Burunche’s Blog

Ruth 3:1 – 7 “One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek a resting place for you, that it may be well with you? Now is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been working, a relative of ours? In fact, tonight he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Therefore wash yourself, put on perfume, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but do not let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he lies. Then go in and uncover his feet, and lie down, and he will explain to you what you should do.”

“I will do everything you say,” Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her. After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then Ruth went in secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman!”

 Even though the Israelites had been ordered by God to care for widows, orphans, and strangers, Ruth was still very vulnerable. At any point some young man desiring her as a wife might corner her outside town, rape her, and then insist that the sex was consensual. Naomi wanted to find Ruth a good husband, someone who would really care for her, and Boaz as a relative was a natural choice.

Still, Ruth and Naomi were taking a huge risk, and it all depended on the character of Boaz. Naomi undoubtedly knew Boaz before she left Bethlehem, but that was years ago and sometimes people change. When Naomi first left Bethlehem, Boaz had a reputation in town for righteousness and excellent character. Once Naomi and Ruth returned, Naomi would naturally begin chatting with her friends and finding out what was going on. You can almost hear the conversation at the village well. “I remember my husband Elimelech had a cousin named Boaz. What’s he up to these days?” “Oh, Boaz. He’s a great guy and doing fine, but that’s a terrible tragedy. Boaz married this nice young lady, but she died delivering her first baby. Both Boaz’s wife and the child died. It was terrible. Since then, he hasn’t looked at any of the eligible maidens here in Bethlehem. Heaven knows, some of these pushy mothers have certainly tried hard enough!” It might have been after one such conversation that Naomi began making her plans.

Why did Naomi counsel Ruth to wait until Boaz was asleep and then uncover his feet and lie under that covering? Naomi knew that Boaz would be celebrating the end of the harvest with everyone else; this meant that several men might be drunk. By having Ruth wait until Boaz (and all the others) were asleep, Naomi was ensuring that Ruth wouldn’t be grabbed by one of the other men. And by Ruth lying at the feet of Boaz and covering herself with the cloth covering his feet, Ruth was symbolically requesting his protection in marriage.

There are those who have attempted to place sexual connotations on this passage and to indicate that Ruth must have seduced Boaz; however, that would be far contrary to the character of either Ruth or Naomi. I believe that Naomi had gotten sufficient information from her friends to know that Boaz faithfully worshiped God according to the laws of Moses. As a traditionalist, Boaz would appreciate the significance of Ruth uncovering his feet and then lying down and covering herself with that same cloth.

APPLICATION: At first glance, we might ask ourselves what this ancient story has to do with us? So Ruth eventually gets a husband, so what? But look at Ruth’s situation.

1. Ruth was an outsider, a stranger who had come to Bethlehem out of love for her mother – in – law. Perhaps Ruth’s own mother was dead and none of her aunts was kind. Perhaps Ruth’s mother had a toxic personality. Perhaps Ruth’s family had collected a big dowry from Elimelech and Naomi and having spent that dowry, they had no more use for Ruth. The Bible never mentions anything about Ruth’s family at all.

Even if we are living in our own country, many of us may feel estranged from our families. Perhaps we have come out of a loveless situation, one in which those caring for us did the bare minimum and then left us to our own devices. Perhaps we now find ourselves in toxic working situations in which those above us take credit for our work and those below us scheme to undermine us.

2. Ruth was in a very vulnerable position socially. With only Naomi at the house, Ruth had nobody to protect her physically. Again, many of us feel just as if we are walking around with targets on our backs, especially now that women and children are being snatched out of parking lots. We lived in midtown Manhattan for a year; for that year, I felt that anytime I went on the street, someone was sizing me up to mug me. (I always tried to appear as if attacking me would be a worthless exercise.)

3. Naomi was probably now in her forties in an age when many people died by age 35. Even if Naomi could have helped and protected Ruth, Naomi had no resources and no way of telling how much longer she might live. Ruth needed more security than Naomi could provide. For all these reasons, Ruth needed a husband and a protector, someone with enough social position that nobody could complain if he married a Moabite woman. Ruth needed someone with sufficient wealth to care for both Naomi and her.

 We all need love and acceptance and protection. We too need families to which we can belong. If our original nuclear family fails us, we will seek out other families – church, school, or special interest groups. We all have an innate desire for connection. Even those of us who claim to have given up on people frequently cherish dogs or cats or even ferrets or mice – anything that might give us warmth and affection.

Ruth was blessed to have Boaz, who did come to her aid. But what of those of us who see no help in our situations? Deuteronomy 33:27 gives us the answer: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’”

For Ruth and Naomi, Boaz eventually became their protector. But for the rest of us, our Protector is the One True Living God. Isaiah 40:10 – 11 says, “See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.”

Isaiah 40:28-31 says,” Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Boaz became the protector for Ruth and Naomi and a husband for Ruth. But we have a Protector who is far greater than Boaz. Our Protector knows each one of us individually, our hurts, our desires, our struggles, and our trials. Boaz died and was buried, but our Protector is eternal, immortal, all – powerful and all – knowing, all loving and all – wise.

PRAYER: Father God, many of us are afraid to call You “Father” or even hate the term because of the mean ways our earthly fathers have treated us. Many more refuse to own You as Lord because they have suffered at the hands of authority figures and shy away from trusting anybody. Please, Lord, let Your righteousness, Your peace, and Your truth soak into our hearts so that we begin to understand how much You love us. You never fail. You are Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. Help us to trust You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ruth 2:13 – 23“My lord,” she said, “may I continue to find favor in your eyes, for you have comforted and spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your servant girls.” At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here; have some bread and dip it into the vinegar sauce.” So she sat down beside the harvesters, and he offered her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left over.

When Ruth got up to glean, Boaz ordered his young men, “Even if she gathers among the sheaves, do not insult her. Rather, pull out for her some stalks from the bundles and leave them for her to gather. Do not rebuke her.”

So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. And when she beat out what she had gleaned, it was about an ephah of barley. (An ephah is approximately 20 dry quarts or 22 liters (probably about 29 pounds or 13.2 kilograms of barley). She picked up the grain and went into the town, where her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. And she brought out what she had saved from her meal and gave it to Naomi. Then her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today, and where did you work? Blessed be the man who noticed you.” So she told her mother-in-law where she had worked. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.

Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, who has not withdrawn His kindness from the living or the dead.” Naomi continued, “The man is a close relative. He is one of our kinsman-redeemers.” (The Hebrew word for kinsman-redeemer or guardian-redeemer is a legal term for the kinsman who redeems or vindicates a relative.)

Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also told me, ‘Stay with my young men until they have finished gathering all my harvest.’” And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “My daughter, it is good for you to work with his young women, so that nothing will happen to you in another field.” So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean grain until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.”

Ruth returns to Naomi in success. Not only has Ruth had a profitable day gleaning barley, but she has also made a good impression on Boaz, a close relative of Naomi’s late husband Elimelech and a kinsman redeemer. The role of the kinsman redeemer is described in Leviticus 25:25 “If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold.” 

Why hasn’t Naomi already contacted Boaz? Perhaps Naomi is ashamed. After all, when Naomi left Bethlehem with her family, they might have been one of the wealthier families in town and now she is poverty – stricken.

APPLICATION: As we read the story of Ruth and Naomi, it almost seems like a fairy tale and too good to be true. But this story came from people who preserved stories in a long – standing oral tradition. Children were probably drilled in these stories and the details had to be correct at every point. And in the genealogies of Jesus, Ruth and Boaz figure prominently. This story is probably a true one.

One of the most encouraging parts of this story is the continuing devotion of Ruth and Naomi to each other. Obviously, these two women really did love and respect each other, giving a picture of what an ideal relationship between a daughter – in – law and a mother – in – law might be.

Yet another remarkable feature is the amount of barley Ruth was able to glean in one day. The barley Ruth brought would probably feed Ruth and Naomi for nearly a month and certainly must have relieved Naomi’s anxiety a bit. God is already blessing Naomi for returning to Bethlehem and Ruth for accompanying Naomi.

Sometimes we fail to look at our situations and see the small ways in which God is blessing us. This is a mistake. As many people have learned, a grateful heart improves one’s whole outlook as well as one’s health. May we look for the blessings as we go throughout our days.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to look for Your blessings and to be grateful for them. Help us also to share our joy at these blessings with others and help them to see Your blessings in their lives also. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ruth 2:1 – 12 “Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a prominent man of noble character from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go into the fields and glean heads of grain after someone in whose sight I may find favor.” “Go ahead, my daughter,” Naomi replied.

So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, “The LORD be with you.” “The LORD bless you,” they replied. And Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?” The foreman answered, “She is the Moabitess who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. She has said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the harvesters.’ So she came out and has continued from morning until now, except that she rested a short time in the shelter.”

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Do not go and glean in another field, and do not go away from this place, but stay here close to my servant girls. Let your eyes be on the field they are harvesting, and follow along after these girls. Indeed, I have ordered the young men not to touch you. And when you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.” At this, she fell on her face, bowing low to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me, even though I am a foreigner?”

Boaz replied, “I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and how you came to a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay your work, and may you receive a rich reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge.”

God’s timing is perfect! Just as Ruth and Naomi trudged into town wondering where they would sleep and how they would survive, the barley harvest was starting. Farms were small, and the workers from various households went out to harvest the grain.

Deuteronomy 24:19 says, “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” Ruth and Naomi were both widows and sojourners, having just come to Bethlehem.

When Naomi sent Ruth out to glean, she knew that Ruth had the right to do so. But what about the young men working in the fields? Who would protect Ruth from being raped? God in His mercy led Ruth to the part of the field belonging to Naomi’s late husband’s kinsman Boaz. In the small town of Bethlehem, everybody already knew about Ruth’s dedication to Naomi, despite the fact that Ruth was from Moab and no Israel. By this point, the people of Bethlehem probably knew everything about Ruth and were favorably impressed. As soon as Boaz learned that Ruth was working in his field, he arranged for her to be protected and to have water and shelter with his workers.

APPLICATION: Many times, we feel as if all our efforts are fruitless! We strive to do the right thing; however, we are firmly convinced that nobody sees us and nobody cares. But God is omniscient, all – knowing, and God cares deeply about each one of us.

One of the most encouraging things about the story of Ruth is the way in which God provided and protected both Ruth and Naomi. They made a long difficult journey from Moab back to Bethlehem. Upon reaching Bethlehem, Ruth was able to find work that would help feed the two of them. And God gave Ruth favor with Boaz, here described as a “prominent man of noble character.”

Several years ago, a popular song told us that “God is watching from a distance.” But those words are totally inaccurate. God is not watching from a distance; God is as close to us as our heartbeats. God cares about each one of us as if we were His only child. It is rank heresy to claim that God is a distant Deity who is standing back waiting for us to make a mistake so that He can punish us. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Far from being distant and uninterested, God is passionately interested in every aspect of our lives. It is we who have created a gap between ourselves and God.

Each of us has a problem: we are sinners. By ourselves, nothing we can do will be sufficient for us to earn our way into heaven. But John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not die, but should have everlasting life.” That “whosoever” means that everyone who believes on God and the blood sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins will have eternal life. God has done what we ourselves were unable to accomplish. But there are conditions.

We must face the fact that we are sinners. We need to pray to God and confess that we are sinful and unable to help ourselves. We then need to ask God to forgive our sins and to help us to live for Him and not for ourselves.

PRAYER: Father God, we confess that we have continually done wrong things and that nothing good or noble that we do will get us into heaven. Thank you for sending Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, dying in our place. Please forgive our sins and help us to live for You the rest of our lives. Amen.

Ruth 1:19 – 22 “So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

“Do not call me Naomi, (pleasant) ” she replied. “Call me Mara, (bitter) because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”

So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.”

Poor Naomi! Ten years ago, Naomi’s family left Bethlehem with Naomi, her husband, and two sons. Perhaps there may have been several servants and a number of donkeys. Now Naomi is returning as a widow whose sons are dead, accompanied only by her daughter – in – law and a single donkey. When Naomi left, she was tall and graceful and her hair was jet black. As the wife of a wealthy man, Naomi was clothed beautifully and wore a few tasteful gold ornaments. Now Naomi’s hair has turned white from the stress of her bereavement, and her once – cheerful face is marred by sadness. Instead of the fine linen Naomi used to wear, she is clothed in the sack cloth appropriate to mourners. There are no ear rings or nose rings or bracelets or necklaces. Naomi’s feet are shod in worn – out sandals and gritty from the dust of travel. Little wonder that the women of the city are exclaiming, “Can this be Naomi?”

Although Naomi’s appearance has excited comment, the biggest change is Naomi’s personality. Once Naomi was one of the most positive and encouraging people in Bethlehem, truly living up to the meaning of her name. Now Naomi doesn’t even want to claim her name but insists that people should call her “Mara” or “bitter instead because she feels God has abandoned her.

APPLICATION: Ever feel that God has abandoned you and that you are in a deep deep hole with no way out? Welcome to the ranks of those who have suffered! It’s amazing but when you are in the midst of a problem with no visible way out, there are ALWAYS those who are more than willing to offer advice – most of it rubbish!

Several years ago, we returned to America after a very difficult first missionary term. The group that sent us out had overlooked enormous problems with the project to which they sent us. Our living situation was a nightmare for several months. When we attempted to correct some of the problems, we found ourselves misunderstood and severely criticized by the very people who had sent us there.

Once we returned to America, we found ourselves surrounded by well – intentioned friends with no understanding of our situation. We soon learned that it was those who had suffered the most themselves who were the most helpful. I finally told one sympathetic friend who did understand our situation that I didn’t want to hear from anyone else who had not earned their Ph. D. in suffering! We certainly understood how Naomi must have felt when she returned bereaved and penniless to Bethlehem.

BUT in Naomi’s story, there is a tiny ray of hope, no more than a gleam on the horizon. “And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.” Naomi had no idea that the timing of Ruth’s and her arrival was so important, but God did. All the way from Moab, God guided Ruth and Naomi so that they would arrive in Bethlehem precisely at the correct time. The barley harvest was starting, and farmers needed as much help as possible. Good workers were in short supply, and Ruth was a good worker. God was about to graphically demonstrate that Naomi was wrong and that He had neither testified against her nor afflicted her.

Our story also had a happy ending. God used the struggles we endured during our first missionary term to teach us a number of important lessons very quickly. During our first time in Ghana, we became acquainted with leaders of the Assemblies of God Ghana Church. Eventually the AG Ghana Church invited us to work in their clinic in Saboba, Northern Region, launching us on the continuation of our missionary careers. But our sufferings during our first term were necessary and educational. We learned to trust God and not ourselves, particularly when it appeared that all might be falling apart.

Do you feel that you are in a deep hole? Call out to God! No matter how restricted your hole is, there is always room for God in there. And once there is room for God, He will give you a way out. But be prepared for the way to be tough; most of us learn our most important lessons the hard way. And hang in there! God is not through with you yet.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that even when our situations look bleak, You are already making a way for us. Thank You that You love us and care for us. Thank You also for leading us through difficulties so that we can be stronger and more compassionate to those around us. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ruth 1:6 – 18 “When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab. Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road leading back to the land of Judah.

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you loving devotion,a as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.” But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands? Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”

Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”

But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.”

This is one of the most wonderful stories in the Bible, and it comes in the same time period as the Book of Judges, which makes it even more remarkable. Naomi must have been a fantastic lady! One of my friends once described her mother – in – law as her “mother – in – love.” Ruth and Orpah might have agreed with that description.

By now, Ruth and Orpah have been widows for a little while. In that culture, young women would readily re – marry, and there were probably men lined up waiting to marry both these ladies. But Naomi had been so kind and so loving to Ruth and Orpah that they didn’t want to leave her for anything. Finally, Orpah was persuaded to go back, but Ruth absolutely refused. Poor Orpah! This is the last that we ever hear of her. We don’t know if Orpah remarried, nor do we know what happened to her and her family once she returned to Moab. What would have happened to Orpah had she gone on with Ruth and Naomi? Perhaps Orpah would have become as famous and as highly regarded as Ruth. But Orpah chose to return to her familiar life in Moab and idolatry.

Ruth’s dedication to Naomi was incredible. Why was Ruth so willing to leave her own people and to risk remaining as an outcast among the Israelites? The only real answers were love and spiritual hunger. Ruth loved Naomi so much that being separated from her appeared worse than death. Ruth was even willing to leave her traditional gods behind to worship Naomi’s God, and this might be part of the key to the whole thing. Of all the family, it appears that Naomi was the only one who remained a true worshiper of the One True Living God once the family left Bethlehem. Hungry for truth, Ruth saw something in Naomi that was worth giving up everything else – a relationship with a real God and not an idol.

APPLICATION: It was Blaise Pascal who wrote,”“What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace?

This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself” Blaise Pascal Pensees

An “abyss” is a deep or seemingly bottomless chasm. Sometimes people have paraphrased Pascal by describing this abyss as a “god – sized vacuum.” No matter how one describes it, Pascal was correct. Only an infinite God can fill a hole that stretches to infinity.

The questions for us as we read this story are these: Are we choosing the safe and familiar, or are we willing to let God really fill the abyss in our lives and lead us into a fearful and glorious unknown future? Have we really let God fill up all the emptiness in our lives, or are we trying to fill it with food, work, sports, or other obsessions? As long as we choose anything less than God, we will remain unsatisfied and unhappy.

St. Augustine in his Confessions said, “Our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.” Today, let us ask God to show us anything we have tried to substitute for Him in our hearts. May God help us to truly find our rest in Him.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving for us and for caring for us so much that You choose to be with us. Open our eyes to see the things we have been trying to substitute for You. May we reject everything that is not of You and may You fill our hearts and our lives. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Ruth 1: 1 – 5 “In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.

Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons, who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.”

WHAT’S IN A NAME? The name “Bethlehem” literally means “house of bread,” indicating that the area was fertile. “Elimelech” means “my God is king,” while “Naomi” means “pleasant.” But when famine came, Elimelech failed to live up to his name and chose to move to Moab where the people worshiped Chemosh and Astarte. (Astarte was the fertility goddess and her rites always included sexual orgies.)

Why would Elimelech move when others did not? Some people have speculated that Elimelech was originally very wealthy and that he moved to Moab to avoid disgrace. (https://baptistbulletin.org/the-baptist-bulletin-magazine/may-06-issue/moving-to-moab-was-elimelech-wrong/)

Whatever the reason, this move turned out to be disastrous. Elimelech died – perhaps soon after the family had settled in Moab. Naomi’s two sons married Moabite women, something God had forbidden the Israelites to do. There is no mention of any children being born to either of these two men. Ten years after the move, both Mahlon and Chilion died, leaving Naomi alone. The name “Mahlon” can mean “a dance,” indicating something joyful; however, it can also mean “sickness.” “Chilion” can mean “completion;” however, it can also mean “destruction or wasting.” Traditionally, many Jews have believed that the negative meanings of these names indicate the failings of these two men that led to their untimely deaths. Mahlon is suspected of having committed acts of profanation by worshiping his wife’s god Chemosh. Chilion might have also fallen into idolatry, bringing condemnation upon himself.

APPLICATION: Many times, we are confused about which way to go and we are tempted to choose the course that is most expedient. We don’t intend to stay in a questionable situation for very long; we only want to be there temporarily while we wait for things to work out somewhere else.

In some accounts of this story, Elimelech and his family are described as intending to “sojourn” in Moab, that is, to stay there only for a short time and then to return to Bethlehem. But temporary measures have a way of becoming permanent. As the months turned into years, the family became less and less interested in returning to Bethlehem. If the family were to survive, Elimelech would have to start some kind of business; he might have been required to make routine sacrifices to the local gods to do business in Moab. The sons probably made friends with the young people in their new location; certainly, they married Moabite girls. Was Naomi was able to find some women her own age with whom she could socialize, or was she the sole person in the family who longed to return to Bethlehem?

At any rate, the move to Moab proved to be a disaster! Elimelech evidently died shortly after the move. Ten years later, Mahlon and Chilion both died as well, leaving Naomi bereaved and penniless. Naomi’s only remaining relatives were Orpah and Ruth, her two daughters – in – law. Now Naomi was a stranger, an outsider with nobody to care for her or to support her. In a culture in which family was paramount, Naomi had lost her support system; her only viable option was to return to Bethlehem.

What lessons can we take from this part of the story? Each of us needs to search our hearts, our minds, and our lives to see where we have compromised. What “temporary” solutions have we allowed to become permanent? Are we trapped in a living situation that has become toxic? Are we trapped in a profession that has become a burden but that we fear to leave? Have we allowed a family problem to fester when we should have addressed it long ago? Have we settled for less than God’s best for our lives and the lives of our family members because we are afraid to make a change? May God help us to ask ourselves the tough questions and then to make necessary changes!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that You are infinitely capable and that You have only the best for us in mind! Open our eyes to see where we have compromised and then to return to Your plans for our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

SUMMARY OF JUDGES

The book of Judges has some of the saddest and goriest stories in the entire Bible. Part of the sadness comes from the repeated comment “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

These people whom God intended to be holy and righteous and to demonstrate His faithfulness and His goodness to the whole earth refused to teach successive generations about Him, preferring to worship idols instead. The results were predictable; in fact, God specifically warned the Israelites what would happen if they failed to teach their children about Him.

Deuteronomy 6:6 – 15 tells us “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. “So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full— then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you (for the Lord your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.”

Many times when things go wrong, we choose to blame God, conveniently forgetting that we ourselves may be the source of our own problems. An old spiritual says, “It’s me, it’s me, it’s me, Oh Lord! Standing in the need of prayer! Not my brother, not my sister, but it’s me, Oh Lord! Standing in the need of prayer.”

Judges forces us to face tough questions. Who is going to teach our children about God? If we fail to do so, nobody else will. In the spiritual world, there are only two choices, only two paths. Either you are moving closer to God and away from Satan, or you are moving closer to Satan and away from God. And if we fail to teach our children about God, who will teach our grandchildren and what will they learn? May God help us to study His Word, being confident that if we ask Him for help and guidance, He will give it!

PRAYER: Father God, HELP! We are in danger of losing our children because we don’t know how to teach them about You. Please help us! Please guide us! And help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 21:1 – 25 “Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.” So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly. “Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!” The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings. The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.

And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel. What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?” So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly. For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there. So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children. This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.” So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon. And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them.

The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel. Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?” They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.”

For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”

“But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”

So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’” The Benjamites did as instructed and carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and settled in them. And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance. In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

What a mess! 600 Benjamites survived by escaping and hiding near the rock of Rimmon in the wilderness. Once the Israelites had vented their anger on Gibeah and the Benjamite cities, they return to Bethel, where they worship the Lord and slowly come to their senses. Rather than celebrating victories, the Israelites are now grieving for the near – loss of one tribe. Now the Israelites realize that 600 Benjamites have survived, but what is going to happen? In the heat of their anger, the Israelites have sworn not to give their daughters as wives to the Benjamites. The Israelites get tricky and ask which city in all of Israel has failed to send warriors to fight against Benjamin? Unfortunately, the city of Jabesh – Gilead east of the Jordan has failed to send any warriors to help the rest of the Israelites. This failure is a violation of the oath sworn by those settling that area when Moses gave them that land. The Israelites send warriors who wipe out all the inhabitants except for 400 virgins whom they bring back as brides for the Benjamites.

But this still leaves 200 Benjamites without brides. No problem! The Israelites cook up a scheme in which the 200 Benjamites kidnap girls from Shiloh as they are performing their annual dances. The kidnapping absolves the families of these girls of any blame, since they have not actually given the girls in marriage. (Of course, nobody is interested in the feelings of the poor virgins forced into these marriages!)

APPLICATION: As a female reading these verses, I have always felt terribly sorry for the poor girls forced into these marriages; however, these practices were fairly common in those times. But were these schemes God’s perfect will for this situation? My personal reaction is no! Elders from the eleven remaining tribes of Israel could have gone to Jabesh – Gilead and negotiated for those girls; there was no reason that the innocent inhabitants had to be massacred. (And the question is, how much loot did those 12000 soldiers collect when they were attacking Jabesh – Gilead?) At least with respect to the girls from Shiloh, their families and their city were left intact. But even there, had the Israelites actually sought the Lord on this matter, there would have been a better answer.

The saddest part of this entire story is the final verdict in verse 25: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Who is King of your life? From whom do you get your guidance? Are you allowing the Ruler of the Universe to counsel you, or are you doing what is right in your own eyes?

PRAYER:Father God, help us to look to YOU and only YOU for our help and our guidance. Be King of our lives! Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Judges 20:29 – 48 “So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah. On the third day the Israelites went up against the Benjamites and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as they had done before. The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah. “We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”

So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah. Then 10,000 select men from all Israel made a frontal assault against Gibeah, and the battle was fierce. But the Benjamites did not realize that disaster was upon them. The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated.

Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah. The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword. The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city, the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.” But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke. Then the men of Israel turned back on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified when they realized that disaster had come upon them. So they fled before the men of Israel toward the wilderness, but the battle overtook them, and the men coming out of the cities struck them down there. They surrounded the Benjamites, pursued them, and easily overtook them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east. And 18,000 Benjamites fell, all men of valor.

Then the Benjamites turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel cut down 5,000 men on the roads. And they overtook them at Gidom and struck down 2,000 more. That day 25,000 Benjamite swordsmen fell, all men of valor. But six hundred men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. And the men of Israel turned back against the other Benjamites and struck down with the sword all the cities, including the animals and everything else they found. And they burned down all the cities in their path.”

This whole mess started because the men of Gibeah did the unthinkable and their relatives stuck up for them. Had the rest of the Tribe of Benjamin sanctioned the men of Gibeah, all would have been well. But one bad decision led to another and now disaster was overtaking the Benjamites.

After the Israelites seriously sought the Lord, repented, and worshiped, God gave them new strategies to conquer the Benjamites. The Israelites mounted an ambush, drawing the Benjamites away from Gibeah and then torching Gibeah. The Israelite soldiers in hiding then attacked, destroying the Benjamite soldiers and all the cities in the Tribe of Benjamin. By the time these battles were over, the Tribe of Benjamin was nearly annihilated, all because they refused to discipline their own people.

APPLICATION: What made the difference between the first two days of the Israelite attacks and the third day? v. 35-36 “The LORD defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and on that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated.” God made the difference. The Israelites who were killed the first two days were just as brave and just as strong as those who defeated the Benjamites. It was God who made the difference.

When the men of Gibeah raped that poor young woman, they failed to consider the fact that God was watching. And when the Benjamites insisted on supporting the men of Gibeah, thus approving of their horrific acts, God was also watching.

Many times we feel that God is completely removed from our actions and that He will not intervene. But God is NOT removed and God DOES care.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to realize that You are intimately involved in all of our affairs. Help us to remember that You care about everything we do, everything we think, everything we plan. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Judges 20:18 – 28 “The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied. The next morning the Israelites set out and camped near Gibeah. And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin and took up their battle positions at Gibeah. And the Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.

But the Israelite army took courage and again took their battle positions in the same place where they had arrayed themselves on the first day. They went up and wept before the LORD until evening, inquiring of Him, “Should we again draw near for battle against our brothers the Benjamites?” And the LORD answered, “Go up against them.”

On the second day the Israelites advanced against the Benjamites. That same day the Benjamites came out against them from Gibeah and cut down another 18,000 Israelites, all of them armed with swords.

Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD. And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, and Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, served before it.) The Israelites asked, “Should we again go out to battle against our brothers the Benjamites, or should we stop?” The LORD answered, “Fight, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands.”

40,000 Israelites die in the first two days of battle against Benjamin! And these losses have taken place after the Israelites have already asked God for guidance. At this point, the Israelites are ready to give up; however, they do the most intelligent thing possible. Rather than sitting and lamenting, the Israelites all go up to Bethel where the Tabernacle is located. There the Israelites pray, weeping before the Lord and fasting until evening. In addition, the Israelites present burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord as required by Moses. Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, is serving as high priest.

Why is this act of worship so important? The Israelites have realized that while they have asked God for guidance, they have not worshiped Him. Now as the Israelites are worshiping, God gives them assurance. Notice that on the previous two days, the Israelites asked for – and received – directions; however, God gave them no assurance.

APPLICATION: 40,000 casualties in two days! If that kind of loss happened today, social media would light up in a blaze of indignation! There would be calls for a halt to the battle, and people would be furious.

The question here is this: did the Israelites do anything wrong on the first two days of the battle? The Israelites asked God for guidance, and God advised them what to do; yet, their losses were catastrophic. No, the Israelites did nothing wrong, nor were they misguided. When we are facing evil, we must be prepared for setbacks and for losses. The Israelites did everything properly, but the very best thing they did was to assemble before the Lord, pray and fast, and offer sacrifices. Did God NEED those sacrifices? Of course not! An all – sufficient, all – powerful God needs nothing. But the ISRAELITES needed that time of prayer, of repentance, and of worship.

What is the lesson here for us? When we are confronting evil and nothing appears to be happening, we need to double down and pray harder, search our hearts for anything that is hindering our efforts, and above all, worship.

How much difference was there between the Benjamites as a whole and the men of Gibeah? Evidently, there was very little difference if the rest of the Benjamites could go to war on behalf of those in Gibeah. But how much difference was there between the Benjamites as a whole and the rest of the Israelites? Probably not that much. Again, the Israelites were reaping the results of having failed to teach their children the laws of God and His ways. Despite the covenants the Israelites made with God as described in Deuteronomy 30, they had refused to follow the Lord and were wandering around becoming more confused instead.

When the Israelites came to the end of their own resources, they truly sought the Lord. And that seeking eventually brought victory. But what a price the Israelites had paid before they were willing to ask God for help and to worship Him!

How many of us are trying to make it on our own? We feel we have things figured out – oh, we might want a little divine guidance once in awhile, but really, we can handle things….. we think. And then we face sudden calamities – sickness, accidents, economic downturns, not to mention natural disasters such as fires, floods, and storms. Suddenly we realize the ice on which we have been skating is actually very thin indeed. The Israelites waited until things were really going wrong before they came before the Lord. Don’t be like the Israelites! Worship God now! Worship Him daily! Study God’s Word, the Bible, and let its truths nourish and strengthen your spirit. Then when calamities arise, you will be prepared mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that You are always ready to hear us and that You care for us far more than we can possibly imagine. Help everyone who reads these words to seek You and to worship You in spirit and in truth. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.