Podcasts about Moabite

Send a textWhen a famine strikes Israel, Naomi's family moves from Bethlehem to Moab. Years later, Naomi loses her husband and both sons, and decides to return home. Ruth, Naomi's Moabite daughter-in-law, refuses to leave her and makes a beautiful promise: “Where you go, I will go… your God will be my God.” Back in Bethlehem, Ruth gathers leftover barley to help them survive and ends up in the field of Boaz, a kind relative who protects and provides for her. In time, Boaz marries Ruth, Naomi's family is cared for, and Ruth becomes part of a very special family line that leads to King David. A tender story about faithfulness, kindness, and choosing God. Talk about it:Why did Ruth choose to stay with Naomi even when it was hard?How did Boaz show kindness to Ruth in the fields?What does Ruth's promise teach us about loyalty and trusting God?Who can you show kindness to this week?Visit our website: kathyskidsstorytime.orgWe'd love to hear from you.To reach us quickly, click the “Send us a text” link at the top of the episode description.Or write to us by mail:Kathy's Kids StorytimePO Box 44270Charlotte, NC 28215-0043

In this powerful deep dive episode, KB explores the remarkable story of Ruth, a Moabite woman whose unwavering faith and loyalty placed her in the lineage of Jesus Christ. From her decision to leave everything familiar and follow her mother-in-law Naomi to an unknown land, to her encounter with Boaz as her kinsman redeemer, Ruth exemplifies what it means to trust God in the midst of uncertainty. Her story demonstrates that no matter where you come from or what your background looks like, God can use you for His divine purpose when you honor Him with faithfulness, hard work, and obedience.Ruth didn't return to the place she outgrew. Instead, she trusted God enough to walk in a direction she had never been before, and He met her right in the middle of her obedience. This episode challenges listeners to step forward into their next chapter without looking back, reminding us that God has already gone ahead of us. Through Ruth's example of loyalty, noble character, and teachable spirit, we learn that when we honor God, He honors us in ways beyond our imagination. If you're facing uncertainty or standing at a crossroads, this episode will encourage you to trust that God's plan is worth the step of faith.Reach out to KB on Instagram and share your thoughts.

Presented by Julie Busteed What does Scripture teach us about the meaning and purpose of our work? Let's look at some examples of how work can be an opportunity to use our God-given abilities to serve others. The story of Ruth the Moabite comes to mind when thinking about an example of working to serve others. This short, four-chapter book of the Bible is packed with so much to reflect on, but today I want to focus on how Ruth's work blessed others, specifically her mother-in-law Naomi. A fly over recap: Naomi was not only a widow, but she also lost both of her sons. There was no one to provide for her and she was living in a foreign land. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, was also a widow who loved Naomi deeply and followed Naomi back to her homeland in Bethlehem. They arrived back in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Arriving empty handed and no way to feed themselves, Ruth said to Naomi, let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor (Ruth 2:2). God provided a way for the poor to feed themselves. He said, when you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 19:9-10). Naomi was certainly poor, and Ruth was a foreigner. God's law made provision for this situation. But someone had to go out in the field and put in some effort to gather the leftover grain. There was work involved. This was physical work. Ruth may not have been accustomed to it, but it didn't keep her from attempting to provide for Naomi and herself. I imagine it was not creative work, and commentaries indicate it could have been dangerous even for her. But God provided for and protected her in this as well, since she “happened” to end up working in Boaz's field, a relative of Naomi's husband. And as the narrative goes, he became the kinsman redeemer, providing more than Naomi and Ruth could have imagined. All this to say, Ruth, through the unglamourous work of gleaning barley in the fields, not only provided temporary nourishment for Naomi, but also was the catalyst for providing a kinsman redeemer—someone to rescue them from poverty. In the end, Boaz married Ruth and had a son who carried on the name of Naomi's husband. Best of all, their son was the grandfather of King David and ultimately in the lineage of Christ as we read in Matthew chapter 1. I just love how God uses us where we are. No matter what work we are doing, however humble or elevated our jobs might be if we are working for him and doing our best, he can and will use us.

2 Chronicles 24:8-27 New International Version 8 At the king’s command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of the Lord. 9 A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full. 11 Whenever the chest was brought in by the Levites to the king’s officials and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this regularly and collected a great amount of money. 12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who carried out the work required for the temple of the Lord. They hired masons and carpenters to restore the Lord’s temple, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the temple. 13 The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the Lord’s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord. 15 Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. 16 He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple. The Wickedness of Joash 17 After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem. 19 Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen. 20 Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’” 21 But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 22 King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.” 23 At the turn of the year,[a] the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. 24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash. 25 When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. 26 Those who conspired against him were Zabad,[b] son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith[c] a Moabite woman. 27 The account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE GOD WHO IS… Overflowing with Loyal LoveHave you ever filled out a job application and they say “tell us about yourself – describe your personality ; your core values”. You know what you write down is going to reveal whether you are qualified or the right fit for the job…  If you started out, “I'm basically a good guy… sharp, creative, personable, responsible…. BUT don't mess with me before my coffee in the morning – whoa – I can be grumpy and moody… Or Im pretty organized, but don't look in my closet… Or I'm patient – I get along with people but there's things that push my buttons… whoa unto you if you do… THE BEAR COMES OUT OF THE CAVE…This would not be recommended if you are looking for a job in HRSociologists say, there are over 4,000 religions in the world – cut and pasted from ancient beliefs and creeds as well as modern day thought…. Many of them with the same question – WHO ARE YOU GOD? Today – we are going to look again about what God says about HimselfWE ARE IN SERIES – THE GOD WHO IS…Looking at the history of the Children of Israel – the IsraelitesGod has chosen them to reveal Himself to the whole world – His nature, His desires, His eternal plan.He promises to keep a covenant with them that He made to their forefathers 1000 years prior – that He would be there God… Fast forward – the foundation of that covenant is now extended through Christ to you and me – That He would be Our GodAs God begins to form and develop the Israelites into His People – essentially Moses asks the same questions in the book of Exodus 33 _ He asks God to reveal Himself  -  in Exodus 34… Only a few times in Scripture – God describes Himself – His character and nature – our anchor text is the moment when God reveals His own character:FOUNDATIONAL SCRIPTUREExodus 34:6–7 (NIV) The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and graciousGod, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.We've looked at God's “Self Description:Compassionate — a God moved in His deepest being by our pain.Gracious — a God who gives delightfully undeserved gifts.Slow to anger — a God who is patient and does not rush to judgment.Today we come to the fourth phrase:“abounding in love” — or as we'll say it: “overflowing with loyal love.”LET'S TALK ABOUT “LOYAL LOVE”INTRODUCTION — WHEN SOMEONE STAYSMost of us know what it feels like to wonder if someone will stay.You messed up in a relationship…You failed to follow through on a promise…You disappointed someone who believed in you…And deep down, you're asking:“Are you still here? Or is this the moment you walk away?”Think about those rare moments when instead of walking away, that personlooks you in the eye and says:“I'm hurt - I'm honest about that…but I'm not going anywhere.I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.”That is more than forgiveness.  That is more than a second chance.That is a kind of stubborn grace — a love that doesn't just pardon you, it stays with you.In Scripture, that stubborn, promise-keeping, staying love is not just something God does…It is something God is.I. THE HEBREW WORD —KHESED חֶסֶ (Khawsed) The word translated “love” here is the Hebrew word khesed (חֶסֶד).KHESED IS ONE OF THE RICHEST, HARDEST-TO-TRANSLATE WORDS IN THE ENTIRE BIBLE.NO SINGLE ENGLISH WORD CAPTURES IT.It combines these qualities:Love – genuine affection and care.Generosity – going above and beyond what's required.Enduring commitment – a promise that sticks, even when it hurts.So you'll see it translated in Bible versions as:“steadfast love”“great love”“unfailing love”“lovingkindness”“mercy”“loyal love”Khesed describes promise-keeping loyalty motivated by deep personalcare.How do we contrast it to our ”natural love”, our transactional love? Not contract.Not cold obligation.Not “I'll do my part if you do yours.”Khesed is:“I'm not leaving.I'm not quitting.I'm not withdrawing my heart.”My commitment is not based on your performance, but based on my character of keeping vows, looking passed flaws; being quick to forgive; knowing your potential, trusting your growth; and believing the best;DO YOU HAVE ANY FRIENDS LIKE THAT? COVENANT FRIENDS? I'M BLESSED TO HAVE SOME IN THIS ROOM … Oris Martin's memorial – his daughter was paying tribute to her dad – About his “Loyal Love To Her”HE SAID – “I ll always have your back” MORE DESCRIPTIVE  - ‘I'LL HAVE YOUR BACK LIKE A TIGHT BRA STRAP” (Im going to archive this) II. RUTH — The Lord gave us a s story to reveal it - A HUMAN PICTURE OF KHESEDOne of the clearest illustrations of khesed is found in the OT book of Ruth.Ruth is a Moabite woman from an outside tribe – she  married into an Israelite family.Her husband dies.His brother dies. – according to custom – next in line to provideHer father-in-law dies – last line of supportAll that's left are three widows: Naomi is Ruth's mother-in -law… left with the other two widowed daughters-in-law.Naomi has nothing left to offer.No income.No security.No future.She tells Ruth“Go back to your people. Start over. There's nothing for you with me.”From a human perspective, the logical thing is to leave.But Ruth does the opposite.She says, in essence:“Where you go, I'll go.Your people will be my people.Your God will be my God.I will stay with you—until death.”She binds her future to Naomi's empty future.She chooses the hard, costly road of staying.And as the story unfolds and people watch Ruth keep this promise, they call her faithfulness acts of khesed (see Ruth 3:10–11).Ruth's khesed is not based on Naomi's usefulness, worth, or ability to repay.It is a window into Ruth's character.She is a person of loyal love.She is a person of generous, promise-keeping commitment.And that is what khesed looks like in human form.III. GOD'S KHESED TO JACOB — LOYAL LOVE TO A DECEIVERBut as inspiring as Ruth is, the Bible is clear: No one shows more khesed than God.From earlier generations - Take Jacob – son of IssacJacob is not a moral hero.He lies.He deceives his father.He cheats his brother.He manipulates situations for his own advantage.Yet God chooses Jacob.God repeats to him the promise He gave to Jacob's  grandfather- Abraham:“I'm going to bless you, give you many descendants, and through your family I will bless the nations.”Jacob runs away in fear and shame.For twenty years he lives in exile.Then, on the way back home, terrified of facing his brother, Esau – whom he has cheated for his birthright, Jacob prays:Genesis 32:10 (ESV)“I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of khesed (steadfast love) and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.”Jacob is right.He is not worthy.But that's the point.God's khesed was never based on Jacob's worth.It was never “If you perform, I'll stay.”It was always “I have chosen you, and I am committed to My promise.”God's khesed is a display of God's generous loyalty, not Jacob's behavior.IV. GOD'S KHESED TO ISRAEL — HE KEEPS RESCUINGGod's khesed continues into the story of Jacob's descendants—Israel.They end up enslaved in Egypt for hundreds of years.We're told that God “remembers His covenant” with Abraham and Jacob.To “remember” in Hebrew doesn't mean God forgot.It means God is about to act in faithfulness to His promise.So God defeats Egypt, raises up Moses, and leads Israel toward the promisedland.In the song of Moses, after the Red Sea, they sing:Exodus 15:13 (ESV) “You have led in your steadfast love (khesed) the people whom you have redeemed…”Their liberation is called an act of khesed because God is keeping His word.But the story doesn't stay triumphant for long.On the way to the promised land, Israel sees the nations around them, and feargrips their hearts.They doubt that God can protect them.They talk about appointing a new leader to take them back to slavery in Egypt.They are ready to kill Moses.LET THAT SINK IN:God has rescued them.God has provided for them.God has revealed Himself to them. And they want to go back to bondage.God is understandably hurt and angry.But in Numbers 14, Moses intercedes:Numbers 14:19 (NIV) “In accordance with your great love (khesed), forgive the sin of these people…”Moses doesn't base his request on Israel's behavior.He bases it on God's character.“God, be who You are. Do what is consistent with Your khesed.”And God does. He forgives.He recommits Himself to a people who don't want to be committed to Him.V. HUMAN LOVE VS. GOD'S LOYAL LOVEIn the Bible, God is loyal and loving for no other reason than that's who He is.Of course, God desires His people to respond with khesed in return—to love Him truly, to keep covenant, to love others with the same loyal love.But even when they don't… God's khesed remains.The prophet Hosea says:Hosea 6:4 - Israel's khesed is “like the morning mist” —here one moment, gone the next.Our loyalty is often fragile.Our commitment is often temporary.Our promises are often conditional.But God's khesed is enduring.That's why Psalm 136 opens with:“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good…”And then repeats 26 times:“for His khesed (steadfast love) endures forever.”Over creation.Over history.Over rebellion.Over enemies.Over everything.God's loyal love outlasts human unfaithfulness.VI. JESUS — THE FULLNESS OF GOD'S LOYAL LOVEAfter centuries of Israel breaking their covenant,and after humanity's long history of violence, idolatry, and death…God still keeps His promise in the most dramatic way possible:He becomes human.In Jesus, God binds Himself to us in a new and deeper way.The New Testament writers reach for words like:agapē (ἀγάπη) – self-giving, sacrificial love.eleos (ἔλεος) – mercy, compassion in action.charis (χάρις) – gracious gift, undeserved favor.All of these overlap with the Old Testament idea of khesed.In John 1, we're told that Jesus comes “full of grace and truth.”That phrase “grace and truth” echoes the Hebrew pairing khesed we'emet —“loyal love and faithfulness.”The early followers of Jesus looked at Him and said:“In Him, we have encountered the God of Israelwho is full of loyal love and faithfulness.”Jesus is:The ultimate loyal and loving human,The perfect image of God's khesed in a human life,The one who loves “to the end” (John 13:1).In His life, death, and resurrection, God opens a new future for us and allcreation.Not because we earned it…But because this is who God is:Generous.Loving.Eternally loyal to His promises.VII. WHEN GOD'S LOYAL LOVE TOUCHES USWhen we truly experience the purity and power of God's loyal love shownthrough Jesus, it doesn't leave us neutral.It compels us.It moves us.It reorients us.We begin to reimagine:Why we love God.How we love people.What commitment looks like in a world of easy exits.Because if this kind of khesed is in God's character,it should begin to show up in our character.VIII. HOW WE SHOW KHESED BACK TO GOD AND OTHERS1. Khesed toward God — measured and revealed in faithful devotion, not occasional attention.If God has bound Himself to us in covenant love, we respond not with “casual spirituality,” but with whole-hearted devotion.Choosing Him when it's costly.Trusting Him when we don't see the way.Obeying Him when it would be easier to compromise.We don't earn His khesed by doing this.We reflect His khesed by doing this.2. Khesed toward people — “Staying” love in a Leaving world. We live in a culture of:ghosting,cancelling,quitting,disposable relationships. God calls His people to a different way:In marriage: keeping vows when feelings fluctuate.In friendship: showing up when there's nothing to gain.In church: staying engaged, serving, forgiving, building, instead ofbouncing at the first offense.In community: caring for the vulnerable when they can't pay you back.ILLUST: MARRIAGE - I CHOOSE YOU… OVER AND OVER AGAIN – 45 YEARSIn marriage, I chose you and I choose you againWhen I first begin to date… sitting in her living room – 2 phone calls from different guys – no cell phones or voicemails… I think- shes got a few choices  Then she tells me a “friend” from UCSB is coming down… wants to go to dinnerFine.. no problem… you are friends… “God, if Jan is the one it will all work out”… sitting there watching ‘sports center:… How good of friends are they?  AM I THE CHOSEN ONE? - “God if he tries to kiss her – take a coal from your altar and scorch his lips”A desire to be chosen… our commitment to that choice has protected our vows for 45 years   Khesed IS COVENENTAL LOVE . IT says:“Even when you're empty, I won't withdraw.Even when this is hard, I won't run.Even when you have little to offer, I'll keep showing up.”Not because people always deserve it, but because God is forming His loyal love in us.3. Khesed toward the undeserving — because that's how God loved us.Remember Jacob.Remember Israel.Remember you.We love with khesed not because people have earned it,but because God extended it to us first.“We love because He first loved us.”Story –  I'll call him “ Bryan” (Ryan Inclan) – from Passover Days- 25 years agoPaul Rogers from Intervarsity invited himBryan - Struggling w faith and as much with identity and habitsPaul moved – asked me if I would stay in touch with Bryan – and asked if he could give Bryan my number – I naively said “yes” not really knowing what that would mean - That was probably 25 years ago… Bryan died about a month ago now. Bryan moved to the Bay Area - fought major Bipolar Disorder along with several other Psychological disorders,He'd call up, friendly, hopeful. In a small group - happyThen weeks later - Midnight texts – desperate, self -hating… just been online doing things in chat rooms – struggling with sexual identity… pray for meI'd leave scripture messages – reinforcing this is Who You Are Now… encouraging him to connect with a church – he tried several churches – goes good – then collapses; there was always an enemy – somebody hurt him; offended him; doesn't understand himThrough the years - Dad dies; mother dies… desperationPaul & I drove to SF to get him in a psych hospitalThen Weeks – no communication… maybe he's better… connected with a local group… no… in relapse… hiding… ashamedTwo months later -  manic weeks – all is better… I found a mens group – im praying againMANY TIMES – Im done… You are way beyond my comfort zone… And my pay gradeSomehow we would re-connect – late night  1 hr caounseling calls … Jan would shake her headHe got liver cancer about 6 months ago… Me and a group of people on a Text thread – praying emoji's, heart emoji's… encouraging words and prayersHe died in peace, believing – GOSPELS – Guys tearing open a roof to lower a friend down to be healed.  For 25 years – tearing off guilt, shame, mental torment in short seasons of relief…Bryan finally made it – now he is healedIX. PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR HEARTSWhere am I tempted to walk away instead of stay?Where am I loving only as long as it benefits me?Where is God calling me to reflect His loyal love by keeping a promise,extending grace, or refusing to give up?And deeper still:Where have I underestimated God's loyalty to me?Some of you live like God is one failure away from leaving.In Exodus 34 and the whole story of Scripture shout:“His khesed endures forever.”His love Is LOYAL – so much so that:He may discipline. He may confront. But all for your best interestHe may hand you over to the consequences of your choices for a season, so we see clearly the destructive paths we are on.He does not abandon His promises to be with you and guide you through.He does not abandon His people. He is an Everlasting Father.He does not abandon His plan of redemption – toward you or anyone who calls upon HimCONCLUSION — THE GOD WHO WILL NOT LET GOSo when God says of Himself:“I am abounding in love…”He is saying:“I am overflowing with khesed—with loyal, generous, enduring love.I keep My promises.I stay.I do not quit on what I have begun.”Jesus is the ultimate proof of that.He stepped into our story.He took on our flesh.He bore our sin.He rose with new life.He promised to be with us “always, even to the end of the age.”This is THE GOD WHO IS OVERFLOWING WITH LOYAL LOVE.And if that is who He is, then by the power of His Spirit, that is who He is shaping us to become.ALTAR CALL… He is loyal in his love for us… Even when we aren't feeling itMaybe this is new to you – this foreign kind of unconditional love – it was for me – works basedMaybe you sense it right now – he does love you; He wants you to know him… and enter into this Loyal Love we are talking about.You might say – “I'll never be able to keep my end of the deal… I‘ve got too much stuff going on… Yea – but I can say “you've never been loved like this before…” It's transformativeIt starts w Romans 10:9-10 – a vow Altar Call – side room you sense He's pulled back or away from you… But I would ask… Have you pulled back from HimThere are places and things He won't condone or endorse… again It's about love… Strength to break free and walk it out..As we close – make a commitment to come up hereNext time, we'll look at the fifth trait in this powerful description:“THE GOD WHO IS FAITHFUL.” But today, may we rest in His loyal love,and may we mirror that loyal loveto a world that desperately needs to see it.  

In this Bible Story, Lot's daughters trick their father into sleeping with them in order to carry on the bloodline. These children would eventually become the Moabite and Ammonite nations. This story is inspired by Genesis 19:30-38. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year. Today's Bible verse is Genesis 19:30 from the King James Version. Episode 13: Lot and his daughters have escaped the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by God’s grace and kindness, but, as they hid in the cave at Zoar, wickedness was not far behind. Lot’s daughter's longing for children, stuck in a cave, decided to get their father drunk enough that they could each take turns sleeping with him. Their plan worked, but the sons they bore became enemies of Abraham's descendants for generations to come. Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham. Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living. Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store. Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard Producer: Ben Gammon Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith Bible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does the genealogy of Jesus include a Moabite widow, a prostitute, and a woman with a scandalous past?In the conclusion of our Ruth series, we unpack Ruth Chapter 4—a chapter that seems like a dry legal proceeding but is actually the bursting forth of the Gospel in the Old Testament. We watch as Boaz steps up as the "Kinsman-Redeemer," paying a price to redeem a family that had lost everything.In this message, we connect the dots between a harvest field in Bethlehem and the birth of a Savior in that same town generations later. Discover how God uses "outsiders" and broken histories to weave His perfect story of redemption.Scripture: Ruth 4, Matthew 1, Psalm 103

Growing In God Podcast Program Number: GIG #282 Air Date: 12/31/2025 My Resolution for the New Year Web Description: The period from the ascension of Christ to the present has been labeled the Church Age. In reality it should be called the Age of the Holy Spirit. Yeshua (Jesus) did not tell His disciples, "The Father will teach you how to have good churches." He promised that they would be endued with power by the Holy Spirit and be His witnesses in the earth. My New Year's resolution is to change my emphasis from church to being filled with the Holy Spirit first and endued with power to be His witness today.   Show Notes: The Church Age is the term most widely used to identify the years since the ascension of Christ until now. This label, I think, misdirects the focus of our faith in this generation. When Yeshua (Jesus) prepared His disciples for His departure, He did not give them instructions about church. He taught them about the Holy Spirit directing them and guiding them and about their being witnesses in all the world to make disciples of the nations.   Christ could have said, "Go to Jerusalem and focus on gathering everyone together who believes in Me and establish an order and a structure for the Church." But He did not do that. He said, "You are to go and receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be My witnesses." Eventually those who had this experience were drawn to assemble together. But their assembling together was secondary to their individual experience of having this promise of the Holy Spirit resting upon them.   We tend to lose this emphasis. To be honest, our emphasis is more on being led and taught by Church leaders than on being led and taught by the Holy Spirit. And what I want to do this year is focus on being filled with the Holy Spirit, not dependent on anything that is not provided by the Father through the Holy Spirit. If we can do that as individuals, I believe the Church will have the power and witness in the earth that Christ promised to His disciples.   Key Verses:   •       Luke 24:49 (NKJV). "Tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." •       Deuteronomy 23:3. "No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD." •       Matthew 16:15-18. "Upon this rock I will build My church." •       Matthew 18:15-17. "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church." •       Acts 1:6-8. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses." •       John 14:16-18. "You know Him because He abides with you and will be in you." •       Jeremiah 31:31-34. "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me." •       John 14:26. "He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." •       John 16:6-15. "It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you." •       John 7:37-39. "The Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."   Quotes:   •       "What was necessary and what He had promised them was the Holy Spirit, not church." •       "How do we learn about Christ? How do we know Christ? How do we understand Christ? By the Holy Spirit that comes to us." •       "It's endless what the Lord gave to us when he gave us the Holy Spirit upon His departure, and I don't want to make it secondary to anything else."   Takeaways:   1.    The ecclesia, what we call the Church, was initiated by virtue of the experience the disciples had of being filled with the Holy Spirit and being endued with the power of the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses. 2.    When Yeshua used the Greek word ekklesia, He was not speaking in terms of our understanding of the Church. He was speaking in terms of the assembly of the Lord or the assembly of Israel. And He applied it to those who would be taught and directed by the Father through the Holy Spirit. 3.    How much are we depending on the Church to provide for us what Christ has already provided through the Holy Spirit?

Think you know the Christmas story? Meet Ruth—a Moabite immigrant Matthew highlights in Jesus' genealogy. Her radical faith, her redemption, and her place in the Messiah's family reveal a side of Christmas we rarely see. If you've ever felt like an outsider, this message shows why God says: you belong.

Matthew continues to highlight the messy ancestry in Jesus' genealogy. He names Ruth, a Moabite whose people descended from an incestuous relationship, reminding us that even those considered outsiders or accidents are fully included in God's plan. When he presents Solomon, he mentions that his mother was “Uriah's wife,” reminding everyone of his father David's adultery and his orchestrated murder. He wants us to know that Jesus came not in spite of sinners but through them.

Matthew continues to highlight the messy ancestry in Jesus' genealogy. He names Ruth, a Moabite whose people descended from an incestuous relationship, reminding us that even those considered outsiders or accidents are fully included in God's plan. When he presents Solomon, he mentions that his mother was “Uriah's wife,” reminding everyone of his father David's adultery and his orchestrated murder. He wants us to know that Jesus came not in spite of sinners but through them.

The book of Ruth unfolds in the moral collapse of the judges, yet it reveals the steady hand of God directing a few believers who chose to trust Him when the nation at large did not. Ruth, a Moabite widow, aligned herself with Naomi and with the God of Israel, and the Lord guided her to Boaz, a man of integrity who fulfilled the role of kinsman-redeemer and foreshadowed the greater Redeemer to come. What begins with famine, death, and despair ends with restoration, joy, and the establishment of the line that leads to David and ultimately to Christ. The narrative shows how God advances His plan through ordinary people who operate on Bible doctrine, exhibit loyal love, and remain faithful in adversity. Even in the darkest generation, His grace is never absent and His providence never idle. Click here for study notes: https://thinkingonscripture.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Overview-of-the-Book-of-Ruth.pdf  Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div. 

TODAY'S TREASUREThen 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”...But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return 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. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”Ruth 1:8, 16-17 ESVSend us a comment!Support the show

The story of Ruth and Boaz reveals something profound about how God works in our lives—He writes redemption through broken beginnings. We often think Christmas starts with angels and shepherds, but it actually begins generations earlier in places of desperation, grief, and hopelessness. Ruth was a Moabite widow, an outsider with no claim to God's promises, yet she appears in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Her story teaches us that God doesn't wait for perfect circumstances or perfect people to accomplish His purposes. When Naomi felt empty and bitter, when Ruth had nothing but scraps to glean from the fields, God was already arranging divine appointments. Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, becomes a beautiful picture of Jesus—someone who pays the price to redeem us, covers us with his protection, and welcomes outsiders into the family. The most powerful truth here is that our broken stories don't disqualify us from God's plan; they're actually where He loves to work most. If we find ourselves in a season that feels more bitter than pleasant, more empty than full, we can trust that God is still writing our redemption story. Christmas reminds us that the Messiah came from a redeemed family line, not a perfect one, and He came specifically for people like us—broken, desperate, and in need of a Redeemer.

Christmas – they talk about baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph – but this Jesus … is He who He says He is? Can Christmas really make a difference – I mean in your life and mine?   WILL THE REAL MESSIAH PLEASE STAND UP? Well, welcome to the second message in a series that I have called, "Message in a Bottle" – in these weeks leading up to Christmas. We are going to take a look at this most amazing night – this Christmas story. You know that wonderful Christmas carol, O Holy Night, the stars, the stars are shining – the shepherds and the angels and Mary and Joseph and that baby Jesus; God in the flesh. And for me, you know, when you strip away all the noise and the rubbish and the commercialism around Christmas, it is the most wonderful celebration. But it struck me how the very beginning of the story of Christmas in the New Testament – if you have a Bible, go and grab it – we are going to Matthew, chapter 1 – it struck me how often we skim over the first dozen or so paragraphs of what God writes about Christmas. If you open up the very first page of the first Book of the New Testament – it's the Book of Matthew and it begins, of all things, with a genealogy; a boring list of names. Now I love doing things that surprise people and a few years ago I was sharing a message leading up to Christmas on this passage in the beginning of Matthew and I asked a lady, a friend of mine, Pamela, to do the Bible reading and I ask her to read through this genealogy. Now fortunately, I gave her a week's notice, because some of the names are just a little bit difficult to get the old tongue around. And when she sat down everybody gave her a standing applause for managing to make it through the genealogy. And I guess most of us haven't heard a message on this genealogy in a long, long time, if ever. I know what you are thinking – genealogy? Berni, are you going to be talking about a genealogy? But listen, listen to what the Apostle Paul writes in Second Timothy, chapter 3, verse 16. He says: Every Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness, so that – what? – so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient and equipped for every good work. In other words when I read through this genealogy, and I probably like you, skip through genealogies in the Bible, you know, I kind of don't like to read every word. But as I began to read through this particular genealogy I thought, hang on a minute, God decided to begin the New Testament with a genealogy. Why did He do that? What was going on? This Book of Matthew – "Matthew" literally means, "a gift from God" and it starts with an account of Jesus blood line; His birth line. Jesus Christ – "Jesus" means "Yahweh saves"; God saves. "Christ" means "Messiah" – so you put all that together and this book is a gift from God about God's anointed Saviour. So I'm thinking, I've actually got to get into this genealogy and say: why did God put it here? What does it mean that the Christmas story begins with a genealogy? What is God trying to say to you and me, here and now? Now it's probably not the way that you or I would start a biography of some great leader but genealogies were significant to the Jews. They were about purity of lineage – firstly remember that land was given to Israel by tribes. So your right to own land was affected by your genealogy. If you were a priest, your priestly authority came from your genealogy. And your legal standing – if you were in line for the throne, royal succession came through your genealogy. And the genealogies of people were kept on the public record. In the Sanhedrin and in the temple, you could go and verify that somebody was who they said they were. So to the Jews it wasn't just a boring list of names – it was fascinating. And have a look to see how Matthew, chapter 1 actually starts out. The first verse, "An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham" – three main characters, Abraham, David and Jesus. And Abraham and David being referred to here, point back to some promises. We are going to look at those promises today because they have everything to do with Christmas. People were expecting a Messiah – we are going to look at why a little bit later in the programme. But at this point in Israel's history in the first century, they were definitely looking for a Messiah. So God is the keeper of promises and let's just have a quick look to see what the promise is. If you want to flick back to the promise that God made to Abraham, you go to Genesis, chapter 12, verses 1 to 3. Lets have a look at that – Genesis 12:1-3 says this: The Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing." And if you flick over to Genesis, chapter 15, verse 5, it goes on to say that: God brought Abram outside in his tent and He said, "Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you can count them. And then God said to Abram, "So shall your descendants be." And he believed and the Lord reckoned this as righteousness to him. So here is a promise to Abraham; the father of the whole nation of Israel, that Abraham would have many, many children. Remember he and Sarah were very old and they couldn't have children, yet God was making a promise. So this very first verse of Matthew points back to those promises. It also points back to the promise that God made to David. Lets have a look at that – flick on a little bit to Second Samuel, chapter 7, verse 12 – this is what it says: "When your days are fulfilled," – this is a promise to David, remember; the King: When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you who shall come forth from your body and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name and I will establish his throne and his kingdom forever. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before Me, your throne shall be established forever. So here is the promise to David – that there would be a lineage that would go on forever – that the reign of the House of David would go on forever. David was the Messiah; he was the anointed King of Israel. That's the actual word that they used for the King – the 'Messiah', and the promise of God was the offspring of David – there would be royal succession that would go on forever. So you bring this two promises together and the promise of God is that there will be a King who will rule forever, who will be a blessing to all the nations. The question is what happens next? Well, just after this promise is given to David, David has a son called Solomon and Solomon is the last King of a united Israel. Israel splits in two; they begin to worship idols; God sends prophets; they reject God and ultimately, in 586/587 BC they are exiled to Babylon into slavery. The monarchy is destroyed and really, the whole thing falls apart for Israel because they rejected God. They just ran away from God; they ignored God and for four or five centuries there was no king. I mean, to us, that's like not having a democracy. And by the first century, the Emperor was Roman because they were under Roman rule. There was a governor there who was Roman; there was a false King; the Sanhedrin was corrupt. This was a messy, corrupt, religious, political environment. It was brutal – I mean the Roman oppression was brutal. And into this Matthew writes – God speaks through Matthew of the promise made to Abraham and made to David. They were expecting Messiah. The question is what sort of Messiah were they going to get?   A HEAVEN FULL OF PROMISES So Israel was expecting a Messiah, but what did he look like? Luke, chapter 3 and verse 15, we read about John the Baptist: As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah. Luke, chapter 3, verse 16, we see that John goes on and says: Well, you know, "I baptise you with water but someone who is much more powerful than me is coming. I'm not fit to tie up His sandals and He'll baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire." We read Matthew, chapter 16, verse 13 and: Jesus says to His disciples, "Who do the people say that I am? And they said, "Well, some say that You are John the Baptist, others say that You are Elijah, others say that You are Jeremiah or one of the prophets." See, the people expected a Messiah; they expected God to send them someone; they desired one, but they were mixed up as to what He would look like. There were lots of people called "Jesus" in those days. There were lots of people who claimed to be the Messiah – there was lots of hype. How were they going to pick the right one? And that's what this genealogy is about. Matthew's Gospel was written somewhere around sixty to seventy AD and at this point the Jews and the Christians were arguing about who Jesus was. The Jews said he's not the Messiah; the Christians said yes, He is. No, He's not, yes, He is, no, He's not! And Matthew is specifically writing to a Jewish audience here and he lists on the genealogy of Jesus, "Abraham was the father of Isaac and Isaac the father of Jacob and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar" – and on it goes, this long genealogy. And what it is really saying is, "I know there are a lot of people out there claiming to be the Messiah; I know there are a lot of people claiming to be the one that God sent but here is the genealogy of the Man. Here as a matter of public record is His genealogy and His right to be the anointed King; the Messiah." See, genealogies, for the purposes of land and for the purposes of legal entitlement and for the purposes of royal blood line in this patriarchal society always went through the father. And what it shows here is that Jesus is in fact, a descendant of David and a descendant of Abraham and He is the rightful King. If you don't believe me, it's a matter of public record. This was written at a time when the information was still in the public record in the temple and the Sanhedrin, so people could go and check. People could verify the link of Jesus back to God's promises – back to God's vast plan – they could identify that actually He is the One. There were many prophesies about Jesus in the Old Testament – He will come from a woman's womb; He'll be born to a virgin, He'll be born in Bethlehem; murder will surround His birth; He will be given the name Emmanuel; He will be given gifts; He will be taken back to Egypt – many, many prophesies that Jesus opened up in the Old Testament. But here the New Testament comes with, right at the beginning, a legal verification of Jesus entitlement to His claim to be the Messiah. It is evidence that God keeps His promises. And when I look at Christmas through this boring genealogy – lets face it, that's the way we would look at it these days – what I read is that God keeps His promises. Jesus was born on that holy night, the stars, the stars were shining; the very same stars that were shining over Abraham those many centuries before, when God made him a promise that he would be a blessing to many nations. God is faithful – Christmas is about God's faithfulness. This genealogy speaks of God's faithfulness. See, if we just walk into Christmas saying, "I've got to buy some more presents and I've got to get some more food and I've got to do all this, Christmas ends up being meaningless. The New Testament begins with rock solid evidence of the faithfulness of God – that He has indeed fulfilled His promise to Abraham and His promise to David, to send His Son. It's a leap of faith, but it's not a blind leap of faith. The evidence is laid out – it was laid out at a time when people could either verify it or disprove it on the public record. That's why that genealogy is there. We are going look at what all that means for you and me, here and now, next.   HE'S ONE OF US Alright, so we have been looking at this beginning of the Christmas story, this genealogy; this link between the Old Testament and the New; this link that points back to the fact that the whole idea of Christmas began a long, long time before that starry, starry night in Bethlehem. And when you read through the genealogy – I'm not going to do that now – but when you read through the genealogy you find all sorts of people. There are people who were prophesied about; there were people who were totally unknown. There are sixteen names in that genealogy that are not mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament – there are Kings, there are paupers, there are Jews, there are Gentiles, there are good Kings – six of them, nineteen bad Kings. We think of King David as one of the good guys but he committed adultery; he had someone murdered. And one of the really interesting things that we are going to look at right now is that there are five women in this genealogy. Now sadly, you go back to this time, two thousand years ago, in the first century and women had no rights; they were chattels; they had no legal rights – they couldn't own land; they could inherit anything; they couldn't testify in a court of law and they were never, I say again, never listed in genealogies. But here in this genealogy we have five women. Now what's that about? In this patriarchal society that never put women in genealogies, why are they there? What is God saying to us, to you and me, here and now about Christmas by putting them there? Well, the first one is in verse 3 – a woman by the name of Tamar. Now she was a temple prostitute; she was Judah's daughter in law and she committed adultery. You can read about her in Genesis, chapter 38, verse 5. The second woman is Rahab – now remember Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho. You can read about her in Joshua, chapter 2, verses 1 to 7. The third woman is a woman called Ruth – she has her own Book in the Old Testament. Now Ruth is a Moabite – the Moabites were enemies of the Jews. This is what the Old Testament, Deuteronomy, chapter 23, verse 3, says about Moabites: An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord, even to the tenth generation; none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever. So we've got a Moabite! Verse 6, look at this: And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah. Now is that damning or what? Remember David committed adultery with Bathsheba – she was another man's wife, his name was Uriah, and he, David, committed adultery with Bathsheba. David had Uriah murdered, their first child died, their second son was gift from God, his name was Solomon. You can read about that in Second Samuel, chapters 11 and 12. So here in Jesus' genealogy is not just a temple prostitute, not just a prostitute in Jericho, not just a Moabite who was an enemy of God but here is a woman who conceived one of Jesus ancestors in adultery. And then in verse 16, is the fifth woman – Mary – this woman who as far as the rest of society was concerned, had conceived a son out of wedlock, which brought enormous shame on her and on Joseph. And we are going to look at that next week in a message that I've called, "Jesus – the Illegitimate God". See, here are these five women – five very imperfect women – there are no paragons of virtue; there are no wonderful Israelite, Jewish women. What's God saying to us in all that? I believe He is saying, 'There is no Jew or Greek, no slave or free, no male or female, because all are one in Christ Jesus. Have you ever felt that you are just not good enough to be part of God's family? That somehow you and I fall so far short of the glory of God that we could just never fit into God's family? I believe that this genealogy is an invitation which says you don't have to be good enough. This genealogy deliberately puts those imperfect women into the list to speak to you and me. There are a whole bunch of Christians in God's Kingdom who flounder; who are blown around by this doctrine and that; who don't live in victory; who don't bear fruit; who don't impact other people's lives with the love of Christ – Christians who are hurtling head on towards Christmas just trying to buy presents and just trying to finish off their work and just trying to get all this other stuff done without a deep foundation in their hearts to know what Christmas is about. Listen: Every Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness so that everyone – everyone includes you and it includes me – everyone who belongs to God may be proficient and equipped for every good work. This genealogy is not just a boring list. This genealogy is how the Holy Spirit; God the Holy Spirit decided to begin the very first Book in the New Testament – the very first Book about the grace of Jesus Christ. He begins with a rock solid platform. The intention of God is that you and I can stand on this rock solid platform. This platform that says at a time when this genealogy could be checked against the public record, it is legally established that Jesus is the Christ. Not just one way but the way, we can know that with certainty through this genealogy. We look at this genealogy – an account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah; Son of David, Son of Abraham. And we can look at the promises God made to Abraham and David and say Matthew is pointing back to those because Jesus is the fulfilment of those promises. God keeps His promises. We can pick this Jesus – this authentic Saviour – from all the other people that say, "I've got a way, try my way, follow me". No! This Jesus is who He says He is. He is the Son of God and then through an amazing act of grace, God points out to us here in this genealogy, through listing these imperfect women; through listing people like David who committed adultery; through listing the good Kings and the bad Kings, that Jesus became one of us. If you ask people who believe in Jesus, is He more like God or is He more like you and me? You know, most of us would answer; Jesus is more like God that He is like you and me. Jesus is fully God but He's fully human too and that's what this genealogy speaks to you and me. It is time for us to have a rock solid place to stand, to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came for you and me – little old imperfect you and me. And that is why Jesus begins His story about Himself this way. It's food for the soul. Christmas is a feast!

Matthew 1:1-17Episode 1 - Nov. 30, 2025Jesus didn't come from a perfect family with a perfect story.He came through a broken family with a broken story for broken people like us.Christmas reminds us that God's redemption enters through the cracks.Matthew begins Jesus' story with a genealogy to show that God is patient with long, messy, complicated stories.For centuries, He wove His plan through faithful people and failures, kings and shepherds, revival and rebellion.Your story may feel too far gone or too complicated, but the genealogy whispers:God is not afraid of long, messy stories.Including four women was shocking in a patriarchal culture—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and “Uriah's wife.”Each carried pain, shame, and loss, yet God honored them in the Messiah's line.Tamar was wronged and denied justice. Her story says: God sees and lifts the marginalized.Rahab was a prostitute from the wrong city and religion, but she believed God. Your past isn't stronger than His grace.Ruth, a Moabite outsider, was redeemed by Boaz. Outsiders become family in God's kingdom.Bathsheba, the victim of David's abuse, reminds us: God refuses to airbrush sin. He restores the broken.Together they declare: God works through what others hide.Jesus' family was complicated, painful, and beautiful—just like ours.Hebrews 2:11 says Jesus is “not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters.”You don't have to hide your story.The secrets, the shame, the outsider feelings, the addiction, the abuse—Jesus walks into all of it.He came through a broken family for broken families.Your past doesn't define your future—your Savior does.Advent is waiting: for healing, reconciliation, change, repentance, release.God is patient with long stories and present in them.If He can weave Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba into Jesus' story, He can weave you into grace.After forty-two generations, Matthew ends:“Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.”The mess prepared the way for the miracle.Christmas isn't “clean up and come to Jesus.”It's “Jesus came into the mess for you.”At the cross, He took Judah's betrayal, Tamar's injustice, Rahab's past, Ruth's outsider status, David's sin, Bathsheba's wounds—and ours.He broke their power and turned shame into redemption.Christmas is costly. God entered through a broken family to build a redeemed one.You are not defined by what you've done or what's been done to you but by what Jesus has done for you.Your story isn't ruined—it's redeemed and whole.CONNECT: https://crossbridgebrickell.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87727GIVE: https://crossbridgebrickell.churchcenter.com/givingPRAYER: https://crossbridgebrickell.churchcenter.com/people/forms/87727Social Media Handle: @crossbridgebrickell

The book of Judges shows us what life looks like when a people try to live without God. Israel was religious, but their religion had drifted far from the God of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Joshua. Judges tells us bluntly that a generation arosewho did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel(Judg. 2:10). Surrounded by nations with kings, Israel wanted one too. Wanting a king wasnt the problemGod had already promised a coming ruler from Judah:The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples(Gen. 49:10). He even gave instructions for Israels future king in Deuteronomy 17. The issue wasnt the idea of kingship, but Israels motivation. They wanted a king not to be more like God, but to be more like the nations. Their first king, Saul, looked the parttall, strong, impressivebut his heart was far from God. He cared more about preserving his image than obeying the Lord. The breaking point came when God commanded him to destroy the Amalekites. The Amalekites were a brutal nomadic tribe who had been Israels sworn enemies since the days of Moses, attacking Israel from behind when they were weak and exhausted (Ex. 17). Instead of obeying fully, Saul spared their king and kept what pleased him. So the Lord said through Samuel: Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrificesAs in obeying the voice of the LORD?Behold, to obey is better than a sacrifice,And to pay attention than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as reprehensible as the sin of divination,And insubordination is as reprehensible as false religion and idolatry.Since you have rejected the word of the LORD,He has also rejected you from being king. (1 Sam. 15:2223) Saul finally confessed,I have sinned because I feared the people and listened to their voice(1 Sam. 15:24), but the damage was done. Samuel told him the kingdom had been torn from him and given toa neighbor of yours, who is better than you(v. 28). That neighbor was a young Judean shepherd named Davidsomeone no one expected. When Samuel arrived at the home of Jesse (Boaz and Ruths great-grandson), he assumed Israels next king would look like one of Jesses oldest sons. But God corrected him:Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart(1 Sam. 16:7). After seven sons passed by without Gods approval, Samuel asked,Are these all the boys?Only then did Jesse mention his youngestDavidso overlooked that even his family hadnt considered him. But when David appeared, the Lord said,Arise, anoint him; for this is he(v. 12). And from that moment on,the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward(v. 13). David Was Gods Man The first time we are invited to look into Davids heartand to see what set him apart from everyone elseis in 1 Samuel 17 when he faced Goliath in battle. While Israels army stood frozen on the front lines, David had only been sent to deliver food to his brothers. The Philistines had proposed a champion-to-champion battle: Goliath against anyone Israel dared to send. The stakes were highthe losing side would become the servants of the winner. No one in Israel wanted to step forward. After Goliath roared,I defy the battle lines of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together!Saul and all Israel weredismayed and extremely afraid(1 Sam. 17:1011). For forty days, the giants taunts filled the valley. And for forty days, young David went back and forth between tending his fathers sheep and tending to his brothershearing the escalating tension firsthand. Eventually David had heard enough. Offended by Goliaths insults against God and His people, he asked,What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes the disgrace from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he has dared to defy the armies of the living God?(v. 26). When word reached Saul, David was brought before the king. Without hesitation, he said,May no mans heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine(v. 32). David stepped forwardnot with armor, experience, or military strengthbut with confidence in Yahweh. Armed only with a staff, a sling, and five stones, David stood as Israels champion. Goliath mocked him, saying,Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?and cursed him by his gods (v. 43). He then threatened,Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild animals(v. 44). But Davids response revealed everything about his heart and his source of confidence: But David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a saber, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of armies, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you and remove your head from you. Then I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that this entire assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lords, and He will hand you over to us! (1 Sam. 17:4547) Davids confidence was not in his ability, but in Gods character. The God who had rescued Israel before would rescue them again. David slung one stone, struck the giant in the forehead, and killed him with what seemed like nothing more than a slingshot. There was no earthly guarantee that David would defeat Goliath. But he knew God had promised Abraham that Israel would represent Him among the nations, and that a king would one day rise from Judah, the one to whomthe scepter shall not depart and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples(Gen. 49:910). David trusted that Gods purposes could not be stopped by a Philistine giant. David Was Israels Flawed King Under Davids leadership, Israel finally defeated and subdued the Philistinesthe nations greatest threat throughout the time of the Judges and during Sauls reign. David had been one of Sauls most successful military commanders, and the women of Israel even sang,Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands(1 Sam. 18:7). Under Davids rule the borders of Israel expanded, and the promises made to Abraham appeared closer than ever to becoming reality. Some of the high points of Davids reign include making Jerusalem the capital of Israel, bringing the ark of the covenant back into the city as the visible sign of Gods presence, preparing the way for Solomon to build the temple, and establishing Jerusalem as the spiritual and political center of the nation. David wanted God to be at the center of everything Israel did, reflecting Gods covenant at Sinai where the people were called Godstreasured possession, Hiskingdom of priests, and Hisholy nation(Exod. 19). But David is also remembered for one of the darkest moments of his lifehis adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband in a desperate attempt to cover up his sin. Uriah, one of Davids most loyal soldiers, was a man devoted to his king and to Israel. He also happened to be married to a woman of striking beauty named Bathsheba. We are told in 2 Samuel 11 that while Israels army was out fighting, David remained in Jerusalema decision that placed him exactly where temptation could reach him. What follows is one of the most sobering accounts in Scripture: Now at evening time David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the kings house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. So David sent messengers and inquired about the woman. And someone said, Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? Then David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he slept with her.(2 Sam. 11:24) Soon after, Bathsheba sent word back to the king:I am pregnant. David never imagined his sin would come to light so quickly. Like many who try to hide their sins, he moved from temptation to adultery, and from adultery to deception. He brought Uriah home from battle, attempting to manipulate him into sleeping with his wife so the pregnancy would appear legitimate. But Uriah refusedhe would not enjoy the comforts of home while his fellow soldiers risked their lives. With his plans unraveling, David chose a darker path. He wrote a sealed letter to Joab, the commander of the army, and sent itin Uriahs own hand as messenger. The letter read: Place Uriah at the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck and killed (2 Sam. 11:1415). It was a death warrant. And David made Uriah carry it. Uriah died just as David intended, and for a moment the king must have felt deep reliefhis sin was concealed. But the covering of sin never hides it from God. The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to confront David, and when the truth broke through Davids self-deception, he finally said,I have sinned against the LORD.[1] The difference between David slaying Goliath and Davids failing with Bathsheba was not his strength, his ability, or his statusit was his dependence on God. When David trusted God, giants fell. When David trusted himself, David fell. We Need a True and Better David It was before Davids great sin with Bathsheba that God promised him that through his linage would come another king in 2 Samuel 7:1216; this moment is one of the most breathtaking moments in the entire Old Testament. Before a flawed king of whom God knew would fall terribly. The One David worshiped exclusively announced that the hope promised to Adam and Eve, the covenant repeated to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that would one day burst into reality through one of Davids descendants: When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever. (2 Sam. 7:1216) This covenant echoes the very promises God made to Adam and Eve, and later to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was a promise given specifically to Judah, and its path can be traced through some of the most unlikely people in Scripture. It moved forward throughTamar, a Canaanite woman surrounded by scandal. It continued throughRahab, another Canaanite woman who married Salmon of Judah and became the mother of Boaz. Boaz then marriedRuth, a Moabite widow, and they had a son named Obed. Obed fathered Jesse, and from Jesse came David. Consider the astonishing depth of God's grace, mercy, and loveHe chooses to accomplish His purposes through people with significant flaws. The covenant God was fulfilling through them is what theologians refer to as an unconditional covenanta promise not reliant on human strength, virtue, or even obedience, but founded solely on the perfect will of our good and holy God![2] Think about the weight of the promise made to David: Aforever throne that will never be compromised by sin.Aforever kingdom that will never be overcome by evil.Aforever King whose righteousness will never need improvement. Israel didnt just need a brave king, or a talented king, or even a repentant kingIsrael, and indeed the entire world, needed a perfect King. A King who would never fail, never fall, never waiver, and never walk away from God the way David did on the roof that night. And here is where the grace of God overwhelms:God chose to fulfill His forever covenant promise through the very place of Davids greatest failure. Bathshebathe woman David exploited, the woman whose husband he murdered, the woman whose story began with sinis the very woman God folded into the line of redemption. Bathsheba bore David five sons; the first was conceived through their affair and was taken from them by God through death. Of the other four sons listed in Scripture, was Solomon and the last child listed was Nathan. ThroughSolomon, the royal line flowed to Joseph, throughNathan, the line flowed to Mary. And standing at the end of both genealogies is the One the prophets longed forJesus, the Son of David. Jesus is the King that David could never be. He is the flawless Son whom God promised.He is the Shepherd-King of Ezekiel 37 who gathers the broken, restores the wandering, and rules with justice and compassion. He is the One who never surrendered to temptation, never hid His sin, never needed to be confronted by a prophetbecause He lived in perfect dependence on the Father every moment of His earthly life. Every one of us knows what it is to stand in front of a Goliathan addiction, a fear, a bitterness, a woundand feel small. And every one of us knows what it is to stand on the roof like David, spiritually lazy, drifting, self-confident, and one decision away from disaster. But Gods purpose was never for David to be the hero of IsraelDavid was the signpost, not the destination. His victories pointed to the kind of dependence God wants from us, and his failures pointed to the kind of Savior we desperately need. The remarkable message of the gospel isnt simply that God offers us another chance, but that He provides us with a greater Kinga true and better David. This King never surrendered to temptation, never acted out of pride, and never misused His power for harm. Instead of taking anothers life to hide His wrongdoing, He willingly gave His own life to atone for ours. Jesus, as the Son of David, is the true and better Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Boaz, and David. He is the King David could never be. And to the weary and the woundedto the Davids who have fallen, and to the Bathshebas whose stories have been marked by anothers sinHe speaks: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matt. 11:2830). [1] David is remembered as a great king, but also as a deeply flawed man. And yet, Scripture still calls hima man after My heart(Acts 13:22). [2] Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you wrongdoers. Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, My plan will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure... (Isa. 46:8-10).

This Advent message uses the theme of Hope to explore the Book of Ruth. The story begins in the despair of Naomi, who loses her husband and sons and returns to Bethlehem, bitter and empty. Her darkness is broken by the radical hope of her Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth, who pledges loyalty to Naomi and her God, Yahweh. […]

This week, Greg and Nathan wrap up their journey through the book of Ruth with a deep dive into Ruth 4, a chapter where legal negotiations, bold faithfulness, and God's quiet providence converge into a story far bigger than anyone in Bethlehem could have imagined. At the city gate, Boaz steps into the public square to do things the right way, navigating the cultural and legal process of redemption with wisdom and integrity. Greg and Nathan break down why the gate mattered, why Boaz started by talking about a field instead of Ruth, and why the unnamed redeemer stepped aside once Ruth entered the picture. They'll unpack the meaning behind the ancient sandal ceremony, the elders' powerful blessings, and the surprising declaration that Ruth is “more than seven sons.” Together, they trace how this chapter moves from uncertainty to overflowing joy—culminating in a genealogy that links Ruth, a Moabite widow, to King David, and ultimately to Jesus, the Redeemer behind every redemption story. If you've ever wondered how God weaves ordinary, fragile lives into His grand purpose, this finale will encourage you, challenge you, and help you see Ruth's story with fresh eyes. Join Greg and Nathan as they explore how God redeems broken stories and threads them into His redemption story—one that stretches from the fields of Bethlehem to the throne of the true King.

Balaak, a Moabite king, pays a local prophet Balaam to curse Israel. God has other plans. Numbers 22:1-20, 21-41; 23:1-12, 13-26. #everydaychristians

The story of Ruth begins with these words: In the days when the judges governed (v. 1a). Just before Joshua died after a lifetime of faithful service, he warned all of Israel: Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness. Put away the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Josh. 24:14-15) The book of Judges recounts Israels history shortly after entering the promised land, and just in the second chapter, we are told: Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals, and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers... (Jud. 2:11-12), which characterizes the tone and climate of Israels spiritual health. The book of Judges also concludes with the words: In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Jug. 21:25). While in the wilderness, God warned Israel that there would be consequences to their choices, especially when it came to their trust of God and obedience to God: Beware that your hearts are not easily deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods, and worship them. Otherwise, the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the sky so that there will be no rain, and the ground will not yield its produce; then you will quickly perish from the good land which the LORD is giving you (Deut. 11:16-17) As we move from Judges into the book of Ruth, the opening five verses immediately shed light on the spiritual condition of Naomis husband, Elimelech. These verses reveal how Elimelech, in his role as both husband and father, deeply influenced the direction and well-being of his family. The famine in the land did not just reflect a lack of physical food; it also mirrored the spiritual famine within Elimelechs own heart and soul. There are some things I want to point out to you that I believe will help you appreciate just how relevant this book is to us today. First, let me begin by stating that Bethlehem means house of bread yet there was no bread in Bethlehem because there was famine in the land due to Israels disobedience. God had promised that He would bless His people if they obeyed Him, so the reason why there was no bread in Bethlehem was because of Israels unfaithfulness, not Gods unfaithfulness. Second, we are told that Elimelech was a man of Bethlehem in Judah..., which means that he belonged to the tribe of Judah. God called Elimelech to live in Bethlehem, yet he chose to move to Moab because he believed that he and his family could thrive in a place outside of where God called him to live. Some of the things that Elimelech had to know about Moab was that the people originated out of an incestuous relationship after Lots older daughter got him drunk for the purpose of having sex with her father so that she could become pregnant with his child (Gen. 19:30-38). Secondly, the Moabites were known for their scheming to get Israel to sin against God (Num. 22-24). Thirdly, the Women of Moab were known for seducing the Israelite men for the purpose of getting them to worship the gods of Moab (Num. 25). Moab was not a place for a family to thrive spiritually, but this is the place that Elimelech took his family to live. The other important detail we need to consider is that while Naomis name means Pleasant nothing about her life seemed pleasant. Her husbands name meant God is my king but he certainly did not live like God was his king. The meaning of the names of their two sons were, Mahlon (Weakness, sickness) and Chilion (destruction, failure); both men took for themselves Moabite women who did not grow up worshiping the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; taking Moabite women as wives was something God commanded Israel not to do (see Deut. 7:1-4). Noamis husband and both of her sons died, leaving her with nothing but two daughters-in-law who were also destitute with no husband or male child. Naomi Suffered Loss When Naomi left Bethlehem with her husband and two sons, she leftfull. Because of the famine in the land (v. 1), moving to Moab must have felt like the right decisionan act of survival for the sake of their family. But while in Moab, tragedy struck. Her husband, Elimelech, died. Then her two sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruthsomething God had warned His people against because of the danger of idolatry (Deut. 7:23). And after marrying these women, both of Naomis sons also died, leaving her with two widowed Moabite daughters-in-law and no descendants of her own. Naomi had lost the three most important men in her life, along with any hope of lineage, inheritance, or security. There was nothing for her in Moab, and because of her husbands death after leaving Bethlehem, there was nothing but maybe the kindness of her relatives back in Judah. So when she returned to Bethlehem, it is no surprise that she no longer wanted to be called Naomi, which means pleasant. She asked instead to be calledMara, meaning bitter. She explained the bitterness in her own words: The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty (vv. 2021). Ruth: A Woman of Excellence Naomi failed to recognize the blessing her Moabite daughter-in-law truly was. When Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, she urged both Orpah and Ruth to go back to their own people and gods in Moab. While Orpah left to go back to her people and her gods, Ruth decided to remain with Naomi and even declared to her mother-in-law: Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me, and worse, if anything but death separates me from you. (1:1618). One reason Naomi discouraged Ruth from coming back with her was concern for Ruths safety. There was significant hostility between Moabites and Israelites. This is clear in chapter two, after Ruth entered a field belonging to Boaz. Everyone in the field knew Ruth was a foreigner, as the foreman explained to Boaz, She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from Moab. Boazs response reveals the real danger Ruth faced. He spoke kindly to her, saying, Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but join my young women here. Keep your eyes on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have ordered the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw (Ruth 2:89). Ruths foreign status exposed her to rejection, prejudice, and mistreatmentyet she chose to stay with Naomi anyway, embracing uncertainty and risking lifelong exclusion. Her courage did not go unnoticed. In chapter three, Boaz calls Ruth a woman of excellence (3:11)a term that carries the sense of valor, honor, and strength of character. Remarkably, the same word is used of Boaz in 2:1, while you do not see it in the way the NASB translated Ruth 2:1, just about every other translation does recognize this: Now Naomi had a relative of her husbands, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. The parallel is deliberate. The narrator wants us to see that Ruth and Boaz are kindred spiritstwo people marked by integrity, bravery, and covenant faithfulness in a time when such qualities were rare in Israel. Boaz: A Kinsmen Redeemer Boaz is the third important character in the story of Ruth, for he is the only one qualified to serve as Naomis kinsman-redeemer. Every kinsman-redeemer had to meet three qualifications: He had to be a family member, He had to have the ability to redeem, and He had to be willing to redeem. A kinsman-redeemer held several responsibilities in the Old Testament: he could buy back family land lost to famine or debt (Lev. 25:2530), redeem relatives who had sold themselves into slavery (Lev. 25:4755), avenge the unlawful death of a family member (Num. 35; Deut. 19; Josh. 20), and step in when a family member faced a wrong they could not fix on their own. Naomi needed that kind of help. She had lost her husband and both sons. She had no land, no security, and no hope. Ruth could not redeem her, so she went out to glean in the fieldsa provision God had given for the poor and the foreigner (Lev. 19:910). Thats where we first meet Boaz. He told Ruth, Do not go to another field I have ordered the young men not to touch you (Ruth 2:89). Ruth bowed in gratitude, asking why he would show kindness to a foreigner. Boaz told her he had heard of her loyalty to Naomi and her trust in Israels God (2:1113). He saw Ruth as a woman of excellenceworthy of honor and protection. When Naomi learned how Boaz treated Ruth, she urged Ruth to approach him at the threshing floor. Though the scene might look questionable at first glance, Ruth 3:613 makes it clear: both Ruth and Boaz acted with purity and integrity. Ruth lay quietly at his feet, and when Boaz awoke, she said, Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer. She wasnt tempting himshe was invoking covenant language, the same wings imagery Boaz used earlier of the LORDs care (see 2:12). Boaz responded with joy: I will do all that you ask, for everyone knows you are a worthy woman (3:11). He was both willing and able to redeem her. And he did. So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son (4:13). Through Boaz, Naomis emptiness was replaced with joy, and Ruth was blessed with a godly husband and a son. The women of the town celebrated: 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. May he also be to you one who restores life and sustains your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him. Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. And 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. (4:14-17) What began in sorrow ended in joy. What started with loss ended in redemption. God used a barley field, a faithful woman, and a willing redeemer to bring about His plannot just for Naomi and Ruth, but through Boaz and Ruth the line of the kings would come with the birth of David by whom all other kings would be compared in Israel. This leaves us with the point of this little book in the Bible. There is a True and Better Redeemer Boaz was not only Naomis redeemerhe was also a picture of the Redeemer who would one day come through his and Ruths own bloodline. Boaz was only a shadow of a true and better Boaz. Remember the announcement of Jesus birth delivered by the angels to lowly shepherds: And so the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David [Bethlehem] there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10-11). It was the disobedience of Israel that led to the famine that compelled Naomis husband and sons to leave where there was no bread to a place that led to a deeper and more severe famine that left Naomi empty. God used all of the hard things in Naomis life so that another Son would be born in that same city to do what no other person was able to do; Jesus said of Himself: I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty (John 6:35). When Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit, creation was cursed and humanity was lost. Eden was forfeited, and mankind was expelled from Gods presence. The only way for Eden to be restored and the curse removed was for another Adam to comeone who was related to humanity, who had the ability to redeem what was lost, and who was willing to carry out the redemption. Ruth and Boaz had a son named Obed; Obed fathered Jesse; Jesse fathered David. Many generations later, Jesus was born to Maryconceived supernaturally while she remained a virginqualifying Him uniquely as the Kinsman-Redeemer mankind and creation needs. How was Jesus qualified? Jesus had to be a family member of humanity, and He was, as demonstrated by the human bloodline recorded in Scripture. Jesus had to have the ability to redeem, which He had because the virgin birth made Him both fully God and fully manperfectly qualified to redeem creation. Jesus had to be willing to redeem, and that willingness led Him to the cross, where He became our curse and took our sin upon Himself. Jesus did not remain dead. On the third day He rose in victory! Our Kinsman-Redeemer lived the perfect life we could not live, died as the sin-bearer though He was spotless, and then conquered death itself. All of heaven rejoices that the Redeemer who was slain now standsaliveinterceding for us: Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals, for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth (Rev. 5:910). And maybe thats where you need hope today. Perhaps you are living with the consequences of choices you made years ago. Perhaps bitterness has taken root because life did not turn out the way you imagined. Perhaps, like Naomis family, you have wandered far into Moabfar from God, far from joy, far from where you began. But hear the good news:the book of Ruth declares that no one is too far for Gods love, grace, and mercy to reach. If God can take a famine, a foreigner, and a broken widow and weave them into the lineage of King David and ultimately Jesus Christ HimselfHe can redeem your story too!

The story of Ruth begins with these words: In the days when the judges governed (v. 1a). Just before Joshua died after a lifetime of faithful service, he warned all of Israel: Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness. Put away the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Josh. 24:14-15) The book of Judges recounts Israels history shortly after entering the promised land, and just in the second chapter, we are told: Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals, and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers... (Jud. 2:11-12), which characterizes the tone and climate of Israels spiritual health. The book of Judges also concludes with the words: In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Jug. 21:25). While in the wilderness, God warned Israel that there would be consequences to their choices, especially when it came to their trust of God and obedience to God: Beware that your hearts are not easily deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods, and worship them. Otherwise, the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the sky so that there will be no rain, and the ground will not yield its produce; then you will quickly perish from the good land which the LORD is giving you (Deut. 11:16-17) As we move from Judges into the book of Ruth, the opening five verses immediately shed light on the spiritual condition of Naomis husband, Elimelech. These verses reveal how Elimelech, in his role as both husband and father, deeply influenced the direction and well-being of his family. The famine in the land did not just reflect a lack of physical food; it also mirrored the spiritual famine within Elimelechs own heart and soul. There are some things I want to point out to you that I believe will help you appreciate just how relevant this book is to us today. First, let me begin by stating that Bethlehem means house of bread yet there was no bread in Bethlehem because there was famine in the land due to Israels disobedience. God had promised that He would bless His people if they obeyed Him, so the reason why there was no bread in Bethlehem was because of Israels unfaithfulness, not Gods unfaithfulness. Second, we are told that Elimelech was a man of Bethlehem in Judah..., which means that he belonged to the tribe of Judah. God called Elimelech to live in Bethlehem, yet he chose to move to Moab because he believed that he and his family could thrive in a place outside of where God called him to live. Some of the things that Elimelech had to know about Moab was that the people originated out of an incestuous relationship after Lots older daughter got him drunk for the purpose of having sex with her father so that she could become pregnant with his child (Gen. 19:30-38). Secondly, the Moabites were known for their scheming to get Israel to sin against God (Num. 22-24). Thirdly, the Women of Moab were known for seducing the Israelite men for the purpose of getting them to worship the gods of Moab (Num. 25). Moab was not a place for a family to thrive spiritually, but this is the place that Elimelech took his family to live. The other important detail we need to consider is that while Naomis name means Pleasant nothing about her life seemed pleasant. Her husbands name meant God is my king but he certainly did not live like God was his king. The meaning of the names of their two sons were, Mahlon (Weakness, sickness) and Chilion (destruction, failure); both men took for themselves Moabite women who did not grow up worshiping the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; taking Moabite women as wives was something God commanded Israel not to do (see Deut. 7:1-4). Noamis husband and both of her sons died, leaving her with nothing but two daughters-in-law who were also destitute with no husband or male child. Naomi Suffered Loss When Naomi left Bethlehem with her husband and two sons, she leftfull. Because of the famine in the land (v. 1), moving to Moab must have felt like the right decisionan act of survival for the sake of their family. But while in Moab, tragedy struck. Her husband, Elimelech, died. Then her two sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruthsomething God had warned His people against because of the danger of idolatry (Deut. 7:23). And after marrying these women, both of Naomis sons also died, leaving her with two widowed Moabite daughters-in-law and no descendants of her own. Naomi had lost the three most important men in her life, along with any hope of lineage, inheritance, or security. There was nothing for her in Moab, and because of her husbands death after leaving Bethlehem, there was nothing but maybe the kindness of her relatives back in Judah. So when she returned to Bethlehem, it is no surprise that she no longer wanted to be called Naomi, which means pleasant. She asked instead to be calledMara, meaning bitter. She explained the bitterness in her own words: The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty (vv. 2021). Ruth: A Woman of Excellence Naomi failed to recognize the blessing her Moabite daughter-in-law truly was. When Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, she urged both Orpah and Ruth to go back to their own people and gods in Moab. While Orpah left to go back to her people and her gods, Ruth decided to remain with Naomi and even declared to her mother-in-law: Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me, and worse, if anything but death separates me from you. (1:1618). One reason Naomi discouraged Ruth from coming back with her was concern for Ruths safety. There was significant hostility between Moabites and Israelites. This is clear in chapter two, after Ruth entered a field belonging to Boaz. Everyone in the field knew Ruth was a foreigner, as the foreman explained to Boaz, She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from Moab. Boazs response reveals the real danger Ruth faced. He spoke kindly to her, saying, Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but join my young women here. Keep your eyes on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have ordered the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw (Ruth 2:89). Ruths foreign status exposed her to rejection, prejudice, and mistreatmentyet she chose to stay with Naomi anyway, embracing uncertainty and risking lifelong exclusion. Her courage did not go unnoticed. In chapter three, Boaz calls Ruth a woman of excellence (3:11)a term that carries the sense of valor, honor, and strength of character. Remarkably, the same word is used of Boaz in 2:1, while you do not see it in the way the NASB translated Ruth 2:1, just about every other translation does recognize this: Now Naomi had a relative of her husbands, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. The parallel is deliberate. The narrator wants us to see that Ruth and Boaz are kindred spiritstwo people marked by integrity, bravery, and covenant faithfulness in a time when such qualities were rare in Israel. Boaz: A Kinsmen Redeemer Boaz is the third important character in the story of Ruth, for he is the only one qualified to serve as Naomis kinsman-redeemer. Every kinsman-redeemer had to meet three qualifications: He had to be a family member, He had to have the ability to redeem, and He had to be willing to redeem. A kinsman-redeemer held several responsibilities in the Old Testament: he could buy back family land lost to famine or debt (Lev. 25:2530), redeem relatives who had sold themselves into slavery (Lev. 25:4755), avenge the unlawful death of a family member (Num. 35; Deut. 19; Josh. 20), and step in when a family member faced a wrong they could not fix on their own. Naomi needed that kind of help. She had lost her husband and both sons. She had no land, no security, and no hope. Ruth could not redeem her, so she went out to glean in the fieldsa provision God had given for the poor and the foreigner (Lev. 19:910). Thats where we first meet Boaz. He told Ruth, Do not go to another field I have ordered the young men not to touch you (Ruth 2:89). Ruth bowed in gratitude, asking why he would show kindness to a foreigner. Boaz told her he had heard of her loyalty to Naomi and her trust in Israels God (2:1113). He saw Ruth as a woman of excellenceworthy of honor and protection. When Naomi learned how Boaz treated Ruth, she urged Ruth to approach him at the threshing floor. Though the scene might look questionable at first glance, Ruth 3:613 makes it clear: both Ruth and Boaz acted with purity and integrity. Ruth lay quietly at his feet, and when Boaz awoke, she said, Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer. She wasnt tempting himshe was invoking covenant language, the same wings imagery Boaz used earlier of the LORDs care (see 2:12). Boaz responded with joy: I will do all that you ask, for everyone knows you are a worthy woman (3:11). He was both willing and able to redeem her. And he did. So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son (4:13). Through Boaz, Naomis emptiness was replaced with joy, and Ruth was blessed with a godly husband and a son. The women of the town celebrated: 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. May he also be to you one who restores life and sustains your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him. Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. And 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. (4:14-17) What began in sorrow ended in joy. What started with loss ended in redemption. God used a barley field, a faithful woman, and a willing redeemer to bring about His plannot just for Naomi and Ruth, but through Boaz and Ruth the line of the kings would come with the birth of David by whom all other kings would be compared in Israel. This leaves us with the point of this little book in the Bible. There is a True and Better Redeemer Boaz was not only Naomis redeemerhe was also a picture of the Redeemer who would one day come through his and Ruths own bloodline. Boaz was only a shadow of a true and better Boaz. Remember the announcement of Jesus birth delivered by the angels to lowly shepherds: And so the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David [Bethlehem] there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10-11). It was the disobedience of Israel that led to the famine that compelled Naomis husband and sons to leave where there was no bread to a place that led to a deeper and more severe famine that left Naomi empty. God used all of the hard things in Naomis life so that another Son would be born in that same city to do what no other person was able to do; Jesus said of Himself: I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty (John 6:35). When Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit, creation was cursed and humanity was lost. Eden was forfeited, and mankind was expelled from Gods presence. The only way for Eden to be restored and the curse removed was for another Adam to comeone who was related to humanity, who had the ability to redeem what was lost, and who was willing to carry out the redemption. Ruth and Boaz had a son named Obed; Obed fathered Jesse; Jesse fathered David. Many generations later, Jesus was born to Maryconceived supernaturally while she remained a virginqualifying Him uniquely as the Kinsman-Redeemer mankind and creation needs. How was Jesus qualified? Jesus had to be a family member of humanity, and He was, as demonstrated by the human bloodline recorded in Scripture. Jesus had to have the ability to redeem, which He had because the virgin birth made Him both fully God and fully manperfectly qualified to redeem creation. Jesus had to be willing to redeem, and that willingness led Him to the cross, where He became our curse and took our sin upon Himself. Jesus did not remain dead. On the third day He rose in victory! Our Kinsman-Redeemer lived the perfect life we could not live, died as the sin-bearer though He was spotless, and then conquered death itself. All of heaven rejoices that the Redeemer who was slain now standsaliveinterceding for us: Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals, for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth (Rev. 5:910). And maybe thats where you need hope today. Perhaps you are living with the consequences of choices you made years ago. Perhaps bitterness has taken root because life did not turn out the way you imagined. Perhaps, like Naomis family, you have wandered far into Moabfar from God, far from joy, far from where you began. But hear the good news:the book of Ruth declares that no one is too far for Gods love, grace, and mercy to reach. If God can take a famine, a foreigner, and a broken widow and weave them into the lineage of King David and ultimately Jesus Christ HimselfHe can redeem your story too!

Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley are joined by Macy English to play Knowing Faith Theological Trivia. Grab a pen and paper to play along!Questions Covered in This Episode:The Story of the Bible:Name the four gospels.In what waters did Naaman wash in to be healed of leprosy?Who in the Old Testament prefigures Christ as both priest and king?True or False: King Saul was from the tribe of Judah.Which prophet's scroll records the story of the valley of dry bones?Spiritual Belief:What does the word “Trinity” describe?The Nicene Creed says the Son is “begotten, not made.” What heresy does that refute?Which ecumenical council affirmed Mary as Theotokos or the “God-bearer”?Which heresy claimed Jesus only appeared to have a human body?What Latin term captures the Reformation truth that faith alone justifies, but the faith that justifies is never alone?Spiritual Formation:What word means “to become more like Christ”?According to John Owen, sanctification involves the mortification of ___ and vivification of ___.True or False: The Greek word for “fruit” of the Spirit in Galatians 5 is plural.Who first popularized the phrase “means of grace” to describe habits that grow believers?Which Reformation theologian taught that true knowledge of God leads to knowledge of self?Bonus Round:Who was the left-handed judge who killed the Moabite king Eglon with his sword?Guest Bio:Macy English is the Owner & Principal Consultant of English Media, where she helps businesses with all things sales & marketing. She is a lover of people, culture, marketing, and health, and she strives for all that matters in life. Macy and her husband, JT, live in Arvada, CO, with their two kids and love to travel.Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Deep Discipleship Program Follow Us:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteOur Sister Podcast:Tiny TheologiansSupport Training the Church and Become a Patron:patreon.com/trainingthechurchYou can now receive your first seminary class for FREE from Midwestern Seminary after completing Lifeway's Deep Discipleship curriculum, featuring JT, Jen and Kyle. Learn more at mbts.edu/deepdiscipleship.To learn more about our sponsors please visit our sponsor page.Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It is said that when Benjamin Franklin was an American Minister in Paris, he spent an evening with a group of intellectuals at a time when literary circles were known for being agnostic or even atheistic. He was called on to contribute to the entertainment and read from what he called a “charming bit of literature.” He proceeded to read the entire Book of Ruth. The normally skeptical audience was delighted and wanted to know where in ancient history such a beautiful and idealistic story could be found. They were shocked to find out it had been copied from the Bible. The story of Ruth is indeed beautiful as an endearing account of loyalty, faith and divine providence. The account explores how Ruth's faithful decisions amid hardship reflect profound spiritual lessons. After the deaths of her husband and two sons, Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, chose loyalty over comfort and insisted on going with her into a land of a diversly different culture. Ruth's declaration, “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” marks a pivotal moment of voluntary discipleship, echoing the call to follow Christ. Naomi's selflessness and Ruth's humility set the stage for divine providence to unfold. Ruth's decision to glean in Boaz's field, seemingly by chance, revealed God's guiding hand. Boaz, a wealthy and godly man, noticed Ruth's integrity and ensured her safety and provision. His actions mirrored Christ's care for his followers, offering not just sustenance but honor and protection. Key takeaways from this amazing account include strong insights into the three main people in the account: Ruth's loyalty and humility positioned her to receive God's abundant blessings. Naomi's wise and selfless guidance allowed Ruth to make a free, faith-driven choice. Boaz's integrity and generosity reflect Christlike leadership and compassion. The story further emphasizes that: God can work through imperfect decisions to bring about redemption. Humble service and steadfast commitment open the door to spiritual abundance. Providential “happenings” often disguise divine orchestration. Ultimately, Ruth's story illustrates how one person's faithful choice can ripple across generations, shaping legacy and revealing God's character. Her journey from foreign widow to honored matriarch in Israel's lineage of Jesus himself reminds believers that dedication, humility and trust in God's timing yield lasting impact.

Elijah to Heaven, Elisha succeeds him. The Moabite war: Jehoshaphat once more joins enemies to defeat a mutual enemy. Moabites defeated.

Paul Axton preaches: This sermon compares two understandings of Israel and God as presented in Nehemiah, Ezra, and Ruth, with Ruth the Moabite foreigner serving in the messianic line and as a kinsman redeemer through her faithful loving kindness, over and against the retributive picture of God and exclusive picture of Jews in Ezra and Nehemiah.   If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work. Become a Patron!

Malachi 2:10-16 We are continuing in the book of Malachi. This morning we'll be covering chapter 2 verses10-16. Please turn there. You can find it on page 954 in the pew Bible. This is our fourth of eight sermons in Malachi. It's a short book. It only has 4 chapters, but as you have seen already, it packs a punch. Malachi's prophecy began with a reminder of God's electing love for Israel. But then God turns to the ways in which they have been unfaithful in response. The overall theme of the book is God's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness. And we will see that clearly in our text this morning. The people were demonstrating a lack of faith in God because of unfaithfulness in their marriages. Reading of Malachi 2:10-16 Prayer There is one relationship in life that is more important than any other. This relationship requires dedication. It's a relationship built on forgiveness. It's one where if you are not seeking to honor the one with whom you are in this relationship with, then you will struggle. Your path will be filled with difficulty. This relationship is that important. I'm talking about your relationship with the Lord. Some of you probably thought that I was going to say, “your relationship with your spouse.” Right? After all, a marriage relationship is critically important. But your relationship with the Lord is more important. It's tempting to see our text this morning as only applying to marriage. After all, it has plenty to say about marriage, and we're going to get there. However, this passage is ultimately about your faith in the creator God. So, whether you are married or not, you are directed to draw near to the Lord by faith. I don't know if you noticed it, but the word “faithless” is used here 5 times. Look at verse 10. After asking a couple of rhetorical questions, which we'll get to, it says, “why then are we faithless to one another.” Then immediately in verse 11. “Judah has been faithless.” Judah was the southern kingdom which was exiled, some of whom had returned. So in other words, God was calling them faithless. Now go down to verse 14. In the middle there it says, “…the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless.” That is repeated at the end of 15. “Let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.” In those instances, it is faithless to their spouse. And finally, this passage ends with this, “so guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.” So, faithless. Their faithless actions and faithlessness in their marriages, displayed a faithlessness before God. To give a little structure this morning, we'll consider this in 4 points. 1. Faithless before a Faithful God (2:10–11a) 2. Faithless with a Faithless Bride (2:11b–12) 3. Faithless to a Faithful Bride (2:13–16) 4. Faithful despite a Faithless Bride Those may be hard to remember, but they are printed there on page 4. 1. Faithless before a Faithful God (2:10–11a) So again, #1, Faithless before a faithful God. Verse 10 and the first half of verse 11 begin by emphasizing their covenant relationship with God and therefore with one another. The two questions there in 10 direct them to God. Malachi asks “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?” They already know the answer. Yes, he is God their Father. Yes, they are his children. And yes, he is their creator. Those questions are to remind them of who God is;  who they are; and the centrality of his relationship with them. You see, before God speaks into the tangled mess of their marriage relationships, he first directs them to himself. He also directs them to one another. That is because their faithless actions not only reflected their faithlessness before God. But it also reflected on their faithlessness with one another. In other words, because they were in a covenant relationship with God together, anyone who broke that covenant with God, was being faithlessness toward one another. And anyone breaking the covenant with one another, was being faithless before God. By the way, we are going to get very practical in just a couple of minutes. But before we get there, it's critical to first understand why breaking the covenant was an act of faithlessness. It says that by their actions, they were “profaning the covenant.” That's  a strong statement Let me say a couple things about it: ·      The reference to covenant here includes the promises that God made to Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. God established a relationship with them as his people. He called them to be his. He gave them his law. He promised them a kingdom and that they would be a people as numerous as the sands of the sea. They were set apart by the God of all creation. It was a beautiful thing. ·      But they “profaned” the covenant relationship. They profaned it because they were dishonoring God by violating the relationship that he had established with them. They had been breaking his commands. Rather than acting in faith, some had been rejecting the covenant promises that God had given them. So, it was serious. That's why it says in 11 that they had been faithless. They had been faithless to God and faithless to one another. Now, I want to say one more thing before we get to the heart of this passage about marriage. In the middle of verse 11 it says that they profaned the “sanctuary of the Lord.” At the heart of the word translated “sanctuary” is the word set apart. Some believe this is a reference to God's covenant people. They were profaning one another. And I think that's right. It goes along with two things. First, verse 10 had just said that they were faithless to one another. And second, immediately after saying they had profaned the sanctuary, it says, “which he loves.” Remember from the opening verses of chapter 1. God loves his people. In summary, their sin broke faith with God and with one another. Sometimes we don't think about that. Our sin is not only a sin against God it is sin against the covenant community. No matter our sin, it affects the community, sometimes in a more direct way, which we will see here, or sometimes indirectly. Either way, it was breaking fellowship with God and with one another. Ok, then, but what was it? What sin had they committed which was an abomination to God and which was faithless to one another? Well, they had been violating God's sacred establishment of covenant marriage. They were violating it in two ways: First, many had been marrying people outside of the covenant. And second, many had been unlawfully divorcing their spouses. 2. Faithless with a Faithless Bride (2:11b–12) Which brings us to points 2 and 3 about those two things. About unholy marriage and unlawful divorce. Point 2 is this: Faithless with a Faithless Bride. They were being covenantally unfaithful because they were marrying outside of the faith. Right there at the end of 11. They had “married the daughter of a foreign God.” Verse 12 points the finger at some men who were doing this When the exiles were in Babylon, all around them were not just Babylonians but also other nations that Babylon had conquered and brought to Babylon. The temptation was to intermarry with those outside of God's covenant people. But even when they were back in Jerusalem, there were now people from other kingdoms. Part of the temptation was marrying into the people group who was in control in order to improve their plight. Now, whether it was just an attraction to someone outside of the covenant community or whether it was for economic gain, either way, it was an abomination, as God says. And let me be very clear. This is not about race. There is nothing in the Bible that prohibits marriage between people from different ethnic backgrounds or people groups. Rather, this is about marrying outside of God's covenant community. That is very clear at the end of verse 11, “the daughter of a foreign God.” Plus, we have several examples of women who were originally outside of God's covenant community, but who became part of the covenant, and then married an Israelite. Think of Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite woman who was joined the covenant community and then married Boaz. Rahab is another example. She was a Cannanite, whom God spared from the destruction of Jericho because of her faith. She married Salmon. The admonition for us is to only marry someone who shares our faith in Christ. Let me take a moment to speak to those of you who are not married – young and old. Not everyone is called to be married. The apostle Paul wasn't married, and he makes it clear that there are blessings to being single. But many of you have the desire to be married. Younger kids, I want to make sure you are listening as well. Marriage may be far from your mind right now. You may be thinking “eww, marriage.”  But that will likely change. So, listen as well. If you decide to get married, the most important thing is to marry someone who shares your faith in Christ. It's God's command to marry in the Lord. The world says that love is not a choice. It says that when love finds you, no matter with whom, you cannot say “no.” But don't buy the lie. Don't mix up attraction with love. Love is a choice. Yes, you should be attracted to someone you want to marry, but that person needs to share your faith and commitment to your Lord and Savior. There is no such thing as missionary dating. Do you hear me? You are playing with fire if you are dating someone who you think you can win over to Christ. It's the Holy Spirit job to change someone's heart. Don't go there. The most important relationship you have is with the Lord and if you can't share that with your spouse, it is difficult and comes with consequences. I know several godly people who are married to unbelievers, and they would confirm that struggle. Sometimes that happens because one spouse comes to faith in Christ after getting married. Praise the Lord. If that happens, the struggle is still there. If you are in that situation, stay married. As the Scriptures say, so that you may win over your spouse. But sometimes someone young in his or her faith marries an unbeliever. It's only later that the person realizes the sin of it and how difficult it is. God forgives and he helps. If that is you, stay married and continue to pray for your unbelieving spouse to believe. And we will pray along with you. But for those of you who are not married, I plead with you, if you marry, marry a Godly man or woman who loves the Lord and his Word. Not just someone who says they are a Christian, but someone who demonstrates their faith and Love for the Lord. These verses are saying that marrying outside of God's covenant community demonstrates faithlessness. The consequences are difficult. 3. Faithless to a Faithful Bride (2:13–16) Which brings us to the other thing that they were doing. Many were unlawfully divorcing their spouses. This is point 3. Faithless to a Faithful Bride. As we already saw, twice it mentions unfaithfulness to the wife of their youth. These men had made a covenant commitment to these women, yet they were walking away from their marriages. We're not told, but perhaps some of them were the ones who then married outside of the covenant community. Before I go on, I want to be sensitive to the burdens and pain in this room from past marriages. Some of you have endured difficult marriages that have failed. Perhaps your marriage failed because of your own sin or perhaps your spouse's or perhaps both of you. Whatever the situation, it's hard and there's often relational fallout beyond the breaking of that marriage covenant. But I want you to know that God is merciful and forgiving. As you look back and either recognize your own complicity or you feel the hurt of being sinned against, know that God forgives and ministers his grace. To be sure, God's mercy and forgiveness is never to be a justification for an unbiblical divorce. The Scriptures are clear about divorce. Jesus spoke of divorce being permissible when sexual infidelity has occurred. Elsewhere abandonment is included. I would include abuse as a form of abandonment. These grievous sins are the only grounds for divorce. What was happening in Jerusalem is that marriages were being annulled because a spouse no longer cared to be married. And because of it, God no longer heard them or received their offerings, verse 13. They were weeping because of God not receiving them. It was not a godly grief that led to repentance, but rather just a groaning because of the consequences. In verse 14, they ask, “why has he not?” Why does God no longer accept us? By the way, this is the Malachi pattern, remember. They were reaping the consequences of their sin but didn't acknowledge their sin. And so the hammer drops again. Two weeks ago the hammer dropped on their polluted offerings. Last week it dropped on the corrupt priests. And here, it's back to the people, some of whom were faithless by divorcing their spouses without warrant. But they had made a covenant with their spouse. The Lord was a witness to that covenant commitment. And look at verse 15. “Did he [that is, God] not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?” They were united to one another in marriage. It's a reference back to Genesis 1. God was actively present in bringing about that oneness. So by abandoning their marriage, they were abandoning God. And not only that, they were abandoning God's call for them to raise their children to know the Lord. As the middle of 15 says, God desires “Godly offspring.” It would be a downward spiral of faithless future generations. Now, not every husband or wife was walking away from their marriage. But even some who were still married were considering divorce. We know that because it says, “guard yourself in your spirit and let none of you BE faithless.” The verse before said some of them “have been faithless.” In other words, for the ones who were still in their covenant marriage, they were to guard their hearts and minds against going down the path of divorce. And, actually, did you notice that the phrase, “guard yourself in your spirit” is used twice. Once in verse 15 and second in verse 16. Ok, let me now speak to those who are married. Some of your marriages are struggling. And I probably only know the half of it. Every marriage has its ups and downs, but some marriages have acute struggles for a variety of reasons. And it is hard. What is supposed to be the most intimate relationship on earth, is sometimes fraught with tension and mistrust and heartache because of current sin or past sin... which can lead to more sin and cause more tension and more mistrust and more heartache. If that is you, I want to say two things: 1. As it says here, “guard yourself in your spirit.” Do not let yourself wander to thoughts of divorce. Don't let go of the covenant that you made to your spouse. Pursue your spouse again. Recommit yourself to your marriage. There's a warning here of faithlessness if you pursue unbiblical divorce. So, guard your thoughts and your heart. 2. Number 2. There is help and there is hope. There is not a single elder here unwilling to help if your marriage is struggling. Please reach out. I will meet with you and pray with you, multiple times if necessary. We can also find help outside of our church if you would be more comfortable with that. But please reach out. If you do not think your marriage needs help, but your spouse does, let me encourage you to honor and listen to your spouse. Set aside whatever is preventing you from getting help. And do not lose hope. We serve a God who is in the business of forgiving and reconciling. The forgiveness and reconciliation that he gives you, individually, is the basis for forgiveness and reconciliation in you marriage. 4. Faithful despite a Faithless Bride Which is a nice transition to point 4. Faithful despite a Faithless Bride I'm not talking about a marriage between a man and a woman here. I am talking about the marriage between Christ and his church. Despite the unfaithfulness of God's people, his bride, God has remained faithful. The marriage paradigm is the pattern that God uses all throughout Scripture to convey his faithfulness despite our unfaithfulness. And this goes all the way back to the garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, when they ate of the forbidden fruit, their sin was spiritual adultery. They had been in a covenant relationship with God. He promised them life, but they turned against his promise of blessing and instead ate that which was forbidden. That spiritual adultery theme continues throughout the Scriptures. God's people were betrothed to God, but they forsook his name and committed spiritual adultery against him by going after other so-called gods from the surrounding nations. But as we read in Hosea 2 earlier in the service, despite the people's unfaithfulness, God promised that he would be faithful. He promised to be their husband who would protect and lead them in righteousness and justice. They would once again be called his people and they would call him their God. This is the pattern over and over in the Old Testament. The people forgot the Lord. They acted in adulterous ways like the people here in Jerusalem. Yet God was merciful… and just like here, he called them back to himself. And the climax of this marriage paradigm in Scripture… is found in Christ. He not only sought his bride, the church, but as we read earlier in Ephesians 5, he died for her. There is no greater love. He sanctifies and cleanses her. By giving his church his righteousness, Christ presents her pure and spotless. SO not only is he faithful despite her unfaithfulness, he makes her faithful. And he nourishes and cherishes her and leads her. And all of that will come to full fruition when he returns for the consummation of the great spiritual wedding. He will usher his people, his bride, into the wedding supper of the Lamb forever. Beloved, this is the reason that marriage is sacred. Marriage on earth is patterned after the union between God and his people. It is why a Christian should only marry a Christian. It is why God hates divorce. It is why those who are married should fight for their marriage and not against it. It is why in a marriage relationship you should love and forgive just as Christ loved you and forgave you. It is why a husband has been called to be the spiritual leader in his marriage and home. It is a sacrificial leading. Again, as Ephesians 5 said, husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and died for her. The people in Jerusalem didn't have this full picture, yet. They didn't yet know of what was to come. But as we will find out in these next 2 chapters, God is going to lift the curtain and give them a glimpse of what was soon to come for them. In the meantime, they were to return in faith to God by returning in faithfulness to their covenant marriages. For those who desire one day to be married, seek Godly spouses by faith in Christ. And for those who are married, pursue and love our spouses because God has pursued and loved you. For all of us, may we see the beauty and wonder of our bridegroom, Christ. And because of his love and faithfulness to us, may we seek to be faithful in return to him.  

He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.2 A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord.3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever:4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.5 Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.7 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.8 The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the Lord in their third generation.9 When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.10 If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:11 But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.12 Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:13 And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:14 For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.15 Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:16 He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God.19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:20 Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.24 When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.

Ruth 1:1, 2b-5, 7-8a, 14b, 16-17, 19a - In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. ... They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives … They lived there about ten years, and both [sons] died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. … So she set out … to return to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house.”….And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her …. Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return 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. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” … So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem.

Ruth was an extraordinarily courageous and loyal woman of God. In our society of disposable relationships, cancel culture, and cutting off parents, Ruth presents us with a challenge to stick with family even when calamity strikes and hope seems lost. As a Moabite, Ruth was unlikely to be accepted in Israelite society. Even the Torah itself codified exclusion of all Moabites. Even though she was likely to face unfair prejudice and racism, she still chose loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, over her own comfort and security. In the end, she found the love of her life.   Listen on Spotify   Listen on Apple Podcasts —— Links —— Check out the other episodes in the Heroes of Faith series Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group, follow on X @RestitutioSF or Instagram @Sean.P.Finnegan Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play it out on the air Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here Get Finnegan’s book, Kingdom Journey to learn about God’s kingdom coming on earth as well as the story of how Christianity lost this pearl of great price. Get the transcript of this episode Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.

Send us a textOverview:The book of Ruth is more than a love story set in the days of the Judges.  At one level, the story is about Ruth, a Moabite widow who chose to follow her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem. She was a stranger, an outsider, under the condemnation of the Law — for Deuteronomy tells us that no Moabite could enter the assembly of the Lord. And yet Ruth was redeemed by a near-kinsman.This is the heart of the book: redemption through a kinsman. In Exodus, Israel was redeemed by the blood of a lamb. In Ruth, redemption comes through a near-kinsman. The New Testament brings these together in Jesus Christ, who alone qualifies for both. He is our near-kinsman — fully human, the Son of Man — and He is also the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).Ruth also serves a greater purpose: it introduces us to the line of David, which ultimately identifies the line of the Messiah. Ruth's story is the missing link that ties the promises of Judah to the kingdom of David, and from David to the true King, great David's greater Son, Jesus Christ.But the message is not just about genealogy or law. It is also about what it means to live faithfully. Ruth's quiet trust in God, her kindness to Naomi, and her courage to step into the unknown all show us that simple faith and steadfast love still go a long way in living a life pleasing to God.So, when we read Ruth, we see the gospel in miniature: the outsider brought near, the hopeless given hope, and the Redeemer stepping in to claim what was lost. The Balance of GrayFaith That Challenges. Conversations that Matter. Laughs included. Subscribe Now!Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showTo listen to my monthly church history podcast, subscribe at; https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.com For an ad-free version of my podcasts plus the opportunity to enjoy hours of exclusive content and two bonus episodes a month whilst also helping keep the Bible Project Daily Podcast free for listeners everywhere support me at;|PatreonSupport me to continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Come As You Are Series: Jacob-Don't Count Yourself OutGenesis 28:10-15 "Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran.  When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.  He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”The theme of this episode is don't count yourself out.  Do you ever do this?  Do you ever hear about someone doing something and count yourself out because you don't think you are strong enough, or you don't believe you are good enough, or you are not sufficient in some other way?  Do you ever hear about someone receiving a blessing and count yourself out of receiving a blessing because you are not good enough or you are not holy enough?  I think we all count ourselves sometimes.  We hear about people receiving blessings and good things from God, and we tell ourselves they are holier than we are.  They are better Christians than we are.  They are closer to God, so of course He is blessing them.  We then proceed to think of all the ways in which we are falling short.  We think of all the things we are doing wrong and how God couldn't possibly bless us.  In my Encounter class, we talked about the verse above, and when I heard her talking about it, I knew some of you needed to listen to it as badly as I did.  In the verse above, God is bestowing upon Jacob an amazing blessing. He is promising to give him and his descendants the land on which Jacob lay.  God is also promising Jacob that his descendants will be like the dust of the earth and will be spread out to the east, west, north, and south.  Then he says all people on earth will be blessed through Jacob and his offspring.  God promises to be with Jacob, to watch over him, and to bring him back to that land.  I am not sure if you're familiar with the story of Jacob.  If you aren't, you probably assume Jacob is a great guy.  It is easy to think he is a very holy man who was doing everything right. However, this is not the case.In Genesis 27, the chapter right before this, Isaac, Jacob's dad, asked Esau, Jacob's brother, to prepare him some food, and then he would give him the blessing he deserved because he was the oldest.  However, Jacob's mom persuades Jacob to get the blessing instead.  Jacob dressed up like his brother; they even put goat skin on his hands so he would be hairy like his brother's hands.  Then he brought food to his father and pretended to be his brother.  His father doubted, but Jacob convinced him and stole his brother's blessing.  When Esau came home, he was really angry.  He begged his father for a blessing, but there wasn't really one to be had. He had already given it to Jacob.  Esau was so angry that he decided he would kill Jacob once his father passed away.  Their mother heard about Esau's plan and told Jacob to run away.  She told him to go and stay with her brother until Esau's anger calmed down.  It was on his way to her brother's house that Jacob had this dream.  Jacob was not doing everything right.  He was not the ideal person we would think God would choose to bless, and yet God blessed him tremendously.  Do you know what that means?  That means He can bless you tremendously, too.  It means you don't have to count yourself out from whatever it is you think you want to do or whatever it is God wants to do for you.If we look back through scripture, we will see plenty of examples of where God used people we would have never chosen to do the things he wanted to get done.  God chose Tamar, a woman whose husband died. Because her father-in-law refused to give his other younger son to her so she could conceive a child, as was the custom back then, she pretended to be a harlot and tricked her father-in-law into sleeping with her so she could conceive a son.  Tamar was definitely not doing everything right, and yet God used Tamar as part of the lineage that brought about David, the king, and therefore our savior Jesus as well.  There is also Ruth, who was not even a Christian; she was a Moabite woman, a foreigner.  Even though she was not a Christian, she was the great-grandmother of David.  I know it feels like we are getting it all wrong sometimes.  I know it feels like we can't possibly be doing enough to earn God's blessings.  I know it feels like we are never good enough.  I know.  And yet, God isn't asking us to be good enough.  God isn't asking us to do enough.  God isn't asking much from us at all.  He isn't expecting us to get it all right.  He isn't expecting us to be perfect.  He is just expecting us to show up each day as we are and to spend some time with Him.  He does the blessings, not us.  There isn't a way to earn blessings.  God gives them freely to all who ask and to all who seek them.  The next time you are counting yourself out because you think you are not enough or because you think you have done too much wrong, think of Jacob.  Think of how he first stole his brother's birthright by telling Esau he could only have a bowl of soup if he gave up his birthright.  Esau was starving, so he agreed.  Then Jacob went in and pretended to be Esau to steal his blessing, too.  Whatever it is you did, God can still bless you.  He is not counting you out, so don't count yourself out.  I heard a phrase in class, and it really stuck with me.The teacher said, “When we believe the lie, we empower the liar.”  I love this.  The enemy is the father of lies.  When we believe these lies, we are empowering him and giving him authority in our lives.  God loves you, he loves you just as you are.  He made you, and He is our good, good Father.   Don't count yourself out.  God will use you if that is what you want.  God will bless you.  God isn't looking for perfection.  If you don't believe me, go back and look at almost every bible story written.  David was blessed beyond belief, and yet he had an affair and then had the girl's husband killed in battle.  I could go on, but I will leave the rest of the stories up to you.  Hopefully, you can already see that whatever you did is not enough to count you out of God's blessing.  There is nothing you can do that would exclude you from God's blessings.  God is always waiting with open arms for us to turn back and repent.  Don't count yourself out!Dear heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, help us to realize you love us right where we are.  Help us to see that you don't need us to be perfect, you just need us to be us. Help us not count ourselves out.  Lord, please bless us as abundantly as you blessed Jacob. Please bless our perfectly imperfect lives, Lord.  We love you, Lord, you are truly amazing.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. Just a reminder that there are only three more weeks to sign up for the retreat in October. I hope you will CLICK HERE and check out the details. It will be a great opportunity to meet some amazing people. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I!  Have a blessed day!  Today's Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, I long to heal you, to heal you in every way. When you think I delay, don't. I am using every moment to bring a greater, deeper health to your mind, your soul, your body, your spirit, your relationships, everything that might be in need of my healing touch, because I am the healer.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 NLT1 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 2 A time to be born and a time to die.A time to plant and a time to harvest. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal.A time to tear down and a time to build up. 4 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. 5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 6 A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. 8 A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. 9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. 14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God's purpose is that people should fear him. 15 What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again. • • •God Appoints Every Season of Life • • •Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT1 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. • • •Genesis 45:4-8 NLT4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don't be upset, and don't be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt. • • •Every Season Brings New Opportunities to Serve • • •2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. • • •1 Samuel 17:32-37 NLT32 “Don't worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I'll go fight him!” 33 “Don't be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth.” 34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!” • • •Serve God in Every Season • • •Isaiah 46:3-4 NLT3 “Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. 4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. • • •Ruth 1:1-5 NLT1 In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. 2 The man's name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there. 3 Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. 4 The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. • • •Ruth 1:16-18 NLT16 But Ruth replied, “Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” 18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. • • •Ecclesiastes 8:1-8 NLT1 How wonderful to be wise, to analyze and interpret things.Wisdom lights up a person's face, softening its harshness. 2 Obey the king since you vowed to God that you would. 3 Don't try to avoid doing your duty, and don't stand with those who plot evil, for the king can do whatever he wants. 4 His command is backed by great power. No one can resist or question it. 5 Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, 6 for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble. 7 Indeed, how can people avoid what they don't know is going to happen? 8 None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked. • • •Application:Every season in life brings fresh opportunities to serve God. Make the most of each and every opportunity you are given to faithfully serve God.

The story told in 2 Kings 3 is most curious indeed. Verses 1-8 tell us of the time that the two kings of Israel and Judah - Jehoram and Jehoshaphat - set out to wage war against Moab who had rebelled and failed to pay the massive tribute that had been imposed on them by Jehoram. Jehoram and Jehoshaphat were not expecting to be defeated by the weather. Surely Yahweh would not have it so. A minstrel was called to induce a mood conducive to the prophet Elisha and this is perhaps puzzling to us. God sent the rain only where the allies - Israel and Judah were encamped. The Almighty also sent a wind which deluded Moab into believing the two kings had turned on each other. The foes of Israel and Judah rushed unknowingly to their destruction. What a gross incident concludes the sorry tale with the Moabite king sacrificing his son to placate his idol that demands human blood - Chemosh.In Jeremiah 51 we have the story in apocalyptic language of Babylon's overthrow. The chapter encapsulates the entire latter portion of the book of Revelation. For yourself it is a worthwhile exercise to open one Bible at Jeremiah 51 and alongside it another opened to Revelation chapters 17-19. Next find how many direct quotes and allusions you can find in the Revelation chapters from Jeremiah 51. The conclusion that this leads you to is that "Babylon the Great" in in the book of Revelation and the mysterious Babylon of Jeremiah 51 are one and the same. An idolatrous and mysterious religious system which today speaks of the mysterious Babylon of the Roman Catholic Church: Revelation 17 verses4-6, 18,18 verses 1-8, 10-17, 19-24; 19 verses 1-3. These overlords who subjected Jerusalem to their cruelties and idolatrous worship were judged by the LORD God Almighty and His saints. Isaiah contrasts those rulers with Judah's Sovereign: Isaiah 26 verses 13-14 compare with Jeremiah 51 verses 39, 57. Those Babylonian rulers were to die and never rise again - "they shall not rise" (Isaiah 26); they shall "sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake (Jeremiah 51). In contrast those trusting in God will experience peace and rise to eternal life - Isaiah 26 verses 1-3, 19-21. In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul proves that our Almighty Sovereign's purpose is evident in the creative work of His angels and the hierarchy that this established. God is supreme, a theme that will be expanded in chapter 15, under Him is His Divine Son - who stands as the head and archetype of the entire creation. Next, in the creative order comes the man, then the woman. Paul points out that there is a mutually dependent relationship in Christ between husband and wife. However, as an acknowledgment of the creative order in the work of the angels, it's important for the women to worship acknowledging the principle that women should worship with their heads covered. The Apostle then speaks of practices that were incongruous in the context of the celebration of the Lord's memorial supper of bread and wine. He urges that self examination is imperative to the receiving of the emblems of our Lord Jesus Christ's sacrifice. And so the great Apostle declares that before we take the bread we need to scrutinise ourselves. None of us take the emblems with a sense of worthiness - we acknowledge that we are weak, erring and struggling with our mortality and the ravages that sin has brought on our fallen condition and our proneness to sin with which we wrestle on a daily basis. But the important thing is that we continue to strive against sin relentlessly. This we do in remembering our Lord's offering: Hebrews 12 verses 1-11. Surely those who have given up fighting against sin will be condemned with the world. Brother Thomas exquisitely says of the breaking of the bread on page 296 of Elpis Israel: "for to eat his flesh is to digest, and make a part of our mental selves, the truth concerning the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ."

What does it mean to sleepwalk in your faith? How do you handle other Christians judging your worship? What is the significance of Ruth the Moabite being in Christ lineage? What generational curse have you experienced? When has God taken you through a transition and asked you to be strong?

OOBT is back from a summer break, and what better way to return than with the 80th episode! Cue the confetti!

An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever, because they met you not with bread and with water in the way when ye came forth out of Egypt, and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor, of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam, but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.Deuteronomy 23:3–5Hello everyone and welcome to the Christian Educational Ministries Weekend Bible Study. It is good to be with you and we thank you for being there and allowing us to make this weekly service possible.Tonight we are pleased to continue our study on the book of Deuteronomy, which teaches us to know God, love God and obey God. Filling in for Ronald L. Dart, with part twelve of this fascinating series, is our good friend, Richard Crow.

Send us a textAs I think about the life of Naomi and how she lived her later years, I cannot help but think of a principle that we learn in the Advent story 3 you cannot tell the end from the beginning. Apart from the Old Testament promises of the Messiah ad the angelic announcements of Messiah's birth, the majestic destiny of Jesus might never be guessed from His humble beginnings and surroundings.As we read the opening lines of Naomi's story one might never guess how the story will end. How anyone lives out the final years of life, like Naomi, is learned as we intentionally trust our lives to a sovereign God and live obediently following His hand.Naomi's story begins with incredible hardship.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. 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. Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 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. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband (Ruth 1.1-5).Support the show"Finishing Well Ministries aims to encourage and inspire aging Christians to understand and embrace God's calling in their later years, equipping them to actively pursue and fulfill His calling. FWM provides free materials, events, and other on-line resources that provide shared insights focused on finishing our lives well. We also recruit and train volunteers who lead and encourage small groups around the world to fulfill God's mission for them in these critically important years." - Hal Habecker Website: www.finishingwellministries.org Email us: Hal@finishingwellministries.orgFollow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finishingwellministriesSupport Our Ministry: https://www.finishingwellministries.org/donateAre there biblical principles to help us understand how to finish well?Explore the Seven Essentials for Finishing Well. Learn more.Thanks for listening as we all strive to live and finish life well!

Guest pastor Sherri Harder shares the beautiful story of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz we find in the Old Testament. Ruth, a Moabite widow, demonstrates loyalty, bravery, and faith in God alongside her mother-in-law, Naomi, in a journey full of trials, hope, and ultimately redemption. This message, a favorite of Pastor Sherri's, kicks off our new series full of favorite sermons from our team!

We delve into the story of Ruth, an inspiring tale of loyalty, faith, and divine providence set in the time of the judges. We explore Naomi's tragic journey to Moab due to famine, the loss of her husband and sons, and the unwavering commitment of her Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth, who chooses to stay with Naomi and embrace her faith. As they return to Bethlehem, Ruth's dedication leads her to glean in the fields of Boaz, a relative of Naomi's deceased husband. Boaz's extraordinary kindness and generosity towards Ruth highlight his faithfulness to God. Naomi, recognizing an opportunity in Boaz's actions, begins to devise a plan for a brighter future for Ruth.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

 In this episode of the Parsha Review Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe discusses Parshas Pinchas, focusing on the story of Pinchas's zealous act against Zimri and Cosbi, who publicly defied God's will by engaging in illicit relations, as described in Numbers 25. Rabbi Wolbe highlights the danger of blurring moral lines, as Zimri attempted by bringing a Moabite woman into the Jewish community, comparing it to Rebecca's relief upon learning her conflicting womb movements were due to twins with distinct destinies, not a single confused child. He emphasizes that clarity in commitment to Torah and mitzvahs is crucial, drawing parallels to Haman's and Amalek's attempts to assimilate and confuse the Jewish people, urging listeners to avoid compromise in spiritual matters and to define their stance firmly on the side of holiness and light.Rabbi Wolbe encourages small, intentional steps toward observance without compromising core commitments, using examples like health goals to illustrate the importance of mental resolve even if actions lag. He stresses the need for wisdom to distinguish between holy and unholy, as recited in Havdalah and Talmudic prayers, to avoid confusion. A story of a newly observant Jew publicly affirming their identity as a religious Jew underscores how verbalizing commitment clarifies one's path. Rabbi Wolbe concludes by urging listeners to manifest their spiritual goals through clear identification with Torah values, fostering a deeper connection to God and a purposeful Shabbos._____________This episode (Ep 7.38) of the Parsha Review Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe on Parshas Pinchas is dedicated in honor of our Holy Soldiers in the Battlefield and our Torah Scholars in the Study Halls who are fighting for the safety of our nation!Download & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Studios (C) to an online TORCHzoom.com audience on July 16, 2025, in Passaic, New Jersey.Released as Podcast on July 18, 2025_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Numbers, #Pinchas, #SpiritualGrowth, #Commitment, #Torah, #Mitzvot ★ Support this podcast ★

 In this episode of the Parsha Review Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe discusses Parshas Pinchas, focusing on the story of Pinchas's zealous act against Zimri and Cosbi, who publicly defied God's will by engaging in illicit relations, as described in Numbers 25. Rabbi Wolbe highlights the danger of blurring moral lines, as Zimri attempted by bringing a Moabite woman into the Jewish community, comparing it to Rebecca's relief upon learning her conflicting womb movements were due to twins with distinct destinies, not a single confused child. He emphasizes that clarity in commitment to Torah and mitzvahs is crucial, drawing parallels to Haman's and Amalek's attempts to assimilate and confuse the Jewish people, urging listeners to avoid compromise in spiritual matters and to define their stance firmly on the side of holiness and light.Rabbi Wolbe encourages small, intentional steps toward observance without compromising core commitments, using examples like health goals to illustrate the importance of mental resolve even if actions lag. He stresses the need for wisdom to distinguish between holy and unholy, as recited in Havdalah and Talmudic prayers, to avoid confusion. A story of a newly observant Jew publicly affirming their identity as a religious Jew underscores how verbalizing commitment clarifies one's path. Rabbi Wolbe concludes by urging listeners to manifest their spiritual goals through clear identification with Torah values, fostering a deeper connection to God and a purposeful Shabbos._____________This episode (Ep 7.38) of the Parsha Review Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe on Parshas Pinchas is dedicated in honor of our Holy Soldiers in the Battlefield and our Torah Scholars in the Study Halls who are fighting for the safety of our nation!Download & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Studios (C) to an online TORCHzoom.com audience on July 16, 2025, in Passaic, New Jersey.Released as Podcast on July 18, 2025_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Numbers, #Pinchas, #SpiritualGrowth, #Commitment, #Torah, #Mitzvot ★ Support this podcast ★

The whole Bible is about Jesus. So what does the Old Testament story of a Moabite girl gleaning in a barley field have to do with Christ? Discover God's hand in the ordinary events of ordinary men and women. Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. ----------------------------------------- • Click here and look for "FROM THE SERMON" to stream or read the full message. • This program is part of the series ‘A Study in Ruth' • Learn more about our current resource, request your copy with a donation of any amount. Helpful Resources - Learn about God's salvation plan - Read our most recent articles - Subscribe to our daily devotional Follow Us YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter This listener-funded program features the clear, relevant Bible teaching of Alistair Begg. Today's program and nearly 3,000 messages can be streamed and shared for free at tfl.org thanks to the generous giving from monthly donors called Truthpartners. Learn more about this Gospel-sharing team or become one today. Thanks for listening to Truth For Life!

The whole Bible is about Jesus. So what does the Old Testament story of a Moabite girl gleaning in a barley field have to do with Christ? Discover God's hand in the ordinary events of ordinary men and women. Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/163/29

Redemption E4 — During a dark time in ancient Israel, idolatry, injustice, and death ruled the land and its people. In the midst of a famine, a destitute widow tragically loses her husband and adult sons and is left alone with her immigrant daughter-in-law. It's a horrible situation, but God uses the faithful, loving, and generous acts of ordinary community members to redeem the widow's story. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the cosmic redemption playing out in the short but profound story of Ruth.CHAPTERSRecap and Setup for Ruth (0:00-13:37)A Story Opening in Tragedy (13:37-27:26)In Comes the Redeemer (27:26-38:18)The Redeemer Redeems (38:18-53:43)Ordinary Acts of Love as Cosmic Redemption (53:43-1:04:40)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSICFour songs by Jackie Hill Perry“The Art of Joy”“Suffering Servant”“Ode To Lauryn”“Better”BibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

In this Bible Story, we learn about the three kings battling against the Moabite rebellion. God honors Israel solely because they aligned themselves with Judah who remained faithful. This story is inspired by 2 King 3. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Kings 3:16 from the King James Version.Episode 130: As the prophet Elisha was teaching in the towns of Israel, and caring for the people, he experienced miracle after miracle. God used him to help oversee the freeing of a widow and her sons, and the healing of a poisoned stew. And the miracles continued with the feeding of 100 men with only 20 loaves of bread, and the miraculous recovery of a sunken axe head. Each of these events showed how God cares about the everyday life and struggles of his people. Something you and I can take comfort in even today.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We delve into the story of Balaam's wicked advice and the severe consequences of Israel's disobedience. We discuss how Balaam, a pagan prophet, devised a plan to seduce the Israelites into idolatry through Moabite and Midianite women, leading to God's wrath. The episode highlights the zealous actions of Phinehas, Aaron's grandson, who intervened to stop the plague that God had sent as punishment. God responded to Phinehas's decisive actions by granting him a covenant of perpetual priesthood.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.' If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you[a] will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth[b] the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” 6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

In this first episode of Rus the Moavite: Loyalty and Royalty, we begin the remarkable journey of Ruth, a Moabite woman whose unwavering devotion reshaped the future of the Jewish people. The podcast opens with an overview of the Book of Ruth, placing the story during the chaotic era of the Judges. We then explore Elimelech's controversial decision to flee Israel during a famine and settle in Moav—a choice that brings dire consequences. His premature death is followed by the marriages of his sons, Machlon and Kilyon, to Moabite women, which eventually ends in further tragedy.The narrative shifts to Noami's return to Israel after losing her husband and sons. In a deeply emotional moment, she urges her daughters-in-law to stay in Moav. Orpah ultimately turns back, and her path leads to an unexpected and dark legacy. Rus, on the other hand, clings to Noami with unparalleled loyalty, uttering the now-famous words of commitment. The episode concludes with Rus and Noami arriving in Israel, setting the stage for a story of redemption, faith, and the hidden roots of royalty.00:00 – Introduction to the Story of Ruth02:51 – When Did the Story Happen?04:49 – Elimelech Leaves Israel During Famine11:24 – Elimelech's Punishment12:07 – Machlon and Kilyon Marry Moabite Women15:16 – Machlon and Kilyon Die18:01 – Noami Prepares to Return to Israel24:29 – Noami Urges Daughters-in-Law to Leave Her29:53 – Orpah Turns Back. Her Story Explained37:53 – Rus Clings to Noami41:39 – Rus and Noami Arrive in Israel

Ruth the Moabite said she'd follow her mother-in-law, Naomi, anywhere. That blind devotion has since made her an enduring symbol of loyalty, faith and determination. And, just in time for Shavuot, we're playing a favourite episode of ours from the vault.Stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, and by signing up for our newsletter at israelstory.org/newsletter/. For more, head to our site or The Times of Israel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.