April 5, 2010, "Jesus"

Triumphant Victorious Reminders
Inspired by the Holy Spirit
Written By: Teresa Stevens Criswell

The Book of Ruth

I am so excited I can't even 'type' straight. Where do I begin?

Ok...I have been slowly reading a fabulous book by Francine Rivers called, "Redeeming Love". This book is based on the Book of the Bible; Hosea.

In the book there was a reference made to the Book of Ruth, based on the name Mara.

I felt the Holy Spirit challenge me to put the book down and study the Book of Ruth. As I started to read the Book of Ruth, there was the name I had been curious about. The name was Mara. Naomi after arriving back into her homeland of Bethlehem, the people with great excitement greet her asking her if she is Naomi. She says, "Call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 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 Almgihty has afflicted me?"

As I got the meaning of the name, I was hungry to learn more about Naomi and Ruth. There was great intention to truly study. I jotted down some questions and continued to read. After Naomi loses her husband, their two sons marry two women of Moab. Well, ten years after the sons were married, they both died, leaving their wives as widows; their names were Orpah and Ruth.

(Ruth 1:6) Now I am not sure of the timeframe, however Naomi hears that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread; this had caught my attention. I kept thinking, 'bread', 'bread'. In Ruth Chapter one, upon returning to Judah, Naomi insists that her daughter in laws go back to their mother's house. However, I noticed something quite beautiful. Naomi speaks a blessing over them before they are to depart to their families. I take notice of this, because of the great importance of speaking a blessing in that culture. Well, Orpah ends up going back to her homeland and family; however, Ruth clings to Naomi and weeps and proclaims a powerful declaration to her mother in law, refer to Ruth 1:16-17.

As I went back to Ruth 1:6, I was amazed to see the word, bread. Not only that word, but to know the meaning of Bethlehem is, "the house of bread". The important part are some other points I picked up on:
Number 1: The House of Bread
Number 2: Ruth ends up marrying Boaz, the wealthy relative of Naomi's late husband, Ruth's late father in law.
Number 3: Ruth and Boaz have a son named Obed. Obed later has a son named, Jesse. And Jesse, ends up having a son named David.
Number 4: David is born in Bethlehem and is later anointed King of Israel by the prophet Samuel.
Number 5: When Ruth went to go glean, Boaz came out to his field and blessed the reapers with his spoken word, "The Lord be with you!"
Number 6: The reapers answered Boaz and said, "The Lord bless you!" Again, there is something to speaking forth the blessing of the Lord!
Number 7: Who is referred to as the Bread of Life? Yes! Jesus!
Number 8: When you find the time frame of Naomi's arrival to Bethlehem, it is at the beginning of the barley harvest. The barley harvest is associated with none other than the Passover!
Number 9: Who died and resurrected during Passover? Jesus!
WOW!!!!!

All in all! I am amazed on every count! I am in awe that truly everything was made by Jesus and through Jesus, and nothing is able to exist without Jesus (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1)! As Greg Fritz said yesterday as we met together, "We ALL, saved and unsaved alike owe our very existence to the One Who is, Who was and Is to Come!!!! JESUS!!!!!"

When we are told, "You can't say the name of Jesus"...we may as well, pack up, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them and literally pray mercy over those people who have not allowed us to say His Glorious Name (Mark 6:11)!

I am learning that God never has to manipulate to get what He needs to get done. Why is that for some reason we feel that we need to assist God by manipulating, and if we don't say the name of Jesus, then we will compromise even not saying His name, as we justify that we are opening a door to help with God's plan? O Lord, help us in this day! Lord, help us to never deny you in the slightest bit!