JOSHUA
"O sun, stand still over Gibeon,
O moon, over the valley of Aijalon.
So the sun stood still,
and the moon stopped" (10:12-13)
God listens to prayers of sincerity. I don't like to take things out of context, so I should point out that it goes on to say there has not been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to man. I am confident it means listens to a command from man in that way. Anyway, He listens to prayers from your heart. Then. Now. Always. Other than the gift of salvation I'm not sure there is anything more comforting to know.
JUDGES
I enjoyed Judges. Honestly, I'm a little surprised people don't reference it more! I think it is pretty clear that all the verses referencing "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." is a VERY accurate description of the mindset at the time. Poor Israel... what where you thinking? Or maybe all the years this book covers are like the choices we make every day. Rebel, punishment, wander back to God, happiness.... rebellion, pain, God, happiness. When will we ever get the point???
Deborah's song. Not my thing, but this is a good excerpt:
"...may they who love You be like the sun,
when it rises in its strength" (5:31)
Jephthah - why don't more people know who he is? I can honestly say, even if it is with a certain amount of shame, I had NO IDEA who he was... not a single stinking clue. Jephthah was an underdog turned warrior who baled Israel out (who didn't have to do that)... BUT Jephthah makes a vow to the Lord... "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, what comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering" (11:30-31). Can anyone see where this is dangerous?? Are you with me on the gravity of this?? So when Jephthah returns home what should greet him but is one and only child, his precious daughter. His precious virgin, unmarried daughter. Jephthah is heartbroken and tells Mizpah (the daughter) about his vow. Mizpah not only understands, but comforts her father! She makes a request to hang out in the mountains for 2 months with her friends crying about dying an unmarried virgin (can you blame her??) and then returns to become a burnt offering. Now that's a commitment to doing the right thing!! More people need to study this woman.
RUTH
Oh the book of Ruth. Women love this book. It is almost as close to the heart of a woman as Esther or Proverbs 31. The book of Ruth is the first book I ever read in the Bible, and I've read it several times since. She is a woman of character, so much so Boaz had heard about her - not her beauty, not her body, not her brain - her character long before he met her. Let me share some different insights with you that what we normally talk about...
1. Ruth was a Moabite. If you're read any of the books prior to Ruth you know who the Israelites were told NOT to hang out with... not just the surrounding pagan peoples, but often, specifically not the Moabites. Naomi's sons married Moabite women, against God's command I might add, but when Naomi is rendered a sonless widow, who sticks with her? Ruth, the Moabite. And what sacrifices does Ruth make? Her people, her life, her gods. A Moabite gave up her entire life to follow her mother-in-law to a God she didn't know. Now, a few of you have mother-in-laws, the rest of us have interactions with someone else's mother that made us know why there are mother-in-law jokes... she followed her mother-in-law... whew, praise Jesus for that commitment! Anyway, the thing that really struck me was this - although God clearly chose Israel and set them apart, even warned them about the pagan Moabites, He not loved Ruth for her faithfulness, character, and commitment, but blessed her to the point of putting her in the lineage of Jesus! Why is this important? To me, it is one of the first signs that God would send Jesus for the Gentiles as much as the Jews.... because He loves us. And because He loves us, no one is outside of salvation as long as they are willing to give up their life and follow God.
2. Redeeming. Boaz knows there is a kinsman redeemer closer to Ruth and it is the LAW that he has first rights to her. The law reigned supreme in those days, so you bet Boaz was going to respect that. Long story short, the kinsmen redeemer can't put his family line at risk by "redeeming" Ruth so Boaz does. Why is this important??? Because dear children, just like everything else in the Christian life... you will NEVER be redeemed by the law, you will only be redeemed by Christ! That is so beautiful to me. I can't even tell you what a special place that thought has in my heart. Nothing you or I or the law can ever do will save you, will redeem you, only the Lord can do that. Let that soak in!
No comments:
Post a Comment