Ruth Chapter 2:1-4, Faith, or Sometimes You Just Have to Do Something

Ruth 2:1 – 4

2 Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. ² And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” ³ So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. ⁴ And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.”

            Just when the reader thinks that there is no hope for Ruth and Naomi, the author hints that there may be a ray of hope.  In the last lesson, in the last verse of chapter 1, Ruth and Naomi arrived just as the barley harvest was beginning.  There was food at last in the “house of bread” as God was blessing and providing for His people.  In chapter 2, verse 1, the author is hinting that now there may be a person, a relative on Naomi’s husband’s side, who may play a part in her ordeal. He is mentioned at the beginning of chapter two as the author sets us up for what is coming.  So now there is not only food and provision back at home, but there is also someone who may be able to help the family in their depravity. 

            Boaz is described as a worthy man.  This word has a lot of meaning, such as mighty man of valor or wealth.  Boaz could have been a war hero, something like a knight.  Honorable. Noble.  Full of integrity. He was also wealthy, as we will see later on in the story.  He was a man of influence and social standing in the community.  Note in verse 4, how he greets his workers and how they respond to him.  He is obviously respected by his laborers, and he obviously cares for them and is gracious to them.  Boaz is a real leader, a man of integrity, who stands out in this time of the judges when much evil and sin abounded.  He greeted his workers with a blessing from God, which seems to indicate that his spiritual life permeated his entire life, including his business life.  Boaz is an example of a true man of integrity that thrives under the gracious leadership and fellowship of the Lord.  His attitude towards others, towards his laborers and workers, and his care for Naomi and Ruth demonstrate his loving, gracious, yet strong and noble character. 

Creationism a danger in education?

The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly passed a nonbinding resolution condemning creationism in the classroom, and even went so far as to classify creationism as a threat to human rights.  Albert Mohler wrote about this in his blog last week here.  The text of the resolution can be found here.  I would encourage everyone to read this resolution in its entirety, because it is extremely illuminating of the thoughts and beliefs of the European Council.  The resolution passed 48 votes to 25, with three abstentions.  Obviously, the vote passed with a substantial majority.  This is a disturbing trend not only in Europe but in the West in general. 

Creationism has been on the outs since the early 20^th century when Clarence Darrow showed up William Jennings Bryan at the Scopes Trial.  Evolution has been steadily gaining in credibility over the decades, and has completely shut out any inkling of creationism in any classroom.  This is not going to be a discussion on evolution.  There are plenty of websites and books out there that offer strong critiques against evolution.  Some of those include Darwin On Trial, Darwin’s Black Box, The Battle for the Beginning, Bones of Contention, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis, Biblical Creationism, and many other books.  However, even among evangelicals, creationism has been discredited with an abundance of attacks by evolutionists and a desire by many popular evangelicals to skirt the issue in order to remain nonconfrontational. 

However, creationism is a fundamental doctrine of Scripture, and of Christianity.  Despite how the first 11 chapters of Genesis might be an embarrassment to the modern scientific mind, they are part of Scripture and describe a God that creates out of nothing, that must be omnipotent, omniscient, and sovereign.  The creation order in Genesis 1 is completely different than the evolution order of events, so the two are not compatible in any sense.  Despite many attempts, one cannot believe both in Biblical creationism and naturalistic evolution.  So where are Christians supposed to stand?  We are supposed to stand on the Scriptures.  When the Scriptures speak of creationism, we stand on creationism, despite what the world thinks.  We must be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in us.  And we do that by standing firm on the truth of the Scriptures because we know that they are God-breathed, truth itself, and without error. 

This resolution by the European Council is simply another indication of the secularization of Europe and the West.  And creation is a simple doctrine to speak out against.  If creationism is a threat to human rights, then what about the doctrine of sin that includes homosexuality?  What about the doctrine of Biblical stewardship of the earth as opposed to the theology of ecology?  The resolution states, From a scientific view point, there is absolutely no doubt that evolution is a central theory for our understanding of life on Earth.  The Council makes no mistake that it holds to a worldview that is strictly based on evolution, and has no room for creationism, and consequently no room for God.  Moreover, the resolution states, For some people the Creation, as a matter of religious belief, gives a meaning to life. Nevertheless, the Parliamentary Assembly is worried about the possible ill-effects of the spread of creationist ideas within our education systems and about the consequences for our democracies. If we are not careful, creationism could become a threat to human rights which are a key concern of the Council of Europe.  The Council again makes no mistake that it holds to a belief that creationism can become a threat to democracy and human rights.  Why?  Because it is a threat to the evolutionary worldview. 

The resolution also states, despite a statement that it does not want to impinge on any religious belief, The Assembly has constantly insisted that science is of fundamental importance. Science has made possible considerable improvements in living and working conditions and is a not insignificant factor in economic, technological and social development. The theory of evolution has nothing to do with divine revelation but is built on facts.   So in effect, the resolution claims that divine revelation is not based on fact, but the theory of evolution is!  The council attempts to separate fact from revelation.  This is a serious issue that Christians must be prepared to respond to.  Christianity is not based on imagination or wishful thinking, as evolution is, but is based on fact, in history, and substantiated by supernatural miracles. 

Read this resolution.  It claims that teaching creationism is dangerous, harmful, will turn back science, and bring society back to the dark ages without a host of scientific discoveries.  However, Christians must be prepared to take a stand on creation as a fundamental doctrine of God.  As much as we may be persecuted for it, made fun of, denigrated, and harassed in the media for it, we must stand for creationism.  When creationism falls, then other more supernatural doctrines such as sin, the resurrection, atonement, and the second coming will not be far behind. 

Musings from Disney World

Ok, my family and I just returned from a Disney World vacation in Orlando, Florida.  It was warm, and we had a great time with all of the attractions, rides, and shows.  Disney World certainly knows how to entertain a family.  Yes it was expensive, but I as the ultimate tightwad didn’t seem to mind.  The kids were loving it, and we as parents even had a great time. 

But there was one thing that seemed to bother me, and that was the constant barrage of magic and supernatural.  Now, magic has been a part of Disney since day 1, and if you watch Fantasia, you will see how magic was a big part of that (among other things).  This is not meant to be a Disney bashing, nor am I advocating we boycott Disney or anything like that.  What I would like to do is open a dialogue for intelligent discussion and reflection on the Biblical passages against magic, divination, and witchcraft, and contrast that with what is going on with Disney in the past and at present. 

Some Biblical passages include the following:  Leviticus 19:31, Leviticus 20:6, Deuteronomy 18:9-14, Galatians 5:20, Micah 5:12, 2 Kings 21:6, and 2 Chronicles 33:6, and Luke 16:26-28. 

Basically the Bible prohibits the use of magic, divination, communication (or attempted communication) with the dead, and sorcery.  Disney, however, promotes these things, glorifies these things, and makes them seem normal to some extent.  Raven is a girl that can see short visions of the future.  Twitches and Twitches Two is a set of twins that are teen witches.  Wizards of Waverly Place is about wizards and witches in training.  In the Lion King Simba sees his dead dad in the sky, and he seems to talk with Simba.  Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella are all based on magic, divination, and necromancy.

So how do Christians relate with Disney?  You can’t turn on TV or go see a movie or even go to a store without  interacting with something Disney.  So how do Christians interact with Disney?  I guess the question before the question would be, are the Biblical prohibitions against sorcery and magic still applicable to Christians today?  I would submit yes, they are, given the fact that there are both Old Testament and New Testament scriptures that prohibit or describe prohibitions on these things.  So what do we as Christians do with Disney, Raven, and even Pirates of the Caribbean?  I remember when Harry Potter came out, and there was a fundamentalist Christian opposition, the world didn’t spare any ammunition against the prudish and fuddy-duddy Christians.  Even some Christians attacked other Christians for their strict fundamental views.  So how do we engage in an unemotional, intellectual, and level-headed discussion about this issue? 

I think we as Christians need to engage in this discussion.  Maybe we don’t participate in magic and divination, but what about watching it?  What about reading about it as entertainment?  Does this type of entertainment affect the way our kids think about the world?  And if our kids are constantly engaged in a diet of unbiblical yet “harmless” entertainment, who then hold their minds?  God, or the world?  Disney, or the Bible?  If we are serious about the Bible, and serious about God, then we need to answer these questions. 

Connecting the Dots: The Decline of Christianity

 I just came across a pretty good article by Bob Burney called, Are We Reaching the Lost or Rearranging the Chairs?  In it he connects the dots among three pieces of news: one is a Washington Times article on the growth of Islam in the U.S., another is a Boston Globe article in which business people, psychologists and surveys bemoan the narcissistic nature of those entering the workforce, and a third is an article in Outreach Magazine on the growth of megachurches around the country and the megatrends they have in common.  I think he has some interesting observations. I think the key issue centers around the supposed growth of megachurches and Christianity in general, yet the constant decline of Christian influence on the culture in general and on individuals specifically. 

Burney states, I am absolutely thrilled that we have so many evangelical churches in America that are growing. I have nothing against the current megachurch trend just so long as these churches are actually biblically-based congregations. Unfortunately, however, all of the attention the megachurch trend receives sometimes gives a false view of what is actually happening, spiritually, in our country.

The statistics vary from poll to poll and study to study, but all agree on this: church attendance is not increasing in America. It is either staying steady or declining. Evangelical Christianity is not on the rise. Several studies in the past few years have indicated that at least 80 percent of all church growth, including and especially the megachurches, is “transfer” growth, not evangelism. In other words, we’re merely moving bodies from one church to another. Too often in today’s consumer oriented culture this simply means many smaller churches in a particular community “go out of business” and merge into a bigger church.

I think what he is saying is true.  Now, at least in the greater St. Louis area, I see dozens of church plants popping up everywhere.  And a single visit or cursory glace at their websites on demonstrate that they are all closes of the Rick Warren Purpose-Driven paradigm.  They all do the same thing.  Look what else he states. 

At the risk of painting with too broad a brush, it seems that much of the growth in some churches has come from a seeker-sensitive mentality that works to give people anything and everything they want. The program of the church is built on “felt needs” and desires. You do a survey, find out what people want and you give it to them in order to fill seats with warm bodies. It’s the Wal-Mart syndrome. When Wal-Mart comes to town most of the “Mom-and-Pop” shops end up closing-they simply can’t compete. Today’s megachurches can have this same monopolizing effect.

Do you see the line connecting this “dot” with the article lamenting our narcissistic culture? Is it possible that in our zeal to build bigger and bigger churches we have unknowingly fed the narcissism of our age? Is it possible we have become part of the problem rather than leaders in administering the cure? For centuries the cry of the Church was “come and die with us.” Too often today our battle-cry seems to be more like, “come and let us entertain you.” For a vast swath of evangelicalism, the true meaning of the Cross has been lost.

This hit me like a ton of bricks.  I think he is absolutely right on here.  Back to my observation about the dozens of church plants in my area, they are all alike.  They are all clones of each other.  They appeal to people based on their immediate and physical felt-needs and desires, but never (or I should say rarely) address the real need of sin and separation from God, and the consequential judgment of God.  People need to be reconciled with a Holy God, and the only way we can do that is through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I think we as evangelical Christians have indeed contributed to the narcissistic nature of not just young people but all people in our present age.  We have come to the conclusion that we ourselves can grow churches, and we do that by appealing to a person’s base, selfish needs.  We appeal to their pride: I am going to the biggest and best church around with all kinds of resources, and who does everything in total excellence.  Look how good we are. We appeal to selfishness: Look what we can do for you.  We have everything you need to be happy and satisfied here.  We are here to meet your every need.  The problem is that the gospel somehow and somewhere gets lost in all of the hoopla of the modern church.  We are so busy trying to please men that we lose sight of trying to please God.  Look at the megatrends of the top 100 growing churches.  They all focus on man and none of them focus on the gospel.  

My prayer and cry is that the evangelical Christian church must refocus itself on God, the Cross, and on the Word.  Paul in Galatians 1 states, ⁶ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- ⁷ not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. ⁹ As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. ¹⁰ For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

The Christian church must preach the truth to a world that desperately needs this truth.  This is the one unfelt-need that all people have that we must first address before we can do anything else.  Our purpose is not to meet everyone’s felt-needs of esteem, wealth, health, or any other physical, mental, or emotional need.  Those are good, but they are not primary!  Our primary purpose is to meet spiritual needs, namely the condition of the soul before a Holy God.  Christ has commissioned us to go and make disciples.  Our job is to preach the Word and the gospel to all people.  Only after we do that can we meet the other needs of the people.  We must never compromise the gospel and Word of God with meeting earthly needs.  We should meet earthly needs, yes, but not at the expense of the gospel. 

When we make this compromise, the impact is obvious.  Look around. 

Don’t Skip the First Verse!

 Many times I have seen in studying Scriptures, especially, the New Testament Epistles, people tend to skip over or skim read the first several “introductory” verses in order to get to the meat of the letter.  Please don’t!  Look at Romans 1:1 as an example, Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God….

These verses contain so much theology that one could write a book just on these seven verses alone. Because words have meaning, we want to look at each word, each phrase, and the whole section in order to get everything out of it we can.  It is through this introduction that Paul sets the stage for the rest of the letter, introducing some key terms and establishing the background for what is to come. 

Ruth 1:6-22 – Depravity, or The Contrast Between Hopelessness and Faith

  Ruth 1:6-22

After the tragedy in verses 1 – 5, Naomi hears that God has blessed His people back in Judah with food, and decides to return back to her homeland.  Naomi is heading back to her hometown.  What she cannot know and does not know is that she is on an unlikely journey to joy.  Sometimes God uses the pain of our shattered dreams in our lives to awaken within us the longings deep within ourselves for God.  In many of our cases, I believe that it takes an experience like what Naomi and Ruth experienced to provide the ground for the Holy Spirit to plough and work, which ultimately brings forth those longings for God. And when we realize these longings, then we are on our way to a kind of joy that we could not experience otherwise. 

There are several important things to note just in this particular verse, verse 6.  First, note that God is the one that provides food for His people, just as in the first section God was the one that took away he provision from His people.  Through His abundant grace, God is the one who provides for us.  We may work and strive and plan, but it is ultimately God who provides.  David Atkinson, in his commentary, The Message of Ruth, states, “Here is a central theme in the Bible: all of life is traced directly to the hand of God. To concentrate primarily on second causes may encourage us to seek to be manipulators of the system. It is concentration on the Great Cause what teaches us to live by faith.”[1] And just as God provides food for his people in Judah, God allows Naomi to hear about His goodness and provision in Moab.  Provision may constitute a knowledge of blessing, as well as the blessing itself.  Also note that this is only one of two times in the entire book of Ruth that God is referenced outside of dialogue between characters.  The other instance is Ruth 4:13, where the narrator states that God gave Ruth and Boaz a son.  These two verses act as bookends to the whole story of Ruth.  The first bookend is the provision of food for the people in Judah, for their immediate blessing.  The second is a blessing of provision, a son, not only for Ruth and Boaz, but for God’s people throughout history.  This is an eternal blessing.

Stratiotology: The Doctrine of Christians as Soldiers

OK, this is very cool website, with, among other topics, the doctrine of Christians as soldiers.  The NT uses “stratiotes” translated “soldier” as a metaphor for the Christian’s attitude in battle.  However, it is a metaphor, so it is a figure of speech.  This link, at Biblicalthought.com, explains is great detail the doctrine of Stratiotology, the doctrine of the Christian as soldier.  Very interesting reading. 

http://biblicalthought.com/blog/?cat=12