Read today’s scripture.
How are you encouraged in the book of Judges?
How is God shown as faithful in the book of Ruth?
DAY 96.
Judges 19.
Wow, today, we finish Judges. I’m glad we do. This section is really horrible. It shows so clearly what happens when people turn from God and “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
This is a story about a despicable Levite (not the same one who traveled north with the Danites). This one lived in the hill country of Ephraim. He took a concubine (servant with benefits) from the tribe of Judah. She was unfaithful to him and ran home. The Levite went there to get her and was kind to her, but the woman’s father kept him staying day after day and night after night eating and drinking. Finally the Levite got tired of that and left with the woman.
In another town in the land of Benjamin, they were forced to spend the night in the town square until a nice old man said it wasn’t safe and invited them to stay with him. So they were eating and drinking and making merry.
And then…. (Replay Sodom at Lot’s house.) Men from the city came seeking the Levite. These aberrant men lusted after him. The old man went out to calm them down and offered his two daughter for them to “use.” But their lust was not satisfied and demanded the man. Then the Levite threw out his concubine forcibly. The men abused her all night until she died.
Next morning, the Levite saw her lying at his doorstep. “C’mon let’s go.” But she didn’t move. He three her body on his donkey and took her home. THERE, HE TOOK A KNIFE LAND CUT HER UP INTO PIECES!!!!! THEN HE SENT ONE OF EACH OF THE TWELVE PIECES THROUGHOUT ISRAEL TO THE TRIBES.”
Judges 20.
Well, all the men of Israel came out – from Dan to Beersheba (far north to far south) – over 400K men.
“This is what happened when I stayed in a town in Benjamin.” the Levite said.
After a lot of palaver, talking, and deciding, including inquiring the High Priest about what to do, Israel gathered together and fought against Benjamin, destroying over 25K of the men of valor. Then they struck the cities, and men and beasts with the edge of their swords. And finally set all the towns on fire.
Judges 21.
Then when the remaining Benjamite people wept, saying, “O LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that today there should be one tribe lacking in Israel?”
“What shall we do?” Their great idea was to go up to an area that had not sent men to fight, kill all the men and wives, and bring back the virgins to the remaining men of Benjamin. They did, and brought back 400 virgins. Peace was proclaimed and the women were given to the tribe of Benjamin. And, oh my, there was still not enough. So the army went and captured 200 more virgins from Shiloh and gave them to fill the quota.
The people of Benjamin took the wives, returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and lived in them. And the army of tribes went back home and did likewise.
There was no king.
Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.
(NO ONE thought to inquire of the LORD, turn to Him, seek His face…. or even read His Law.)
I am so glad this is the last of the book of Judges.
Tomorrow we’ll begin a book of HOPE after DISPAIR … a godly woman meets a godly man, and the royal line is established. Praise God!
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DAY 97.
Ruth 1.
“In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land.” The text doesn’t say exactly, but figuring backward, the story could have happened during the judgeship of Tola (23 years) and Jair (22 years) from Judges 10: 1-5.
A (local?) famine was in the land, and a man, Elimelech (my God is king). his wife, Naomi (pleasant), and their two grown sons, Mahlon (sick) and Chillion (pining) from the tribe of Judah (important) living in Bethlehem decided to migrate to Moab until the famine was over. Sadly, Elimelech died there. Naomi’s sons married Moabite women, Orpah (stubborn) and Ruth (friendship), but it doesn’t seem any children were born from these unions. Finally, the two sons also died.
Three widows. In a pagan land.
It’s been ten years. Naomi decides to go home. She sends her daughters-in-law back to their homes in hopes they can remarry and have good lives. Orpah hugs her and leaves. But Ruth refuses, even when Naomi insists and tells her the bleak story of what their lives would be like in Israel as widows.
Nope. Ruth remains firm. “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 be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”
WOW. How many young women love their mothers-in-law like that today?
Naomi gives in and the two make their way back to Bethlehem. Naomi tells the women of the town to call her “Mara” (bitter) “for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full and the LORD has brought me back empty.”
It was near the end of April, the time of barley harvest (the famine had ended!).
Ruth 2.
A close relative of Naomi’s husband (important), whose name was Boaz (strength) was someone she could “maybe” go to for help. He was “a man of valor” (like Gideon and Jephthah) and could manage and protect his property. He’d never married, or maybe was a widower too.
Naomi sent Ruth to his barley fields to “glean.” God’s law said that farmers were to leave the corners of their fields, and any grain that dropped, for the poor to pick up. (See Leviticus 19:10-11, 23:22) Ruth labored long and well in Boaz’s field. Later he happened to pass by and saw her. He asked his men who she was and learned her story,
Boaz went to Ruth and told her to stay and work in his fields only. His men would not interfere, and if she got thirsty, she was to go to the water the young men had drawn and drink.
Ruth bowed deeply and asked why he was so kind. He told her he’d heard about her faithfulness to Naomi. “The LORD repay you and may a full reward be given you by the LORD under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
At the noon break, he invited her to eat bread, roasted grain, and wine with the reapers. When she returned to work, Boaz told his workers, “Let her work among the sheaves too, and do not reproach her. Also, pull out some stalks from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up.”
After gleaning all day (back-breaking work) she went to the threshing floor and beat out the grain. This she took to Naomi (about 30-40 pounds!). Naomi was astounded at the amount and told her to stay in his field. So Ruth worked there until the end of the barley harvest.
Meanwhile, Naomi’s heart lifted. Boaz was a near redeemer in her family. That meant he could rescue them. He could marry Ruth, and their firstborn would be accounted to Abimelech’s line, like a grandchild to Naomi, so her husband’s name wouldn’t be lost in Israel. After that, the children would be for Boaz.
Ruth 3.
Naomi tells Ruth about Boaz as their redeemer and explains what she should do to let him know that she is available and willing for him to redeem.
He was willing and gave her a pledge of 6 measures of barley. He explained that there was one glitch (a closer redeemer) that he had to take care of first. She should be patient.
Ruth 4.
Boaz went to the gate of the city – where business was transacted – and approached the man who was a closer redeemer. He told the man about Ruth and Naomi and asked if HE wanted to be the redeemer.
At first, the man was willing, but when he learned there was no offspring from Elimelech, and he would need to provide one, he turned down the offer. He had children of his own, and didn’t want to split up their inheritance for the dead man’s offspring.
Boaz was formal, but inside he was rejoicing. Ruth could be his. And sure enough, soon they were married. And the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. Naomi was once again blessed by the LORD, and when she held the baby boy, her own grandson, she rejoiced.
They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David, who would become KING in Israel (and ancestor of the Messiah, Jesus).
- Wow, what a wonderful ending, after those horrid accounts in the book of Judges. During all that sin and forsaking of the law, God had His eye on one family, descended from Judah through Perez, Salmon (with Rahab), Boaz, and on to David, a “man after God’s own heart” and eventually to the “Son of David,” to the Savior, His only begotten Son, Jesus. PRAISE HIM!
Yay! We’ve now finished the 8th and 9th books of the Bible, in our Chronological Reading!
Morning Meditations 