Ruth 4

Boaz gathers elders to confront kinsman verse 1- 4

Then went Boaz up to the gate – and sat him down there

and behold the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by

to whom he said

Ho – such a one – turn aside – sit down here

And he turned aside and sat down

and he took ten men of the elders of the city

and said

Sit you down here

and they sat down

And he said to the kinsman

Naomi – that is come again out of the country of Moab

sells a parcel of land

which was our brother Elimelech’s

And I thought to advertise you

saying

Buy it before the inhabitants – and before the elders of my people

IF you will redeem it – redeem it

BUT IF you will not redeem it – then tell me

that I may know

FOR there is none to redeem it beside you

and I am after you

And he said

I will redeem it

Kinsman wants to redeem verse 5- 6

THEN said Boaz

What day you buy the field of the hand of Naomi

you must buy it also of Ruth of Moabitess

the wife of the dead

to raise up the name of the dead

upon his inheritance

And the kinsman

said

I cannot redeem it for myself – lest I mar mine own inheritance

redeem you my right to yourself – for I cannot redeem it

Custom of removal of sandal verse 7- 8

Now this was the manner in former time in Israel

concerning redeeming and concerning changing

for to confirm all things

a man plucked off his shoe

and gave it to his neighbor

and this was a testimony in Israel

Therefore the kinsman

said to Boaz

Buy it for you

so he drew off his shoe

Boaz buys all that was Elimelech’s verse 9- 10

And Boaz said to the elders and to 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

of the hand of Naomi

Moreover Ruth the Moabitess – the wife of Mahlon

have I purchased to be my wife

to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance

that the name of the dead be not cut off from among

his brethren –and from the gate of his place

you are witnesses this day

Elders state they are witnesses to sale verse 11- 12

And all the people that were in the gate

and the elders said

We are witnesses

The LORD make the woman that is come into your house like Rachel

and like Leah – which two did build the house of Israel

and do you worthily in Ephratah

and be famous in Bethlehem

and let your house be like the house of Pharez

whom Tamar bare unto Judah

of the seed which the LORD

shall give your of this young woman

Boaz marries Ruth verse 13- 15

So Boaz took Ruth – and she was his wife – and when he went in to her

the LORD gave her conception – and she bare a son

And the women

said to Naomi

Blessed be the LORD

which has not left you this day without a kinsman

that his name may be famous in Israel

And he shall be to you a restorer of your life

and a nourisher of your old age

for your daughter-in-law – which loves you

which is better to you than seven sons

has borne him

Naomi happy with birth of Obed verse 16- 17

And Naomi took the child – and laid it in her bosom

and became nurse to it

And the women her neighbors gave it 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

Generations of Parez verse 18- 22

Now these are the generations of Pharez

Pharez begat Hezron

Hezron begat Ram

Ram begat Amminadab

Amminadab begat Nahshon

Nahshon begat Salmon

Salmon begat Boaz

Boaz begat Obed

Obed begat Jesse

Jesse begat David

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 4 And I thought to advertise you, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it: but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; and I am after you. And he said, I will redeem it. (1350 “redeem” [ga’al] means redeemer, kinsman, revenger, avenger, kinsfolk, kinsman-redeemer, buy back or by marrying a brother’s widow to beget a child for him)

DEVOTION: This is the rest of the story. Most people don’t know that Ruth is in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. She is a Moabite in the bloodline of Jesus Christ.

Remember the Moabites are descendants of Lot. So we have individuals who started the Moabites that had a relationship with their father that was sinful.

This means she came from a sinful line of people who were not Israelites. God allowed this to happen to show HIS love for those who were in the world outside of the children of Israel.

Now Boaz is challenging the near kinsman to marry her to raise seed for the descendants of Elimelech. He has confronted him before ten men who were elders in the city of Bethlehem.

The near kinsman was thinking of fulfilling his duty until he found out all the consequences. Boaz was willing to deal with the consequences. He was not going to lose any of his inheritance when he raised up seed to Elimelech and helped both Ruth and Naomi.

Boaz was doing the right thing for the right reason and this pleased the LORD. We have to follow his example when it comes to helping those who are in need of help.

The LORD wants us to be the helper of those who have less than we do. HE wants us to be available to those who call on us for help as Ruth called on Boaz for help.

I have had a relative help me in times of need. He was there even without asking. He was willing to help me through difficult times. This is something that he didn’t have to do but he was willing to do because he could.

We need to be there for those who are in genuine need of help. We don’t have to tell others we are doing it we just do it. The LORD will bless us for our proper attitude toward helping others in need. HE will bless us for our generous giving to others.

CHALLENGE: Availability is one aspect of be obedient to the LORD in our daily life.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: TransitionalBelievers

: 6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem you my right to yourself; for I cannot redeem it. (7843 “mar” [shachath] means destroy, corrupt, to ruin, annihilate, cause trouble, spoil, pervert, wipe out, or blemish)

DEVOTION: Boaz wanted to do what was right regarding Ruth and Naomi, He had to do it legally according to the Law. He was obligated to go to someone who was a closer relative than himself. He wanted to make sure that Ruth and Naomi were able to live good lives once they were redeemed.

So he went to the nearer kinsman and took him before the elders of the city and asked if he was willing to act as the kinsman redeemer of Elimelech. Property was given to a family and belonged to them perpetually for all generations.

So here was the story. If the nearer kinsmen took Ruth to wife then when she had children the inheritance of the land would go to them. This nearer kinsmen didn’t what this to happen to him. So he was willing to give Ruth to Boaz who wanted to marry her and was not worried about his own inheritance.

The legal system was there to not only protect the person but also the land. They took their responsibilities seriously. The court of that day was the elders of the city meeting at the gate to decide what was going to happen to the people and land in the city.

Today it have to go to court to establish ownership of land once someone dies. We have to look at our inheritance through the eyes of the state in which we live. This is different but the courts are not made up of people who are related to those who are in front of them usually.

The LORD’S legal system worked as long as the elders that the gate wanted to honor HIM. This is true today if our judges want to honor the LORD rather than those who are corrupt in our world today.

CHALLENGE: Believers are to go to each other when they have something that needs to be settled before they go to court to settle it.

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: 7 Now this was the manner in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor: and this was a testimony in Israel. (6965 “confirm” [quwm] mean stand up, to come to fruition, to establish the validity of, to stand fast, to fulfil, ratify, or impose)

DEVOTION: Customs are each country has when dealing with issues. The Jewish custom for the transfer of redeemer rights was to take of the sandal of the one not willing to be the redeemer and giving it to the one who was to be the redeemer in front of the elders of the city where the property was located.

This is what happened when the near kinsman was unwilling to redeem the estate of Elimelech. The estate included the property that he owned but also the responsibility of raising a offspring to Ruth. So we know that Ruth became the mother of Obed who was the father of Jesse who was the father of David.

Ruth became part of the descendants of Jesus Christ. She is listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew with four other women who some would think should not be part of the line of Jesus Christ but were included because the LORD showed that HE loved all who were obedient to HIM.

We don’t take off our shoes today but we use lawyers to do all of the work that was done at the gates of cities back in the day. It was a lot easier back then.

CHALLENGE: Our word is to be our bond. If we give our word that we will do something we need to do it.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 14 And the women said to Naomi, Blessed, be the LORD, which has not left you this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. (7121 “famous” [qara] means to call oneself, be proclaimed, be read aloud, appoint, to read aloud, summoned, designed, or known as)

DEVOTION: Remember what the reaction was of Naomi when she returned to Bethlehem with Ruth. She wanted to change her name because she felt that the LORD had forsaken her. She was very discouraged. She was glad that Ruth was with her but thought she really didn’t have a future and a hope. This was the wrong attitude for a believer.

In time, Ruth proved to be a good worker and the LORD directed her to the right field to gleam food for the both of them. HE gave her grace and mercy in the eyes of Boaz because he realized what she was doing for her mother-in-law.

Nothing happens by chance in the eyes of the LORD. HE has a plan and HE is working HIS plan in those who are followers of HIM. HE opens doors and closes doors for each follower of HIM. We might not understand HIS reasoning but we have to accept it as HE knows what is best for us better than we ever will.

Now we get to the end of the book of Ruth and find her happy again and being able to nurture her grandson, Obed. Now she is willing to have her old name back because the LORD has blessed her beyond her wildest dreams. HE has included her in the lifeline of Jesus Christ.

None of us know the end results of some of the things that happen in our life but we need to continue to remember that we need to stay faithful and HE will remain faithful in our lives.

CHALLENGE: In the future there was going to be a man who was famous to come from this union. HIS name was Jesus Christ. Our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life because of our commitment to HIM.

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: 15 And he shall be to you a restorer of your life, and a nourisher of your old age: for your daughter-in-law, which loves you, which is better to you than seven sons, has borne him. (7725 “restorer” [shuwb] means to turn back, recompense, let, pull in again, or deliver)

DEVOTION: Naomi wanted to be called “Mara” which means “bitter” when she returned from the land of Moab. She had a husband and two sons when she left and they all died. She came back with her Moabite daughter-in-law only. She felt rejected.

However, the LORD had a plan and HIS plan was to use Ruth to be a blessing to her. All the details of our lives are ordered by the LORD. HE knows who HE wants in the genealogy of HIS Son Jesus Christ. Tamar is mentioned in this chapter as giving Judah a son. Remember there are five unique women mentioned in the genealogy of Christ in the gospel of Matthew.

Here we find Boaz keeping his promise to Ruth the night before. Boaz goes to the gate of the city where the elders of the city gather to do business.

Boaz has confronted the nearer kinsman redeemer. At first the redeemer wants the land until he hears that he must marry Ruth. He has refused to redeem Ruth. Boaz does redeem her and she marries him.

They have a son together. The son is the great-grandfather of King David. Naomi was finally thinking that she could raise her head again. She had lost everyone she loved and thought that her life was just going to have a bitter end.

BUT GOD!!! Now her thoughts are that she will have joy at the end of her life. The women of the city compliment her. She takes the responsibility of a nurse to Obed.

Sometimes tragedy hits our lives and we think that we have no hope but we need to remember that the LORD will honor those who are willing to obey HIM. We would rather have the details of our life different at times from what the LORD allows into our lives but HE always knows what is best for us.

Remember everything that happens to us is for our good. HE loves us and wants us to grow. We only grow through trials. Naomi had joy again. We can have joy again if we wait on the LORD!

This book is a perfect example of the providence of God in the life of an individual. Each detail is ordered by the LORD. HE is doing the same in our life!

CHALLENGE: Waiting is hard. Circumstances are hard. God’s plan is always good. Are we willing to wait on HIM to work HIS plan for our lives with joy???? Or do we want to rename ourselves because of what has happened in our life????

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 11- 14

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Country of Moab verse 3

Ruth the Moabitess verse 5, 10, 13

Wife of Mahlon

LORD gave her conception

Had a son

Blessed the LORD

Restorer of life

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Redeem verse 4, 6, 7

Inheritance verse 6, 10

Witness verse 11

Restorer verse 15

Nourisher verse 15

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Boaz verse 1- 21

Kinsman verse 1

Ten men of the elders verse 2, 4, 11

Naomi verse 3, 5, 9, 14

Brother Elimelech verse 3

Israel verse 7

Custom: take off shoe

Testimony in Israel of change of land

Elimelech verse 9

Chilion verse 9

Mahlon verse 9, 10

Rachel verse 11

Leah verse 11

House of Israel verse 11

Ephratah verse 11

Bethlehem verse 11

House of Pharez verse 12, 18- 21

Tamar bar to Judah verse 12

Obed verse 13-22

Famous in Israel

Restorer of life

Nourisher of Naomi

Father of Jesse

Father of David

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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DONATIONS:

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QUOTES regarding passage

4:6 Whatever enthusiasm the gōʾēl may have had after Boaz’s first speech for acquiring the rights of usufruct to Elimelech’s land was completely dampened by his second speech. Having received this added information, that Ruth came with the transfer, he declared that he could not “redeem,” that is, perform the obligation of a gōʾēl, for himself. No object for the verb gāʾal is specified. Ruth would be the nearer antecedent, but the “land” is apparently the primary object. The addition of lî, “for myself,” in the Hebrew text heightens the contrast between this man and Boaz, who appears throughout to be operating in the interests of others.

After Boaz’s second speech the gōʾēl found himself on the horns of a dilemma. Actually he was faced with four options: First, while not legally bound, he could accept moral responsibility for Elimelech’s estate, redeem the field, marry Ruth, and ensure the well-being of Naomi, the senior widow. This would have been an honorable course of action. Second, he could redeem the field and pledge to marry Ruth but then renege on the pledge after the transaction was complete. By doing this, however, he would have jeopardized his own reputation and standing in the community. Third, he could reject the offer, thereby ceding the rights to the land and the responsibility of raising up the name of the deceased to Boaz. This move would not necessarily have been irresponsible. After all, Boaz intimated his interest in assuming the role of gōʾēl by declaring that he was next in line (v. 4). Fourth, he could accept the responsibility of a gōʾēl and redeem the field but reject the responsibility of a levir and cede to Boaz the moral obligation and/or right to marry Ruth. This would doubtless have cost him considerably in terms of respect and honor in the community in the short range and in long-range terms could have proved economically precarious. If Boaz would raise up the name of Elimelech by producing an heir through Ruth, this heir could eventually claim the original patrimony of Elimelech.

Faced with this economic and ethical dilemma, the gōʾēl chose the third option. The negative purpose clause explaining his rationale suggests he seriously considered only the first two options. The clause itself is not difficult to translate: pen-ʾaḥšît ʾet-naḥălātî, means “lest I destroy/jeopardize my patrimonial estate.” However, it is not so clear how this statement is to be interpreted. How could the addition of Ruth into the equation jeopardize his own hereditary holdings, which presumably referred to the land that he had inherited from his own ancestors? Two factors need to be considered. First, when he added up the cost of redeeming the property, plus the cost of maintaining the widow Naomi, plus the cost of marrying Ruth, he may have concluded that this was not a fiscally sound move. Rather than enhancing his assets, the newly acquired responsibilities would drain resources from the holdings he had inherited from his own ancestors. Second, he probably also considered the implications of raising up the name of the deceased, that is, producing an heir for Elimelech. Given his own age and the age of Ruth, he may have thought that she might bear him no more than one child. Since this child would be legally considered the heir and descendant of Elimelech, upon the death of the gōʾēl he would inherit the property that had come into his hands through this present transaction as well as the gōʾēl’s inherited holdings. Furthermore, since the name of Elimelech had been established/raised up through the child, the gōʾēl’s entire estate would fall into the line of Elimelech, and his own name would disappear. Third, in view of Boaz’s introduction of Ruth as “the Moabitess,” he may have have pondered the ethnic implication of the transaction, concluding that his patrimonial estate would not be jeapordized by falling into the hands of one with Moabite blood in his veins.

Having reflected on the implications, the gōʾēl announced his decision. In unequivocal and emphatic terms, he declared (lit.), “Redeem for yourself, you, my redemption right [gĕʾullâ].” The noun gĕʾullâ, from the same root as gāʾal, is a technical term for the rights, privileges, and obligations of gōʾēl status. (Block, D. I. (1999). Judges, Ruth (Vol. 6, pp. 715–717). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

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4:6. When the nearer kinsman heard this stipulation about marriage, he refused his right of purchase. He feared that his own estate might be endangered. So he gave the right of redemption to Boaz. Why did he change his mind? (Cf. “I will redeem it,” v. 4b, with “I cannot redeem it,” v. 6.) Perhaps he was too poor to sustain the land and a wife. Or, as some have suggested, perhaps he feared to marry a Moabitess lest the fate of Mahlon, Ruth’s first husband (v. 10), befall him. Perhaps the best view is that when he learned from Boaz that Ruth owned the property along with Naomi (v. 5), he knew that if Ruth bore him a son, that son would eventually inherit not only the redeemed property but probably part of his own estate too. In that sense the nearer redeemer would “endanger” his estate. However, if only Naomi were the widow (not Naomi and Ruth), then no son from the levirate marriage would inherit part of the redeemer’s estate because Naomi was past childbearing. (Reed, J. W. (1985). Ruth. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 426–427). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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The law of the kinsman redeemer is given in Leviticus 25:23–34, and the law governing levirate marriage is found in Deuteronomy 25:5–10. The purpose of these laws was to preserve the name and protect the property of families in Israel. God owned the land and didn’t want it exploited by rich people who would take advantage of poor people and widows. When obeyed, these laws made sure that a dead man’s family name did not die with him and that his property was not sold outside the tribe or clan. The tragedy is that the Jewish rulers didn’t always obey this law, and the prophets had to rebuke them for stealing land from the helpless (1 Kings 21; Isa. 5:8–10; Hab. 2:9–12). The nation’s abuse of the land was one cause for their Captivity (2 Chron. 36:21).

The meaning of redemption. The word redeem means “to set free by paying a price.” In the case of Ruth and Naomi, Elimelech’s property had either been sold or was under some kind of mortgage, and the rights to the land had passed to Ruth’s husband Mahlon when Elimelech died. This explains why Ruth was also involved in the transaction. She was too poor, however, to redeem the land.

When it comes to spiritual redemption, all people are in bondage to sin and Satan (Eph. 2:1–3; John 8:33–34) and are unable to set themselves free. Jesus Christ gave His life as a ransom for sinners (Mark 10:45; Rev. 5:9–10), and faith in Him sets the captive free. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Be Committed (pp. 50–52). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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4:6 I would jeopardize my own inheritance. He was unwilling to have the family portfolio split between his existing children and the potential offspring of a union with Ruth. Redeem it for yourself. The closer relative relinquished his legal right to the land and Ruth. This cleared the way for Boaz to redeem both. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ru 4:6). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

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Boaz Redeems and Marries Ruth (4:1–17)

A. The redemption ceremony (4:1–10). Although Boaz is Naomi’s choice as Ruth’s future husband, the laws governing the redeeming relative gave the closest eligible family member the first right of levirate refusal. This contingency heightens the suspense of the narrative, because to this point there is no hint as to the outcome. The “city gate” was the open area inside the town entrance where business was generally transacted. Here Boaz could expect to meet his relative, and when he does the legal proceedings commence. As a highly respected citizen, Boaz has no difficulty securing the ten elders required for a proper legal ceremony.

The stated concern of Boaz is to redeem the land belonging to Naomi, and to give his unnamed kinsman the opportunity of purchasing it legally. The “land” had belonged to Naomi’s late husband, and through Boaz she is exercising her legal right to redeem it. The kinsman-redeemer would purchase the land, thus restoring it to the family and providing a little capital for Naomi. This was a straightforward procedure, and the kinsman agrees readily to the purchase.

Had the narrative stopped here, the entire message of the story would have been frustrated and lost, for the intent of the narrator is the redemption not of property but of people. Boaz then introduces an unexpected complication to the redemption process, in which Naomi and Ruth are involved. Specifically, Boaz invokes the levirate regulations (Deut. 25:5–10) by which the purchaser is required to marry the deceased relative’s widow so as to maintain his line of descent. This would have threatened the relative’s own line and property holdings had a son been born to him by Ruth, to say nothing of the altered state of family relations with the addition of two women to his household. By contrast with the kindly Boaz, the relative wants no responsibility for Naomi and Ruth, and accordingly withdraws from the proceedings.

The story alludes to the practice described in Deuteronomy 25:8–10, whereby the unwilling redeeming relative was humiliated by having his sandal removed. The process in Ruth is somewhat different, being apparently a later adaptation of the Deuteronomic levirate law and signifying the transfer of property, of which the sandal symbolized possession (cf. Josh. 1:3). When Boaz announces his redemption of the property and its female owners, he is testifying legally that he is assuming the heirship to Elimelech, and thus to Mahlon and Kilion also. (Harrison, R. K. (1995). Ruth. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, p. 186). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)

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Ver. 6. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, &c.] On such a condition, because he had a wife, as the Targum suggests; and to take another would, as that intimates, tend to introduce contention into his family, and make him uncomfortable; so Josephus says, he had a wife and children, for that reason it was not convenient for him to take the purchase on such a condition: lest I mar my own inheritance; he considered, that as he had a wife and children already, and as he might have more by marrying Ruth, his family-expenses would be increased, and his estate diminished; and what would remain must be divided among many, and this estate in particular go to Ruth’s first-born, whereby his own inheritance would be scattered and crumbled, and come to little or nothing; add to all which, he might suppose that her ancient mother Naomi would be upon his hands to maintain also: redeem thou my right for thyself; which I am ready to give up to thee, for thou hast no wife, as the Targum expresses it: for I cannot redeem it; in the circumstances I am, and upon the condition annexed to the purchase. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 407). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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FROM MY READING:

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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Do we engage with lukewarmness in private devotion? Is the fire of devotion burning dimly in our hearts? Do the chariot wheels drag heavily? If so, let us be alarmed at this sign of decay. Let us go with weeping, and ask for the Spirit of grace and of supplications. Let us set apart special seasons for extraordinary prayer. For if this fire should be smothered beneath the ashes of a worldly conformity, it will dim the fire on the family altar, and lessen our influence both in the Church and in the world. (Spurgeon, C. H. (2006). Morning and evening: Daily readings (Complete and unabridged; New modern edition.). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.)

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There can be little doubt that this psalm was in the mind of John as he wrote Revelation 19:6-21. As he looked forward to the marriage of Christ, the Lamb, in heaven, he recalled how the bride clothed herself with acts of righteousness in preparation for Him (Rev. 19:6-8). Then John described the royal groom going forth to battle in righteousness (Rev. 19:11-21). Psalm 45, then, is typological of the greater Davidic King, Jesus Christ. (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary: An exposition of the scriptures (Ps 45:16–17). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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Exodus 10
Pharaoh’s will hardens.

INSIGHT

God does not compromise. Moses asks Pharaoh to let the nation of Israel go into the wilderness to worship God. Pharaoh refuses but says the men can go. But those are not God’s instructions.

Pharaoh pays the price. But, while God does not compromise, He does forgive. With the hand of judgment on him, Pharaoh begs God for forgiveness. God withdraws the judgment.

Have you compromised in your walk with God? He will not accept it. But He will forgive and restore you if you ask Him. (Quiet Walk)

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OUR SECURITY IN GOD

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:28
There is nothing uncertain about my acceptance with God, nor about my forgiveness, nor about my sonship. When I realize that I have been brought into God’s plan, I know that nothing can frustrate this.
Now there are many people who talk about the Protestant Reformation and the influence it had upon the world. You find that certain statesmen do this. They say you cannot explain the history of England apart from the Protestant Reformation. Neither, they say, can you explain the United States of America apart from these things, because they all had their origin in that Reformation. But how little do these people really see what it all means and what it really represents, which is that these great truths are absolute and certain. Do you know why the Pilgrim Fathers made that attempt and succeeded in crossing the Atlantic? What was it that enabled men to do things like that and to do things that were even more hazardous? It was that they believed in what is called “the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints”; it was because they had seen themselves in the plan of God that cannot be broken and that cannot fail. It is as absolute as God Himself; He knows the end as well as the beginning. “Neither shall any man, “ said Christ, “pluck them out of my hand.” It is unthinkable.
If God has done all this for us in Christ, and especially in His death, we can be certain that He will carry on with the work until it is completed. That is Paul’s argument: “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). God, who is sufficiently concerned about me to send His Son to die on the cross of Calvary for me, is not going to let me down when any difficulty or temptation faces me.
A Thought to Ponder
God is not going to let me down when any difficulty or temptation faces me.
(From Saved in Eternity, pp. 63-64, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Prophecy
“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” (Deuteronomy 18:18)
Two types of prophecy must be distinguished. When a prophet foretells or predicts, he represents the future in light of the present. But frequently the prophetic message consisted of rebuking, reproving, counseling, or admonishing, i.e., forth-telling rather than foretelling. As such, he portrays the present in light of the future.
It is the predictive type of prophecy that provides such a strong argument for rational faith. Neither human intuition about the future nor limited Satanic control of the future can account for the hundreds of specific biblical prophecies that have been literally and specifically fulfilled. These could only come by divine revelation from the One who both knows and controls the future
Actually, predictive prophecy provides a double defense: Not only does it prove the divine origin, inspiration, and authority of Scripture, but since over half of the prophecies converge on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, it advocates His deity and Messiahship. One could hardly read Isaiah 52:13–53:12 or Psalm 22 without recognizing that these are prophetic portraits of Christ on the cross. Others, equally specific, deal with other aspects of His life and ministry.
Still others predict the coming Kingdom to be set up by Christ, in which we as believers will have a part. Having seen so many prophecies literally fulfilled, we can have complete confidence that these others will come to pass as well. “We shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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Three years ago, 110 Nigerian schoolgirls were abducted by terrorists from Boko Haram. After a month of negotiations with government authorities, 109 were returned to their families. The girl who was not returned was also the only Christian, 14-year-old Leah Sharibu.

According to Boko Haram (or, as it calls itself, the Islamic State West African Province), Sharibu refused to convert to Islam, their precondition for her release. A few months later, Boko Haram announced that Sharibu and Alice Loksha Ngaddah, a Christian nurse kidnapped in March 2018, would be enslaved for life.

The last time the world heard from Leah, she begged to be “treated with compassion” and asked “the government, particularly the president, to pity me and get me out of this serious situation.” Three years later, Leah remains a prisoner, a “captive for Christ.”

Leah’s case is only one example of the kind of violence and oppression Nigerian Christians face every day, especially in the country’s mostly Muslim north. For years, Boko Haram and Muslim Fulani militants have killed, raped, kidnapped, and sought to “cleanse” parts of northern Nigeria of its Christian population. The extent of violence has been vividly brought to life in an interactive calendar published by the International Committee on Nigeria (ICON), which tracks how many Nigerian Christians were killed, violated, injured, or abducted on any given day since Christmas of 2019. The scale is stunning.

The extent of what’s been dubbed the “Silent Slaughter” of Nigerian Christians has prompted observers both inside and outside of the country to call it “genocide.” However, because the response of the Nigerian government ranges from indifference to possible complicity, the best chance for relief rests on the efforts of Christians and other concerned people to organize, agitate, and, most of all, pray.

Last year, ICON hosted a virtual summit to bring awareness to the crisis there. I was privileged to join former NFL star Benjamin Watson, former U.S. Representative Frank Wolf, and then-Representative Tulsi Gabbard on a panel for that event. In addition to the tremendous work of ICON, there is also the aptly named LEAH Foundation.

Named for the young girl still held by Boko Haram, “LEAH” is an acronym that stands for “Leadership,” “Advocacy,” “Empowerment,” and “Humanitarian.” This advocacy for girls like Leah and others who have been attacked and/or kidnapped by groups like Boko Haram is incredibly important. As Open Door’s most recent report highlighted, sexual violence, including abduction, is the chief threat faced by Christian women around the world. The LEAH Foundation is also working to establish places where girls like Leah can, when released, find a home, provisions, and an education. But first, Leah must be freed. (BreakPoint)