Scripture

Hebrews 10:19-31

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

 

10:19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

²⁶For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.²⁸Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy "on the testimony of two or three witnesses." ²⁹How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? ³⁰For we know the one who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." ³¹It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 

Hebrews promises new vitality for the church; the writer challenges us to refocus our attention and energy. We're asked to take our eyes off the "Bs": buildings, budgets, and bodies; instead, we are called to train them on Christ. It's not about programs, committees, and budgets; it's not about more, bigger, and better.

 

The Random House Webster's Dictionary defines privilege as "the principle of enjoying special rights or immunities," later adding, "under certain conditions." It makes sense to prove we are worthy to enjoy the privileges. Through Christ's sacrifice, however, Christians are entitled to privileges we do not deserve. We don't have to earn them, and in fact we cannot earn them. There's a big difference between what the world expects of us and what Christ offers to us.

The writer of Hebrews helps us see the promise of new life by telling us about the "benefits package" that comes with following Christ. The benefits package is comprised of privileges that are given to us because Christ is our savior. What are those privileges?

First, we get direct, unlimited access to God. Prior to Christ, only the high priests would have gone into the Most Holy Place, and even they were only permitted to do that once a year, during the Feast of Atonement Because of Christ's sacrifice, we stand face to face with God confidently—that is to say, without worry about how we will be received.

Second, we are made clean before God. While the priests and people might have been ritually clean according to the laws, performing those acts did not rid them of their sin. In Christ, "our hearts [are] sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies [are] washed with pure water" (v. 22). Only Christ's sacrifice could do that.

The third benefit is that we are people of hope, allowing us to look trustingly to a future that is in God's hands. These words are not "idle tales." The writer assures us that "he who has promised is faithful" (v. 23).

 

Though we don't earn the benefits of salvation, we are expected to respond to them appropriately. The writer of Hebrews does not hesitate to point out that we are called to do certain things in response to what Christ has already done for us. The writer presents an "If this, then that" argument, balancing Christ's sacrifice with the call to live a holy life.

For the writer of Hebrews, three things contribute to holy living—three things that are flagged with the words "Let us":

Let us draw near to God. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we have a duty to worship God together—it's our job, our vocation. "Do not neglect to worship together as some are in the habit of doing," says the writer of Hebrews. Corporate worship is as important as private devotion.

When we gather, each of us brings something that adds to the faith of our fellow worshipers.

Let us hold fast to the hope we profess. The writer challenges us to hold onto hope even when the very foundations of our lives are shaking. We need to believe we're secure. Instead of looking to our faith, we often seek security in wise financial planning, in education, or in leaders. However, the writer of Hebrews says that by having faith in Christ, we are secure. Stocks fall, culture shifts, but Christ remains.

Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds. Provoke is a strong word—with all the connotations of a frustrated mother who all but growls, "Stop provoking your brother!" Yet, we're told to provoke one another toward the faith-filled life. We're told to lovingly "meddle" in other people's affairs to encourage them to do good things. The writer's exhortation calls us to urge people to faithfulness with encouragement. It may be easier to laugh at or belittle someone than it is to offer encouragement. However, as Christians imitating Christ's sacrifice, we're called to build up the community.

Throughout Hebrews, the writer has worked to make sure we understand that Christ made a once-and-for-all sacrifice on our behalf. Consequently, we are not being asked to offer sacrifices. We are being challenged to do the very thing that is asked at baptisms: to turn away from sin and turn toward Christ. Our security comes from the belief that when we turn toward Christ, it is not a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

How can you help encourage other Christians to live in loving and faithful ways? In what specific ways has another person encouraged you?

When you worship, are you conscious of entering into God's presence? How do you feel about worship's being described as your vocation or your calling?

What benefits do you receive from your community of believers? What gifts do you bring to them?

PRAYER

Holy God, by your sacrifice we are made one with you and made clean to stand before you. Help us persevere in the faith. Help us live in faithful response to your gracious acts. Teach us to be mindful of the cost of our salvation, never regarding it lightly and always living in gratitude. Amen.

 

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture

Ruth 4:1-10

 

"The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquir­ing Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance." —Ruth 4:5

 

RESPECTING COMMUNITY STANDARDS

 

4:1 No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin, of whom Boaz had spoken, came passing by. So Boaz said, "Come over, friend; sit down here." And he went over and sat down. ²Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here"; so they sat down. ³He then said to the next-of-kin, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. ⁴So I thought I would tell you of it, and say: Buy it in the presence of those sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you." So he said, "I will redeem it." ⁵Then Boaz said, "The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance." ⁶At this, the next-of-kin said, "I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it."

7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a trans­action, one party took off a sandal and gave it to the other; this was the manner of attesting in Israel. ⁸So when the next-of-kin said to Boaz, "Acquire it for yourself," he took off his sandal. ⁹Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people,

"Today you are witnesses that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his kindred and from the gate of his native place; today you are witnesses."

 

Red tape can be one of the most frustrating things to deal with, especially for idealists or dreamers. In our churches, it can be frustrating at times to have to go through the proper channels when we want to see something happen. When a committee wants to raise money for a pressing need, to get the approval of the congregation's governing body seems like an unnecessary hoop that will kill momentum. When there is a new idea for ministry, we want to grab hold of that excitement and run with it. Rules, policies, and procedures all presumably exist for good reasons, though sometimes those reasons seem outdated or simply not applicable to the task.

 

Boaz's attention to the red tape, to do things by the book, is rather jarring in this narrative. In this short book, there has been so much action and forward movement; this feels like a screeching halt. Naomi and Ruth have been risk takers from the start. They haven't let things like social convention stop them from moving forward. If they had, they would have gotten absolutely nowhere! When Boaz suddenly pays painstaking attention to every legal detail, it feels like he's dragging his feet. However, by respecting the rules and procedures of the community, Boaz helps to pave the way for reconciliation in the community. After all of this, the community is able to embrace Ruth as one of their own, and the women gather around Naomi in support.

 

In Chapter 4 we learn for the first time that Elimelech (Naomi's late husband) still had some land. To keep land within fami­lies, such land had to be offered for sale to the next of kin, who had right of first refusal. Women could not sell their late husbands' property on their own, so Boaz had to act on Naomi's behalf to broker the deal. Ruth and Naomi assumed that Boaz was the closest relative, eligible to purchase the land, or "redeem" it. Boaz knows of another relative who is closer yet, who must have the first right of refusal. Everything is done by the book. Boaz meets this relative at the city gate, which is where legal matters were decided in ancient Israel. He has gathered the elders together to serve as witnesses to the legal proceedings.

 

Boaz tells the relative that Naomi wishes to sell the land, and he may redeem it if he chooses. The kinsman says, "I will redeem it." Then Boaz tells the kinsman that the day he redeems the land, he will also acquire Ruth to maintain the dead man's name on the inheritance. Israelite law provided that if a widow was to remarry and have children with her new husband, the children would maintain her late husband's name and property. However, we do not know of an Israelite law that required a kinsman redeemer to marry Ruth in this situation. An alternate translation of the Hebrew could be that the day the relative acquires the land, Boaz intends to marry Ruth, and therefore produce heirs that would have legitimate claim to the land now in question. At any rate, the kinsman who is first in line determines that if there is a chance of another heir in the picture, he didn't want to risk his own inheritance, so he decides not to purchase the property.

 

Through the proper legal channels, the closest relative relinquishes his claim on the property. Boaz declares his intention to redeem the property and to take Ruth as his wife. He further promises to maintain the dead man's name on the inheritance, to honor all legal and social customs of the day. Therefore, when Ruth conceives and bears a son, Obed, the women of the neighborhood say, "A son has been born to Naomi," even though the child is biologically unrelated to Naomi. Until Ch. 4 the lines of what is proper and acceptable have been blurred, and in some cases completely bypassed. Now, everything is done according to the letter of the law. Ruth, the Moabite, is fully included into the family and community, and after all of these careful legal proceedings, the son that is born to Ruth and Boaz becomes the grandfather of David, Israel's first great king.

 

All churches experience disagreement over hot-button issues. Some churches divide over them. In times of question, discernment is needed, and in times of disagreement, reconciliation is in order. How else can we move together as a body of Christ, unless the body parts are all working in proper order?

 

The Hebrew word for redeem in v. 4 can also mean "to cover." In 3:4, Ruth goes to the threshing room floor to ask Boaz for help. The text says that Ruth went to "uncover his feet." She went to Boaz when he was most vulnerable, sleeping alone. If there was ever a time when he would hear her request for help, this was it. Ruth and Naomi's plan was a reflection of their position, one in which they were left uncovered, unprotected, and vulnerable to the nearness of poverty. Once Boaz wholeheartedly agrees to look after Ruth, he is ready to formally redeem, or cover, her.

For Ruth and Naomi, it meant even more than that; it meant that they were given rights. For Ruth and Naomi, being covered meant salvation.

 

When Boaz steps in as Ruth's kinsman redeemer, he does not have to give up anything. He willingly takes on a new responsibility. The story of Boaz is reminiscent of the kinsman redeemer for all of humanity, Jesus Christ. However, when Jesus Christ acts as kinsman redeemer, he gives everything. Jesus went about his business openly, as Boaz did to redeem Ruth. Jewish authorities questioned Jesus throughout his ministry. When the authorities came to take Jesus away, he went willingly. Jesus carried himself with dignity and lived a life that angered the authorities because he stood up for the people who were uncovered, those who were most vulnerable. In our society, money has become the difference between covered and uncovered. With Christ as our kinsman redeemer, we should go out in confidence to speak for the uncovered as Boaz does.

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

 

Are there ways that you have seen or experienced reconciliation in the church because of work within the structure of governance?

 

What are some of the benefits of following community rules and practices?

 

Are there ever times when those rules or practices should be suspended or ignored?

If so, under what kinds of circumstances?

 

Are there ways to legislate inclusion in a community?

 

PRAYER

Gathering God, we recognize that you call us into com­munity, and only through you can we be the community that you call us to be. Help us learn the practices of our community so that we can be the body that you would have us to be. In Jesus' name. Amen

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2011 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture Selection

Ruth 2:8-18

"May the LORD reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!"

—Ruth 2:12

2:8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn." 10 Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?" 11 But Boaz answered her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 May the LORD reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!" 13 Then she said, "May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants."

14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, and eat some of this bread, and dip your morsel in the sour wine." So she sat beside the reapers, and he heaped up for her some parched grain. She ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 When she got up to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, "Let her glean even among the standing sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 You must also pull out some handfuls for her from the bundles, and leave them for her to glean, and do not rebuke her."

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 She picked it up and came into the town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. Then she took out and gave her what was left over after she herself had been satisfied.

 

The practice of gleaning acknowledges that most of us have more than we need. The owners didn't miss what might have been left on the edges, but to those in need, it was life-saving and life-giving. Making sure that everyone has what they need means giving out of our abundance. Often there are simple ways we can set aside a little here or there and hardly miss it. God called Abraham and chose his descendants for a particular blessing so that all people would be blessed. Blessing comes with a responsibility, and that means giving what we have when we recognize how richly blessed we are.

The provision for gleaning certainly includes Ruth, who gleans after Boaz's hired workers. Boaz's managers identify Ruth as "the Moabite who came back with Naomi." They tell Boaz that she has been working without rest since early morning. Gleaning in the fields could be dangerous work— especially for a vulnerable, poor, foreign widow working in the midst of many hired men. Boaz provides protection for Ruth and orders his men not to bother her. He gives her food and drink and tells his men to pull out handfuls of grain for Ruth to pick up, making her work easier.

Throughout Leviticus and Deuteronomy, laws and commandments address the needs of widows, children, the poor, and the oppressed. The rule of gleaning was one such law. Even in the small communities of Israel, God gave regulations for how to meet the needs of vulnerable populations. More than a system of charity, the regulations empowered the needy to seek security for themselves, rather than relying on goodwill donations. The office of deacon was established in the early Christian church as a direct response to a breakdown in distribution of food to the widows. In both cases, the people of God recognized their call to care for the oppressed, and to carry it out systemic solutions were put in place to address material needs.

It is not enough for us to donate money, clothing, food, and time. We also must learn more about what the specific needs are. We must advocate for systemic change and solutions to problems that are often cyclical. And lest we judge those who are in need of help, we must realize that we could one day be the person in need. The provisions for care were given in the Torah with frequent reminders to the Israelites that they, too, had been oppressed, enslaved, poor, and vulnerable, but that God had delivered them.

Ruth and Naomi lived in a society that relied on each year's harvest of crops for survival. Widows without fathers or sons to protect them, such as Ruth and Naomi, were the most vulnerable of all vulnerable populations. Many people in our society have no choice but to live on what is left over after others have taken what they need. Who are the vulnerable among us today?

Outcasts are the most exploited, including immigrants and convicted felons.  When we think about immigration laws, do we see the face of Christ in the eyes of the immigrant? Ruth, a foreigner, was a direct ancestor of Jesus. God's mission of sending the Son into the world is accomplished through a Moabite widow.

In the United States, convicted felons face an uphill battle once they are released from prison. Few jobs are available to them, especially if they do not have a GED. Few companies will take on someone convicted of a felony. They often have little hope and few options when it comes to earning a living wage in society. It's little wonder why felons with drug-dealing convictions return to their old ways. They return to their old neighborhoods. Where else could they afford to live? And how else can they make money?

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

What are the unmet needs of your community? If you aren't sure, where might you find the answer?

In what ways has your church responded to the needs of others in the past?  In the present? Are there windows of opportunity for new missions in the near future?

What distinguishes Christian faith in action from community service?

PRAYER

God, you alone are our strength and refuge. You are our present help in times of trouble, and yet too often, when the tables are turned, we neglect those who need to feel your ministries of care. We pray that you would open our hearts and empower us to be your ministers in this world, to provide refuge under our wings, just as you protect us in the refuge of your wings. We ask this all in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2011 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture

Ruth 1:8-18

Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.—Ruth 1:16

CHOOSING A COMMUNITY

1:8  But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back each of you to your mother's house.  May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The LORD grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband." Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. 10 They said to her, "No, we will return with you to your people." But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, 13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has turned against me." 14 Then they wept aloud again.  Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 So she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." 16 But Ruth said, "Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die, I will die--there will I be buried. May the LORD do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!" 18 When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.

This scripture and 1 Cor. 13 are often used at weddings. Both passages express selfless love. Beyond marriage, this is the bond that all Christians are called to share in community. We are called to support each other, encourage each other, and bear with one another in love.

When communities are bound together by mutual love and devotion to God, members have much to gain. Think of the benefits you derive from maintaining close bonds with family, with friends, and within church groups or civic groups. This story brings together two unlikely partners, and through this relationship both are blessed and redeemed. We are called to be in community with those who are different from us, who seem to have little to offer in return. We might be surprised by the blessings that come from unlikely connections when community is gathered by God and held together in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Naomi arrived in Moab with her husband and two sons to escape famine. The first irony is that Naomi and her family leave Bethlehem, which means "House of Bread/ Food"—because there is no food in Bethlehem! Their destination of choice is even more puzzling. Moab wasn't simply a neighboring territory; there had always been bad blood between the Israelites and the Moabites. The son conceived out of incest and deceit and born to the older daughter of Lot (Gen. 19:30-38) was named Moab, and the Moabites were presented as descendants of this shameful union. According to Deut. 23, the Moabites were never to be admitted to the assembly of the Lord, and the Israelites were prohibited from promoting their welfare or prosperity.

After the Babylonian exile, intermarriage between Israelites and Moabites (among others) was outlawed and blamed for causing the people to turn away from God. Under Ezra's leadership, a covenant was made to send away the foreign wives and their children, to promote total exclusion and ethnic cleansing. For those who subscribed to Ezra's edict, it would have been no surprise to read that Naomi's husband and sons died after going to Moab, and taking Moabite wives simply sealed the sons' fate.

After the deaths of Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion, three childless widows remain. Without husbands or sons to protect and provide for them, their survival is in danger. Add to that Naomi's age and the fact that she is an alien in a hostile country, and we can understand the dangers. Naomi decides to go back to Bethlehem, where she will be with her own people. Ruth and Orpah start on the journey with her, but Naomi implores them to stay in their home country, where they have family and a chance for remarriage.

Naomi and her two daughters-in-law share a deep love. They start back to Bethlehem together, but then Naomi decides it will be better for their welfare for them to return to their own people and remarry. She sends them away with words of gratitude, love, and blessing. Orpah bids farewell, but Ruth refuses to go. Why doesn't Ruth remain with her Moabite family? What is it about her relationship with Naomi that compels her to continue this journey as her companion?

In Naomi's life and through her love, Ruth has seen the love and welcome of God for all people, including a Moabite woman such as herself. It has changed her forever. Though Naomi says that the Lord has turned against her and made her life bitter, Ruth sees beyond the circumstances. She sees a God who loves and cares for all, including the widows, the orphans, the aliens, and the poor; this is the God to whom she cleaves.

God has given us the blessing of our faith communities. We better understand who we are through fellowship. At times, it may seem safer to go at faith alone rather than to bear with each other. Sharing ourselves with our faults and shortcomings is a scary thing. However, when we encounter the nurture of faith community, we meet grace, and we want to be part of it. This is how Ruth felt about Naomi. We live in community so that we can care for each other and be cared for. Our identities are formed by making the choice, saying to Jesus as Ruth said to Naomi, "Where you go, I will go."

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

What do you think was the extent of Ruth's "conversion" or "repentance"? Do you see conversion in the lives of any of the other characters?

Ruth tells Naomi, "Your God will be my God." Are there people in your own life who have been important influences for you, and led you to a closer relationship with God as a result?

PRAYER

El Shaddai, we pray that in our relationships with others we would be drawn closer to you. Help us to look beyond the divisions of human creation—race, origin, gender, class, and others—and enable us to enter into covenant community with your beloved children, wherever that call takes us. May our lives tell others about your love, so that they, too, would be drawn to call you Lord. Give us the strength to go where you follow, and unify us through the power of your Holy Spirit. We ask this all in Jesus' name. Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2011 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture

Judges 13:1-8, 24-25

The woman bore a son, and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him.  The spirit of the LORD began to stir him. —Judges 13:24-25

WALK IN GOD’S PATH

13:1. "The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren, having borne no children. 3 And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Although you are barren, having borne no children, you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, or to eat anything unclean, 5 for you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor is to come on his head, for the boy shall be a nazirite to God from birth. It is he who shall begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines." 6 Then the woman came and told her husband, "A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like that of an angel of God, most awe-inspiring; I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name; 7 but he said to me, 'You shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the boy shall be a nazirite to God from birth to the day of his death.'"

8 Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, "O LORD, I pray, let the man of God whom you sent come to us again and teach us what we are to do concerning the boy who will be born."...

24 The woman bore a son, and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25 The spirit of the LORD began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Of all the judges, Samson would be voted most likely to succeed. Something about the other judges made them unlikely heroes. Ehud was left-handed. Deborah was a woman. Gideon was the runt of his family litter. Through all of those judges, God chose human weakness to show God's strength. With Samson, however, things are different from the start. God makes clear even before Samson is conceived that he will be set apart for service. The other judges, plucked from their ordinary lives, are thrust into major positions of leadership and responsibility, without any apparent instruction. Samson, however, is to be groomed from birth.

Even with the best preparation, and all the physical advantages one could want, Samson has a fatal weakness. He relied on his own might, took for granted that his power would be there when he needed it, and lost sight of his dependence on God.

In the Scriptures written and shaped within a patriarchal society, the mere mention of a woman should immediately draw our attention. Even though the wife of Manoah remains unnamed, she will become the mother of Samson. She receives a visit from the angel of the Lord. The news the angel delivers is joyous; though she is barren, she will conceive and bear a son. The advice for prenatal care hardly sounds novel to us—no alcohol, and watch what you eat! But from the beginning, everything is to be different. The barren woman will bear a child, and that child will be set apart as a Nazirite to God from birth.

In Num. 6:1-21, the Lord tells Moses all the rules that Nazirites must follow—abstaining from any product of the vine, avoiding objects that are unclean, and not cutting their hair for the duration of their vow. This last requirement made known to all that the Nazirite had made vows to be separate and consecrated to God. One became a Nazirite by taking a voluntary vow to the Lord, and by following these regulations. There was a set period for this vow, and a ceremony and sacrifice to be made at its completion, including a ritual shaving of the head. Nazirites voluntarily responded to God's call. Samson, however, was called from before conception to be a Nazirite, and rather than having a set period of consecration, he was to be a Nazirite for his whole life.

God's interaction with and instructions for Samson's parents parallel two other stories of barren women who conceived. In 1 Samuel, Hannah goes to the temple to offer prayers for a child, promising to give him to the Lord as a Nazirite for all his days. Her prayers are answered. Hannah conceives and gives birth to Samuel. She and her husband Elkanah bring him to the temple to live as a Nazirite for his whole life. In the Gospel of Luke, we read about the visit of the angel Gabriel to Zechariah in the temple, telling him that his elderly wife Elizabeth would conceive a son who would be great in the eyes of the Lord. From birth, these children were set apart for special service, and special service required special preparation and dedication by parent and child.

God called and claimed Samson. The Lord had told his mother that Samson would deliver his people from the Philistines, but did she have any idea that the deliverance would also result in his death? She did what she was called to do, though. She followed the prenatal directions and raised Samson as God instructed. Maybe something went wrong along the way. Samson became demanding and arrogant, and he had quite the temper! He fought the Philistines, and never lost a battle, but his battles were fueled by anger and revenge.  Though he is born, marked by God, and called to be a Nazirite, he does not live up to his potential.

The Lord raised previous judges to leadership after the people cried out to the Lord. Before Samson was born, no one cried out -to the Lord. It is as if they didn't remember how. Other judges used their office to rally the people to stand up to the enemy. Samson didn't command the same loyalty. The people betrayed Samson, tied him up, and handed him over (Judg. 15:9-13). Rather than showing the people the way to serve God, Samson serves his own ends. He fights the Philistines out of revenge. Samson brings no peace to the land.

No one wins when battles are fought over pride and hard-hearted revenge. God's final will and purpose will ultimately be accomplished, but we will miss many opportunities if we are not willing to set aside differences. God loves us even when we don't do things right. In this story, God sent a judge to deliver the people from the Philistines, even though they didn't ask. To be a community that acts like it knows God, the church must continue to reach out to people even when they have wronged it. Through forgiveness, the church shows the world what godly rest is.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

How did your parents nurture your sense of belonging to God?

Samson was quite a departure from the judges that preceded him. What do his call and his service teach us about Cod's action in the world?

Unlike the other judges raised up by God, Samson experiences defeat and shame. It ultimately leads to his final victory, even as he is humbled, but when he is captured, the Philistines give thanks to their gds for the victory. Can we see any purpose for this defeat and humiliation? Are there times when God might use defeat in our lives?

PRAYER

God our Parent and Guardian, we acknowledge that all life comes from you, and all life returns to you. Help us to nurture the children of your church, even while we recognize that they already belong to you. Give us wisdom as a community of faith to develop and encourage leaders, to help provide the training and preparation that will equip them for your service and ministry. We ask this in the name of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2011 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.
 

Scripture: Judges 10:10-18

 [The Israelites] put away the foreign gods from among them and worshiped the LORD; and he could no longer bear to see Israel suffer. —Judges 10:16

RETURN TO OBEDIENCE

10:10  So the Israelites cried to the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against you, because we have abandoned our God and have worshiped the Baals." 11 And the LORD said to the Israelites, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? 12 The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you; and you cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. 13 Yet you have abandoned me and worshiped other gods; therefore I will deliver you no more. 14 Go and cry to the gods whom you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress." 15 And the Israelites said to the LORD, "We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you; but deliver us this day!" 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and worshiped the LORD; and he could no longer bear to see Israel suffer.

17 Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead; and the Israelites came together, and they encamped at Mizpah. 18 The commanders of the people of Gilead said to one another, "Who will begin the fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

The Lord speaks directly to the people of Israel in a dramatic confrontation. The people confess that they have turned away and abandoned God—they have failed to love, honor, and serve God. They have also worshiped other gods. This is the only cycle in the book of Judges in which Israel's repentance is made explicit.

God's potential for delivering the community is beyond question; repeatedly, God has delivered the Israelites from bondage. God's response in Judg. 10:11-12 reminds the Israelites of some of those instances of deliverance. Our passage raises some other questions, however. Does God's forgiveness have a limit? That seems to be the case in Judg. 10:13 when God says, "I will deliver you no more." However, forgiveness is granted (and many times after that), a fact that raises another question—can God's mind be changed by repentance?

This question is raised also in the book of Jonah. The king mandates repentance: "Who knows? God may relent and change his mind" (Jonah 3:9). "When God saw what they did ... God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it" (v. 10). The word that indicates God's change of heart here is nacham, the same word used in Judges 2:18 to describe God's forgiveness and compassion in bringing deliverance through the judges of Israel.

Throughout the book of Judges, the people get worse and worse. Here they repent. Are they simply trying to buddy up to God, in order to get what they want? God is not convinced. God knows all the terrible things the Israelites have done. God has often pulled them out of the gutter. Ultimately, God's compassion wins out over condemnation.

Up to this point in the cycles of oppression and deliverance, God's deliverance is driven by God's compassion, not by the repentance of the people. The repentance has followed deliverance. Here, however, repentance precedes and even seems to be the impetus toward God's deliverance. True confession leads to true repentance, and this genuine return to God rouses God's compassion for the people. The people change their ways, putting away foreign gods and turning to the Lord.

It is easy to feel defeated by the cycle of repentance and forgiveness in our own lives and in the lives those around us. When we experience a mountaintop change in our lives, we expect it to last. But discipleship is a daily journey. When we get off track, it's almost enough to make us want to get off the trail and hitch a ride back to our old familiar places. The church is in the compassion business. We all go through cycles of obedience and disobedience, falling into our old patterns repeatedly. Ultimately, realizing how much grace we all need, we can become a more compassionate people, in our newfound humility.

There is every indication in this text that God did not think that Israel's repentance would last this time either. God, moved with compassion, cannot allow the Israelites to suffer, even if they are just going to start the cycle all over again. Our communities need to remember that people will always need the church because there will always be more brokenness.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

What is your understanding of repentance and forgiveness? How are grace and pardon communicated in your community of faith?

Do you think God's forgiveness has a limit? If so, what might that be? Could God have been unchanged by the cries and repentance of the Israelites?

 Does our repentance change God's heart?

PRAYER

Faithful and loving God, we confess that we are not different from the Israelites who continually turn away from you. Left to our own devices, we slip back into comfortable patterns, we follow the call of the world, and we pursue desires that lead only to emptiness! Thank you for your love and forgiveness. Help us to receive the grace that you give us so freely and so lovingly, and empower us to extend your grace and love to all the Israelites of the world. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2011 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture: Judges 7:2-4, 13-15; 8:22-25
When Gideon heard the telling of the, dream and its interpretation, he worshiped; and he returned to the camp of Israel, and said, "Get up; for the LORD has given the army of Midian into your hand." —Judges 7:15

LET GOD RULE
7:2 The LORD said to Gideon, "The troops with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand. Israel would only take the credit away from me, saying, 'My own hand has delivered me.' 3 Now therefore proclaim this in the hearing of the troops, 'Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home.'" Thus Gideon sifted them out; twenty-two thousand returned, and ten thousand remained. 4 Then the LORD said to Gideon, "The troops are still too many; take them down to the water and I will sift them out for you there. When I say, 'This one shall go with you’ he shall go with you; and when I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." 13 When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling a dream to his comrade; and he said, "I had a dream, and in it a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell; it turned upside down, and the tent collapsed." 14 And his comrade answered, "This is no other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Isiael; into his hand God has given Midian and all the army." 15 When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped; and he returned to the camp of Israel, and said, "Get up; for the LORD has given the army of Midian into your hand." 8:22 Then the Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also; for you have delivered us out of the hand of Midian." 23 Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you." 24 Then Gideon said to them, "Let me make a request of you; each of you give me an earring he has taken as booty." (For the enemy had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 "We will willingly give them," they answered. So they spread a garment, and each threw into it an earring he had taken as booty.

Chapters 6 and 7 of Judges present a wonderful interplay between God and Gideon. Gideon is a runt in every way; he is the least of his family, and his family is the weakest clan in the tribe of Manasseh. An angel appears to Gideon and assures him that the Lord is with him, and calls him a mighty warrior, even as Gideon is hiding in a wine press. Gideon responds, "If the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us?" (6:13). Gideon gathers troops to prepare for battle. Judges 7:3 indicates that there were 32,000 troops, but this is likely a mistranslation of the word eleph, which can mean a thousand. However, it is commonly used to indicate a certain number of people in a company of troops under one leader, varying from five to fourteen men. Rather than 32,000 troops, we should understand this to be thirty-two military units, totaling no more than three hundred soldiers. The original Hebrew version of this final scene of troop reduction is obscure and doesn't answer the question of whether the stronger or weaker warriors remained to fight. Those who lap like dogs are chosen. Whether they were the stronger or weaker war- riors is not important; the point is that Gideon's force is so small and powerless that victory can come only from the hand of God.

  After all that God has done, the Israelites ask Gideon to rule them as their deliverer. Gideon properly responds that dominion is not his, but the Lord's, and that the Lord has dominion. Yet, Gideon asks each one in the group to give one earring from what they have collected in their victory, and using this gold he makes an ephod—a fancy garment worn, only by a chief priest. He places the ephod in his hometown, and we read, "All Israel prostituted themselves to it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family" (8:27). Of all the judges thus far, Gideon has had the most interaction with the Lord, the best reason of any to worship God alone, and yet he is the first judge who is still alive when the people return to idolatry, worshiping an idol of Gideon's own making. The one who destroyed his own father's altar to Baal has constructed a new altar that becomes the ruin of his family.

Gideon is minding his own business doing his duties when God calls him to lead a revolution. Gideon feels inadequate, and he was. He didn't have any particular gifts for military strategy or physical achievement. We don't even know if he believes in God! Gideon raises a good question: if the Lord is with us, then why does our life stink? It's a good question.

Gideon's skepticism is understandable. He wants to put God to the test. Especially when we feel that God is calling us to do something difficult, or something that we might not want to do, we test God, too. "OK, God, if you want me to go to seminary..." "God, if you want me to become an elder,..." "God; if you want me to..." Gideon sees sign after sign that God is with him, and that God is calling him to break the yoke of oppression of the Midianites. Wouldn't it be nice if we could put out our own fleeces to discern God's will.

We want clear signs from God. We are eager to see signs in many things—fortune cookies, horoscopes, and dreams. We might even open our Bibles to a random page in hopes of hearing God's specific answer to our questions! We believe that God is still speaking to us today, but with all of the voices around us, how do we discern? How do we learn to listen and follow God's lead? For one thing, we need to put ourselves in positions in which we are poised to hear. We need to study Scripture, pray, and worship. We need to be in community and in conversation with other people of faith. We need to talk with people who know us well.

One major lesson we can learn from Gideon's story is the importance of following God's will through discernment and testing. Another lesson from the story is that we must rely not on our own strength or wisdom, but on God's strength and wisdom. We learn from Gideon's example that God comes to us in our weakness, and often uses precisely, our weaknesses to show God's strength. When God calls us to do the impossible, it is accomplished only through God's strength.

God might winnow our resources, thereby opening us to experience God's presence in a way that otherwise wouldn't be possible. If we have all the strength and resources that we need, we might pat ourselves on the back without seeing God's hand at work. When we are following God's will, we will be called to do things that we cannot do on our own. Like Gideon, we must always remember to give God the glory, rather than holding up our own hands in victory.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
Why would you follow Gideon, the self-described weakest link?
We might not be called to thin out the troops, but what if we were called to thin out other needed resources? Would we have faith to give to God out of our retirement savings?
What are ways that we seek to discern God's will for our lives today?
How do we know where God is calling us to act?
How do we stay on guard against the temptation to make a name for ourselves, or to leave our mark rather than God's mark?

PRAYER
Loving God, you have created us and called us by name, and we are yours. Prepare us to answer your call in our lives, whatever that may be. We thank you for the gifts and talents that you have given us, and we pray that we would use them to your glory. Keep us ever vigilant to serve you above all others. Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2011 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.