| Date | Version | Reading Plan |
|---|---|---|
| @August 9, 2024 | ESV (2016) | M’Cheyne Plan 2024 |
Ruth 2
Ruth 2:10–13 (ESV) 10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since 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 to 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 The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” 13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”
Ruth was taken aback by Boaz’s kindness and favor given that she was a foreigner. He had somehow learned of what she had done for Naomi and of her leaving her native land to a people she did not know. Boaz expresses himself a godly man in petitioning the LORD, that He repay Ruth and give her full reward for what she had done. Expounding on this prayer of Boaz, the BBC quotes Leon Morris: “In due course, the prayer was answered through him who uttered it. He recognizes the religious aspect of Ruth’s change of country by saying that she has come to trust (AV) under Yahweh’s wings. The imagery is probably that of a tiny bird struggling under the wings of a foster-mother. It gives a vivid picture of trust and security.…” It is a touching exchange between Ruth and Boaz that reveals the humility and character of them both. Boaz’s prayer also places the LORD and His work at center stage, ascribing to Him the ability to bless Ruth and that she had found refuge under His wings.
Acts 27
Acts 27:21–26 (ESV) 21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.”
Paul’s warning of an injurious voyage was ignored. Now they were in the throws of a tempestuous wind, having virtually no control of the ship. After jettisoning cargo and the ship’s tackle, all hope of being saved was lost. Paul then stood among the men, rebuked them for refusing to listen but also telling them that an angel of God spoke to him, that he would reach Caesar and all sailing with him would survive. Paul describes the angel as “of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship”, proclaiming his allegiance and complete surrender to God. Including this in his address of the men in the midst of a storm displays Paul’s deeply-rooted faith in the Lord and his ever-present knowledge of the One to whom he belonged.
Jeremiah 37
Jeremiah 37:18–19 (ESV) 18 Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land’?
Jeremiah questioned his imprisonment and asked of the false prophets who prophesied that the king of Babylon would not come against them and their land. As the FSB states, “Jeremiah has been vindicated in his conflict with the false prophets who preached peace and security (e.g., ch. 28). Their predictions of Babylon’s fall have failed to come true.” Time and again, Jeremiah proved himself to be an true prophet of the Lord. His prophecies were persistently rejected despite being authentic in their Source. Reading of this, we must realize that God’s revelation will often be difficult to receive but because of the One from whom it is spoken, it is worthy of all our acceptance and obedience.
Psalm 10
Psalm 10:4 (ESV) 4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
At the root of denial of God is pride. The wicked man does not seek the Lord because he thinks it unnecessary, declaring himself to be his own god and failing to see himself as a creation whose purpose is to be in fellowship with and obedience to his Creator. It is the default setting of all mankind, a heart turned in on itself and a desperate condition only ameliorated by a gracious, transformative act of the Spirit. That God would grant us awareness of our sin, bringing us to repentance and faith in Him, is a wonder that we shall never allow to grow dim.