1 Samuel 1:1-2 Had Two Wives!

 “1 and 2 Samuel form one book in the ancient Hebrew manuscripts. They were not divided into two books until the Old Testament was translated into Greek. We don’t know who wrote the books for certain. Samuel was a major contributor, but much of the book takes place after his death in 1 Samuel 25. They are called the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, not because Samuel wrote all of them, but because they describe his great ministry in Israel and the legacy of it.” (Guzik)

”Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. A certain man: At this strategic time and place, God began His plan as He almost always does – with a person He will use. God can do His work by Himself, or by angels, or by any number of other means, but His normal method is to find a certain man and work through him.

b. Elkanah: He was a descendant of Zuph, and his family line shows he was a Levite (1 Chronicles 6:16-30). He is called an Ephraimite here because his family lived in a Levitical city in the boundaries of Ephraim, not because he was of the tribe of Ephraim.

c. Elkanah.... had two wives: Polygamy was a fact of life in the ancient world. However, the Bible never puts polygamy in a favorable light. Strife and conflict always characterize polygamous families in the Bible.

i. There was an intense, competitive relationship between the two wives, Peninnah (who had children) and Hannah (who had no children). (Guzik)

“Polygamy was ever a sin, though in the patriarchs and ancient saints, a sin of ignorance. ‘It was not so from the beginning.’ ” (Trapp) 

”He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.“

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Polygamy and divorce are tough topics but the Bible addresses them. If you have a struggling marriage, pray and study about it in the Bible. 

The Life Recovery Bible, Step 10 “We continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it”. 

The video that accompanied this step puts a question to the audience, to examine ourselves, what is my part in this situation?

Blessings 

Luke 16:19-31 THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

 Recently Pastor Scott started a series called In ——-> Between 

It reminded me of an event 10 years ago.

My father was in assisted living and every Friday I took him dinner after work. It was usually 2 soft tacos from Taco Bell without lettuce and a 44 oz Diet Coke “Thirst buster” from Circle K. If you lived in AZ you knew what a thirst buster was! 😇

He asked me shortly before he passed: he says, Im afraid, will I have to spend 3 days in hell like Jesus did? 

I opened my bible app and read him the Rich man and Poor man. 

The Rich Man and Lazarus 

”There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭19‬-‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And I explained to him that Jesus went there to free the saints who were on the other side of the divide (great gulf fixed) because after Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, their sins were removed and they could now goto heaven! 

I read him several other verses about being in the presence of the Lord. 

And for his assurance,  I asked if he accepted Jesus as His Lord and Savior? Which he replied yes. My father believed He died and rose again for our sins.

I was there when he took his last breath on earth and his first breath in heaven. 

I was also there 8 years earlier for my mother.

Blessings 

Pastor Scott’s In ——> Between Part 1

https://youtu.be/Ey72FVmX0us

Ruth 4:17-22 Jesus Our [Kinsman] Redeemer

 ”Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.“ ‭‭Ruth‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. There is a son born to Naomi: The son of Ruth and Boaz was named Obed. He had a son name Jesse. He had a son named David. And David had a descendant named Jesus!

i. “God’s hand is all over history. God works out His purpose, generation after generation. Limited as we are to one lifetime, each of us sees so little of what happens. A genealogy is a striking way of bringing before us the continuity of God’s purpose through the ages. The process of history is not haphazard. There is a purpose in it all. And the purpose is the purpose of God.” (Morris)

b. The father of David: Naomi’s return to Bethlehem, and the roots of David in Bethlehem, going back to Ruth and Boaz, are why Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem to register in the census of Augustus (Luke 2:1-5). Ruth and Boaz are the reason why Jesus was born in Bethlehem!

i. But the consideration of Jesus in this book of Ruth doesn’t begin with the mention of King David; Jesus has been through the whole book, pictured by Boaz and the office of the kinsman-redeemer.

· The kinsman-redeemer had to be a family member; Jesus added humanity to His eternal deity, so He could be our kinsman and save us.

· The kinsman-redeemer had the duty of buying family members out of slavery; Jesus redeemed us from slavery to sin and death.

· The kinsman-redeemer had the duty of buying back land that had been forfeited; Jesus will redeem the earth that mankind “sold” over to Satan.

· Boaz, as kinsman-redeemer to Ruth, was not motivated by self-interest, but motivated by love for Ruth. Jesus’ motivation for redeeming us is His great love for us.

· Boaz, as kinsman-redeemer to Ruth, had to have a plan to redeem Ruth unto himself - and some might have thought the plan to be foolish. Jesus has a plan to redeem us, and some might think the plan foolish (saving men by dying for them on a cruel cross?), yet the plan works and is glorious.

· Boaz, as kinsman-redeemer to Ruth, took her as his bride; the people Jesus has redeemed are collectively called His bride (Ephesians 5:31-32; Revelation 21:9).

· Boaz, as kinsman-redeemer to Ruth, provided a glorious destiny for Ruth. Jesus, as our redeemer, provides a glorious destiny for us.

ii. But it all comes back to the idea of Jesus as our kinsman-redeemer; this is why He became a man. God might have sent an angel to save us, but the angel would not have been our kinsman. Jesus, in His eternal glory, without the addition of humanity to His divine nature might have saved us, but He would not have been our kinsman. A great prophet or priest would be our kinsman, but his own sin would have disqualified him as our redeemer. Only Jesus, the eternal God who added humanity to His eternal deity, can be both the kinsman and the redeemer for mankind!

ii. Isaiah 54:4-8 describes the beautiful ministry of the LORD as our goel - our kinsman-redeemer: Do not fear, for you will not be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame... your [Kinsman] Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel... For the LORD has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit... with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you, says the LORD, your [Kinsman] Redeemer.

iii. From eternity, God planned to bring Ruth and Boaz together, and thus make Bethlehem His entrance point for the coming of Jesus as our true Kinsman-Redeemer, fully God and fully man. Spiritually, we need to come to Bethlehem and let Jesus redeem us. As it was written in the Christmas hymn, O Little Town of Bethlehem:

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light:
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, but in the world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

(Guzik)

And all God’s people said, amen!

Blessings 

Normally I search and add a picture to the Bible study and when I searched “Jesus our Kinsman Redeemer” a short video of our pastor from Calvary Tucson came up.

Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/nbIj7JJGYX4

Ruth 4:13–16 Are Called According to His Purpose!

 ”So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.“ ‭‭Ruth‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. The LORD gave her conception: The gift of children was never taken for granted in Israel. The fact that Boaz and Ruth were able to raise up a son to the deceased Elimelech was evidence of God’s blessing. (Guzik)

”Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.“

‭‭Ruth‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Blessed be the LORD: Look at blessed Naomi! She now had a grandson; she was now famous in Israel; and she got to be a nurse to her own grandson.

b. Who has not left you this day without a close relative: It was fitting that these blessings in the life of Naomi be given so much attention at the end of the book. Naomi was the one whose original returning to the LORD began all this great work of God. If Naomi had not decided to go back to Bethlehem, the land of Israel, and the God of Israel, none of this would have happened.

i. This is a marvelous demonstration of what God can do through one poor woman who gets right with Him.

ii. It is also fitting because Naomi was the one who said in chapter one, the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me... the LORD has brought me home again empty... the LORD has testified against me(Ruth 1:20-21). If only Naomi could have seen then how greatly the LORD would bless her at the end!

iii. We can’t blame Naomi - we certainly do the same kind of thing. But we should also learn from what she learned. We should learn that God’s plan is perfect and filled with love, and even when we can’t figure out what He is doing and it all seems so desperate, He still knows what He is doing. We should learn that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). (Guzik)

Are Called According to His Purpose!

”And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.“

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Last summer our church counselor retired and though it seemed abrupt he had been planning it for two years. The problem was the church didn’t have a plan in place for a replacement weekly program to replace Compassionate Recovery. It was a biblical 12 step program for hurts, hangups and habits. My wife and I suggested a replacement using the Life Recovery Bible but a different one was chosen for a semester and the leader left after that semester. 

Long story short, we are leading the Life Recovery Bible group at our church! Some members have said that they have learned more with the LRB program than with years of the other program. 

We were called according to His Purpose!

Is God calling you?

Blessings 

https://liferecoverygroups.com

https://www.tyndale.com/sites/liferecovery/

Ruth 4:11-12 Perez!

 ”And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman.” Ruth‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. All the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses”: No doubt, the crowd cheered! The men thought Ruth was beautiful and the women thought Boaz was handsome. Everybody could see what a romantic, loving occasion this was.

b. Like Rachel and Leah: These two had thirteen children between them and were the “mothers” of the whole nation of Israel. This was a big blessing to put on Boaz and Ruth.

c. Like the house of Perez: What was so special about Perez? The story of his birth is in Genesis 38:27-30.

”Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called Perez. Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.“

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭38‬:‭27‬-‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Perez!

Birthright had been important in biblical times as it carried the full weight of inheritance and in Perez’s instance we see he managed to become the firstborn! 

“May your house be like the house of Perez” was a special blessing for this couple!

Indeed, the Lord will bless them as we will discover soon!

Blessings 

Ruth 4:9-10 Putting God First

 ”And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.”“

‭‭Ruth‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Boaz said to the elders and all the people: Boaz joyfully proclaimed - legally sealing the transaction - that he would redeem both the property and the posterity of Elimelech, and (best of all!) take Ruth, the woman he loved, as his wife.

i. That the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of this place is a good description of the idea of preserving the posterity of the deceased.

b. Ruth... I have acquired as my wife: Back in chapter one, Ruth seemed to be giving up on her best chance of marriage by leaving her native land of Moab and giving her heart and life to the God of Israel. But as Ruth put God first, He brought her together in a relationship greater than she could have imagined. Today, God will bless those wanting to get married in the same way if they will only put Him first.

c. You are witnesses this day: This explains why a marriage ceremony is important, and why it should be recognized by the civil authorities. Boaz had a love for Ruth that was public, a love that wanted to be publicly witnessed and registered. (Guzik)

Putting God First

In the Book of Ruth we learned that Boaz and Ruth put God first, and because of their faith that the Lord blessed them both. Putting God first was displayed in their lives, the way that they cared for others.

“By this all will know that you are My disciples”

”A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” ‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Are you a disciple of Jesus?

Blessings