Justin Houtz

Ruth 1, Acts 26, Jer. 36; Jer. 45, Psalm 9

DateVersionReading Plan
@August 8, 2024ESV (2016)M’Cheyne Plan 2024

Ruth 1

These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. … 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, were from Bethlehem but lived as sojourners for ten years in the country of Moab. They are described as “Ephrathites” which, as the BBC states, is rooted in Ephrata, “the ancient name of Bethlehem”, which means “fruitfulness”. They had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, who married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. According to the FSB, “Israelites were commanded not to intermarry with the surrounding Canaanite nations (Deut. 7:1–4), but intermarriage with the Moabites was not explicitly forbidden.” Elimelech and the sons died, leaving Naomi, Orpah and Ruth as widows. Naomi set out to return to Judah and told each of her daughters-in-law to return to her mother’s house. Orpah kissed Naomi as a gesture of agreement to take leave of Naomi but Ruth clung to Naomi (Ruth 1:14). Interestingly, the word “clung” is the same word used in Gen. 2:24 to describe the marriage bond, indicating an intimate union of Ruth’s life with Naomi’s. It is remarkable that Ruth chose to cling to Naomi and claim God as her God given the great loss through death that had occurred. This is especially so when you consider that Naomi directly attributed these things to God, speaking of how the hand of the Lord had gone out against her in Ruth 1:13. However, Ruth’s heart seemed to be divinely captured and thus was unwilling to return to a life without Him and His people.

Acts 26

Acts 26:30–32 (ESV) 30 Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

After Paul addressed King Agrippa and his company, they withdrew in conference and concluded that Paul had done nothing deserving of death. The king then spoke directly to Festus—the Roman procurator who brought Paul before Agrippa—that Paul could have been set free if he had no appealed to Caesar. Upon initial reading, this seemed to mean that Paul’s appearance before Caesar was unnecessary and should have been handled at a lower level of adjudication, but the BBC provides clarity that it was “God’s purpose that the apostle to the Gentiles should go to Rome for trial before the Emperor (23:11), and there find the fulfillment of his desire to be made conformable to the death of his Lord.”

Jer. 36; Jer. 45

Jeremiah 36:23–24 (ESV) 23 As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot. 24 Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments.

Jehudi was sent by the officials of the king to bring Baruch and the scroll that he had read that had been dictated to him from Jeremiah. As Jehudi read three or four columns of the scroll to the king, he burned them in the fire pot until it was consumed, exhibiting no fear as they did so. The included detail that they “did not tear their garments” is a clear indication that there was no remorse for their actions. As GotQuestions is quick to point out, “If ever there was a time to tear one’s clothes, this was it; but these men had no fear of God, no remorse, no conviction of sin.”

Psalm 9

Psalm 9:1–2 (ESV) 1 I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. 2 I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

David opens this psalm with wholehearted thanksgiving, recounting all His wonderful deeds and praising His name with gladness and exultation. How wonderfully inspiring and instructive this is for us, that David’s posture was rooted in gratitude. Before anything else, David declares that his will is to give thanks to the LORD and to call to remembrance His majesty and wondrous deeds. May our hearts be likewise inclined as we approach the Lord in prayer and supplication, that our foundation be laid with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, exulting in the greatest deed ever performed in the sacrifice of His Son in order that we would be given new life in Him.

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