(May 26, 2020) Ruth 1:4 “They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth.” As we read Ruth, one fact is inescapably clear: Ruth was a Moabite. The history of the origin of the Moabites is colorful. Genesis 19:30-38 tells us the story: simply put, Abraham’s nephew Lot lived in a cave with his [...]
(May 22, 2020) Ruth 1:1-5 “…the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. ... But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, [...]
(May 21, 2020) Ruth 1:3 “But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons.” So here we are in the unsettled times of the Judges, with a famine in Bethlehem. And it is heartbreaking to say that this Jewish family had to leave the Promised Land for a time [...]
(May 20, 2020) Ruth 1:1 “In the days when the judges judged there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live for a while in the country of Moab.” I never imagined I would write more than two months of devotionals when I began them! I thought [...]
(May 19, 2020) Jonah 4:11 “And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” Some of you have remarked to me how much can be gleaned in even a small Book like Jonah. Truly, [...]
(May 18, 2020) From II Kings 14:23-25 “Jeroboam became king in Samaria, and he reigned 41 years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord… He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel… in accordance with the word of the Lord, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai.” There is one [...]
(May 14, 2020) Jonah 4:11 “And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” I love God’s Word. It is so deep and rich. It can continually be mined for more. Witness the small [...]
Jonah 4:6a “Then the Lord God provided a vine…” The vine seems a bit odd doesn’t it? It literally came up out of nowhere. It sprang up overnight, and died the next day. We were not expecting it. Neither was Jonah. He did not plant it, water it, or nurture it—he simply enjoyed the shade. [...]
(May 11, 2020) Jonah 3:5 “The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.” If Jonah were one of our missionaries and he were to walk into our sanctuary this Sunday, can you imagine the report? We would ask, “Jonah, how’s it going?” And [...]
(May 7, 2020) Jonah 4:9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” Jonah, who had been forgiven so very much – who had intentionally been so disobedient – is now mad at God for showing the same mercy that [...]
