SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY SERIES:
TODAY: RUTH
In honor of some of the more impactful mothers of the Bible, let’s take a look at four mothers briefly: RAHAB, RUTH, HANNAH and of course – MARY!
Rahab and Ruth were women of Dynasty.
Hannah was a woman of Dynamic Prayer.
Mary – the mother of Jesus – a woman of Destiny!
Three of these Four Women are directly in the Line of Jesus - the King of the Universe, LORD and Savior of Mankind!
Three of these Four Women are directly in the Line of Jesus - the King of the Universe, LORD and Savior of Mankind!
RUTH, another woman of Dynasty:
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| RECENT MOVIE ON RUTH PRODUCED BY CARMAN |
We
all know Ruth, the Moabite woman as the daughter in law of Naomi. The latter
left a famine in Judah with her husband Elimelech and they lived in the heathen
territory of Moab. Naomi had two sons named Mahlon and Chillion. Both men
married Moabite women. Within ten years,
all three men died leaving Naomi a widow with two widowed pagan daughter in
laws!
Moab holds a distinction as one of the most evil areas in the
Bible. They practiced Human sacrifice to their pagan gods Chemosh and Milcom,
which King Solomon also got involved in after his heart turned to his lusty
women and away from God! Moab and Ammon were also descendants of Lot’s two
daughters with their father, Lot! These people had absolutely NO favor with the
Lord.
Naomi’s two daughters – in- law Ruth and Orpah were free to leave
after their husbands died and Orpah did just that. She went back to her people
and their pagan demonic gods. But Ruth had observed her Godly mother in law and
clung to her. It was almost as if she had a special calling on her life.
Her great testimony is famous throughout the millennia and is used
in sermons, weddings and more as the epitome of love and dedication!
Here is what Ruth, who had grown up seeing her evil people
sacrifice babies to Chemosh and Milcom, said as she clung to Naomi:
But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
(Ruth 1:16-18 ESV)
It is my opinion, based on Biblical revelation, that Ruth had seen
a lot of compromise in her extended family. Here is the brief scenario – she
came from a pagan Moabite religious background.
It bothered her. She had a different spirit (like Caleb).
Both her husband and his brother married Ruth and Orpah from this
culture of Chemosh. We don’t know if
these men, Naomi’s sons, followed the one True God of Israel. But we do know
after they died, Ruth’s sister in law Oprah…I mean Orpah went back to the pagan
gods she never fully left!
GOD’S
LINING IT UP:
This could explain her
clinging to Ruth, because if people knew how ABSOLUTELY VILE and DISGUSTING
baby and human sacrifice to Chemosh, Molech and other of those gods of the time
were, you would want out of there too!!
It is still amazingly incredible to me that King Solomon dirtied his soul with
this sickening practice for one of his 1000 plus wives or whatever!
Now we know why Ruth cleaved and did not leave! We all know her words by memory, if we grew
up through the Sunday school system: “Where you go, I go. Where you stay, I
stay. I will follow you. Your God will be MY GOD! Where you die, I die!”
This is absolutely incredible!
We see the Mighty Hand of God lining things up His Way again!
Here is the second Gentile woman, from a non believing background,
chosen by God to be part of His Plan! What was this plan? Well, as we know from
the Book of Ruth, Ruth married a very kind and generous man named Boaz.
Boaz’s mother was none other than Rahab; the prostitute rescued by
the Greatest General who ever lived – Joshua, son of Nun!
Rahab appeared to be long dead when Ruth came on the scene but the
fact remains; she was Ruth’s mother in law. As we now shall see, both Rahab and
Ruth are Foundations of God’s Dynasty on Earth!
After Rahab’s son Boaz married Ruth, they had a son named Obed.
Obed’s son was Jesse who had a little shepherd boy named – DAVID!
Thus began the greatest regal Dynasty in History – all connected
to two unlikely, simple women who saw the world around them, relented, repented
and repaired to the rejuvenating love and salvation of the Holy One of Israel!
TOMORROW: HANNAH - A WOMAN OF DYNAMIC PRAYER!
