Teach us to pray-8

We had an emergency trip out of town as a dear family member was dying and we were requested at her bedside. She is now with the LORD for which we are eternally thankful.

As David is a man after God’s own heart, his actions are hard to fully comprehend. Clearly, God sees in David what we have trouble seeing. He is an adulterer and a murderer. Both of which are actions deserving of the death penalty. Let us continue this sad story in the life of David.

2 Samuel 11:18  Then Joab sent and reported to David all the events of the war. 1:19  He charged the messenger, saying, "When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king, 1:20  and if it happens that the king's wrath rises and he says to you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? 1:21  'Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?'—then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'" 

So Joab knew what role he was to play in this sad drama. David enlisted him is this deception and murder of Uriah. David now has lost his moral leadership of Joab. No longer can he related to Joab purely as the King, as Joab knows something David wants to keep hidden. Until either Joab or David dies, this hangs over both of them. So Joab provides David with a ‘reasonable’ answer for the death of Uriah.

11:22  So the messenger departed and came and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to tell. 11:23  The messenger said to David, "The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the field, but we pressed them as far as the entrance of the gate. 11:24  "Moreover, the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead." 

Now David is given the bad news but to him is the good news. It would now seem David’s dilemma is over, or so David might have thought.

11:25  Then David said to the messenger, "Thus you shall say to Joab, 'Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and overthrow it'; and so encourage him." 

How hypocritical of David. He sends the messenger back to comfort Joab or really comfort himself. Just fight on he said, men die in war all the time. How convenient for David that a war was raging on at this time.

11:26  Now when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. 11:27  When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD. 

So now Bathsheba did her part by publicly mourning for her husband. She might have really been saddened, but did she know David was the killer? Needless to say, as soon as the right amount of time had passed, David made her another one of his wives. This enable him to think he had hidden their sin even though his servants knew, Joab knew, and most importantly God knew.

What did God reveal about His response to this sin? David did evil in His sight. This is a good reminder that the first person we sin against is God. Why didn’t David respond to temptation as Joseph had?

Genesis 39:5  It came about that from the time he (Potiphar) made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph; thus the LORD'S blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 39:6  So he left everything he owned in Joseph's charge; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 

39:7  It came about after these events that his master's wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." 

39:8  But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. 39:9  "There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?" 

Joseph responded correctly as he knew it was a sin. For his obedience, he was falsely charged and imprisoned. Doing the right thing can seem to work against us at times, but trusting in the LORD brings glory to GOD. As you know, Joseph gradually assumed the role of second in the kingdom of Egypt and had no one to accuse him otherwise.

We often think we can hide our sin, especially our ‘secret’ sin, but we can’t. God knows our thoughts before we may know them. Even the mere thought of adultery is a sin.

Matthew 5:27  "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; 5:28  but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 

More next Saturday.

Teach us to pray-7

David was a man after God’s own heart, yet he had blinded himself from some troubling sins and shortcomings. We can learn a lot from his very troubling difficulties.

2 Samuel 11:1  Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. 

David’s demise began much earlier. Kings always went out to battle with his army. However, David no longer joined them. So here he is almost all alone from his male companions with too much free time on his hands.

11:2  Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. 11:3  So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 

David could not sleep so he got up and walked around viewing the city beneath his roof. It would seem unlikely that he had not known about Bathsheba before or that she did not know David could see her from his vantage point. Two lonely people in the middle of the night does not always produce a godly outcome.

Second, the servant reminded him that she was Uriah’s wife. Did David know Uriah?

1 Chronicles 11:26  Now the mighty men of the armies were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 11:41  Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 

Uriah was one of David’s mighty men who followed him throughout the desert as they fled the anger of Saul. He defended David with his life and now was again serving in the army of David.

11:4  David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. 

So his servant and his messengers all were aware of this adultery. What kind of example was David to all of these?

11:5  The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, "I am pregnant." 

Not all adultery results in pregnancy, but God will use this to punish David. David had Plan B all ready so he summoned Uriah home.

11:6  Then David sent to Joab, saying, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent Uriah to David. 11:7  When Uriah came to him, David asked concerning the welfare of Joab and the people and the state of the war. 11:8  Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and a present from the king was sent out after him. 

What did David think would happen if Uriah was returned to his house and wife? Perhaps even Bathsheba knew the plan and was ready to conceal their adultery.

11:9  But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 

11:10  Now when they told David, saying, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?" 11:11  Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing." 

Uriah was more honorable and godly than David. David could not believe that Uriah would not go into his house and hopefully be with his wife. David thought Uriah was like him, but Uriah was not. David had departed from his youthful devotion to God.

11:12  Then David said to Uriah, "Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 11:13  Now David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with his lord's servants, but he did not go down to his house. 

David tried one more time, but Uriah stayed away from his house.

11:14  Now in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 11:15  He had written in the letter, saying, "Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die." 1:16  So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men. 11:17  The men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David's servants fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died. 

David enlisted Joab into his Plan C, which was to kill Uriah! Uriah would have to die to hide David’s sin from his family, his servants, and all of the people of Jerusalem. But no one can hide their sin from God. Murder and adultery are sins that carry the penalty of death.

Were David and Bathsheba now safe from being found out? We should never think our sin is of little consequence to God.

More next Saturday.

Teach us to pray-6

Abigail saved David from himself as he was on his way with his army to kill Nabal and all of his servants. God’s sovereign plan to save David from this evil was to send Abigail to him. She humbly intervened and David relented from his ungodly anger. Now the rest of this story.

1 Samuel 25:36  Then Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; so she did not tell him anything at all until the morning light. 25:37  But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him so that he became as a stone. 

Have you ever had the sense of panic or terror overwhelm you? It is a very real response to a real life threatening event. Abigail dutifully told Nabal what had happened the day before and how she met with David. You could say she found David in the ‘nick of time’. Nabal responded with great panic and fear, which caused his heart to weaken.

25:38  About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died. 25:39  When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept back His servant from evil. The LORD has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head." Then David sent a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife. 

David now was once again reminded that it is truly the Lord’s battle and vengeance is His and His alone. Interestingly, David wanted Abigail to be his wife, now that she was a widow. Sadly, David already had a wife and would soon have 6 wives and 10 concubines. As a reminder, let us review again God’s cautions to kings.

Deuteronomy 17:14  "When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,' 7:15  you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. 

17:16  "Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, 'You shall never again return that way.' 17:17  "He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. 

Clearly David did not obey this command nor did he make it a point to prepare Solomon to rule after him.

25:40  When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David has sent us to you to take you as his wife." 25:41  She arose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Behold, your maidservant is a maid to wash the feet of my lord's servants." 

No real courtship in this marriage. One day she is Nabal’s wife intervening with David, the ‘next’ day she is David’s wife. This whole story began with the writer acknowledging the very special woman, Abigail.

1Sa 25:3  (now the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was a Calebite), 

1Sa 25:42  Then Abigail quickly arose, and rode on a donkey, with her five maidens who attended her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife. 

It was considered an honor to be chosen by a king. The fact that David heeded her advice speaks volume on her wisdom, demeanor and beauty. At the same time, it reveals David attraction to beautiful women and his lack of concern with acquiring wives/concubines.

25:43  David had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives. 25:44  Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim. 

David’s future problems can all be traced to multiple wives and poor discipline by David. This all contributes to what we can learn about Solomon’s prayer.

More next Saturday.

Teach us to pray-5

We left David last week seemingly bent on revenge. His self-righteous anger seems out of place for a ‘man after God’s own heart’!

1 Samuel 25:14  But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, "Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, and he scorned them. 25:15  "Yet the men were very good to us, and we were not insulted, nor did we miss anything as long as we went about with them, while we were in the fields. 25:16  "They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the time we were with them tending the sheep. 

First, this young man confirmed to Abigail that David was good to them and had indeed watched over them and perhaps saved them from others who may have harmed them.

25:17  "Now therefore, know and consider what you should do, for evil is plotted against our master and against all his household; and he is such a worthless man that no one can speak to him." 

The question is how did this young man know there was evil coming down on them? He was Nabal’s servant not David’s servant. But, most everyone knew of the character of Nabal and no one spoke highly of him. It does raise the question on how did he arrange to get a wife like Abigail?

25:18  Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread and two jugs of wine and five sheep already prepared and five measures of roasted grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 25:19  She said to her young men, "Go on before me; behold, I am coming after you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 

She knew what to do and acted quickly. She did not have much time to waste. David was coming with murder on his mind with many men of war. Nabal’s servants were not soldiers and in a sense defenseless from David’s soon coming attack. David and his 400 men of war were coming to destroy Nabal and every male with him.

25:20  It came about as she was riding on her donkey and coming down by the hidden part of the mountain, that behold, David and his men were coming down toward her; so she met them. 25:21  Now David had said, "Surely in vain I have guarded all that this man has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him; and he has returned me evil for good. 25:22  "May God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if by morning I leave as much as one male of any who belong to him." 

Now we know the extent of David’s anger. First, he considered Nabal’s rebuke of his request as evil and worthy of death! Not just Nabal’s death but all of his ‘innocent’ servants as well. What could have caused all of this terrible response?

25:23  When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face before David and bowed herself to the ground. 25:24  She fell at his feet and said, "On me alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your maidservant speak to you, and listen to the words of your maidservant. 25:25  "Please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and folly is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. 

She came and bowed to him. She accepted blame rather than accuse Nabal for all that had transpired. David certainly would not kill her! But, she now interceded for Nabal and David. David was ready to perform a mass killing that would have plagued him the rest of his life.

25:26  "Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, since the LORD has restrained you from shedding blood, and from avenging yourself by your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be as Nabal. 

She immediately came to the true source of the problem. David was intent on avenging himself from Nabal’s callous rebuke of his request through his servants.

25:27  "Now let this gift which your maidservant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who accompany my lord. 25:28  "Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil will not be found in you all your days. 25:29  "Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling. 

She was actually referring to Scripture. The battle is the Lord’s. David will have the throne forever. He must not do evil, he is God’s servant and must do good. But, it does prove that even godly men need restraint against the flesh. God sent David both Nathan and Abagail to warn him and restore him to reliance on God.

25:30  "And when the LORD does for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and appoints you ruler over Israel, 25:31  this will not cause grief or a troubled heart to my lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by my lord having avenged himself. When the LORD deals well with my lord, then remember your maidservant." 

Remorse is a terrible burden to bear. We may all have remorse for sins we have committed, most likely before we were saved. Killing many innocent men with an army would be one of those burdens that could both haunt David and be used against him when he is king.

25:32  Then David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me,  25:33  and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.  25:34  "Nevertheless, as the LORD God of Israel lives, who has restrained me from harming you, unless you had come quickly to meet me, surely there would not have been left to Nabal until the morning light as much as one male." 

David recognized that the Lord sent Abagail to restrain him from evil. The timing was remarkable as well. David was on his way when Abagail intercepted him. Vengeance is mine says the Lord. We should all remember that as well. Revenge is not a godly response that should be on our lips or minds. Her gently rebuke humbled David.

25:35  So David received from her hand what she had brought him and said to her, "Go up to your house in peace. See, I have listened to you and granted your request." 

David listened. David understood. David agreed. David was thankful. David received her and her gift with grace and her humble chastisement saved him from a life of guilt.

David did not ask God if he should go to Nabal and kill everyone. So God sent him Abagail. The exact details and timing prove that God is always in control. Let us learn from this lesson.

More next Saturday.

Teach us to pray-4

As we continue to follow the events leading up to the prayers of Solomon, what events would have been involved in the life of David that may have shaped the life of Solomon?

1 Samuel 25:1  Then Samuel died; and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him, and buried him at his house in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the wilderness of Paran. 25:2  Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel; and the man was very rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while he was shearing his sheep in Carmel 

25:3  (now the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was a Calebite), 25:4  that David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. 

This is but one of the events of the life of David as he fled Saul and then finally became king. As God has told us, ‘David is a man after MY own heart”! What does this mean?

25:5  So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, "Go up to Carmel, visit Nabal and greet him in my name; 25:6  and thus you shall say, 'Have a long life, peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. 25:7  'Now I have heard that you have shearers; now your shepherds have been with us and we have not insulted them, nor have they missed anything all the days they were in Carmel. 25:8  'Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to your servants and to your son David.'" 

David fully expected Nabal to provide something for him and his men, after all they had protected his flocks and servants.

25:9  When David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in David's name; then they waited. 25:10  But Nabal answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who are each breaking away from his master. 25:11  "Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men whose origin I do not know?" 25:12  So David's young men retraced their way and went back; and they came and told him according to all these words. 

Clearly Nabal was not a very generous man or a thankful man. He must have heard of David, as all of Judah knew about him. But, he refused to help.

25:13  David said to his men, "Each of you gird on his sword." So each man girded on his sword. And David also girded on his sword, and about four hundred men went up behind David while two hundred stayed with the baggage. 

Was Nabal’s callous rebuke worthy of capital punishment? Was David in a place of both judge and jury? He was to most a fugitive from Saul, who was still king. Yet, David has revenge on his mind. Disproportionate revenge. This doesn’t appear to be a godly response from a callous rebuke.

Who will God send to save David from his prideful anger?

More next Saturday.

Teach us to pray-3

As God has already chosen David to be the next king, what is required of all the kings of Israel. It would be helpful to review this in preparation of studying the events that led up to the prayer of Solomon. God provided and commanded that the future kings of Israel would reign according to all that He required. But, did they obey?

Deuteronomy 17:14  "When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,' 7:15  you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. 

Through Moses, perhaps hundreds of years before a king ruled over Israel, God gave specific commandments to them. First, the king must come from within the tribes of Judah.

17:16  "Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, 'You shall never again return that way.' 

This prohibition has two elements. The first, the king must not look horizontally to comfort himself in the size of his army. Horses were fundamental to war and all of the enemies of Israel had horses for that reason. Second, Egypt was a known source of horses. Going back to Egypt was an affront to the God who redeemed them from Egyptt.

Deu 17:17  "He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. 

There are numerous problems with multipe wives. The one that brought down Solomon were wives from other countries and therefore other religions, all idolatrous. So multiplying horses, wives, and material wealth was prohibited, as they focused too much on a path of self-sufficiency.

17:18  "Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 

This very specific requirement does not appear to have been followed by any of the kings. If it was, it is not recorded. Why is this important?

17:19  "It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 17:20  that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel. 

Here is the answer! Fear the Lord, humble the king, obey God, and his reign will continue. None took this commandent to heart, as they often built up their kingdoms to copy the kingdoms of the idolatrous nations around them. They encouraged marrying wives of other nations as some type of guarantee of peace. Europe had a habit of doing this very same thing in the years leading up to WWI.

Disobeying God always puts us in opposition to God. While God instituted these important requirements to all future kings, He wanted to protect them from sin and to remember who provided them with all the army, wealth, and peace they so desparately needed and sought.

What can we learn? Following the playbook of the world leads us away from God. This puts us in opposition to God and the withdrawl of the blessings from God.

More next Saturday.

Teach us to pray-2

You may ask, what does these stories about David have anything to do with Solomon’s prayer? I think we can always learn more if we study the context of any event. This prayer’s significance is even more important if we now the history leading up to it.

1Samuel 24:1  Now when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi." 24:2  Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 

We last left David after his victory over Goliath. Years have passed and now Saul is looking for David to kill him. Why? Because he knows that his kingdom is over and David will be the next King, not his son Jonathon. So he is fighting God when he pursues David.

24:3  He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave. 

24:4  The men of David said to him, "Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.'" Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly. 

David once again proves himself more honorable that Saul and his own men. While Saul appears to be David’s enemy, David knows that he cannot kill Saul who is God’s anointed King.

24:5  It came about afterward that David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe. 

David could come upon Saul, cut from his robe, and not be noticed! God gave Saul a deep sleep.

24:6  So he said to his men, "Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD'S anointed." 

David knew God had anointed him to be the next king, but not to kill Saul to get there.

24:7  David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way. 24:8  Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. 

24:9  David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, 'Behold, David seeks to harm you'? 24:10  "Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD'S anointed.' 

24:11  "Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it.24:12  "May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you. 

Saul must have been shaken. David clearly could have killed Saul, even as Saul had sought to kill David. Both knew God had chosen David, but only David was willing to obey God and let God provide a way, Saul was fighting God.

24:13  "As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness'; but my hand shall not be against you. 24:14  "After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea? 24:15  "The LORD therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand." 

David displays the same faith toward Saul as he displayed toward Goliath. He trusted God to provide the way for him to reign as King.

24:16  When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 24:17  He said to David, "You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. 24:18  "You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the LORD delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me. 24:19  "For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the LORD therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. 

Saul seemed to be instantly conscious of his sin, the world’s answers, and David’s righteousness.

24:20  "Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. 24:21  "So now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father's household." 24:22  David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. 

Saul now declares what he knew but had refused to accept. Saul now declares his more important concern, that is the safety of his children. In these ancient cultures, it was not unusual that the oldest son would consider his brothers as future rivals and kill them before they could kill him. God does not work in that manner. He has a plan for Saul and Jonathon and David.

More next Saturday

Teach us to Pray-1

As we have finished the study on the poor, it is now time to concentrate on a subject that many will agree is an area that needs drastic improvement. That is our prayer life. Fortunately, God has given us many wonderful examples of prayers throughout His Word. We will start with King David and Solomon. Solomon’s prayer to consecrate the building of the Temple will reveal a lot about prayers. But to get a correct context to this prayer, we must look back into the life of David, Solomon’s father. Remember, David is a man after God’s own heart.

Acts 13:21  "Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. "After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.

How are we to understand this very important acknowledgement from God? Let us go back to David as a youth. First we will read about the context.

1 Samuel 17:3  The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. 

17:4  Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 17:5  He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. 17:6  He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. 17:7  The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him. 

17:8  He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, "Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. 17:9  "If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us." 17:10  Again the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together." 

It is clear that Goliath was a giant of a man and fearless in battle. He challenged any man of Saul’s army to a fight, man to man. Yet, none dared take the challenge. A cubit is one of two lengths. First, the length from the elbow to the tip of the fingers, nominally about 18 inches. A royal cubit was longer. Even at 18 inches, Goliath was at least 9 feet tall and proportionately huge. Who would fight him and win?

1 Samuel 17:20  So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry. 17:21  Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army. 17:22  Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers. 

17:23  As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them. 17:24  When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. 17:25  The men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel." 

17:26  Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?" 17:27  The people answered him in accord with this word, saying, "Thus it will be done for the man who kills him." 

17:28  Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger burned against David and he said, "Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle." 17:29  But David said, "What have I done now? Was it not just a question?" 

17:30  Then he turned away from him to another and said the same thing; and the people answered the same thing as before. 17:31  When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him. 17:32  David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine." 

What was David thinking! What did David know that all the other men did not know? Clearly, David was looking vertically not horizontally. Goliath was not bigger than his God. He feared God more than he feared Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:36  "Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God." 

17:37  And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you." 

17:38  Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. 

17:39  David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them." And David took them off. 

17:40  He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine. 

17:41  Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. 7:42  When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. 

17:43  The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 17:44  The Philistine also said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field." 

17:45  Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 17:46  "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 17:47  and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands." 

17:48  Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 17:49  And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. 17:50  Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David's hand. 

17:51  Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 

God plus one true servant is an army of immense strength. David did not use the armor or swords of men, but the tools of a shepherd. He trusted God more than shields and swords. He was thoroughly convinced in defending God’s righteousness and that God would help him defeat Goliath. Truly it always is the Lord’s battle. We need to have the same mindset as David exampled here.

We will look at some other events in David’s life that will lead us to Solomon and his prayer.

More next Saturday.

Remember the Poor-11

Is poverty the result of the decline of marriage in our society? Is it because of the feminist movement for sexual equality, which turns into sexual promiscuity? Is it a result or government welfare programs that actually incentivize women to have children without a husband? According to the Brookings Institute, it could be all of the above. Unfortunately, politics and social re-engineering blurs a real objective answer.

Since 1970, out-of-wedlock birth rates have soared. In 1965, 24 percent of black infants and 3.1 percent of white infants were born to single mothers. By 1990 the rates had risen to 64 percent for black infants, 18 percent for whites. Every year about one million more children are born into fatherless families. If we have learned any policy lesson well over the past 25 years, it is that for children living in single-parent homes, the odds of living in poverty are great. The policy implications of the increase in out-of-wedlock births are staggering.

Why don’t our programs and personal involvement adhere to God’s plan for the poor? One reason would be that our government and most of our society is ignorant, defiant, and antagonistic toward God and His Word.

Jesus told us that we would always have the poor.

Matthew 26:11  "For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. 

Since this is true, what has God provided for us to understand this great problem. We have studied the story of Ruth to gain understanding. How did it turn out?

Ruth 4:13  So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 

So Boaz lived up to his promise to Ruth, his commitment to redeem in front of 10 witnesses, and the commandments of God. He did not try and make it more favorable to him. He did not do it halfway. The other potential redeemer thought more of his personal wealth and inheritance, Boaz knew what God had required of him. Ruth may also have been attractive as she was younger than Boaz. Ruth had done her part of God’s plan as well.

4:14  Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. 4:15  "May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him." 

What an interesting statement! May his name become famous in Israel! Ruth was not from Israel, but from Moab. Yet, this was all forgotten as they praised God for providing Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi with a male child. They all recognized the love of Ruth for Naomi, as it must have been evident to all, just as it was to Boaz.

Rth 4:16  Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 4:17  The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi!" So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 

A widow from Moab is in the lineage of Jesus! Salmon’s wife was Rahab (the harlot) who would have been Ruth’s mother in law if she had still been alive. Boaz knew personally what it meant to be part of Israel, yet have a mother who was not.

4:18  Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, 4:19  and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, 4:20  and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, 4:21  and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, 4:22  and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David. 

Lessons from Ruth

Ruth turned from idolatry to the only true and living God.

Ruth left her country to go with Naomi

Ruth began her journey in Israel by gleaning in the fields which turned out to belong to Boaz.

Everyone seemed to know what kind of woman Ruth was.

There was no charity, God’s requires the poor to work, just as He requires His people to help the poor.

Boaz knew what God required, but did not know or think Ruth would be interested in being his wife until she came to him at the thrashing house.

Boaz fulfilled his right to redeem Ruth.

God’s sovereign plan is hard to see at the begining of the story. Ruth lost her husband, Naomi lost two sons and her husband. They were not in Israel and seemingly all alone to fend for themselves.

Sometimes it is only visible what God had been doing when we take time to look back.

God’s plan, for those who love Him and keep His commandments, are always better than our plans.

Never let your plans get ahead of your prayers

More next Saturday.

Remember the Poor-10

God provided for widows in a number of ways. One of those ways was to insure that the ‘family’ name would not disappear. This was done by having another close family member marry the widow and hopefully produce an offspring. This sounds like polygamy, but God’s ways are not our ways, His thoughts are far above our thoughts.

Ruth 4:1  Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, "Turn aside, friend, sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down. 4:2  He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down. 

It would appear that Boaz had been thinking about what he would do since Ruth first woke him. The gate was like the town hall, all judgments and agreements would be consummated at the gate in front of witnesses. Ten was the number that would constitute the right number of witnesses. Also, the one man in the area he wanted to see, was brought to him by God.

4:3  Then he said to the closest relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4:4  "So I thought to inform you, saying, 'Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it." 

Land could not be sold outside of the tribe or family. Also, the land was the Lord’s and every 50 years all land sales would pass away, as they were really only long term leases, and return to the ‘original family ownership.So gaining additional land was a very special opportunity.

4:5  Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance." 4:6  The closest relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it." 

While land was precious, adding another wife with potential heirs as well was another matter. Fortunately for this close relative, Boaz let him know that he was ready to redeem if needed.

4:7  Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. 

4:8  So the closest relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." And he removed his sandal. 

This would seem to be a very strange custom. But, there could not be any misunderstanding about this if the man removed his sandal.

4:9  Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 4:10  "Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today." 

Boaz laid it all out for their witness. He did not leave anything out. If only our contracts could be handled in this manner today.

4:11  All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.  4:12  "Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman." 

Interestingly, the people brought Tamar into their praise. She was not as fortunate, as no one wanted to redeem her even though they knew that God commanded it. Let us compare these two events.

Genesis 38:6  Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 38:7  But Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life. 38:8  Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." 

38:9  Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother. 38:10  But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also. 

God demands and deserves obedience. This rather easy to understand that this command was to be obeyed, even if on purely human terms it looked to be unfavorable. God killed two of Judah’s sons.

Genesis 38:12  Now after a considerable time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 38:13  It was told to Tamar, "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep." 38:14  So she removed her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife. 38:15  When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face. 

38:16  So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, "Here now, let me come in to you"; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?" 38:17  He said, therefore, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." She said, moreover, "Will you give a pledge until you send it?" 38:18  He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" And she said, "Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 

So Tamar was upset that she would not have any heirs and took matters into her own hands. Judah’s wife had died and she laid a trap.

38:19  Then she arose and departed, and removed her veil and put on her widow's garments. 38:20  When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. 38:21  He asked the men of her place, saying, "Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?" But they said, "There has been no temple prostitute here." 38:22  So he returned to Judah, and said, "I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the place said, 'There has been no temple prostitute here.'" 38:23  Then Judah said, "Let her keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her." 

When Judah tried to uphold his part of this bargain, he was told that there was no temple prostitute there. A temple prostitute would be a pagan woman who had been deceived into thinking her god wanted her to have sex with strangers.

38:24  Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry." Then Judah said, "Bring her out and let her be burned!" 38:25  It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "I am with child by the man to whom these things belong." And she said, "Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?" 38:26  Judah recognized them, and said, "She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not have relations with her again. 

This almost sounds like a speck and a log. Judah came to the right conclusion even though he had sex with his daughter in law, as his sons had refused. Does God condone this type of deceit and incest? Well, not really. But more challenging is the fact that from his union came Perez. Perez is in the lineage of David and therefore in the lineage of Jesus.

38:27  It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb. 38:28  Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." 38:29  But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" So he was named Perez. 38:30  Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah.

More next Saturday.

Remember the Poor-9

While some stories in the Bible are easy to understand, some are more difficult. The story of Ruth is quite straightforward, but has a few twists and turns which raise questions. Let us try and understand this in light of the nature and character of God and His absolute sovereignty.

Ruth 3:7  When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she (Ruth) came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. 3:8  It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. 

Ruth, under the cover of darkness, waited til Boaz and everyone else was asleep to quietly enter and lay at his feet. This seems so strange, unusual, and even provocatively oriented to our eyes and minds. It would seem that it caught Boaz by surprise as well.

3:9  He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative." 

Here we seem to gain some insight into this event. Boaz, as a close relative, has a responsibility to cover or care for Ruth. This was symbolized with Ruth laying at his feet covered by his cloak.

3:10  Then he said, "May you be blessed of the LORD, my daughter.. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. 3:11  "Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. 

Boaz knew exactly what he had to do according to what God has commanded in these circumstances. He responded favorably as it would appear that he was older and maybe too old to think of Ruth in these terms.

3:12  "Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. 3:13  "Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the LORD lives. Lie down until morning." 

It would appear that he had researched this or had always known this. Either way he let her stay and promised to act on this request in the morning. He was already acting as her kinsman redeemer.

3:14  So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor." 3:15  Again he said, "Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it." So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city. 

I don’t know if either slept that night, but he did not want her to go home empty handed.

3:16  When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "How did it go, my daughter?" And she told her all that the man had done for her. 3:17  She said, "These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, 'Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'" 3:18  Then she said, "Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today." 

Naomi knew what was to happen next. She also percieved that Boaz was willing to act as her kinsman redeemer. It now appears to all that Naomi’s plan, Ruth’s obedience, and Boaz’s willingness were all coming together.

We need to remember that all this started with Ruth’s willingness to work in the fields gleaning wheat in the sun all day. While this can be seen as a gift from God, we all must obey and do our part in His sovereign plan.

More next Saturday.

Remember the Poor-8

God’s sovereignty is not always easy to comprehend or to see. He works in marvelous ways, even through men and women who may not be truly obeying Him. This is where this story takes us today.

Ruth 3:1  Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? 

Very interesting question! It would seem that Naomi is setting the stage for something that may seem foreign to Ruth.

3:2  "Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight. 

Reminding Ruth, who already knows this, that Boaz is a kinsman seems redundant. But, Naomi also knows where Boaz would be tonight. How did she know? Why was this important for her to know?

3:3  "Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 

This is beginning to sound like entrapment or enticement. Man looks on the outside and God on the inside. Yet, Naomi doesn’t seem to be leaving anything to ‘chance’! Also, how did she know this routine?

3:4  "It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do." 

To our 21st century ears, this sounds strange. Of course, we do not know all the customs and traditions of this period of time in the life of the nation of Israel. But, this is in the dark, sneaking into the thrashing floor, waiting until the eating and drinking is overs, and working your way under the cloak of Boaz. All without anyone seeing you and raising suspicion.

3:5  She said to her, "All that you say I will do." 3:6  So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. 

Ruth didn’t seem to question Naomi. Maybe her customs were similar in Moab. Is this what God wanted her to do? This seems to be Naomi’s way of setting a trap for Boaz. But, nothing is outside of the sovereignty of God.

We will see this more clearly as this story unfolds

More next Saturday.

Remember the Poor-7

We left Ruth gleaning in the fields of Boaz. God orchestrated the events so Ruth would find his fields, which were safe and hopefully bountiful for Ruth. This whole story reveals God’s plan for the poor.

Ruth 2:14  At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left. 

Boaz took special interest in Ruth due to his own kindness and the fact that Naomi was within his extended family.

Ruth 2:15  When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her. 2:16  "Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her." 

Another kindness was his provision and protection. He wanted to make sure Ruth would have enough to provide for both herself and Naomi. He could have just given her wheat, already beat out and ready to use. But, Ruth had to work, just as the Lord commanded.

Ruth 2:17  So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 2:18  She took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied. 

So after working in the fields all day, she now had to beat out the heads until she just had the wheat. This was a long hard day of work, not a day of waiting for someone to give them all they needed.

Ruth 2:19  Her mother-in-law then said to her, "Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, "The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz." 2:20  Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed of the LORD who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead." Again Naomi said to her, "The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives." 

Naomi and Ruth both considered it kindness that Boaz allowed her to work all day in his fields. This was the first time Naomi knew what field Ruth had gleaned.

Ruth 2:21  Then Ruth the Moabitess said, "Furthermore, he said to me, 'You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.'" 2:22  Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maids, so that others do not fall upon you in another field." 2:23  So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law. 

Naomi cautioned Ruth as she knew that not all fields were safe. The fact that Boaz enforced his field hands to be respectful of the maidens, speaks alot about him. So Ruth’s hard work seems to be providing for their immediate needs.They won’t starve, but Ruth has to work.

Our society, government, and churches don’t require this of those who come to them for money. They require nothing of the poor, who never learn the value of work or the reqrds of work. This is not loving.

More next Saturday

My latest book, Remember the Poor, is now on Sale at Amazon.

Remember the Poor-6

We left Naomi and Ruth arriving back in Bethlehem just as the barley harvest began. We will be able to see just how our sovereign God works out all the details as He calls Naomi back from Moab.

Ruth 2:1  Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 

Here we find some important background information before Ruth sets out to find food for them. Family and kinsman are very important to the families of Jacob/Israel. This was God’s plan for families and provided a safety net for those upon whom fell hard times. Naomi’s clan included Boaz, a wealthy land owner.

2:2  And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." 2:3  So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 

What do widows do to survive? They have to glean fields that are being harvested. The timing is amazing, as the barley harvest had just begun. Ruth and Naomi knew that Ruth would have to go and glean at some field if they were going to survive and eat.

2:4  Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, "May the LORD be with you." And they said to him, "May the LORD bless you." 2:5  Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?" 2:6  The servant in charge of the reapers replied, "She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. 2:7  "And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while." 

Of all the fields in the area, the Lord directed her to the field of Boaz! Also, the servant in charge knew alot already about Ruth and shared this with Boaz. Notice that Boaz took notice of her as not one of the usual gleaners. He must have been very attentive or Ruth may have been attractive.

2:8  Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids. 

2:9  "Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw." 

We know what kind of woman Ruth was and now are finding out about what kind of man Boaz was. He offered her protection, advice, and comfort. But, he did not offer any charity. That is, she would still have to work the fields. That was God’s plan for both the rich and the poor.

2:10  Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" 

Ruth was very grateful for Boaz noticing her and being kind to her. She knew that she was not an Israelite, but a foreigner. But, even foreigner had rights in Israel.

2:11  Boaz replied to her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. 2:12  "May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge." 

Boaz spoke wisely to her and knew alot about her, as she was with one of his extended family. He indicated that he knew that she had done a miraculous thing by staying with Naomi instead of going back to her idolatrous past.

2:13  Then she said, "I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants." 

Ruth considered it a great comfort that she would be allowed to work in his field and that Boaz took notice of her and interest in her. All because Ruth knew she had to go out and find a field that was currently being harvest. It just happened that Boaz visited this field the very day Ruth appeared.

Timing details can reveal alot about our sovereign God.

1. Ruth and Naomi had to leave Moab and arrive in Bethlehem just in time for the harvest.

2. Ruth, without knowing, found the field of Boaz.

3. Ruth’s first day was also the very day she was seen by Boaz.

4. Boaz took notice of her and spoke kindly to her.

More next Saturday.

Remember the Poor-5

We left Ruth and Naomi beginning their journey back to Israel. Two widows with no men to provide for them or protect them.

Ruth 1:8  And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 1:9  "May the LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 1:10  And they said to her, "No, but we will surely return with you to your people." 

For all her faults, Naomi must have been very good to her daughter-in-law. After raising sons, Naomi finally had other women around her.

1:11  But Naomi said, "Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 

:12  "Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, 1:13  would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the LORD has gone forth against me." 

Naomi pleaded for them to go back to their homes. Even pagan cultures knew that the family had to provide for widows. The problem was that Naomi was basically sending them back to the idols of Moab and an eternity apart for the only true God.

1:14  And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 1:15  Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law." 1:16  But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 1:17  "Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me." 

Naomi even initially refused Ruth’s plea to go with her. But, Ruth now had been called out of her idolatry and she would not return to it.

1:18  When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. 1:19  So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, "Is this Naomi?" 

While Naomi had left a long time ago, her extended family with her tribe recognized her. Living within your tribe in Judah created a sense of real community that is lost is today’s world.

1:20  She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 

1:21  "I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?" 

Many people today also blame the LORD for circumstances directly related to their disobedience. The LORD had warned His chosen people to not go into other lands, to stay in the Promised Land. He also warned them not to marry outside of their tribe. Naomi and Elimelech had violated these clear commands. However, the LORD was now restoring her as He directed her to return.

1:22  So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. 

What do two widows do to survive? The timing of their return reveals alot about the LORD’s sovereign plans and His providing for His people who obey Him.

More next Saturday.

Remember the Poor-4

Has the Bible provided us with any examples of the poor? Yes, it has and it can be found in the story of Ruth. This one historical narrative contains many of the elements of the responsibilities of the poor, the family, and the need of widows. It also reveals that we all need to obey God, even if the grass looks greener in the world around us.

Ruth 1:1  Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 1:2  The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there. 

Moab was the son born out of incest by Lot’s daughter, as was Ammon by his other daughter. Moab was an enemy most of the recorded times in the Promised Land. Yet, Elimelech left Israel to move to a pagan country.

1:3  Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 1:4  They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. 

Elimelech died in Moab. His sons married women from Moab. All of this was prohibited by God. He had given Israel clear instructions not to marry out of the families of Israel, in fact, sons and daughters were to marry within their clans. That is those from Dan married within Dan.

Deuteronomy 7:1  "When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, 7:2  and when the LORD your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them. 

7:3  "Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. 7:4  "For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you. 

God is very jealous for His children. There are numerous passages that repeat this warning. You shall not.. is very clear, yet Elimelech violated all of them.

1:5  Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband. 

So, while trying to improve their lives by disobeying God, they made their lives worse. Elimelech was not a godly father and it would seem that he did not raise godly sons. Ignorance of God’s warnings is not an excuse from disobeying them.

Ruth 1:6  Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had visited His people in giving them food. 1:7  So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 

So Naomi decided to leave Moab, as the food looked better in Israel/Judah. She should have said we need to return to Israel as God had commanded, but it was for her personal well being. We can’t expect to receive blessings from God when we are clearly disobeying God.

More next Saturday.

Remember the Poor-3

Now that we have a preliminary understanding of what Jehovah requires of the poor, we need to understand who are the poor. We must limit our study to U.S. poor as the statistics are easier to find. The government provides much information on the poor, but it is often presented in a manner solely to allow them to manipulate both the poor and everyone else.

How Poor, Really, Are America’s Poor?

 Year after year, the Census Bureau reports that more than 30 million Americans live in poverty.

Yet it is widely acknowledged that the way government measures poverty is deeply flawed. 

Accurate information is essential to crafting effective anti-poverty programs.

The Census Bureau recently announced it wants advice on ways to develop more accurate measurements of poverty—a welcome and much-needed change.  

Year after year, the Census Bureau reports that more than 30 million Americans live in poverty. Yet it is widely acknowledged that the way government measures poverty is deeply flawed. 

The first question is: What does it mean to be poor in the U.S.? 

According to the government’s own data, the average American family or single person, identified as poor by the Census Bureau, lives in an air-conditioned, centrally heated house or apartment that is in good repair and not overcrowded. They have a car or truck. (Indeed, 43% of poor families own two or more cars.) 

The home has at least one widescreen TV connected to cable, satellite, or a streaming service, a computer or tablet with internet connection, and a smartphone. (Some 82% of poor families have one or more smartphones.)

By their own report, the average poor family had enough food to eat throughout the prior year. No family member went hungry for even a single day due to a lack of money for food.  

They have health insurance (either public or private) and were able to get all “necessary medical care and prescription medication” when needed.  

Reality of Poverty vs. Perceptions

None of this matches the public perception of poverty created by the media. Images of dilapidated trailer homes or drug-infested neighborhoods, full of boarded up buildings, are a staple of media poverty reports.  

These conditions are quite real, and we should be concerned about people who do live in them. But they are, fortunately, not the norm for poor Americans. Fewer than 1 in 10 poor people lives in a mobile home, and 9 out of 10 poor families report no vacant or abandoned buildings in their neighborhoods.

Still, subgroups among the poor do experience substantial financial stress and deprivation. About 7% of poor households report missing a rent or mortgage payment in the prior three months; 2% have had utilities cut off due to nonpayment. And 11% report having delayed or failed to get dental or medical care sometime during the year for lack of money.  

But the majority of those defined as poor by the government do not experience material hardship. Of course, their lives are not a stroll down Easy Street; their finances are often uncertain, and they strain to make ends meet. But the average living conditions among the government-defined poor are well removed from “poverty” as the term is ordinarily understood.  

This article was provided by the Heritage Foundation in 2020. As you can see, the poor in the U.S. don’t really match up with the public impression of the poor. Using 30,000,000 for the population of the poor, just 7% or about 2,100,000 actually have to be given some financial assistance to survive. This is not the picture the media and government provide for us. But, why do they inflate the problem? One reason could be that they have a myriad of government agencies, independent agencies and organizations that need the ‘poor’ to continue to operate and prosper.

This is a partial list of what the poor are given in the United States.

·      Welfare

·      Disability

·      Medicaid

·      SNAP

·      NSLIP-national school lunch

·      WIC-special supplemental nutrition for women, infants, and children.

How well has it worked? What were or are its stated objectives? Was it to transform them into responsible citizens or just keep them enslaved in bondage to ignorance, abuse, sin, and a false sense of victim-hood?

Buying support or votes is an evil enterprise. It keeps many enslaved into a dead-end life. It always keeps the carrot just out of reach. It never is really interested in the individual and the future for him or her. It is just another type of enslavement in a system that doesn’t really prepare anyone to do better.

Of course there are many physical and mental problems that need to be taken care of by someone. The government has taken over for the family. The poor have not benefited from this in a meaningful, God honoring way.

What is required from the church? More next Saturday.

Remember the Poor-2

What does God require or the poor, the family, and society at large? More specifically, what does God require of us? We will start with what does He require of the poor.

Leviticus 19:10 'Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.

The landowners were to allow the poor and needy to glean their fields during and after their harvests. They would have to go and pick up what had fallen or missed. Plus, the landowners were to not harvest from the edges of their fields so the poor could work to provide for their families.

Proverbs 28:19 He who tills his land will have plenty of food, But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.

Far too often, the poor don’t really enjoy or feel the need to work.

Ephesians 4:28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

In this case, stealing seems easier than work, but it is in direct violation of God’s Commandments. Yet, you see mass thefts all around the U.S today. Basically, these gangs just overwhelm and over power the retailers and run of with carloads of goods. They then decry that Walmart should not be allowed to leave their neighborhoods.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.

This important precept is never mentioned in churches or in the public square. If you can’t or won’t work, you will be given all you need to survive with no questions asked. This doesn’t create better fathers, mothers, or children.

1 Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

The family is quickly fading out of relevancy in our world. The world tries to remake and redefine just what constitutes a family today. God’s family is composed of a husband and wife who provide for their children and are ready to help those in their extended family. They would never let their parents starve to death or force them into appealing to government or other agencies for help. Honoring you father and mother includes caring for them as they age.

More next Saturday.

Remember the Poor-1

The poor are a worldwide problem, or so it would seem. There have always been poor and according to the Bible, there will always be poor among us. But, what are we to do? The Bible is quite clear on this, but false teachers and an abundance of ministries and government agencies have twisted this into a massive scheme to raise money. Since the Bible is our only true source of truth, let us study just what God has told us about the poor.

Mark 14:7 "For you always have the poor with you,

and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me (Jesus).

1 Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 John 3:17 But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?

In these three short verses we already see some universal truths in regards to the poor. First, Jesus told us that we will always have the poor with us. After nearly 60 years of the ‘Great Society’ and billions or even trillions of dollars, we have not truly improved the lives of the poor or eradicated the poor. Also, in many ways, the poor are worse now than every due to the immorality and destruction of the family created by this ‘Great Society’! We have generational unemployment, single mothers, absence of fathers in the households, and millions of children without a true home and two parents.

Second, which is related is the role of the family, we have to redefine the family to fit our current predicament. With the disintegration of the family in the U.S., everyone now just turns to the Government to support them, as they don’t really have a family to help them.

Third, as these two points are related, most people ignore the poor around them as it is now the sole problem of the government. Personal, individual, and family responsibility is now simply a lost precept of the distant past.

Just coming up with a definition of the poor, which most would agree to, would be a mammoth undertaking. In the U. S. today, the Department of Census regularly tells us that there are 43-46 million people living in poverty. The poverty level is an income line that is constantly being revised upward in the U.S. The problem in the U.S. is that the real meaning of being poor often is replaced with just being poorer. Being poorer, i.e., having fewer material possessions, than your neighbor doesn’t mean you are poor.

In order to truly treat this sensitive subject with the respect it is due, we will start next week with God’s definition of the poor and His expectations of them.

More next Saturday.

The Biblical Mary-Final

We have studied every verse that mentioned Mary, every verse that recorded her words, and every important event in the life of Jesus when Mary was not present. Now we will study the last two events that confirms the role of Mary within the Church of Jesus Christ. First, His miraculous resurrection.

Matthew 28:1  Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 28:2  And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 28:3  And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 28:4  The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 

28:5  The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 28:6  "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 28:7  "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you." 

28:8  And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.

As this study relates to Mary, we will concentrate on her role and responsibilities in regards to the resurrection.

First, she did not go back to the tomb.

Second, the angel instructed the women to go and tell the disciples, but no mention of telling Mary.

Third, the ran to tell the disciples.

Mark 16:1  When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. 16:2  Very early on the first day of the week, they *came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 16:3  They were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" 

16:4  Looking up, they *saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. 16:5  Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 16:6  And he *said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. 

6:7  "But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.'" 16:8  They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. 

In Mark, we find confirmation that Mary was not included. But, we once again read that the women were to tell His disciples and Peter, no one else was mentioned.

Luke 24:8  And they remembered His words, 24:9  and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 24:10  Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. 

24:11  But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. 24:12  But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened. 

Luke brings a few more facts. One, that they told the eleven and the women who were with them. But, Mary was not individually mentioned, if indeed she was there. Secondly, Peter ran to the tomb. In John we will read that John was with him.

John 20:1  Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark, and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. 20:2  So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." 

20:3  So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 20:4  The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 20:5  and stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 20:6  And so Simon Peter also *came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there, 20:7  and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 

20:8  So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 20:9  For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 20:10  So the disciples went away again to their own homes. 

Here in the gospel of John it is confirmed that both John and Peter ran to the tomb. But, they came away without telling anyone else.

John 20:19  So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, "Peace be with you." 

John 20:24  But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 20:25  So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 

20:26  After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." 20:27  Then He *said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." 

20:28  Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 20:29  Jesus *said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." 

Jesus appeared to the eleven minus Thomas. He then came back eight days later to be with the disciples and this time Thomas was there. No other name was mentioned.

Jesus made two more appearances of note. First, on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24. Second, when some of the disciples went back to fishing and He met them at the beach in John 21.

While more could be said and studied, it would all just reconfirm all we have studied. Mary played a very small role in the adult life of Jesus. The major role was for the disciples. It is very hard to believe just how deceived the members of the Church of Rome are in regards to Mary. Anyone who reads their Bible would quickly discover the lies and deceit.

New study on the poor next Saturday.