Friday, August 26, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday August 28, 2011

DOING WHAT IS HONORABLE
(GOD expects HIS people to do the honorable thing)
(Ruth 4)

The Book of Ruth paints a beautiful portrait of a woman of Moabite origin who becomes the ancestress of King David himself. In the “days of the Judges”, this sweet and simple story clearly raises the earliest questions as to whether or not the exclusiveness of Judaism had been carried too far.
Boaz was a wealthy and honorable man who lived outside the town of Bethlehem, and was a member of the tribe of Judah. He was a close relative of Naomi’s late husband, Elimelech, and this qualified him as a “Kinsman Redeemer” of Elimelech’s surviving family (Lev. 25:25-26). However, he was only second in the line of responsibility to fulfill this “redeemer right” to Naomi. There was a man who lived in Bethlehem who was even a closer relative than Boaz was (Ruth 3:12). In Ruth chapter 4, Boaz sets out to town to talk to this family redeemer. He sat down at the city gates, which was a place where business transactions were completed on a daily basis, and, where elders often met to judge civil and criminal matters that were brought before them. Boaz waited on the relative to pass by, and when he did, he summoned him over for a meeting.
Here we see the honor of Boaz being put on display, as he plans to hold his discussion with the family redeemer in an open environment, in front of ten witnesses that also happened to be community leaders in Bethlehem. And while written records were also kept in those days, there too, was a great dependence on the eyewitness, who would be able to attest to any agreements that might be reached there at the gates.
Boaz wished to do the honorable thing by making it clear publicly, that he was acting in regards to the whole heritage of Elimelech, including his sons, Mahlon and Kilion. He correctly realized that, ongoing ownership of land and property, and continuing on, the family bloodline of a deceased relative, were intimately and divinely related. Sure he wanted to acquire the land, but by acquiring Ruth also, he showed that he was not only acting on behalf of himself, or Elimelech, but also on behalf of Mahlon, Ruth’s deceased husband.
Boaz clearly informs the other Family Redeemer of all the particulars of his concerns, and after he lays it all out to him regarding the land and property, the man tells Boaz that he wants to buy the land from Naomi. However, when he hears that marrying Ruth, and giving her a child, was also a part of the deal (Deut. 25:5-10), he changed his mind and decided to give up his right of “first choice”. He stated that he did not want to jeopardize his own existing inheritance and estate (Ruth 4:3-6).
In those days, it was customary for anyone who was transferring a right of purchase to remove his sandal and hand it over to the other party. This act served to publicly validate the transaction. And so the man took off his sandal and handed it to Boaz, and he says to him, “You buy the land”. All the witnesses who were standing about confirmed, and blessed, both the deal, and, Boaz’s upcoming marriage to Ruth (Vs. 7-12).
And so the way was now cleared for Boaz to fulfill his role as Naomi’s Family Redeemer. Boaz married Ruth and took her home to live with him, and when GOD allowed her to become pregnant, she gave birth to a son, whom they named, Obed. Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi, took care of Obed as if he were her own son.
When Obed grew up and married, he begat Jesse, who would become the father of David, who became the second and greatest king of Israel, in the direct bloodline of CHRIST JESUS, all because Boaz was first, willing to do the “honorable thing”.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, August 19, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday August 21, 2011

DEPENDING ON THE COMMUNITY OF GOD
(Helping the needy is the duty of every Christian)
(Ruth 2)

In Ruth chapter two, we are introduced to a man named Boaz, who is a relative of Naomi’s deceased husband, Elimelech. Boaz comes into the lives of Ruth and Naomi at a time when they had no one to care for them following the deaths of their husbands. Boaz was one of the most prominent, GODly men in the Israelite community at that time, and his relationship to Naomi’s deceased husband, qualified him as a “Kinsman Redeemer” under Old Testament family law (Leviticus 25:35-36).
This law requires, first, that a relative take care of another relative who has fallen on hard times financially, or otherwise, and can no longer support themselves. Also in this situation involving Boaz, Naomi, and Ruth, there is another duty of the Kinsman Redeemer that comes into play, and that is, the obligation of the redeemer to marry the childless widow of a relative for the purpose of producing an offspring to carry on the lineage of the dead spouse, and, to preserve their property (Ruth 4:1-6).
Old Testament Law also gave any persons who were poor, the right to gather any produce that was left in the fields or orchards of an owner, after they had completed their first picking of the harvest (Leviticus 19:9-10 & Deuteronomy 24:19-21). It was at the beginning of the barley harvest, and Ruth is no doubt, drawn by GOD, to the fields of Boaz after she had asked Naomi if she could go to the fields to glean leftovers from the harvesters. After Naomi consented, Ruth went out and, inadvertently, found herself working in the fields of Boaz, and while she is there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and came out to greet the harvesters, as was his custom.
Upon noticing Ruth, he asked his foreman who she was. The foreman replied that she was a woman from Moab who had come back to Judah with his relative, Naomi. He told Boaz that she had asked if she could glean the leftovers from the harvest, and, that he had graciously allowed her to do so.
Boaz went over to Ruth and invited her to continue on working with them. He also told her that he had already warned the young men not to bother her. Ruth thanked him warmly and informed him of her foreign roots. He told Ruth that he was already aware that she was a foreigner from the land of Moab, however, he was more impressed with her loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and, by her choosing to come to live in a foreign land among complete strangers. He said to her, “May the LORD, the GOD of Israel, under WHOSE wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully”.
On that day Ruth was able to gather up about 40 pounds of grain, an unusually high amount for a gleaner. When she returned home to Naomi, Naomi knew that someone had purposely helped her young daughter-in-law to gather such a large amount. And when she discovered that that person was Boaz, she encouraged Ruth to continue working only in his fields. Here we see that Naomi has already begun to hope and plan for Ruth’s future in her new chosen community of Israel.
When we leave our old lives behind and come to dwell in the community of GOD, we can always count on a warm welcome and acceptance. In fact, JESUS has already accepted the obligation to “redeem” us, and to welcome us, despite the terribly high price that HE had to pay in advance, on the cross, and despite the terrible things that we may have already done in our past.
GOD is a Rewarder to anyone who earnestly seeks HIM through their acceptance of CHRIST JESUS, and, HE will never leave us to hunger or thirst when we do. HE will provide for all of our needs, especially when HE sees us showing unselfish love and kindness to those who are in need.
It was King David who wrote, “The steps of the GODly are directed by the LORD. HE delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. Once I was young, and now I am old, yet I have never seen the GODly forsaken, nor seen their children begging for bread” (Psalm 37:23-25) (NLT).

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, August 12, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday August 14, 2011

CHOOSING A COMMUNITY
(A relationship based on GOD lasts forever)
(Ruth 1)

The book of Ruth is a shining example of how GOD continues to move on the hearts of HIS people, even during their times of spiritual, moral, and economic struggle and decline. The events chronicled in the story of Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, take place during the period when Judges ruled over Israel. It was one of the darkest periods in Israel’s history and it sets itself against the backdrop of massive national irresponsibility, and declining moral and spiritual character.
The book of Ruth is one of only two books in the Christian bible that is named after a woman, the other is Esther. It is also one of only two books in scripture that are named after a Gentile, the other of course being the Gospel of Luke. Early, but un-substantiated rabbinic tradition identifies the prophet Samuel as the author of the book of Ruth, as well as Judges, and first and second Samuel, which bear his name.
Here in the book of Ruth, we find people (namely Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi) who seem to portray a welcoming contrast to the chaotic era of the Judges. They provide us with a refreshing relief from the immorality, bloodshed, famine, and mayhem that was running rampant in the land of Israel during the eleventh century B.C. This book serves to show us that even in times of crisis and despair, we can still continue to live by GOD’s principals and directives, and also that, GOD will reward us richly when we do.
“Faith”, “hope”, and “love” are the three great enduring things. They are “virtues” that will always overpower the “anti-virtues” which are “doubt”, “depression”, and “fear”. However, we can only access those virtues when we choose to incorporate GOD’s plan, instead of our own, into our lives.
Here in chapter one we find a man called Elimelech, who is struggling to survive in a time of great famine in Palestine, moving his family from Bethlehem to the country of Moab. His family consisted of his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. Unfortunately, while in Moab, Elimelech died leaving Naomi alone with her two sons. The two sons each grew up and married Moabite women. One’s son’s wife was named Orpah, and the other son’s wife was named, Ruth. Ten years later, however, both sons died leaving all three women alone with no children (Ruth 1:1-5).
One day Naomi received news that the famine in Palestine was over, and GOD had begun blessing the people of Judah with bountiful crops again. She decided it was time to return home, and so she struck out on the road back to Judah, taking her two daughters-in-law with her. Along the way, she decided that maybe it was not the best thing that Orpah and Ruth should leave their homeland and travel with her to Palestine. She felt that she had nothing to offer these two young women in the way of security through new marriages. She felt that she herself was too old to bear more sons for them to marry, and besides, it wouldn’t make sense for the two women to have to wait years for those sons to grow to marrying age (Ruth 1:6-13).
One of the women, Orpah, agreed with Naomi and decided to return home to Moab, while the other, Ruth, made the decision to stay with Naomi and commit to finding a new life, in a new community, in the land of Judah (v. 14). In verses 16-17, Ruth utters her, now famous statement of loyalty to Naomi, and to GOD, when she says, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. I will go wherever you go, and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people, and your GOD will be my GOD. I will die where you die and will be buried there. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us” (NLT).
This renowned expression of commitment to Naomi, not only shows her loyalty to a friend, but it also exhibits clear theological insight. In Old Testament times, even most outsiders eventually came to know that GOD had a covenant relationship with Israel. And by Ruth identifying herself with GOD’s covenant people, she also qualified herself to claim Israel’s GOD as her own.
Apparently, Naomi had lived the kind of exemplary life around Ruth, that enabled her to draw Ruth out of the world, and into the blessed community of GOD, where JESUS exemplifies through HIS OWN vicarious sacrifice, that HE wants us all to be.
Ruth made a commitment to stay with Naomi, and, to care for her. She desired to have the kind of life that she had observed in Naomi’s family over the years. It didn’t seem to matter to her about the living conditions, or the challenge of following the laws of their GOD. She voluntarily gave up the worldly ways of her Moab tradition and upbringing, and instead, chose to follow the ways and traditions of the true and living GOD, WHO is our SAVIOR, through JESUS CHRIST. And as a result of her decision, she went on to become a prominent member in the direct lineage of CHRIST, through her future Jewish husband Boaz.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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Friday, August 5, 2011

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday August 7, 2011

OUR CHILDREN HAVE POTENTIAL AND PROMISE
(We must help our children reach their full GODly potential)
(Judges 13-16)

In biblical times, the Jews had a saying that, with the birth of every child there are three parents, the father, the mother, and the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD. They believed that no child could be born without the approval of the SPIRIT. I believe that too. And it may well be that Old and New Testament stories of childbirth, are little more than just lovely and poetic ways of saying, that, whether our father is human or not, the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD is operative in child birth, in a very special way. And, as for men, while it may not make life easier, it has always been what makes men great. The paradox for women is that, it confers upon her, at one and the same time, perhaps, her greatest emotional joy, and hopefully the greatest physical pain, that she will ever have to endure.
The forty-years of oppression that was suffered by the Israelites at the hands of the Philistines, that are chronicled here in chapters 13-16 of the book of Judges, is the longest such stint of suffering that is recorded in the whole 340-year period, which this historic book covers. In these verses, the author of GOD relates to us, the colorful life of Samson, who judged over Israel for 20 years.
Samson, whose name itself means “distinguished”, was a man whose great physical strength, and equally great, moral weaknesses, made him both famous, and infamous, throughout the land of Canaan, in his day. In fact, even today, the story of his life, and his divinely and un-divinely inspired exploits, serve to make his tenure as the last judge of Israel, a legendary one. And, even though his parents, Manoah and his unnamed wife, exhibit evidence of their great faith in GOD, Samson, on the other hand, seems quite clearly to be a product of his era, or, a “man of the world”, probably, most of his life.
The LORD had instructed Samson’s parents through the Angel of GOD, even before his birth, that he should be raised as a “Nazirite”. This meant that Samson would be dedicated to GOD from birth, and would serve as an example to Israel, personifying a commitment to GOD forever, by abstaining from all the unnecessary things of the world (Judges 13: 3-5). He is one of only three men in scripture who were born under a “lifetime nazirite vow”. The other two are Samuel, and John the Baptist.
Samson, however, fell far short of living up to his parent’s nazirite vow to GOD, and most likely, so did they (Judges 14:1-11). Samson’s passion for pagan women led, first, to his physical blindness and enslavement (Judges 16:21), and then ultimately, to his untimely demise during a festive celebration of his own capture by the Philistines (Judges 16:23-30). In the dramatic conclusion of his colorful life he prayed to GOD for the strength to push down the pillars that held up the pagan idol temple of Dagon. GOD granted his request, and as a result, Samson was able to kill more Philistines in one day, than he had slain in his entire life combined, including the time he slew 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:14-17).
Samson fell victim to the world because he desired greatly to have what he saw in the world, and out of his weakness, he was made strong by the power of GOD. He was a person with great potential, who fell short, because of his sin and disobedience to GOD. His life represents a clear warning against the dangers of self-indulgence, and lack of discipline, which both, most likely stemmed from poor parenting. Verses 1-3 and 10-11 of chapter 13 suggests that Samson was accustomed to having his way with his parents, even when they knew he was wrong.
Fortunately for him, Samson was able to come to his senses in end, but it is always better late, than never. His captivity, and, GOD’s taking away of his strength, caused him to reflect on his dependence on the LORD to survive, and in the end, GOD used his weakened state to lure the Philistines into a state of complacency, and thus, set the stage for their own demise.
GOD blesses each of us with gifts, talent, and potential, that may be uniquely our own. And when we are motivated first by our parents to begin to seek GOD, and, to establish a personal, experiential relationship with HIM, GOD begins to show us what our unique gifts and talents are, and, just how HE wishes us to use them in HIS service. If we, as parents “don’t”, “won’t”, or “can’t”, lead our children by exhibiting GODly principles to them early in life, then satan, surely stands ready to show them how to use those same gifts and talents, in ways that are un-pleasing to GOD, or, anti-CHRIST.
Samson, had not, himself, asked for the gift of great strength, but rather, it was granted to him by GOD, from birth. The “Nazirite Vow” was not his own, but rather, had been laid upon him by GOD, through his parents. Nevertheless, it is just that way with any of us, who have been born into this world. No person has ever asked to be born. However, hopefully we will eventually come to realize the full purpose for which we came into this world, and that is, to serve GOD.
Perhaps William Barclay said it best when he wrote, “The great paradox of Christianity is that, the only way to victory is through surrender, and the only way to power is by admitting one’s own weakness”. GOD has something in mind with the birth of every child, from the moment they are conceived in the womb. And just like in the case of Samson, all people have a special calling and mission that requires help and strength from GOD. However, GOD chose to use parents, or parent figures, in the life of every child, in order to help that child to achieve his or her full potential for HIM. And so, we as parents fail GOD, when we first, fail to lead our children in ways that are pleasing to GOD, and we have all been guilty of that, at one time, or another. Amen.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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