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Daniel 3

Posted on July 30, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Daniel 3.

Near the end of chapter two, King Nebuchadnezzar said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” We don’t know how much time elapsed between chapters two and three, but Nebuchadnezzar obviously had a change of heart somewhere in between. He apparently liked the statue concept and decided that his should be gold from head to toe.

Shardrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse to bow down before the statue and this enrages the king (We’re not sure where Daniel was . . . presumably out of town, as it is hard to imagine him bowing to the statue). They make a stunning witness to the king in verses 16-18:

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

What faith! They could have come up with many excuses to worship the statue, but they held firm. Are we bold enough not to worship the world’s idols, especially when it costs us money, prestige or safety? Think of how our society worships gold in the metaphorical sense – money, possessions and status. I don’t think we can stand up to such pressures with our human wills, but we can pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us for these challenges.

Who was the fourth person in the furnace? It could have been an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ or perhaps and an angel.

The next reading is Daniel 4.

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Daniel 2

Posted on July 28, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Daniel 2.

Nebuchadnezzar was onto something when he challenged the psychics to not only interpret his dream but to first tell him what his dream was! This should be a standard challenge to all of the world’s psychics.

Daniel exhibited very strong faith in the face of the death threats from this obviously temperamental king. Daniel spoke to the commander of the king’s guard “with wisdom and with tact” and trusted that God would provide. Then he was quick to give credit to God for the visions he received. This is a beautiful passage:

Daniel 2:19-23 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Each part of the statue in the dream had special meaning. Trivia fact: The message about the statue is where the saying “feet of clay” originated.

  • The head of gold represented Nebuchadnezzar.
  • The silver part represented the Medo-Persian empire that conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.
  • The bronze parts were Greece and Macedonia under Alexander the Great, who conquered the Medo-Persians around 334-330 B.C.
  • The iron part is the Roman Empire, which conquered the Greeks in 63 B.C.
  • The iron and clay represent the break up of the Roman Empire.

Gotta love my Life Application Study Bible footnotes! They are invaluable for information like this. More prophecies on these empires will occur later in Daniel. It is stunning how the Bible writes history hundreds of years in advance.

The next reading is Daniel 3.

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Daniel 1

Posted on July 26, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Daniel 1.

The book begins in roughly 605 B.C. when the army of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took over Jerusalem. God had warned Israel through his prophets that He would give them into the hands of their enemies if they did not repent, but they didn’t obey. When the Babylonians took over a country it was a common practice to take the best and brightest people back to Babylon. Daniel was roughly 16 at the time, and he was one of those chosen.

Daniel 1:6-7 Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

Daniel’s character immediately shines through when in v. 8 he “resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine . . .” He and his friends took a huge risk by doing this, but God provided for them and the King found them to be “ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in the whole kingdom.” God blessed their resolve throughout their time in Babylon. This reminds me of the story of Joseph in Genesis, where God helps take him from being a prisoner to eventually running the country of Egypt.

Daniel 1:17-18 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel and his friends weren’t belligerent with the officials. They acclimated to the culture where it didn’t violate God’s laws.

Thought for the day: The Bible teaches that Christians are aliens and strangers in this world. Do we stand out like Daniel and his friends, or do we completely blend into the foreign culture of this world?

The next reading is Daniel 2.

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Daniel overview

Posted on July 24, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Daniel.

Just scan the headings in the Book of Daniel and read any bits that stick out to you.

Daniel was written by . . . Daniel. There are twelve chapters. The first six cover Daniel’s life and the last six cover visions he was given and the prophecies (predictions) they contained. The last half is apocalyptic literature, which means an unveiling or a revelation. Some other books with apocalyptic literature include Revelation, Zechariah, and parts of Ezekiel.

Daniel was taken captive by the Babylonians when King Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem’s wisest men and most beautiful women back to Babylon. He was probably 16 or so at the time. Even though he was in a strange land with constant challenges to his faith, he remained steadfast in his loyalty to God.

Daniel contains some stories you may have heard many times (Daniel in the Lion’s den and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace). Chapter five contains the origin of the saying “the handwriting is on the wall.” It also contains many things you have never heard of if reading it for the first time.

The most amazing thing about Daniel is the accuracy of the prophecies. Even most liberal scholars agree that Daniel accurately describes the reigns and activities of several empires covering several hundred years – they just think Daniel was written after the fact and is pretending to be prophecy. I think the evidence is on the side of the early writing and that all the critics issues have been well addressed. You can read more about the dating of Daniel here (Warning: it is a little dry).

Jesus obviously viewed Daniel as the real author, as shown in Matthew 24:15-16 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel . . .” That is a pretty good trump card regarding the dating debate, assuming you are talking to a Christian. It is encouraging that God shows us through his Word that He knows everything that will happen. Psychics can’t predict what will happen next week, yet God predicted the specific course of many countries covering hundreds of years with 100% accuracy. This is one of the proofs showing the reliability of the Bible. No other Holy Book contains confirmed prophecies like this. There are also some very specific prophecies about Jesus.

Hope you enjoy the study!

The next reading is Daniel 1.

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Psalm 3

Posted on July 22, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Psalm 3. The words in bold are introductory comments from my Bible. This references a story from 2 Samuel 15 and forward.

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom. O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah

The word “Selah” is interesting. My footnotes say it is a word of uncertain meaning occuring frequently in the Psalms, and is perhaps a musical term. I like to think of it as an exclamation, as in, “Yeah! Selah!”

Many people have heard of David’s battle with Goliath and his adultery with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband. But the Bible records many other dramatic incidents about David, including being on the run from King Saul (his predecessor) for many years. Later, David’s son Absalom tries to take over the throne in Israel and David is forced to flee.

David was confident that God would answer him in this emergency. It is amazing that he could sleep under these circumstances, but David’s confidence was in God. A great way to end the day is to pray and think about how God is in control of the universe so we can sleep in peace.

This is an example of a Psalm where the writers bear their deepest feelings about what they want God to do.

The next reading is Daniel 1. I’ll take a day to introduce Daniel then proceed chapter by chapter.

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Psalm 2

Posted on July 20, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Psalm 2.

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my King in Zion, my holy hill.” I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

There are different categories of Psalms. This is considered a Messianic Psalm, meaning that it points to Jesus, the Messiah. It isn’t the “nice, friendly, safe” Jesus that is often proclaimed in churches, but the real Jesus who is King of the universe and who rules with power and might while at the same time being full of love and grace. The phrase, “Kiss the Son” means to surrender and submit to him.

Doesn’t the part about the “kings of the earth” sum up the state of our world rather nicely? Countless people mock God at every turn. We make ourselves gods by inventing rationalizations for breaking God’s laws. But He is in control at every moment. This reminds me of Romans 9:20-21 – “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?”

I thought this was an interesting phrase: “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” I usually don’t associate fear / rejoicing / trembling in that way. But fear is the foundation of our relationship with God; this is a common Old Testament theme. One question we all must answer is whether we fear God more than we fear man.

The next reading is Psalm 3.

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Psalm 1

Posted on July 18, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Psalm 1. It is so short that I’ll also post it here in full:

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

There is great wisdom here. Think of all the evils and problems we cause ourselves when we give into peer pressure and the alleged wisdom of the world (“the counsel of the wicked”).

Note how in v. 1 that the expressions go from “walk” to “stand” to “sit.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary said it showed the transition from the casual influence of ungodly people to collusion with them, then finally to scorning the righteous along with them.

The righteous are those who delight in his Word and meditate on it.

The notion of prospering doesn’t mean it happens immediately, just as everything that grows has its season. It reminds me of Galatians 6:7-8:

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

The next reading is Psalm 2.

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Psalms overview

Posted on July 17, 2006 by Eternity Matters

Hi,

There are 150 Psalms, so don’t panic – we won’t be doing them all at once. Since each one can stand alone, I thought I would mix in a few here and there. So this is Psalms week. I plan to cover 1-3. We’ll cover a chapter of Proverbs now and then as well instead of doing it as a whole book.

The Book of Psalms is a collection of songs and prayers that covers the range of human emotions. It is cliche’-free. Some are confessions, others are requests, others are full of praise, and many are a mix. People go to the Psalms for comfort, to learn about God, to praise God, to thank God and more.

I’m continuing to aim at three to four posts per week on this blog. Hopefully that is a good pace for everyone. At this rate we’ll get through the whole Bible in about eight years. Seriously. We’ll probably pick up the pace when doing the historical books like Samuel, Kings and Chronicles.

In Him,
Neil

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Philippians 4

Posted on July 16, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Philippians 4.

Paul starts with a plea to two women who are arguing. It must not have been a matter of church doctrine, or he would have addressed it. Petty disagreements in the church can hold back our witness and service.

V. 4 is famous (“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!). We are commanded to rejoice always.

V. 7 is one of my first memory verses. We are told not to be anxious about anything. We are to pray with thanksgiving, regardless of our circumstances. The “peace of God that transcends all understanding” is often interpreted to mean a peace that is so fantastic that we can’t even understand it. That may be, but it also might mean that the peace will surpass our understanding of the problems that were making us anxious to begin with. In short, the peace of God may put everything into perspective for us.

After Paul tells us not to be anxious, he tells us what to fill our minds with in v. 8. This is a great reminder that we get to choose what we think about. It is easy to get into patterns of negative thinking about failures, hurts and disappointments. But we can elect to think about what is true, noble, right, lovely, etc.

Verse 13 is often misinterpreted to imply that we can do all kinds of spectacular things with Christ’s help. That may be true, but that isn’t what this verse is saying.

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

But reading verse 12 you can see that the context is that with Christ’s strength, we can be content whether living in plenty or in need.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Learning to be content with what we have is a great secret indeed!

V. 19 contains a great promise: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. ”

Verse 22 shows how the Gospel had already reached Rome and into Caeser’s household (“All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household.”)

The next reading is Psalm 1.

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Philippians 3

Posted on July 14, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Philippians 3.

This chapter starts and ends with Paul warning against false teachers. He calls them “dogs” and “mutilators of the flesh” because they tried to make new converts follow Jewish customs. He addresses this more extensively in Galatians. Here Paul uses it to point out that if acts and good deeds brought us to God, he would have been there already.

Paul’s resume was truly outstanding. His family followed the rules and had him circumsised according to Jewish customs, he came from the right kind of family, he was a “Hebrew of Hebrews,” he had the highest religious position as a Pharisee, he was zealous in persecuting the radical Christian groups and he was righteous. Yet none of that was enough to reconcile him to God. He needed Christ as well all do.

Paul says that he considers his noted accomplishments to be “rubbish.” This is a very strong statement, as other translations call it “dung” or “manure.” Our accomplishments and good deeds apart from God can actually be a barrier to our knowing Him if we are trusting in our own righteousness.

When he says in v. 10 that he wants to “know” Christ, that means not just “head knowledge” and facts about Jesus, but a deep relationship with him.

It isn’t bad advice for us not to dwell on past failures and hurts, but when Paul says in v. 13, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,” what he means by “what is behind” is the accomplishments he just mentioned. We do better and stay more joyful when we don’t get puffed up with our spiritual accomplishments. If Paul was “pressing on,” how much more should we press on towards the prize?

It is interesting that in v. 17 and other parts of the Bible we are encouraged not just to follow Christ but to follow the example of Paul and other leaders. Of course, Jesus is the ultimate model, but when we see others who are farther along in their faith journey we can learn from them as well.

Never forget that “our citizenship is in Heaven.” We should try to impact this world, but ultimately we are aliens and strangers in this world, as Peter said.

The next reading is Philippians 4.

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Philippians 2

Posted on July 12, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Philippians 2.

I love this book!

This chapter begins with Paul issuing a strong challenge – basically saying that if we are authentic Christians, we should be loving, united, purposeful, humble servants. In short, our attitude should be like that of Jesus.

Selfishness and pride are at the root of sinfulness and the misery it brings. Selflessness brings joy. This is a challenge for all Christians, as it is so easy to think of ourselves first.

Verses 6-11 give a powerful description of Jesus, his divinity and his purpose. He is “in very nature God.” This means He is the very essence of God, and He is God. Not just a little like God, or that He spent time around God, but He is God – the 2nd person of the Trinity. Yet He humbled himself to come live as a human and was obedient to suffer the worst death imaginable – all for our sakes.

In verse 12 he challenges us to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” He doesn’t say to work for our salvation, because that is a gift of God’s grace. We must do this with trust in God, not ourselves. But our works and our perseverence give evidence that we have faith in Christ.

Verse 14 should convict us all: “Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Keep in mind that Paul wrote this while in jail. Christians are to be witnesses to the world through our lives – “blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.” Our generation is surely as crooked and depraved as Paul’s was. As verse 16 points out, the light we hold out is God’s Word, the “word of life.”

When Paul says he is being “poured out like a drink offering,” he is referring to an Old Testament practice of sacrificing animals for the sins of the people. Drinks like wine were also poured out to symbolize the completeness of the sacrifice. Paul is giving everything he has for his fellow believers. The chapter ends with examples of how Timothy and Epaphroditus were making sacrifices for Paul and for Jesus as well.

The next reading is Philippians 3.

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Philippians 1

Posted on July 10, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Philippians 1.

When Paul refers to the Philippians as saints, he means it in the sense of being “set apart,” not that they are perfect. Paul referred to the “Lord Jesus Christ,” which is rich in meaning. As Lord, He is over all and we are subject to him. As Jesus, He is our Savior. And as Christ, He is the Messiah promised to the Jews.

As shown in verses 3-4, Paul obviously had a strong relationship with the Philippians: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.

Verse 6 teaches the doctrine of eternal security, that is, if you are really in Christ then you will stay that way. Don’t confuse that with the doctrine of assurance, which deals with whether you really are in Christ or not.

Paul is sometimes misconstrued as being harsh or chauvinistic, but if you read his writings closely, he is very personal and caring. Consider verse 7: “It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart . . “

As God does so often, a bad situation like Paul’s imprisonment is used for good, as Rome’s “whole palace guard” heard of Christ because of it. You get the feeling that no one could be around Paul for long without hearing about Jesus. In addition, Paul’s example emboldened other believers to more courageous and fearless.

Paul humbled himself so much that he didn’t even care if others used his situation against him to preach about Jesus, as long as they got the Gospel right.

Verse 21 (“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”) is famous. He has such confidence in the Lord that he is willing to be obedient and suffer on earth though he would prefer to be with Jesus in Heaven.

Paul notes that all Christians will suffer for their belief in some way – “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.” This is an important point to mention when sharing the Gospel. Sometimes churches focus solely on the peace, love and joy parts of Christianity without mentioning the suffering and sacrifice it can require.

Paul challenges the church to stay unified, “contending as one man for the faith of the Gospel.” Fellowship is much more than just cookies and punch after church. It is living life together and carrying out the mission of Christ’s church together.

The next reading is Philippians 2.

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Philippians overview

Posted on July 8, 2006 by Eternity Matters

Welcome to the overview of Philippians.

Who wrote this? The Apostle Paul (formerly known as Saul).

Paul’s story was recounted three times in the Book of Acts, in chapters 9, 22 and 26. His conversion is amazing and important for a couple major reasons. First, if the main persecutor of Christians and the church can be converted, anyone can. His job was to destroy Christians and Christianity. Jesus even said, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” Yet he was forgiven and transformed. He became the first missionary to the Gentiles (non-Jews) and arguably the best missionary ever.

Second, Paul was a first-rate Jew in every measurable way. He listed his credentials in Philippians 3 and 2 Corinthians 11 yet pointed out how that wasn’t enough to reconcile himself to God. So if Paul still needed Jesus, then everyone does.

It is important to note that Paul wrote this while in jail. His message of joy is that much more powerful considering his environment.

Who was Paul writing to, and why was he writing? New Testament letters were typically written to correct false teachings, but Philippians was an exception. It is mainly a thank-you letter to the church in Philippi, Greece that Paul had started and that had helped him immensely. This church most likely helped and fed Paul when he was in the Philippian jail in Acts 16:25-40. In those times, if someone didn’t come to feed the prisoners they might starve to death.

When was it written? Roughly 61 AD, which is nearly thirty years after Jesus’ resurrection and roughly three years before Paul was put to death for being a Christian.

The resounding theme of Philippians is joy. He mentions joy or rejoice sixteen times. Only Luke mentions joy more, and that book is twelve times the length of this one. So Philippians has more joy per page than any book in the Bible.

It is important to note the distinction between happiness, which depends on current circumstances, and the joy of Christ, which depends on Jesus. We can be unhappy yet joyful at the same time.

I encourage you to read the whole book of Philippians quickly then go back through one chapter at a time.

If you really want to dig deeply into this incredible book, I recommend James MacDonald’s audio series, I Choose Joy. It contains about eight hours of a series of sermons which cover Philippians verse by verse. Many of my study notes will come from that series.

The next reading is Philippians 1.

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Jude

Posted on July 6, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Jude (again).

Again, the general theme of Jude is to avoid false teaching. He highlights past examples of false teaching and examples from his time then gives guidance on how to avoid it and achieve victory over it.

God is serious about sound teaching: Jude 4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Verse 7 references Sodom and Gomorrah and notes how they were destroyed because of their sexual immorality and perversion. This and other Bible passages show how rampant, unrestrained homosexuality was the real sin of these towns, despite some revisionist claims that their real sin was inhospitality. It is true that inhospitality was a serious social error in those times, but God isn’t in the habit of annihilating multiple cities because humans violate their own customs. If you read the original account in Genesis 19 it is clear that to call the citizens’ behavior “inhospitality” would be a gross understatement.

Verse 11 contains three references to Old Testament passages: Cain, who killed his brother out of jealousy, Balaam, who pretended to serve God out of greed and encouraged others to sin, and Korah, who rebelled directly against Moses and indirectly against God. Verses 14-16 point out how serious rebellion is and how it will eventually be judged.

The last section emphasizes perseverance, or staying the course. Living the Christian life can be very hard at times, but we can trust that everything works out for the best in the end. As long as we are focused on Christ and living for him we won’t have any regrets.

Verses 18-19 still apply today: “They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.” I blog on the divisions and bad theology in the church fairly often at 4Simpsons Blog. We need to ask God for wisdom, which He gives generously (as we learned in James!).

Verse 21 emphasizes that Jesus brings us eternal life. Thanks be to God for that!

Jude 22-23 show how and why we should act by sharing the truth in love: “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”

The next reading is an overview of Philippians. This is an exciting letter from Paul, written while he was in prison, and it is full of joy.

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Jude overview

Posted on July 4, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Jude.

Jude is only one page, but it covers a lot of topics. Sometimes a little background information or further study will be in order to be able to understand the references. We’ll cover it in two segments. It is another book worth reading twice. It comes just before Revelation at the back of the Bible.

It was written by Jude (surprise!), who is generally thought to be a half-brother of Jesus. He is modest in his introduction. He could have done the ultimate in name-dropping (“It’s me, Jesus’ brother!”)

The general theme of Jude is to avoid false teaching. He highlights past examples of false teaching and examples from his time then gives guidance on how to avoid it and achieve victory over it.

It is interesting that the church was only a few decades old and false teachers had already slipped in. Most of the New Testament letters correct false doctrine, and Jesus himself spent a lot of time pointing out the false teachings of the Pharisees. More verses on the importance of sound doctrine and rooting out false teachers can be found here.

Jude highlights the doom of people without Christ, and encourages believers to persevere in their faith.

We’ll go over some specific verses next time. In the mean time, be encouraged by verses 24-25:

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

The next reading is Jude (again).

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Ruth 3-4

Posted on July 2, 2006 by Eternity Matters

This reading is Ruth 3-4.

My apologies for the delay in posting. I couldn’t access the Internet yesterday. I’m going to aim at posting 3 times per week – roughly Monday / Wednesday / Friday.

Today we wrap up Ruth. She appears to have given up on the prospect of marrying again until Boaz came on the scene.

When Ruth approaches Boaz in the middle of the night in chapter 3 verses 7-9, it seems rather odd. Some have questioned whether what she did was immoral. However, it appears to be a way of proposing to Boaz that he fulfill the role of “kinsman-redeemer.” This was a custom where relatives had the option to “redeem” widows and take care of them.

There was a closer kinsman-redeemer who had the first option to marry Ruth. He seemed interested in Ruth’s property until he found out that Ruth came with it.

The story has a truly happy ending when Ruth and Boaz marry. The local people laud Ruth by saying that as a daughter-in-law she is better than seven sons (a great compliment in that culture).

The book closes with a brief genealogy, noting that Ruth is King David’s great-grandmother. Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph, descended from David. So this seemingly simple story shows how God used an unusual series of events to teach many lessons and to show how the union of Ruth and Boaz eventually led to the birth of the Messiah.

The next reading is Jude. It is only one page, but it has a lot of interesting messages. Take a few minutes to read it and then pat yourself on the back for reading a whole book of the Bible in one sitting!

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