Grande Prairie Seventh-day Adventist Church
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Unhappy Sabbath part 2 It was law to maintain reverence in the Synagogue but the hum of hushed voices was escalating. "And all were speaking well of Him, and wo...ndering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, Is this not Joseph’s son?" Luke 4:22 NASB Mary's heart was pounding. She could hear it above the chatter. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the song book in her clenched hands. Instinctively she knew this wasn't over. Jesus had more to say... The words of Simeon played over and over in her mind, words that never went far from her and popped up at times like these when Jesus was about to go off the script... "A sword that will pierce your own soul also. A sword that will pierce your own soul also... pierce your soul... pierce..." The words were so loud in her head that she missed Jesus sitting down. It was the sudden return of the silence in the room that jolted her back to attention. And He said to them, No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’ Luke 4:23 NASB Why would He say that? What was He getting at? Why were His words punctuated with pain and His eyes swelling with tears? Mary tried to interrupt Simeon's words as they flooded through her mind again on a loop cycle. She one agonizing prayer, that Jesus would stop and they could go home together in peace. Her prayer wasn't even formulated into words before He continued: And He said, Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. Luke 4:24-27 NASB It would be unfair to say His words were accusatory. There was a profound sadness and loneliness in them that she had heard before. The first time was when she found Him in the temple 3 days after they realized He was missing. When she had tried to scold Him, to ask why He would do such a thing to them He looked at her with this same profound sadness. "Don't you know that I must be about my Father's business?" It was like a cry for someone to join Him in His undefined and indescribable mission. It was like He was living in an alternate reality where even His own mother couldn't join Him. "Mother don't you know?" There her Son stood, the pride of her life, in front of the people He had grown up around. He had been in their homes repairing furniture, discussing an addition for the new baby that was coming, helping widows at no charge, and making everything and every person He touched better for having encountered Him. They knew Him. They knew Him yet they knew nothing about Him. They lived in a world built by centuries of tradition and He lived on a narrow path carved out for Him since the foundations of the world. He could see their world. They couldn't see His. It was lonely; agonizingly lonely. Mary sat frozen in her seat, the song book still clenched in her grip. She could feel her step sons getting agitated. She felt the wave of emotion in the room shift from admiration and wonder to insult and fury. She knew that wasn't His intent. She knew He meant no harm. "Why did He say it? Couldn't He just leave well enough alone?" Part of her was caught up with Him in His world, a place she knew was real but that couldn't grasp. The rest of her was with the crowd. She was torn on the inside as the people rose up to tear her son apart... "This child... will pierce even your own soul also..." She tried to stand but couldn't. Her step sons had already left with the crowd. She sat alone in a suddenly empty synagogue. The shouting of angry voices faded away in the distance. She was alone caught between her Son and everyone else...

Unhappy Sabbath (based on Luke 4) Happy Sabbath is a greeting repeated countless times by Seventh-day Adventists the world over. I am sure Mary experienced many... happy Sabbaths but the first time Jesus returned home after beginning His public ministry was not one of them. Three things were happening on that day. Jesus was announcing His identity and mission, the people were reacting to His bold accusations and Mary was caught in the middle, between love for her Son and confusion over what He was doing. If you missed Erna's telling of this intense Sabbath service in Nazareth yesterday, you may want to go back and get a refresher on the scene. Jesus grew up among them. He had worshipped with them countless times. They all knew there was a profound uniqueness about Him, but for the most part He had quietly laboured in Joseph's business and was undeniably a blessing and benefit to the community. After Joseph died it seemed He would stay on and run the business. Mary had grown so accustomed to Him being there that she wondered what would ever happen concerning the prophecies about Him that she had treasured in her heart for so long. Then one day He announced that it was time and He left. She had rarely seen Him since. She knew He had some followers and there was plenty of chatter around town about the quality or lack thereof in the men He had chosen. On the flip side there were reports of miracles far greater than the day He saved the wedding by turning water into the most delicious fresh wine. When Jesus returned home that Sabbath and entered the synagogue there was, to say the least, a heightened sense of expectation. Would He say anything? Would He do anything? Mary herself was more nervous than she had ever been in her life. She was at once proud and terrified. She knew He was on a different trajectory than she had expected and it made her confused and uneasy. She also knew that if she was struggling the others would never be able to handle it. How she hoped He would say something gracious and leave it at that yet part of her knew He was sent for far more than pleasing the masses. All were staring at Him as He stood to read yet she could feel their stares as well. Jesus' siblings shifted uncomfortably. The silence was deafening. It seemed like every stretching fiber of the scroll echoed throughout the room as Jesus opened it. As He began to read the tension in the room began to subside. The passage was familiar and hopeful. He read with such intention and meaning as no one else could, bringing every phrase to life: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord. Luke 4:18-19 NASB Mary didn't miss the emphasis. Me, me, me. Jesus was the Me. He was declaring His purposes. He was announcing His mission! She didn't dare look up at first but she began to relax as the message fell on what seemed to be receptive hearts. The silence was broken by words not found in the scroll: "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Wow! A wave of excited expectation rippled throughout the synagogue. Was He the One?! Would He cast off the Roman occupation and set them free?!! Would He do it that very day? He did say today after all. Mary caught her breath. She hadn't realized it but she had stopped breathing the whole time He had been standing... Being a mother is the most unique challenge there is. Being the mother of the Promised One took it to a whole new level. Jesus wasn't finished... We'll continue tomorrow...

Erna is back to share with us what it might have been like for Mary on the Sabbath Jesus returned to Nazareth and preached in the synagogue for the first time a...fter His public ministry began... Mary 3 Jesus came home one Friday evening, out of the blue snuck in after dark by Himself. It was so good to see Him again. Everyone in Nazareth was repeating stories they’d heard of His work in many other towns and villages: healing, preaching, teaching He had quite a group traveling with Him, too. Where are the rest? I asked, after hugging Him. They’re camping outside the city, His smile warmed my heart. I thought I’d just come in quietly so as not to cause a stir. I nodded. I knew we would be mobbed if word got out. We visited quietly for a little while, and then He slipped out again after another hug and the promise I’ll see you tomorrow! Just before services began in the synagogue, next morning, He arrived. Excited whispers rippled through the crowd and everyone smiled and nodded at Him, moving over to make room. I have to admit it: my heart swelled with pride as I saw the deference given to Him, from my vantage point behind the women’s screen. The elder opened a scroll and read from the prophets, exhorting the people to keep watching for Messiah, who would bring in a glorious reign, and banish all oppression. He encouraged us by rehearsing the evidence that Messiah’s coming would be soon, and described the glory of his appearing at the head of armies to deliver us. It was an oft-repeated message, and the Amens, though quiet, were fervent. We are glad to have Jesus with us, today, the elder concluded with a smile, and we would be happy to have you give us a reading. Jesus stood and nodded graciously. This wasn’t the first time He had been asked to read. Growing up, He had often done it. It always seemed that when He did, the emphasis He put in the reading was slightly different than was normally done, and gave people a broader perspective and understanding. Everyone left knowing they had learned something. Today would be no different, I was sure, and looking around, I saw expectation on each face as the scroll of Isaiah was handed to him. He carefully set the scroll on the stand and found the place he wanted to read from. The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has anointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to announce forgiveness to the prisoners of sin and the restoring of sight to the blind, to forgive those who have been shattered by sin, to announce the year of the Lord's favor. Murmurs of approval rippled through the crowd as Jesus stepped down from the stand and sat in the teacher’s seat. I could barely breathe as Jesus began to explain what He had just read. It had been read so often, but to hear His insights and emphasis, spoken with such power and authority, was a thrilling experience. I could feel the barriers in people’s hearts crumbling under His influence. The fervency of the Amens were heightened, and accompanied by praises to Yahweh. Today, this scripture is fulfilled as you listen, He finished, and stood. Stunned silence immobilized the crowd, and then a snort of derision broke the spell and whispers grew to shouts. Does he think he is Messiah? We know his family, and he’s never been anything special certainly not a general! Was He actually saying that we need to be freed from sin, rather than the Romans? The sudden tension gripped my heart with fear. This wasn’t going anywhere good. My heart dropped again when I heard Jesus continue, A prophet has no honour in His hometown. Many of you wish I would do the miracles here that I’ve done in Capernaum as proof of who I am. You don’t believe you need saving from sin, but remember that when Elijah needed help during the famine there were many widows in Israel, yet Yahweh didn’t send him to any of them, but to a widow in Sidon. In Elisha’s time there were many lepers, but only Naaman from Syria was healed. Fists were being raised and shouts drowned out any more of His words. The elders rushed up, grabbed Jesus roughly, and shoved him out the door! I’m so afraid. This beautiful Sabbath has turned very ugly! Yahweh, save my Son!

The Wedding I don't have any profound insights surrounding the wedding at Cana. If you aren't super familiar with it, you can read about it in John 2. Jesus' mi...nistry was in its infancy. He was still gathering His disciples. He hadn't been gone from home for long and He was about 30 years old. We aren't told when or how but His father Joseph is never mentioned after Jesus' was found by him in the temple when he was 12. We can only assume he has died. We know from Matthew 6 and 13 that both Jesus and Joseph were carpenters or builders. The greek word can even equate to handyman or artisan. Jesus was known for his skills as can be seen from Matthew 6:3. Now that we have those facts laid out, let's consider the wedding. Jesus and his disciples were invited. Mary His mother was involved in hosting the event or at least that is implied by her concern that the wine has run out. It could also be that the family hosting the wedding are good friends or even extended family and Mary is trying to save them the embarrassment of not having enough drink to serve their guests. Here is the curious part of the story. Mary brings the dilemma to Jesus. Why? He was a carpenter, not a caterer. He was a builder, not a brew master. What made her think He could do anything about it? What happened during the previous years leading up to this moment that caused her to immediately take the problem to Him? Even more curious is His response and then her reaction. He sounds hesitant. He sounds like His answer is no. To this apparent resistance she turns to those responsible for the catering and says "Do whatever He tells you." She has no idea what He will do about it. She has no idea how He will solve it but she has full confidence that He will. We have spent a significant amount of time in previous days underscoring the inner turmoil of Mary as she saw her Son heading down a path that didn't match her understanding of what the Messiah would be like and what He would do. That was the burden part of being His mother and we will see that burden become immense as His public life begins. However there was more to being His mother than that burden. There was also the privilege of raising the most kind, the most helpful, the most industrious and capable Son any mother has ever raised. In the silent years between 12 and 30 Mary came to rely on her Chosen Son. She didn't know how He would solve the wine shortage but she was confident that if they followed His instructions everything would turn out well. Application: "Do whatever He tells you to do."

Why? It's usually the first and definitely the most repeated question children ask. It's one of the 5 w questions of good reporting. It's the key question in an...y criminal investigation because it explains motive. Why? Why is the key that unlocks what was previously not understood. This is why children ask why so often. They are in a phase of near constant discovery and to try and grasp it all they must ask why. Mary must have had a lot of why questions. Chief among them had to be "Why me?" Why choose a nobody? Why from Nazareth? Why a virgin? Why not someone with more rank, more standing, more importance, more resources? The question why indicates a cognitive dissonance. Why is more than a question of discovery. Why is asked when the questioner has an idea of how things ought to be but reality doesn't match. If we saw a car with square wheels we would have to ask why. When our view of how things should be doesn't match how things are, there are really only two possibilities. Either our view is incorrect or a mistake has been made. Either the car has square wheels for a good reason that we were unaware of or the wheels need to be changed. From the start, Mary was confronted with facts that made no sense. Why was she chosen? Why did the shepherds say Jesus was for all people? Why did Simeon confirm and expand this strange claim, saying He would be a light of revelation to the Gentiles? Why did he speak to her privately and speak ominous words of conflict and trouble? Why would her precious baby pierce her own soul? She took all these confusing sayings and kept them in her heart, pondering what they could possibly mean. It probably took me way too long to get this far and if so I apologize. Here is the next thing to recognize about why questions: We default to our own position. When things aren't making sense we automatically assume we are right. Mary's view of the Messiah, of the hopes of her people were well established. She was right. Joseph agreed with her. Everyone agreed with her. Perhaps the shepherds misunderstood. Simeon was an old man and likely confused. Jesus would never pierce her heart. Jesus would never side with "them". Then "they" came. From as far as Midian and Ephah and Sheba (Ethiopia) they came. Jesus was almost two now. Mary had become so consumed with her immediate tasks as a first time mom that she didn't have much time to ponder the things that didn't make sense. She had settled back into being right about His mission until "they" appeared. "They" had expectations too. Their father Abraham had promised that through Isaac would come One who would bless all the nations and they believed this child to be that One. When they were gone the questions came fast and furious. For the entire trip to Egypt they discussed what all these things might mean. They never did come to an answer that made sense with their expectations. Fast forward a decade. Jesus was growing. Soon it would be His bar mitzvah. He was certainly a unique child. Kind like no other. Deliberate in His views and actions and it was obvious He had a heart that stretched beyond the borders of Israel. Faithfully they had taught Him about the Messiah and what He was to do. Attentively He listened but not like a sponge. He was thinking but what was He thinking about? Then came the incident we spoke of a few days ago. Mary was upset that He had scared her, that He stayed without telling her etc... but she was more upset about something else. His conversation with the priests was "off the script." She caught just enough to be reminded of the words of the shepherds, of Simeon, and of the strange visitors from the east. Her heart wasn't yet pierced but it was trembling... Application? Sometimes our God gives our children a mission that is so far from our plans and expectations for them that we tremble... (Judges 14:4)

Erna kicks off the women of the New Testament with: Elizabeth part 1 I know that when my ancestor Sarah gave birth to her only child long after menopause, she h...ad no idea it would encourage me, many generations later. Somehow, I always had hope in my barrenness because of her story, and I’m grateful. Zechariah and I could see, from their story, that marrying another woman only made Abraham’s home unhappy, so we chose to simply trust God rather than try to solve our difficulty on our own. I’m so glad we did! It wasn’t easy. The common idea that I was cursed of God because we had no children, hurt both of us, deeply. Village life wasn’t fun. I had few friends, and having relatives whisper to each other behind their hands, or stop conversations when I came near made the ache in my heart more intense. Zachariah was a priest; a godly man. We were real companions, and I missed him when he would go to work in the temple for his yearly term. I learned to plan some special project to keep myself busy while he was away. Time seemed to pass more quickly that way, and I would have something to surprise him with when he returned. One time I had just finished up a wool rug I’d been focusing on, when he arrived. He usually had lots of stories to tell, and plenty of praise for whatever I’d done while he was away, but this time he was so silent just grunts here and there. Whatever is wrong, my dear? I questioned, looking closely at him. He opened his mouth to form words, but just gurgles came out. Oh dear! Had he had a stroke? His movements were as smooth as ever, and as I watched him take a drink of water, I could see he had no trouble swallowing. Whatever could it be? Finally, he looked at me with a mischievous grin and picked up some parchment and a quill, from his writing table. I was glad I knew how to read, as he sat down and began to write. As I was ministering in the temple an angel appeared beside me. He said my prayers were heard and that you would bear me a son! He will be a mighty revivalist, filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. We are to call him John. He is to touch no wine and will be the one who announces the coming of the Messiah! Many people will return to the Lord through his ministry! I could barely breathe as I read what he’d written. But, why can’t you talk? I couldn’t see the connection. Again he picked up the quill and parchment. I didn’t believe it when the angel told me. He said I won’t be able to talk until these things happen. I flopped onto a chair, completely flabbergasted, attempting to take it all in. Zechariah dried the quill’s tip and set it down, turning to me with a huge grin on his face and his arms open for an embrace. I grasped his hand and stood to hug him, but my head was shaking in wonderment. I read it over and over again, trying to absorb it. My days of barrenness were coming to an end! We would have a son, and not just any son, but one who would have a special work to do for Yahweh! You might be wondering how a post-menopausal woman knows she’s pregnant. Well, there was no doubt at all, let me tell you. I was soooo sick. I couldn’t do anything but be nauseous and rest for the first three months. I tried all the remedies with little to no success, but it was a joyful time, and I rejoiced in every exaggerated symptom. My disgrace was over, even though I was in seclusion for five months by the time I got my strength back and was able to get out and about again! People were so amazed! As my baby bump grew they all had to pat my belly and shake their heads in wonder. Then one day, when I was in my sixth month, someone called at our gate and the Spirit of Yahweh stirred little John who turned a summersault and danced a jig! I looked out the doorway to see my niece, Mary, all the way from Nazareth, obviously here for a visit. The Spirit of Yahweh filled both of us. Suddenly I knew that she also was expecting, and that her baby was the promised Messiah! What joy and praises filled our house as we spoke of these incredible things!

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Lot's Wife - The Woman Who Turned Into a Pillar of Salt We know so little about her I hesitate to say anything. Her last act does give us some insights but only... speculative ones. What we know for certain is that she turned back. How could she? Why did she? We could also ask why wouldn't she? Some of her children were there, perhaps grandchildren as well. It would be only natural to turn back yet the angel specifically told them not to. It is interesting to me that the story ends by mentioning that Abraham went outside his tent and stood where he could see Sodom burning in the valley. He didn't turn into a pillar of salt. Clearly it wasn't the act of looking at the city that killed her. We look at the outward appearance but God sees the heart. It seems the real issue is that even though her physical body left the city her heart remained in it and so she died with it. We could become sentimental and excuse her affection for the city as love for her children but that can't be the case. First of all by turning back she left the two children that needed her the most without a mother. Secondly if she really loved her children she wouldn't have had them in that city to begin with. Have you ever thought about how truly depraved that place was that every man, young and old, came looking for the visitors that were at Lot's house so they could rape them. The did it openly. They hid nothing of their intentions and even after being struck blind they kept trying to get into Lot's house. Lot and his wife were wealthy. It wasn't like they were stuck in the slums with no way out. They could have lived anywhere they wanted to. Why didn't they move? If Lot was too stupid to see the danger he was subjecting his children to, why didn't mama bear insist that they go? The fact she looked back says it all. She loved her city life more than her own children. I love baseball. I don't know why. I wasn't raised in a home where anyone care about any sport but growing up I fell in love with the game. My son shares my love of the game too. One of the ways I keep close to the game is being an umpire, just a few games each summer. One beautiful warm summer evening I arrived at game as a mother dropped her son off to play and left. I overheard her say where she was going. It was nothing important. She just preferred to do her own thing rather than watch her own son play. Her car, her clothes, her demeanor, the way she spoke to her son all told a story. I took note of the boy during the game. He wasn't easy to miss. He was clearly the best player on the field. When she came to pick him up she didn't get out of the car. She instead blew her horn impatiently. I went over to tell her what a great game he played and encouraged her to stay and watch his next game. Visibly annoyed she muttered that "it's not my thing..." and drove off. Maybe I am being judgmental but I felt bad for that boy. Was Lot's wife like that? Worse? Did she look back longing for her children or the spa? Was she attached to them or to her sprawling townhouse? Without fully knowing those answers, one thing is obvious. The angels did everything they could, even taking them by the hand to lead them away from the toxic city they grew to love too much. Where am I in this story? Where are you? Are we the children who laugh at our parents outdated faith? Are we the parents who made one compromising decision after another that bound them to a place and a lifestyle that destroyed everything and almost everyone? Are we the angels encouraging others to move away from bad life choices and make a fresh start? Lot's wife tried to leave but couldn't. It's a sad and sobering example of what can happen when one choice after another decreases our love for God and good things and increases our appetite for selfishness. Thankfully we aren't ending this series on this note. Tomorrow we begin the New Testament with a woman named Elizabeth.

Bizarre Elisha was a bit of a celebrity in Israel, not in the Hollywood sense, but he was well known and mostly well thought of. Elijah's life had more of an i...mpact than he thought and Elisha was able to build on that. A revival of faith in God was taking place in the land. To keep the momentum going Elisha was traveling around establishing schools where young men could go and learn how to be spiritual leaders. They were called the schools of the prophets. It just happened that his travels regularly took him through Shunem. This fact was noticed by a woman who lived there and she decided to invite him and his servant Gehazi to stop and eat in her home. In fact, the text says (2 Kings 4:8) that she persuaded him to accept her invitation. The text also says she was a notable woman. We aren't told what made her notable. Was it her wealth, her generosity, her concern for others, her influence in the community, her looks? Something else? A combination of a few of those things? We are not given those details. Here is a question to consider. Why would she, a woman of note, have to persuade Elisha to accept her hospitality? I would suggest it was because she was a woman. Do you remember when Abraham and Sarah were visited by Jesus and two angels who appeared to be regular men? Remember they were passing by and Abraham invited them for a meal. While they were there Jesus told Abraham that they would return in 9 months and Sarah would have a newborn baby. Where was Sarah during all this? She was in the tent - "in her place." Men talked to men. Men visited men. Men gave invitations of hospitality. This notable woman was not following accepted norms of social behaviour when she took it upon herself to invite Elisha to her home. This unusual invitation required some persuading but eventually Elisha accepted. Two points jump out at me from the little we have covered so far. First and most obvious is that in spite of the fact she was a notable woman (a rare thing in those days) we don't even know her name. That's just bizarre. Even the women who were successful enough to be described as notable were at the same time invisible. To add to how bizarre it is, names were a lot more significant then than they are now. Now we generally choose names because we like the sound of it, but names back then had deep meaning. They were important. Hers was forgotten. The second point that jumps off the page to me is that she went out of her way to deepen her connection with Elisha. Many of us think or say "It would be nice if..." but she didn't sit at home eating with her husband thinking "It would be nice to share our table with Elisha." No she got up, went out, and made it happen, even resorting to the art of persuasion. If you want closer relationships, if you want ________, if you want a closer walk with God, stop wishing, get up, and do something about it. Be notable for making things happen instead of passively wishing...

The Woman of Shunem part 3 My husband was entering the courtyard when I came down the stairs. I hurried over to him. I need to take one of the servants and go... to the prophet today, I stated. I’ll be back before dark. Why today? he asked, in concern. It isn’t festival time or Sabbath I know, but it’s alright, I evaded, motioning for a servant to go saddle the donkeys. Okay, but be careful! I need you to come with me to find Prophet Elisha, I told the servant as we mounted the donkeys. Ride hard! I added, grimly. Don’t slow down unless I tell you to. And off we went, toward Mount Carmel. I know Yahweh gave us strength. It is 20km from our door to the prophet’s, and we made record time. I could see Elisha and Gehazi standing in the doorway of Elisha’s cottage, pointing at us as we galloped up. Gehazi came running as I leaped from the donkey’s back and tossed the reins to the servant. Is everything okay with you, madam? he asked. Is everything okay with your husband? How about your son? Everything is okay, I said, grimly, and brushing past him, I hurried to Elisha. Falling before him, I grabbed his feet in my hands. Gehazi rushed up and reached out to shove me aside, but Elisha stopped him. Leave her alone! he exclaimed. Her soul is troubled and the Lord has not told me why. Please, my lady, tell me what is wrong! Did I ask you for a son, my lord? the anguish in my heart was betrayed in my voice. Did I not say, ‘Don’t lie to me’? Elisha gasped and turned to Gehazi. Tuck your cloak into your belt and take my staff with you, and go. Don’t speak to anyone or answer if they speak to you. Put my staff on the face of the child. Gehazi took the staff, but I could have none of this. This was the prophet’s responsibility. He was the one who promised me my son. As surely as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not go home without you. I couldn’t put it more plainly than that, and Elisha understood. Yes, of course, he agreed, and we set off together. As we were nearing home, Gehazi, who had gone ahead with Elisha’s staff, returned. The child has not awakened, he told Elisha, returning the staff to him. We entered the courtyard and dismounted. Elisha immediately went up to his room and closed the door. The rest of us waited. I could hear him pacing, then silence, then more pacing, then more silence. Then sneezing and talking, and Gehazi calling me to come. It was a miracle for this child to be born in the first place, and now another miracle has taken place. I hold him in my arms again, very much alive. My tears are falling, but they are tears of such thankfulness!

The Woman of Shunem part 2. Thanks Erna :) When I held our son in my arms for the first time and stared at his perfect face my heart could hardly contain the wo...nder. Such a miracle! I was in love with him from the moment I knew I was pregnant, but all the motherly hormones increased that love exponentially. A year, to the day of his announcement, Elisha was back, and saw our son for the first time. The blessing he pronounced on him made my heart sing. My future was secure, now, as this boy would inherit the estate when his father died, and I would not be cast out. It was so wonderful to watch him grow. The first smile, giggle, tooth, step time flew by. He loved to go to the field with his father and the servants. One day he was big enough that I let him go without me. It was so cute to watch him marching out with his little rake over one shoulder, like the big men, and his other hand tucked into his Abby’s. I wondered how long he would last. He was determined to be out all day, but I planned to go fetch him at noon for a rest in the shade. Mistress, come quickly! my maid called in concern, from the window, several hours later. I hurried over and gasped at the sight of one of the men carrying my boy in his arms. I could hear hear tearful wails. What’s happened? I asked as I opened the door to admit them. My head, he cried, holding it in his hands. Hush, Mother is here, I comforted, taking him in my arms. What happened? I asked again. We don’t know for sure, the servant explained. He just started crying that his head hurts. We checked for injury, but found none, so the Master asked me to bring him to you. There, there, I soothed, asking the servant to bring a fresh pail of cool water so I could bathe my boy’s head. He was flushed and sweaty, and it was hard to tell if it was from overheating or being upset. The next couple of hours were spent trying to relieve his pain and figure out what the trouble was. Suddenly, with a blood-curdling scream he went limp and silent in my arms and I knew as the colour faded from his beautiful face that he was dead. My heart turned to stone, in me. My promised child. The one I didn’t ask for, but was given as a gift, was gone. Why? Why torture me? I had asked Elisha not to get my hopes up for naught. Elisha! This was his responsibility! I must go to him. I stood to my feet and carried my limp boy up the steps, into the prophet’s room, and laid him gently on the bed. I’ll be back before nightfall, was my tortured whisper, and turning, I quietly closed the door behind me and hurried down the stairs.

He Sees You Single Moms and... She was a woman. In her time and culture that meant being the property of and subservient to a man, first her father and then her... husband. That was her normal. When her husband died she didn't just lose him, she lost her security, her identity, her place in the world. She had all her regular responsibilities and now his too. It was too much to carry and she was sinking. Notice what she does in her distress. She flees to the man of God. Women were to cover their heads, as if to make themselves disappear. They stood back while their husbands worshiped. Now alone and not knowing what else to do she did an improper thing. She spoke to a man who was neither her husband nor a close relative, and furthermore he was the man of God. This bold action demonstrates to us that in spite of her nothingness, her hope was in God. Elisha's personal, intimate question and his refusal to go home with her is no accident or coincidence. When she came to him she declared that he knew her husband was a faith filled man. Her plea betrays a void. She was worshiping Yahweh second hand. Yahweh was her husband's God. Her blessings from Yahweh had come through him and now he was gone and the blessings were too. She was left with less than no money, no husband, and no connection to the Only One she believed could help her. "What's in your house?" Yahweh was in her house and she didn't know it. Yahweh was her personal God and she couldn't see it. That's why Elisha wouldn't go. He didn't want her thinking that the miracle was caused by his presence. Unseen Yahweh saw her. Unheard Yahweh heard her. Just as He brought the children of Israel to thirst and hunger in the wilderness in order to demonstrate His care for them, so He brought her to less than nothing before making His presence known. How do you see God? Is He your God or do you worship from a distance? Is He close or do you try and stand next to someone you think is closer so you can get some of the drops that fall on them? What, or should I ask Who is in your house? He has no favourites. He is no respecter of persons. He sent His Son to seek and save the lost. Do you feel lost sometimes? Do you feel like less than others? Do you question sometimes if Yahweh is in your house? Guess what? You qualify. All you need is to be lost. "Whoever comes to Me I will not cast away." - Jesus

Erna is back today but this time it comes with a Warning: We are transitioning from a love story to one of the darkest chapters in the Bible - Judges 19 The Lev...ite’s Concubine The only thing I’ve ever wanted is to be loved. But it has never happened. There’s no getting around it - my father never loved or valued me. To him, I was always a nuisance and in the way when I was a child, and only good for the work I could do, as I got older. I admit, when I discovered that a Levite wanted me, my hopes raised. Surely a Levite was a godly man and would be kind or at least not be abusive but that wasn’t the case. My father made me go with a man who didn’t want to pay a dowry for me. I wasn’t valuable enough for him to make a respectable offer, nor did my father demand it. Obviously he was glad to have me off his hands. The cruelty of crushed hopes in that relationship became more than I could bear. The drinking and beastly behaviour made every night a nightmare, and life with the Levite wretch was worse than life with my father. The only way to cope with his treatment of me was to zone out while it was happening, but afterward, the disgust and pain of it all finally pushed me over the brink, and I left. I tried to survive on my own, but that isn’t easy, and after selling myself a few times, I gave up. Father was angry at me when I arrived back on his doorstep, but I agreed to act as a slave for my keep, and work hard, if only he wouldn’t send me back. He agreed, and for four months my life was almost bearable again. Then one day the wretch appeared with a servant, both riding donkeys, in great style. My father welcomed him with open arms and invited him in. He stayed for two days, feasting and drinking as if in celebration. I could hear them talking about me in their half-drunken state, and knew he’d come to win me back. He sounded sincere, and sorry for not treating me as he should have, and I wondered if I should trust him or not In the end, I didn’t fight going with him when he decided to leave. I felt numb and hopeless, but knew I could hatch another plan if his sincerity was a put-on. We didn’t leave until afternoon because the wretch couldn’t bear to go without a little more celebration, so there we were: him riding a donkey so he wouldn’t stumble in his tipsy state, our belongings, food, and fodder on the other donkey, me walking like a zombie, and the servant being the only one with his wits about him. By the time we got as far as Jebus the afternoon was waning. Master, we should stop here for the night, suggested the servant. Nope, the wretch flatly refused. We’re not staying in a godless place like this wouldn’t be safe! We’ll go on to Gibeon or Ramah. We can get there before dark, if we hurry. So on we plodded. Light was fading fast when we got to Gibeon. We went in and waited in the town square for an invitation to someone’s house for the night, but it appeared to be a rather unfriendly place. Deciding we would need to sleep unprotected (if at all), we were very grateful when a man raced through the closing gate and noticed us sitting there. He hurried over and offered a friendly greeting. Do you need a place to stay the night? he asked. Yes, but we have food for ourselves and fodder for the donkeys, we told him. Come home with me, he invited. It isn’t safe to stay here! We were glad to go with him, and were just finished eating when a crowd of men surrounded the house and pounded on the door. Our host looked alarmed, but went to see what they wanted. I tensed in fear. Something wasn’t right Bring that man out here for a little fun! we heard someone shout. No! our host exclaimed. Don’t do such a wicked thing! I will bring out my virgin daughter and his concubine and you can do what you want with them, but don’t do such a wicked thing to my guest! My sense of danger rose to near-panic levels. This was not going to end well! Bring him out or we’ll come in and get him! someone else shouted. At that, the wretch grabbed my arm, dragged me through the room, and shoved me out the door, barring it behind me. I can’t remember much of what happened after that. My screams and panic were unheeded, and I was overpowered and dragged somewhere They finally let me go dawn is breaking, and I’m trying to find my way back to the house there it is If only I can make it to the door

The Rest of the Story from Ruth's Perspective (Thanks Erna) Bethlehem was not as I expected. It was a small town, with fields surrounding it, some of which loo...ked ready for harvest. The old home and courtyard of Naomi’s family responded well to a good cleaning. There were a few things that needed to be fixed, but that would have to wait until we were able to hire someone to do the work. As I brought water from the well, a few mornings later, I noticed that harvest was beginning in the barley fields. I could see some women following the reapers, gathering up the dropped grain. I hurried home to ask Naomi what it was all about. She told me that one of the laws of Yahweh specified that harvesters were to leave the grain at the edges of the fields, as well as the dropped grain, for the poor. I was astonished. Wow! Yahweh cared about poor people enough to make a law that benefitted them! How incredible The all-but empty food bag made me eager to take advantage of His goodness. Naomi gave her consent, and at dawn I went out. How would I know which field to try? Yahweh, I whispered. Which one? It was my first prayer, and my heart was listening intently for the answer. In the biggest field, the harvesters were already at work, singing a harvest song as they bent to cut the barley. I was drawn there by the harmony of the music as well as the workers, and taking a deep breath, I walked toward someone who looked like the foreman. Please let me glean behind the harvesters, I asked him. Sure, he replied, and pointed me in the direction of the group that were spreading out to follow the singing men. We worked fast in the cool of the morning. The heat intensified as the sun rose higher in the sky. At last I had to move to the shelter set up as a shady resting place. As soon as possible I went out again. Hello, young lady, a man’s pleasant voice startled me and I stood up. I’d love to have you stay and work in my fields with the women working here! You can stay all through the harvest just take note of the fields where the workers sing. You’re welcome to drink the water my servants draw, and the men will not trouble you. I’m sure my jaw dropped, at his kind words. My knees certainly did, and I bowed low, in respect. Why are you so kind to me? I asked, in amazement. I’m a foreigner! I’ve heard all about everything you’ve done for your mother-in-law after your husband died, he was quick to reassure. You left your father and mother, as well as your homeland, and came to live among people you didn’t know! May Yahweh, from Whom you have sought protection, reward you fully for your kindness. His words touched my heart. Your kindness has encouraged and reassured me, sir, even though I’m not one of your servants. May I continue to find favour. I went back to work with a song in my heart, and a smile on my face. Truly, Yahweh must have led me to this field with the kind owner! At mealtime, the man called me over and invited me to eat with the harvesters. He handed me some roasted grain. Again, I was touched by his kindness, and as the other workers saw his attention to me, I could see more friendliness in their faces. I overheard them referring to him as Boaz, so now I knew in whose field I was working. The afternoon was very productive in gleaning. I thought the harvesters seemed clumsier than they had been - dropping so much grain, I almost struggled to carry it all. When I threshed it, at dusk, it was a heavy load! Naomi was amazed at how much I brought home. When I told her whose field I’d worked in and of Boaz’ kindness to me, she was very excited. He is a close relative of my husband! she exclaimed. May Yahweh bless him, as well as us! Yes, continue to work in his fields. You will be safe there, where you might not be, in some of the other fields. I continued gleaning throughout the barley harvest. When it drew to a close, Naomi spoke to me. I want to help you, Ruth, she said, with a mysterious air. You’ve been working in the fields of Boaz, and he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor tonight. Yahweh has made provision in his laws for those who have sold their land to get it back through a kinsman-redeemer. Also, he can marry the widow and raise up an heir for that family line, so listen: bathe and put on perfume and your best dress. Go to the threshing floor, but stay out of sight. Take note of where he will lie down to rest, and when he’s asleep, go over and uncover his feet. Lie down and when he wakes up, he’ll tell you what to do. Is this all Yahweh approved? I asked. It certainly is! she assured me. So, I followed her advice, and I’m waiting, just out of sight. I must have put too much perfume on, as I’ve seen Boaz sniff the air and look around in puzzlement when the breeze has carried the scent his way. I’ve been praying for Yahweh to make everything work out, and I can hear Boaz snoring, now, so I guess it is time Go with me, Yahweh

Women in the Bible Series: You Never Saw That Coming Today I want to compare two snapshots in time. Naomi must have been a remarkable woman that both her widow...ed daughters in law, neither of them Jewish, wanted to stay with her. At that moment in time she was aging, depressed, bitter, and out of prospects, plans, and potential. Still they went with her. The further they travelled, the more guilty Naomi felt. It was like she was drowning her daughters in her own hopelessness. Finally she had to say something: "But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go back home, each of you to your own mother’s house. May the Lord be as kind to you as you have been to me and my sons who are now dead. May the Lord give you another happy home and a new husband. When Naomi kissed the women good-bye, they began to cry out loud. They said to her, No, we want to go with you to your people. But Naomi said, My daughters, return to your own homes. Why do you want to go with me? I cannot give birth to more sons to give you new husbands; go back, my daughters, to your own homes. I am too old to have another husband. Even if I told myself, ‘I still have hope’ and had another husband tonight, and even if I had more sons, should you wait until they were grown into men? Should you live for so many years without husbands? Don’t do that, my daughters. My life is much too sad for you to share, because the Lord has been against me!" Ruth 1:8-13 NCV Naomi painted a vivid picture of her nothingness. She also made going back sound pretty good. Standing between the options of going forward into the unknown with Naomi or returning to the familiar, Ruth and Orpah faced an extremely large fork in the road. Ruth went forward. Orpah turned back. Ruth kept her focus on her relationship with Naomi. Orpah shifted her view to everything Naomi couldn't give her. Ruth stayed. Orpah went home. Fast forward... The women (of Bethlehem) told Naomi, Praise the Lord who gave you this grandson. May he become famous in Israel. He will give you new life and will take care of you in your old age because of your daughter-in-law who loves you. She is better for you than seven sons, because she has given birth to your grandson. Naomi took the boy, held him in her arms, and cared for him. The neighbors gave the boy his name, saying, This boy was born for Naomi. They named him Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David. Ruth 4:14-17 NCV Empty, bitter, and broken, Naomi is suddenly the great great grandma of King David. Ruth is married to a kind, honourable, Godly, wealthy man. Things couldn't be better. If Naomi had tried to paint the most hopeful picture she could imagine in that hotel room between Moab and Bethlehem it would not have been this good. Oprah could have been there. Maybe Boaz had a handsome brother. Who knows? Orpah went home because she bought into a picture that said Naomi had no future. Ruth didn't stay for the hope there was a Boaz waiting. She stayed for Naomi. She stayed for love, self-sacrificing love. There was a distinct point in the life of Jesus where He hung between earth (Moab) and heaven (Bethlehem). Things got dark. He seemed to have no future. Whatever potential He had was spent and gone. The crowd mocked Him. Judas had already turned back. He was convinced the Jesus train wasn't going to be able to take him anywhere he wanted to go. Mary stayed. She didn't stay because she could see through or past the darkness. She stayed for love. Jesus wasn't a train to a better future for her. Jesus was her destination. Wherever He was, she would be. His fate would be her fate and wherever He would die, that's where she would be. Mary, the woman who others saw as tainted, polluted, and worthless. He loved her when few others did and deeper than any. Mary seemed a fool in that moment. Jesus was done. She got what she deserved in the end.That is what most people thought that day. She got what she was - nothing. But the Story wasn't over. Quite a contrast between that night in a dingy hotel and the day Ruth held Obed in her arms. There will be an indescribable contrast between that dark day at the foot of the cross and the day Mary meets Jesus in the sky. Love. She stayed at all costs for love. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love wins.

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Deborah Part 2 (Thanks Erna) Three days later Barak arrived. What has Yahweh told you to do? I asked, getting straight to the point.... When he hesitated, the Spirit spoke through me, He told you: ‘Gather troops on Mount Tabor. Take 10,000 men from Naphtali and Zebulun with you. I will lead Sisera (the commander of Jabin's army), his chariots, and troops to you at the Kishon River. I will hand him over to you.' Barak’s startled face let me know that those were the exact words Yahweh had spoken clearly to him. If you come with me, I’ll go, he tremblingly replied. But, if you won’t go with me, I won’t be going, either! No one will respond to me on my own. They all scorn me. Don’t worry, I assured him, I’ll definitely come, but you need to know that Yahweh intends to inspire people to follow you in this task. Because you haven’t trusted Him in this, there will be no honour for you. Yahweh will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman. It was a good thing that Lapidoth had grown used to his wife being asked by Yahweh to say and do things that weren’t ordinary. I don’t know of any other man who would let their wives go into battle. But as soon as I told him what was going on, he sent me with a prayer for safety. I quickly gathered the few things I would need, and Barak and I headed to Kedesh, sending runners to Zebulun and Naphtali, asking the fighting men to meet us at Mount Tabor, near the Kishon River. Sure enough, the 10,000 men Yahweh promised us arrived. It is quite a thing to see 10,000 men all in one place. It is quite another thing to see 10,000 men assembled to go to war without swords or spears! God had promised to fight for us, and, indeed if He did not, we had no hope, whatsoever, for Sisera’s army was assembling below us in the valley by the 10’s of thousands. His 900 chariots and charioteers would come first. Their weaponry was the finest that could be manufactured by humans Now was the time to talk faith, not sight, and as I went around from group to group to pray and encourage them I could see their faith rising. Yahweh woke me before daylight with His call for battle. I hurried to Barak’s sleeping form and shook his shoulder. Wake up! I called, Get going! Today is the day Yahweh will deliver Sisera into your hands. Look! Yahweh has already gone out ahead of you! It didn’t take long to get the army mobilized, and with a shout of victory I watched them descend the hill and make a charge on Jabin’s army. Sisera appeared confused, and his army panic-stricken, with escape being the only thing on any of their minds. They threw their weapons and armor aside in their efforts to run faster, and Barak’s men just picked them up and used them to effect as they chased the enemy down. Sisera leaped from his chariot, as well, and made a dash for safety. I can see that it won’t take long to finish this war and in the meantime, while I wait, I feel inspired to write a song of victory! Victory, and warning to other nations not to mess with Yahweh’s people!

These three quotes guide me in the quest for truth and growth: John 16:12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, whe...n He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth..." - Jesus God wants us all to have common sense, and he wants us to reason from common sense. Circumstances alter conditions. Circumstances change the relation of things. 3SM 217.2 We have many lessons to learn, and many, many to unlearn. God and heaven alone are infallible. Those who think that they will never have to give up a cherished view, never have occasion to change an opinion, will be disappointed. As long as we hold to our own ideas and opinions with determined persistency, we cannot have the unity for which Christ prayed. CW 37.1

My Mom was a Hooker part 3 It's impossible to imagine the looks, the tension in the air, the mood, the shock even, on the day Naomi walked back into town. It wo...uld have been humiliating enough to return alone but she didn't, she brought one of "them". Did the town folk know right away? Could they tell just by looking that Ruth wasn't one of them? Could they see she was a good for nothing Moabite? If someone from another country comes to your town do you notice? Was Ruth beautiful? Did wives slap their husbands in disgust for looking her way a little too long or shoot them a glare for noticing? They didn't know right away it was Naomi but having anyone new arrive was exciting. When they confirmed it was her a ripple of excitement went through the town, especially among the women. Did they wonder who was with her? Did they know she had lost her husband and family? Had she kept in touch in some way? Why were women so drawn to her. Had they missed her all these years? Was Naomi a woman that other women looked up to? I believe she was. I believe she was a strong, capable, resourceful woman. This is why I believe she was at least complicit in the plan to move to Moab. I believe this is why her guilt was so great and why she felt God was punishing her. As grateful as she was for Ruth's love and loyalty she faced a new challenge. Not only was she responsible for Ruth as an aging widow, but she faced the uphill battle of bringing a Moabite into Bethlehem... It was no coincidence that they arrived at the beginning of the harvest season. Naomi was no fool. She was banking, literally, on the kindness of God. You see God had put a law in place for His people that they were not to harvest all their crops. They were to leave some behind for the poor to gather. Ruth, whom Naomi obviously shared this information with, announced she was going to go out and try her luck. This was no small step. It's almost a guarantee that the style of clothing varied between Israel and Moab. It's a given Ruth had no money to buy new clothes to fit in better. Alone she ventured out among "us" while she was glaringly and obviously one of "them". Who did she think she was coming here to begin with and now she is going to gather food intended for their own poor folk?! I can guarantee you it took ever ounce of courage she had to even consider going out... One day Ruth, the Moabite, said to Naomi, I am going to the fields. Maybe someone will be kind enough to let me gather the grain he leaves behind. Naomi said, Go, my daughter. Ruth 2:2 NCV Harvest season doesn't last forever but it took at least days for Ruth to gather enough courage to even try... ***When one of "them" comes to you for any reason, know that it took courage for them to even approach you. Courage that they had been gathering for days or longer... Naomi didn't advise Ruth where to go. She wandered until she found a field that looked promising. I can assure you that just because God told the Israelites to leave some behind doesn't mean they all did. How much counsel is there in His Word that many of us don't follow while claiming to be His people? She found a field where there was "extra" and she went to work, amid the whispers and the stares yet she felt a warmth here that she didn't feel most of the time. Something was different. Unknown to her the owner of the field arrived. Right away he noticed her. It wasn't hard to tell that she wasn't one of them. He inquired. His foreman knew who she was, identified only as "the Moabite that Naomi brought back..." She was known but not by name... Boaz went straight to her. He didn't assign someone else to speak to her. He went to her himself, and his advice or instructions were telling. "Stay with the women workers that work for me. I have warned the men to leave you alone. When you are thirsty drink the water I have supplied for my workers." Kindness. Protection. Provision. For her. For one of "them". Someone's mother was a hooker. Someone understood her uphill battle of being on the outside. See you tomorrow.

Today we move on from the 5 daughters past Rahab to Deborah. Israel has been living in the Promised Land for some time now but drifting further and further from... God. I will let Erna start us off. :) Deborah As I look back over my life I stand amazed at how Yahweh has taken me as I was, and made me who I am today. It took a while for Him to accomplish it, yet He has done more than I could ever have anticipated or even in my wildest imaginations could have dreamed up. I was a shy child the invisible one, staying in the background, working quietly so as not to draw attention to myself. I never liked to be the center of things. I was content for my other siblings to be the flamboyant ones. When Lapidoth asked for my hand in marriage I knew what was expected of me so I did my best to come out of my shell and be the queen of our home. With each child I grew more accustomed to leading, and their varied temperaments were helpful in teaching me to deal with those who looked at life differently than I do. I can see that motherhood was the best training Yahweh could give me, knowing the plans He had in store for me. As the children grew up it seemed that I was more and more comfortable with their friends and families being around. I still wasn’t one to be in the center, but many of them began to confide in me, seeking the wisdom of my experience, and it brought me joy and fulfillment to be able to encourage them. Indeed, often their troubles required more wisdom than I possessed, and I learned to rely more and more on Yahweh’s requested wisdom, given to me in the moment. Prayer became more and more important as Jabin’s raids continued. For 20 years the oppression steadily increased, but along with it, Yahweh used me more and more often to encourage people. It was crazy how rapidly my reputation as a Mother in Israel spread, and people began calling me a prophetess. At first, that startled me, and I have to admit, I wasn’t too pleased. I took it up with Yahweh, and He let me know that I didn’t need to worry about it. I was fitting into His plans and assisting Him. He would look after the rest. It was His job to give me words and counsel, as He’d already been doing. All I needed to do was rest in Him in the moment and not think I needed to come up with anything to do or say, myself. That took the pressure off, and I was grateful. As Jabin became more heavy-handed, more people came to me for encouragement and counsel. Some of them had lost their harvest again and again, then their homes and land, and even family members to the cruel attacks, until they fled to the fortified cities for refuge. Each one who came received a word of peace, and encouragement to look to Yahweh for deliverance. It was a time of increasing stress and trouble, as it always is when our eyes are not on Yahweh. I remember the first time Barak came for counsel. His trouble was a serious one, and his reputation was in tatters. I felt sorry for what he’d gotten himself into and counselled him to go home and live quietly in a humble manner, connecting with Yahweh, regularly, and letting Him change him, as well as his reputation. Several years later Yahweh woke me up early one morning with a startling message: Send for Barak. It is time for him to lead Israel in battle against Jabin’s army. I have given him instructions, but he’s hesitating and needing confirmation! Immediately, hope and expectation filled my heart, and I woke a servant to send north and bring Barak back with him.

My Mom was a Hooker The book of Ruth is seen by most as a beautiful love story. It is. Ruth is portrayed as a heroine for standing by her widowed and grief stri...cken mother-in-law. She was. Boaz is seen as a hero for his kindness and willingness to marry Ruth, the foreigner. He was. It really is a beautiful story on the surface but... I wish people would dig. I wish we would see the stories for the treasure maps they are. I wish we would look beyond the surface and beyond the human players to the incredible God who is the Greatest Hero. Erna took us up to the moment when Ruth had the courage to follow Naomi's (strange to us) instructions and meet Boaz on the threshing floor in the night. Even though we don't understand all the cultural nuances it was a bold move. Ruth was literally throwing herself at his feet. What if he rejected her? He didn't. I am struggling at this point. I want to share everything without bogging down with details. I could literally spend days unpacking this short book. Let's look at some odd facts first. The book ends with a genealogical list of names. Who ends a love story that way? Tamar gets mentioned in a positive light. Ruth is held up as a heroine, but not for the reason we would expect. Before the story gets to the wedding and the baby it passes through a strange sandal ceremony at the city gate. Layers. The story has so many layers that are easily missed, but missing them is like going home excited because you found a hundred bill lying on the sidewalk but missed the roll of bills it came from lying so close by. In case you forgot Ruth is from Moab. Her entire nation, they were the offspring of drunken incest. (Lot, who moved near Sodom for the hope of increased wealth lost almost everything. His eldest daughter got him drunk in order to have a child after Sodom was destroyed) It was Ruth's people that made indiscriminate sex part of their idol worship. Their main god was Chemosh. His mother was Ashtar or Ishtar (easter), the goddess of sex and fertility. They were the people who lured Israel into one of their "worship" sessions back in Numbers 25 that ended in the death of Zimri and Cozbi, a story we covered a while back. For these and other reasons the Moabites were "them". Similar to the deep divide between the Jews and Samaritans in Jesus' day, no good, self respecting Israelite would have anything to do with a Moabite. Ruth was a Moabitess. She was one of "them". A daughter of incest. A vile worshiper of Chemosh. A daughter of Ashtar. Perverse and cursed to the core. She, Ruth, was that picture of a Moabitess in the eyes of Israel. Elimelech never should have moved to Moab to begin with. We'll never know if Naomi was in favour of the move but we do know that as soon as she was free to make her own decisions she sent back home to Bethlehem-Ephrathah, the fruitful house of bread. She went back to her people and her God. She went home. As bad as the image of Moab was, Elimelech was willing to go there with his wife and boys for the hope of a more financially lucrative life. His justification for the move was necessity. Bethlehem was in a famine and yet many stayed, like Boaz, and they survived. Elimelech sounds like a certain Lot... Today's title we may get to tomorrow. We may not. There are many layers. I hope you stay for them all. I promise it will be worth it...

Naomi part 2 (Thanks Erna) Arriving at Bethlehem after so many years was very bittersweet. So many memories came flooding back. So many older, yet familiar fa...ces ... I was too choked up to stop and speak, but I could see people whispering, and when we stopped at my old home and opened the courtyard gate, my old neighbour ran up and asked, excitedly, Is this Naomi? Tears streamed down my cheeks. Don’t call me Naomi! I choked out. Call me Marah, for Yahweh has dealt very bitterly with me! I went out full, but I’ve come back empty With clucks of sympathy my old friends gathered around me and their love lifted my spirits. In the meantime, Ruth busied herself, tidying up and lighting a fire. I introduced her to the other ladies, but while they were polite, I could see glances between them, and their politeness couldn’t be mistaken for friendliness. For a day or two we busied ourselves with cleaning the neglected house and getting ourselves set up for housekeeping. We ate as little as possible, since our food supply was definitely dwindling. What would we do? I hated to beg. When I was getting water today, Ruth began, that evening, I saw that the barley harvest is started. I noticed that there were women going along behind the reapers collecting bits and pieces along the edges of the fields. Yes, I replied. Yahweh has told us to let the poor have the gleanings. It is the same on every estate. Let me go find a place that will let me glean, tomorrow, so we can eat, she requested. Okay, go, my dear. I could see that we had no choice. Before, I had been too proud to do it myself, and look where it had gotten me. But be careful, I warned. Not all people are nice. I prayed for her safety while she was gone and was very relieved when she came home that evening. She almost staggered under her load of winnowed barley! 2/3 of a bushel is more than anyone could hope for in one day of gleaning! Where in the world did you glean, today? I gasped. Blessed be the man who is so generous! His name is Boaz, she replied. He told me to stay in his fields throughout the harvest! He is a close relative of ours! I exclaimed. Yes, stay in his fields and work alongside his maidens! After the barley was in, the wheat was ready, and Ruth gleaned steadily through the whole season. I wondered what I could do for her. She was such a blessing, and worked so hard, but I could see that we couldn’t continue indefinitely like this. She needed a family of her own, and a husband to look after things. What could I do? I was thinking of the kinsman-redeemer laws, but Boaz hadn’t offered to redeem us. How could we approach him and ask him to redeem us, in a way that wouldn’t put him in too awkward a position? I mulled it over and prayed to Yahweh about it, and came up with a plan. It seemed strange to Ruth, but with my assurances of appropriateness she agreed to try. I helped her dress and anoint herself, and saw her off. How I prayed for success, and when she was back before dawn with six measures of barley from Boaz I knew he was committed, even though he told Ruth he had to work things out with someone nearer of kin. We both did a lot of praying that day, and Yahweh heard us. Today, I hold in my arms my grandson, Obed. My heart is full and my cup of blessings is running over! Yahweh, how could I ever doubt Your love and care for me?

Oh Delilah... (Judges 16) Her name means 'delicate'. The details are non existent. All we know is that Samson loved her and she used that love to destroy him. D...id she want to? Did she choose to? Was she a hired gun? Was the whole relationship a scam orchestrated by the Philistines and Delilah a pawn in their hands? Was she just beautiful bait? If she was a trap set by the Philistines she was certainly good at her "job". However it seems more like Erna imagined it yesterday. The Philistines could see the stars in Samson's eyes and offered Delilah a significant amount of money to exploit her advantage over him. Before we go any further, let's not pretend that only women do this. Let's also not excuse Samson from blame in this situation. Of all the women we have covered so far, Delilah is the first true villain. She used her beauty, her charm, and her position in Samson's life and exploited it all for her own personal gain. Her behaviour was ruthless but also obvious. It is this "obvious" factor that always had me struggling with this story. She openly asked what the secret of his strength was and how to restrain him and she used his bogus answer against him. Literally. Philistine attackers waiting in the next room and everything. After the first failed attempt I suppose Samson could have written it off as curiosity and coincidence. She was curious so she tied him up and the attack happening at the same time was just a fluke. He was used to being harassed by them so it wasn't out of the ordinary. But then she did it again and again. First let's admit that Samson never trusted her to begin with. If he did he wouldn't have lied over and over to her. Can you really love someone romantically that you don't trust? Would it be more accurate to say he was in lust? She clearly knew he didn't trust her. Would you stay in a relationship with someone who lies repeatedly to you? The whole scenario was dysfunctional and yet they both remained. She stayed for personal gain. He stayed to satisfy his lust. Both were playing a dangerous game. The greatest mystery in the story is why he ever told her the truth in the end? It seems like he loaded the gun for her to shoot him with it. Why? Why give the seductress what she has been looking for all along? The Philistines would be waiting to pounce (again). It just makes no sense. If this were the plot line in a book or movie I would dismiss it as implausible. Who would bait their own trap and stage their own demise? Samson apparently... Unless... Here is the lead up to his confession: Then Delilah said to him, How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you don’t even trust me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me. You haven’t told me the secret of your great strength. She kept bothering Samson about his secret day after day until he felt he was going to die! Judges 16:15-16 NCV All the cards are on the table. She is trying to betray him. He knows it and doesn't trust her. She admits this while trying to manipulate him. Samson is no fool. Desperate she resorted to the only tool she had left - constant nagging. She kept it up so consistently that he felt he was going to die. So to avoid dying from her nagging he opts to die by betrayal? Not very logical. Unless... How did Samson know what the secret of his strength was? From his nameless mother. She told him what Jesus said when He visited her. Think about that. The only evidence Samson has that his long hair is the source of his strength is the ramblings of his overly strict, Bible thumping, vegan momma. What if she was wrong? What if there was no secret? What if no heavenly messenger ever visited her for real? What if he was just strong and his hair had nothing to do with it? What if his momma just had an over active imagination? Could it be that Samson came to the place that he thought he was invincible and his strength was entirely his own? Pride goeth before a fall and boy did Samson fall. Delilah stands in Biblical history as a warning. She used all the gifts and abilities she had been given for her own selfishness. She won a battle but never will selfishness win the war. She got the money but the money is gone and now what? We don't know the rest of her story. We can hope she learned and turned from her selfishness. Perhaps Samson's final victory was a wake up call for her. Maybe? If selfishness is a death sentence we are all dead. If Jesus can save to the uttermost there is hope for every Delilah and the Samsons who knowingly choose to walk into their traps. We can make mistakes and recover. That's the everlasting Good News. Tomorrow we'll begin a story I have been looking forward to from the beginning of this series. It begins and ends in Bethlehem with a woman who made a mistake and recovered. See you tomorrow :)

5 Daughters Appeal To Have A Policy Changed Part 2 It's going to get uncomfortable. I take no joy in that. Growth and change is rarely comfortable. Yesterday I pointed out that a woman couldn't own property in her own name in Quebec until 1964. That was 80 years after Ontario, a province right next door....Continue reading

Lessons From 5 Women Who Appealed To Have A Rule Changed *Yes today's blog is slow, deliberate, and repetitive. I have chosen to err on the side of dogged clarity. Five daughters felt it wasn't right that their father's name discontinue just because none of them were sons. They took their case all the way to the top. Moses took it to God. God ruled swiftly in their favour. Generations of tradition turned upside down in a moment by asking God what His counsel was....Continue reading

Women of the Bible I have no idea why I skipped past these young women and jumped straight to Rahab. It certainly isn't because I forgot them. I added them to the list myself and have been eager to tell their story. I guess my love for Rahab got the best of me. Erna will start us off with a firsthand account from Hoglah's point of view. Tomorrow we will explore the explosive implications of these often forgotten women and their plight to keep their family name and land. The s...tory is found in Numbers 27. Zelophehad’s Daughters Abi (Zelophehad) took a lot of ribbing for only having daughters. It wasn’t often that a man had only girls, but that was our family’s situation, and Abi didn’t seem to mind, too much. He always told those who scorned that he was richer with 5 daughters than if he’d had 5 sons! All of us knew we were loved and valued, and when Abi died we were eager that his name not be forgotten. The dilemma we faced was that land was given to male heirs. They would marry, and their wives would become part of their household. Any women who didn’t marry were looked after by their brothers, when the father died, but we could see a serious gap in the system for a man who had only daughters. What provision was made for them? We girls got together and discussed the problem. We loved our father, and couldn’t bear to think that his name would be forgotten, but what could we do? Maybe, since there were 5 of us, if we went as a group to Moses, our idea would be heard. These things were in our minds for a while, but after the plague, we knew we needed to speak. Moses was taking a count of everyone and this was the basis for the land being divided up once we crossed the Jordan. He told us he wouldn’t be going, so this was our last opportunity, and we believed he would hear us. It wasn’t easy to go in front of the whole community, elders, priests and Moses, but, together we went. Moses saw us coming and waited to hear what we wanted to say. We made Mahlah our spokeswoman, since she was the oldest, but in the end we all said something, and made it clear we were in agreement. Moses was perplexed, but kind. I shall ask God about it, he responded, and we had to be content with that. I had more confidence in Moses than I had in God at that point, so, when the answer came swiftly and in our favour as a law to be established forever, I was very astonished. To know God really cared about us, and our Abi’s name, really impressed me. I know the rest were thrilled, as well. We had to agree to marry within our tribe so that the land would stay within the group it was allotted to, but that was an easy requirement. When we crossed the Jordan and the land was being divided up we again went as a group to remind Joshua about the promise God made to us, to receive our Abi’s inheritance in his name. It was given to us and we are happily settled on it. Mahlah, Tirzah and myself are married, and Milcah and Noah soon will be, by the look of things!

Deep Lesson From Rahab Rahab was the enemy. Rahab was "unclean". Rahab represented the "kind of people" they left Egypt to get away from. "They" were God's people and she was not. If it had been just her it would have been bad enough but there was a whole crew with her. The looks, the whispers, the outright comments to her face. She didn't belong and they weren't going to let her forget it....Continue reading

Rahab and Human Nature Ever been in a place where you don't fit in? Rahab wasn't an Israelite but she was to become "part of the family". Remember when Joseph was sold into Egypt and eventually became second in command to Pharoah? Remember how his whole family moved there as well? How well did they integrate? Not at all......Continue reading

Rahab's Conditions Yesterday we outlined the 3 conditions the spies told Rahab she had to meet in order to be rescued when the city went down. Before we even begin to tackle those conditions and attempt to understand the why and apply the principle(s) to our time and place it is crucial we preface it all with one bedrock truth:...Continue reading

Rahab's Conditions For Rescue Can you imagine her situation? Born an Amorite, born as the ancient prophecy given to Abram and known to the Amorites is coming full circle after 440 years. Raised in the tension of her people watching and whispering about the exploits of the freed slaves and the power of their God. Would they get to Jericho? Would they take over the land? Today the religious world has a lot of conflicting expectations of what the future holds. Some are waiting f...or Jerusalem to be given back to the Jews and their temple rebuilt. Others are expecting a secret rapture followed by 7 years of chaos under the rule of some mysterious anti Christ figure. Others expect a 1000 years of peace and plenty to be ushered in. Still others expect none of these or a complex mixture of all of it. Adventists expect Sunday laws, they expect satan to show up pretending to be Jesus and performing miracles to deceive the masses. Most of these many and competing ideas are rooted in hearsay and passed down theories more than in anything Jesus taught. Remember when Jesus came to the first time, born to an unmarried woman in a barn? His arrival nor His life matched the prevailing expectations. I imagine life was similar for Rahab. She heard lots, especially being exposed to so many different people in her inn and line of work. Travelers passing through would have tales to tell. Locals had theories passed down from generation to generation. Rahab heard a lot and somewhere in all the talk she decided to believe in the God of Abraham and the God of her ancestor Noah. When the spies came she was all in. Would they have her? Would they kill her? Would they laugh at her? She had to try and try she did, asking first for her family and then quietly including herself in the "we" of it all. They didn't laugh and they didn't kill her. What they did do was give her three conditions for being saved when the city went down. She had to keep their business quiet, she had to hang a scarlet cord from her window visible from the outside of the city, and she had to cramp anyone who wished to be saved with her into her house. Two or those conditions are conflicting. How do you not tell anyone and yet invite them to be saved in your house? The scarlet cord was easy but the most significant of all. Does the idea that there were conditions bother you? Does it make you wonder what conditions there are now for being rescued when the world meets its end? We'll tackle that tomorrow. For now consider that the silent secret evangelist to the people of Jericho was a prostitute and the place to go to be saved was the local brothel. Talk about the unconventional and unexpected. What qualified her? She believed and that belief took action. No one told her she had to hide those spies. No one told her to send the authorities on a wild goose chase. She made those choices because she believed. Her story isn't over and God's Big Story isn't over either. See you tomorrow...

Rahab Intercedes As humans we divide ourselves into us and them. If us is Christians and them is non Christian's, I know people who on the surface appear to be "them" yet their hearts are so much like His. Rahab was one of those people. She was not an Israelite. She was not "us" and worse than being "them", she was a prostitute. On the surface she was very low on the significance scale. Many years ago I met a young man on the street outside the church I was restoring. He was ...Continue reading

Rahab - He Saw Her I have been looking forward to this for a few days. El Roi - God Sees. It was the unique name Hagar gave to God when she realized that His eye was on her, a "no count" Egyptian slave girl. Today we will get an idea of how far His eye sees. Thanks to Erna we are all up to speed on who Rahab was. Now some background. In fact we are going to back up 440 years. Abram was living under the oak of Mamre the Amorite. They had recently returned from the battle that ...Continue reading