Ruth

Ruth, Rewarded For Faithfulness

Text: Ruth Chapter 3-4

Focus Chapter 3:1, 2, 4, 9-12; 4:6, 9, 10, 13-17

God places great emphasis on the family in the Bible and the Bible says the family begins with one male and one female. It is this union of male and female that are to produce children. This does not mean that God does not endorse adoption because without adoption not one of us could be saved as every believer is adopted into the family of God.

In this story of Ruth, we have Ruth, a young widow and Boaz a single man. It is from this beautiful story in the Bible that we get a "type" of our redeemer, The Lord Jesus Christ.

Type in the scriptures is a person, or an event, or some thing that resembles the things Christ Jesus did.

The Apostle Paul put it this way:

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

The Greek word "tupos" is used for the word "ensamples" or "example". This Greek word "tupos" is where we get our English word "type".

The Holy Spirit decided to use the concept of the Kinsman-Redeemer to portray the work of Christ Jesus on this Earth.

This is the Hebrew "Goel".

1.) He had to be related:

OT:

Deu 25:5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.

NT:

 Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

2.) He must be able to pay the price:

OT:

Rth 2:1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

NT:

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot

3.) He must be willing to redeem:

OT:

Rth 3:11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

NT:

Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Joh 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Let's watch as God prepares the way to Israel's greatest King.

Let's Begin:

*****Rth 3:1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek [rest] for thee, that [it may be well] with thee?

Ever since Boaz came into Ruth's life, Naomi has been a different person. Naomi had been full of self-pity but her concern was no more for herself but for this precious daughter-n-law that loved her so much.

It is a fact that we can get great satisfaction from serving others!

We may not think Naomi knew her Bible but we will soon see that she did. Naomi had a plan to get "rest" for Ruth which means, she had a plan to get Ruth a home and as the fairy tales always say "to live happily ever after".

If we pay close attention we will see Jesus Christ's relationship to all those who trust Him!

It may have been possible for Ruth and Naomi to survive since they were back in Bethlehem and among God's people.

BUT, When we have been accepted into the family if God, it is not enough to know He will never forsake us and will provide our needs, "it is in our best interest to seek a closer relationship with our Savior".

We need a personal, one-on-one relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. A "bride" should want to be with her husband.

*****Rth 3:2 And now is not Boaz [of our kindred], with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.

Ruth was a beautiful and virtuous woman and we can be sure that she was desired by other men but they could not have redeemed her. Only a kinsman could do that.

The harvest of the barley and the threshing would normally take about six weeks and it is obvious that Ruth had excited the interest of Boaz from the gifts she had received from him during this time.

Let's not forget this story take place during the time of the Judges. The theme of the Book of Judges was that mankind did what they thought was right in their own eyes.

BUT, Here we see that God still had some people that were trying to honor the Word of God presented in the five books of Moses and the Book of Joshua.

We will also see that God gave women certain rights that were not to be taken lightly especially the childless widow.

The threshing floor was not only a place to reap the harvest but it was also a place of feasting and festival at the end of Barley season.

*****Rth 3:4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.

Our lesson did not cover verse three but Naomi explained to Ruth that she needed to wash and anoint herself and change her clothes before she went to the threshing floor.

In Oriental custom Naomi was instructing Ruth to act like a "bride" before presenting herself to Boaz.

To the Bride of Christ it is written:

2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Ruth went forward to Boaz because of what was written in the Word of God:

Deu 25:5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.

Any man could have approached Ruth and asked for her hand in marriage but by the Word of God Ruth would have to approach her Kinsman-Redeemer in order for him to take any action toward her.

In our day it would be like a woman proposing to the man. For those that say this not right, then they do not line up with the Word of God. It may not be the norm but this is how Ruth got to be in the line to Jesus Christ.

And Ruth was following the Word of God to the Jews!

Ruth took off the garments of the widow and put on the garments of the Bride.

When we approach the Lord we need to be obedient to the rules laid out for us.

Jesus said:

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

By the way that time is now in the Church Age!

Ruth was not familiar with the Word of God so Naomi was her instructor and Ruth was obedient to what she was taught.

*****Rth 3:9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth [thine handmaid]: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; [for thou art a near kinsman].

Boaz might have been caught a little off guard but he understood exactly what Ruth was trying to accomplish.

That word "handmaid" meant that Ruth was ready to be a slave to Boaz.

Notice Ruth was no longer the Ruth from Moab, she was Ruth searching for a new beginning.

Ruth knew she needed to be "born again".

And she went to ask Boaz if he would honor the Word of God and become her Kinsman-Redeemer.

When Boaz spread his mantle(skirt) he was laying claim to Ruth as his own.

The word "skirt" actually means "wing".

The Bible teaches us:

Eze 16:8 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

Not just anyone could be the kinsman-redeemer. They first had to be the near kin.

When we think back to Jesus Christ me must remember He had to first be our kinsman to be our redeemer. God became flesh and blood so He could fulfill His written Word.

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

There was no other way for God to redeem His people.

This is the stumble-stone the world refuses to believe, but it is still the truth!

*****Rth 3:10 And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.

There is no doubt that Boaz was flattered by Ruth's offer of marriage. Boaz responded with a positive answer but also according to Oriental customs.

Ruth was wanting to show the world around her that she wanted to remain a part of Elimelech's family and that of her dead husband. She wanted to keep her new name.

Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Boaz already knew Ruth was a virtuous woman and this just made Ruth more so in his eyes. This was the same devotion we all owe to the Lord.

Since Boaz was a near kinsman, he must next be able to redeem. Ruth and Naomi were much to poor to redeem themselves but Boaz had the resources to set them free.

The Bible teaches the Bride:

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

*****Rth 3:11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

We can see that there was nothing immoral in all these proceedings. Boaz recognized the request of Ruth, he knew her devotion to Naomi, and he was seeing her devotion to the covenant keeping God of Israel.

This is the exact same thing each of us do when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. We realize that Our Savior is also Our Creator, is also the Covenant keeping God of Israel and Our Redeemer.

Boaz considered it a blessing to do this thing.

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; [who for the joy that was set before him] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

*****Rth 3:12 And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.

It is obvious that Boaz had already given this much thought.

The Bible says:

Joh 17:24 Father, [I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory], which thou hast given me: [for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world].

We can also see Our God has given this much thought!

Here we see the willingness of Boaz to do whatever it took to take Ruth for his "bride".

Then Naomi comforted Ruth.

Rth 3:18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.

When we have been obedient in the things of God, we must have patience enough to wait for God to do what He promises.

***** Rth 4:3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:

Rth 4:4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my

people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there

is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

Boaz and Ruth had come to a personal decision and we must all make a personal decision to accept the Lord

but now comes the legal side.

The approach of Boaz was direct and according to the covenant of God and the traditions of that time.

The gate of the city was the same as the courthouse of our time. Boaz made this nearer kinsman aware of this

parcel of land but at this time he did not mention Ruth.

Boaz had assembled the elders of this community to witness this transaction by the Levirate law. Any action that took place on this day would be legal and would be binding to all parties.

God had everything in place in this part of His plan.

You know if we believe the Word of God we know that "Salvation" is the free gift of God but in the eyes of God "Redemption" was a very costly thing!

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, [which he hath purchased with his own blood].

*****Rth 4:5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

Rth 4:6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

That other kinsman was willing to buy the land until he learned that Ruth was part of the transaction. The only way to understand this is to realize that if he married Ruth and they had a son then not only would that son be heir to the land of Elimelech and Naomi but that son would be heir to all his possessions.

He was not willing to place his own things into the hand of any unborn son of Ruth!

This man was not willing to make any change in property rights. It had nothing to do with Ruth.

This man was not willing to preserve the name of the dead.

We can see that we have a Father in Heaven who sent His Own Son that is willing to preserve the dead:

1Pe 4:6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

The world stays blind to the fact that our Redeemer could not be a man, could not be an angel and could certainly not be any demon. Our Redeemer had to be God who is our true Owner. This world was lost because of the sin of man and man cannot redeem himself.

Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Rom 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Our Redeemer had to be sent from God:

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

And that Lamb of God was Jesus Christ Our Lord:

Joh 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

*****Rth 4:9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye 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.

Rth 4:10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

There are many things that could be said about the giving of that shoe but it suffices to say that this nearer kinsman was saying he was giving up the rights to ever walk on that land as the owner.

Remember what God told Abraham:

Gen 13:17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

All these things were witnessed by the elders and everything was made legal and more important "Binding".

When we accept the truth of the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ and are accepted into the family of God it is a legal and "Binding" agreement the God makes to each believer and God will honor every such agreement.

Thank You Jesus for being willing to pay the price for our souls!

The Bible says:

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even [as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it];

Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and [cleanse it with the washing of water by the word],

Eph 5:27 [That he might present it to himself a glorious church], not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

It is the Church that is the "Bride of Christ"!

*****Rth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.

Where do we see God's "Grace"?

1.) God had given to Ruth an opportunity to become one of His children.(Holy Ghost Conviction)

2.) God had met her physical needs in the fields of Boaz. (Met her savior)

3.) God had allowed Boaz of Judah, to be her Kinsman Redeemer. (Redeemed by The Lord Jesus Christ)

4.) God had allowed Ruth to be bought for a great price. (The Blood of Jesus)

5.) God blessed Ruth with a son. (Place her in line to Jesus Christ)

6.) Obed means "servant"!(Jesus came the first time to serve and to save)

7.) Obed was a blessing to all his family. (God used His Only Son Jesus to bring a blessing unto the world we live in)

*****Rth 4:14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.

Rth 4:15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.

It was Obed who was a blessing to Naomi.

It was Obed who was a "restorer" of life to Naomi.

It would be Obed who would care for his grandmother, Naomi.

Obed would be famous because he would be grandfather to David but more important in the line of Jesus Christ!

Every baby born into this world is a step for our future. How many of these precious things have been the victims of abortion and will not be around to lead this nation of America and this world into the future.

*****Rth 4:16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

Rth 4:17 And the women her neighbours 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.

Naomi was no longer Mara the bitter woman but she was back to her own sweet self.

If Ruth is a "type" of the Church we can see that it should be the Church, the Bride of Christ, that should be bringing some joy and peace into this world.

Satan had lost another battle in trying to stop the plan of God.

Noah found "Grace".

Jacob found "Grace".

Joseph found "Grace".

Moses found "Grace" and we have seen that Ruth found "Grace".

Why?

The Bible says:

Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

God has given us this time of "Grace" known as the Church Age.

"Grace is the unmerited favor of God to all mankind".

To everyone God provides sunshine, rainfall, food, and clothing, BUT to the Believer God will with-hold judgment and forgive sin,(true Grace).

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

We will begin a good study in the Book of Acts next week. We will see the formation of the early church.

That word "Grace" is seen 131 times in the New Testament and it is the theme of the Word of God during this Church Age.

We have seen the "Grace" of God in this Book of Ruth so it is a good time to study the Book of Acts.

The Bible says:

Tit 2:11 For [the grace of God that bringeth salvation] hath appeared to all men,

Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing [of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ];

Jesus is coming soon!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Ruth, Devoted To Duty

Ruth---Devoted To Duty

Book of Ruth

Chapters 1:1-8, 14-17, 19, 20; 2:1-3, 11, 12

We only spent 4 weeks in our study of the Book of Judges but for the most part we saw disobedience to Jehovah God, the judgment that followed, and then God sending a deliverer. We saw that over and over again this cycle was repeated.

One of the saddest parts of Judges was the statement that "Every man did that which was right in his own eyes".

But we know this is exactly where the world stands today and this includes America. This is what is called "Religious Humanism".

But in the midst of all this turmoil we have the little Book of Ruth which serves at least two purposes. The Book of Ruth connects the genealogy of the tribe of Judah to Israel's greatest king, David and the line to the Messiah.

The Book of Ruth states that the time period was in the time of the Judges and one of the main things we can observe is that God has a plan and the things that happen in this world are under the control and care of Our Sovereign Lord.

We can also see the Holy Ghost decided we needed to see a "Love Story".

The Holy Ghost decided that we needed to see that the "Grace" of Our Lord extends beyond the national boundaries of Israel.

Some other things we will learn is:

1.) We cannot run away from our problems.

2.) We cannot hide our mistakes nor hide from them.

3.) AND, It is always wrong to blame God because the choices we make don't work out.

BUT, the greatest lesson in the Book of Ruth is the actions of the "Kinsman Redeemer"!

So let's begin:

*****Rth 1:1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

Some things we see is that this story takes place in the days of the Judges. In the Book of Judges we did not see many happy days for Israel.

We can also see that the tribe of Judah was in control of this city of Bethlehem.

Bethlehem means: "the house of bread".

Judah means "praise".

This little city sounds like a great place to live and a great place to be born. In fact King David was born here but more important King Jesus was born here by the miracle of the "Virgin Birth". Not just some "young maiden" but an actual "Virgin Birth"!

A famine was most always a sign of God's judgment. We know that this happened repeatably in the time of the Judges. We also know that the godly had to suffer along with the ungodly.

When trouble comes into our lives we normally do one of of three things.

1.) We endure it and that trial will control our lives.

2.) We run from it and we will miss the opportunity to serve God through it.

3.) Or we learn from our trials and come out better for them.

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

*****Rth 1:2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

We have Elimelech which means "God is King"

And Naomi which means "my delight or sweetness"

And Mahlon which means "sickly"

And Chilion which means "wasting away"

From Ephrathites which means "abundance or bearing fruit" same as Bethlehem "the house of bread"

We see a family leaving this wonderful place to go to Moab.

What does God say about Moab:

Psa 108:9 [Moab is my washpot]; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.

Moab is God's wash pot or God's boiling pot. This does not sound like a good place to live.

In other words this family moved back to the land where they had camped before Joshua had led them into the promised land.

God says this is the place I go to wash my feet!

*****Rth 1:3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

The first thing we see is that this move to Moab brings death! If Naomi was still at there place in Bethlehem she would have still had the land that God had given her family but in Moab she had nothing and lived among the enemies of God's people.

Elimelech had made the wrong decision, he had walked by sight and had not even ask for the council of God.

No matter what our circumstances are when God places us in the "house of bread", that's where we should stay until He moves us!

My "house of bread" is right here at Gethsemane Baptist Temple. This where God has placed me. This where I will stay until God moves me!

Elimelech had not walked by "faith"!

Did God punish him? No, it was the decisions he had made that had caused his death!

The Bible says:

Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

*****Rth 1:4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

These Moabites were descendants of Lot from his incestuous union with his daughters. "They had chosen to be enemies of Israel".

By the commands of Moses the Jews were forbidden to marry Gentile women and especially those of Moab and Ammon.

It was because of Moabite women that 24,000 Israelites had died in their journey to the Promised Land.

Orpah means "deer or fawn" so she was probably athletic.

Ruth means " beauty and or personality". She was beautiful but she was not dumb. Ruth was a very remarkable person and in the end was used of God in the ancestry of Jesus.

*****Rth 1:5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

At the end of 10 years in God's "washpot" Naomi was left with only those two "daughter n laws". Three lonely widows!

Naomi later said:

Rth 1:21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

*****Rth 1:6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: [for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread].

The famine was over back in the Promised Land but not for Naomi still in God's "washpot".

This report gave Naomi hope enough to return to her homeland. In other words the Lord had visited His people!

We can be sure that the Lord will visit His people Israel again as the Bible promises!

We can also be sure that ancient-oriental societies made no provisions for widows of any age. They had to return to their families or try to find a new husband which was not always very easy. BUT, If Naomi could get back to her homeland she knew God had made some provisions in the Book of Laws for widows. She knew she could at least gather food to eat.

*****Rth 1:7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

Naomi had made the right decision to return to Bethlehem but she had made it for the wrong reason. She was not trying to get closer to Jehovah, she was trying to get closer to food!

Both daughter-n-laws set out with her.

*****Rth 1:8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

It can get confusing as to why Naomi did not want her daughter-n-laws to return with her. To send them back to their old homesteads would be sending them back to pagan gods. Naomi was mad at Jehovah but she still knew He was the God of Israel.

The only thing that makes sense is that Naomi believed she was being punished for what her husband had done. What we know for sure is that Naomi was not broken into repentance but she was very bitter!

God says:

Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

And to the New Testament Church, God writes:

Mat 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

Mat 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, [ye would not have condemned the guiltless].

Naomi was telling these two girls that she hoped the Lord would provide them with better husbands than that of her two sons.

We can see the bitterness in Naomi and she did not want that bitterness to affect the lives of these two girls.

The Bible teaches us:

Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

*****Rth 1:14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

Rth 1:15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

Ruth dearly loved her mother-n-law. Naomi tried her best to convince these two girls that their life would be better served if they went back into their world.

If we can use the word "Type" here we can see that the most important decision we make in our lives is that of salvation. Ruth was making her most important life decision!

Nothing in this world can cause God's plan to fail but Ruth's decision that day was a part of the fulfilling of prophecy that the Lord Jesus Christ would be born in Bethlehem.

Orpah turned back but Ruth began this day fulfilling her purpose in the plan of God.

"Once Orpah walked away she was of no use to God"!

We all have some part in God's plan but we may not realize that purpose until we get to Heaven!

Again, God has chosen the least likely of people to accomplish His will on this Earth!

Ruth passed her first test to see if she could be clay in the potter's hand!

*****Rth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

Rth 1:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

What does Ruth say here?

There is no doubt the love she had for Naomi. In fact these same scriptures were used by many of us when we were married.

Ruth confesses her love for Naomi even to the time of her death.

Ruth confesses her "faith" in the True and Living God.

AND, She breaks any ties to the false gods she had known since her childhood.

Jesus said:

Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Ruth pledges allegiance to the God of the Bible, the God of Israel and the Creator of this world we live in!

We should point out one thing here:

Deu 23:3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:

Deu 23:4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.

We might ask how did Ruth overcome this obstacle God had put in place through the Laws of Moses?

I believe it can be said Ruth got in just like every "Born Again" child of God!

We know that The Law excludes every sinner from God's family!

BUT, By trusting God's "Mercy" and accepting God's "Grace" we can all be welcomed into the family of God but "only by Faith" in the LORD Jesus Christ.

2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

God is still long suffering and not willing that any of us should perish!

God is still a "Whosoever will come" God!

To review:

Ruth made her decision to go with Naomi and nothing Naomi said could change her mind.

Ruth said she accepted what Naomi offered her which "was poverty and not riches".

Ruth said she accepted that she would be identified with God's people "unashamed" that the hope of Israel was also her hope and is also our hope!

Ruth said Jehovah will be my God.

Ruth said these decisions I make today will be for my entire lifetime.

*****Rth 1:18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

There was nothing that Naomi could say.

You know if you make these same decisions today God will not say anything, He will just write your name in His Book of Life.

*****Rth 1:20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

It had been 10 years since Naomi had left Bethlehem, the "house of bread". The people of Bethlehem could barely recognize her as those 10 years had taken their toll on Naomi. Naomi had come back different than she had left. She was not that sweet person she had used to be but the trials of life had made her a bitter woman.

We cannot control the circumstances of our lives or those around us BUT we can control how we respond to them!

Naomi blamed it all on The Lord who is never the blame for the choices we make!

Every child of God that goes out full should remain full and also come back even more full!

Naomi may have understood that God does judge the sin in our lives but "He will never kick us out of the family"!

This is His promise!

*****Rth 2:1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

Now we meet the "Kinsman-Redeemer".

We should be very aware as we proceed in this story of Ruth that Boaz is a "Type of Christ" in the Old Testament.

What are the qualifications of a Kinsman-Redeemer.

1.) There must be a "Blood Relationship":

Compare to Christ Jesus:

Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Heb 2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

2.) There must the ability to redeem, he must have the necessary resources:

Compare to Christ Jesus:

1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

3.) There must a willingness to redeem:

Compare to Christ Jesus:

Joh 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Joh 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

1Jn 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

*****Rth 2:2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

No doubt Ruth had heard Naomi say that if we can make it back to Bethlehem we can at least find some food to live on.

SO, What is gleaning?

God had made special arrangements for the poor of the land:

Lev 19:9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.

Lev 19:10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.

God insisted that Israel make arrangements for the poor of Israel "and for the stranger".

Lev 23:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

God had made this a constant reminder to Israel:

Deu 24:19 When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.

Ruth knew she was poor, a widow, and a stranger. If God's Word was true then she wanted to go get them some food and was willing to work for it. This was not a handout.

*****Rth 2:3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

Now we can believe that Ruth just happened to find the fields of Boaz "but we miss the providence of God if we do so".

God is altogether sovereign!

God is not a God of chance!

Any believer that is seeking honestly to know and to do the will of God, especially in relation to the Will of God already revealed in scripture, can feel secure that the circumstances around him or her are the purpose of God.

It's God's plan and He wants us all involved in His Plan!

We should never make a plan of our own that goes against the Word of God!

To live by "faith" is to take God at His Word!

To live by "faith" is to know that God is constantly working in our lives!

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

This why we can witness, why we can teach, and why we can preach the "truth" of the Word of God!

Mar 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, [the Lord working with them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

*****Rth 2:11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

It is obvious that there was a lot of gossip in Bethlehem.

BUT, It can also be said that if you are a Christian you should stick out in a crowd.

No one had anything bad to say about Ruth.

Ruth had done exactly what Abraham had done:

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

In this sense Ruth is a "type" of the Church.

She will become a Gentile bride to Boaz who is in fact a "type" of Christ.

*****Rth 2:12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

Jesus used a similar scene to teach the disciples the seriousness of witnessing:

Mat 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

Mat 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

And rewards will come to all that are obedient to the Lord of the Harvest:

Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

and we should be aware that these are the things that we are judged for "after" salvation:

2Jn 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

It is Ruth who made the choice to trust in the God of Israel "and she found a loving God of Salvation":

Psa 36:7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

Psa 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

Psa 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Micah, Desecrating The Worship

Micah----Desecrating The Worship

Our Text Book of Judges 17-21

Our Focus Chapter 17:1-13; 18:18-20, 23-25, 30, 31

What is the theme of the Book of Judges?

Jdg 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: [every man did that which was right in his own eyes].

AND, What does the Bible teach us?

"Our righteousness is a filthy rags", SO it is impossible for man to rule himself in a righteous way!

The outcome is exactly what we see in our world today!

Mic 2:1 Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

Mic 2:2 And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

A right relationship with God is necessary for us to have the right relationship with each other and to the world we live in!

AND, it is only our Creator, who can determine what is right and what is wrong for us and it has to be this way!

We don't have to agree, we just must accept this as the truth!

Failure to obey God will first bring failure to our selves, then to our home, then failure to our society, and then failure to our nation, unless we repent and turn to God.

Remember that on the day of "judgment" it is too late to repent!

As we wind up our short study in this Book of Judges today we can see what false worship can do to a lost people and also to a people who have the Word of God but do not obey it.

These last five chapters of Judges provide a direct insight into moral depravity, when apostasy rules in the peoples lives.

We should be aware that the Tabernacle was set up in Shiloh, which was also located near Mount Ephraim and was the place of worship for Israel and was only a very few miles from where our lesson takes place today.

Let's begin:

*****Jdg 17:1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

It will very obvious as we study these last chapters that God does not hide anything from us. The Book of Judges is as much for an example for all of us to learn by as all the books of the Bible are.

Ephraim was the youngest of the two sons of Joseph and this land in Canaan was given to this son of Joseph by the casting of the lots we talked about earlier.

Micah lived in this area with his wife and son and it seems also with his mother. This was pretty normal for Israel at this time.

*****Jdg 17:2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.

We can see that this son was a thief and only returned the money he stole because of the curse his mother had spoken against the one who stole her money.

Even the act of thievery is idolatry:

Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, [which is idolatry]:

Col 3:6 For which things' sake [the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience]:

Anything we place between us and the Word of God, and God Himself is "idolatry"!

Not obeying the Word of God is also a form of "Idolatry" because we put man's word before God's Word!

And a "curse" would normally be an "oath before God".

*****Jdg 17:3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.

Now we can see the confusion of this household.

If we look back in God's Word we can see this happened every time Israel feels that they have no leader. They reject The LORD and worship some false thing that they make or they get someone else to make for them.

It happened in the time of Moses:

Exo 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses was a long time coming down from the mountain, [they all came to Aaron and said to him, Come, make us a god to go before us]: as for this Moses, who took us up out of the land of Egypt, we have no idea what has become of him.

It happened just before God appointed every new judge. Israel was in need of a leader but they did not then and have not now acknowledged the Word of God and His Messiah to be their leader.

We see several things here:

1.) This mother had dedicated 1100 shekels to the Lord. "LORD" here means Jehovah.

2.) This money she had intended to give to her son to make a graven image and a molten image.

Normally a graven image would be a carving of something such a wood and then covered with metal such a silver of gold to make an idol for worship.

Normally a molten image would be a metal such as silver of gold that was melted and poured into a mold to make an idol for worship.

*****Jdg 17:4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: [and they were in the house of Micah].

We can see that this family have completely ignored the Ten Commandments but this was not all:

God had given them written instructions of where to worship when they got to Canaan Land:

Deu 12:11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:

Deu 12:12 And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, [and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you].

There was to be only one place of worship for all the Nation of Israel!

None of Israel were to have their own private shrines.

We can also see that when the parent is corrupt in their beliefs and worship then the children will be so also!

*****Jdg 17:5 And the man Micah [had an house of gods], and made an ephod, and teraphim, and [consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest].

Micah had his own house for his false gods.

Micah had clothes that were made for a priest.

Micah had teraphim which were idols in a human shape.

Micah had his own dedication ceremony and made one of his sons his own personal priest.

Surely Micah knew that the Lord had appointed the family of Aaron to be the only priests of Israel!

Any priests from any other family were to be killed in accordance to the Word of God:

Num 3:10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh [shall be put to death].

We can see what happens when the world will not submit to the authority of God's Holy Inspired Word!

The home of Micah was a place of religious and moral confusion.

The Bible still says that:

1Co 14:33 [For God is not the author of confusion], but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

We can see this happen in most every home where money is a thing of worship or the things money can buy.

Luk 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

*****Jdg 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

This verse gives us the thoughts of the nation of Israel and the theme of this Book of Judges.

They felt they needed a king. A leader who could lead them in the way of the Lord.

And Israel felt that they were unable to maintain their national integrity without a king, though they had witnessed the defeat of every king they had faced in battle, when their faith was in Jehovah.

Israel would one day soon get to see their true King, who they also rejected!

Mat 27:11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

Unless Jesus is King in your heart, in your mind, and in your soul, you, your family, and your nation will suffer for it!

The tribe of Dan had to forfeit their inheritance because they did not have a leader that could unify their military and drive out the Philistines. Samson was given the opportunity but never tried to unify Dan nor Israel.

They rejected Theocracy and demanded a Monarchy.

Who do we blame for what is going on in America?

Well America has rejected the Word of God in favor of men who want to be king!

We can only blame ourselves!

These we put in office do what is right in their own eyes.

These that are placed as judges do what is right in their own eyes.

And even greater confusion is caused by many in the Body of Christ because too many preachers do what is right in their own eyes.

Homes fail, worship fails and nations fail, who reject the truth of the Word of God!

*****Jdg 17:7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.

Though this verse sounds strange it means that this young man had a mother of the tribe of Judah and a father who was a Levite.

We also know that there were at least two Bethlehems in the Bible, so Judah is added to the name to distinguish it from the other.

There was another Bethlehem assigned to the tribe of Zebulun:

Jos 19:15 And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages.

Jos 19:16 This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

This also happens in the prophesy concerning where Jesus would be born:

Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Bethlehem Ephratah and BethlehemJudah are the same place and are not the same as the City of Bethlehem that was assigned to the tribe of Zebulun.

*****Jdg 17:8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

We must remember a Levite could not be the owner of any land.

We can be sure that Israel had sunk into apostasy and the worship of God at the Tabernacle was being ignored so there would be no tithes or offerings to take care of the Levites.

This young Levite was seeking a way to just survive and he could not find it in Bethlehem Judah.

We can be sure the further we get from the Lord the more the church will suffer and even today we see many a house of God shutting the doors because they cannot afford to maintain these houses of worship.

*****Jdg 17:9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.

This young Levite simply says, "I am seeking a place that I can live and make a living".

What was the profession of the Levites?

Deu 18:1 The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.

What we also see is that this young Levite has never sought the Will of God!

This young Levite never tried to bring Israel back to the true worship of Jehovah.

This young Levite simply tried to hide himself in the world that was around him.

He was not available to Jehovah so he made himself available to man.

How many preachers are out there today who do not make themselves available to God but do make themselves available to man.

The Bible says:

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

*****Jdg 17:10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.

This young Levite found exactly what he was seeking. He could have a priestly position and a livelihood in this house of Micah.

So the Levite went in thinking he was now somebody when he was actually worse off than he had been.

The Bible says:

1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, [they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows].

1Ti 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

*****Jdg 17:11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.

Micah was delighted with this arrangement and regarded this Levite as one of his sons. Micah considered himself most fortunate to have a true Levite as his priest and was sure that he would now see the goodness of Jehovah.

This young Levite gave up the true work of the Lord for the comfort and the security in the home of someone who worshipped idols as their god.

The New Testament describes this type of priests to us:

Joh 10:12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

Joh 10:13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

***** Jdg 17:12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

Every true shepherd will receive his calling and his authority from Jehovah God.

Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

Gal 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

Gal 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Why is there so much turmoil in the so called Christian world?

When men reject Jesus Christ, then they cannot be called of God and they cannot know the truth of the Gospel.

Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men [by Jesus Christ] according to my gospel.

It is by the Gospel of Jesus Christ that this world will be judged!

This truth is also rejected by the world we live in today!

BUT, to be Christian is to stand by the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and defend the Word of God who gives us His Promises.

Again the Apostle Paul

Php 1:17 But the other of love, [knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel].

1.) It is Christ Who "begins" the good work in us!

2.) It is Christ Who "carries" who carries on His good work in us!

3.) It is Christ Who will ultimately "complete" that work by transforming us into His own likeness!

There can be no other Gospel and there is no other means of salvation!

*****Jdg 17:13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.

A Levite priest would be assigned some duty in the Tabernacle. There was no home duty except to be a parent and an example to the community where they lived.

Micah's delusion is not unusual because he was lost and without God. BUT, no priest, and no preacher can be the substitute for for the truth of the Word of God!

Micah was caught up in a false religion and he worshipped false gods which he tried to mix with the worship of Jehovah, which God will not allow.

God is a jealous God!

BUT, All the while Micah rested in in a false security for his soul and thought God was blessing him.

All false gods can be taken away, it is only the Lord Jesus Christ who will never leave us.

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, [that he may abide with you for ever];

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; [whom the world cannot receive], because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

This is the truth from the true God of the Bible!

*****Jdg 18:18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?

Because they were cowards, this tribe of Dan had been unable to capture the land given to them by Jehovah. And really more than cowards, Dan had broken the covenant with the Lord.

Remember that covenant was not for them to own the land, it was given to them by the LORD. But they had to keep the covenant "to live on the land".

God had placed every tribe on land "He" had chosen. Remember "the drawing of the lot".

For the tribe of Dan to reject their assigned land was to reject God and it shows in these passages.

You know God has placed each of us in the exact place he wants us live and do a work for Him.

But our own covetousness makes us to want what we see that others have that seems better than what we have.

The Bible tells us:

2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power [hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness], through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

They sent out 5 spies to find a place where the enemy was weak and peaceful.

It was these spies who found this private house of false worship.

Remember Micah had been guilty of robbing his own mother and now he was about to be robbed.

Micah had a great collection of idols and since these men of Dan had rejected Jehovah, and still having a want to have a god, they chose these false idols to take with them.

Remember they had seen the Ark go before them in battle many times but the power had never been in the Ark. It is God who has all power!

When these 5 men returned to the gate of the city they were confronted by the young Levite, who is named Jonathon.

Jonathon was shocked to see what they had done.

*****Jdg 18:19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

Jdg 18:20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

This Levite named Johnathan was alarmed at first but this now became a joyous occasion for him. He would not be priests in a private home but priest to the entire tribe of Dan.

These Danites had stolen Micah's false gods and now had stolen his false priest!

Aren't you glad no one can take away Jesus and the things He gives us?

We can now see how easily false worship can spread from one man and one house and then a false preacher or priest and then an entire nation.

*****Jdg 18:23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?

Jdg 18:24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?

This army of 600 of Dan had anticipated trouble so they placed their women and children in the front in order to defend themselves from an attack from the rear.

It is a sad thing to realize that when you put your faith in something that is false and that false thing is taken away, you are left with nothing "because you had nothing to begin with".

My God is real!

Those that worship the idols of this world may be able to physically carry their gods with them but it is My God that carries me with Him!

Isa 46:1 Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.

Isa 46:2 They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.

Isa 46:3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:

Isa 46:4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

and again:

Psa 48:14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

This the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

If you do not Jesus Christ as your "personal Savior" you simply cannot know the truth, and it is the truth that "Makes" us free!

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall "make" you free.

Notice made free and not set free there is a big difference!

*****Jdg 18:25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.

We can see that an idol is anything that has been put in place of the true God.

When we place our life, or our hope, or our comfort, or our joy, or our happiness in the trust of anything but The Lord Jesus Christ we have placed our trust in something that is an "Idol"!

We will be destroyed by this false security that comes from false worship!

Micah had to leave everything he had placed his "faith" in or lose his life.

He had to make a choice that brought him no nearer to eternal life!

*****Jdg 18:30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: [and Jonathan, the son of Gershom], the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

Micah was of the tribe of Ephraim.

Johnathan the false priest was of the tribe of Levi and it appears that Jonathan was even a grandson of Moses.

Our verse adds also the son of Manasseh which can only mean Jonathon acted more like some one from the tribe of Manasseh which means (causing to forget) than from the family of Moses who was God's man!

These others that remain are the tribe of Dan.

The tribe of Dan was the first tribe of Israel to officially adopt the idolatrous system of worship of Canaan land!

This religion now called Humanism, existed in Israel in the days of the judges and God later allowed Assyria to capture the land:

2Ki 18:11 And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:

2Ki 18:12 Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.

What we have seen is the hopelessness of any society without the God of the Bible.

We also know that this same king sent one of those priest back to Samaria to be their priest:

2Ki 17:27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.

And Jesus had these words for that woman at the well:

Joh 4:22 [Ye worship ye know not what]: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

SO, What is religious humanism? Religious Humanism are those that do what they think is right in their own eyes.

In 1961 the United States Supreme Court declared Humanism to be a RELIGION." If Humanism is a religion, such as Judaism, Christianity, etc., where are the Humanist churches, where is the headquarters, the Mother Church?"

This can best be described in this manner.

They use the schools, the colleges, and universities to spread their false doctrine. They infiltrate government on all levels to have their way.

It is in these places that they provide, mostly through deception, daily 'preaching' of their religious humanistic ideology.

They use taxpayer money to further their cause, "and they do so in violation of the Constitution of the United States".

What do they say of them selves?

1.) Humanists regard the universe as self-existing and "not created."

2.) Humanists preach that, "the traditional dualism of mind and body must be rejected."

3.) Humanism states, "The distinction between the sacred and the secular can no longer be maintained."

4.) Humanism considers 'the complete realization of human personality to be the end of man's life."

5.) "In place of the old attitudes involved in worship and prayer, the Humanist finds his religious emotions expressed in a heightened sense of personal life."

6.) Humanists "consider the quest for [the good life] is still the central task for mankind."

7.) Humanists preach, "there will be no uniquely religious emotions and attitudes associated with belief in the supernatural." {That means the One true God Our Creator}

8.) Humanists 'believe that traditional theism, especially faith in the prayer-hearing God, assumed to love and care for persons, to hear and understand their prayers, and to be able to do something about them, [is an unproved and out moded faith]."

9.) Humanists "discover no divine purpose or providence for the human species." (We are all accidents of nature)

[In other words, man is hopelessly adrift without a Creator, without a purpose, without a soul, and without hope for life beyond this life, and must save himself]. It is no wonder that after a steady drumming of this depressing garbage, adolescents commit suicide!

10.) Humanists "reject all religious, ideological, or moral codes [this they see as suppressing their freedom]

11.) Humanists "believe that intolerant attitudes, often cultivated by orthodox religions and puritanical cultures, [unduly repress sexual conduct."]

Is it any wonder that government school sex education courses lead to promiscuity, experimentation and unbridled sex?

12.) Humanists believe "the many varieties of sexual exploration should not in themselves be considered 'evil'."

[Why are you surprised that homosexuality, incest, child molestation, and other forms of 'sexual exploration' are rising at an unprecedented rate? "It is being encouraged"!]

13.) Humanism avows "The conditions of work, education, devotion, and play should be humanized.

[Alienating forces should be modified or eradicated." (That means all Christians)]

14.) Humanists are deceitful when they say the State "should not favor any particular religious bodies through the use of public monies" [because they allow nothing else but Religious Humanism in the public schools].

Remember the Supreme Court has already said Humanism is a religion.

This happening not only in America but throughout our world!

*****Jdg 18:31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

The Tabernacle of Moses had been set up at Shiloh and was there all the time of the Judges.

The Tabernacle was the place Jehovah had setup for the place of worship for Israel.

When Israel abandoned the One True God, then there was no need for Shiloh:

What did God tell Jeremiah to preach:

Jer 26:4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

Jer 26:5 To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;

Jer 26:6 Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

What happened to Shiloh?

Jer 7:12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.

What is God going to do to every place that has abandoned or refuse true worship?

Jer 7:13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;

Jer 7:14 Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.

We can see the signs of this end time coming now if we just open our eyes!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Is God Pleased With Me?

How Confident Are We That We Are Serving In God's Will?

Text:

Rom 14:22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. [Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth].

Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: [for whatsoever is not of faith is sin].

We should ask ourselves if God is pleased with His Church of today?

After all, we spend much more of our time whining and griping and comparing ourselves with other Christians, or other churches or even comparing our pastors with other pastors than we do serving and in worship to Our Lord.

This thing is contagious!

We look at how other churches do things and how they worship instead of "how does God want our own local church where God has placed us to worship".

There may be changes from time to time to keep our worship relevant and fresh but constant dissatisfaction is a symptom of something deeper and something sinful.

Unless we dedicate ourselves to our own church under the guidelines of the Bible "we will never know how each church or each house of prayer fits into God's Plan"!

Decisions can never be made unless we do it in a prayerful and a biblical manner, without compromising the TRUTH of God's Word!

Remember God's Word is settled in Heaven, it's not up to us to change what God says!

Psa 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

We should begin with the best translation of the scriptures for our own language. The Old Testament scriptures were in Hebrew and the New Testament scriptures were in Greek. I speak English so I need to find the best English translation of those original scriptures. I personally believe that to be the KJV.

We all need to research to be sure we have the best translation in our own language!

So, let's look into God's guidelines:

First let's clear that word "damned" up in our text. A "Born Again" child of God cannot be "damned" to "eternal damnation", but we can still suffer "condemnation" and "judgment" for the things we do that do not line up with the Word of God.

Both God and each believer should "condemn" ungodly acts that are done by the doubtful believer!

An We Need To Realize That Things that are done against our own conscience are sin "even if some other believer has a clear conscience of the matter".

When your conscience tells you that what you are doing is wrong for you then it is worng and it is sin if you go against your own conscience!
All things are, indeed, legal for a true Christian but the main criteria that must be met is "Does it please the Lord"?

Some of these things should include the way we worship, the music we listen too and allow in our worship services, and also smoking, movies, drinking, drugs, marriage, just living together, dancing and many other such things.

The Bible teaches us that we must govern our own behavior in consideration of our other brothers and sisters in Christ!
So what are God's guidelines?

In out text verse we see a big one:

*****1.) We have to have full confidence that what we are doing is pleasing Our Lord!

Our "faith" must be unquestionable!
So what else do we need to know?

*****2.) Does what I am about to do have a positive Christian value, without question or doubt, pleasing to the Lord?

Proof scripture:

1Co 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, [but all things edify not].

1Co 10:24 Let no man seek his own, [but every man another's wealth].

Does what we are about to do "edify" or "build up" other persons, or are we just thinking about ourselves?
Proof scripture:

Col 4:5 [Walk in wisdom toward them that are without], redeeming the time.

How does what I am doing or about to do look to those that are lost. Our goal is to reach out to the lost so we need redeem the time. Time is our most valuable possession and lost time can never be regained.

Our Christian lives are always shorter than our physical lives. We just do not have much time to reach out to those of this lost world and every time we damage our ability to witness we are not redeeming that time.

If what we are doing puts more distance between us and any lost person, then we should not do it!
*****3.) Is what I am about to do consistent with my Christian life?

Proof scripture:

2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, [that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves], but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

It must be our love for Jesus Christ that is to be our guide in all our actions!

Jesus must be at the beginning of every decision we make!
Proof scripture:

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, [seek those things which are above], where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Col 3:2 [Set your affection on things above], not on things on the earth.

Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Col 3:4 When Christ, [who is our life], shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Will what I am about to do gain a reward from the Lord?
Proof Scripture:

2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth "entangleth himself with the affairs of this life"; [that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier].

We should ask ourselves, "if I get entangled in this" how does it affect my battle within my own self to remain pure and will I still be able to be on the front lines in God's Army?

*****4.) Can I absolutely sense the positive leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit?

Proof Scripture:

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: [therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's].

Do my actions glorify God or myself?
Proof Scripture:

Gal 5:16 This I say then, [Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh].

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: [so that ye cannot do the things that ye would].

Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

If what you are about to do is something that you use to do before you were saved, then you must be sure that it is the Holy Spirit that is your guide!

In fact we must always be sure the Holy Spirit is our guide in all our actions!

2Co 6:17 Wherefore [come out from among them, and be ye separate], saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

To be a Christian is to leave behind that old life!

We must walk away from that old life or we have not understood what it is to "repent"!
To repent is to have a complete change of mind!
*****5.) Will what I am about to do diminish my Christian influence?

Proof Scripture:

Rom 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: [but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean].

We must realize, that as Christians the world is always looking at us to see if a Christian is truly different from the world!
Proof Scripture:

Rom 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing [whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak].

We must also realize that there is always some one in the church that has their eyes on us and it is most likely a young child or a member of our own family but could be a new convert or any brother or sister in Christ!
Proof Scripture:

1Co 8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

1Co 8:9 [But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak].

1Co 8:10 [For if any man see thee] which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

1Co 8:11 [And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish], for whom Christ died?

Jesus Christ died for every sinner that has ever been born and if our actions cause just one them to remain lost and they end up in hell, we can be sure we will suffer some loss at the Bema Seat of Christ!

Proof Scripture:

1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

We must absolutely abstain from anything that has any appearance of evil!
*****6.) Could what I am about to do pose a danger that I could become addicted to it?

This could be a long list for most of us!

Proof Scripture:

1Co 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, [but I will not be brought under the power of any].

If we do anything that comes between us and our Lord it is sin!

Any substance or Anything that can control our mind or our actions fit this description!
Proof Scripture:

Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

This verse does not say it OK to drink wine but it does say that the Holy Spirit is the "ONLY" mind altering influence that we should partake of.

Proof Scripture:

Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Our greatest enemy is our own selves!
Our mind will make up a million reasons to tell us what we are about to do is OK!

*****7.) A question we should always ask is, Would Jesus Do This ?

To be saved is to have the "mind of Christ"!
Proof Scripture:

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, [leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps]:

1Pe 2:22 [Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth]:

1Jn 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

With Jesus as our example then we need to learn how Jesus walked and be more like Him!

*****8.) If I am confident that my actions will glorify God then I should proceed.

Proof Scripture:

1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, [do all to the glory of God].

Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, [do it heartily, as to the Lord], and not unto men;

Col 3:24 [Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance]: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

So let's go back to an earlier verse and have a clearer understanding of what it says:

1Co 10:23 All things are lawful for me, [but all things are not expedient]: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Carnal desires are the "root" and the "source" of sin!

And our "goal" MUST be to Glorify God in everything we do!
Amen