-Devotion by Brian Froehlich (IL) – Brian has been writing devotions on his facebook page this year as he reads along with a chronological Bible reading plan. We will post Brian’s writing on 1 Samuel 9 & 10 today and 11 & 12 and summary tomorrow.
Let’s walk slowly, line by line, through 1 Samuel 9–12 and let the Bible explain itself.
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1 Samuel 9 – A Man Looking for Donkeys… and Finding a Kingdom
Saul is introduced while searching for lost donkeys (9:3).
That matters.
He is not chasing a throne.
He is not asking to lead.
He is walking through ordinary life.
But God tells Samuel ahead of time:
“About this time tomorrow I will send you a man…” (1 Samuel 9:16)
Saul thinks he is searching.
God says, “I am sending.”
This is how God works.
God is already acting as King—
directing people, setting appointments, moving history.
Saul meets Samuel.
Samuel tells him:
“All the desire of Israel is turned to you.” (9:20)
The people want a king.
And Saul looks like the answer.
He is:
• Tall (9:2)
• Impressive
• The kind of man people notice
Everything about him says:
“This is what we were looking for.”
But the question is not:
“Does he look right?”
The question is:
“Is he the one who can lead people back to God?”
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1 Samuel 10 – Chosen, Confirmed… and Hiding
Samuel anoints Saul (10:1).
God gives signs:
• Donkeys found (10:2)
• Bread provided (10:3–4)
• Spirit comes upon him (10:6)
Everything confirms:
God has chosen this man.
But then comes a strange moment.
When it is time to present the king:
“They looked for him, but he was not to be found… he has hidden himself among the supplies.” (10:21–22)
The king is hiding.
The man who stands tall in appearance
is small in confidence.
This is a warning.
A person can look ready
and still not be ready.
The people see his height.
God sees his heart.
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Tomorrow we will share the rest of Brian K Froehlich’s devotion on 1 Samuel 9-12 which he posted on his facebook page on April 11, 2026.
Reflection Questions
Who do you recognize as chosen by God to be a leader in your life? Is there perhaps anyone else that you have overlooked or not accepted as God’s chosen?
Have you ever been surprised by what role it might appear God has chosen you for?
Have you ever wanted to run and hide when God called you to a job? Where should your confidence lie?
Prayer
Dear God, You are perfect and all Your ways are perfect. Help me see and know that You are the Ultimate King I need all the time. Thank you for selecting, anointing, and working through the human leaders You have chosen for my life. Show me, Lord, what job You desire me to do. Fill me with Your Spirit, prepare me, make me bold, keep my trust in You in all things. Thank you for Your Son Jesus and the job You have given him to reign.
-Devotion by Brian Froehlich (IL) – Brian has been writing devotions on his facebook page this year as he reads along with a chronological Bible reading plan. Great job sharing God’s Word, Brian! Today’s devotion covers 1 Samuel 4-8.
I believe God is not something we carry. He is Someone we follow.
And in 1 Samuel 4–8, Israel had to learn that the hard way.
In 1 Samuel 4, Israel goes into battle against the Philistines—and they lose.
Instead of asking, “Why did this happen?” or “Are we right with God?” they ask, “What can we bring into battle next time?”
So they come up with a plan.
“Let’s bring the ark of the covenant.”
Not to worship. Not to repent. Not to seek God. Just… bring the box.
They treated the ark like a good luck charm.
When the ark shows up, Israel shouts so loudly the ground shakes. The Philistines hear it and panic: “God has come into the camp!”
But here’s the problem—God hadn’t.
They brought the symbol, but ignored the God behind it.
And the result? Israel loses again. Thirty thousand die. The ark is captured. Eli’s sons are killed. And a woman names her child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel.”
They had the object, but they lost the presence.
I believe this still happens today. People carry Bibles, wear crosses, sit in church pews—but they are not walking with God.
God is not a charm you carry. He is a King you follow.
In 1 Samuel 5–6, the Philistines take the ark and place it in the temple of their god Dagon.
The next morning, Dagon is face down before the ark.
They set him back up.
The next morning, he has fallen again—this time his head and hands are broken off.
God didn’t need Israel to defend Him. He handled it Himself.
Then tumors break out among the people. Panic spreads from city to city. They finally say, “Send it back!”
They put the ark on a cart with two cows and say, “If this goes back to Israel, we’ll know it was God.”
It goes straight back.
Because God does not need help proving He is God.
I believe we forget this. We argue like God is fragile. We panic like truth is losing.
God is not on trial. He is still on the throne.
Then in 1 Samuel 6, the ark returns to Israel. The people rejoice.
But then something sobering happens.
Some men look into the ark—and they die.
There is something in us that wants to look.
Even when we know we shouldn’t, we want to see.
It reminds me of what happened after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
When he died in 1865, his body was placed on a funeral train that traveled across the country. In city after city, thousands of people lined up. They waited for hours—sometimes all night—just for a few seconds to look at his face.
Not touch. Not speak. Just look.
But it didn’t stop there.
After he was buried, his body was moved multiple times. Reburied. Relocated for security. There was even an attempted grave robbery.
And over the years, his casket was opened again and again.
Not once. Not twice. Multiple times.
Each time—people looking. Checking. Confirming. Curious.
The last time was in 1901. More than 35 years after his death, they opened it again just to make sure he was still there.
A teenage boy named Fleetwood Lindley was allowed to step forward and look inside. He later said Lincoln’s face was still recognizable.
And that boy lived until 1963.
Think about that.
For nearly 100 years after Lincoln died, someone could still say, “I saw him.”
There is something deep in human nature that doesn’t just want to hear—we want to see for ourselves.
And that same instinct shows up in 1 Samuel.
The ark wasn’t just a box. It represented the presence of God.
And the people thought, “What’s inside? Let me just look. Just a quick peek.”
But God had already made it clear—this is not something you handle casually.
This is not something you open out of curiosity.
Because what starts as curiosity quickly becomes irreverence.
And irreverence in the presence of a holy God is deadly.
Not everything sacred is meant to be opened.
In 1 Samuel 7, the people finally ask the right question: “Who can stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God?”
And Samuel gives the right answer: “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods.”
Repentance—not rituals.
They gather. They fast. They confess, “We have sinned against the Lord.”
And when the Philistines come again, this time God thunders from heaven and throws them into confusion.
Israel wins.
Samuel sets up a stone and calls it Ebenezer—“Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
Notice the difference.
Before, they carried the ark into battle.
Now, they come to God in repentance.
Before, they tried to use God.
Now, they submit to Him.
And that changes everything.
I believe victory doesn’t come from having God near you. It comes from being right with Him.
Then in 1 Samuel 8, the people come to Samuel and say, “Give us a king.”
Why?
“So we can be like all the other nations.”
God tells Samuel, “It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”
They didn’t want “no king.”
They wanted a king they could see. Control. Be like everyone else.
Samuel warns them—a king will take your sons, your daughters, your fields, your money.
And they say, “We still want a king.”
I believe this is still true.
People say they want freedom. They say they want no king. But they don’t.
They just want a king they can manage.
But God does not compete with other kings.
He calls you to surrender to Him.
I believe God is not a tool to use. God is not weak and in need of defense. God is holy—not casual. And God alone is worthy to be King.
So the question is not, “Do you have God with you?”
The question is: Are you with Him?
Because you can carry the ark and still lose the battle.
But if you return to Him with all your heart, you will find that He was never lost at all.
Reflection Questions
It’s hard to get the right answers when you ask the wrong questions. What wrong questions do people ask today? When have you found yourself asking the wrong questions? What are better questions to ask?
Is there a time when your lack of repentance got you into deeper trouble? What happens when you repent? Is there something you need to repent of right now?
What or who do you want to be the leader of your life? Do your actions andd attitudes agree with the answer you gave? What does submitting to God look like?
How has God helped you thus far? How will you remember these things?
Prayer
Dear God, You are a holy, righteous God, maker of heaven and earth, the only true God, the One who sits on the throne today with your Son at Your right hand. How amazing that the King of the Universe wants to have a relationship with me! Help me to not take You for granted, God, or treat You irreverently. Help me see clearly what I need to repent of, that I will repent, submit and be right with You.
Today’s reading in 1 Samuel 5-6 is so thought-provoking. I can’t help but wonder, how could these people be directly confronted with the power of God and not be convinced to follow Him as the one true God and to forsake all other gods? They literally witnessed firsthand the terrifying wrath of God Almighty as they were plagued with tumors and their “god” Dagon was reduced to a beheaded and dismembered statue. In our modern times, it is truly mind-boggling to me that anyone can see the beauty and splendor of earth (the variety of flowers, trees, natural landscapes, etc.) and our amazing bodies (immune system, regeneration, etc.) and conclude it happened by mere explosive chance. It reminds me that we can’t take it personally when people don’t accept the gospel message in spite of our best efforts. We have to be faithful that God knows hearts and He can find a way to reach them if their hearts are open. Today’s reading in Acts 26 is such a great testimony to that concept. Paul testifies to King Agrippa about his actions toward Christians while he was a Pharisee:
9 In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them. 11 In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme. Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities. (CSBA)
God knew Paul’s heart and he used Jesus Christ to reach Paul. Paul had to literally be struck blind before he could finally “see” the light. We are wisely advised in Matthew 10:14 regarding what to do when others reject the gospel message we share:
14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.
It’s also important to remember that we could be planting a seed that might bear fruit down the road because God will see to it that it comes to fruition based on that person’s heart. 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 reminds us of this important point:
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. (ESV)
In the meantime, we must not give up as advised in Galatians 6:9:
9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (ESV)
When I signed up for today’s devotion, I did so specifically because Psalm 46 is one of my absolute favorite passages in the Bible; therefore, I can’t end this devotion without tying in this beloved chapter. This passage is a great reminder that when we encounter trouble in this world (including resistance to the gospel message), we can be comforted by verse 1 that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (ESV) Be obedient and share the gospel message, and then give it to God.
9 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress . (ESV)
Reflection Questions
What were some of Paul’s experiences in sharing the gospel message?
What have your experiences been in sharing the gospel message? Do you let the fear of, or past negative reactions keep you from trying?
What can you learn from Paul?
What makes God and His Son so worthy of sharing with others? What happens when we don’t?
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, You are the One True God – worthy of all praise and worship and worthy of our dedication to sharing the good news. I confess the times I have not taken advantage of all the opportunities You place before me to share what a great, worthy God You are. Help me be who You want me to be. Help me learn from Paul and boldly, with a heart of compassion and urgency, share with others who You are and what You and Your Son have done and will do. Thank You for opening and changing hearts and being the help I need today.
I believe Psalm 45 refers to Jesus and the upcoming wedding of the bride, the Church, to her bridegroom Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1 confirms this assumption as it quotes Ps. 45:6-7,
8 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (NIV)
I was especially struck by verse 5 of Psalm 45, “Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.” (NIV) This piercing of hearts could be literal as Revelation depicts Jesus wielding a sword and subduing his enemies. “From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.” (Rev. 19:15, ESV) However, I couldn’t help but wonder if this verse also has some metaphorical significance. Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies. Do we pray that their hearts will be pierced by the gospel message so that they have the hope of salvation? Acts 2:36-38 beautifully illustrates what happens when our hearts are pierced by the gospel message:
36 ‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’
37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do? ’
38 Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (CSBA)
Are there enemies of the kingdom that you could pray for at this time? Remember, God’s heart in this matter: “This is good, and it pleases God our Saviour, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4, CSBA).
Reflection Questions
Who are the enemies of the kingdom that you could pray for at this time?
Will you pray that their hearts will be pierced by the gospel message so that they have the hope of salvation? Are there other words and actions that you can take that would support this prayer?
In what ways can you pray for and act towards a heart that more aligns with God’s heart?
Prayer
Dear God, I praise you for being the perfect One True God. You are the absolute perfect God of love, compassion, mercy, grace, righteousness, truth, power and justice. Help me God to see Your heart and recognize where mine needs adjusting. Help me God to develop a heart, thoughts, words, prayers and actions that strive for salvation for all. I know that your justice and judgment and timing is perfect. Show me who are the enemies of Your Kingdom, and how You want me to pray for them, warn them, and model a better way that leads to life with You and Your Son.
Verses 24 and 25 in today’s reading in Acts immediately captured my attention,
“Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” (NIV).
My takeaway from these verses is that Felix must have recognized the gospel message as the truth, but didn’t want to act on it. Instead, he wanted to pretend like he had never heard it. Reading these verses immediately brought to mind Hebrews 10:31: “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (NIV) Earlier in chapter 10 of Hebrews in verse 26 and 27, we read of the fate of those who know the truth but don’t allow it to change them, “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” To be confronted with the truth and then deliberately choose to ignore it doesn’t make us immune from God’s judgment. Hebrews 10:39: “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” (NIV) May we have a bold faith like Paul rather than one that shrinks back like Felix’s.
Reflection Questions
Why might Felix have been afraid of the truth he heard from Paul – about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come? Even with fear, what might have been a better response than his, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you”?
Is there truth that you are too afraid to face? How do you respond to that fear? Even with fear, what might be a better response?
Are there some things God might want us to be fearful of? If so, what and why, for what purpose? Are there some things God does not want us to be fearful of? If so, what and why, for what purpose?
Prayer
Dear God, You are the mighty and wise Creator of heaven and earth and all truth. I pray that You show me what is true – about You, Your Son, Your Word, myself, this world and the one to come. I desire a deeper and deeper faith in You that is bold in believing, sharing and acting upon Your truth. Guide me today in seeing and making the most of every opportunity you set before me, as a Paul and not a Felix. In the name of Your Son, who came and will come again, I pray.
Today, I’d like to focus on Boaz’s major role in the book of Ruth: his role as a “Go’el” or “kinsman-redeemer”.
As I talked about three days ago, Naomi experienced probably the worst hardship a woman can go through, losing her husband and her two sons. And, as I mentioned as well, being a woman in the ancient near east without a household-leading man leaves you destitute, without any social power in society. And, for Israel specifically, the matter of inheritance of property becomes a major factor in this loss of name-bearers.
This is where the go’el or “kinsman-redeemer” comes in. There are a few ways the go’el could act:
Redeeming land – If a relative had to sell the land due to poverty or debt, the go’el could buy it back so that it stays in the family name. (Leviticus 25)
Redeeming persons – Like above, but if a person sells themselves into slavery, the go’el could buy out their freedom.
Avenging blood – If someone is murdered, the go’el could enact justice by avenging their relative (Numbers 25).
Levirate marriage – Though this is separate, as we read in Deuteronomy 25, the go’el could marry a widow of a family member, and any child born as a result of the go’el and the widow would inherit the name of the dead relative.
This is an interesting situation, and Boaz’s role in Ruth is what explains how this law relates to being a go’el.
Before Ruth 4, almost all interactions with Boaz simply call him go’el (usually translated as some variation on family redeemer, though I just like the word kinsman). In Ruth 3, Ruth proposes to Boaz, asking him to be a go’el. His answer is seen in Ruth 3:10-13
10Then he said, “May the Lord bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not pursued younger men, whether rich or poor. 11Now don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say, since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character. 12Yes, it is true that I am a family redeemer, but there is a redeemer closer than I am. 13Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, that’s good. Let him redeem you. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, as the Lord lives, I will. Now lie down until morning.”
The next day, Boaz follows through. He goes to the “other redeemer” and asks him to redeem Elimelech’s land. The other redeemer answers in Ruth 4:4
I thought I should inform you: Buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do it. But if you do not want to redeem it, tell me so that I will know, because there isn’t anyone other than you to redeem it, and I am nextafter you.”
“I want to redeem it,” he answered.
Of course, Boaz left out a key bit of information there. He adds in verse 5, and the redeemer replies in verse 6:
Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from Naomi, you will acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.”
The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t redeem it.”
This is interesting. Why can’t this man redeem the land and marry Ruth?
The initial request was effectively asking him to “buy the land” per the Leviticus 25 law (point 1 above). But the addition of Ruth here complicates things. This means that he’d be buying the land just to pass it on to a son who, while biologically his, would, legally speaking, not be his. In other words, the redeemer refused because this was an entirely sacrificial act: the person acting as go’el does not gain anything from the deal. Now, it very well may be that this closer relative could not financially handle this strain, where he may have had the wealth to invest into the land, but would need the effective ownership of it to maintain financial stability. It is not said, just that he refused.
So, then Boaz fully accepts the role of kinsman-redeemer, which we read the acceptance speech in Ruth 4:9-10
9Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. 10I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his hometown. You are witnesses today.”
With accepting this, we can now see the full context, which further exemplifies Boaz’s noble character. He fully understood that buying the land was a total loss of money, and that the children he would have with Ruth would not be his, as far as society cares, but instead be children of Mahlon. He prioritized the care of these two widows above financial gain.
Finally, I cannot talk about redeemers without talking about our own. How is Jesus our go’el?
Looking back to the list of potential responsibilities of the go’el, for us, I’d argue that we needed purchasing from slavery.
John 8:34
Jesus responded, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
Romans 6:6b, 16
6…so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin
16Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Romans 7:14, 18-19
14For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold as a slave under sin.
18For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. 19For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.
Galatians 3:22
22But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise might be given on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe.
But while we were slaves under sin, with Christ, we’ve been freed. Most of these passages above answer their comments on sin saying as such.
John 8:36
36So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.
Romans 6:6, 17-18
6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin,
17But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, 18and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.
And we can even see how Peter and Paul both refer to Jesus as a redeemer, ransoming us from our sin.
1 Peter 1:18-19
18For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.
Ephesians 1:7-8
7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace8that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.
Jesus is our go’el, buying us out of slavery from sin, redeeming us back into the family of God.
Reflection Questions
Are you finding yourself seeking out that slavery after you’ve been freed? If you haven’t accepted Jesus, yet, have you considered how you can be freed from sin? Are you willing to sacrifice your time and money if it would help your friends and family? Have you taken a moment to remember the price paid for your freedom?
Ruth shows exemplary faith and trust in her mother-in-law, which is an example we can all learn from. Naomi provides a plan to appeal to Boaz to be a family redeemer, a crazy plan that, even by today’s standards, would be radical.
So remember exactly what this is: a marriage proposal. Ruth is fully on board with marrying a man, not her herself, but for her mother-in-law. This is, at its core, an example of a person fully submitting themselves to another.
This reminds me of John 15:13
No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.
In the context of the gospels and this sentence in general, it is about sacrificing your full life for your friends, that is, dying for them. But Ruth shows another way we can lay down our lives for our friends, by giving up our life so that our friends, family, or whoever, might have a better life because of our actions. Ruth could have stayed in Moab (Ruth 1:15) but instead she left security to support her widowed mother-in-law.
Using this context on sacrificial love, take a look at Mark 12:29-31, where Jesus answered the question of the greatest commandment.
29Jesus answered, “The most important is Listen, Israel! The Lordour God, the Lordis one.30 Lovethe Lord your Godwith all your heart, with all your soul [life], with all your mind,and with all your strength.31The second is, Love your neighboras yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”
When we’re told to love Yahweh our God with all of our heart, life, mind, and strength, do you understand what all means there? Ruth is an example of living a life for someone else. She gave up her own wishes and fully submitted to the will of her mother-in-law. And, while Boaz is certainly a perfect example of loving your neighbor as yourself, Ruth is certainly a good example, too. Remember: Ruth is a Moabitess. So any care and love she shows for an Israelite is showing love for her neighbor.
Reflection Questions:
Are you willing to forget yourself for the sake of your friends and family, when they’re in need? Are you fully in submission to your God, that when he sends you a command, will you say, “I will do everything you say”?
PRayer:
Yahweh, our one and only God,
I thank you for your son, who was the perfect demonstration of both,
Boaz has become my favorite man in the Bible, and Ruth 2 highlights the big reasons why.
Ruth 2 opens by describing Boaz as a “man of noble character” (Ruth 2:1), but the first thing we see of Boaz is far more telling. Look how he greets his employees in Ruth 2:4,
Later, when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he said to the harvesters, “Yahweh be with you.”
“Yahweh bless you,” they replied.
Upon hearing that Ruth is gleaning from his field, he finds her, and further shows his noble character. He learns about her first from his chief servant in Ruth 2:5-7
5Boaz asked his servant who was in charge of the harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?”
6The servant answered, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the territory of Moab. 7She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters?’ She came and has been on her feet since early morning, except that she rested a little in the shelter.”
Then when he goes to Ruth,
8Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go and gather grain in another field, and don’t leave this one, but stay here close to my female servants. 9See which field they are harvesting, and follow them. Haven’t I ordered the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.”
And while it’s good to isolate how to be a good Godly man from Boaz, we can also pull a bit of being a good Godly woman from this chapter, when he answers a question from Ruth in 2:10-12
10She fell facedown, bowed to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor with you, so that you notice me, although I am a foreigner?”
11Boaz answered her, “Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me: how you left your father and mother and your native land, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know. 12May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”
But Boaz continues showing generosity by giving her dinner before sending her home, and dinner for the week by sending barley home with her (Ruth 2:15-18)
Here’s a few more examples of being a godly man or woman from throughout the Bible:
1 Corinthians 16:13-14
13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. 14 Do everything in love.
Psalm 112
1Hallelujah!
Happy is the person who fears the Lord,
taking great delight in his commands.
4Light shines in the darkness for the upright.
He is gracious, compassionate, and righteous.
5Good will come to the one who lends generously
and conducts his business fairly.
9 He distributes freely to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.
His horn will be exalted in honor.
Micah 6:8
Mankind, he has told each of you what is good
and what it is the Lord requires of you:
to act justly,
to love faithfulness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
From Ephesians 5
15Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— 16making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Reflection Questions:
Ruth 2 is a chapter that is filled with positive examples for improving yourself in any relationship you’re in. Both as an example in how to be yourself, but also in creating expectations for those with whom you want a relationship (whether friend or romance). Are there any ways you can improve in yourself to be a better friend or partner or spouse? Is there any way you can better help your friend be a better friend or partner be a better partner?
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven,
Thank you for the demonstration of your love in Jesus
Please guide us to being the best person we can be
While Ruth is so titled for the woman who shows great bravery in following her mother-in-law to unknown land, she is not the main character of the story. Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, is the lead driving character in the whole story.
This book has many themes, the most prominent being love, however this isn’t the theme that I’d like to dive into today. Instead we will follow Naomi as she falls into bitterness for events for which she blames God. Then, we’ll look at how we or those close to us have experienced this same bitterness, events that make us turn to God and say, “Why? Why me?” and we’ll look at how Naomi and a couple others turned from this negative view.
The cause of Naomi’s bitterness is described in Ruth 1:1-5.
1During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while. 2The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the fields of Moab and settled there. 3Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about ten years, 5both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two children and without her husband.
Running down what Naomi has gone through so far, we see:
A famine forces her, with her husband and her sons, to flee to Moab, leaving her familial home behind.
Her husband dies.
While she experiences the joy of seeing her sons marry, she then loses both her sons
So, having been forced from her home, losing her husband, and also both her sons, Naomi is now a widow in a foreign land with no men in her life. Bear in mind, in the culture of the ancient near east, a woman has no social power without a man. Her life is in a massive upheaval and with this, Naomi makes a choice – her only choice, really. She will return home to Israel.
It’s easy while reading the Bible to forget that we’re reading about the lives of real humans. But, to put yourself in Naomi’s shoes for just a moment, you can probably imagine what she might be feeling in this moment. Naomi will answer for herself in Ruth 1:19-21, which says,
19The two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about their arrival and the local women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
20“Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,” she answered, “for the Almighty has made me very bitter. 21I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has opposed me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
Ruth’s mother-in-law doesn’t feel like “pleasant” Naomi anymore. All these events have, understandably, made Naomi quite bitter towards her God. (This line in verse 20 is a play on words easily lost in the translation from Hebrew to English. “Naomi” means “pleasant”, while “Mara” means “bitter”. )
Naomi’s feeling that God has left her isn’t a unique instance in the Bible. The psalmist of Psalm 42-43 held a similar sentiment (these two Psalms are likely one psalm, based on the repeated refrain in 42:5, 42:11 and 43:5). He was likely someone during an exile whose psalm held two main prayers: first, help me against my enemies and second, why have you [God] abandoned me?
Psalm 43:2
For you are the God of my refuge.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about in sorrow
because of the enemy’s oppression?
The psalmist asks God to recall him to Jerusalem so he can worship once again. Continuing the psalm in 43:3-4:
3 Send your light and your truth; let them lead me.
Let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling place.
4Then I will come to the altar of God,
to God, my greatest joy.
I will praise you with the lyre,
God, my God.
This bitterness and abandonment that the psalmist and Naomi feel may easily be felt by us too. Through the woes of this world, whether it be the loss of good friends and family; seeing close friends walk away from the faith; or seeing the state of the world, a world which serves itself as god, it can be very easy for us to become dejected, to be in such turmoil. To become bitter as the people ask, all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:3).
But throughout this song and prayer, the psalmist repeats this refrain. It is a refrain of hope and faith. Though feeling abandoned by God, he still chooses to praise him. Psalm 43:5 says:
Why, my soul, are you so dejected?
Why are you in such turmoil?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Following from the psalmist’s words it may seem easy to say: Why, Naomi, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, still praise him, your savior and your God. However, as with most things in life; it is easier said than done.
So how do we do it? How do we continue to show our faithfulness and love for God when times become turbulent?
Let’s start small and look at how the psalmist talks about God. 42:1-2 (which is the basis for my favorite hymn) tells us:
1As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so I long for you, God.
2I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I come and appear before God?
He begins with the longing to see his God (where he can see his God – at the temple). The psalmist speaks only faithfully of his God, remembering leading the festivities in the temple with joyful and thankful shouts. He is depressed though he does not wish to be.
Finally from this psalm, he calls Yahweh by name once in this whole psalm (42-43), which he uses intentionally, as a part of remembering Yahweh’s faithfulness. The singer remembers that Yahweh sends his faithful love, his hesed, by day, and His song is with him by night (Psalm 42:8). All day and all night, Yahweh is with you.
Now, bringing it back to Naomi, she doesn’t have some epiphany, nor does she come back to the joy of her God on her own. No, instead, she is brought back to joy by those around her. The titular Ruth, in a brilliant act of bravery, chooses to follow her mother-in-law to, to Ruth, a foreign land, choosing the unknown path of life over the safer path as Orpah did, in staying in Moab (Ruth 1:15-18). Because Ruth went with Naomi, God was able to work good in her life, through the path of a redeemer, Boaz, who would be the second major factor in restoring Naomi to a pleasant life (Ruth 4:15).
REflection Questions
Have you experienced the bitterness of life, as Naomi and this psalmist have? If you have, how’d you get through it? Did you do as the psalmist, choosing to praise God even when it was hard? Or did your friends and family help you through it, bringing the joy of God in their actions?
Prayer
Here’s a short prayer based on the psalm we read:
God, our God of heaven, how I long for you
Be with me in this life, that we might not forget
For those who seek you, asking “Where are you God?”
This verse from today’s reading is particularly poignant to me. When I read it, I imagine the person feeling like they are drowning in sorrows and troubles and calling out to God for their deepest rescue in their deepest time of need.
Earlier this week I alluded to the passage in Matthew when Peter stepped out in faith to walk on water. “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ (Matthew 14:30, NIV). In this moment, Peter was literally scared he was going to drown and those three little words—”Lord, save me”—were so simple yet so powerful.
When we fail to find the right words, maybe we can remember those three little words —”Lord, save me”. Or, if we find ourselves struggling so much to keep our heads above water that we are at a complete loss for words, Romans 8:26 reminds us that the Holy Spirit will intercede for us when we feel like we are drowning and can’t even form the words: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (NIV) I am grateful for a God who loves us so much that He meets us where we are with a lifeboat. When we can’t find the words, He finds the words for us. How great is our God!
Reflection Questions
What is one of your favorite verses in Psalm 42? Does an image come to mind when you read it? Explain.
Kristy gives a powerful image when she writes: “I am grateful for a God who loves us so much that He meets us where we are with a lifeboat.” How else might you complete the sentence – God meets us with a __________. Thank Him.
When have you felt stuck in the crashing whitewater at a loss for words? When have you said, “Lord, Save Me!”? How have you experienced God’s rescue? What do you need saving from now?
Prayer
Dear Lord God – You are a God who saves! Over and over You meet we where I am with what I need, including salvation through Your Son, wisdom, understanding, courage, patience, Christian brothers and sisters, and hope for the future in Your perfect Kingdom of God on earth. Thank You! Please keep providing and saving! Thank you for Your Word where I find You and so many of Your gifts. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit which comforts and empowers and gives me words. You are so good, God! Help me see You at work and give me all I need today to do the work You have prepared in advance for me to do.
Seek Grow Love 