OT: The First Book of Samuel, Chapter 2

1 Samuel 2:1-36

2:1 Hannah's Prayer:

My heart rejoices in the Lord;

Hannah's soul bursts with joy at the thought of her spiritual Father. His empathetic and generous nature inspires a visceral bliss; the impact of the realization of His beauty is staggering.  

My horn is exalted in the Lord.

 Hannah explains that her strength is deepened by God. She is empowered by Him for she has opened every part of soul as entrance to His ability.

I smile at my enemies,

God's children are unfazed by their opposition because they understand that His is the ultimate power. No matter how dedicated and capable our enemies, they are thwarted by God's protection over us. A child of God is able to smile at an enemy because their cup is full; their joy from Him overflows. For what is there to frown at when the will of God has promised joy?

Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

Hannah is able to smile in the face of her enemies because she has been restored by God. Saved by His compassion. Everything outside of her relationship with God is blurred as she places Him in the center of her life. 

2:2

No one is holy like the Lord,

No force or entity compares in righteousness to our Creator. Justice is His nature. Love is His nature. Creation, restoration, life is His nature. Unmarred, unbiased. Selflessly motivated. 

For there is none besides You,

There is no competition. There is no other place or person to turn to for a more pure, or genuine presence. 

Nor is there any rock like our God.

There is no more secure foundation. Perhaps Hannah has experienced; we surely have. There is no place in which we are more firmly held or wonderfully made, Psalm 139:14. In our efforts to find security and hope, no thing compares to Him.

2:3

Talk no more so very proudly;

Shed arrogance. Made raw by depression, Hannah understands that humility is life-giving. The moment she poured herself out with humility, in the understanding that God is the creator and restorer, her life was created and restored. Hannah dismissed depression, she rips the reigns from its hands and gave them to God. Instead of planning, plotting or wishing she gave power to God... and with it, He gave power to her prayers.

In Hannah's personal life, she was tormented by another's arrogance. Penninah haughtily displayed her children before Hannah but Hannah's humility made room for God to grow a prophet. 

Let no arrogance come from your mouth,

Life unfocused on God causes us to believe that we need to be over-confident in ourselves. We are made hard by the world. So many forget that... Elkanah: God has created. Every opportunity is provided by Him. Every choice has been given by His generosity.

For the Lord is the God of knowledge;

The creator of soul, earth and universe is knowledge, omnipotent wisdom. Nothing so much propels a life than the understanding that God orchestrates the details. The massive and the minute. Life in rejection to Him is difficult, for it goes against the current, the natural flow of life. 

Jesus told us to forget the way of the world. For by the world are taught to fear and resist the power of the sea. But Jesus sleeps right through the storms. Understand that we do not need to chart a course if He is our captain. He can see the wave, every tumultuous roll. He positions us to survive and even thrive but only does so when we give Him permission. Do not fear or resist the storm because God navigates us through and transfers its power directly into us.

And by Him actions are weighed. 

Allow the one who has given balance and order to the universe to give balance and order to your life. Inevitably, He is the scale. Allow His precise measurement into your life. He is in control; every person's action is known intimately by Him. He has taught us that our result is directly related to our process. Therefore sow what you know would give you joy to reap.

2:4

The bows of the mighty men are broken,

Hannah's prayer begins a lesson in the balancing nature of the universe. Corroborated by Proverbs 29:23, Hannah explains that our behavior determines our outcome. A humble and righteous lifestyle builds while an arrogant and wicked one destructs.

God delivered the 10 commandments to live by in Exodus 20. Many of us might feel as though we very easily follow those commandments - but there is more. In Proverbs 6:16-19 we learn more of what God expects us to refrain from.

16 These six things the Lord hates,

Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 

17 A proud look,

A lying tongue,

Hands that shed innocent blood, 

18 A heart that devises wicked plans,

Feet that are swift in running to evil, 

19 A false witness who speaks lies,

And one who sows discord among brethren. 

And those who stumbled are girded with strength.

Paul taught us that when we are weak, we are strong for those who afflict the innocent cause the innocent to be defended and empowered by God. A humble and studious soul can be transformed by God. A humble soul knows how to listen, a studious soul knows how to work. God will provide the materials, strength and opportunity once servitude makes the request.

2:5

Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,

The proud and the evil, those swollen by pride and material wealth find themselves starved. For this life has a culmination for each soul; and at the end of our lives, we find that we were responsible for filling our own basket. Selfish lifestyles are evidence of having taken from others. God ensures that everything a person took is taken from them in return.

Therefore never take security, opportunity or self-esteem from another. Never take the provisions of another, literal or figurative. The communication lines of the righteous are unclouded by particles of wicked acts and subsequently, reception is clear and direct. A child of God never has to take to fill themselves, for God provides for needs and joy.

And the hungry have ceased to hunger.

God feeds the children who have a voracious appetite for His word. Because His word is the philosophy of life, the blueprint of a righteous lifestyle; the path and destination of compassion. 

Even the barren has borne seven,

When it appeared to most people that Hannah was desolate, she bore a child, a prophet. God's children are frequently underestimated because of their humility... God ensures that their inevitable success cannot be estimated. 

And she who has many children has become feeble.

Literal to Hannah's story but figurative to ours: those who have produced by their production is wicked, haughty or unjust will find that their actions have enfeebled them. The body, the soul, yearns to be in sequence with God. A life spent away from Him is a life spent absent from adequate nutrition.

2:6

The Lord kills and makes alive;

Those willing to be reduced by Him to humility are given new life. Our Creator is a builder but rather than build additions, He starts from the ground up. He lays and cements the foundation and then He builds the house, the soul. Hannah poured her whole soul out for Him and His light rushed into that cleared space.

God's love and guidance gives purpose. Explanation. Impact. A person awakens to a new life, a life filled with reason and order, hope and fulfillment. The soul that first reaches out to God is dull in comparison to the soul He makes bright at the end. Hannah was transformed from depression to joy; a candle lit by His compassionate fire.

He brings down to the grave and brings up.

What is desolate He makes alive: From scant to abundant. From desert to jungle. A life separate from God is aimless. A soul who establishes God as the arches is an arrow, purposefully headed directly into the target. ELKANAH: God has created. God has created these bodies as vessels for our souls, this planet as a host for the vessel. Beyond it, God has created eternal, spiritual life. Live fruitfully here; become the jungle filled with life and enter the Spirit as a soul made whole by Him. Become a soul animated by His righteousness and His compassion.

2:7 

The Lord makes poor and makes rich;

God introduces a new kind of wealth in to a person's life. The wealth of Him. The eternal and abundant source of life and joy. The riches of the world lose their meaning and their control over our lives. We realize that there is a spiritual frequency in the earth and all of nature knows it too: the sun, the stars, the trees and leaves and ants. All follow His order precisely as He created it, Matthew 6:26, and therefore are cared and provided for by Him.

He brings low and lifts up.

Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery, the lowest social category. God established Joseph as the mind and power of a king. Moses was orphaned in a river and God made him a prophet. Paul systematically destroyed his hope of life but God turned him around and made him the apostle to proliferate the word of God on the earth.

God is the platform on which he displays His children. The world may have discarded them as nobodies or nothings but God uses that humility to illuminate stars. He sets them in the sky.

2:8

He raises the poor from the dust

These bodies are made of the elements of earth - easily and inevitable reduced to dust. God draws the spirit out of the dust and creates a light. A life. Indestructible. Infinite.

And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,

Those who bring their needs to His doorstep are pulled from the fire of the world. The pain and sorrow is quenched by Light, the soul ignites in a new way. A love unquenchable.

To set them among princes

The warriors of righteousness here are royalty in Spirit. Those who have dirt on their calloused hands from the arduous work of justice are made into princes and princesses. 

And make them inherit the throne of glory. 

Beloved of God, they are entrusted with responsibility in the kingdom. Heirs and heiresses of righteousness. Those who God has learned He can trust, through their trust of Him, will hold glory in their hands. They will sit upon it, around it, within it, beside Him.

For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,

The pillars of this earth are the children of God who uphold righteousness. Revelation 3:12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. A victorious life is a life which rejected the world and absorbed all of God. 

And He has set the world upon them.

Matthew 5:5 The meek shall inherit the earth. Why? Because the meek live selflessly. They have inherited everything because they gave everything in servitude to God's will: building justice in the world.

2:9

He will guard the feet of His saints,

God is present in every step a child of His takes. His protection is constant. Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." God is your swat team. He busts into the location and has all of the intel about it before it is ever even discussed that you go in. He knows what to do, what and who is inside and how to get you out when and if necessary.

But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.

Evil is extinguished. Their voice and platform taken away. And what, anyway, would it have to say? Defeated. Reduced. Removed.

For by strength no man shall prevail.

God is the master composer. Life is made by Him. Nothing can prevails against Him. He made nothing and turned it into life. The power and the glory is His, Matthew 6:9.

2:10 

The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces;

Evil, by God, is deconstructed. It can no longer function.

From heaven He will thunder against them.

God is fierce against evil. His full power shakes and crumbles evil beyond even dust.

The Lord will judge ends of the earth. 

There is not a corner or crevice on this earth His justice will not reach. He sees all. He knows all. And He visits every place.

He will give strength to His king,

A foreshadowing of Jesus' arrival. Jesus took responsibility for humanity; He took us under His wing as our teacher and advocate. By God, He is given strength to do the compassionate work He committed Himself to.

And exalt the horn of His anointed.

God gives strength, also, to those who live as blessed instruments of His compassionate heart. The righteous are strengthened, made able to do grand and impactful things while here on Earth.

With that, Hannah completes her song. 

2:11 Elkanah returns to his home in Ramah but Samuel remains in the house of the Lord with the priest Eli. From a young age, Samuel is a devoted student of God. 

2:12 We see God in the details again here: the children who are supposed to follow in Eli's footsteps as priests are corrupt. Through Hannah and Elkanah, faithful children of Him, God brought a righteous prophet in.

Eli's sons do not know God and therefore do not love Him. They do not listen to him. They do not trust in Him. They have no intention of becoming instruments of His will.

2:13-17 The son's of Eli ruin the custom of sacrifice to God. They take it for themselves. They also take advantage of women who are in the tabernacle. Breaking law made in Leviticus 7:34, the sons evidenced that their intention was not to follow the will of God.

2:18-21 Samuel is devoted to God. Even as a child, he is attentive to God. Samuel wears a linen ephod, traditional dress for the priest and for religious ceremony. The uniform symbolism that he is set apart from society and a student of God. 

2:22-25 Eli is troubled by the behavior of his sons. In the New Testament we learn that the teachers of the faith are strictly judged by God, James 3:1. This is because their work transforms the lives of their students. They are responsible not just for themselves but for what their behavior inspires. Eli's sons are not receptive to their father's caution.

2:26 As Samuel grows, the people and God fall in love with his character. He is a good and faithful servant of God. The fact that both the people and God find favor with Samuel tells us that Samuel is a kind, righteous soul. We are reminded of Jesus' growth in Luke 2:52.

2:27-29 A messenger from God confronts Eli. The messenger speaks of Aaron and of the established covenant between God with the priesthood, beginning with Aaron. God has always taken care of the teachers of the faith. It is explained that Eli, although cautioning his sons, has not actually disciplined his son's for their behavior.

This is why we place God above all things. God is able to teach us how to love and discipline the people are responsible for. Eli places his sons first and therefore allows their behavior to deteriorate; Eli does not want to lose favor with them. In turn, though, he is losing favor with God.

2:30 The priesthood will face discipline from God. God explains to Eli that He has been faithful but the covenant has not been respected by the Eli's family. For that reason, God explains that He will only fiercely protect those who honor His will. Moreover, the unrighteous will not have His respect.

2:31-33 The prophesy against Eli's household continues: they will no longer enjoy longevity (fulfilled in 22:11-19 and 1 Kings 2:26-27, 35). Their corrupt actions will allow the enemy to creep into their once protected surroundings.

2:34 Hophi and Phinehas, Eli's sons, will both die. There is no alternative outcome for evil.

2:35 God will raise a faithful priest to take their place. This priest will be righteous and faithful. God will anointed this priest and build a home for him (family and security) because he will follow the Mind of God (God takes care of His fellow-workers).

2:36 This priest will be highly respected throughout the region. This reference is to Zadok, 1 Kings.

OT: The First Book of Samuel, Chapter 1

1 Samuel 1:1-28

The Book of Samuel is divided into two parts: I Samuel and II Samuel.

1:1 We are introduced to Elkanah a man of Ephraim. The name Elkanah means: God has created.

1:2 Elkanah has two wives: Peninnah and Hannah. Peninnah and Elkanah have children but Hannah has none.

1:3 Elkanah goes from his home to worship and sacrifice to God in Shiloh each year. Along with him go the two sons of the priest Eli, Hophni and Phinehas. This is a traditional of the children of Israel established in Exodus 34:23 and Deuteronomy 16:16.

1:4 When Elkanah makes an offering to God, he gives portions for each of his children and Penninah. Elkanah's sacrifice to God is gratitude for all of the blessings in his life and family.

1:5 When Elkanah makes an offering in gratitude for Hannah, he gives a double portion for she is his beloved. Even without children, Elkanah cherishes Hannah. In the context of their time, men sometimes added a wife to bear children. Abraham had Hagar but loved Sarah; Jacob had Leah but loved Rachel.

1:6-7 Hannah is tormented by Penninah for not having children. Penninah is so harsh in her treatment of Hannah that Hannah becomes depressed; in weariness or in fast, Hannah stops eating. Surely it is not only Penninah's cruelty that bothers Hannah. Hannah wants to be a mother; she wants to share a child with her husband. 

1:8 Elkanah is dismayed by Hannah's depression because he loves her so much. A better translation for this verse is: Do I not take care of you as if you birthed ten sons for me? It is unlikely that Elkanah means to be insensitive; he wants very much to be adequate enough to make Hannah happy and cure her of her sorrow.

Elkanah and Hannah are faithful people; more importantly, they love the Lord. They have traveled to sacrifice to Him and worship Him. In gratitude and reverence Elkanah serves the Lord, bring his family along to celebrate His presence.

1:9 After the meal, Eli the priest sits by the doorpost of the tabernacle as Hannah enters to pray.

1:10 Hannah enters the tabernacle to pray. There is something to learn from the depth of Hannah's prayer to God. She gives her whole self, broken and desperate as it is, she gives her soul to Him. While she prays the weeps. God wants our raw, honest emotion. He does not want us to hold anything back. He understands that we have moments of sorrow and anguish and He claims it all with empathy.

1:11 In prayer, Hannah makes a vow to God:

O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.

Hannah's prayer to God reveals her character and her faith. Hannah asks God for a child so that she may dedicate the child to God. Hannah continually refers to herself as His maidservant; with humility Hannah lives as a servant of God. She promises a Nazirite vow over her unborn child; she dedicates the child's entire life to serving God.

1:12 Eli the priest can see Hannah make her vow but he cannot hear her words; Hannah's communication with God is private.

1:13-14 She prays so emphatically that her lips move but the prayer takes place in her soul. The priest mistakenly believes that Hannah is inebriated. Remember that your communication with God is private, other may not understand your love for Him or your servitude but God understands.

Hannah's faith is so powerful that even the priest, who should be at least as emphatic as her, does not understand the magnitude of her faith. The subtle reminder here is that titles do not make a person holy, soul-bearing to God does.

1:15-16 Hannah explains herself: rather than imbibing, Hannah has poured. She has poured herself out to her spiritual Father. She tells Eli that after pouring herself out, she has released her abundant grief; God's peace has restored her. Fervent prayer is powerful. God listens to His children, He can feel the emotion and absorbs it as His own.

1:17 Eli wishes Hannah Godspeed; his own hope is that Hannah's voice will be heard by God.

1:18 Hannah departs from the tabernacle, lighter, without the weight of her grief. She has been restored by her faith and hope in God. For God's children trust Him to take a vehement interest in their concerns. Hannah knows that God has heard; she knows that God will answer.

The journey of development of faith is the most transformation endeavor an individual could ever take on. As we become familiar with the nature and character of our empathetic Father, we begin to trust Him. The deeper our trust, the more permission we give Him to enter deeper into our lives, into the details. Hannah is restored not because her prayer was answered in that very moment, no, there is no son yet in her arms. Hannah is restored because she knows that God has heard her, that God loves her, and that He will be devoted to creating joy in her soul.

1:19 The family, Elkanah, Hannah and company awake early in the morning to return home to Ramah. In their home, God remembers Hannah's prayer and enables her to conceive a child.

Many mothers in the bible are unable to conceive until the precise moment God allows. Like much in life, God places us into the particular circumstances which encourage us to make the prayer we truly need to make. Hannah might have had a child years ago, but the child's life would not have been dedicated to God. Hannah's circumstances taught her of the condition she would like to raise her son in - because of that, her son will live an entirely different life. Her son will be blessed from conception as a prophet of God.

The moments of our lives give us opportunities to draw deeper into the living waters of God. Hannah could have walked away, turned away from God. She could have become angry or empty. Instead, she brought herself to God. She told Him: I am week; I need you. She gave Him permission to take over. She dedicated herself as well as the thing she wanted most in the world to His service.

1:20 Hannah gives birth to a son whom she names Samuel, her gift from God.

1:21-22 Elkanah prepares his family to travel for the yearly sacrifice but Hannah remains behind with Samuel. Hannah explains that she is nursing the child until he is weaned, and then she will give Samuel to the Lord's service. Samuel will be raised away from his family as a prophet of God.

It is beautiful that Hannah wanted to give birth to a lover of God. Hannah did not ask the Lord for a son so that she could parade him around Penninah as vengeance. Instead, she wanted to create a new life, another soul to love and serve God in gratitude and humility.

1:23 Elkanah accepts Hannah's plans and asks God to remain with Hannah in the unfolding of it. These are faithful people and parents; so in love with God that they trust not only their lives in His hands but also their precious child's.

1:24 True to her word, Hannah weans Samuel and travels with him and offerings for God to Shiloh. Samuel is still a young boy.

1:25 The family makes an offering to the tabernacle and brings Samuel to Eli the priest.

1:26 Life transformed by the bearing of her soul before God years before, Hannah returns to the place of her prayer.

1:27 Hannah makes awed acknowledgment of her answered prayer. Indeed, God heard, listened and answered. The Lord remembered Hannah in her time of sorrow and Hannah remembers God in her time of joy.

1:28 More aptly translated, Hannah returns Samuel to the Lord. As Elkanah's name reminds us: God has created. Women are the vessels through which life enters the Earth but God is the creator of all. The vessel, the soul and the earth. Hannah dedicates her beloved child to God. Since before conception, God had plans for Samuel to serve as a prophet.

The family worships God in that moment. Imagine the faith! Hannah dedicates the joy of her life to God. Hannah understands that Samuel's most blessed and purposeful life will occur under the hand of God. Even though he will grow up away from her, Hannah worships God. For she knows the best place for her child is with God. 

OT: The Book of Ruth, Chapter 4

Ruth 4:1-22

4:1-2 Boaz gathers Ruth's kinsmen redeemer and 10 elders of the city; he means to settle the matter honestly and legally. A man of God, Boaz understands that the will of the Lord will unfold beautifully, no matter the barriers in front of them; His children need only to live righteously. 

4:3 Boaz explains that Naomi seeks a husband for her daughter in law; Naomi is also selling the land of her husband. The man who purchases the land will redeem it and receive Ruth as a bride.

4:4 Boaz is honest with his intentions; he explains that if the man will not redeem it, he plans to. 

4:5 Boaz explains that whoever purchases the land from Naomi but then also purchase it from Ruth, the rightful heiress of the land (as she is the former wife of the deceased heir).

4:6 The man decides not to redeem the land; he has his own inheritance to take care of and plan for and does not want to add the responsibility of Ruth and Naomi's land. 

4:7-8 Following custom, the man and Boaz make the deal official by taking off a sandal and offering it. 

4:9-10 Boaz then declares himself to purchaser of Naomi's land and the kinsmen redeemer, husband, of Ruth.

4:11 The elders and people at the meeting witness (officially) that the deal is done. Moreover, they bless Boaz and his new wife. They pray that Ruth will be provided for by God as Rachel and Leah were. This foreshadowing lets us know that like those women, Ruth will, by God, become a mother and pillar of the children of Israel.

4:13 Ruth was married to her former husband for many years but never had children; we can reasonably assume that God disallowed conception because He had a brighter future planned for Ruth. God planned for Ruth to have a righteous and loving husband: through their union would come prophets and eventually, Jesus. 

Ruth and Boaz conceive a child, a son and he is named Obed. Obed meaning: obedient, worshiper. Obed is born out of righteous, unconditional faith; both of his parents are firmly secured in the will of God.

4:14 Naomi's acquaintances are happy for her; Naomi rose out of despair, back into faith and is now a grandmother. Naomi never saw such beautiful prospect for her life in her time of hopelessness and brittle faith. Naomi's restoration of faith is prominent and instructive in this book of Ruth.

4:15-16 Not only is Naomi a grandmother, but she is also a mother to Ruth. Their bond is a strong as blood. Naomi is the only to help Ruth raise little Obed. 

Naomi's story is a reminder to us that even though there are moments in life where all we can see ahead of us is a brick wall, God sees and plans far beyond that for us. He knocks down what we believe to be indestructible. Therefore we should never allow fear or hopelessness to convince us that we are at an end. Road blocks do not stop a God with wings. 

Naomi and Ruth are intricately blessed by God. In their time of desolation, God knew about His plan: He knew he would introduce Ruth to Boaz. He knew that they would have a son. God sees the beauty and the future blessings that we do not. 

4:17 Little baby Obed will become the grandfather to David, who wrote a substantial portion of the Bible and through whom Jesus would come.

4:18-22 The genealogy of Perez is given. Perez is the child of Judah and Tamar, Genesis 38. The parents of Judah are Leah and Jacob Genesis 29. The parents of Jacob (renamed Israel by God) are Issac and Rebekah. The parents of Isaac are Sarah and Abraham, Genesis 21. Abraham began the covenant between God and humanity. The genealogy is given as reminder of God's continued and purposeful covenant with the children of Israel, as He promised Abraham.

God has plans for each child in his family. He knows each of our lineages. He knows our past, present and future. He knows our place and purpose on the earth and in heaven. All we need to do is awaken to Him, to faith, and to allow His will and plan to drastically transform our lives.

Ruth was widowed in a famine. She was not born with the blessings of the children of Israel. Without the prospect of a future. But she clung to God and He illuminated her life. No matter what our situation, desperate or stagnant, God will bring us life.

Ruth was not even of the children of Israel; she was a Moabite. Yet God adopted her into the family to join the ranks of Sarah, Leah, Rachel and Rebekah. Ruth's pure and genuine compassionate, as well as her faith, identified her as a child of God - offspring of Abraham or not.

God began the restoration of his relationship with humanity through the children of Israel. He chose them because they were small and weak, Deuteronomy 7:7. Through a small and weak group, God evidenced that He could bring down nations through the meek and humble as long as they were righteous. But God never disowned the rest of the world. God disowned evil. Whoever will declare themselves a child of His, a child of the Creator, by living as He has taught, is welcome to every blessing the children of Israel ever received. 

OT: The Book of Ruth, Chapter 3

Ruth 3:1-18

3:1 From the beginning, Naomi has loved Ruth as her own daughter. Naomi takes is upon herself to ensure Ruth's well-being and begins to plan a union between her relative, Boaz and Ruth. 

3:2 As the kinsman redeemer, a custom at the time which encouraged men to take responsibility for the orphaned and widowed in the family, Boaz was a likely option for Ruth. 

3:3 Naomi suggests that Ruth make known to Boaz her willingness to remarry. This union is not formed out of nothing and it is not based on the custom of kinsman redeemer. Ruth and Boaz have mutual respect and compassion for each other; although their relationship has not been romantic thus far, their friendship is deep, making the prospect of marriage blessed.

3:4 Naomi explains the social custom to Ruth: she is to uncover the feet of Boaz as he sleeps. This gesture, rather than romantic, is a custom done by anyone who wishes to express submission. Marriage is a union between two people who choose to submit to each other; Ruth's action will profess that she would be a faithful and loving wife.

3:5-7 Ruth agrees to Naomi's suggestion and follows her advice exactly. 

3:8-9 Boaz awakens to a woman at his feet and Ruth identifies herself. 

3:10 Boaz responds to Ruth with compassion and admiration. Although she, a young woman, could have chased after another men, she remained faithful to Boaz. Even as a friend, she loved him enough to not marry anyone else. Boaz points out that Ruth could have pursued another man but Ruth remained focused on God. She trusted God to provide for her and did not desperately or hastily remarry in search for security or satisfaction. Ruth was not tempted by lust or admiration of the young men she was continually around. 

3:11-13 Ruth's reputation as a virtuous woman grows. Boaz explains to Ruth that he is not, however, her closest relative and offers to settle the matter. Boaz promises God and Ruth that he will marry her if her closest kinsmen redeemer does not. Boaz would only be able to marry Ruth if the other redeemer stepped down. 

3:14-15 In effort not to allow gossip, Ruth and Boaz take precautions to keep the situation private. Generous as always, Boaz sends Ruth home with barley. He genuinely cares about her, and wants her to have provision. 

3:16-18 Ruth returns to Naomi with the barley and explains that it is a gift from Boaz; he did not want Ruth to have to return empty-handed and likely, Boaz was thankful for Naomi's blessed offer of Ruth to him in marriage. But remember that Boaz was generous even when Naomi and Ruth had nothing to offer him. 

Naomi seems to know that Boaz loves Ruth; she trusts that he will not rest until he has settled the matter. 

OT: The Book of Ruth, Chapter 2

Ruth 2:1-23

2:1-2 Naomi's plan is to find acceptance from her remaining family, a relative of her late husband. The relative's name is Boaz and he is a wealthy man. Ruth asks Naomi if she can go to Boaz's land; her intention is collect grain for Naomi and herself with his permission. Naomi allows Ruth to go. 

2:3 In order not to steal, Ruth collects the grain left behind by Boaz's field men. We cannot skip over this evidence of Ruth's continued respectful character. Remember that she and Naomi are essentially homeless and certainly impoverished. Yet she only takes the scraps, the leftovers of what is left behind. 

In Matthew 15:21-28 we read of a woman who, like Ruth, is not of the children of Israel. The people around Jesus mistakenly believe, and Jesus highlights this on purpose, that anyone outside of the children of Israel cannot be accepted into the family. Yet in the scripture, the gentile woman shows her genuine love and faith in God and is thus accepted by God as a legitimate daughter. Like the woman in Matthew 15, Ruth is not an offspring of Israel. But because of her faith, she is allowed the scraps - at first - because even those she cherishes, and is then welcomed to the full feast. 

2:4 While she is there, Boaz himself comes out to the field and greets his workers. Our first words from Boaz are: The Lord be with you. Boaz's greeting is indicative of his faith. Even before his body enters, Boaz's words of faith greet the men. We learn that not only is Boaz wealthy, he is also (and more importantly) kind and faithful. He is respected by his workers, they greet him with returned blessing. 

2:5-7 Boaz notices Ruth and asks one of his servants about her. The servant explains that the young woman came back with Naomi from Moab. He tells Boaz that Ruth asks if she could gather the scraps left behind by the harvesters. He also explains that Ruth is a hard worker. Except for a small moment of rest, she busily collected grain for her mother in law. 

God loves a hard and generous worker! It is no coincidence that God placed Ruth in Boaz's sight and he in hers. It is a blessing for both Boaz and Ruth to be placed into the other's life. 

2:8-9 Boaz and Ruth's love story begins: Boaz offers his field as well as his protection to Ruth. He offers her a place of rest and provision. 

2:10 Ruth bows in gratitude to Boaz's generosity. In fact, Ruth is surprised by Boaz's kindness. A humble woman, Ruth does not understand what has qualified her for such an offer. 

2:11 Boaz explains to Ruth that her reputation precedes her. She is known by many as a kind and loyal, selfless and humble soul. Everyone knows that Ruth had no legal obligation to stay with Naomi, who is in such desperate circumstances... yet she remained, and has earned deep respect for it. 

Ruth and Boaz's budding love is genuine in that they come to love each other because of their character. Instead of physical attributes, their kindred souls connect them. Psalms 42:7 deep calls out to deep, the compassion in each of them creates a bond of familiarity, love and trust. 

2:12 God's own generosity is evidenced in his delegation: God allows each of us to be agents of God of his generous will. Boaz has the means to provide for Ruth, and because Boaz loves God and attributes his success to Him, he offers himself as an instrument through which God can repay Ruth for her selfless kindness. 

Reflect on Boaz's verbatim response: The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge. Boaz loves and understands God so much that he knows Ruth has identified herself as a child of God by her actions. And a child of God has full access to the refuge of His wings. Boaz is thrilled the be the one in a position to help Ruth, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7.

2:13 Steadfastly humble, Ruth thanks Boaz for his comfort and seeks favor in the sight of God. It is a refreshing return to the embodiment of righteousness. The previous book of Judges was largely absent of such pure and innocent faith. Humility was nearly entirely absent. God has vast plans for Ruth and Boaz; their faith and righteousness propel them.

2:14-16 Boaz invites Ruth to a meal. As she eats, Ruth sets food aside to bring back to Naomi. During the meal, Boaz commands his workers to allow Ruth to gather whatever she needs from the fields and to leave her alone. Boaz offers protection to a woman in a society where/when women truly needed protection. 

2:17-19 Ruth returns to Naomi with surplus: food from the meal as well as much grain. Naomi is immediately grateful and expresses a blessing for the one who so generously provided. Ruth explains that the generous man is Boaz. 

2:20 Most importantly, Naomi's faith begins to awaken again. She remembers God who is faithful to His children who are alive and dead. Dead as in slumbering. For Naomi's faith was dormant, suppressed by her depression. She begins to remember the ability and love of God. 

2:20-22 Naomi agrees that Ruth should remain under the protection of Boaz, a union orchestrated by God.

OT: The Book of Ruth, Chapter 1

Ruth 1:1-22

The Book of Ruth is a small chapter packed with lessons on love and loyalty in faith and family. The context is in the period of the time of Judges. Part of the beauty of the book of Ruth is its focus on a handful of righteous people in the midst of a tumultuous time of corrupted morals for the children of Israel. We learn from Ruth, Naomi and Boaz that God, while managing the broader picture, is also intricately involved in the personal lives of His faithful children.

The meaning of the name Ruth is friendship.

1:1-2 We are introduced to a man and his wife, Elimelech and Naomi. They live in the time of the judges, there is both a literal and spiritual famine in the land. In seek of provision for the family, they move from Bethlehem into Moab with their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. 

1:3 In the land of Moab, Elimelech dies, leaving Naomi a widow with two sons. 

1:4 Mahlon and Chilion each marry: their wives names are Orpah and Ruth. For tedn years, the sons, their wives and mother Naomi live in Moab. 

1:5 After ten years, both of Namoi's sons die. Orpah and Ruth are widowed and childless. In this time period, unmarried women had very little, especially if they did not have surviving sons. 

1:6 Naomi hears that the Lord has given provision in the land of Judah and begins plans to leave Moab and return home. This verse expresses that God visited His people by giving them bread. From this we can understand that God provided more than just physical provision. Wherever He is present, He is communing with His children; He is offering more than just bread alone, Matthew 4:4. 

1:7-9 Naomi loves her daughters-in-law. She releases them from duty, telling them that they have been loyal in remaining with her sons and their mother after their death. Naomi knows that the logical solution for the women is to allow them to return to their original homes to find new husbands. She wishes for her daughters-in-law to find rest; as childless widows, their lives with Naomi will mostly likely be spent as nomads. She wants more for them as she genuinely loves them, even though their leaving will leave her totally alone with limited prospects.

1:10 Naomi's daughters-in-law genuinely love her in return. They do not wish to leave her, even though it would make more sense in society for them to. They tell Naomi that they will journey with her back to her people.

1:11-13 Naomi rejects their offer. She explains to them that she has nothing to offer them: no more sons, not even the prospect of more sons. Even if she were to become pregnant again, the women would not be able to wait until they grew to men to marry.

Naomi is in a desperate place. She does not understand the circumstances of her life, left a widow and grieving for her only two children as well. Because she so loves Orpah and Naomi, she wants them to separate from her and what seems to her as punishment from God.

1:14 With much despair, Orpah allows Naomi to release her. Orpah leaves to return to her family with a heavy heart. But Ruth refuses to leave Naomi; she clings to her. 

Orpah and Ruth's responses to Naomi teach us about commitment in faith. Orpah has loyal, respectful, genuine love for Naomi but dire circumstance is enough for her to depart from it (albeit with a heavy heart). But Ruth's commitment is unconditional as well as loyal, respectful and genuine. 

1:15 Naomi still insists that Ruth must leave her. Naomi is so sure that she has nothing offer Naomi; but the reason for Namoi's hopelessness is that she has lived too long away from the Lord. Perhaps because in the land of Moab Naomi's faith was allowed to wither, or perhaps because she was unable to accept or understand the loss of her family - Naomi cannot envision a future for herself.

1:16 Ruth rejects Naomi's insistence: 

Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.

Ruth loves Naomi but she has also come to love Naomi's God. The God of the children of Israel. The creator of the universe. Ruth has learned the love and philosophy of God from her mother-in-law's kindness - and she clings to it. Ruth married into Naomi's family and remains unconditionally committed to it. 

As with faith, when we remain unconditionally committed to it, God provides a future and a hope, Jeremiah 29:11. Ruth does not want to leave Naomi or God. She passionately wants to remain in the family even if immediate circumstances are lackluster. Ruth trusts that her best option is to remain with Naomi and God. 

1:17

Where you die, I will die,
And there I will be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.

Ruth is so committed that she asks God to reprimand her if she ever breaks her covenant with the family. This is a beautiful, powerful message on faith. From Ruth we learn to plead with God to keep us wrapped securely in His arms; we prefer death over separation from Him.

Ruth knows that she is a widow. Ruth knows that she has no children, no land, nothing. But likely Ruth also knows that because she has been adopted by God, she has everything. For God extracts His children from desperate situations and places them into joy in abundance. 

1:18 Naomi finally understands that Ruth will not, under any circumstances, leave her.  She stops convincing her to leave.

1:19 Naomi returns to Bethlehem and is recognized by her people. 

1:20 But Naomi does not any longer recognize herself, she even renames herself Mara: bitterness. Naomi is a broken spirit. She has lost her hope. She has forgotten who her God is; for our God is a loving and strategic God. Naomi has every right to be distraught over her loses. But a child of God does not need to succumb to hopelessness; God ensures that there is always hope for His children. 1 Peter 5:10 explains to us that our journey here is meant to teach us, establish us and ready us for the powerful force of God's will over our lives. 

1:21 Naomi laments that she left Bethlehem full and returned empty. Well, that is the nature of development of faith. We leave God in times of abundance. We forget Him because we falsely believe that we do not need Him. But when we leave our provider, we leave our provision. 

Naomi does not understand why she has been afflicted. But if she would only return to God, restore her love for Him and work at listening to Him again, she might begin to understand. She might understand that her loss is not the end. God is the proliferation of life. Of love. Of Hope. 

1:22 Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem in the time of the beginning of the barley harvest. God has intimately seen the righteous generosity of Ruth's actions and therefore it is not a coincidence that the woman arrive in a time of abundance. Whether or not either of the women yet know, God has a beautiful plan for their lives. God has created a resting place for them.

So we must ask ourselves: which woman represents our faith? Naomi, Orpah or Ruth? Naomi remains faithful to God but her love for Him is dormant; and poor circumstances is enough to convince Orpah to move on, even from a family she loves; but Ruth loves the Lord and trusts in Him. Ruth's faith is unconditional; her faith endures depression and bleakness. The circumstances of her life are separate from her faith. Though all around her may be brittle and hopeless, her faith is resilient and hopeful. 

Faith is an umbilical cord. When we remain tethered to our faith, we are able to receive direct provision from it. No matter what is happening to us, no matter what we can or cannot envision for our future, our connection with God separates us from it. We are not vulnerable to what the world has to offer us. God delights in loving us; our connection with Him is spiritual and that which is spiritual overrides that which is dust, the world. God delivers freedom, love and rest. Ruth understood that, and vowed never to leave Him, whom she loved so much. 

OT: The Book of Judges, Chapter 21

Judges 21:1-25

21:1-7 The children of Israel are fractured: the tribe of Benjamin is missing. As they began as a family, they feel hollow continuing without their 12th part. They grieve Benjamin's absence and turn to God for consolation. God's children cherish the spiritual unit. God's first lesson, and the lesson within all of is lessons, is love. It's a melancholic victory, the circumstances of the last chapter, because although justice was served, the family was not reunited.

The children of Israel decide that each tribe will disallow their daughters from marrying into the tribe of Benjamin. This is problematic because the tribe will cease to exist.

21:8-12 To solve their problem, the children of Israel decide to take wives from peoples who do not back God. They decide to overtake Jabesh Gilead, kill all of the males and take the young women (their intention being to take women who could be malleable to the their faith).

21:13-14 In effort to rebuild their relationship, the children of Israel offer as wives the woman taken.

21:15 Still, the relationship is not whole and healthy. The children of Israel are still distressed about Benjamin's absence; their inability to follow God rendered them worse than strangers or enemies...loved ones unreachable. 

21:16-22 The children of Israel continue to concoct plans for wives for the men of the tribe of Benjamin.

21:23 The tribe of Benjamin go along with the plan and take wives. 

21:24 Deciding the matter settled, each tribe returned to its apportioned land.

21:25 The book of Judges ends on a somber, conclusive note. The summation, the reason for the depravity within its chapters: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

The children of Israel do not need a king - they have THE King. As do we. But the point is that we cannot function as individuals, as groups or as nations without our spiritual King. The constant cycle of chaos in these chapters is due to the fact that they stray from God. They walk away from His insight, His organization and protection. 

As fallible humans, we are not suitable for deciding and exacting justice. Our selfish tendencies, born of personal bias, cause us to act unjustly. We react affronted. But God's orchestration is perfect: He does what is right. Period.  The takeaway from the book of Judges is this: in the absence of order, call on the King. When you need a leader, call on the King. When you need to establish, manifest, receive justice, call on the King. Humans are fallible; God is not.

The children of Israel constantly stopped listening to Him. They stopped communicating with God. They traded their faith for their earthly, material desires. They traded peace, patience and hope for chaos, impatience, grief and greed. They allowed corruption to taint and ultimately destroy them. Remain with God in every moment; consult God on the details. Keep your faith alive.

OT: The Book of Judges, Chapter 20

Judges 20:1-48

20:1-2 The children of Israel come together, finally, in shared grief over the depravity of the treatment of the concubine woman. As one man before the Lord, the verse speaks. God's children remember their unity in this time of emotional distress. 

It's interesting that we behave the same way. Brutal injustice triggers the remembrance of our kinship. Some circumstances override our minor differences and frequent disputes and remind us of the broader picture. Some hurts are felt worldwide. God's wish is that we would remain a compassionate unit, not just return to it in difficult times. 

But the gathering of the children of Israel is similar to our gatherings today - the times we come together as a family, as a community, as a nation, as a planet, as one body. Circumstances which cause us to remember our sense of justice and relight the fire within us to declare and enforce it. 

All of the tribes gather together except for the tribe of Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin host Gibeah, the peoples who acted so cruelly against the concubine, triggering the host of Israel to respond personally.

20:3-5 The Levite husband recounts the events of his wife's death. He traveled into Gibeah, was threatened and his wife was brutally abused - which caused her unjust and cruel death.

20:6 The Levite recounts even his response to the woman's death: he spread her body throughout the land. His reaction was raw, visceral. A call to arms. 

20:7 The Levite convenes with his fellow tribes. His battle cry: what are we going to do about this? Such evil cannot be allowed to persist.

20:8-11 The tribes agree to build a passionate army agaisnt Gibeah. Finally united as children under God, their spiritual ferocity is back. No longer are they helpless victims without a path or plan. Finally they are ready to demand justice.

20:12-17 The tribe of Benjamin does not align with its righteous family. Instead, they build an army to protect Gibeah. Without righteousness, they are distracted from truth and justice.

20:18 The rest of the children of Israel are working directly with God, consulting him even before initiating the battle. Consulting him on every detail. God sends the tribe of Judah out first against Benjamin for protecting and fostering evil.

20:19-23 The children of Israel wanted a battle and they received one that will be hard fought. The tribe of Benjamin has an army and they hold out against the first attack. This initial tribulation is meant to build endurance into the children of Israel. Perseverance of faith. Just how far are they, are we, willing to go against evil? Is the first hiccup enough to bump us off of the road? Evil hopes so.

And because the children of Israel are still committed in their cause, the Lord sends them out again.

20:24-25 The tribe of Benjamin continues to decimate the children of Israel's army. The symbolism is so strong, this book of Judges as taught us of just how much evil has decimated this one faithful people.

20:26-28 The children of Israel deepen their commitment, their trust in God. In addition to their communication with God, they add in a fast, a sacrifice, a time of reflection, of listening to Him. God tells us that when we search for Him with all of our heart and soul we will find Him. The children of Israel are putting in arduous, heartfelt, spiritual work.

Because of that: God finally tells them that He will deliver their enemy into their hands the next day. It does not matter that the army was decimated. It does not matter that they were pushed back before. The only thing they, and we, need to be victorious is our faith in God. For the will of God over our lives is victory. Is protection. Is justice and the defense of it. 

20:29-32 The third day of battle, the tribe of Benjamin believes that it is diminishing the rest of children of Israel once again. But their enemy has a plan. Those who love and follow the Lord are always supplied with a plan, with endurance, with another chance. Endlessly.

20:33-35 Finally after strategic battle, THE LORD defeats the tribe of Benjamin on Israel's behalf. Do not read over that crucial detail. Who wins our victory? God does. Every single time. Our planning fails. Our strength gets tired. Our strategy has holes. But God's doesn't. When we submit to God as His faithful children, claims our tribulation. He responds personally and directly to our enemy.

He is so beautiful. He wants us to understand: maybe you cannot win this war, but I will win it for you. And whatever that war is in each individual's personal life, He is so vigilant and capable over it.

20:36-41 The tribe of Benjamin is completely consumed by smoke. The righteousness and faith of the rest of the children of Israel cause metaphorical fire to burn that evil right up.

20:42-46 A child of God is familiar with this: the enemy begins to feel panicked. Trapped. Defeated. For God delivers a comprehensive victory. God ensures that the enemy understands its grave mistake was to challenge Him by harming His children. The enemy finally understands who they oppose... not mere men but the God of all.

20:47-48 Some of the opposing army tried to escape. It did not last. God is thorough in extinguishing evil. God wants each of us to understand that opposition and tribulation have no power in our lives. Against Him, they are not clever or stealth. Evil will fall at His command. Every. Single. Time.

OT: The Book of Judges, Chapter 19

Judges 19:1-30

This chapter is particularly graphic as it portrays and symbolizes humanity's depravity.

19:1 This is another account that is purposefully out of sequence. It's placement is done with intent, it's meaning is show the reader just how corrupt humanity became at this time. 

And so we are transported into the story of a Levite, whose name we are not given. In the mountains of Ephraim, this Levite acquires a concubine. A concubine at the time was a servant woman taken on, often to bear children for the family (For example: Hagar for Abraham, Bilhah and Zilpah for Jacob.

19:2 The concubine is unfaithful to the Levite and leaves his family home.

19:3 The Levite leaves to retrieve his concubine; he brings with him a servant and a couple donkeys. Upon finding his concubine, she invites him to stay in her father's house. 

19:4-9 Following custom, the Levite is asked to stay several nights in the home as a guest.

19:10 Finally the man departs from the home and travels to Jerusalem (called at this time Jebus) with his concubine, servant and donkeys.

19:11-14 As it grows dark, the servant suggests to the Levite that the lodge in Jebus. But as Jerusalem is occupied by foreigners at this time, the Levite rejects the suggestion. Instead, he decides that they will lodge in Gibeah. The Levite believes that they will be safer in territory of the children of Israel. Unfortunately - this will not be the case. The children of Israel have completely abandoned God; at this point in time, there is no distinction between them and the rest of the wicked world.

19:15 In the ancient days of frequent and arduous travel, it was common for a group to find lodging in the square of the city. The Levite however, is not offered a place to say.

19:16-17 An old man takes notice of the Levite and asks him where he is from and where he is going. 

19:18-19 The Levite answers: they are passing from Bethlehem in Judah and travelling toward Ephraim. He explains to the old man that he has enough provision to take care of himself and his party, extra even, but needs a safe place to stay the night.

Let's dissect the symbolism in this account thus far: We have a man, perhaps representative of a nation, who has lost something due to infidelity. Retrieving what was lost is increasingly becoming a harrowing and isolated journey through enemy land. Even in places he believes will be safe, he finds unfriendly and even malevolent surroundings. 

This is a description of the land and humanity at this time. Chaos. Mercilessness. The children of Israel have discarded their faith and have subsequently fostered a dangerous and godless world. Social custom is followed, even though it is absurdly ruinous, but God's law is not. 

19:20-21 The old man welcomes the Levite to stay in his home and proves to be kind and hospitable. 

19:22 The symbolism here ramps up - when the men of Gibeah find out about the traveler, they angrily seek to take him. Setting the sexual connotations aside, the metaphor is that the corrupt nature of the wicked sought to infiltrate the righteous nature of the good. Vehemently. Forcefully.

19:23-24 The old man refuses to hand his guest over to the demanding men. It is here that we note with great sorrow that even the supposedly kind old man is corrupt. He offers his own daughter and the Levite's concubine to the violent men.

19:25 The concubine is brutally abused the entire night and is released as daylight arose. Suppose that this concubine represents the children of Israel. They have by now been abused by evil for a long, dark period of time. They will only find relief and rescue in the daylight, in the light that is the restoration of their covenant with God.

The concubine ran away from her master in the beginning of this account. Israel ran away from its master - God. Although God pursues the restoration of His children with Him, our own actions reject Him.

19:26 The concubine returns to her master's house and waits for him until morning. Battered and abused, the children of Israel have been arriving at God's doorstep over and over again in this book of Judges.

19:27-28 The concubine is unable to stand - Israel, now a divided house, having chosen a new master though they belonged to God, is unable to stand. The children of Israel are spiritually dead.

19:29-30 The man divides the woman's body into 12 pieces - representative of the twelve tribes of Israel. This is a symbol of how the children of Israel are spiritually dead all throughout the territory.

OT: The Book of Judges, Chapter 18

Judges 18:1-31

18:1-2 The children of Israel have lost their foundation. By abandoning God, they have made themselves completely lost: literally and spiritually. The Danites, the people of the tribe of Dan, are essentially homeless. They have no law or philosophy to live by and they have no land. In seek of stability, the Danites send out five men to search the land for a solution.

18:3 The five men encounter Micah in the mountains of Ephraim and lodge in his house. Our lives make an impact on those who come into our lives, and this is evidence here. These five men represent an entire tribe of people, what they learn from Micah will spread throughout the homes of thousands of people. Unfortunately, Micah's lifestyle will bring further detriment to their situation. 

The Danites recognize the Levite, the self-proclaimed personal priest to Micah. They ask him about his circumstances. 

18:4 The Levite man explains that Micah has hired him and pays for his services through shelter and provision.

18:5-6 The Danites are intrigued by Micah's wealth; the home is surrounded by idols. Their spiritual ignorance causes them to believe that these idols render the place holy. A true child of God would be careful to observe that impressive things are not holy, but often charm people enough to convince them that they are.

18:7-10 The five men return to their people and report back that they found a solution to their problems. Their plan is to take over Micah's home and claim it for themselves. Humanity can be quite obtuse; we benefit from learning of our shortcomings through these pages. The Danites are thrilled to have found a supposedly holy place... even though the place is very obviously unholy, as it is filled with direct opposition to the 3rd commandment.

Humans get the equations wrong without the help of our Creator-Mathematician. Our calculations are often wrong: we think certain things added to our lives will equate with happiness. We are charmed by false idols and therefore neglect to subtract them from our lives.

18:11-17 The Danite men rob Micah and the priest's house. They take all of the idols for themselves.

18:18-19 When the priest is woken, the men tell him to leave Micah and become their priest. They tell him that it is better for him to serve a group rather than an individual. Ironically, both the group and Micah would be better without this false priest they so cherish and desire to have.

18:20 The priest, already known to us a fool, agrees with their logic and leaves Micah to follow them. 

We can see just how far the children of Israel have gone from God. This man is supposed to be a teacher of God's word. Instead, he is more than happy to flit from group to group, teaching nothing, as long as he is provided for by their wealth. He has no sense of obligation to lead them toward God; instead, he follows their corrupt ways.

People like this are not an ancient kind. They still persist in their detrimental "work." Scripture implores us over and over again to be vigilant, cautious to follow anyone other than God. 

The Danites are in desperate need of a foundation, a philosophy, just as each individual is - then and now. God is the foundation on which to rest, secured. God is the philosophy through which to live and remain secure, purposeful and righteous. 

18:21-26 Micah's men catch up to the Danites as they leave with all of Micah's livelihood. When confronted as thieves, the intimidate Micah into backing down. If we already did not have enough evidence of the God-less nature of these peoples lives, Micah's submission to fear and intimidation is a prominent example. God's children shrink to no person, no matter how fierce the opposition.

18:27-29 The Danites take over a peaceful place; killing all of the innocent people within. God never gave the children of Israel permission to trample over what is not theirs. The righteous children of God are allowed to overtake evil: but these Danites are not righteous and the people they have taken over are innocent. This reckless, selfish lifestyle is an insult and poor substitute to the covenant God offered to them.

18:30-31 We should be convinced by now of the Danites utter foolishness. The symbolism is that without God's philosophy, life tends to dissolve into chaos. The Danites have supposedly established themselves on stolen land, with stolen carved images and a stolen, false priest. And yet they are proud! 

This scripture is placed in the Bible because God does not want us to descend into arrogant foolishness. As humans, we have deficiencies. We are often slaves to our desires. We are vulnerable to ignorance and pride. God wants us to trust that He has established a philosophy which will inspire and enable us to overcome our fallibility. 

OT: The Book of Judges, Chapter 17

Judges 17:1-13

The book of Judges can be a difficult book to get through. It's more enjoyable for us to read about the people who steadfastly loved God; through them we God's obvious beauty. But through these who made so many mistakes, we learn about the resilience of God. We learn about the magnanimous nature of His love and that is instructive for us because we each need and benefit from that particular trait of his.

More than that, we learn about the nature of idolatry. We learn to recognize the areas in our own lives where we have placed things and desires above our faith. Inconsistent faith and idol worship are so boldly portrayed in this scripture because they help us to recognize the subtle ways our own idolatry is damaging our own lives. 

We learn a lot from the biblical heroes, the advocates, the disciples the messiah. But those who got it wrong have a message for us a well; we must pay equal heed to it. 

This account of Micah's idolatry is out of sequence, likely occurring before Samson's time, but the message fits the context.

17:1 We are introduced to a man named Micah of the mountains of Ephraim. Micah is a product of his generation, a generation which has fallen away from God. God's philosophy has been so corrupted that people live hypocritically, neglecting the core of God's word while living to satisfy their greed.

. 

17:2 Micah confesses to stealing silver from his mother. Immediately we know that we have been introduced to a family whose god is money. Micah's mother was distraught at losing her money and curses the person who takes it. Likely she had an inkling that her son took the money, as she yells the curse in his ears. 

Their world, and our world, is established with a monetary system. But God wants us to understand that He is our capable provider. A storage of savings is not our rescue, He is. Our pile of money, in silver or in a bank is not our security blanket: God is. Jesus would not have wept over losing money; God wants us to get to a point where we would not cry over lost money either.

So, Micah's mother hoards money. And Micah steals it. Neither has faithful priorities. But let's make that an observation rather than a judgement. Many of us have our own circumstances where we place our trust and desire outside of faith. Many of us are still working on trusting God and remaining steadfastly with Him.

17:3-4 Micah's mother's intentions were to give the money to her son after passing over. With the money, she wants to have an idol built for her son. Red flag: Exodus 20:4. God does not want us to create images because we begin to worship the thing rather than the source of our life. God does not want us to place our faith in inanimate things because He knows that those things do not love us and are incapable of taking care of us.

Our idols today look like that which is purchased by material wealth. Sometimes, our idol is even ourselves: vanity. While it is healthy to love ourselves, we should not have an arrogant opinion. A child of God is proud to call themselves a servant of His, an agent of compassion, an instrument through which His will is done. We must place our passion properly, outside of ourselves, because God rewards selfless work.

17:5 Micah surrounds himself and his family with idols. The family begins to worship money and their greed effectively removes God from their lives. 

17:6 It is explained to us that this is a period of faithlessness. The law and philosophy of God is abandoned: the children of Israel live in chaos. Each person lives according to what they desire. Scripture teaches humanity that when we abandon our connection as kin, we delve into recklessness and futility. 

17:7-12 A Levite man travels into the mountains of Ephraim and meets Micah. The two men make an arrangement: the Levite man will serve as Micah's personal priest. But this priest is a charlatan. For if he were a true teacher of God's word, he would have immediately went to work restoring Micah's corruption. Instead, this man is content to live with Micah and be provided for by him (rather than God).

17:13 Micah is completely deluded; he has convinced himself that wealth makes him a child of God. He thinks possessions make him stand out. Not quite. The meek shall inherit the earth. The humble, the weak, receive God's most passionate love and protection. Those who are not connected to the world's ways are adopted by the Spirit.

OT: The Book of Judges, Chapter 16

Judges 16:1-31

16:1 The opening of this chapter lets us know right away that Samson has not learned from his mistake. He unites himself with another woman who opposes his faith.

16:2 Samson's enemies hear of his presence and seek his life. They plot to kill him in the morning.

16:3 Samson hides until midnight and then leaves, using his extraordinary strength to do so by lifting the gateposts.

16:4 Samson falls in love with a women named Delilah. 

16:5 The Philistines devise a plan to use Delilah to uncover Samson's weakness. Until now, no one has been able to defeat Samson because of his God-given strength. And because Samson has fallen in love with a woman who has no regard for him or his faith, she agrees.

16:6 Delilah uses Samson's love for her to extract the secret from him.

16:7 Samson tells Delilah that if he is bound with seven fresh bowstrings, he will become weak like any other man.

16:8 Delilah betrays Samson and tells this to the Philistines. 

16:9 But when Delilah binds Samson, he is easily able to break the ties on his wrists. Samson lied to Delilah, meaning that he knew she was untrustworthy. Yet, against reason, he remains with her. This would be a really good time for Samson to consult with God, but he does not.

16:10 Delilah is upset with Samson for lying to her. She asks him again what will make him weak.

16:11 Samson tells her that he will become weak if tied with new ropes. Another lie - Samson has already escaped from the binding of new ropes (previous chapter). This repeated conversation is representation of Samson's association with this woman little by little chipping away his faith. He never cuts her off. He allows her to keep chipping away until she finally breaks the protective shell God has placed over him.

16:12 Delilah binds Samson again but he is able to escape. She continues to challenge his principles. That is the symbolism. Delilah continues to persist against God in Samson's life... and Samson allows her or else it could never be done.

16:13 Again Delilah asks Samson to tell her his weakness. And he answers: weave his hair into the loom. He continues to entertain Delilah's scheming.

16:14-15 This proves to be another lie. Delilah is so angry with Samson that she accuses him of not actually loving her. Ironically, Samson is more committed to her than he is to God. 

16:16-17 Day by day Delilah pleads with Samson to tell her the truth of his strength. Eventually she wears him down and he tells her. His strength has come from being raised as a child of God. This is symbolized by his hair. Samson's hair has never been cut (his covenant with God has never been cut). But Delilah plots to cut it now.

Is Samson's faith brought down by this series of pleading? Not necessarily. Samson's faith is brittle to begin with because he never falls in love with God. He never consults God. He never shows appreciation for God's protection and presence over his life. Samson neglects his faith and even acts against it - desiring things and people who are no good for him. Living a life of constant neglect and opposition to God will eventually snap the connected we have with Him.

Delilah may be the one with the razor, but is is Samson who - little by little - cuts himself off from God.

16:18-19 Delilah's master is money, and she is paid for deceiving Samson. She lulls Samson to sleep and allows the Philistines to overtake him. She shaves his head while he is asleep. The symbolism is this: Samson has been "asleep" in faith. He's let countless truths roll right past him in pursuit of his desire. While asleep in faith, others are easily able to overtake us and corrupt the principles of our lives.

16:20 Without his connection with God, Samson is made vulnerable. He pushed God aside all of his life and finally pushed him so far that he left himself alone. 

16:21 Samson is imprisoned in Gaza. 

16:22 Although imprisoned, Samson's hair begins to grow - as hair naturally does. But there might be more to it than that. Samson might have begun to nurture his faith while in prison. He might have tried to reconnect with God. Regret and reflection seem to have caused Samson to turn back to God because his story is not yet over.

16:23-24 The Philistines mistakenly believer that their fake god cause delivered Samson to them. They do not understand that Samson delivered himself to them by rejected the true God.

16:25-27 The Philistines try to use Samson as a slave for entertainment. They want to use his strength (which must have returned; he has been rebuilding his faith) to create a show. In a temple filled with people, they bring Samson out to stand between two pillars.

16:28 Finally, Samson calls out to God for help. Samson asks God to remember him and the hear his prayer. He requests strength for a final act against the Philistines. God's plan is to diminish the Philistine forces and therefore He agrees.

16:29-30 Samson sacrifices himself, pulling up the pillars of the temple and killing more Philistines than he ever had before. God's will is fulfilled. Samson could have lived a much different life, a life with joy as well as purpose. But he did not align himself with God. Our lesson from Samson is to place God above our desire... for when we put Him first, He is able to transform our lives with joy while we fulfill our purpose. When we give God His rightful seat at command, we are able to receive personal joy as well as purposeful fulfillment. From the power seat, God arranges it all. 

Samson's story begs us to ask: What have we put in the power seat of our lives? Desire? Fear? Oust it! Whatever it is. Place God in that seat and life will blossom.

16:31 Samson's family claims his body and buries him with his father Manoah.