One thing I love about Bible reading is that the deeper one goes, the richer the yield. It’s like the Diamond Fields, where I used to live. The top layer gave some interesting stones, like agates, and quartz, sometimes rubies or chalcedony, but deep down were the diamonds. Even in their uncut state they would shine amongst the gravel in the sorting trays, reflecting the light of day, and gleaming, waterless, in the melee of multi-coloured pebbles.
Shortly after I wrote about Ruth, and the other characters Elimelech, Naomi and Boaz, in the Biblical love story of redemption, I was asked to speak at a United Churches Ladies meeting. No problem, I thought, in sharing on something so close to my heart. But speaking is a far cry from writing! For a start, it must be audible – and I have a Yorkshire accent. It must be alive, not boring, and everyone knows the story of Ruth. Ah well, there was plenty of time to add some oomph to what I had written, so I wrote down the basics, and read it back to myself to check on the time it would take to read about my 4X4. Four chapters, four characters, and if I linked four truths and four historical facts we would have a mnemonic of RUTH. Relationships, Understanding, Truths and History.
A piece of pie, I thought, until I heard myself! That is always a mistake! I sound like I have a mouth full of plum pudding, sticky plum pudding, and I usually tell myself not to listen to myself, just go for it! Too late! If I was listening to a talk like that, I would wonder which part of the woodwork I had climbed out of. So out came my spade! This is my trusty digging tool, which involves prayer first of all, plus putting all the books together that I can find about my subject. Then I pop along to my favourite store, The Bible Centre, and see what else I can find. Then I check out the Internet, and what with Google, Web ferret, and all the other search engines, I check out things like Levitical Law, Levirite marriage, the times and methods for reaping the Barley Harvest, and general history for the times when the judges ruled. Ugh, very similar to our times! Lawlessness, immorality, robbery, violence, no ethical accountability. Everyone did as they saw fit. Quite simply, history repeats itself. So I linked my information with warnings about the increase of lawlessness, the scoffers and false teachers who Jesus warned about and looked at what we may expect in the coming days.
I looked at the earthquakes we have experienced, and the famine that is being experienced in so many countries right now. How many people, like Elimelech and Naomi, are looking for a new land where their family can be fed and sheltered? How far would they have to walk? Only the more affluent can afford transport like cars, taxis, busses, trains or planes, none of which were available for Elimelech, Naomi and their two sons.
But hey! Moab could be seen from Bethlehem. The hill where Bethlehem stands is not much further than a whistle blast away from the hills of Moab, about 30 miles, or 43 kilometres. The distance they were travelling was more the distance from God, than distance that could be measured in miles.
And so off they went to live in the country of Moab for a while. Elimelech, meaning “My God is King”, Naomi, meaning “pleasant”, Mahlon, meaning “sickness” and Kilion, meaning”death”.
Well, I was hooked on research! I ask you, would you name your kids like that? It seems that in many Biblical stories the names are given to characters to give richer meaning to the accounts.
Perhaps from the piles of books, reams of notes, and wealth of new information, I will bring out more for my blog readers! But I sure had to cut out a lot to get down to the version I shared today.
My prayer was that like poverty-stricken gleaners, seeking knowledge and insight from the harvest of God’s Word, we would be granted fresh insight on this well known book of Ruth. I am told new food for thought was given, and I continue to pray that God will be glorified as we dig deeper into His Word.
May we find ever more gems and may we be blessed as we walk the path set out for us by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
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