Ruth 1:20
“And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.” She. She went from bliss to bitterness. She was willing to go alone so that her daughters could go their own way. She was grieved over her situation. Ruth 1:11-13 “And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.” She went toward Bethlehem joined by her one of her daughters in law, Ruth. When they got back to her home, the people of the city did not even recognize Naomi. Ruth 1:19 “So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?” Grief can change us into someone we do not even recognize. She wanted to be called Mara, due to the bitterness that consumed her. Ruth 1:21 “I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?” There are several name changes throughout the holy pages of Scripture. Many are given of the Lord, but Naomi’s was not. She acknowledged herself that something drastic had transpired within her. God had allowed circumstances to occur due to her disobedience. Now she felt like a completely different woman because of the bitterness that had grown inside her. This was the fruit of her foolishness. Naomi also serves as an example of how sorrow can change our character. However, when we acknowledge it and seek the Lord’s help, He is Faithful to give us just what we need. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 23-24 | John 18 | Psalm 31-32
0 Comments
Ruth 1:6
“Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.” She. She followed her husband as they went to sojourn in Moab due to the famine in Bethlehem. They fled their home country instead of trusting God to provide. Just three verses into the Book of Ruth, we see Naomi’s bliss depart with the death of her husband, Elimelech. Ruth 1:3 “And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.” Her sons married in that foreign land of Moab, giving her two daughters in law. Jewish law forbade marriage outside of the nation of Israel. Ruth 1:4 “And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.” She dwelt in the land of Moab for at least 10 years. Though there was plenty to eat, she ended up feeling empty inside. Ruth 1:5 “And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.” After her great loss, she decided to return home to Jerusalem after receiving word that the Lord was once again providing bread within the House of Bread. Ruth 1:7 “Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.” Naomi serves as an example that even after great pain and sorrow, we arise and return to where God would have us to be. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 21-22 | John 17 | Psalm 29-30 Judges 16:19
“And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.” She. She has been called the Judas of the Old Testament. Judges 16:4-5 “And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.” She sold out Samson from 1,100 pieces of silver; yet another picture that the love of money is the root of all evil. Judges 16:6 “And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.” She brought weakness to the man of great strength. His love for her made him willing to give her anything she desired, and she used that strength against him. He told her three lies about the source of his strength. Judges 16:15 “And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.” She was persistent in her evil plot to remove his strength. She urged him daily until he gave in to her tenacious requests. Judges 16:16-17 “And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” She persuaded Samson to tell her all of his heart, and then sold her knowledge to the Philistines. Instead of stopping there, she allowed her sin to take her farther and farther until her mission was complete. Judges 16:18 “And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.” She had his hair shaved to afflict him, then watched his strength depart from him. Delilah serves as an example of how sin and lust can ruin our reputation. Still today, very few women share her name. Her lack of character is enshrined within the pages of Scripture for each generation to learn from her wickedness. 1 Corinthians 10:6,11 “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted… Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” Bible Reading: Jeremiah 19-20 | John 16 | Psalm 28 Judges 4:4
“And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.” She. She was a prophetess, which means the Lord had gifted her with the ability to discern the purpose of God and declare it to others. She was the fifth judge of Israel, a picture of grace, in a time when men did that which was right in their own eyes. She is the only woman, recorded in Scripture, to judge Israel. She called for Barak to go unto Mount Tabor and defeat the Jabin’s army. Barak knew they would be outnumbered, and was only willing to go if she went with him. Judges 4:8 “And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.” She led by faithfully doing as she said she would do, knowing the Lord would fight on their behalf. Judges 4:9 “And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.” She led by praising the Lord as she sang with Barak of their victory. Judges 5:1-3 “Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.” Though we have no record of her bearing any children, she became the mother of all of Israel by her faithful service. Judges 5:7 “The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until that I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel.” She faithfully had her heart fixed upon the Lord. She sat under her palm tree righteously judging the people He had given her. She faithfully went to battle with a sword in her hand, and sang praises unto the Lord for His provision. Deborah serves as an example that a woman can be enabled by the Lord to lead. We can choose to carry the Sword of the Spirit with us into the battles we face, while singing a song of praise unto Him for His glory and grace. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 17-18 | John 15 | Psalm 27 Hebrews 11:31
“By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” She. She let the spies down the wall by a cord to save their lives, and then a scarlet thread in that same window saved her and her family. Joshua 2:18 “Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.” She was saved by faith. Joshua 2:21 “And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.” Imagine what she must have felt as she heard the people shout after their seventh time around the city. She could have been fearful, but instead she had peace. Joshua 6:16-17 “And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.” She was saved for a purpose. She was the mother of Boaz, who became the kinsman redeemer of Ruth. She was the grandmother of Obed, their son. She was the great-grandmother of Jesse, the father of King David. Twenty-eight generations later, Jesus Christ was born in their lineage. Her great faith preserved her family so that the King of Kings could be born through her lineage many years later. Rahab also serves as an example that faith in what we consider small things leads to God doing great things in and through us. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 15-16 | John 14 | Psalm 26 Joshua 2:15
“Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.” She. She was a harlot in Jericho. Joshua 2:1 “And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.” She lied for the purpose of protecting the men she hid. Joshua 2:4-5 “And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.” She had heard of what the Lord did at the Red Sea for them. Joshua 2:10-11 “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” She had faith that if she protected the men of the Lord, she would also receive protection. Joshua 2:12-14 “Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.” She hid them, and then let the down safety through the window by a cord. Rahab serves as an example that when we bless the people of God, He will in turn bless us. Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Bible Reading: Jeremiah 13-14 | John 13 | Psalm 25 Numbers 12:10
“And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.” She. She was Moses and Aaron’s sister. She was a leader of triumph as she is called a prophetess that led the women of Israel in praising the Lord for His deliverance through the Red Sea. Exodus 15:20-21 “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” She later became a leader of discord as she and her brother spoke out against Moses because of who he had married. Numbers 12:1-2 “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.” Jealousy had consumed her, and she instigated Aaron to join her displeasure of Moses’ decision in marrying the Ethiopian woman. The Lord sees and hears everything, and this was no different. His wrath was kindled because of their indignation. Numbers 12:9 “And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.” Miriam received the judgment of God’s wrath for their behavior. Though Moses and Aaron pleaded with the Lord to have mercy upon her, He carried out her affliction and she was shut out of the camp for seven days. She did not sin against Moses; she sinned against the Lord by rebelling against His authority. Numbers 12:14 “And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.” Miriam serves as an example that when we sin against God there are consequences that we cannot avoid. Numbers 32:23 “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.” Bible Reading: Jeremiah 11-12 | John 12 | Psalm 24 Exodus 2:5
“And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.“ She. She came to the river for a specific task, but the Lord had a greater purpose. She had her maids fetch the ark that she saw, and her heart was touched by what was inside. Exodus 2:6 “And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.” She was moved with compassion to meet the needs of the child. She named Moses. Exodus 2:10 “And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.” God saw His plan for him from the moment he was placed in the ark of bulrushes. The Lord used her to preserve and protect the life of Moses, the man that God used to lead His people out of bondage. The faith of Moses is referred to throughout the entire canon of Scripture. Pharaoh’s Daughter serves as an example that God directs and orders the steps of those whom He uses to fulfill His purpose. Psalm 37:23 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” Bible Reading: Jeremiah 9-10 | John 11 | Psalm 23 Exodus 2:2
“And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.” She. She was a daughter of Levi who had a beautiful baby boy. There was something different about him; and she was determined to fight for his life. Acts 7:20 “In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:” She kept him hidden inside the house as long as she could to protect him from the execution of the law that all male Hebrew children were to be murdered. Exodus 2:3 “And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.” She carefully prepared an ark of bulrushes that she would place him in after she covered it with slime and pitch, the same pitch that Noah used on his Ark of Salvation. She refused to leave him unattended, so she left his sister to watch what would befall her young brother. She watched Pharaoh’s Daughter come and find Moses, and then offered to find her a Hebrew nurse to tend to the baby’s needs. Where God guides, He provides. Exodus 2:8-9 “And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.” She not only saved the life of her goodly son, she got paid to feed her own son as he grew until he was weaned. When she placed Moses in the river that day, she had faith that he would not only survive, but also thrive. All three of Jochebed’s children were devoted to serve the Lord. They must have learned this by the example their mother set for them. Jochebed serves as an example that sometimes God uses the most unique situations to protect His children and His plan for their lives. Her name means, “Glory to Jehovah”. She was the first person within the Scriptures to have a name compounded with Jehovah. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 7-8 | John 10 | Psalm 22 Genesis 38:24
“And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.” She. She endured the lost of two husbands. Her first husband, Er, the son of Judah, did evil in the sight of the Lord and He slew him. Her second husband, Onan, refused to fulfill the Hebrew law of raising up a seed for his dead brother through Tamar. He also displeased the Lord and was killed. Judah begged her to stay as widow within her father’s house. Genesis 38:11 “Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.” Instead of doing what he had promised, Judah refrained from giving his third son to her to marry. When she realized this, Tamar took matters in to her own hands and disguised herself as a harlot by covering her face from Judah when he inquired of her. Genesis 38:15 “When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.” She became pregnant with twins after her encounter with Judah, though he was unaware that it was his daughter in law at the time. Judah commanded her to be burnt when he first realized the news, but then later realized that she in fact was more righteous than he when compared to the evil that he had done. He was now the father of the second set of twins recorded in Scripture. She gave birth to Zarah and Pharez. Genesis 38:27-30 “And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.” Zarah had a scarlet thread bound to his hand. Pharez was the second born, but it was through his lineage that our Saviour was born. Tamar serves as an example of how God can overcome the sin we commit and give victory through His Son and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Judah was a Jew; and Tamar, a Gentile. What a beautiful picture of foreshadowing that both Jews and Gentiles can share in the blessings of the Gospel. Matthew 1:1-3 “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;” Bible Reading: Jeremiah 5-6 | John 9 | Psalm 21 |
Archives
January 2021
Philippians 4:17Copyright © 2020
Delight Thyself Design Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. |