Taking a Closer Look at David in 1 & 2 Samuel

    Saul wasn't the king everyone thought he was.  I learned in 1 Samuel 15 that Saul's outright disobedience of Samuel's orders disqualified him from continuing as Israel's king.  Right away in the very next chapter, God tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem because He's going to show him Saul's replacement.  

Fill your horn with oil, and go, I will send you to Jesse, the Bethlehemite, for I have selected for Myself a king from among his sons.  1 Samuel 16:1

     When Samuel arrives, he tells Jesse that he'd like to meet his sons.  Jesse had eight sons, and he didn't even think of calling David in from the fields because he was probably just a teenager.  As each of Jesse's sons came up to Samuel, it's like God was saying, nope, not this one.  Finally Samuel asked Jesse if had any more sons. As soon as Samuel saw David, God told him that he was going to be Israel's next king. 

    After David's anointing, however, there wasn't a triumphal procession the next day or anything spectacular. Instead of that there was about 15 years of David's being persecuted and even hunted down by Saul.  Does that surprise you?  It did me. I mean take a look at David--He was a brave shepherd boy who even fought a bear to protect his father's sheep!  That takes both guts and courage.  In his battle with Goliath we also see that courage.

    David must also have played his harp to calm the sheep down at night and got pretty good at it, because later David is recommended to play for Saul whenever his nerves got jangled.  This turn of events brought David into close proximity with Saul. When Saul saw  that his daughter Michal loved David, he gave him a seemingly impossible battle wager.  He thought he had come up with an easy way to get rid of David.   But David met it, and Saul had to let David become his son-in-law. . So why all the turmoil between Saul and David?  I learned that God had a purpose behind it all as Witness Lee points out on page 80 in chapter 12 of the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Samuel:

"David was prepared by God to be a man according to the heart of God....2 Samuel 5:4 tells us that David was 30 years old when he began to reign.  After David, a boy of about 15, was anointed by Samuel, he was tested for about 15 years.  In particular, he was bothered and troubled by Saul.  Eventually David passed the test and was approved by God" (:Lee. Witness. Life-Study of 1 & 2 Samuel. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1994, Print).  

      After David's battle with Goliath, the people praised David more highly than Saul.  This made Saul very jealous, and from then on Saul's anger increased to the point that he plotted to even kill his son-in-law David! Yikes, but in everything Saul did against him, David never sinned.  Over and over we can see God perfecting this young man to become a king who could one day rule God's people.  What I see here is we shouldn't be surprised at what happens to us because like David God is working all the things out in our lives to prepare us to rule in His kingdom. 

Other Posts on 1 & 2 Samuel:

 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking on the books of Samuel on the  Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Study of 1 & 2 Samuel and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

What We Can Learn From Hannah in Her Prayer in 1 Samuel 1
How God Used Samuel at a Degraded Time in Israel's History
Taking a Closer Look at David in 1 & 2 Samuel

What is God's Building in 2 Samuel 7:5?

Dots Pumpkin Dessert Squares

  A few months before a friend of my father's death, I asked if  I could take pictures of some of her recipes. This will be my first time making her pumpkin squares.  I like that these older recipes don't require as much sugar as you see in today's recipes.  I hope you make something in memory of someone special during this holiday season! 

Dot's Pumpkin Dessert Squares

1.  Prepare crust - In a medium sized mixing bowl Put:
(1)  1/3 cup of white rice flour, 1/3 cup of sorghum flour, and 1/3 cup of tapioca flour.
(2)  Then add 1/3 cup of oats
(3)  Stir in 1/2 cup of brown sugar
(4)  Cut in 1/2 cup of butter (I usually like to reduce it)
(5)  Press it into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan

2.  Prepare the filling - In a large mixing bowl put: 
(1)  1 16 oz can of pumpkin
(2)  Stir in 2 eggs
(3)  Then stir in 3/4 cup of sugar (I usually cut this down),  1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon,  and 1/4 teaspoon cloves.
(4)  1 13 oz. can of evaporated milk and whisk or use your mixer to combine.

3.  Topping:  
(1)  Chop up 1/2 cup of pecans
(2)  Mix with 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of white rice flour and 1/4 cup of sorghum flour
(3)  1/4 cup of melted butter

Bake  at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

List of other recipes made with pumpkin on this blog:

Breakfast
Yummy Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Butter
Rachel Ray's Pumpkin Spice Waffles Made Gluten Free & Dairy Free    (Modified)

Dinner
Thai Chicken & Pumpkin Curry    (Idea from a Thai restaurant in Oregon)
French Pumpkin Soup  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Breads & Muffins
Gluten Free Tremendous Pumpkin Muffins    (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
 Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread    (From a friend)

Desserts 
Old Fashioned Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies     (Modified from Libby's)
Our Favorite Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie     (Modified from Libby's)
Perfect Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake   (From back of cream cheese package)

How God Used Samuel at a Degraded Time in Israel's History

    God needed Samuel at a very critical time in Israel's history.  When Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him to the tabernacle and entrusted him to Eli the high priest.  Although Eli trained Samuel how to serve God as a priest, he didn't stop his own sons from committing gross sins against God and the people. 

A beautiful Nov. 3 sunset

     In such a degraded situation, the person God chose to talk to about that priesthood was not Eli but Samuel. The story of God coming to this young boy at night is a story most children know and love.  Samuel thinking that Eli was calling him one night ran to his bed.  After several times, Eli realized that God was calling him. 

    So Eli told him that the next time God called him to answer back, "Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening"  I'm sure Samuel was sad to hear God's word of judgment against Eli and his sons.  The next day Eli asked Samuel to tell him everything God had spoken.   

       After this event, the Bible says that Israel knew that Samuel was a prophet (1 Samuel 3:20). Not long after this happened, the Philistines came to fight against Israel, and God carried out His judgment against Eli's family. The Israelites did something foolish when they took the ark into that battle. After the Philistines had the ark for seven months, it was returned.  But sadly the Israelites did not bring the ark back to the tabernacle for another 20 years (1 Sam. 7:1-2)! 

    The Bible tells us that during his life Samuel served as their last judge (1 Sam. 7:15). But when Samuel's sons weren't judging fairly, the Israelites asked that he would give them a king like the other nations. 

In chapter 5 of the Life-Study of 1 & 2 Samuel Witness Lee explains that as a man of God Samuel had five statuses.  Through his godly service in all of these capacities, he turned the age from the judges to the kings as these excerpts from pages 28-33 show:

"Samuel, who was by nature a Levite born of one of the descendants of the great rebel Korah (1 Chron.  6:33-38)...ministered in five statuses.  First, Samuel ministered as a Nazarite consecrated to God absolutely for God's fulfillment of His economy....Samuel was a priest, not by birth but by God raising him up particularly....In the degradation of the priesthood,  God's speaking was almost lost. Thus, God needed to raise up a living person, a prophet, to speak for Him, and this is what He did with Samuel. In God's ordination, Samuel is counted as the first prophet....Fourth, Samuel minister as a judge....Samuel stood on the earth to be the acting God--the one representing God and acting for Him--in his priesthood, prophethood, and judgeship....Fifth, Samuel was a man of prayer"(Lee. Witness. Life-Study of 1 & 2 Samuel. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1993, Print).

Samuel was pivotal in cooperating with God so that His kingdom could come to the earth through David. More on that in the next post.

Here's a beautiful song on Samuel  and others who stood against the tide of their age to be for God.  It's on a  New York  City Young People's CD called In This Godless Age       

Other Posts on 1 & 2 Samuel:

 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking on the books of Samuel on the  Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Study of 1 & 2 Samuel and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

What We Can Learn From Hannah in Her Prayer in 1 Samuel 1
How God Used Samuel at a Degraded Time in Israel's History
Taking a Closer Look at David in 1 & 2 Samuel

What is God's Building in 2 Samuel 7:5?

Move Over McDonald's - How to Make Your Own Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets!

Chicken nuggets is classic kid food.  Because I watch my grandkids two or three days after school, I have to come up with dinners that they'll eat.  I have a rotation, but last week I tried something new.   Years ago my sister-in-law gave me her recipe for oven baked chicken that I posted a long time ago, and so I used that for  this recipe.  Make up your favorite dipping sauces or try this one from my daughter-in-law's family cookbook. 


And yes, these were a hit!  I made this Honey Dill sauce for the first time, and it was delicious!  To go with these nuggets, I made oven fries and cole slaw. 

Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets

1.  Thaw a bag of Trader Joe's chicken tenderloins.  I think these are a 3 pound bag.  Rinse and then cut them into bite-size pieces.

2.  Make up the chicken coating - In a medium-sized bowl put:
(1)  2/3 cup of rice flour and 1/3 cup of cornmeal.
(2)  Stir in seasonings:   1 tsp. of chili powder, 1 tsp. of salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. thyme, 1/4 tsp. oregano, 1 Tbsp. Costco No Salt Seasoning, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. 

3.  Prepare chicken nuggets.
(1)  Put 1/4 cup of buttermilk into a shallow bowl.
(2)  Put some of the flour coating on a plate.
(3)  Dip a piece of chicken into buttermilk and then roll it into the flour and seasoning mixture.
(4)  Place on a plate, and continue until all the chicken is coated. 
Note:  Put any remaining flour mixture into a glass jar for the next time and refrigerate.

4.  Put 1/4 cube of butter into two  9 x 13 pans to melt.  Then place the chicken nuggets onto the butter and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Check one to make sure they're done.


List of other chicken recipes on this blog:

Asian:
Authentic Chinese BBQ Chicken  (From my friend Rose)
Gluten Free Soy Sauce Chicken   (Modified from Internet search)
Tasty Gluten Free Filipino Chicken Adobo  (Modified from Internet search)
Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Make Your Own G.F. Teriyaki Bowls  (From me!)

Italian & Greek:
Chicken Souvlaki   (Marinade for chicken from my son-in-law)
Gluten Free Chicken Cacciatore With Peppers & Mushrooms  (Modified from my mother-in-law)
Delicious Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan   (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
My Son-in-Law's Own Recipe for Greek Chicken
Delicious Chicken Florentine Lasagna  (From my church cookbook)

Mexican:
Pollo Guisado (Mexican Braised Chicken)  (From a church friend in Phoenix)
Belizean Chicken, Black Beans & Rice, and Belizean Coleslaw  (From my daughter's family)
Make Your Own Chicken Burrito Bowls (From a collection of my recipes)

American Favorites:
Amazing BBQ Chicken    (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
The Best Gluten Free Oven Fried Chicken   (From my sister-in-law)
Fantastic Gluten Free Chicken Kabobs  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Great for Summer BBQ - Lemon Rosemary Chicken Legs  (From my church cookbook, Come & Dine)
Curried Mushroom & Apple Chicken  (From my church cookbook Come & Dine)
The Best Homemade Chicken BBQ Sauce  (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)
A Gluten Free Twist on Tarragon Chicken - From my  church Come & Dine cookbook
Saucy Chicken 
Chicken & Mushrooms in Wine Sauce   -( From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Our Family's Fall Favorite - Chicken & Zucchini Casserole with Gluten Free Biscuit Topping - -( From my church Come & Dine cookbook)
Blackberry BBQ Chicken - A Tasty Sauce You'll Have to Try! (Off a package of blackberries)
Ray's BBQ Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
Country Style BBQ Chicken - (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

Chicken Casseroles
Chicken Divan  - From my Come & Dine Cookbook
Chicken Pot Pie - A combination of 3 different recipes!

Jay's Honey Dill Sauce

 

 

Mix together 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of honey, and 2-3 tsp. of dill.