In God is Strength

Hannah was a devout woman who was mercilessly provoked by Peninnah, a rival wife.  Hannah was distressed about her barrenness, and Peninnah seemed to take great pleasure in reminding Hannah of her inability to conceive.  After Hannah earnestly sought the LORD in prayer, God caused her to conceive and give birth to a son.  Hannah had promised to "lend" her son to the LORD's service all his days, and she made good on her word.

I find wonderful the joyful prayer of Hannah after giving birth to Samuel, knowing she had consecrated him to the LORD.  God answered her request and removed her reproach, and she rejoiced to give her weaned son to serve in the tabernacle.  It is common for people to make promises to God and when He has made good they waver to do their part.  Not so with Hannah:  she found peace and rest in the God who answered her prayer, and as hard as it must have been to leave her little son behind at the tabernacle in care of the priests she did so with gladness - when Samuel was her only child.  She did not know if she would ever have a child again, but she praised God with her whole heart.  Years later by His grace God provided an additional three sons and two daughters to her who was once barren.

Hannah concluded her prayer extolling God in 1 Samuel 2:9-10, "He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail. ¹⁰ The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed."  Having trusting in God, Hannah found herself protected by Him.  He had also silenced Peninnah's cutting remarks.  The proud had been brought low, and the humble had been lifted up.  Hannah's praise exalted the majesty and strength of God, for He alone is able to break His adversaries.  When we see people speaking lies and deceit against God and His wisdom, it is easy to lose heart.  But knowing God is mighty and the Judge of all provides rest for our souls.  In God is strength, and those who trust the KING OF KINGS need not fear any man.

The line which ministers most to me today is, "For by strength no man shall prevail."  Many of those in the world who approve wickedness appear strong, influential, and incapable of overthrow.  When Christians stand for righteousness, it seems we cannot prevail against the onslaught of perversion, deceit, and lies the world favours over God's truth.  But by strength of numbers, power of government, or strength of deceit none will prevail over God.  For a season Peninnah spitefully boasted of her fruitfulness and Hannah's impotence, but God caused a day to come when the opposite was true.  Hannah did not boast in her abilities, but in God and His strength.  For all who grieve over the darkness of our day and the impossibilities which loom before us, insurmountable obstacles we cannot overcome alone, God will show Himself strong.  It is in Jesus Christ we find comfort, strength, and rest for our souls.  As He was meek in this world so ought we to be, trusting in Him and seeking to do His will.  It is He who will trample down His enemies, and let us praise Him.

Jesus, Redeemer of Sinners

I find the book of Ruth deeply touching.  Many parallels can be drawn between the lovingkindness demonstrated by Ruth and Boaz with God's love for us.  Ruth was obedient to Naomi, and Jesus was obedient to the Father.  Boaz delighted to redeem Ruth, and Jesus joyfully paid the cost of our redemption with His own blood.  The book of Ruth contains foreshadowing of what Jesus delighted to accomplish as our Redeemer.  What Jesus has done is infinitely greater than what Ruth or Boaz did, and it remains a compelling and insightful read.

After Ruth conveyed her desire to be redeemed by Boaz, he set about the task at the break of day.  Noami knew Boaz was trustworthy and focused on the task, for she told Ruth not to worry in Ruth 3:18:  "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day."  Boaz went to the gate first thing in the morning, the place where legal proceedings were carried out.  Boaz assembled 10 elders of the city as witnesses and the single kinsman who had the right of redemption greater than his own.

Boaz informed the man of his right to redeem the property of Elimelech, which the man was only too happy to do.  Ruth 4:5-6 reads, "Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance." ⁶ And the close relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it."  The inclusion of Ruth the Moabitess and the responsibility to raise up seed for the dead was the deal-breaker for this unnamed relative.  To take Ruth as wife would mar his own inheritance and the closest relative said it was quite impossible.  So he urged Boaz to redeem the property and Ruth, the exact thing Boaz was most keen to do!  Before the day was out, Boaz had seen it done.

What amazes me is how Christ has redeemed sinners from the curse of sin, having shed His own blood on Calvary.  His righteousness has been credited to all who trust in Him.  Having been created in God's image, men are eligible for redemption but not worthy of it.  Unlike Ruth, not one of us in our sinful condition could be deemed "virtuous."  Instead of being like the first man who claimed redeeming Ruth would ruin his own inheritance, Jesus chose for us to become His inheritance.  He did not leave us ruined but causes us to be born again and made new, holy unto God.  The Father has sent the Holy Spirit as the downpayment of our inheritance, for God is our inheritance and we will enjoy His presence forever (Eph. 1:13-14).  How wonderful it is to be redeemed, loved, and wanted!  That is the happy state of every believer, and we do well to think upon and rejoice in God's love toward us always.

Forgiving Yourself

"We've forgiven you, so forgive yourself."

lyric excerpt from "Up Against the Ropes" by August Burns Red

The concept of "forgiving self" is a statement commonly accepted without critical thought.  But does the Bible in any way support the idea of a person's need to forgive self?  There is plenty written about how God forgives sins and that we are called to forgive others, but forgiving self?  This self-focus stinks of humanism and suggests God's forgiveness is insufficient.

I don't believe people are malicious with their encouragement to "forgive self," but I see no biblical evidence this exhortation comes from God.  Instead of self-help, God tells us to deny self.  Naturally self is our primary focus and our feelings and desires are central to our existence.  1 John 1:9 says concerning believers, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Whether we feel forgiven or not is beside the point.  All sin is primarily against God, and He is the only One who has the power to release us from our guilt.  A man who claims to have this power or authority proudly sits in God's judgment seat.

Think about this in terms of the judicial system.  Say I am guilty of a crime and justice requires a large fine far beyond my ability to pay.  Say a person with financial means heard of my plight and decided to pay the fine in full.  After the exorbitant payment was paid, justice was satisfied.  Since the fine was paid I could legally leave the courtroom a free man.  Wouldn't it be ridiculous for me to hang my head over my guilt and hold out my wrists to be shackled and led away to prison?  "I just can't forgive myself for what I did.  I deserve to rot in prison forever."  The incredulous bailiff would say, "Didn't you hear the judge?  Get out of here.  What's your problem?"  Shouldn't I be thankful to the one who paid for me to be free?  Wouldn't I be overwhelmed with love for such generosity and grace of my saviour?  "Forgiving self" has no bearing on my legal standing before God and any prison in which I remain is imaginary, a paper tiger fashioned by my refusal to receive God's gracious gift.

There is something about penance that appeals to the flesh, that we need to or must afflict ourselves to "pay" for our wrongs.  Again, this is a arbitrary refusal of God's grace.  It is ridiculous to make God's forgiveness depend on my feelings or seek to earn forgiveness only freely received by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, the One who makes sinners free indeed (John 8:36)  Instead of urging others to forgive themselves, it would be better for people to repent, receive, and rejoice in God's forgiveness which is all of grace.  We have a part to play in the matter to be released from the guilt of sin, but forgiveness of self is not a legitimate part of the process.

Bitter and Blind

Bitterness and disappointment ruin our perspective.  A friend told me an amusing anecdote he was taught in sales which displays the power of perspective.  A shoe salesman was sent to sell shoes to people in a remote area and he returned despondent:  "Nobody wears shoes!"  His efforts were wasted because it was a dead market.  Another shoe salesman went and returned bubbly, his eyes wide with excitement:  "Nobody wears shoes!  Think of the potential!"  The little story shows we can be negative over things which can be a great boon when viewed from a different perspective.

Naomi in the book of Ruth was embittered by her losses.  Naomi, her husband, and two sons left Bethlehem due to a famine and moved to Moab.  Over the course of time her sons were both married, but eventually her husband and sons all died.  When the famine was over in Bethlehem, Naomi decided to return.  She sent her daughters-in-law away to their families and gods, but Ruth refused to leave Naomi.  She was so determined to stay with Naomi she affirmed only death would separate them.  When Naomi returned home despondent and depressed, she told people a more fitting name for her was Mara, (literally "bitter").  Ruth 1:21-22 says, "I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?" ²² So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest."

Naomi had left with a husband and two sons out of necessity, and she had returned from Moab with Ruth the Moabitess who faithfully loved her and came of her own free will.  Yet because Naomi's perspective was fixed on all she had lost, she did not value what she had in Ruth.  She saw herself as empty because she had no husband or sons, and remained bitter despite having a loving daughter-in-law.  Over the course of time I believe Naomi came to recognise the treasure she had in Ruth.  After Ruth was married to Boaz and Naomi loved her grandson as her own child, perhaps she began to see how the seemingly ill-fated trip to Moab actually enriched her by God's grace.  She saw God as afflicting her when He provided blessing upon blessing.  Bitterness blinded Naomi to the goodness of God.

The women of the town came to see the blessing Ruth was, as did her husband Boaz.  Ruth 4:14-15 reads, "Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! ¹⁵ And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him."  Not all who fear God are as Job who blessed God in the day of terrible news and during a long season of affliction, but may we be those who rejoice in all we have by God's grace instead of being bitter over our perceived loss.  Ruth was better to Naomi than seven sons because she loved her, and may we rejoice over the love of Jesus toward us.  May we value above our own lives the love others have shown us, not allowing our disappointments to overshadow such blessings God provides.  Those who make their hope in God have fullness of joy no one can take away.