Monday, January 31, 2022
II Samuel 7:16-17
Monday, January 31, 2022 |
And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
For further study - II Samuel 7:4-17
The promise of a house (Temple), Kingdom and throne for a descendant of King David from the Lord is known as the Davidic Covenant. This is a promise that will only fail if the day and the night are no longer in existence, Jeremiah 33:19-21.
For almost 6,000 years, we have had a night followed by a day - God's promise to David is as true as the next moonlit night or majestic sunrise. The Davidic Covenant will be fulfilled by that member of the linage of King David, the person of Jesus Christ.
The complete fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant is yet future. It will be fulfilled when Jesus Christ returns to the Earth, to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem to set up His Kingdom by building His Temple on the Temple Mount (Zechariah 6:12-13) in Jerusalem.
It is in that Temple, where Jesus will be seated upon His "throne" as the promised descendant of King David. Jesus will rule and reign, forever. This is evidence that we are not now living in "the kingdom period".
The "kingdom" is yet to come, right now Jesus is seated at the "right hand" of His Father in the heavens, Hebrews 1:3, 8:1 and 12:2. One day in the future the Father will give His Son, Jesus, the "kingdom", Daniel 7:13 and 14.
Current events in this present world, in light of Bible Prophecy, seem to indicate that the coming of the Messiah is quickly approaching. The fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant's promise is drawing closer.
One of those current events is the preparation to build another Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and this Temple will be built prior to the "Kingdom Temple", in the Tribulation Period, Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, II Thessalonians 2:4 and Revelation 11:1.
All the preparations have been made for that Tribulation Temple to be erected in Jerusalem at any time. The only thing that must happen before the next Temple is built is the Rapture, Jesus calling us to be with him in the heavenlies.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank you Lord for keeping your promises, like the Davidic Covenant, to the Jews, which confirms that You will keep all of Your promises to me.
Sunday, January 30, 2022
2 Samuel 6:17
Sunday, January 30, 2022 |
And they brought in the ark OF THE LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before THE LORD.
For further study - II Samuel 6:1-23
In our previous readings in II Samuel we looked at chapter 5, which was the record of King David capturing the Jebusite stronghold of Jerusalem and making it the "political capital" of the Jewish people.
We will also look at chapter 7 which records that God made a covenant with King David, the Davidic Covenant, which promises that a descendant of David will sit on the throne in Jerusalem forever.
Now we read from II Samuel 6, which records King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant, that sacred piece of Temple furniture, into the city of Jerusalem. The account reminds us that Uzzah died beside the Ark because when he reached out to stop the Ark from falling from the cart it was being transported on, it angered the Lord, II Samuel 6:7. God also smote the driver of the "new cart", II Samuel 6:3.
The problem was that King David was following the example of the "secular world", the Philistines, by using a "new cart" to transport the Ark. The Manual, (God's Word), said that four Levites were to bare the Ark when it was moved.
Therefore, David would wait three months before he would be able to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. The record tells us that David would transport the Ark the proper way from the home of Obededom up to Jerusalem, II Samuel 6:11.
When all else fails, read and follow the "Manual".
David placed the Ark in a "temporary Tabernacle" until it would be placed in the Holy of Holies in the Temple that would be built by David's son Solomon. By this action, David made Jerusalem not only the "political capital" of the Jewish people, but it is their religious, or "spiritual capital" as well.
After having the First Temple built, King Solomon would place the Ark inside the Holy of Holies, II Chronicles 3:1 & 5:1-7. In God's promise to King David, the Lord said that Jerusalem would be the "eternal, spiritual capital" of the Jewish people.
In the Temple that Jesus will build in Jerusalem, Zechariah 6:12, there will be no Ark. Jesus Christ is the Ark in the Holy of Holies. However, in the next Temple to stand on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem there will be this same Ark that King David brought into Jerusalem. The next Temple is a "false temple" built by a "false messiah" - the Antichrist.
The next Temple is ready to go up in Jerusalem, with the Ark ready to be placed in the Temple. The only thing to happen before that is the Rapture of the Church, which could happen today.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Help me, Lord, to live ready for the Rapture.
Saturday, January 29, 2022
2 Samuel 5:12
Saturday, January 29, 2022 |
And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.
For further reading - II Samuel 5:1-12
On our journey through the Bible we come now to the book of II Samuel. I Samuel is the record of the first King of Israel, King Saul. As we read through II Samuel you will see that it is the record of the second King of Israel, King David.
In the first chapter David hears of the death of King Saul and we see his reaction to the King’s death. David is made King of Judah in chapter 2 and moves his family to Hebron to reign over this one tribe of the twelve tribes of Israel in chapter 3.
The event recorded here in II Samuel 5 took place 3,000 years ago which is very significant as it relates to Jerusalem, both politically and prophetically. The men of the tribe of Judah had come to David to appoint the grown-up shepherd boy of Bethlehem as king of their tribe, II Samuel 2:4, how-be-it , only one of the tribes of the twelve of Israel.
King David would serve as King of Judah for 7 and a half years before all the tribal leaders of Israel would come to him where he served in Hebron, to make him the King of all twelve tribes. King David made a league with them before the Lord and they anointed David King over Israel.
Now David must find a neutral location to headquarter his kingdom, some location other than Hebron. David's search took him to a Jebusite stronghold between the tribal locations of Benjamin and Judah known as Jerusalem.
After capturing the city, King David makes Jerusalem the political capital of the Jewish people. By the way, that was done some 3,000 years ago - before the Islamic faith came into existence.
Jerusalem, and in particular the Temple Mount, became the political center for the Jews. The Jews were occupying the Temple Mount over 1,000 years before the Muslims were ever in existence, especially before the prophet of the Islamic faith ever thought of riding a horse from the stone under the Dome of the Rock into heaven to meet with Allah.
The truth be known, the Quran never even mentions Jerusalem and most Islamic scholars debate whether Mohammad ever was in Jerusalem.
King David has a real connection to the Temple Mount. The second King of Israel actually paid cash money for the Temple Mount, II Samuel 24:18-25, the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
God made King David a promise, the Davidic Covenant, that there would be a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and one of his descendants would be there to serve as co-regent, administrator of the Temple Mount.
The Davidic Covenant cannot be broken, however, there is one exception. If you can make the sun, the moon, and the stars disappear, then the Lord would forget all the promises He made to the "chosen people", Jeremiah 33:20-21, and King David.
God used this shepherd boy, giant killer and natural leader to not only lead the Jewish people in ancient times but He will also raise King David to serve along side the Messiah Jesus Christ for the 1,000 year Kingdom that is coming to Jerusalem, a kingdom that will be there forever.
That "kingdom" is yet to come and it will be a literal kingdom here on the Earth. But before that time there will be a "terrible time of judgment" known as the "Tribulation". This is a seven-year period of time of "judgment" on the Earth, which is preceded by the Rapture of the Church.
The Church is made up of those of us who are true "Bible-believing born-again Christians". The Rapture, as I often remind you, could happen at any moment, even today. Keep looking up.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Dear Lord, as I await your call for me to join you in heaven at the Rapture, mold me and make me to your specs to serve you now - and forever.
Friday, January 28, 2022
1Samuel 28:17-18
Friday, January 28, 2022 |
And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David: Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.
For further study - I Samuel 28:7-19
After David’s victory over Goliath and the Philistines the fame of this young shepherd boy started to spread. God had done, and would do a marvelous work through David, a young man that was totally committed to doing the will of God.
Israel’s King Saul had been there to watch the Lord using this shepherd boy to defend the children of Israel, and it was as if he was helpless to fulfill the leadership roll as the first king of the Jewish people.
The facts are that King Saul had not done that which the Lord had commanded him to do, kill all the Amalekites, including their king Agag, our key verses in our devotional for today. There are consequences for not being obedient.
With the fame of David and the Lord bringing judgment upon King Saul he moved farther away from doing the will of God and even started working against the Lord’s will. I Samuel 18 to 27 reveal the record of how that part of the story played out.
As we come to I Samuel 28 we see the result of both "disobedience" and "obedience". God takes the leadership role of Saul and gives it to David, verses 17 and 18. However, there is more to the story of Saul and his relationship with the Lord.
King Saul, the first king of Israel, consulted with the Witch of Endor, a satanically possessed woman. Because of that encounter, the Lord withdrew from King Saul and would not answer him.
The influence of the Devil has been present since the "fall of man" in Genesis 3. The Devil has in the past sent evil angels in the form of demons and witches into the world to cause havoc.
At the first coming of Jesus Christ there was much demonic activity that Jesus would confront. Demonic activity will be prevalent at the time of His second coming, and more so as we draw nearer to the coming of the Lord, Matthew 24:4-5, 11 & 24. In fact, demonic deception was the first indication that Jesus said would signal His Second Coming.
The last days are quickly approaching, I Timothy 4:1-2. As we understand these truths we can see just how close we may well be to His return. This knowledge also alerts us to the way to stand against this Satanic activity, James 4:7.
But please notice our key verses for today, verses 17 and 18. The Lord took the kingdom from King Saul and gave it to David because Saul had failed to follow the command of the Lord to destroy the Amalekites, I Samuel 15.
By the way, the problems that Israel has today with the Palestinian people are due to the fact that King Saul did not obey the Lord. You see the Palestinian people of today are the Amalekites of yesterday.
The scenario found in our devotional reading for today is very similar to the scenario of what will happen in the last days leading up to the Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Actually, the Rapture is the next thing to happen on God’s time clock of Bible prophecy and there are no prophecies to be fulfilled before the Rapture, it could happen at any moment, perhaps today.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Dear Lord help me to be obedient to you, no matter what your will for me might be.
Thursday, January 27, 2022
1Samuel 17:46
Thursday, January 27, 2022 |
This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
For further study -I Samuel 17:31-54
This portion of I Samuel 17 that we have chosen for our extended devotional reading today is the record of David's victory over the giant, Goliath. This is one great story. In reality, it would make a good movie script; however, it may be too wholesome for today's "movie-goers".
David, the youngest son of Jesse, from Bethlehem, was selected to take some "food-stuffs" to his brothers who were about to enter battle with the dreaded enemy of the Jewish people, the Philistines.
The young shepherd boy, and I mean boy, was most likely in his early to mid-teen years, David caught up with his brothers in the valley of Elah to the west of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. He saw that the Israelites were fearful of entering the battle, especially in light of the leader of the Philistines, a giant of a man, most likely over nine feet tall.
David immediately said to Saul that no one should fear or "let his heart fail" because he would go out to fight this Philistine, verse 32.
David told King Saul that when he had watched over his father's sheep on two different occasions a bear and a lion had come to attack the sheep and that he had killed both of them, verses 34-36. He was able to overcome the bear and the lion because the Lord was with him.
David assured Saul that because the Philistines had defied the "armies of the living God," the giant leader would be defeated. David refused Saul's armour, sword and helmet and took five smooth stones from the brook to go to battle with Goliath.
David would use the weapon that God had given him as a shepherd boy to protect his Father's sheep, the "slingshot", to kill the giant. By the way, David took five stones because he had heard that Goliath had four brothers. He thought he might have to defeat the whole family.
David killed Goliath, the children of Israel defeated the Philistines and David carried the "head" of Goliath into Jerusalem. He did this to let the Jewish people know that their God was the only true God and would protect them from their enemies, in His own way, not their way.
In fact, this whole incident was done, David and the children of Israel defeating Goliath and the Philistines, so "that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel", verse 46.
God, has for four thousand years, given the Jewish people the victories over seemingly unbeatable enemies so that the world would know that there is a true, powerful, almighty, holy God, the God of Israel.
The Jew has been, is now, and will be the evidence of that truth, even into the future. Also, the Jew is the key to knowing where God is in His timeline for the end of times, the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the Return of Jesus Christ to the Earth.
We all need to keep our focus on the Jews and their nation, and its capital city, Jerusalem, to know what God is doing. God has a "plan" for the last days, it’s called Bible Prophecy, all we need to do is read His prophetic word to see how what is happening today is setting the stage for these prophecies to be fulfilled.
As we see God’s plan being worked out today it will reveal to us how close the complete fulfillment of these prophecies may well be. This knowledge of what God is doing should cause us to live for Him as we eagerly await His Return.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Help me to live Lord so that the world will know that You are real and can change all who come unto You and receive eternal life as I did when I came unto You.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Help me to live Lord so that the world will know that You are real and can change all who come unto You and receive eternal life as I did when I came unto You.
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
1 Samuel 16:13
Wednesday, January 26, 2022 |
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
For further study - I Samuel 16:1-13
This portion of I Samuel selected for our devotional reading today is the record of a young shepherd boy being selected to be the second King of Israel. This account follows the account of Saul, the first King of Israel, who failed to follow the instructions of the Lord that Samuel the prophet had given him.
God had told Samuel to have King Saul kill all of the Amalakites, and even their king, King Agag. King Saul failed to obey the Lord, and thus God rejected King Saul as the King of Israel, I Samuel 15:23.
Samuel mourned for King Saul and as he did so the Lord told the prophet to go to Bethlehem and select one of the sons of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, as the next King of the Jewish people.
In our extended reading you can see the record of Samuel's trip to Jesse's home and how he finally got to the son that the Lord wanted to be King over Israel. It is so interesting to see that God's choice was not among those first seven sons presented by Jesse, their father.
Finally, Jesse brought his youngest son, David, a young shepherd boy, to the prophet. That is when the Lord told Samuel to anoint David as the next King of Israel. This appointment was the beginning of a life given over to God.
In fact, God called David, "His friend", and made a covenant with him, the "Davidic Covenant", which would promise the Jews, through the line of King David, that a King would sit upon a throne in the Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. And that He would rule and reign from that spot forever.
Of course, the Davidic Covenant will be fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, when He returns to earth to set up His Kingdom. The Lord also has already selected King David to be "co-regent" with Jesus at the Temple for the “thousand year millennial kingdom” that is coming, as promised, Ezekiel 34:23-24 and 37:24-25.
The Lord took a little shepherd boy and set him in the place of high service in the plan of God, during his own lifetime. The Lord has also determined for David a place of service in the future. He selected David to be a special servant unto Himself.
By the way, the Lord does that for us as well when we give our all to Him. God has a special “plan” for each of our lives. All we must do is to be available for Him to use us as He has planned. As we spend time in His Word and prayer He will make known what that “plan” is for us.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank you Lord for saving me and using me in your service as I surrender my will to Your will.
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
1 Samuel 15:35
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 |
And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.
For further study – I Samuel 15:1-35
At the “Jerusalem Conference”, held of course in Jerusalem, a high-ranking General in the Israeli Defense Force made the statement that the problems that Israel is having with the Palestinian people today are because King Saul was not obedient to God as recorded in I Samuel 15. We’ll look at that from the scriptures in a moment.
Before we look at that record let me give you a glimpse of what God did as revealed in I Samuel, chapters 5 to 14. We see that the Lord selected Saul as the first King of Israel, I Samuel 9, and this after Israel demanded a “King”, I Samuel 8.
The “self-will” of Saul is evident in the 13th chapter, which leads up to his decision to disobey the Prophet Samuel. Saul’s disobedience is the subject of I Samuel 15 and the result that was referred too by the IDF General in Jerusalem.
The Prophet Samuel comes to King Saul and tells him to destroy the Amalekites. The Lord, through Samuel, tells Saul to kill all of the men and women, the babies and the infants, plus all of their cattle, I Samuel 15:3.
The record shows that King Saul was not obedient to the Lord and did not only spare the life of the Amalekites, but spared the life of the King of these Amalekites, Agag. The prophet Samuel brought the message to Agag and ended up killing this murderer of the Jewish people, I Samuel 15:33
I want you to read all of I Samuel 15, not just a couple of verses. My journey through the Bible is not a “verse a day to keep the Devil away”. You and I need to spend a number of hours studying this special record of how the Lord provided an opportunity to destroy the Palestinian people of today.
Agag, the king of the Amalekites is a descendant of Esau. This is true because the man Amalek is a “grandson” of Esau, Genesis 36:12. Haman, the “bad-man” of the book of Esther, is an Agagite, Esther 3:1. This family can be traced to the Palestinians of today through the mighty king of the Jewish people at the time of Jesus, Herod the Great (see my CD, “Esau and the Palestinians”).
Even though the Prophet Obadiah foretells the total destruction of the Palestinians, Obadiah 12 to 18, the General was right, the Palestinian problems for Israel today, and the continual fighting among the Palestinians and the Israeli’s is because of the disobedience of the Jewish people.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will continue until Jesus returns and gives the Jewish people victory over the Edomites, the Palestinians of today. All the current events for this conflict are the indicators that Bible Prophecy is moving closer and closer to fulfillment.
The very next event in Bible prophecy is the Rapture of the Church and there is not one prophecy that has to be fulfilled before the Rapture. All prophecy remaining that must be fulfilled happens after the Rapture. Be looking up, Jesus is coming and it could be today.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank you Lord for the record of your plan for the end of times. As I learn of this plan, let this knowledge help me to live in anticipation of your soon return.
Monday, January 24, 2022
1 Samuel 4:21-22
Monday, January 24, 2022 |
And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.
For further study - I Samuel 4:1-22
The scripture for today recounts a sad story about how the children of Israel had become so disobedient that the Lord would allow the enemies of Israel, the Philistines, to not only defeat the mighty army that had taken over the “promised land”, but to take their most valued possession, the “Ark of the Covenant”, from them.
This passage reminds the readers that the Ark of the Covenant was where the "glory of the Lord" dwelled among the children of Israel, I Samuel 4:4. The “glory of the Lord dwelleth between the cherubims" on the Ark. The Ark had rested in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle located in Shiloh for almost 350 years.
God had watched the Israelites move into idolatry and disobedience and decided that it was time to chastise them. This account of the attack by the Philistines and the taking of the Ark from the Jewish people is a very sad story.
This passage also records the death of the High Priest Eli and his two sons. The two boys were killed as they were attacking the Philistines, and Eli fell and broke his neck when he heard what had happened.
The sadness of the story is illustrated in the name given to the grandson of Eli. The boy's mother died from grief in the midst of childbirth. The woman attending the birth, I Samuel 4:20, named the newborn "Ichabod" meaning "the Lord has departed from Israel."
Let me remind you that the Philistines of Samuel's day are not the ancestors of the modern Palestinians. (See my study on "Esau and the Palestinians")
The “glory of the Lord” had been dwelling among the Jewish people for almost 400 years, and now would no longer dwell among the Jews for a period of time. It would be over one hundred and twenty years before the Ark would be in the hands of the leaders of Israel and the “glory of the Lord” would return to Israel.
“Ichabod” is not a name that is commonly used. It speaks of a very sad time for the Jewish people when the “glory of the Lord” departed from the midst of the Israelites, leaving them powerless.
This story depicts the past, but, as was the case in New Testament times, the” glory of the Lord”, made manifest in the person of the Messiah Jesus Christ, dwelt among His people. The “glory of the Lord” will dwell among His "chosen people" once again in the future. This future is quickly drawing closer.
God's chosen people, the Jewish people, must turn from idolatry and disobedience and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for the “glory of the Lord” to once again dwell among them.
In order for this to happen the Jewish people must go through what Jeremiah refers to as the “time of Jacob’s trouble”, Jeremiah 30:7. This is the “Tribulation Period”, the seven-year time of great judgment on the earth.
The Jewish people will become His people and He will be their God, Jeremiah 31:33. Bible prophecy will be fulfilled for the Jews. Remember, this “time of trouble” for the Jews, will be preceded by Christians leaving this Earth, to go to be with Jesus in the heavens.
This event, the next prophetic event to happen, the Rapture, could happen at any moment, even today. This is true especially in light of all that is happening with Israel, Jerusalem and the Jewish people today. Keep looking up.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Help me, Lord, to never have "Ichabod" written over me. Help me to be faithful and true to You.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Help me, Lord, to never have "Ichabod" written over me. Help me to be faithful and true to You.
Sunday, January 23, 2022
1 Samuel 3:20
Sunday, January 23, 2022 |
And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
For further reading - I Samuel 3:1-21
As we continue our journey through the Bible, we come to the book of I Samuel, which is the record of Samuel, the one who would be not only a priest, but a prophet to the Jewish people as well. Samuel would be used by God to select the first King of Israel, King Saul.
He would also be the messenger from God who would pass along the Lord's command to destroy a people, the Amalekites, descendants of Esau and his grandson, Amalek, Genesis 36:12.
Our devotional for today also records how the Lord would call this one who would become a prophet. In fact, the Lord did actually call Samuel a number of times and each time Samuel thought someone else was calling him. Finally, Samuel recognized that it was the Lord calling and he responded, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth."
What a profound statement. It states that Samuel had made the Lord, the Lord of his life and ministry. It also states in verse 9 that Samuel was not enamored with the fact he was a priest and a prophet.
Samuel, in his mind, was a "servant" which made him ready to do whatever the Lord called him to do. This is an excellent example for each of us. No matter our position, we are to be servants. It is also our responsibility to listen to the Lord for His direction and instruction - not to set our own agenda.
Samuel was living in the area of Shiloh, the location for the Tabernacle that housed the Ark of the Covenant for some 350 years. This account dates back over 3,000 years to a time when the Jewish nation was headquartered in Shiloh.
I make mention of this fact because Shiloh today is in a very controversial location in the heart of the disputed territories, sometimes erroneously referred to as the "West Bank." The Biblical terminology for this geographical area is Judea and Samaria. The record shows that God brought the Children of Israel into the Promised Land and gave them the land, including Shiloh, Joshua 18:1.
I remind you that the land is God's land, Leviticus 25:23, and He gives it to whomever He chooses. In fact, this passage in Leviticus, on the land, indicates that God has chosen the Jewish people to be the "caretakers" of His land.
Shiloh will continue to be a center of controversy among the nations of the world at this time in history, but will belong to the Jewish people forever, one day in the future. Until then, there will be conflict.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Help me to be Your servant, ready for Your anytime call to join You in the heavens, at the time of the Rapture.
Saturday, January 22, 2022
Ruth 4:17
Saturday, January 22, 2022 |
And the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
For further study - Ruth 4:7-17
The book of Ruth is a love story, the story of the Kinsman Redeemer. It is the story of a Jewish man taking a Gentile woman to be his wife and thus to fulfill his responsibility as the family member next in line.
This generous act of Boaz would set in place the lineage from Abraham to David through a Gentile woman who would also be in the lineage to Christ, Matthew 1:1-17.
Ruth's son Obed, verse 17, would be the father of Jesse - the father of David, verse 22. David would be the one to whom would be given the promise of the Messiah to be in his linage, a “family member”.
Jesus Christ, is the one who will sit on His (David's) throne forever, II Samuel 7:16. The “Davidic Covenant” is the promise that God gave King David, a forever covenant, that must be fulfilled, and will be fulfilled when Jesus sets up His kingdom at the time of His return to Earth.
This love story is also the background for the prophecy found in Isaiah 59:20, of a Kinsman Redeemer who would come to Zion - to Jerusalem one day to remove the transgression of His people, the Jewish people.
As Christians, we can also look forward to our marriage to the “Kinsman Redeemer”, Jesus Christ, Revelation 19:7-9. Notice that in Revelation 19:7 it speaks of the “marriage” and in verse 9 it talks about the “marriage supper of the Lamb”. These are two different events. In fact, there are three parts to a “Jewish Wedding”, the “engagement”, the “marriage ceremony” and the “marriage celebration”.
We, as Christians are now “engaged” to Jesus and He has gone back to “His Father’s house” to prepare a place for us to live once we’re married, John 14:1-3. At the Rapture Jesus comes to get us and takes us to heaven for the “marriage ceremony” and then the “celebration” begins and last for seven years.
With the world events happening as they are today it seems that Jesus is about to shout for us to join Him in the air at the Rapture, then we will be “married” to Him. Right now we are waiting for our “Bridegroom” to come. It could be at any time, even today. Make sure your “wedding garment’s”, “our righteous acts”, Revelation 19:8, are ready, the wedding could get under way very soon.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank you Lord for the promise of our “marriage” to you. Help us, to be prepared for our “wedding day”.
Friday, January 21, 2022
Ruth 2:16
Friday, January 21, 2022 |
And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
For further study - Ruth 2:1-16
The little book of Ruth has a unique way of including how the Lord would use a "kinsman redeemer" to bring into the lineage of the Messiah, through King David, a Gentile woman, a Moabite.
Ruth, the Gentile woman, a Moabite, had married into a Jewish family and soon afterward saw the Lord take her husband in death. Ruth had, through this experience, become very close with her mother-in-law and had chosen to go to live in Israel with Naomi for the rest of her life.
As we read the narrative we see that Ruth and Naomi, her beloved mother-in-law, would return to Bethlehem, hometown of Ruth's deceased husband. The story found in our reading for today is a “love story”, but also the presentation of the Biblical principle of the "kinsman redeemer."
It is the story of how the Lord would allow for a Gentile woman, Ruth, to become a member of the family that had been prophesied to bring forth the Messiah to the Jewish people.
Naomi had a “kinsman” who would play the role of how Christ, the Jewish Messiah, would also reach out and redeem the Gentiles as well as the Jewish people. It is a wonderful story that should be closely studied for your own benefit.
As I re-read this passage for our devotional time today, I was once again amazed at how the Lord continues to move the world and even the smallest details of the world into place for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.
Ruth and Naomi came to Bethlehem to live and it was there that Boaz, the “kinsman redeemer”, would fall in love with this Gentile and follow through on his responsibility to marry this non-Jewish woman.
As you know, Ruth would be the great-grandmother of David, King David, who would receive the “covenant promise” of God that one of his descendants would sit on the throne of the Temple in Jerusalem, forever. That One, of course, will be the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ.
I commend to you the entire book of Ruth for your reading as evidence that God's plans for the future will be played out in the lives of people, His people, and even us today as well.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Dear Lord, help me to be obedient to Your plan for the future in my own life, even as Boaz and Ruth were many years ago.
Thursday, January 20, 2022
Ruth 1:16
Thursday, January 20, 2022 |
And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
For further reading - Ruth 1:1-16
The book of Ruth is one of the greatest love stories ever written. It is also the story of the "Kinsman Redeemer" which is a type of Christ, as it relates to our salvation. We'll have more on that subject in another devotional.
With these two themes there is also the record of Gentiles and Jews both in the line to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. This is a key component in our “journey through the Bible”, especially as it relates to Bible prophecy.
The Lord will use the love that Ruth had for her mother-in-law and the love that Boaz, the Kinsman, would develop for Ruth to teach us some very important concepts. The integration of Jews and Gentiles in the genealogy to Jesus is one. The other is how two peoples will become one people, through the person Jesus Christ.
I need to develop these thoughts for you by looking at the story line here in the first chapter of Ruth. The scene is a time of famine in Israel about 1,300 years before the birth of Jesus. The location is the little town of Bethlehem and the scene, a Jewish family that included two boys.
Elimelech, because of the famine, took his wife Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion across the Jordan River, to the east, into the country of Moab, a Gentile nation. This Jewish family was assimilated into the Gentile culture as the two boys would fall in love with, and marry Gentile girls, Orpah and Ruth.
With the death of Naomi's husband and their two sons, there is a situation that Naomi must deal with as it relates to her daughter’s-in-law. Naomi offers them their freedom to return to their own families in Moab, the Gentile world from which they had come.
The one daughter-in-law, Orpah, did depart to return home but Ruth told Naomi, "where thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest I will lodge."
Ruth then made a statement that has great prophetic significance. "Thy people shall be my people and thy God my God." The prophetic impact is two-fold.
The ancestral line from Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, which also includes King David is set in place and it includes a Gentile woman, Ruth. Ruth is the great grandmother of King David, Ruth 4:13-22, and in the genealogy to Jesus Christ, Matthew 1:5.
We also see how God will take two people who were at enmity with each other with a "wall of partition" between them and make "one". Out of these two people, being Gentile and Jew, God would make one “new man”, a Christian, out of this union, Ephesians 2:11-18.
The Bible teaches that God has a plan in the future for each of the three members of the human family, Gentile, Jew, and Christian. God has dealt in the past with these three, is dealing with them today and will deal with all three in the future.
The prophetic plan for each family member is now being played out, as foretold in Daniel, for the Gentile; in Ezekiel, for the Jews; and in Revelation, for the Christian. As we watch that plan unfold, we can recognize where we are in God's timeline for the End Times.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Help me to see my part in God's plans for the future even as Ruth did.
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