If a man was unwilling to redeem his kin, you were to spit at him (Deut 25:9). But why Jesus? A new day dawns over Bethlehem. If all goes well, the Moabite maid will no longer need to glean with the poor—she’ll share in the ownership of the fields and all they grow! Boaz arrives […]
The threshing floors of Scripture are a great study, where we learn to separate chaff from wheat. What a man this Boaz is! He is like the Mighty Man of Matthew, the Working Man of Mark, the Kinsman of Luke, and the Loving Man of John. When Ruth requests, “Take your maidservant under your wing” […]
“The Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them” (Isa 63:9). How dreary would Ruth’s life have been had she sought “rest” (Ruth 1:9) with the gods of Moab. But, in spite of the uncertainty of her journey to Judah and to Jehovah, she was discovering the […]
An ephah of beaten out barley (Ruth 2:17) was a full bushel! Naomi knew something was up! When Boaz arrived at his field, he greeted his reapers with “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you!” (Ruth 2:4). They might have said, Enjoy His presence, and, Enjoy His provision. What beautiful […]
Read More… from August 18, 2023 — Putting The ‘Provide’ In Providence
Was opportunity knocking? When Boaz opened the door, the will of God was standing there. Two women walking down the main street of Bethlehem were a sight to behold. The womenfolk peered intently, wondering who they were. But there was something about the gait of the older one. “Is this Naomi?” they asked (Ruth 1:19). […]
Orpah, returning to Moab, disappears in obscurity; Ruth, choosing Israel’s God, gains immortality. It would be easy to overlook the importance of the scene: three women in animated conversation by the Moabite roadside. Here’s what’s happening. The older one is remonstrating with the two younger ones about a decision they have to make. “Naomi said […]
With relief we move from the rigorous account of the Judges to the delightful little story of Ruth. Here’s a simple outline of the book of Ruth: Chapter 1, Returning; Chapter 2, Reaping; Chapter 3, Resting; Chapter 4, Redeeming. The book begins “in the days when the Judges ruled” (Ruth 1:1) and tells us there […]
What happens when people don’t seek wisdom from above? The cure is worse than the disease. Just as an aside, there isn’t one of us smart enough to figure out life on our own. Only one Man could do that—but He never did! He always checked in with His Father first: “I always do those […]
Little Benjamin defeats all the other tribes? Obviously the 11 had some hard lessons to learn, too! “So all the children of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead” (Jdg 20:1), and gathered at Mizpah. There “the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered” (v […]