It is a tragic story. Jephthah made an impulsive vow to God. It was a vow that was not required by the Law of Moses. Nor was it a vow that God would accept. It was a rash and foolish vow. “Lord, if you give me a clear victory over the Ammonites, then I’ll give to you whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when...
In the Book of Judges we are following 300 years of the history of Israel - from the time of the death of Joshua until the time of Saul, their first king. We are now about halfway through this period of judges. Throughout the lives of these judges, Israel’s behavior follows a consistent pattern: Israel enters a time of peace and rest > The people of Israel then fall into evil and idolatry > Israel is defeated at the hands of their enemies > In despair, the people turn back to...
There are times when people do evil and there seems to be no consequences for their actions. This reality troubled Job who asked, “Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?” (Job 21:7) It also grieved Asaph who said, “For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Psalm 73:3) The truth is that...
Gideon had about seventy sons. One of these, Abimelech, was not a full-blooded Israelite, for his mother was a Shechemite. The Shechemites were a group of Canaanites who lived peaceably among the Israelites. During the times of the Judges in Israel, Abilimelech, developed a thirst for power. He decided he wanted to...
After exercising his right of redemption, Boaz married Ruth. By God’s gracious gift Ruth conceived and they had a son. They named him Obed, which means "worshipping" or "worshipper." After this amazing turn of events, the friends of Naomi began to worship the Lord. They blessed the Lord because He had not left Ruth "without a redeemer," a declaration that could...
Oftentimes in church we use words, but we don’t really know their true meaning. “Redeemed” is one such word. There is an old hymn that goes, “redeemed how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.” But do we understand what “redeemed” really means?
Here in chapter 3 of Ruth, Boaz makes a tremendous promise to Ruth. He tells her (if her closer relative won’t do it)...
Boaz, a very wealthy man and Elimelech’s relative, saw Ruth working in his fields and said to her, “I’ve heard all about you—heard about the way you treated your mother-in-law after the death of her husband, and how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to...
