10/4/19

"THE BOOK OF RUTH" Ruth's Tender Plea: "Take Your Maidservant" (3:1-18) by Mark Copeland


"THE BOOK OF RUTH"

Ruth's Tender Plea:  "Take Your Maidservant" (3:1-18)

INTRODUCTION

1. So far our study in the book of Ruth has revealed...
   a. Ruth's noble choice:  "I will go..." - Ru 1:1-22
      1) Expressing great love for her mother-in-law, Naomi
      2) Willing to forego home and religion, and adopt Israel and the
         true God
   b. Ruth's lowly service:  "Let me glean..." - Ru 2:1-23
      1) Exercising her right as a widow to glean after the reapers
         during the harvest
      2) Providing sustenance for herself and her mother-in-law

2. Our previous study reviewed how Ruth came to meet Boaz...
   a. Ruth "happened" to be gleaning in the field of Boaz - Ru 2:1-3
   b. Boaz inquired of his workers about the strange woman - Ru 2:4-5
   c. Learning Ruth's identity, Boaz encouraged her to continue - Ru 2:8-9
   d. Ruth was permitted to glean in the fields of Boaz throughout the
      harvest - Ru 2:21
   e. Naomi was thrilled, because Boaz was a close relative - Ru 2:20

[With advice from her mother-in-law, Ruth will make a "tender plea" that
will prompt Boaz to fulfill an obligation that was due the family of
Elimelech.  Thus chapter three begins with...]

I. NAOMI'S ADVICE TO RUTH

   A. MOTIVATED BY MOTHERLY CONCERN...
      1. Naomi loves her daughter-in-law as a daughter - Ru 3:1
      2. Naomi is concerned for Ruth's security and well-being - Ru 3:1
         a. Security (rest, KJV) implies benefits found in marriage
            - cf. Ru 1:9
         b. It was customary for parents to arrange marriages - cf. Judg 14:1-2

   B. PROMPTED BY PROVIDENTIAL CIRCUMSTANCES...
      1. Boaz, with whose women Ruth gleaned in the fields, was a
         relative - Ru 3:2
         a. He could fulfill the levirate law of marriage - cf. Deut 25:5-10
         b. Perhaps Naomi had interpreted his kindness as interest in
            Ruth
      2. Boaz would be winnowing barley at the threshing floor - Ru 3:2
         a. Threshing floors were located on a hill; this one outside
            the city - cf. Ru 3:15
         b. Naomi knew that Boaz would spend the night there - cf. Ru 3:4

   C. DEVISED TO PROMPT A RESPONSE...
      1. Ruth is told to wash, anoint herself, and put on her best
         garment - Ru 3:3
      2. Ruth is told to wait until Boaz has eaten and fallen asleep- Ru 3:-4
      3. Ruth is told to uncover Boaz' feet and lie down, and await his
         response - Ru 3:4
         a. Some interpret "uncover his feet" and "lie down" as
            euphemisms for sexual activity - cf. Eze 16:25 (KJV); Gen 19:32-35
         b. Yet for Naomi to encourage Ruth to commit such an act of
            boldness and immorality is completely counter to what we
            know of Ruth - cf. Ru 3:11
         c. The actual text suggests that nothing indecent happened
            - cf. Ru 3:7-8

[Ruth consents to follow the advice given by Naomi (Ru 3:5), and so we
read of...]

II. RUTH AT THE FEET OF BOAZ

   A. RUTH FOLLOWS NAOMI'S ADVICE...
      1. Ruth goes down to the threshing floor - Ru 3:6
      2. Ruth does according to her mother-in-law's instructions - Ru 3:6
         a. She waits until Boaz had eaten and gone to sleep - Ru 3:7
         b. She softly uncovers his feet and lies down - Ru 3:7

   B. BOAZ STARTLED BY RUTH'S PRESENCE...
      1. At midnight Boaz is startled by a woman lying at his feet - Ru 3:8
      2. Upon inquiry, Ruth identifies herself and makes her plea - Ru 3:9
         a. "Take your maidservant under your wing"
            1) Or "spread your cloak over your maid" (NRSV)
            2) In that region, a symbolic action denoting protection,
               marriage (JFB)
         b. "For you are a close relative (near kinsman)"
            1) He could fulfill the levirate law of marriage - cf. Deut 25:5-6
            2) But he was not the nearest of kin - cf. Ru 3:12

   C. BOAZ RESPONDS WITH GRATITUDE, HONOR AND KINDNESS...
      1. Boaz is grateful for her kindness - Ru 3:10
         a. She showed more kindness at the end than at the beginning
         b. In that she did not just go after any young man (implying
            that Boaz was older)
      2. Boaz is concerned about preserving her honor - Ru 3:11-14
         a. He would fulfill her request, for everyone knows of her virtue
         b. Yet there was a kinsman nearer to her than he
            1) Boaz must give him the opportunity to do his duty
            2) Boaz swears to perform the duty, if the other person does not
         c. Boaz preserves her reputation
            1) By having her stay until morning, rather than leaving
               during the night
            2) By instructing his workers to tell no one
      3. Boaz gives Ruth six ephahs of barley - Ruth 3:15
         a. So she might not go empty-handed to her mother-in-law 
             - cf. Ru 3:17
         b. The significance of this gift is uncertain
            1) A gift of grain as the bridal price?
            2) A message intended for Naomi, recognizing her part or to
               secure her consent?
            3) A "cover" for Ruth, should anyone see her, implying that
               she had been at work
               gathering grain?
            4) Simply a gift from a man for the woman he hoped to marry?

[With such a large gift in hand...]

III. RUTH RETURNS TO NAOMI

   A. RUTH REPORTS TO NAOMI...
      1. Ruth tells all that Boaz had done for her - Ru 3:16
      2. Ruth explains the six ephahs of barley - Ru 3:17

   B. NAOMI ADVISES RUTH...
      1. To wait to see how things turn out - Ru 3:18
      2. Confident that Boaz will act immediately - Ru 3:18

CONCLUSION

1. It is tempting to caricature Naomi as a "matchmaker"...
   a. She certainly had given her plan some thought
   b. She correctly anticipated Boaz' response
   -- But it was definitely "a risky proposition" that could have easily
      gone awry!

2. Scholars debate whether anything improper took place between Ruth and
   Boaz; I appreciate the following observation:

   "Those who interpret a sexual relation in the events reflect their
   twentieth-century cultural conditioning of sexual permissiveness.
   They fail to appreciate the element of Ruth's trust that Boaz would
   not dishonor her whom he wanted for his wife. They fail to appreciate
   the cultural taboos of Ruth's time that would have prevented a man of
   Boaz's position from taking advantage of Ruth, thereby destroying her
   reputation and perhaps endangering his own.  Biblical writers were
   not squeamish about describing sexual encounters, but the writer of
   Ruth has deliberately refrained from saying there was a liaison
   between Ruth and Boaz.  If read carefully and with sensitivity, it
   becomes clear that he was saying just the opposite.  Both Ruth and
   Boaz acted virtuously in a situation they knew could have turned out
   otherwise.  Chastity was not an unknown virtue in the ancient world."
   - F. B. Huey, Jr. (Expositor's Bible Commentary)

3. Again we are struck by the noble character of Boaz...
   a. We saw his kindness and sense of propriety in the previous chapter
   b. We see his kindness and concern for duty and reputation in this
      chapter

The integrity of Boaz made it possible for Naomi to plan her "risky
proposition" with a strong likelihood that he would respond in the
proper manner.  The benefit of having integrity is that people know how
we will respond in a given situation.

Would we have responded like Boaz...?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

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Finding Nebo-Sarsekim by Kyle Butt, M.Div.




Finding Nebo-Sarsekim

by Kyle Butt, M.Div.


Critics of the Bible attack every facet of its credibility. These critics claim that the books were not written at the time they profess to have been written, that the men whose names the books bear are not the actual writers, and that the biblical characters are mental fabrications of the authors. Such criticism, however, is impossible to maintain rationally and honestly in the face of the vast amount of evidence that verifies the validity and authenticity of the 66 books of the Bible. Archaeological findings provide one line of evidence that continues to add credence to the biblical text. Tablets, seals, papyri, pottery, and a host of other ancient artifacts have surfaced that document the lives of characters mentioned in the Bible. These finds often show that the biblical texts under discussion were written at the time they claim to have been written, and that the biblical characters were historic and real.
Cuneiform tablet containing name of Nebo-Sarsekim
Image courtesy of Ian Jones
One such archaeological find recently came to light. In 1920, the British Museum acquired a small stone tablet about two inches wide and one inch high. This stone tablet went into a large cache of tablets with ancient cuneiform writing on them. Since few people have the skill and knowledge to translate cuneiform, the tablet sat untranslated in the British Museum for about eight decades. Recently, however, Dr. Michael Jursa of the University of Vienna, one of the few people who can read cuneiform, translated the small stone tablet (Alberge, 2007).
The information on the tablet is nothing inherently spectacular. The tablet is dated to 595 B.C. and simply states that a Babylonian official named Nebo-Sarsekim dedicated a large gift of gold to the temple of Esangila in Babylon (Reynolds, 2007). While this inscription is unremarkable by itself, it provides an exciting link to the biblical text.
In Jeremiah 39, the prophet described Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s successful attack on the city of Jerusalem. Jeremiah wrote that Nebuchadnezzar penetrated the walls of Jerusalem in the 11th year of King Zedekiah, which corresponds to 587 B.C. Upon infiltrating the walls, Nebuchadnezzar and several of his Babylonian princes sat at the Middle Gate. One of the princes listed as sitting with Nebuchadnezzar was Sarsechim (Jeremiah 39:3). The name “Sarsechim” is recognized as the same name as Nebo-Sarsekim. Thus, the small stone tablet mentions a Babylonian official alive in 595 B.C. and less than 10 years later Jeremiah mentioned an official by the same name. One member of the British Museum’s staff, Dr. Irving Finkel, who works in the Department of the Middle East, said: “A mundane commercial transaction takes its place as a primary witness to one of the turning points in Old Testament history. This is a tablet that deserves to be famous” (as quoted in Alberge, 2007).
Skeptics already have begun to attack the find. They suggest that the Nebo-Sarsekim on the tablet could be a different Sarsekim from the one mentioned by Jeremiah. While there is always the possibility that they are not the same person, the circumstantial evidence linking the two names establishes a strong case that the names refer to the same person. They both mention a Babylonian official, during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, in a time frame that would be expected if the same person is under discussion. In fact, besides a few “ultra-skeptics,” the find seems to be accepted by the majority of scholars as extrabiblical evidence for the existence of the official mentioned in Jeremiah 39:3.
Concerning the significance of the find, Dr. Finkel stated: “If Nebo-Sarsekim existed, which other lesser figures in the Old Testament existed? A throwaway detail in the Old Testament turns out to be accurate and true. I think that it means that the whole of the narrative [of Jeremiah] takes on a new kind of power” (as quoted in Reynolds, 2007).
The biblical documents have more than archaeological evidence to commend them. Their internal consistency, unity, predictive prophecy, and scientific accuracy combine to produce an irrefutable case for the Bible’s divine inspiration. Archaeological finds such as the tablet inscription, do, however, add cumulative weight to the overall case for the Bible’s factual accuracy. As renowned archaeologist Nelson Glueck observed: “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which conform in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible” (1959, p. 31).

REFERENCES

Alberge, Dalya (2007), “Museum’s Tablet Lends New Weight to Biblical Truth,” The Times, July 11, [On-line], URL: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2056362.ece.
Glueck, Nelson (1959), Rivers in the Desert: A History of the Negev (New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Cudahy).
Reynolds, Nigel (2007), “Tiny Tablet Provides Proof for Old Testament,” Telegraph, July 13, [On-line], URL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/11/ ntablet111.xml.

Fact—The New Testament is the Most Historically Accurate Book Ever Written by Kyle Butt, M.Div.





Fact—The New Testament is the Most Historically Accurate Book Ever Written

by Kyle Butt, M.Div.


Dismissing the miracles documented in the New Testament is a favorite pastime of many skeptics, and even some liberal-thinking religious leaders. However, this “dismissal” game gets extremely complicated because the miracles are so closely blended with historical facts that separating the two soon becomes like trying to separate two different colors of Play-Doh.® Take, for instance, the plight of Sir William Ramsay. His extensive education had engrained within him the keenest sense of scholarship. Along with that sense of scholarship came a built-in prejudice about the supposed inaccuracy of the Bible (especially the book of Acts). Ramsay noted: “…[A]bout 1880 to 1890 the book of the Acts was regarded as the weakest part of the New Testament. No one that had any regard for his reputation as a scholar cared to say a word in its defence [sic]. The most conservative of theological scholars, as a rule, thought the wisest plan of defence [sic] for the New Testament as a whole was to say as little as possible about the Acts” (1915, p. 38).
As could be expect of a person trained by such “scholars,” Ramsay held the same view—for a while. He held the view only for a brief time, however, because he did what few people of his time dared to do. He decided to explore the actual Bible lands with an open Bible—with the intention of proving the inaccuracy of Luke’s history as found in the book of Acts. However, much to his surprise, the book of Acts passed every test that any historical narrative could be asked to pass. After his investigation of the Bible lands, he was forced to conclude:


The more I have studied the narrative of the Acts, and the more I have learned year after year about Graeco-Roman society and thoughts and fashions, and organization in those provinces, the more I admire and the better I understand. I set out to look for truth on the borderland where Greece and Asia meet, and found it here [in the Book of Acts—KB]. You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian’s, and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment, provided always that the critic knows the subject and does not go beyond the limits of science and of justice (1915, p. 89).
The renowned archaeologist Nelson Glueck put it like this:
It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which conform in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible (1959, p. 31).
Considering the fact that the land of Palestine in the days of the New Testament writers tossed and turned on a sea of political, economical, and social unrest, I would say that its historical accuracy is pretty amazing. Travel to the Holy Lands and see for yourself if you doubt New Testament accuracy. Carry with you an honest, open mind and a New Testament, and I assure you that you will respect the New Testament writers as accurate historians by the end of your journey.

REFERENCES

Glueck, Nelson (1959), Rivers in the Desert: A History of the Negev (New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Cudahy).
Ramsay, William (1915), The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1975 reprint).

Evidence of Hezekiah's Reforms at Lachish by Dewayne Bryant, Ph.D.





Evidence of Hezekiah's Reforms at Lachish

by Dewayne Bryant, Ph.D.


Napoleon once said that luck was the greatest attribute of the victorious general. The same could be said about the successful archaeologist. While archaeologists can make informed decisions about where to dig, some finds are purely accidental. In one such case, corroborating evidence of Hezekiah’s reforms was found in the form of an ancient toilet seat.
During the eighth century B.C., Hezekiah refurbished the Temple in Jerusalem and removed elements of pagan worship throughout the land. The text states, “he removed the high places, broke down the pillars, and cut down the sacred pole” (2 Kings 18:4; cf. vs. 22). Additional evidence of these reforms can be found in the abolishment of a temple at Arad and the destruction of a horned altar at Beersheba,1 as the existence of both violated the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 12:1-7; Exodus 20:25). Another product of these reforms can be found in a desecrated gate-shrine at the city of Lachish.
Lachish was the second most important city in ancient Judah. An expedition from Tel Aviv University in the 1970s and 1980s excavated part of the city gate, one of the largest ever found in Israel. The preserved remains of the massive, six-chambered gate stand 16 feet high. Further excavations at the site in 2016 revealed a destruction layer containing burnt mudbricks and dozens of arrowheads, evidence of the city’s destruction in 701 B.C. by Assyrian armies under Sennacherib.2
Inside one of the chambers of the gate stood a shrine. This area was divided into two small rooms, one of which contained two horned altars desecrated before the Assyrian siege of the city cir. 701 B.C. Most of the altars’ horns—horn-like protrusions at each of the four corners—were cut off, rendering them ceremonially useless (cf. Amos 3:14).
Inside a second room, identified as the “holy of holies,” excavators discovered a square stone measuring 20 x 20 inches in size, with a hole in the middle. Fashioned into the shape of a seat, this is easily identified as an ancient toilet (other examples of such seats have been found in Israel and Jordan). Lab tests indicate that the stone toilet in Lachish was never actually used by any of the city’s inhabitants. Even though the placement of the toilet seat was symbolic, its inclusion desecrated the shrine.
Defiling a sacred space by turning it into a latrine is known from the Bible. Jehu desecrated a temple of Baal in this fashion during his time as king of Israel. The text states, “they demolished the pillar of Baal, and destroyed the temple of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day” (2 Kings 10:27).
The desecration of the shrine offers important information about the worship taking place at Lachish at the end of the eighth century B.C. Residents of Lachish—and the king in Jerusalem—were taking the worship of God seriously. They seem to have been following Mosaic prescriptions by eliminating competing places of worship outside of Jerusalem, such as those at Lachish, Arad, and Beersheba. Having a centralized place of worship would have been of little concern to Israel’s pagan neighbors, who worshipped their gods at a multiplicity of sites. However, this does point to the uniqueness of Israel’s worship of God and her unwillingness to tolerate alternative forms of worship that controverted the stipulations made in the Mosaic Law.
Often it is said that truth is stranger than fiction. As odd as it may seem, it appears that evidence of a renewed dedication to the worship of God during the reign of Hezekiah has been found in an ancient toilet.

ENDNOTES

1 David Rafael Moulis (2017), “Hezekiah’s Religious Reform—In the Bible and Archaeology,” Bible History Daily, https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/hezekiah-religious-reform-in-the-bible-and-archaeology/.
2 Saar Ganor and Igor Kreimerman (2017), “Going to the Bathroom at Lachish,” Biblical Archaeology Review, 43[6]:58-59, November-December. See Isaiah 36-37.

GOD'S COMPLETE REVELATION! BY STEVE FINNELL



GOD'S COMPLETE REVELATION! 

BY STEVE FINNELL


We have God's complete revelation to all mankind, it is called the Bible. There are sixty six books. There are no more books. God's direct revelation to mankind was finished, completed with the death of the last apostle. The church of Christ had all the information it needed to preach the gospel, teach the church about faith in Jesus Christ, and to instruct men to obey God's commands.

Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity  to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

Jude wrote in his letter, in about 65 A.D., that Christians already had a common salvation. He said contend for the faith which had been handed down once for all. The faith was not being added to nor were parts of the faith being deleted by new revelation. Jude knew nothing of so-called new revelations being written in books of catechisms nor were there any  extra-Biblical books of so-called new revelations from God.

There is no 21st century  new revelation, new prophecy, nor new knowledge. We already have the completed Scriptures, the BIBLE.

1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

Direct prophecy and special knowledge from God have ceased. There is no more prophecy or knowledge that is equal to Scripture. The Bible was completed long ago.

1 Corinthians 13:10 But when what is complete comes , then what is incomplete will no longer be used. (God's Word Translation (1995).

We have a completed Bible. We do not need new revelation. We do not need modern-day apostles nor prophets.

2 Peter 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

The apostle Peter said, in about 66 A.D., that Christians already  had true knowledge. What kind of knowledge are the modern writers of catechisms, or other of the so-called modern-day apostles, and prophets disseminating? A question that is worth pondering.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this reason we also constantly thank God  that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

The apostle Paul said their word was God's word. For men today to claim that the catechisms they write, and, or, the so-called new books of revelation, are directly from God; is at best, a case of self-delusion. The worst case scenario is willful deception or purposeful ignorance.

Acts 20:27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.

The apostle Paul declared the whole purpose of God to the Ephesians. How could Paul have declared the whole purpose of God in the first century if modern day prophets and apostles are still being given new purposes from God today? There are no new, direct revelations, from God that are equal to Scripture.

John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative , but whatever He hears, He will speak; and will disclose to you what is to come.

Jesus said, to the twelve apostles, that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth. The apostle heard all the truth. THERE IS NO NEW TRUTH TO BE ADDED! The Bible is completed, it is finished.

Ephesians 3:3-5 that by revelation there was made know to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

The mystery of Christ was revealed to the apostle Paul as well as the other apostles and prophets. It is not continually being revealed, it was revealed. We have that revelation, it is in the Bible.

We have God's completed word. We have the BIBLE!

HOW MUCH PRIDE WOULD IT TAKE FOR MEN, TODAY, TO CLAIM THAT THEIR WORDS ARE, IN FACT, EQUAL TO SCRIPTURE?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Does the meaning of  God's word evolve over time? The apostle John wrote the book Revelation about 95 AD. Do men have the authority to add to or take away from God's word? NO, they do not.

“Love one another as I have loved you” John 15:12 by Roy Davison



Love one another as I have loved you”
John 15:12

Christ is the source of love among Christians.
Jesus told His followers: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34, 35).
This command was new because it tapped a source of love far superior to any love the world had known before. “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).
Love among Christians is exceptional because it is the very love of Christ Himself. How can I not love a brother for whom Christ died, as He also died for me? Together we are engulfed by the love of Christ. Our hearts are “knit together in love” (Colossians 2:2).
This bond of love exists only among faithful followers of Christ. “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). At baptism we receive the gift of the Spirit: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). This depth of love is found only among those who have been born again, born by water and the Spirit (John 3:5, 7).
God’s love is in our hearts by the power of the Spirit. This enables us to love others in a way that would be impossible otherwise. Christians are able to love even their enemies! (Luke 6:27, 35).
We must cultivate this love to bring it to fruition. “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected [τετελείωται] in him” (1 John 2:5). The banner of God’s love must be unfurled in our hearts by obedience.

Christians learn to love by following Christ.

Only by following Him can we love one another as He loved us. We follow Christ by obeying Him and abiding in His love. “These things I command you, that you love one another” (John 15:17). “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:9, 10).
His commands define love and teach us how to love: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments” (1 John 5:2).
“Speaking the truth in love,” we are to “grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15, 16).
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:12-14).

Christians radiate the love of Christ.

When we love one another as Christ loves us, others can see His love in us and recognize its Source. When we extend His love to others, they can feel the love of Christ. His love spreads forth through us to them.
Jesus tells His followers: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). “He who loves his brother abides in the light” (1 John 2:10).
One purpose of the assembly is to “stir up love” (Hebrews 10:24). In the church of Christ there is a chain reaction of love. Activated by Christ, Christians love each other and radiate His love to all the world.

Christian love is self-sacrificing.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:12-14).
Of Himself Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).

Christian love is abundant.

“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other” (2 Thessalonians 1:3).
“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more” (1 Thessalonians 4:9, 10).
“And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all” (1 Thessalonians 3:12).
Learning to love as Christ loves us is a life-long assignment. His love is so immense that our love for one another never measures up to His love for us. Thus we are admonished to increase our love, to become more like Christ.

Christian love is genuine and benevolent.

“But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:17, 18).

Christian love is fervent and pure.

“And above all things have fervent love for one another” (1 Peter 4:8). “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22).

Christian love is humble and affectionate.

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another” (Romans 12:9, 10).

Christian love is patient and compassionate.

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3).
“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous” (1 Peter 3:8).

Love is the greatest good on earth.

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Paul gives an overview of love’s greatness by listing various attributes: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
The love of Christ has transforming power.

The love of Christ transformed James and John.

James and John were called “sons of thunder” when they first came to Jesus (Mark 3:17). They wanted to call fire down from heaven to destroy a Samaritan village that refused to provide lodging for Jesus (Luke 9:54). Jesus chided them: “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (Luke 9:55, 56).
James and John wanted to be exalted above the other apostles: “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory” (Mark 10:37). “And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John” (Mark 10:41).
But James and John learned to love their fellow disciples as Jesus loved them.
James was the first of the twelve to give his life for Christ. Herod “killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts 12:2).
When John wrote his Gospel he referred to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 20:2; 21:7, 20). He had learned that Christ’s love for us is the example to be followed.
In his letters he emphasizes love among Christians. “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1 John 3:11). “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).

The love of Christ transformed Peter.

Before Peter learned the lesson of love, he thought he was more faithful than anyone else: “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be” (Mark 14:29). Before morning light, he denied Jesus three times.
After the resurrection, however, when Jesus asked Peter: “Do you love Me more than these?” he no longer exalted himself, but said simply: “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You” (John 21:15).
Peter emphasizes love among Christians in his letters. “Love one another fervently with a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22). “Love the brotherhood” (1 Peter 2:17). “Love as brothers” (1 Peter 3:8). “Above all things have fervent love for one another” (1 Peter 4:8). Add “to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love” (2 Peter 1:7).
Through the centuries countless people have been transformed by the love of Christ.

The love of Christ transformed Murray and Joe.

In Toronto, Canada, two boys were skipping stones through the front door and down the aisle of the meeting place of a church of Christ during services. The door was open because of the summer heat. An older brother went out the back, circled around behind the boys and gave them a choice: “Do you want to come in and sit quietly beside me for the rest of the service, or do you want me to call the police?” They decided to go in and sit beside him! After services he told them they were always welcome.
On a subsequent Sunday, before services, one of the boys was standing shyly up the street. The same brother motioned for him to come and he came. The two boys started attending Sunday school. Although they were unruly and disruptive because of their background, Christians patiently showed them the love of Christ. They also attended Omagh Bible Camp (and almost burned the main building down).
Touched by the love of Christ, both became gospel preachers and dedicated their lives to sharing God’s love with others. Murray Hammond preached in Ontario. Joe Cannon became a missionary to Japan and Papua New Guinea, and in later years (before his passing in 2012) to Ukraine.

Let us cherish and nourish this blessing of love we share in Christ.

Christ is the source of love among Christians. We learn to love by following His example and obeying His commands. He enables us to radiate His love. Christian love is self-sacrificing, abundant, genuine, benevolent, fervent, pure, humble, affectionate, patient and compassionate.
Let us obey the words of Christ: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Amen.
Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.


Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

Let go and let GOD by Gary Rose




Today, I heard that a friend of mine was in the hospital and very sick. Her request on Facebook for prayers was one that I just couldn’t ignore. Her name is Nancy Womack and I would ask that you pray for her. She is a faithful Christian, so if God chooses to taker her then she will be blessed. If not she will continue doing her best to follow God as she always has.

I saw the above picture among my collection today and it just seemed to to fit right in with my thoughts and prayers for Nancy. While I was praying for her, I remembered something that the dean of Northeast School of Biblical Studies used to say… “Let go and Let GOD”! The Apostle Paul puts it this way…


Philippians 3 ( World English Bible )
[2] Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision. [3] For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; [4] though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: [5] circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; [6] concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
[7] However, what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. [8] Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; [10] that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death; [11] if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
[12] Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. [13] Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. [15] Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.


Face it, Paul is a tough act to follow. He was a well educated, well connected and a very intelligent man who was devoted to following God through the Jewish religion. He even went as far as persecuting Christians, whether near or far. God confronted him on the Damascus road and later he became one of the greatest followers of Jesus that has ever lived.

There was a price: He had to leave everything behind. He did, and became the greatest proponent of Christianity that ever lived. How? He looked to Christ and followed his will for his life. He “let go and let God”.

If there is something holding you back from doing the same, get rid of it. If there is sin in your life, eradicate it. If you lack enthusiasm, I refer you to verses 13 and 14 above. Now, take another look at that picture and have a wonderful day with Jesus at your side!