Ruth, A Story of Redemption

The Book of Ruth is a fascinating look into the time of the Judges. The story unfolds as Elimelech and Naomi travel from Bethlehem, across the Jordan River into Moab because of a famine. Their two sons were named Mahlon and Chilion, and in time they took wives for themselves from Moab, named Ruth and Orpah. As time passes, Elimelech died, as did both of the sons. So Naomi is left with her two daughter-in-laws, and decides that she will go back home to Bethlehem. She tells the two daughter-in-laws to go back to their homes in Moab. Orpah kisses Naomi, and goes back home. But Ruth refuses to leave Naomi, and said these famous words, "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die; And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me." These were the vows that my wife Judy made to me at our wedding. They are words of loyalty, and determination, that would cause Ruth to stay with Naomi no matter what happened. So they made their way back to Judah, into the town of Bethlehem, where Ruth began to glean grain from the field of Boaz. Soon Boaz inquired who this woman was, and began to show her favor and kindness. In time, with Naomi's instruction, Ruth came and submitted herself to Boaz by laying down at the end of his bed during the night. When Boaz awoke, Ruth said to him, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative." This is a beautiful picture of salvation, as Ruth who is a type of the church, submits herself to Boaz, the one who has the ability to redeem her. Boaz is the kinsman-redeemer, a type a Christ who is both Son of Man and Son of God. Boaz is both a human relative, and a powerful redeemer. Christ is both fully human and fully divine. He is related to us and knows all our weaknesses, and is able to redeem us from our lost condition. Christ is our Kinsman-Redeemer. Ruth becomes the wife of Boaz, as Boaz buys back the land of Elimelech. They have a son called Obed, who is the father of Jesse, who is the father of King David. This beautiful story is a picture of Christ and the church, and the salvation, security, provision and favor that we find when we come to Christ, and ask Him to take us under His wing, as our Kinsman-Redeemer. We are like Ruth, unable to change our situation, unable to redeem ourselves, but we find mercy and favor when we submit ourselves at the feet of our Kinsmen-Redeemer.

The Family of Jesus

The Bible is very detailed in the description of the family line of Jesus. Luke gives us a geneology of Christ that goes all the way back to Adam! Luke's geneology is understood to be the lineage of Mary. Matthew's geneology is understood to be the family line of Joseph, and it includes four women. Usually a Jewish geneology would only include the names of the fathers, but it seems that this geneology includes these four women for a specific purpose. The four women mentioned in Matthew are: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and she who had been the wife of Uriah, who we know to be Bathsheba. Each one of their stories are told to us in detail in the Old Testament. God has included these stories for a reason, so we may learn from them, and see the lives of those in Christ's lineage. The story of Tamar is an astounding series of events, that leads up to Tamar playing the role of a prostitute, for the expressed reason of having a child by her father-in-law Judah. She does have the child, in fact she has twins named Perez and Zerah, and the Messianic lineage is carried on through Perez. You can read about it in Gen. 38. Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho, however she had faith in Israel's God, and knew that Israel would soon come into Jericho, and God would give Israel victory. So she saved herself and her family by the sign of the scarlet cord hanging from her window. Ruth was not a Jew, but was from Moab, and became a part of Jesus family line by her loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi. Bathsheba was taken into adultery by David, and gave birth to Solomon, through whom the lineage of Christ continued. The stories of these women are stories of real life suffering, sin, desperation, determination, joy, and fulfillment. Each story relates to our lives in some way. The family line of Jesus was made up of real people, real sinners with issues that affect our lives everyday. Jesus is well acquainted with our human condition, and understands the trials and temptations of our lives. He is not ashamed to call us His brethren. We are His family, no matter what circumstances in life we have come through. These four women give us hope, that no matter what has happened in our lives, God is still working in us, and He chooses to work through history, to make it His history. We do not need to be discouraged. God is working His plan, and He has promised that He will never give up on us. Phil. 1:6 says, "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Everybody Wants To See Him

The coming of Christ caused people to want to see Him. Luke 2:15 says, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." Simeon and Anna were both drawn to see the baby Jesus, and desired to see Him. The wise men made a long journey in order to be able to see the newborn King. As Jesus grew, and entered into his ministry, the interest in seeing Him spread all around Him. Philip told Nathaniel about Him. Nathaniel was skeptical and said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Andrew brought Peter to see Jesus, which changed Peter's life forever. How can we see Jesus today? He is not with us in the flesh. We cannot see Him with our eyes, so how can we see Him now? Jesus gave us the answer to this question in John 12. Certain Greeks came to Philip and asked him saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip told Andrew, and then together they told Jesus. But Jesus did not invite the Greeks to come see him. This happened just about one week before the cross. Jesus said, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain." Jesus is talking about Himself, saying that unless He dies and is buried, He will not rise again, and bring forth the harvest of salvation for which He was sent. But Jesus doesn't stop there. He speaks to all of us saying, "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor." In other words, Jesus' answer to the Greeks, and to us, is that we must give our lives to Jesus, and as we lose our lives in following Him, then we will be where He is. We will see Him in our lives, and we will be with Him, and He will be with us. We will see God's honor and favor upon us if we serve Him. We do see Jesus in our lives today as we follow Him. We do see Jesus, as Heb. 2:9 says, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." We do see Jesus, and we can keep looking to Him, as Heb. 12:2 says, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..." Look unto Jesus, serve Him, follow Him, and you will see Him alive in your life!

The Power of Worship

The birth of Christ caused a torrent of worship to come up to God from almost everyone who heard about the Christ Child. In Luke 1:46,47 Mary praised the Lord and said, "My soul maginifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." Zacharias said, "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people." A multitude of the heavenly host appeared, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men." The wise men fell down and worshipped the Christ Child, and opened their gifts for Him. Worship is the laying down of our lives before God, because of who God is. It is our reasonable service, as found in Rom. 12:1, "I urge you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." The NIV version says, "... -this is your spiritual act of worship." It is in worship that we welcome the presence of God into our lives. Ps. 22:3 says, "But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel." God sits upon the throne of our hearts when we worship Him. He inhabits the praises of His people. We see numerous examples in Scripture where God's presence is manifested when people worship Him. Here are 2 of my favorite passages. 2 Chron. 20 tells the story of the attack of the enemy on Israel. Under Jehoshaphat's leadership, they put the singers and praisers in the front of the army saying, "Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever." Israel won that battle without fighting, they only needed to praise the Lord. Another example of the power of praise is in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas were beaten and held in stocks in the prison. At midnight they prayed and sang praises unto God. There came an earthquake that freed all the prisoners, and demonstrated the mighty power of God that is present when people praise and worship God. Whatever situation you are in today, I encourage you to now worship God, and enthrone Him on your heart. Watch and see what happens when you put God first by worshipping Him.

No Word From God Shall Be Without Power

At Christmas time, we often refer to the passages in Luke that tell the Christmas story. The angel said to Mary in Luke 1:37, "For with God nothing will be impossible." The Amplified Version says, "For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment." God works through His Word. He gives us His Word, which is never without power, or impossible of fulfillment. To have God's Word is to have God's power. To have God's Word is to have faith, for faith is the product of hearing God's Word, Rom. 10:17. When the Word of God is spoken, it causes an explosion in the spirit realm. When the word is sown, the first thing that happens is that the devil comes to take away the word that was sown. Luke 8:11-15 is one place where Jesus tells the parable of the sower and the seed. The devil knows the power of the word, and knows that if the word ever gets into the heart of the hearer his power over the individual is gone. So he moves quickly to cause doubt and fear to stop the word from doing its work in the heart of the believer. Following this attack, there will come temptation, and affliction, all designed to stop the word from putting down roots in the heart. Following this attack, there comes the distractions of worry, the love of riches, and the pleasures of this world, all designed to take away the effect of the word. The battle is over the word in our lives. It is the word that bears fruit in us. Protecting and nourishing that word must become the number one priority in the life of the believer. In a noble and good heart, the word can continue to grow, and bring forth a great harvest with patience. This is why the first command given to Joshua as he came into leadership was, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." One of the greatest leaders in history, Joshua, found his way to success by making the Word of God his meditation day and night. God uses His Word in our lives to bring about His will. We must do nothing less than give it first place in our hearts and minds.

Barak - The Hesitant Warrior

Even though Barak was hesitant to obey God, he is listed in the heroes of faith in Heb. 11:32. Barak was called by the judge Deborah to go to war against Sisera. The word from God was to go with 10,000 troops to Mount Tabor, and there God would bring Sisera, and deliver him into Barak's hand. Barak believed this to be a word from God, but his response was less than enthusiastic. He said to Deborah in Jud. 4:8, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go." Sometimes we can have a word from God, and know what God has told us to do, but we are still hesitant to step out and obey. To have great faith is to believe God's Word because God said it. The centurion of Matt. 8:8 said, "...but only speak a word, and my servant will be healed." This faith Jesus commended as being the greatest He had seen. So why are we hesitant to act on what God tells us? Barak wanted more than God's Word. He wanted Deborah to accompany him, or he was not going. So Deborah agreed to go, but told Barak that God would not give Sisera into his hand, but into the hand of a woman. Barak's faith was strong enough to go, but not strong enough to go alone. And even this faith, God rewarded with victory. Barak went into the battle, and God routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army. Sisera fled and came to the tent of Jael, whose husband Heber was at peace with Sisera's army. So she invited him into the tent, and gave him a blanket, and a cup of milk, and assured him she would watch the door for attackers. But when he was fast asleep, she came to him softly, with a hammer, and a tent peg. With one blow of the tent peg into Sisera's temple, he died, and the word that God gave to Deborah came to pass just as she had spoken it. Deborah and Barak sang a new song that day in Jud. 5:2, "When leaders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the Lord." When we rise up in faith, and lead by doing what God has told us to do, we bless the Lord. Rise up in faith, and don't hesitate to obey God.

Gideon - Getting Rid Of Fear

2 Tim. 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." God does not want us to live by fear. He wants all fear to be gone from our lives. Fear is one of the greatest hindrances we face that tries to stop us from moving out into what God wants for our lives. Fear cripples our faith and causes us to hide from the enemy, and from God's call on our lives. One example in the Bible of a person who was filled with fear is Gideon. We find Gideon in the winepress threshing out wheat. He was in the winepress to hide from the Midianites and all the enemies that came into the land to take away their produce. The angel of the Lord said to him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor" Jud. 6:12. Gideon felt anything but a mighty man of valor. But God calls us as He sees us, and He sees us with all the potential He has given us. He sees us as mighty men and women of God who can do anything we are called to do. But Gideon is full of doubt and fear, and it takes many assurances from God before Gideon is ready to step out in faith. Gideon offers a sacrifice, which the angel consumed with fire. Then Gideon puts out a fleece, not once, but twice, to gain assurance that this was really God. Gideon's army is reduced to 300 men who had no fear, and who were ready for battle. Then God lets him overhear the dream of the enemy to once again assure Gideon that God was with him. And finally, with 300 men bearing torches, and empty pitchers, and trumpets, God gives the victory to Israel through Gideon's army. Gideon was transformed from a hiding fearful man, to a mighty leader of Israel, and is included in the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:32. What mighty works can be done through faith! Fear is an enemy that cripples faith! Each day, let us be transformed by the renewing of our mind, to overcome fear, and to walk in the faith of God. Feed your faith, and starve your doubts to death. Rise up and say, "Spirit of fear, be gone from my life. I have a spirit of power, and love, and a sound mind."

Moses' Miracle of Organization

When we think about the greatest miracles in the Bible, one of the greatest has to be the dividing of the Red Sea, and the deliverance of the children of Israel, and destruction of the Egyptians. This massive miracle speaks of the greatness of God to do anything, and that nothing is too hard for Him. But I am also impressed with the miracle of Ex. 18 that enabled Moses and the children of Israel to be able to survive together in the desert. The chapter tells us how Jethro, Moses' father-in-law came to join Moses, and brought Moses' wife and 2 sons. It was the next day that Jethro observed Moses sitting all day, from morning till night, judging the children of Israel. I imagine Moses sitting there, and a very long lineup of people, waiting all day in the heat of the sun, for a chance to bring their need to Moses. Moses was very busy, and Jethro was not impressed. Jethro said, "What are you doing? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand before you from morning till night? The thing you are doing is not good. Both you and these people will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you. You are not able to perform it by yourself." So Jethro gave Moses a word of wisdom, and told him to appoint rulers over groups of people, over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens. These men would judge the people, and only the hard cases would be sent to Moses. This made it easier on Moses, and much better for the people, as they didn't have to wait in the sun all day. So Moses was able to endure, and the people were able to live in peace. The miracle of teamwork preserved the children of Israel from organizational disaster. God calls everyone of us into a team, to work together with other people on Kingdom business. We cannot do it without a team. We must build our teams, relate to our team members, and trust our team in areas of our weaknesses. We each have a part to play on the team. Find your team, find your place, and work with your team. It will bring great strength and peace, and you will be able to endure the many challenges and pressures that will come your way.

Unless The Lord Builds The House

Ps. 127:1,2 "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows, for so He gives His beloved sleep." This Psalm tells us that unless the Lord is working through us, giving us the vision, the plan, and is personally involved in the project, our work will be in vain. This is not to say that we cannot do anything without God. The tower of Babel is a great example of people working together in unity to accomplish a great goal. And God Himself said in Gen. 11:6, "Indeed the people all are one, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them." God has created people so ingeniously that we are capable of doing tremendous things together. But this Psalm tells us that all our work will not produce any Kingdom or eternal benefits. If we rise up early, and stay up late, eating the bread of sorrows, worrying about our life, and trying to solve our problems, all our worry and anxiety will not bring about the solutions we need. We will only lose sleep, and find no satisfactory answers. But God gives His beloved sleep. So what do we do when we toss and turn, and can't shut our mind off from worrying and fretting about things. We need to go back to the first verse, which tells us that unless the Lord builds the house, the workers labor in vain. We need to commit everything to God, and trust Him with all our concerns. When we have turned everything over to God, and we trust Him, we will be able to finally lay down and get a peaceful sleep. Sleep is a gift from God, which we desperately need, for a clear mind, a good attitude, and a healthy body. So may God give you a trusting heart, and peace in your heart and mind, and good sleep, to refresh you for the challenges of tomorrow.