I was wondering if anyone has used the Jon Courson commentaries? Did you find them useful?
It is definitely not a scholarly commentary in my opinion but does help with sermon preparation with some practical suggestions for application. I would put it in the same category as the Life Application bible commentary.
I hope that this helps.
Thanks Jay. [:)]
Your welcome Alabama 24.
Here is an excerpt for you from 1 Samuel chapter 2.
Chapter 2
In chapter 1, we heard the prayer of a barren woman. Here in chapter 2, we hear the praise of a blessed woman… 1 Samuel 2:1 (a) And Hannah prayed…
Hannah’s prayer is interesting because it’s remarkably similar to the Magnificat in Luke 1—the prayer Mary offered after learning she would bear a Son. This means Mary was familiar with the prayer of Hannah, that she was a student of the Word. Although only a teenage girl, Mary would have heard the Word in the synagogue and evidently she absorbed and embraced it, treasured and memorized it.The language of Hannah’s prayer is heavenly—but don’t miss the earthy accent in the not-so-subtle references to her rival, Peninnah. Sometimes our prayers are so lofty that they hide our true emotions. To such prayers, I believe the Lord would say, “Tell Me what you’re really feeling. I can handle it. After all, I already know all about it” (Hebrews 4:13). 1 Samuel 2:1 (b) … and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies…
“Mine horn is exalted,” or “I’m lifted up,” Hannah prayed. “My mouth is enlarged, for now I have something to say. I don’t have to bite my tongue any longer.” 1 Samuel 2:1 (c)–4 … because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
“Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth.” Here, we hear an earthy accent because to whom is Hannah referring? Peninnah. 1 Samuel 2:5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
Hannah had borne one child at this point. As we’ll see, she’ll have five more. 1 Samuel 2:6, 7 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
The Lord makes things right; He brings things about in an equitable way. 1 Samuel 2:8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
The Lord is in control. He’s the One who holds everything together, the One who works everything out. 1 Samuel 2:9 (a) He will keep the feet of his saints…
The Lord will walk with His saints. He’ll see them through. He’ll keep their steps from slipping. 1 Samuel 2:9 (b), 10 … and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
Thus ends the prayer of Hannah—full of lofty praise and exaltation, but revealing the humanness of her soul as well. Hannah’s prayer encourages me. The fact that God includes it in His Word gives me great freedom to be honest and open before Him. 1 Samuel 2:11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.
Just as she promised, Hannah brought Samuel to the temple and left him there to be trained for ministry. And as a young boy, he’s left there to be trained up in the ministry and to minister to the Lord personally from a young age. 1 Samuel 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
In other words, Eli’s sons were worthless and wicked. 1 Samuel 2:13, 14 And the priests’ custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
According to Old Testament Law, with the exception of burnt offerings, priests would be allowed portions of the sacrifices after they were offered to the Lord. Hophni and Phinehas, however, didn’t wait for the Lord. They took their portion before it was offered to the Lord. 1 Samuel 2:15, 16 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
In Leviticus 3 through 9, God declared that the fat of the sacrifice was to be completely burned on the altar, signifying the offering of it to Him. In Old Testament times, the fat was considered to be the best part of the meat. Therefore, God could have been accused of keeping the best part for Himself. We now know that the fat is actually the worst part of the meat. Therefore, God was protecting His people from that which would have harmed them.That’s always the way it is with God. We say, “Why can’t I have that? Why can’t I go there? Why can’t I do that? God must be keeping something good from me.”But the Lord would say, “I’m not going to explain what I’m doing because I want you to trust Me. But as time goes on, you’ll see that the things, people, or places I withheld from you would have been harmful to you.” 1 Samuel 2:17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
What a sad situation. Some ministers have a wealth of thought; others have only thoughts of wealth. Eli’s sons were of the latter type. 1 Samuel 2:18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
Even though he was young, Samuel didn’t let Eli and his sons discourage, distract, or deter him from what he knew he should do. Samuel would become the greatest of all judges because he ministered to the Lord even though others were messing up. The way to greatness is simply to say, “Regardless of what others do, I’m going to do what I know is pleasing to You, Lord.” 1 Samuel 2:19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
Once a year, Hannah would bring Samuel a new garment because he would grow over a year’s time and need new clothes. 1 Samuel 2:20, 21 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home. And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
Hannah gave one child to the Lord and received five in return. It’s a great illustration of the glorious fact that you can’t out give God. Many believers never really understand God’s math. They don’t understand His ways or His economy. They go through a lifetime never understanding that they can’t out give God. Give God what is His, and you’ll get back much more than you could ever imagine. Ask Hannah. 1 Samuel 2:22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
“Laying with women” obviously speaks of immorality, fornication, and adultery. There are two schools of thought on this. It may be that Hophni and Phinehas forced themselves upon the women who came to worship the Lord. Or it could mean that they put together a troop—as the original language suggests—of temple prostitutes, as did the pagans of the region. They’re introducing to the people of Israel temple prostitution. Either way, it’s a deplorable situation that came to Eli’s attention. 1 Samuel 2:23–25 (a) And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’s people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him?
“If you sin against a man, you go to court. But if you sin against God, you have no defense,” Eli said. 1 Samuel 2:25 (b) … Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
The Lord already intended that it was time for Eli’s sons to be taken out of the ministry permanently. Hophni and Phinehas were destined to die. They had crossed the line. They had gone too far. 1 Samuel 2:26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
Hophni and Phinehas were bad guys who would die prematurely. Samuel, on the other hand, kept growing in God. And what happened? He not only found favor in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men. Our kids sometimes have the mistaken idea that if they stand for the Lord and walk with Him, they’ll be put down or left out. Not true. Yes, there will be a certain degree of persecution in the Christian walk, but notice what happened to Samuel. He found favor in the eyes of God and of men, too.Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk with the ungodly and sit in the seat of the scornful, but whose delight is in the Law of the Lord. Whatever he does will prosper (Psalm 1). As parents, we need to remind our kids that the real key to having a prosperous, exciting life, the key to finding favor in the eyes of both God and men is to do what Samuel did. He walked with the Lord, and God blessed him indeed. 1 Samuel 2:27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?
The reference, of course, is to Aaron, the first high priest. 1 Samuel 2:28–30 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
Here, through a prophet, God says to Eli, “You and your family have a heritage reaching all the way back to Aaron in the days of the Exodus. You were given the privilege to walk with Me and stand before Me day after day. But you despised it by allowing your sons to sin. You honored your sons above Me. You cared more about them liking you than about what I thought of the situation.”Mom and Dad, take note. If your primary goal as a parent is to have your kids like you, you will not like what your kids become. Your primary goal should be to want your kids to know what’s right in God’s sight. If that means discipline, so be it. If they hate you in the process, so be it. But you must honor God more than you honor your kids. Eli wanted to be cool in the eyes of his boys. And it would lead to their downfall. 1 Samuel 2:31–34 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
In other words, not only would Eli’s family disintegrate, but the enemy would eventually enter the house of God. 1 Samuel 2:35, 36 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.
Who is the faithful priest? It could be Samuel. Although Samuel was not a priest but a prophet because he was not of the tribe of Levi, we will see him minister like a priest in the offering of sacrifices.Others suggest the faithful priest refers to Zadok because this verse is alluded to in 1 Kings 2:27 and 35 when Zadok takes over the priesthood from a man named Abiezar. Abiezar was the last descendant of Eli. When Abiezar is moved off the scene, the whole family disappears from Israel’s history. The problem with this suggestion is that Zadok didn’t “walk before mine anointed forever.” Therefore, some suggest the reference is to the sons of Zadok, who continue all the way through the Millennium (Ezekiel 40:46).Obviously, this prophecy is most completely fulfilled in the One who would come and be the perfect High Priest forever. People will let you down—but there is One who will walk in perfection for all eternity. That One is our great High Priest, Jesus Christ.
Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary: Volume One: Genesis–Job, 826-29 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2005).
It is definitely not a scholarly commentary in my opinion but does help with sermon preparation with some practical suggestions for application.
I agree with Jay....This is also recommended by John Fallahee btw..
Cheers,
ChelseaFC
You bet - he was my pastor for 6 years - very applicational, down to earth and Jesus centered - don't listen to all the lies on the Internet - I worked for Jon and it was some of the best years of my ministry life! His commentaries are taken from his verse by verse teachings which I attended for most of the NT and part of the OT - great bible teacher - enjoy!!
I had them but returned them within a week because they were too weak in application. Of course, this is just my opinion, but too simple and some of the applications seemed forced. Genesis 1:4 and 1:5 are examples of weird applications that are not in the text (again, just my opinion).
Genesis 1:4, "And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness." "Application" - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth; the earth became wiped out; the Spirit moved on the face of the water; and God said, "Let there be light." That's your story. You were created in God's image, but sin wiped you out. The Spirit of God moved in through the Word. You saw the light - and you were born again. Then God separated the darkness from the light, and good things began to happen - not only in creation physically, but in your life personally because of God's sovereign grace and mercy." Really? [^o)]
Genesis 1:5, "And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." "Application" - "Notice the phraseology. 'The evening and the morning were the first day.' That's still the way the Jewish people reckon their days. They begin in the evening and end in the morning. They go from darkness to light. I like that!" Seriously? [|-)] [*-)]
When I read these and countless others on several of my favorite passages of Scriptures I was very disappointed. But then again, some people for some reason "love them" but I don't and would not recommend them to anyone. Even the topical sections were not that great. Trust me, you have enough in your library to come up with better and actual applications without making stuff up that is not there in the text.
From an honest reviewer!
DAL
Ps. I've heard Jon Courson preach before and he's done a good job, but his "application" commentaries...hmm...seems like they were just written in a hurry. He might be one of those good speakers, but when it comes to writing, he's just not good. Just like there are others who are great writers, but they're not good speakers. Again, one man's opinion. [:S]
Edit: Just because I know someone, doesn't mean I have to endorse their work and accuse others of lying on the internet. That's very judgmental at best, to say the least. What Jeff calls "lies" are just honest reviews, that's all -- and all reviews, even his own are subjective in nature. Or is he going to say that I'm lying and therefore you shouldn't listen to me? My advice is, save your money and buy something better. [:)] [;)]
