Judges, Pt. 1: "A Woman's Place" (Judg 4)

CRY TO THE LORD
Judges is a most bizarre period in Israel’s history. Every man did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord (Judg 3:12, 4:1, 10:6) and what was right in his own eyes (Judg 17:6) The transition from Joshua's leadership to the kings of Israel was characterized by lawlessness, apostasy and disbelief. God had used Israel’s enemies to test her faithfulness in the new land (Judg 2:3), but Israel failed miserably. God gave Israel judges who were local or national leaders to relieve Israel of her misery from enemy oppression as individual tribes struggled to keep the land they were promised. The period of the Judges was characterized by internal and external strife, individual and collective sin, disaster and deliverance.

Six wars took place during this era that lasted a few hundred years. The enemies included the Mesopotamians (Judg 3:7-11), the Moabites (3:12-30), the Canaanites (Judg 4, 5), the Midianites (Judg 6-8) and the Ammonites (10:6-12,17), but the biggest test, even till the period of the Kings, were the Philistines. At times, God delivered their enemies into Israel’s hand, but at other times the Lord delivered Israel and even sold them (3:8, 4:2) into their enemies hands - once, seven years to Midian (6:1), but not as severe as the forty years into Philistines hands, the longest duration of suffering in the land (Judg 2:14, 13:1).




A WOMAN'S PLACE (JUDGES 4)
Los Angeles Times (5/13/02) called the 45-year old Karen Hughes one of the most powerful unelected women in the United States, but she resigned from her post less than a year and a half after helping George Bush win the presidential election. Her husband and teenage son were “homesick,” so the family headed back to Texas. The Austin family did not fit into Washington. Hughes told reporters, “Throughout my career I have tried to prioritize my family while I have a career. I've prided myself that this is a family-friendly White House, and I think this is a family-friendly decision.” Hughes will continue her unique work for Bush - as a confidant, advisor and speechwriter - but she will no longer serve constantly at his side. She will return regularly to Washington to advise the president and will be in touch constantly by phone.

A few editorials lauded Hughes' family-centric decision, but Washington insiders openly wondered if there were not other reasons. Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute, insisted that Hughes had not quit working: “The fact is Karen is going to continue working, just in a different location for the president. We keep pushing people back into the old boxes - work or family, all or nothing. But none of us really fit that anymore.” Kay Koplovitz, a prominent author, also rose to her defense: “Every time there is someone this visible who makes such a decision it's a big stir mostly because people still don't trust that women can stay in these positions, but trust me, we will hear more from Karen. She's very strong, so don't be surprised if she does something else important.”

Mary Matalin, an advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney, said, “Karen didn't care about the power and access thing that is so big in the Washington culture. The only thing she liked about her job was [writing] the speeches, the big projects and advising [Bush]. She'll keep doing all that. What she didn't like was all the Kabuki dancing in the White House, all of which ate away at her time with her family. And that's over.”

The president gave her the biggest endorsement yet, saying, “Karen Hughes will be changing her address, but she will still be in my inner circle.”

The story of Deborah is not a forum or statement on biblical equality, a proof-text for and a biblical defense of feminism in the Bible or a theological treatise on the role of women in the church or pastoral ministry. It was about a woman who used her testimony, gifts and skills faithfully and selflessly dedicated more than forty years of her life in consistent service to God (Judg 5:31), her country and her people. Unrest, oppression and suffering were at its peak when Deborah arrived on the scene. The “oppression” (v 3, Ex 3:9) the Israelites suffered was an uncanny resemblance to their suffering in Egypt, a situation unheard of when the first two judges, Othniel and Ehud (Judg 3), were around.

What good is a woman in a male-dominated society and ministry? What role has a godly woman today? How can a woman excel in service to God?

Be Fervent in Service
1 After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help. 4 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. (Judg 4:1-5)

One of the most remarkable imitations of a handyman I have seen was done by a homemaker - May, who painstakingly restored the church sign that was ravaged by strong winds. She already had her hands full with a seven-year old daughter and three-year old son at that time, but she was determined to save the sign and save the church the estimated $2,500 in repair. We were ready to pay professionals for the job when she insisted. I had asked her when she volunteered, “Are you sure?”

The church vice-president gave a detailed e-mail account of what May had done with the encouragement of his husband: “First, the sign had to be sanded to rid the wooden board of old paint chips. Several coatings of white paint were then given to each side of the sign. They have to wait for one side of the paint to dry before proceeding to the other side. Later, they traced the Chinese characters over the sign and hand-painted the Chinese characters on both sides of the sign using a tiny brush. Additionally, each side of the sign has a straight-lined border in blue. They've ordered 2 pieces of plexi-glass to protect each side of the sign - a feature that was missing from the original sign. All these were done while their house underwent major renovation due to water damages caused by broken water mains and pipes!”

I might also add that the couple had a mild panic when rain fell while they were drying the paint on the board. The fascinating thing was that May was a restaurant and hotel management major who had audited the church accounts as a volunteer and she took on the job of restoring the church sign while most people hardly thought about doing so. Many years after the job, she testified that the salvage job she did gave her the confidence to repair and remodel many things in the house by herself!

Deborah was an incredible woman who was adept at multi-tasking – a wife, a prophetess and a judge. She did not hide her gifts, hide behind the family or play hide and seek when things were not right, when hearts were troubled and enemies were threatening. Not that she was out to prove herself or distinguish herself as a woman, but she could not wait for a man, another prophet or another generation to rise and take her place. She had to be the person God meant her to be. There were no ifs, buts, and whys. She multiplied the gifts she had, did all in her ability and everything in her capacity to serve God. The word “leading” in verse 4 is “judged” in Hebrew. She had to cope with the busy day, the packed schedule, the prying public in ministry, a horde of people and a slew of issues and non-issues every day. Besides that, she had to manage the home, lead the country and keep both separate. The stress women face today is nothing new, nothing to crow about and nothing compared to what Deborah had to face, carry and endure.

God, however, is good and His grace is always sufficient. He equips, supplies and assures us when He calls us into service - men or women.

Deborah was a capable woman. She did good, quality work. Her workplace was often flooded with calls, visitors and activities. She was busy as a bee and had her hands full. People kept asking, coming and pleading. Their problem was her problem. She had the greatest honor among all the judges. People loved her. They respected her teaching, advice and judgment. She had insight, skill and compassion in settling disputes, dispensing counsel and upholding justice. They came to see her for their problems in the family, with the office and with the law. The people did not always like what they hear, but they always accepted, trusted and respected what she said.

Deborah had her work cut out for her. She did not just rule; she judged. She had to put her foot down, make an unpopular decision, disappoint people but not let them down, follow her head and not her heart, rule for the sake of every one and not one or some or self.

Be Faithful in Service
6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'“ 8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go.” 9 “Very well,” Deborah said, “I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, 10 where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him. (Judg 4:6-10)

A salesman got lost on a side road, so he stopped to ask directions from a ragged and bare-foot man sitting in front of his depilated house. After receiving the information he needed, the salesman asked, “How is your cotton coming on?” “Ain’t got none,” replied the farmer. The traveler continued, “Did you plant any?” To this the man responded, “Nope, afraid of boll weevils (beetles that infest cotton plants).”

The curious visitor then asked, “How is your corn doing?” To which the man quipped, “Didn’t plant none. Afraid there wasn’t goin’ to be any rain.” Undaunted, the stranger made still another inquiry, “How are your potatoes?” again, the reply came, “Ain’t got none; scare o’potato bugs.” Somewhat puzzled, the salesman made one final inquiry, “Really, what did you plant?” The answer was, “Nothin’, I just played it safe.”

God’s chosen woman has to do above and beyond the call of duty.

Barak was a man who shirked his duty. He wanted to play it safe, cover the angles and involve more people. His appeasing reply (v 8) to Deborah actually cut her down, let her down and put her down in an unkind way. Deborah was unique and unlike other judges. She was the only acknowledged prophet or prophetess in the period of the Judges. No peer was her equal. She gave the word, instead of receiving the word. God did not speak to Israel through His Spirit or an angel, but through her. The word of prophecy was not given or taken lightly. Death threatened the prophets who spoke presumptuously or vainly in God’s name (Deut 18:20-22). Further, God had not spoken directly to Israel as a nation through a prophet for over a hundred years (Judg 3:8, 2:11, 2:13, 3:30) and Canaan had cruelly oppressed and terrorized the Israelites for twenty years (Judg 4:2-3)

Deborah not only had many hats to wear, she had many people trying to tell her how to do her job. When the word of prophecy came through Deborah, Barak could either go or not go, but his answer was: “I will go if you go; I will not go if you would not.” It was a “yes and no,” “yes, if,” or “yes, but” answer, which was not an option God had given him. Deborah saw through Barak’s reply. She was not touched, impressed or delighted by his request. In fact, she felt manipulated, entrapped and rejected in the worst way. He did not thank her or raise questions, but turned it down in a nice way. Barak’s confidence in her presence but not her word of assurance at war was a ploy. He wanted out and was hoping that Deborah would back out, too. His passive and aggressive response did not work.

The issue at hand was personal obedience, not joint action. Obedience cannot be co-opted, co-joined co-executed, co-produced or co-sponsored with another person, not any person for that matter. Barak’s halfhearted obedience was 50% compliance. He was wary of the enemies’ power and was not convinced of outright victory, undermining the moral of the army and making Deborah’s company, power and support the critical factor - and not God’s.

Deborah went anyway, doing above and beyond the call of duty. She had sent for Barak, issued the ultimatum and proclaimed the victory, but abruptly canceling the plan, dropping the issue and doing something else were not her options. Her handicap was obvious; she was not skilled in warfare or trained in battle. It was insensitive and outrageous of Barak to quit in a time of crisis, when war was looming, people were uneasy and guidance was needed. Deborah should be flattered but she was not. Her place should be with the civilians and Barak’s should be with the army, but he ducked for cover, passed the buck and diverted the attention. She had done her job but now she also was doing Barak’s job for him.

Be Fearless in Service
17 Sisera, however, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite. 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don't be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she put a covering over him. 19 “I'm thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up. 20 “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say 'No.'“ 21 But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died. (Judg 4:17-22)

Finally, God’s chosen woman has to do what she has to do.

A minister who is a widow and a mother of two had lunch with me. Before we departed, she asked me what I thought of women in ministry. She has a Bible college degree and 25 years of pastoral experience, but she was thrust into ministry by the untimely death of her husband when the children were elementary students. The church was kind enough to retain her in her husband’s place. She did the best she knew how, the best she could under the circumstances, the best she could with two young kids.

Caring for two kids and shepherding a church at the same time for an extended period of time was almost an impossible task, but she has done it for more than a decade on her own. She shared that people take a woman lightly and do not give them as much leeway and respect as they give men in ministry, which I totally agreed with her. She even suspected that the church had offered the job to her out of sympathy for her plight. Then she asked me point-blank, “What do you think of woman in the ministry?” Without much thought, I gave my two cents worth: “Aiya! Don’t think so much. If God has given you the opportunity, just serve Him faithfully whenever the opportunity is there.”

She called me a few days later and thanked me. “What did I do?” I asked. She said that my practical advice had helped her to have a more positive attitude. She said she will remember my advice, “As long as God gives me the opportunity, I will do my best!”

Jael was a woman of incredible strength, means and resolve. Killing Sisera was not the highlight of the story, but putting two and two together, taking matters into her own hands and deciding things on her own were the point. She was knowledgeable of current events, independent in thought and wise in her ways. Jael was, however, not always that way. She and her husband used to live in the city, but they moved to the countryside to avoid further conflict with relatives. There in the thick of the woods, they learned how to survive and thrive on their own. She had learned to make adjustments, find food, and even defend herself, especially when they were in alien land, when her husband was not always by her side and when family ties were strained.

This time, Jael was caught in a situation similar to many instances in the past. She did not curse her luck, ask for permission or seek for approval. The housewife had to do what she had to do, with what she had at hand and what her hands were dealt, but she used her brains and her mouth before her hands. The decision was not easy. She could not harbor a fugitive enemy, turn an acquaintance away (v 17) or consult her husband, who was away.

Some scholars decry Jael’s use of violence and treachery, but her actions were not the spur of the moment decisions. It was not an emotional decision, an impulsive decision or even a controversial decision. For the first time in the new land, things were so desperate that the Israelites “cried out” to the Lord (v 3). The only other time Israel had cried to the Lord was when they suffered oppression in Egypt (Ex 14:10, Num 20:16, Deut 26:7). The nation was in a sharp decline, in a sorry state, and in a big mess. The new generation was facing what the past generation had experienced. Things had reached a critical point and a new low. The situation was unbearable because of the might, cruelty and onslaught of the Canaanites for twenty long years and counting.

Conclusion: Where is a woman’s place? A woman’s place is in the home, the church and the workplace, where she uses her gifts, skills and life to serve and honor God to the best of her ability. Diamonds are not a girl’s best friend, beauty is only skin-deep, but behind every successful man is a relational, responsible and resourceful woman. Do not strive for recognition, success, and power; cultivate knowledge, wisdom, and skill. Are you waiting hand and foot on the man of the house to act, the men in church to work, and the old boys club to weaken? Have you asked God to empower and embolden you to act? Women do not need the final say, but they can and should take most things into their own hands when necessary.

Judges, Pt. 2: "You Have More Power Than You Think" (Judg 6)

YOU HAVE MORE POWER THAN YOU THINK (JUDGES 6:11-35)
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they crawled into their tent and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, Holmes awoke and nudged his friend. “Watson, look up and tell me what you see.” Watson replied, “I see millions and millions of stars.”

“What does that tell you, Watson?” asked Holmes. Watson pondered a moment and then replied, “Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is within the Leo constellation. Chronologically I observe it’s nighttime 3 a.m. on June 14th. Meteorologically, the air appears dry, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day. Why did you ask? What does it tell you?”

Holmes says, “Watson, you idiot! Someone has stolen our tent!”

After Deborah had died (Judg 5:31), the Israelites were again oblivious and blind to the obvious. They reversed to the old cycle or pattern of evil and idolatry (Judg 3:7, 3:12, 4:1, 10:6, 13:1), so the consequences were accelerated. The enemies were not the Canaanites now, but the Midianites that were known for their cruel brand of oppressiveness (Judg 6:2), so ruthless that Israel had to take to and hide in the mountain clefts, caves and strongholds for the first time. The Midianites invaded, robbed and plundered whatever the Israelites had grown, so much so that no crop, livestock or spirit was left in Israel (Judg 6:3). Again they cried unto the Lord and whenever that happens, victory was assured (Judg 3:9, 3:15, 10:10). The Israelites exited the house of bondage in Egypt (Judg 6:9) but they were never free until they learn to listen and obey the lord. God used an insignificant person to overthrow the stranglehold of the Midianites but also break the spell of sin within the family, deliver a community from apostasy and turn the nation from false idols to true worship.

What kind of people does God use to accomplish His purpose? How does He demonstrate His power through them?

God Uses People Who Are Lowly
11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” 13 “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?” 15 “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.” (Judg 6:11-16)

A man tells of a lesson of the “heart” he learns from his little 10 year old daughter, Sarah, who was born with a muscle missing in her foot and wears a brace all the time. She came home one beautiful spring day to tell her father she had competed in “field day,” that's where they have lots of races and other competitive events.

Because her daughter had to have leg support, the man’s mind raced as he tried to think of encouragement for her, things he could say to her about not letting this get her down but before he could get a word out, she said “Daddy, I won two of the races!” The man couldn't believe it! And then Sarah said, “I had an advantage.” Ah, he knew it. He thought she must have been given a head start...some kind of physical advantage. But again, before he could say anything, she said, “Daddy, I didn't get a head start... My advantage was I had to try harder!”

God sent a little-known, seldom-seen, and fairly-busy man to awake Israel. Gideon had reasons to groan hearing the messenger’s flattering salutation: “Who, me?” “Are you kidding?” “You must be mistaken.” Gideon was the youngest in the family and his clan was the weakest in Manasseh; so Gideon had as much say or presence in the family as his clan had in tribal matters. He was nobody. Further, he had work to do and things on his mind, specifically how to avoid being seen or noticed and making noise or causing trouble. All his life he was instructed, conditioned and determined to stay low, out of sight and away from the Midianites.

Gideon was so convinced of his inability, inferiority and insufficiency that what the angel said went right over his head. The messenger’s announcement did not mean much to him, make sense to him or concern him a bit. Other things occupied Gideon’s mind, like food, safety and work. God, however, knows the potential of man and what is hidden behind the exterior of man. Behind modest, private and unassuming Gideon was a brave man; not just a brave man, but a brave warrior; not just a brave warrior but a mighty warrior (v 12).

God is a contrararian. He delights in using the weak and not the strong, the few and not the many, the meek and not the mighty, the lowly and not the proud, the ignoble and not the noble things of the world to shame the wise, the rich and the proud. 1 Cor 1:26-29 says, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. He specializes in weak flesh, inept hands, and timid hearts.

The Lord uses the committed and the obedient to accomplish His purpose and demonstrate His almighty power.

God Uses People Who Are Loyal
27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. 28 In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal's altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29 They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” 30 The men of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” 31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” 32 So that day they called Gideon “Jerub-Baal,” saying, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he broke down Baal's altar. (judg 6:25-32)

Warren Wiersbe, the former pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago and author of the multi-volume “Be…” series, whose continuing education class I had the privilege of attending at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, receives a lot of letter from listeners of his popular radio program. One letter would say, “Dear Mr. Wiersbe, I support your ministry and I do not like this and if you do not change it, I am going to drop my support.” Wiersbe would write to the displeased person and say, “We are not for sale. We are not for sale.”

Another letter would say, “I am so glad you are doing that, and I am going to continue my support.” Wiersbe would write to the delighted person and say, “We are not for sale. We are not for sale.”

To be committed is to be steadfast, but not stubborn; unwavering, though not unafraid.

It’s been said, “There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” (Getting Physical, Doubleday)

Gideon was given a thankless but necessary job – to oppose the pagan practices of his father, his father’s household and the men of the town, to break the stranglehold of Baal and Asherah on the community and to return the Israelites to the worship of the one true God. Things were in such decline that worshipping Yahweh was an aberration, an afterthought and an affront. The idols were sizable, elaborate and central in the community. Ten people were needed to dismantle it (v 27). Gideon was up to his neck and over his head but up for the task. He was concerned about the people’s reaction but committed to the Lord’s command.

The Hebrew text said that Gideon was afraid of his family and the men of the town (v 27), not just his father. That could have included his siblings, relatives, and clansmen, besides the men of the town who were strangers, shell-shocked and superstitious. But why did Gideon fear them? Was he afraid of getting involved, caught or killed? Was he concerned about embarrassing, involving or angering his father Joash or the family? Afraid others would know of his name and involvement? No, he was not afraid that the man of the house would disown him, that the men of the family would blame him, that the men from town would banish, kil or stone him for tearing down the altar. Gideon was afraid that they would stop him from tearing down the altar, stop him from cutting down the pole and stop him from building an altar to the Lord. He was not afraid that the people would harm him, but that they would hinder him. Gideon was not afraid that his family would condemn, ostracize or betray him. He was not afraid of sticks and stones, swords or knives, death or dying; he was more worried about arrest and jail, just because it would stop him from completing his task or mission. Getting close, falling short or being disobedient was not an option. So Gideon did not perform a secret operation, but a sensible operation. Ten more people than necessary (v 27) had already known of the uprising. Interestingly, God did not specify what time or hour of the day Gideon had to do it. Neither did God say that he had to tear down the altar before everyone.

Gideon did not fear retribution from lifeless idols or assault from unruly people. His life was in God’s hands. God had big plans for him to save Israel out of Midian’s hands (v 14) and to strike down all the Midianites together (v 16). If death was awaiting him, it would be death at the hands of the Midianites for the deliverance of the Israelites. The interlude or transition here was meant to stir, unite and deliver his family, especially his father who apparently was a leading spokesman and a worshipper of idols, the clansmen and the town from the grip of idolatry. Are you willing to stick your neck out for God? Put your life on the chopping block to accomplish His will? Be steady and unwavering in the line of fire?

God uses patient and empowered people to accomplish His purpose and demonstrate His almighty power.

God Uses People Who Are Learners
33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. (Judg 6:33-35)

Leonard Ravenhill told of a group of tourists who were visiting a picturesque village. One person turned to an elderly man sitting nearby and asked, “Were there any great men born in this village?” The old man replied, “Nope, only babies.” (Preaching, 1-2/93”)

We all start from the bottom, learn as we go and grow wiser each day.

Gideon’s former questions (v 13) – Where is God? Where are the fireworks? Where happened to the good old days, the old-time religion and the way we were? Where are the glorious past, the happy present and the promising future?” – were answered in a most unlikely way in his life. Gideon was a small fry, a no name, small soldier, but the Lord transformed him into a mighty warrior, a fierce fighter and an outstanding leader. He, however, was not an instant success, an overnight sensation or a self-made man. Gideon was in no rush or position to fight yet, and his enemies were not fellow Israelites, but pesky Midianites.

At the opportune time, Gideon underwent an unforeseen change. The Spirit of the Lord descended upon Gideon, stirred in him and brought a transformation. He had no more questions, no lingering fear and no holding back now. Gideon was not only esteemed and extolled but empowered or equipped. As Charlie Shedd said, “The problem with the church is not that the churches are filled with empty pews, but that the pews are filled with empty people.” Before, Gideon was bold and bright but not bankable. His father had to stand up for him. Before, he was able to break the hold of the enemies’ idols, but not the enemies’ army. Now he had power not only to break the Midianites but also the Amalekites and other eastern people that were emboldened to join the Midianites for their annual food hunt and food fest in Israel’s backyard.

Gideon blew the trumpet to summon his clansmen, the town folks, his own tribesmen, the tribe of Manasseh and three other tribes, not all, to follow him into battle. The men of the town who previously screamed for his head now acknowledged him firmly, humbly and proudly as their head. The people who were ready to kill him were now back to support and assist him. Those who were willing to fight against him were now ready to fight for him with him.

The old Gideon used to believe that he was the least, the youngest and the last in his family, but now he gave orders, commanded respect and demanded compliance. He led the family, strangers and thousands and thousands of people into battle. The young man who countered and enraged his accusers before presently instructed, organized and inspired them.

Conclusion: Do you consider yourself too young or old to make an impact? Too busy, tired or discouraged to care? John Wesley, the remarkable founder of the Methodist movement, had an astute understanding of how God uses men. He said, “Give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I will shake the world.” Edward Everett Hale said, “I am only one, but I am still one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”

Judges, Pt. 3: "Stupid is As Stupid Does" (Judg 14)

STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES (JUDGES 14)
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger asked an assistant to prepare an analysis on a special assignment. The assistant worked day and night. An hour after he gave it to Kissinger, he got it back. There was a note attached that said redo it.

The assistant stayed up all night redoing the report. Again he submitted the report but again Kissinger asked him to redo it.

After redoing the report three times, the exasperated assistant asked to see Kissinger. He pleaded his case to Kissinger, counted his attempts at revision, and said, “Besides, I’ve done the best I can do.” Kissinger replied, “In that case, I’ll read it now.” (Adapted, Speaker’s Library of Business, 110)

Samson was the most gifted, the most powerful and the most feared judge and warrior that Israel ever had, but he failed to claim his spiritual heritage and to give God his best, squandering much of what he had, only to redeem himself at the very last minute. The last war that took place during the era of the Judges was an ongoing war with the Philistines. Time and again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years (Judg 13:1), which was the longest duration of suffering in the land, before Samson appeared on the scene.

What does God expect His servants to do with all that He has given them - all the talents, gifts and opportunities? How do we make His gift and trust count?

Live Life with Dignity and Decency.
16:1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. 2 The people of Gaza were told, “Samson is here!” So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, “At dawn we'll kill him.” 3 But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron. 4 Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. (Judg 14:1-4)

1988 was a disaster waiting to happen for evangelical Christianity. Two of the biggest TV evangelists - Jimmy Baker and Jimmy Swaggart - had a very ugly, public fallout that reverberated for years. They were Christianity’s media darlings, biggest fundraisers and the most charismatic, powerful and visible stars at that time. First, Jim Bakker made a stunning announcement that he was stepping down as head of PTL and Heritage USA in anticipation of a newspaper’s revelation of a tryst Bakker had with a church secretary. America's first televangelist paid some $265,000 to cover up the affair in vain. Later he was convicted of misspending millions of followers' dollars. Rival preacher Jimmy Swaggart called the Bakker scandal a cancer.

Next to fall was Jimmy Swaggart, the Pentecostal preacher who preached to 7,000 weekly in his congregation. A short three months after Bakker’s fall, Swaggart was photographed entering and leaving a New Orleans motel where, it was later divulged that he had hired a prostitute to pose nude for him. The woman who later posed for Penthouse magazine said of Swaggart, “He was kind of perverted...I wouldn't want him around my children.” Two years later Swaggart was stopped by the police in California, again with a prostitute in his car.

The Chinese have a saying, “A hero has difficulty overcoming a woman’s beauty.”

Samson had no problem resisting power, fame or money; sex, lust and temptation fell him. He lived a life of decadence, excess and indulgence. In private and public, he was promiscuous, vulgar and depraved. He was the master of men but the slave of women. Samson the judge was an undefeated challenger with Philistine men but a pussy cat with their women. He had robust physical strength but fatal moral weaknesses.

Samson’s steps took him to sleazy places, dirty beds and narrow, crooked and run-down streets, where a fast buck would buy him a cheap thrill and a night’s rest. Worse, he had no sense of decency, guilt or shame. He did not even wear a hat, a wig or a cloak to conceal his identity or cover his tracks. The leader of Israel did not know, wonder or care if others knew. Discretion, propriety and secrecy did not cross his mind and were not his concern. He was a man of low morals, bad taste and poor choices. Samson had an insatiable fondness for Philistine ladies. His dead wife was a Philistine. He visited a prostitute in the Philistine city of Gaza, and he fell in love with Delilah who was probably a Philistine.

Samson tested the slippery slopes of morality, blurred the lines of virtue and cut corners in integrity. He loved to live his life on the edge with women, to throw caution to the wind with sex and to walk on the wild side of vice. Even when he was bitten once and twice was not a charm to him, he expected to have nine or more lives.

Live Life With Discipline and Diligence.
15 Then she said to him, “How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength.” 16 With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death. 17 So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. 19 Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. 20 Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I'll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him. 21 Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison. (Judg 14:15-21)

I am among the minority who had little interest in the original Star Wars movie but I have a liking for the prequel story of Anakin Skywalker in Episode I and II. Anakin, who later evolved into the sinister Darth Vader, was a cute, helpful and sacrificing nine-year-old boy in Episode I. In Episode II, the twenty year-old Anakin morphed into a skillful, precocious and daredevil Jedi apprentice who considered his mentor too conservative and his instructions overbearing, even sidestepping the rule that forbade romance for Jedi Knights and erring on the side of reckless abandon.

In one defining moment and a death-defying scene, when Anakin and his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, were chasing an assassin in a space mobile at night, Anakin sped dangerously with no regard for the crowd or his own safety, chasing the suspect through the crowded streets and airspace. No angle, acceleration or altitude was disliked by the driver Anakin. Just as they had lost the assassin’s ship, Anakin threw himself overboard and glided his body through the air and traffic, landing his body perfectly on the suspect’s space mobile.

Obi-Wan Kenobi could only mutter, “I hate it when he does that!”

Later, Anakin massacred a whole village, including women and children, to avenge his mother’s death. Director Lucas explained to Time magazine why Anakin turned into the evil Darth Vader: “He turns into Darth Vader because he gets attached to things. He can't let go of his mother; he can't let go of his girlfriend. He can't let go of things. It makes you greedy. And when you're greedy, you are on the path to the dark side, because you fear you're going to lose things, that you're not going to have the power you need.” (Time 4/29/02 “Dark Victory” http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020429/story.html)

Samson’s blinding passion, uncontrolled aggression and reckless abandon were getting him into deep trouble and more complications. He was the Philistines’ number one public enemy, but he frequently forayed into enemy territory in utter disregard of the many ambushes set up there. Last-minute escapes, no-holds barred fights and dog-eat-dog backlashes were routine. He did not abide by the rules, follow a regimen or heed any restrictions. Samson toyed with a dead lion’s carcass (Judg 14:8-10) – an unclean act, gave hair tips to Delilah and forsook his religious heritage, responsibilities and nurture.

Samson was a high roller in life who not only failed to control his hormones but also failed to discipline his muscles. Nothing was sacred to him. He did not live a life of godliness or piety. His life was an unsanctified mess. He ultimately abandoned, violated and betrayed God’s trust to him.

Samson’s life was also a big, fat lie. This passage (vv 10, 13) has the most references to lies than any passage in the Old Testament. He made bets (14:12-13), misled people and misrepresented facts. Samson and Delilah played a cat and mouse, fact or fiction, truth or dare, all or nothing game back and forth. He was so smitten, infatuated and lovesick that he could not see, think or act straight. It did not occur to him that their love was one-way (v 4), that Delilah was double-crossing him for eleven hundred pieces of silver (v 5). He was so undisciplined that that the Philistines could stake out the house, occupy the next room (v 19) and even chop off his hair without him knowing it. Sadly, Samson did not even feel a breeze. a coolness or lightness on his head when his locks were chopped off. He loved and hated Delilah’s coy whispers (v 10, 13) - “Tell me now” (v 10) and “Tell me,” her direct accusations (vv 10, 15) - “You lied to me!” (v 10) and “You have made a fool of me,” and her nagging questions - “How can you say, ‘I love you?” (v 15) or “How can you tell me you love me?”

Samson told Delilah everything that was in his heart (v 17). The phrase “all his heart” occurs three times in verses 17 and 18, a divine indictment against Samson for failing to give God all that was in his heart but entrusted it all to someone who was not his wife. It was a naked moment. He was exposed. The Lord’s strength had left him. Samson trod the path of danger, followed the way of fools and reaped a whilriwnd of destruction and thus became a slave, an entertainer, a puppet and a clown (vv 25, 27).

Live Life With Design and Direction
22 But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved. 23 Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.” 24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, “Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain.” 25 While they were in high spirits, they shouted, “Bring out Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. When they stood him among the pillars, 26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.” 27 Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. 28 Then Samson prayed to the LORD, “O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived. 31 Then his brothers and his father's whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led Israel twenty years. (Judg 14:22-31)

NBA superstar Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers was the team’s franchise player, the number one pick of the draft, a mercurial scorer who won many individual awards, including NBA’s highest scorer. In the 2000-20001 season, he won the MVP award, his coach Larry Brown won the coach of the year and the team stormed to the NBA Finals, only to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers. The following season, he could not take the team past first round when they lost to Boston. The coach and management talked publicly about trading him. Why trade your best player and willingly risk or tolerate mediocrity? Iverson wouldn’t practice. Coach Brown said: “My problems with Allen have been the same for six years,” Brown said. “I love him, his competitiveness. The issues are things he has control over, and he'll have a problem with me if he doesn't take care of it. He has to be at practice. He has to set an example. He knows that if he's willing to do that, he'll be a Sixer for life.”

Iverson did not get it. He defended himself, “I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're in here talking about practice. Not a game; we're talking about practice. How silly is that? I know I'm supposed to be there. I know I'm supposed to lead by example. I know that. I know it's important, but we're talking about practice. ... How the hell can I make my teammates better by practicing? They are supposed to be used to playing with me anyway. So my game is going to deteriorate if I don't practice with those guys?” (To practice or not? USA Today 5/9/02)

Larry Brown moved to Detroit Pistons a year later and won his first NBA championship without Iverson when they swept Lakers in the 2004 finals. Two years later, Iverson was traded.

Samson was a talented but troubled man who had no game plan on how to use the talents, gifts and opportunities God had given him. Though he did accomplish a lot, much of his success was a reaction to others’ provocation and a testimony to the Lord’s grace (Judg 14:4). He misconstrued his destiny as a silver spoon in the mouth. His talents and gifts were used unpredictably, inconsistently and distastefully. He failed to live up to his potential, to uphold the Nazirite vow and to fulfill the hope of his parents. In fact, he was a parent and a parent in-law’s worst nightmare. His parents grieved and his wife died. He did not need an army to fight with him or want his parents to tell him what to do.

Samson’s kamikaze death with the Philistines was not a glorious one. Any kind of death in association with the enemies was unacceptable to the Israelites and burial with them was absolutely unthinkable. Like the brave men of Jabesh-gilead who braved capture to bring home the dead body of Saul who died at the hands of the Philistines (1 Sam 31:12), Samson’s brothers and father’s family did the same for him (v 31).

Contrary to his uninformed prayer before dying, God did not forget Samson (v 28). Samson was the one who had forgotten God, who was with him in his imprisonment, affliction and humiliation. His hair slowly grew again after it had been shaved (v 22). God’s grace also provided for the possibility of the Philistines to forget, underestimate or neglect Samson’s secret second time around.

Talent, ability and confidence did not invite trouble, but pride, arrogance and complacency did. The text painstakingly pointed out that Samson was an ordinary man in God’s eyes and that his strength (9, 19, 30) was exceptional but hardly “great,” not the “great” strength that his enemies (v 5) or Delilah (v 6, 15) had made him out to have. Even Samson seemed to know it in his prayer (17), but Delilah’s dangerous and subtle seduction appealed to his ears, eyes, heart and mind. She attributed to Samson the phrase “great strength” that was exclusive to God (Ex 32:11, Deut 4:37, Deut 9:29, 2 Ki 17:36, Neh 1:10, Job 23:6, Job 36:5, Ps 147:5, Jer 27:5, Jer 32:17)

Samson’s reign, unlike Deborah’s (Judg 5:31) and Gideon’s (Judg 8:28), did not bring peace to the land. A rivalry with the Philistines that lasted until the period of the kings had started instead. Samson thought he had made a fool of Delilah three times (v 15) but he really made a fool of himself many times. As Forrest Gump said, “Stupid is as stupid does.”

Conclusion: Luke 12:48 says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” The Chinese say, “There is always a higher mountain.” The Bible warns those who think they are standing firm to be careful that they don't fall (1 Cor 10:12). For God’s children, repentance is never too early or too late and better late than never. Is your life a public lie and an open deceit? Is it double-sided, double-faced and double trouble? Are you in better spiritual shape than what you were at conversion? Do not think you are stable, mature and protected.

Ruth, Pt. 1: "Love That is Better Than Seven Sons" (Ruth 1)

LOVE THAT IS BETTER THAN SEVEN SONS (RUTH 1:1-18)
Sunday school teacher Tom and his family had been facing trials and tests that cause him to feel unworthy to be an adult Sunday school class teacher. Week after week he felt he was a total failure and kept wondering if each week was his last Sunday before announcing his resignation.

Then one Sunday a young woman stayed after class to speak to Tom. She was a friend of his family, so she knew what they had been going through. “Tom,” she said, “I hope you won't take this the wrong way, but you're a much better teacher when you're going through tough times.” (Our Daily Bread, January 16, 2003)

It’s been said, “A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot. It has to go through the white heat of the furnace to become porcelain.”

The three principal characters in the book of Ruth are Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. The book began with the down and out, the bad to worse and hard to swallow account of Naomi’s life. Naomi was the grief-stricken widow who had the misfortune of losing his two sons after earlier losing her husband Elimelech. The tragedy struck after she had sojourned in Moab for ten years to escape the famine in Israel. To compound her misery, her sons had not given her any grandchildren. She felt that life was a bitter pill, a cruel joke and a continuous torment. The widow took her circumstances very hard. The family of four from Israel was cut to one; from Naomi the wife, she was now Naomi the widow; from Naomi the pleasant, she was now Naomi the bitter (Ruth 1:20).

What can turn around the life of a bitter person? What gives us hope in the midst of despair? What transforms one’s experience from bitter to pleasant again?

Love Lends a Hand
11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me-even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!” 14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. 15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. (Ruth 1:11-18)
14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” (Ruth 4:14-15)

One upon a time there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge and all of the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all repaired their boats and left. Love wanted to persevere until the last possible moment.

When the island was almost sinking, Love decided to ask for help. Riches was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, “Riches, can you take me with you?” Riches answered, “No, I can’t. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat.” Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel, “Vanity, please help me!” “I can’t help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat,” Vanity answered. Sadness was close by, so Love asked for help, “Sadness, let me go with you.” “Oh…Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!” Happiness passed by love too, but she was so happy she did not even hear when Love called her.

Suddenly there was a voice, “Come, Love, and I will take you.” It was an elder. Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that he even forgot to ask the elder his name. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went his own way. Love, realizing how much he owed the elder, asked Knowledge, another elder, “Who helped me?” “It was Time,’ Knowledge answered. “Time?” asked Love. “But why did Time help me?” Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, “Because, only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is.”

As a song from Andrew-Lloyd Weber aptly said it, “Love changes everything.” Love changed Naomi and transformed her life from bitter to sweet (4:15).

A lot of things had changed for Naomi but one thing remained unchanged – the love of Ruth, her stubborn daughter-in-law (4:15). In Ruth Naomi had the love of over seven sons (4:15). With Ruth present, Naomi was devastated but never destitute, aggrieved but never abandoned, lost but never lonely. Ruth was Naomi’s light when she was in the dark, her anchor when she was shaken and her compass when she was lost. Her status as Naomi’s daughter–in-law did not and would never change. Ruth loved Naomi just the same, if not more, when Naomi was troubled. Naomi was never left by herself, left with nothing and left to despair. Ruth was her most valuable asset, gift and belonging. From chapter 2 onwards the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship grew and blossomed, took flight and took center stage. Eight times in chapters two and three, Naomi is described as mother-in-law to Ruth (2:18, 19, 19, 23, 3:1, 6, 16, 17) and twice in those chapters Ruth was described as the daughter-in-law of Naomi (2:20, 22). Note how they were described each time as “her mother-in-law” and “her daughter-in-law.” Ruth taught Naomi never to give up and never to give up on each other when things were not right, smooth or well.

Naomi still had at least one person in the world that loved her. Hope is alive and life is worth living when there is at least one person who loves you or is kind to you. Ruth thought of Naomi all the time, followed her everywhere and did everything possible to help Naomi get back track, back on her feet and back to her old self. It was, however, almost in vain. The caustic Naomi did not appreciate or notice it initially. Naomi’s world was spiraling out of control, falling apart at the seams and breaking up in pieces, but she rejected the only person closest and dearest to her. Naomi tried to drive and push Ruth away. She hinted at remarriage, pleaded four times for Ruth to return (vv 8, 11, 12, 15) and twice to go back (vv 8, 12), but Ruth did not budge. When Naomi knew that Ruth was not going away, she did not leap with joy, breathe a sign of relief or feel grateful in her heart. In fact, Naomi was not left speechless, but cheerless. Now she had one more mouth to feed, another person to shelter and an unwanted memory of the past. Slowly and surely, Ruth’s love for Naomi touched, troubled and transformed the mother-in-law and Naomi began to show an interest in Ruth’s welfare and well-being (2:19).

Love Lives in Honor
2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” (Ruth 2:2)
17 So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. 18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough. 19 Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!”
(Ruth 2:17-19)
3:1 One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?
(Ruth 3:1)

Jerry West, the NBA’s top executive who signed Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant to Los Angeles, walked away from the Lakers after 40 years with the organization as a player, a coach, then an executive. He could not even watch his team win the championship in 1999 after a long drought. He could not stomach fronting the organization and the maneuvering behind the scenes, the players performance and attitude, the narrow wins and the losses, and the stress and demands and pressure of the modern game. According to West, the first year away from basketball was the probably the best year of his life. Two years later West became the unfashionable Memphis Grizzlies’ new executive. How could that be?

West explained from Tennessee, “I need to work. I’m not good when I sit around all the time. Retirement is terrible for a Type-A personality. I’ve got to work. I didn’t realize how badly I needed it. After this one year, it has been very challenging for me to find enough things to do in my life. You just need to find things in your life that are challenging for you. I’d like to think I’m still capable of working hard and doing something that will really whet my appetite. More importantly, there are a lot of things that need to be done here.” (Los Angeles Times 5/1/02 & USA Today 4/30/02)

After Ruth loved Naomi back to health, Naomi responded in kind and started to make something of herself. Naomi used her knowledge, experience and insight for the benefit of Ruth.

The Chinese said, “No sorrow is greater than the death of one’s heart.” The old Naomi previously discounted Ruth’s loss, saying ridiculous and heartbreaking things like, “It is more bitter for me than for you.” (1:13). She discounted Ruth’s pain, snapped at her neighbors upon arrival in Bethlehem (1:20) and spoke only when spoken to in their first conversation upon arrival (2:2). Before, she wanted to live by herself, without any attachment, especially to the past. Now the new Naomi started living again. Their second conversation was a turning point, this time after Ruth had properly fed Naomi. Naomi initiated the conversation this time: “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!” (2:19) Finally, Naomi had something to think of, talk about and hope for; in Ruth Naomi had someone to wait for, fuss about and giggle with; and someone who would listen to her, confide in her, lean, count and depend on her.

The third and fourth conversations found in chapter three were all initiated by Naomi. Her transformation was complete from now on. She could not wait to instruct Ruth and wait for Ruth to update her on the latest news of Boaz (3:1, 16), if any. Before they were barely speaking to each other, did not know what to say and had less to say as days passed, because Naomi’s misery and pain consumed, haunted and trapped her. Naomi was hard to live with, get close and talk to as her grief turned inward, loomed large, defined and trapped her. She closed her life to human contact and interaction. Naomi had probably not gone outside, received visitors or seen anybody for a while, including her relatives (2:1).

The renewed and resourceful Naomi told Ruth who Boaz was, what a kinsman-redeemer was, where to find Boaz, how things work and when to act. After all, Ruth had insufficient knowledge of Jewish culture, customs, tradition, society and attitudes, but Naomi was a wise, discerning and perceptive old hand. Naomi suggested little things to Ruth, like washing up, using makeup and dressing well.

The transformed Naomi woke up to the realization that it was better to give than to receive. For one full barley season (2:23), Ruth had worked hard and provided non-stop for her mother-in-law. Before, Naomi wanted to get rid of Ruth, but now she wanted to find Ruth a date, a husband and a home (Ruth 3:1).

Love Leads to Hope
19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” 20 “Don't call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” (Ruth 1:19-21)

When USA played its opening match against Portugal in the 2002 World Cup, like most pundits, I did not expect much from USA. A respectable loss or, at best, a draw. USA was the worst performing team at the last World Cup and Portugal was ranked fifth in the world. Due to the time difference. I decided to tape the game rather than watch it live at 4 a.m. Los Angeles time. I did not want to sacrifice sleep, torture myself or work half asleep next day.

Before I could warm my seat to watch the recorded tape, USA had taken the lead in the 4th minute. I was at the edge of the seat, nervously waiting for the mighty Portuguese onslaught that never was, and the response was another USA goal in the 29th minute. This time I was urging USA to play defense, to be conservative and to be on the defensive, but USA scored another in the 36th minute. With an hour to go, Portugal woke up and scored in the 39th minute and the 79th minute. The last 10 minutes or so were torture. I waited for the worst that did not happen. The American team and defense did not crack, and USA hanged on for its dear life for a historic 3-2 win.

It did not matter to me that the game was recorded, that the commentary was in Spanish. It was as good as live. I had avoided the radio and Internet in the morning, though I was tempted to find out the final score from the Internet each time USA or Portugal scored a goal in the recorded tape. The thing was that the final score was not known and the battle was just as exciting for me.

Naomi did not know God’s plan for her life. Her despair gave way to hope because she eventually realized that the Lord was actively working in her life all along. It was not a cruel twist of fate that brought her back to Israel. It was the Lord’s gracious feeding of her children. Just as she ran out of resources news filtered to her that the famine in Israel was over.

The final score was known to God alone, as Naomi sweated it out bitterly, sourly and impatiently. At the end of chapter two Naomi’s life began to turn around for the better. Naomi recognized it and shared with her daughter-in-law: “The LORD bless him! He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” (2:20) The Lord’s kindness did not leave the dead, the dying or the surviving. The Lord’s kindness was always with Naomi from day one, but she just did not recognize it. Her daughter-in-law was a wonderful gift of the Lord. She was never empty (1:21) when she had Ruth. The three times she described what the Lord had done for her, with sarcasm, skepticism and selfishness: “It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!” (1:13); “The LORD has brought me back empty” (1:21); and “The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” (1:21) Naomi said that the Lord did not just make her life bitter, but very bitter (1:18).

The Lord blessed Naomi though she did not know, acknowledge or understand it initially. Naomi thought that blessings were meant for others and never for her. She invoked God’s blessings on her daughters-in-law in Moab (1:9) and Boaz for treating Ruth nicely (2:20), but deep in her heart she did not believe that God’s blessings could happen to others, but not to her. The victim in her declared that God’s hands were against her (1:13, 21), but the last words of the whole book were given to the same neighborhood sisters who reminded Naomi that the Lord had always watched out for her, more than she imagined or deserved: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” (Ruth 4:14-15)

Conclusion: Tragedy, disaster and misfortune strikes when we least expect it. God does not send evil, but He corrects and overturns it with faith, hope and love. The world is a bitter place without God, without faith and hope in God or grace and mercy from Him. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28) Praise the Lord, our attitude, behavior and language does not drive God away when we need Him. When we keep on persevering we will see the light at the end of the tunnel, the sunshine after the rain and the calm after the storm.

Do you have hope in God, in people and in the future? Do you trust in God’s promises or are you tired of God’s promises? Have you given others a shoulder to cry on and a heart to strive on?

Ruth, Pt. 2: "It is Well with My Soul" (Ruth 1)

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL (RUTH 1:1-18)
The hymn “It is Well with My Soul” was written by Horatio Spafford after a series of disasters struck his family. Spafford, a successful businessman and a close friend of the evangelist D.L. Moody, lost his only son at about the same time the Chicago fire in 1871 ravaged his business.

The worse was yet to come. Two tears later, Spafford's wife and four children were sailing to Europe for a vacation when another vessel struck the ship and sank it. Spafford was supposed to join them later after he had wrapped up some business. Thirty minutes later, less than fifty of the hundreds on board survived the wreckage. Three of Spafford children were swept away by the waves while the mother held on fiercely to the youngest. A little while later the youngest child, too, was swept from her arms. Mrs. Spafford became unconscious and was rescued by sailors.

Back in the United States, Horatio Spafford waited anxiously ten days for the news of his family’s well-being. His grief-stricken wife sent him a telegram, with two words only: “Saved alone.” As he mourned his family's loss, he wrote this defiant hymn:
“When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea-billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.”

Ruth was one of the bravest women in the Bible. She was a Moabite, a foreigner and an outsider, but she was one of two women to have a book named after her and the only Gentile with a book that bore her name in the Jewish Scriptures. How does an alien make such a name, leave such a mark and garner such an honor in the face of tragedy, disaster and heartbreak? How could one possibly pick up the pieces after suffering such a shattering loss? Not without toughness on the inside, tenderness to others and trust in God.

Be Tough on Yourself
14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. (Ruth 1:14)

A problem-plagued daughter complained to her chef father about how things were so hard for her. Her father took her to the kitchen, boiled three pots of water, and placed carrots, eggs, and coffee beans in separate pots. Twenty minutes later, he took them out and placed them in a bowl. What do you see?” asked the father. “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

The father asked her to feel the carrot, break the egg, and sip the coffee. The daughter felt the softness of the carrot, noted the hardness of the egg, and tasted the richness of the coffee. She then asked the father what it meant. The father explained, “Each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had (always) protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.” The father then asked her daughter, “Which are you?”

Which are you? Soft carrot, hard-boiled egg, or rich, strong, aromatic coffee?

Ruth displayed a stubborn streak of toughness and a high tolerance of pain when tragedy struck. She was one tough cookie with a tough hide and a tough mindset. She had lost her husband, but she had precious things left: her life, her health and her sanity. The Gentile widow did not believe in fate, omens and curses. She did not and would not yield, bow or surrender to doom and gloom. Her grief, pain and loneliness were unspeakable but to throw in the towel, to wallow in self-pity or to rail at God were unimaginable.

The first solo action of Ruth in the book describes her character. When the other daughter-in-law Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, Ruth clung to Naomi (Ruth 1:14). She was a clinger, a hugger and a sticker; tenacious, steadfast and feisty. The feisty daughter-in-law stuck to Naomi like glue, Velcro and gum. That's who she was and who she chose to be. She was Naomi's shadow, her twin and angel, fastening to her mother-in-law before Naomi could notice, turn and leave. The Hebrew word for “cling” occurs four times in the book, all related to Ruth (v 14, 2:8, 21, 23). She literally owned, defined and glorified the word in the Bible. In another instance, upon arrival in Israel Ruth stayed, kept or stuck close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished (Ruth 2:23). She never strayed or departed from that way of thinking in her life or in her job, with Naomi or with others, whether for an entire day or a full season. What a testimony to her tenacity, fortitude and resolve. She never gave up on life, herself and others.

Ruth was not afraid of working hard, staring over in a new career, a new land and with a new status. She worked at a back-breaking and feet-hurting job in heat-sweltering conditions for mere leftovers, the minimum, the odds and ends. The immigrant did not consider it lowly to pick food from the floor, to depend on people's good graces and to live on grains and nuts. She would rather work for the minimum than stay at home, wait for handouts or stare at the wall, ceiling or Noami. Except for a short rest in the shelter (2:7), Ruth worked non-stop on her feet in the sun as a picker the whole day and the whole season (2:23), from the barley harvest in April till the wheat harvest in June (ISBE “Harvest”) to make enough for the two widows the whole year.

Be Tender with Others
15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. (Ruth 1:15-18)

A friend sent me an e-mail with the subject “An Everyday Survival Kit.” However, this survival kit does not have a flashlight, a blanket, food, or the normal emergency-preparedness stuff. Here are its contents:
Toothpick - to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others…Matt. 7:1
Rubber band - to remind you to be flexible, things might not always go the way you want, but it will work out…Rom. 8:28
Band Aid - to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else's…Col. 3:12-14
Pencil - to remind you to list your blessings everyday…Eph. 1:3
Eraser - to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it's okay…Gen. 50:15-21
Chewing gum - to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything…Phil. 4:13
Mint - to remind you that you are worth a mint to your God…John 3:16-17
Candy kiss - to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday…1 John 4:7
Tea bag - to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of God's blessing's…1 Thess. 5:18

Ruth was tender to others even when she was wounded and hurting on the inside. She saw the shock, suffering and struggles of Naomi and tended to her in a tender way. She clung to Naomi (1:14), stating her point loud and clear, “Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” (1:16)

The Hebrew words for “cling” (or the Hebrew word for cleave) and “leave” (1:16) were similar words from the vow of marriage in Genesis 2:24: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united (or cleave) to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

The Genesis commandment was for sons to leave parents and to cleave to their wives, and not for daughter-in-laws to cleave to their parents-in-law; but Ruth made cleaving to Naomi her choice, her business and her destiny. Further, the vow was meant for potential spouses, and not former daughters-in-law. Now that her husband was dead, that Ruth's marriage to her husband had ended and that her husband's dead brother could not assume the responsibility of fathering a child for her, her obligations to Naomi were minimal, but Ruth applied the vow to herself, volunteered her commitment and bound herself to Naomi. Ruth was worth more than seven sons to Naomi. Ruth’s support for her mother-in-law was compared to a man's provision for his wife, and more: “Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” (1:17) She chose the role of being an attending and abiding daughter-in-law.

Ruth was a remarkable woman. She lost her husband of many years in Moab and her mother-in-law did not want her presence in Israel. Naomi urged Ruth to remain in Moab and remarry a local, but Ruth would not listen. She cheered, fed and inspired Naomi back to wellness. Having just lost her husband, Ruth understood how Naomi felt. Naomi thought of her past, but Ruth's thoughts were for Naomi’s future. It was not that Ruth had nowhere to go, no one in Moab or nothing to do, but Ruth always placed Naomi's feelings, interest and well-being first before her own. Horrors, how many daughters-in-law in their right frame of mind dare give a blank check to their mother-in-law, saying, “All that you say I will do?” (3:5) Ruth said it and did it (3:6).

Be True to God
A long time ago, the Pope decided that all the Jews had to leave the Vatican, unless a member of the Jewish community could win in a religious debate with him. Having no choice and no volunteer, a middle-aged man was sent to represent them.

The Pope began by raising his hand to show three fingers. The man raised one finger in return. The Pope waved his fingers in a circle around his head. The man pointed to the ground where he sat. The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine. The man pulled out an apple. The Pope stood up and said, “I give up. This man is too good. The Jews can stay.”

An hour later, the cardinals surrounded the Pope and asked him what happened. The Pope said: “First I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there was still one God common to both our religions. Then I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground and showing that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and the wafer to show that God absolves us from our sins. He pulled out an apple to remind me of original sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?”

Meanwhile, the Jewish community crowded the man and asked, “What happened?” “Well,” he replied “First he said to me that the Jews had three days to get out of here. I told him that not one of us was leaving. Then he told me that this whole city would be cleared of Jews. I let him know that we were staying right here.” “And then?” asked a woman. “I don't know,” said the man. “He took out his lunch and I took out mine.”

The widow Ruth trusted in the Lord God, His sovereignty, wisdom and provision. Her faith in God was real. The first words out of Ruth's mouth were a testament to her unmistakable faith, trust and belief in God. Like Rahab (Joshua 2:11) and the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:9), Gentile believers who were integral to Israel's history, Ruth called on the name of God (end of verse 16) and more specifically, Yahweh, the distinctive Hebrew deity (v 17). Naomi asserted that Orpah had returned to her gods (v 15) but Ruth insisted to follow Naomi's God and called Yahweh (v 17) her God. Later, Ruth's embrace of the God of Israel would be widely known among the Israelites (Ruth 2:12).

Naomi thought Ruth was a convert or believer by way of marriage, for the sake of love, her husband and marital bliss, probably out of personal convenience, social sensibilities and domestic harmony. Naomi was wrong. Ruth, who was single and untied, freely made Yahweh her own choice and destiny. Her husband was dead, but her faith was alive. Nobody forced her; one could push her around or push religion down her throat. Ruth was ready for death and even burial in Israel, fending off his mother-in-law’s numerous questions, strong resistance and repeated disclaimers.

A Gentile woman married to a Jewish man was obligated to convert, but a Gentile widow of a dead Jewish husband was free to choose. Ruth’s declaration of embracing Yahweh was her first solo break from idolatrous worship, and the declaration of choosing her ex-mother-in-law over her own parents was an informed decision. Leaving Moab for Israel would be the final break from idolatry. Ruth, as a single, a Gentile woman, would rather suffer discrimination, receive rebuke (2:15-16), encounter harassment, experience hindrances and even tolerate harm (2:22) in the new land than return to Moabite religion and worship.

Conclusion: It's been said, “Tough times never last; tough people do.” The Bible says, “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Ps 30:5) Tragedy strikes when we least expect it. Some trip over suffering while others triumph over tragedy. Do you become better or bitter when encountering hardship? Are you triumphant or traumatized? Do you rebound and recover, or do you retreat and regress?

Ruth, Pt. 3: "God's Way is the Best Way" (Ruth 2)

GOD’S WAY IS THE BEST WAY (RUTH 2:1-13, 3:6-15)
My wife and I did not marry young. We were in our 30s when we met each other. She was from Orange County and I was from Los Angels County, and the chances of us meeting, knowing and befriending each other were pretty remote. After graduating from Biola, she moved to Los Angels County to be near her job, but still commuted to her church in Orange County during the weekends. We met on the rare occasions she attended my church, but nothing was in the air until one rainy day.

The Sunday before Christmas, the pouring rain deterred my wife from driving 45 minutes in the rain to her church, so she decided to attend my church. Our acquaintance with each other then had went no further than normal greetings at fellowship meetings, but that morning, I delivered the sermon, baptized new converts and coordinated the joint worship since I was the only pastor in the three-language congregation.

Up to that point, my future wife had not heard me preach, since she attended the Cantonese congregation when she was there at the same hour I was preaching in the English congregation. She told me she liked the Christmas sermon and I immediately liked her good taste! The match could not be any better. The long wait for the right person was justified because God had brought someone sweet, nice and loving to me - one who has a heart for God, people and ministry.

Boaz, the great-grandfather of King David, the ancestor of Jesus Christ (Matt 1:5, Luke 3:32), the Messiah-type kinsman-redeemer, was an upstanding citizen, of good stock and had an impeccable record. He was blameless, peerless and guileless. The landlord was beyond reproach, highly esteemed and husband material. However, he had yet to have a wife or a date, although he later found the woman of his dreams. The match was made in heaven and their love story was one for the ages. Their barriers included marital status, racial identity and social standing. Ruth was a widow, a Gentile and a hardworking migrant worker; Boaz was a bachelor, a Jew and a successful plantation owner.

What type of person are you looking for in a future spouse? What characteristics do you value and what characteristics do you offer? What kind of relationship does God bless?

Be Godly in Commitment
2:1 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” 3 So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. 4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The LORD be with you!” (Ruth 2:1-4)

A businessman was in a great deal of trouble. His business was failing, he had put everything he had into the business, he owed everybody, it was so bad he was even contemplating suicide. As a last resort he went to a pastor and poured out his story of tears and woe.

When he had finished, the pastor said, “Here's what I want you to do, put a beach chair and your Bible in your car and drive down to the beach. Take the beach chair and the Bible to the water's edge, sit down in the beach chair, and put the Bible in your lap. Open the Bible; the wind will rifle the pages, but finally the open Bible will come to rest on a page. Look down at the page and read the first thing you see. That will be your answer that will tell you what to do.”

A year later the businessman went back to the pastor and brought his wife and children with him. The man was in a new custom- tailored suit, his wife in a mink coat, the children shining. The businessman pulled an envelope stuffed with money out of his pocket and gave it to the pastor as a donation in thanks for his advice.

The pastor recognized the benefactor, and was curious. “You did as I suggested?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” replied the businessman.

“You went to the beach?”

“Absolutely.”

“You sat in a beach chair with the Bible in your lap?”

“Absolutely.”

“You let the pages rifle until they stopped?”

“Absolutely.”

“And what were the first words you saw?”

“Chapter 11.”

W.H. Griffith Thomas scourged Christians this way, “There is no greater foe to Christianity than mere profession. There is no greater discredit to Christianity today than to stand up for it, and yet not live it in our lives. There is no greater danger in the Christian world today than to stand up for the Bible, and yet to deny that Bible by the very way we defend it. There is no greater hindrance to Christianity today than to contend for orthodoxy, whatever the orthodoxy may be, and to deny it by the censoriousness, the hardness, the unattractiveness with which we champion our cause. Oh this power of personal testimony – with the heart filled with the love of Christ, the mind saturated with the teaching of Christ, the conscience sensitive to the law of Christ, the whole nature aglow with grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Listening to the Giants, 149-50, Warren Wiersbe, Baker 1980)

The man God uses and exalts must be a godly man, one who must have God’s interest at heart, must act on God’s behalf and must do things God’s way.

Boaz’s first appearance in the book was the scene of a pronouncement, a greeting and a blessing for his workers (Ruth 2:4). He always brought a blessing with him, but he did not say it to impress people around him. Boaz had no need to since he was the owner and they were the workers, but he made it a point to go into the fields to meet and greet them.

Boaz’s greeting to the workers was short, but he was known to offer a prayer at other times as the occasion presented itself. Boaz’s prayer for Ruth when they met was uplifting, exact and sincere: “May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” (Ruth 2:12) Boaz was a pious man but not a practitioner of religious catch phrases, mumbo-jumbo or buzz words. He was not one whose constant utterance of religious terms and expressions gives people goose-bumps, makes the hair on their arms or the back of their neck stand. He was not one who sprinkled God in conversations needlessly, vaguely, politically, symbolically or culturally.

Boaz was a believer in an unknown, generic God but the Lord, the God of Israel (Ruth 2:12), whose wings were strong enough to protect the helpless widow, whose span was broad enough to embrace the Gentile outsider and whose reach was within the grasp of the believing Jew or Gentile. The God Boaz believed in does not discriminate against race, gender or nationalities.

Boaz’s promise to uphold his commitment to redeem Ruth in Ruth 3:13 must be understood in the right context. The New Testament does not forbid or discourage commitment (Matt 5:33-37, James 5:12). Jesus said, “Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'“ Jesus words were not meant to discourage social commitment, but to discourage religious vanity.

Be Guided in Choice
11 Boaz replied, “I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband-how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. “ (Ruth 2:11)

A while ago, my wife gleefully forwarded me an e-mail about a point system for scoring men for the way they treat ladies. Points are added for doing something she likes, subtracted for what she dislikes, and not awarded for something she expects:
THE POINT SYSTEM
Simple duties: You make the bed +1, but forget to add the decorative pillows 0
You throw the bedspread over rumpled sheets –1
You leave the toilet seat up –5
Your replace toilet paper when it’s empty 0 When the toilet-paper roll is barren, you resort to Kleenex –1 When Kleenex runs out you use the next bathroom –2
You check out a suspicious noise at night 0 & its nothing 0 & it’s something +5
You pummel it with a six iron +10 but it’s her pet –10

Social engagements: You stay by her side the entire party 0 for a while, then leave to chat with a college buddy –2 named Tiffany –4
Her birthday: You take her out to dinner 0 You take her out to dinner and it’s a sports bar –2 And it’s all-you-can-eat night –3 And your face is painted with the colors of your favorite team –10
A night out: You taker her to a movie +2 she likes +4 you hate +6 you like –2
It’s called Death Cop III –3 which features cyborgs that eat humans –9
You lied and said it was a foreign film about orphans –15

The Big Question: “Do I look fat?” You hesitate in responding –10 You reply, “Where?” – 35 Any other response –20 Sorry, there’s no way out of this one without a loss of points…

Communication: When she talks about a problem, you listen, displaying what looks like a concerned expression 0 for over 30 minutes +5 for over 30 minutes without looking at a clock +100 because you’ve fallen asleep -20

The man God uses and exalts is a guarded, wise, intelligent, discerning and fair man. It has been said that marriage is maximum temptation and maximum opportunity.

Boaz’s unmarried status was too good to be true. He was a potential husband with no takers. His kind was few. He was rich, single and unattached. He was quite a catch but he did not bite. Why? It was not because he was not the marrying kind, but that he had high hopes and high ideals for the special someone. Getting married was not his sole purpose in life, the foremost thing to do or the only thing on his mind. Getting married to the right person was the only good reason for marriage. Boaz was not blind or lost in love. He was not about to be rushed or bullied into marriage. Israel’s leading man was single but never desperate.

Boaz loved with his ears, eyes and mind wide open. He was all ears to what was said about Ruth. Boaz listened attentively to the story of the amazing Gentile woman who forsook homeland security, adopted local customs and overcame linguistic, cultural, relational, social and geographical barriers (Ruth 2:6). He liked that the future mother of his kids was known to her former mother-in-law as a kind person (Ruth 1:8), to her foreman as a relentless worker (Ruth 2:7) and to the neighbors as a loving daughter-in-law (4:15). Most of all, Boaz liked what the townsmen were saying about Ruth, that she was a woman of noble character (Ruth 3:11). Ruth had sterling character.

Boaz also loved with his eyes wide open. He saw her work non-stop in the fields, from morning till evening. Ruth would stand and work in the fields for hours, days and months but yet she never complained about her lot in life. She stopped for lunch with Boaz and immediately got back to work after the break. Even together, she was not one who would talk to him (Ruth 2:5), eat with him (Ruth 2:14) or take from him (Ruth 3:17) without an invitation. Boaz saw in Ruth was a woman of faith, courage and dignity. Ruth was anything but glamorous walking till sunset, wearing work clothes and picking leftover harvest. Makeup, dress up and live up were not her.

Boaz’s mind was also wide open to Ruth’s ill-fated past. He did not consider the family bad luck, himself high risk or Ruth a Gentile curse. It was not Ruth’s fault that her husband passed away. Ruth did not jinx her husband, her husband’s parents or her husband’s brother and family. He also did not mind that Ruth had no child years into marriage, that Naomi might be attached to them or that he and Ruth were years, class and worlds apart (2:13). Contrary to what most people think, marriage to Moabites was not forbidden. As Keil & Delitzsch pointed out, “Marriage with daughters of the Moabites was not forbidden in the law, like marriages with Canaanitish women (Deut 7:3); it was only the reception of Moabites into the congregation of the Lord that was forbidden (Deut 23:4).”

Be Gentlemanly in Conduct
7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet. 9 “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer.” 10 “The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I. 13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.” (Ruth 3:7-13)

William Bennett’s Book of Virtues includes a list of etiquette from the late 19th-century book that is relevant even now:
Never break an engagement when one is made, whether of a business or social nature. If you are compelled to do so, make an immediate apology either by note or in person.
Be punctual as to time, precise as to payment, honest and thoughtful in all your transactions, whether with rich or poor.
Never look over the shoulder of one who is reading, or intrude yourself into a conversation in which you are not invited or expected to take part.
Tell the truth at all times and in all places. It is better to have a reputation for truthfulness than one for wit, wisdom, or brilliancy.
Avoid making personal comments regarding a person’s dress, manners, or habits. Always be thoughtful regarding the comfort and pleasure of others. Give the best seat in your room to a lady, an aged person, or an invalid.
Ask no questions about the affairs of your friend unless he wants your advice. Then he will tell you all he desires to have you know.
A true lady or gentleman, one who is worthy of the name, will never disparage one of the other sex by word or by deed.
Always remember that a book that has been loaned you is not yours to loan to another.
Mention your wife or your husband with the greatest respect even in your most familiar references.
If you have calls to make, see that you attend to them punctually. Your friends may reasonably think you slight them when you fail to do so.
Be neat and careful in your dress, but take care not to overdress. (The Book of Virtues 201-02, William J Bennett, NY: Simon & Schuster, 93)

Boaz was upright. He was a perfect gentleman - noble, sincere and righteous, a man unlike his generation. Many commentators point to Joseph and Daniel as model believers, but often fail to include Boaz’s name in the same category. The period of the Judges was Israel’s dark ages of untold evil and violence. Seven times the book record that the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Judg 2:11, 3:7, 3:12, 4:1, 6:1, 10:6, 13:1), twice that they did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6, 21:25) and ended with the somber last sentence that in those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. Everyone had their own set of values, rules and agenda, but Boaz was clear as fresh air, as a cloudless day and blue skies. He was sincere, reliable and truthful. It’s been said, “Reputation is who people think believe you are, but character is who you really are.”

When Boaz first met Ruth, he offered his field for her to work, advised her to stick to other girls and warned the men in the fields not to trouble her (Ruth 2:8-9). At lunchtime, he offered her bread, vinegar and roasted grain (Ruth 2:14). He made things easier, bearable and dignified for her. Boaz did not take advantage of her in the middle of the night, embarrass her for asking him to be her kinsman-redeemer and even urged her not to divulge her night visitation for fear of wagging tongues, loose lips and wild gossip (Ruth 3:14).

Boaz was a hit with his workers, too. He was courteous, considerate and caring to them. The first thing on Boaz’s mind when he burst into the scene was to visit his workers, the first thing in his heart was the welfare of his workers and the first words from his mouth were a blessing. They were never “servants” to him, but harvesters in the field (Ruth 2:4), foreman or man (Ruth 2:5), and his men (Ruth 2: 9, 15, 21). He was the owner but never the boss, master or superior, they were merely “harvesters” and never employees, servants or subordinates. Unfortunately, NIV did not translate Boaz’s female workers as “young women,” but as “servant girls,” which was not what Boaz said even though they were indeed his servants. The term is nothing more than just the female version of “foreman” in verse 4 and “men” in verse 5 (Ruth 2:8). Ruth used another Hebrew word “maid” on herself when she considered her own standing less than one of Boaz’s maids (Ruth 2:13). The only true servant word in the book and the only servant Boaz called was his own son, “Obed.” The longer name Obadiah means “servant of God.”

Boaz, even though he was in love with Ruth, made it his business to find the best home for Ruth, not the best wife for himself. Twice, the text stressed that marriage with Ruth was “in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property” (4:5, 10) and chapter 4:10 added, “so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records.”

The most controversial word in the book is in chapter 3:7. Skeptics conjectured that Ruth’s act of uncovering Boaz’s “feet” was the sexual innuendo for uncovering his body, pants or clothes. The only other time this word was used other than in Ruth was in Daniel 10:6 when Daniel had a dream of a man with bronze “legs” – nothing more than that. The text, also, did not indicate that anything improper, immoral or sexual had happened. The attempt to stain Ruth as a loose woman who did something immodest, indecent and even immoral has no biblical support. Ruth’s request to Boaz was not based on sex, but based on tradition, duty and honor (Ruth 3:8). Faithfully, the text records Boaz asking who she was and Ruth explained who she was (“I am your servant Ruth”), what he should do (“Spread the corner of your garment over me”) and why (“since you are a kinsman-redeemer”) to make sure there was no possibility of misunderstanding, no cloak of mystery and margin for error. According to Mosaic law, a surviving brother had the obligation to marry the widow of the dead brother, but the first son from this new marriage will bear the dead brother’s name (Deut 25: 5-7). The rights of redemption, according to Leviticus 25:49, can be exercised by an uncle, a cousin or any blood relative in the clan. Further, Boaz was not the nearest living relative and mixed motives could backfire.

Conclusion: Are you panicky and desperate for a man or woman in your life because you are single, lonely or aging? God has a wonderful plan and purpose for your life. The question is not whether to marry young or old, to be active or inactive in the dating scene, to marry when you have job first or house first. Marry when you’re mature, ready and sure. God had a way of turning things around, bringing people together and making things work. If you are single, the person you are waiting for may be nowhere in the horizon, just around the bend, or waiting to be found. Are you developing yourself to be the kind of person approving to God, the kind of person likable to people and the kind of person suited for marriage? Do you selfishly pray for a person who merely loves you and not one who loves God and neighbor? Do you seek first His kingdom and His righteousness?