running from the land of Babylon to tell in Zion about the punishment of the Lord our God. They are telling how the Lord punishes those who destroyed His house of worship.

²⁹ “Call all those who use the bow to fight against Babylon. Gather around her on every side. Let no one get away. Pay her back for what she did. Do to her all that she has done. For she has been proud against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel. ³⁰ So her young men will fall in her streets. And all her men of war will be made quiet in that day,” says the Lord. ³¹ “See, I am against you, O proud one,” says the Lord God of All. “For your day has come, the time when I will punish you. ³² The proud one will trip and fall with no one to help him up. I will set fire to his cities, and it will burn up all that is around him.” ³³ The Lord of All says, “The sons of Israel and the sons of Judah are troubled and are held under a bad power. All who took them away in chains have held on to them. They have not been willing to let them go. ³⁴ The One Who saves and makes them free is strong. The Lord of All is His name. He will work hard for their cause, so that He may give rest to the land. But He will not give rest to the people of Babylon. ³⁵ A sword is against the Babylonians,” says the Lord, “and against the people of Babylon, and against her leaders and her wise men! ³⁶ A sword is against her religious leaders who are false and lie. They will become fools! A sword is against her strong men, and they will be filled with fear! ³⁷ A sword is against her horses and war-wagons, and against all the soldiers from other lands who are with her! They will become like women! A sword is against her riches, and they will be taken! ³⁸ A time of no rain and her waters will be dried up! For it is a land of false gods. They are wild over false gods. ³⁹ So the desert animals will live there together with the wild dogs. And ostriches also will live in it. Never again will people live there. ⁴⁰ As when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities,” says the Lord, “no man will live there. And no man will stay there.

⁴¹ “See, a nation is coming from the north. A great nation and many kings are moving from the farthest parts of the earth. ⁴² They take hold of their bow and spear. They fight without pity. Their voice sounds like the sea. And they ride on horses, dressed ready for battle against you, O people of Babylon. ⁴³ The king of Babylon has heard the news about them, and his hands hang without strength. Suffering has taken hold of him, like the pain of a woman giving birth.

⁴⁴ “One will come up like a lion from the trees by the Jordan to rich grass fields. All at once I will make the people run away from Babylon. And I will make whoever I choose to rule over it. For who is like Me? Who will call Me into court? What shepherd can stand before Me?” ⁴⁵ So hear the plan which the Lord has made against Babylon. Listen to His plans which He has made against the land of the Babylonians. Even the little ones of the flock will be taken away. He will make their fields an empty waste because of them. ⁴⁶ At the cry, “Babylon has been taken!” the earth will shake, and the cry will be heard among the nations.

Prayer for Help—Praise for the Answer

28 O Lord, to You I call. O my Rock, listen to me. If You will not hear me, I will be like those who have gone down to the grave. ² Hear my cry for loving-kindness as I call to You for help, and when I lift up my hands to Your holy place. ³ Do not drag me away with the sinful and with those who do bad things. They speak peace with their neighbors, while sin is in their hearts. ⁴ Pay them for their work and for the sins they do. Pay them for the works of their hands. Give them what they have earned. ⁵ They do not think about the works of the Lord and what His hands have done. So He will pull them down and not build them up again.

⁶ May honor and thanks be given to the Lord, because He has heard my prayer. ⁷ The Lord is my strength and my safe cover. My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. So my heart is full of joy. I will thank Him with my song. ⁸ The Lord is the strength of His people. He is a safe place for His chosen one. ⁹ Save Your people and bring good to what is Yours. Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm

29 Give to the Lord, O sons of the powerful. Give to the Lord shining-greatness and strength. ² Give to the Lord the honor that belongs to Him. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holy living.

³ The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. The God of shining-greatness thunders. The Lord is over many waters. ⁴ The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is great. ⁵ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the tall cedars of Lebanon. ⁶ He makes Lebanon jump like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild bull. ⁷ The voice of the Lord sends out lightning. ⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the desert. The Lord shakes the desert of Kadesh. ⁹ The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, and tears away the leaves of the trees. And in His holy house everything says, “Honor to God!”

¹⁰ The Lord sat as King over the flood. The Lord sits as King forever. ¹¹ The Lord will give strength to His people. The Lord will give His people peace.