Read Ruth 3: 1-12
I don't think I have ever realized that Boaz took 1 whole year to Ruth to marry him, or for Ruth to throw herself in his arms. Another interesting thing to note is that Boaz was the grandson of Rahab, the harlot in the Jericho story. So both of them were "outcasts" of society that had found favor with God and their fellow men. This makes it an even better picture of the Gentile being grafted into Jesus' line.
Naomi thinks it is time to find Ruth a home and she knows that Boaz will be winnowing barley tonight so she sends Ruth to get her man. It was the custom for the owner of the land or a trusted manager to sleep by the grain since the threshing floor was open to the air and easy to be stolen. They threshed at night because the wind was greater and the grain could more easily be separated from the chaff. This speaks to me of the day when God will reap the earth and separated the evil from the good. On this day Jesus will claim his bride. Notice that she comes to him, annointed with the oil of gladness. Oil was a sign of joy and the only time they did not annoint themselves was when they were in mourning. This is no time to mourn.
Naomi is a picture of the "law" thus she is the "mother-in-law". But, unlike what we think of normally of the law, she is pleasant, good, and helps Naomi. God's laws are good, pleasant, and a help to us when we obey them. Ps. 105 is full of all the wonderful benefits of following God's laws. In vs. 5, Ruth says she will do all Naomi tells her to do. The Bride of Christ in the end will be totally obedient to all God's laws.
Boaz awakes at midnight. Mat. 25:6 says, "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go meet him." At midnight the "Death Angel" came to the evil people in Egypt.
Ruth asks Boaz to "spread his skirt" over her because he is a near kinsman. In a Jewish wedding the groom will take his taliph (his robe) and put it over his bride's head to signify he will take care of her from now on. Only a brother-in-law is legally obligated to take his brother's wife. So Boaz was not obligated. He chose to redeem Ruth. But first there was this piece of land that needed to be settled......tomorrow.
Father, thank you that we have the Bridegroom to look forward to meeting, not the Death Angel. Sober us up to reach out to a dying world. Come, Lord Jesus, Come.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Just me "Shooting Off"
Yesterday, Dave and I took a concealed weapon's class at the gun club. Dave had been looking so forward to this day. He couldn't wait to shoot a pistol. I couldn't wait till it was going to be over. It was conducted in a small tin shack out in the middle of who-knows-where. There were 16 men, mostly Harley-Davidson lifers who owned an arsenal of guns and ammo and 3 women. We spent the first 4 hours listening to the 2 instructors rattle off the whole gun safety book by heart in the style of Saturday Night Live. They had it down to a fine art. Then they took us out to the rifle range. The women went first and I was by the Harley-Davidson/pool hall/red-neck/instuctor. Being A.D.D., I couldn't remember the safety from the release which was totally absurd in his eyes since he had showed me ONCE. His patience was about as long as a piece of hair turned sideways. He finally turned me over to a young volunteer (so that I wouldn't slow down his class) who was very patient and kind, but the damage was already done. I had started crying and couldn't stop. I somehow managed to shoot off the rest of my rounds and actually hit the huge green mountain in front of me. (They had taken away my target). I went back to the bleachers where Dave was and was so relieved when Dave said that was it and I wouldn't have to do that again. Well.....when they called the last group up there was room for one more so they made me come back up and shoot again. I would have rather been the target! I went up there only because I had no voice to say no because I still couldn't stop crying. So here we go again. This time I was at the other end by the other instructor. He was so kind and I hit the bullseye and the rest of the targets (there were 5). He gave me twice the bullets everyone else was given. I got home and still cried for 2 more hours. I couldn't understand why I couldn't get over this and I still can't. I know that I "stuff" everything until some insignificant thing busts a hole in my dam and the water comes spewing forth. Well, it is better when you are not in public when this happens but, since it was I hope God can use it. Maybe, just to soften that instructor's heart so he can be saved. I don't know, but I'll have to trust God on this one. Although, secretly, I hope I never have to see any of these people again.
The Psalms I read today says, "From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me, but they have never defeated me. But the Lord is good; he has set me free from the ungodly."
The Psalms I read today says, "From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me, but they have never defeated me. But the Lord is good; he has set me free from the ungodly."
Saturday, December 6, 2008
From Pressure to Pleasure
Saturday
I decided to let the week-end just be my reflections so ......
This week has been a week of falling down and God picking me back up. About 2 months ago, a friend of mine gave me a project to do that was "out of my box". He does woodwork and makes these beautiful bowls, pots, vases, etc. He wanted me to paint on them. I was reluctant, but finally agreed to try when he told me he would bring me 2 pots, one for me and one for him. Well, when he brought them to me there was only one and he wanted it back. He told me later he was going to give it to a lady friend of his. So I put this pot on my bar in my kitchen so I could study it, I went to the library and looked in books of other wood pots and I couldn't think of anything that could make the pot look better than it already was. But, out of desperation and the desire to "finish" it I started painting on it. After doing 3 sides of it I stopped. I hated it, but more than anything, I just wanted to be finished with it. It had become an albatross to me. I finally took it out of town for my friend, Anna to see it. She took one look and said, "I bet we could get that paint off." I was so discouraged, but she was relentless and drove me to Wal-Mart and bought fine sand paper and started taking off my hard work. She was right. Then she took me to a book store and we poured over books of pictures of woodwork. I was more discouraged than before. Finally I decided to give the pot back. All the paint, and some of the finish was off. I was going to tell him I just couldn't do it. I felt like a little child who had been sat on the piano bench to play Beethoven's 5th after one lesson. I could have done it if I had been given a pot to experiment on and make mistakes on.
Yesterday, I took the pot back to Mike and told him I was sorry, I just couldn't relax and do this knowing that I had to not only please him, but some person I didn't know also. I was afraid it would hurt our friendship, so I did a lot of praying about it. All the songs on my IPOD that day had been about not giving up. When I gave it back he was so kind. He refused to take it back. He said I could keep it and mess it up anyway I wanted it. He would make something else for that lady and I could take as long as I wanted. I felt totally set free. On the way home I got great ideas of what to do on that pot. I was amazed at the transformation in me. I quess that is how we feel when we put so much pressure on ourselves to perform for other people. I felt totally unable to do this for a grade. Now I can do it for fun.
Lord, set us free from trying to please other people and give us second chances to do things for You and use the gifts you have given us without the pressure.
I decided to let the week-end just be my reflections so ......
This week has been a week of falling down and God picking me back up. About 2 months ago, a friend of mine gave me a project to do that was "out of my box". He does woodwork and makes these beautiful bowls, pots, vases, etc. He wanted me to paint on them. I was reluctant, but finally agreed to try when he told me he would bring me 2 pots, one for me and one for him. Well, when he brought them to me there was only one and he wanted it back. He told me later he was going to give it to a lady friend of his. So I put this pot on my bar in my kitchen so I could study it, I went to the library and looked in books of other wood pots and I couldn't think of anything that could make the pot look better than it already was. But, out of desperation and the desire to "finish" it I started painting on it. After doing 3 sides of it I stopped. I hated it, but more than anything, I just wanted to be finished with it. It had become an albatross to me. I finally took it out of town for my friend, Anna to see it. She took one look and said, "I bet we could get that paint off." I was so discouraged, but she was relentless and drove me to Wal-Mart and bought fine sand paper and started taking off my hard work. She was right. Then she took me to a book store and we poured over books of pictures of woodwork. I was more discouraged than before. Finally I decided to give the pot back. All the paint, and some of the finish was off. I was going to tell him I just couldn't do it. I felt like a little child who had been sat on the piano bench to play Beethoven's 5th after one lesson. I could have done it if I had been given a pot to experiment on and make mistakes on.
Yesterday, I took the pot back to Mike and told him I was sorry, I just couldn't relax and do this knowing that I had to not only please him, but some person I didn't know also. I was afraid it would hurt our friendship, so I did a lot of praying about it. All the songs on my IPOD that day had been about not giving up. When I gave it back he was so kind. He refused to take it back. He said I could keep it and mess it up anyway I wanted it. He would make something else for that lady and I could take as long as I wanted. I felt totally set free. On the way home I got great ideas of what to do on that pot. I was amazed at the transformation in me. I quess that is how we feel when we put so much pressure on ourselves to perform for other people. I felt totally unable to do this for a grade. Now I can do it for fun.
Lord, set us free from trying to please other people and give us second chances to do things for You and use the gifts you have given us without the pressure.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Friday's Devotion - Reaping in the Right Field
Read Ruth 2:15-23
Boaz is such a gentle man. He tells his young men to let Ruth glean in the open field and to drop some for her on purpose. In Lev.23:22 it gives the law concerning reaping your harvest. You were not suppose to reap the corners or go back over your field to get any remaining produce. The corners and the excess was to go to the poor. Boaz was extending mercy to Ruth past the law. Isn't that what Jesus does for us when we are new to the things of God? He goes past the law and extends abundant mercy. Ruth gathered an ephath of grain which is 5 gallons worth. I would quess that a poor person might be able to glean that in a week! No wonder Naomi was surprised. When Ruth told her that it was Boaz's field, she was elated because he was a near relative. Boaz had instructed her not to glean in any other field but his. Naomi warned her to stay with his field also. She did; through the barley harvest and the wheat harvest.
This says to me that when we stay obedient to Jesus and stay on his path that he has made for us, we will have abundance. The grass always looks greener on the other side till we get there. Someone else's gift looks better that ours till we try to be them. We were all given a field to reap and glean in and it is safer, more fruitful, and definitely more rewarding to stay there. One of Christian's greatest temptations is to get out of their "field" into someone else's because they feel too quilty to say "no". A sign of maturity is when you know your calling and are confident in Jesus enough to know He will give you grace for what He has called you to, otherwise you are on your own. And doing things in your own strength is exausting and unproductive. It will rob you of your confidence and your passion.
Lord, show us our field and give us the wisdom to stay there till you move us on to new fields.
Boaz is such a gentle man. He tells his young men to let Ruth glean in the open field and to drop some for her on purpose. In Lev.23:22 it gives the law concerning reaping your harvest. You were not suppose to reap the corners or go back over your field to get any remaining produce. The corners and the excess was to go to the poor. Boaz was extending mercy to Ruth past the law. Isn't that what Jesus does for us when we are new to the things of God? He goes past the law and extends abundant mercy. Ruth gathered an ephath of grain which is 5 gallons worth. I would quess that a poor person might be able to glean that in a week! No wonder Naomi was surprised. When Ruth told her that it was Boaz's field, she was elated because he was a near relative. Boaz had instructed her not to glean in any other field but his. Naomi warned her to stay with his field also. She did; through the barley harvest and the wheat harvest.
This says to me that when we stay obedient to Jesus and stay on his path that he has made for us, we will have abundance. The grass always looks greener on the other side till we get there. Someone else's gift looks better that ours till we try to be them. We were all given a field to reap and glean in and it is safer, more fruitful, and definitely more rewarding to stay there. One of Christian's greatest temptations is to get out of their "field" into someone else's because they feel too quilty to say "no". A sign of maturity is when you know your calling and are confident in Jesus enough to know He will give you grace for what He has called you to, otherwise you are on your own. And doing things in your own strength is exausting and unproductive. It will rob you of your confidence and your passion.
Lord, show us our field and give us the wisdom to stay there till you move us on to new fields.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Thursday's Devotion - Food from the Fields
I went out-of-town yesterday to meet my dear friend, Anna, in the booming metropolis of Antlers, Texas. Population: one Mc Donald's. I had a great time and am now back to study Ruth!
Read Ruth 2:1-14
Naomi's late husband, Elimelech had a relative named Boaz who was very rich. "Boaz" means "in him is strength". Later when they built the temple they named one of the two pillars "Boaz" and the other one "Jachin". Boaz was from the kingly line which Jesus would come from. Jachin was from a priestly tribe. Jesus is both king and priest and his kingdom will be built upon that concept.
Ruth goes out to glean the fields for food. She 'just happened' to go to Boaz's field. Boaz came out to see his workers and the first thing he does is speak a blessing over them. Then he notices Ruth and asked about her. They tell him what a hard worker she is and who she is staying with. Boaz tells Ruth to continue reaping with his maidens and when she gets thirsty to drink the water that he has provided for his workers. He also tells her she is protected there. She is humbled and grateful and wonders why he has singled her out to show such kindness. He tells her he has heard of her story and is impressed. He then gives her a most profound promise. He says in paraphrase: 'May God reward you completely for all you have given up to find refuge in God.' Then he extends an invitation for her to come and eat lunch with him. He says, "come and eat of the bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar." Is that not the cross he was inviting her to?
This is a perfect picture of what salvation looks like. She is a foreigner who has chosen the God of the Hebrews. Boaz, as Jesus, presents himself to her and gives her the invitation to walk with him (reap in his fields). She agrees to do that. He gives her water (the Spirit) and food (the Word) dipped in vinegar (persecution; trouble). But he has promised her protection from her enemies. We are born sinners and foreigners. When we decide to choose God to be our god He introduces us to his Son, Jesus. Jesus offers us the invitation and we accept. He provides us with his Spirit, his Word, protection, and death to this life. It all comes dipped in trouble, persecution, and tribulation. Romans says that we glory in tribulation because it produces patience in our lives. God knows just what we need to make us perfect and complete. Jesus said, "In this world you will have tribulation, but fear not, for I have overcome the world."
At the end of verse 14 it says Ruth ate, was full, and left. Lord, we come to your Word to eat of you because you totally satisfy us. May we be made strong to do the task you have for us to do today. We will be back for more!
Read Ruth 2:1-14
Naomi's late husband, Elimelech had a relative named Boaz who was very rich. "Boaz" means "in him is strength". Later when they built the temple they named one of the two pillars "Boaz" and the other one "Jachin". Boaz was from the kingly line which Jesus would come from. Jachin was from a priestly tribe. Jesus is both king and priest and his kingdom will be built upon that concept.
Ruth goes out to glean the fields for food. She 'just happened' to go to Boaz's field. Boaz came out to see his workers and the first thing he does is speak a blessing over them. Then he notices Ruth and asked about her. They tell him what a hard worker she is and who she is staying with. Boaz tells Ruth to continue reaping with his maidens and when she gets thirsty to drink the water that he has provided for his workers. He also tells her she is protected there. She is humbled and grateful and wonders why he has singled her out to show such kindness. He tells her he has heard of her story and is impressed. He then gives her a most profound promise. He says in paraphrase: 'May God reward you completely for all you have given up to find refuge in God.' Then he extends an invitation for her to come and eat lunch with him. He says, "come and eat of the bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar." Is that not the cross he was inviting her to?
This is a perfect picture of what salvation looks like. She is a foreigner who has chosen the God of the Hebrews. Boaz, as Jesus, presents himself to her and gives her the invitation to walk with him (reap in his fields). She agrees to do that. He gives her water (the Spirit) and food (the Word) dipped in vinegar (persecution; trouble). But he has promised her protection from her enemies. We are born sinners and foreigners. When we decide to choose God to be our god He introduces us to his Son, Jesus. Jesus offers us the invitation and we accept. He provides us with his Spirit, his Word, protection, and death to this life. It all comes dipped in trouble, persecution, and tribulation. Romans says that we glory in tribulation because it produces patience in our lives. God knows just what we need to make us perfect and complete. Jesus said, "In this world you will have tribulation, but fear not, for I have overcome the world."
At the end of verse 14 it says Ruth ate, was full, and left. Lord, we come to your Word to eat of you because you totally satisfy us. May we be made strong to do the task you have for us to do today. We will be back for more!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Tuesday's Devotion - From Bitter to Barley
Read Ruth 1:15-22
I think it is noteworthy that Naomi said that Orphah had gone back to her people and her gods. Ruth made it clear to Naomi that she knew that choosing to go to Naomi's people was also choosing Naomi's peoples' god. That proclamation was Ruth's salvation confession. They traveled till they came to the "House of Bread" - Bethlehem. (That is exactly where we need to live when we come into salvation - God's Word.)
In verse 19 it says that "all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?" "Moved about them" in the Hebrew means "greatly agitated; made an uproar". I don't know why they were so upset; maybe it was because she brought a Moabite with her or maybe because she and her sons chose to leave when things got rough. Anyway, Naomi was very humbled and told them to call her "Mara" which means "bitter; heavy". She had left with her sons - her hope for an inheritance - and had come back with a Moabite woman who would not carry on her name. What I love about God is that no matter how hopeless the situation seems, He is not confined to our imagination. He supercedes our hopes and gives us something beyond our dreams. He did that for Naomi.
Notice that they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest. Barley harvest has to do with great growth. Pentecost is the beginning of barley harvest and it signifies the beginning of a new spiritual harvest. For the children of Israel, the first Pentecost was at Mt. Sinai where God gave them his laws and betrothed Israel to himself. In the New Testament it signified God's gift of the Holy Spirit when God betrothed himself to the Church. In Ruth, it was the grafting in of the Gentile into the Holy line of Kings. Jesus came from Ruth's line. Ruth stands for the Church at large: Jews, Gentiles, Muslims, the whosoevers. Thank you God, that you came to save the whole earth!
I think it is noteworthy that Naomi said that Orphah had gone back to her people and her gods. Ruth made it clear to Naomi that she knew that choosing to go to Naomi's people was also choosing Naomi's peoples' god. That proclamation was Ruth's salvation confession. They traveled till they came to the "House of Bread" - Bethlehem. (That is exactly where we need to live when we come into salvation - God's Word.)
In verse 19 it says that "all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?" "Moved about them" in the Hebrew means "greatly agitated; made an uproar". I don't know why they were so upset; maybe it was because she brought a Moabite with her or maybe because she and her sons chose to leave when things got rough. Anyway, Naomi was very humbled and told them to call her "Mara" which means "bitter; heavy". She had left with her sons - her hope for an inheritance - and had come back with a Moabite woman who would not carry on her name. What I love about God is that no matter how hopeless the situation seems, He is not confined to our imagination. He supercedes our hopes and gives us something beyond our dreams. He did that for Naomi.
Notice that they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest. Barley harvest has to do with great growth. Pentecost is the beginning of barley harvest and it signifies the beginning of a new spiritual harvest. For the children of Israel, the first Pentecost was at Mt. Sinai where God gave them his laws and betrothed Israel to himself. In the New Testament it signified God's gift of the Holy Spirit when God betrothed himself to the Church. In Ruth, it was the grafting in of the Gentile into the Holy line of Kings. Jesus came from Ruth's line. Ruth stands for the Church at large: Jews, Gentiles, Muslims, the whosoevers. Thank you God, that you came to save the whole earth!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Monday's Devo - Choose Life
Read Ruth 1:1-14
Yey, I'm back from Thanksgiving. I love to be with my family. I love the way it's growing (Caleb has a girl friend, Josh has a wife). But, it is good to be home. I wonder if it was hard for Ruth to leave everything she knew to follow Naomi. Where were Ruth's parents? Did they object to her leaving? What about her friends? Naomi must have been a wonderful mother-in-law. Oh yea, Naomi knew God! I sometimes forget what a difference we are to the world. We stand out like lights and either people are drawn to the light or they are repelled by it. The stronger our light the more the attraction or the rejection.
We learn a lot in the first verse: judges are ruling and the land is under God's judgement because of sin. So much so, that people were having to go live in lands of their enemy to just exist. Elimelech moved his family to Moab. Moab was one of the children born of an incestrial relationship between Lot and his daughter. "Elimelech" means "strong and mighty king" and "Naomi" means "pleasantness". They have 2 sons, Mahlon and Chilion whose names mean "sickly" and "destruction". Sounds a little like our heavenly Father, strong and mighty, who had children bent on sin and destruction. Anyway, Elimalech moves his family to Moab then dies there. Mahlon and Chilion find wives in Moab and live there for 10 years. I have always wondered why neither of them had children. I guess because sickness and destruction cannot produce life. Then the husbands both die. Ruth decides to go back to Bethlehem because she heard that God had visited his people again and given them bread. Funny how Bethlehem means "house of bread". The bread has returned. Her daughter-in-laws start out with her, but Naomi knows that she has no inheritance to offer them. She can't produce another husband for them so they might as well go back to what is familiar to them. They both cry and hug her, but only Ruth refuses to leave. Orpah leaves and Ruth remains. "Ruth" means "friend". (Jesus is that friend that sticks closer than a brother.)
Ruth sees something in Naomi that is worth leaving everything for. She sees an inheritance that is better than the natural. She has "eyes to see". She chooses God. Orpah which means "stiff-necked" chooses what she knows; what is comfortable. Apparently, it wasn't great, but it was livable. What a shame. She could have had so much better. We have the same decision every day: choose life or choose death. "Life" is new and a little more risky sometimes because it requires faith, but the benefits are so much more weighty in eternal blessings.
Lord, open our eyes to see the difference between "life" and "death" in every decision we make today.
Yey, I'm back from Thanksgiving. I love to be with my family. I love the way it's growing (Caleb has a girl friend, Josh has a wife). But, it is good to be home. I wonder if it was hard for Ruth to leave everything she knew to follow Naomi. Where were Ruth's parents? Did they object to her leaving? What about her friends? Naomi must have been a wonderful mother-in-law. Oh yea, Naomi knew God! I sometimes forget what a difference we are to the world. We stand out like lights and either people are drawn to the light or they are repelled by it. The stronger our light the more the attraction or the rejection.
We learn a lot in the first verse: judges are ruling and the land is under God's judgement because of sin. So much so, that people were having to go live in lands of their enemy to just exist. Elimelech moved his family to Moab. Moab was one of the children born of an incestrial relationship between Lot and his daughter. "Elimelech" means "strong and mighty king" and "Naomi" means "pleasantness". They have 2 sons, Mahlon and Chilion whose names mean "sickly" and "destruction". Sounds a little like our heavenly Father, strong and mighty, who had children bent on sin and destruction. Anyway, Elimalech moves his family to Moab then dies there. Mahlon and Chilion find wives in Moab and live there for 10 years. I have always wondered why neither of them had children. I guess because sickness and destruction cannot produce life. Then the husbands both die. Ruth decides to go back to Bethlehem because she heard that God had visited his people again and given them bread. Funny how Bethlehem means "house of bread". The bread has returned. Her daughter-in-laws start out with her, but Naomi knows that she has no inheritance to offer them. She can't produce another husband for them so they might as well go back to what is familiar to them. They both cry and hug her, but only Ruth refuses to leave. Orpah leaves and Ruth remains. "Ruth" means "friend". (Jesus is that friend that sticks closer than a brother.)
Ruth sees something in Naomi that is worth leaving everything for. She sees an inheritance that is better than the natural. She has "eyes to see". She chooses God. Orpah which means "stiff-necked" chooses what she knows; what is comfortable. Apparently, it wasn't great, but it was livable. What a shame. She could have had so much better. We have the same decision every day: choose life or choose death. "Life" is new and a little more risky sometimes because it requires faith, but the benefits are so much more weighty in eternal blessings.
Lord, open our eyes to see the difference between "life" and "death" in every decision we make today.
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