King James Daily Bible Study: God's Delight
Date: Thursday March 31, 2011
Chapters: The Book of Ruth
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-march-31
Details of Today's Reading: Elimelech and take their sons to Moab during a famine, the sons get married, Elimelech and the sons die, Naomi returns to Bethlehem with Ruth, Ruth serves Boaz, Ruth finds reward in her marriage to Boaz.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
The word recompense is defined as to compensate, to make return of an equivalent for any thing given, done or suffered for. There is no greater joy than to see the blessings that God gives us for the things we have given, done, or suffered through. The Bible says, “The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.” - Psalm 18:20-24. God delights in our faithfulness and compensates us for it, especially when we remain faithful to Him through our afflictions.

The Book of Ruth is the eighth book of the Old Testament/Bible, the author of the book is unknown, but it was first written to the Israelites during the time of Judges. The time line for theses events is approximately 1312 BC. The purpose of the book was to show that even Gentiles who are faithful to God become a part of His People. Ruth became the great grandmother of David. It also illustrates the kinsman-redeemer relationship of Jesus Christ. What we are to learn from the book is that God can turn bitterness into blessings for all who come to Him, whether Jew or Gentile. “And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age:” - Ruth 4:15a.

Before Joshua died he gave instructions on who the tribes were to marry in order to keep their inheritance, basically they were to marry within their own tribe. After Joshua died God appointed judges to rule over the Israelites, during that time we learn of Elimelech who was of the tribe of Judah, he married a woman named Naomi and they had two sons. There was a famine in land so, Elimelech packed everyone up and headed to Moab, where the family resided.

“And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread...And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me...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: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” - Ruth 1:3-6, 8,16,17.

Ruth had no idea what would become of her, the only thing she knew was that she did not want to go back to the life she lived and back to the false gods she grew up with. She was determined to follow Naomi and make her God her God also. Ruth is an example of the grace of God, giving life to the soul of all who seek to know Him, regardless of who they are born of or where they have come from. God delights in all who seek Him. “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:12,13.

When Ruth got to Bethlehem I imagine she was overwhelmed, after all, she was a stranger in a strange land. She could have hid herself, she could have mingled with the crowds, but instead she chose to go to work. She went to work for a man named Boaz, who was kin to her late father-in-law Elimelech.

“Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” - Ruth 2:8-12.

A mere stranger, blessed to even be able to work in a place where she were not fit and worthy to enter into the congregation of the Lord finds grace in the eyes of her master. This is a perfect picture of the grace of God, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” - Romans 3:23. who finds grace in the eyes of a sinner. None of us are worthy to enter into the congregation of the Lord. It is only by His grace and our humbling ourselves before Him that we find His grace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” - Ephesians 2:8,9. Our recompense for humbling ourselves before God and professing our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ gives us the reward of the Kingdom of God. Praise God!

Ruth had such an impression on Boaz that he eventually made her his wife, this is the third time that we learn of a person outside of a Jew becoming part of the heritage that would be were Jesus would descend from, proving that all who choose Christ are a part of the kingdom of God, both Jew and Gentile. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” - I Corinthians 12:12,13.

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through Bethlehem, which means "House of Bread." Jesus, the Bread of Life, satisfies the spiritual hunger of all who come to Him. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” - John 6:51.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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