1 Samuel 1:9-14 - Hannah prayed to the Lord

1:9-11

One could say that Elkanah should have had a better understanding of Hannah, and that would indeed have been good. However, Hannah adopted the right approach, she took her anguish to the Lord. It is great when we have friends or relatives who truly understand us, but we will never find that anyone fully understands us. In such cases it is futile to blame the person for not understanding us, the right course of action is to take the matter to the Lord. So Hannah “prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly”. She did not hide her anguish from the Lord, she did not seek to hide her pain from God. She also made a vow to the Lord that if He gave her  son she would dedicate the son to Him.

1:12-14

Eli did not appreciate what was happening. Hannah was praying silently, so all Eli saw was her lips moving and he thought she was drunk. So he rebuked her for this. There are times when we will totally misjudge what someone is doing.

Acts 25:16-27 - I would like to hear this man

25:16-21

Festus then presents things as if he was a great upholder of justice. Festus had been expecting the Jews to charge Paul with some sort of insurrection, but instead their charges all related to detail of their own religion, and Festus could not understand their objection. Felix had been well acquainted with the gospel, but it seems that Festus was not aware of the Way. Festus then explained that Paul had appealed to Caesar. Festus was in a fix because he would have to have some good reason to send Paul to Caesar, explaining the nature of the accusations and the reason for sending him to Rome.

25:22-27

Agrippa wanted to hear Paul. Remember that back in Acts 9:15 God said that Paul would speak to rulers. Throughout these years of confinement Paul has spoken to various rulers. Festus explains that the “Jewish community” were adamantly against Paul, wanting him dead.SO Paul was brought before Agrippa, and Agrippa and his sister Bernice made a big show of themselves, displaying how important they were. Festus explains that he can find no reason to have Paul put to death, and doesn’t know what to write to Rome. He hopes that Agrippa can help give him something to send on the “charge sheet” for Rome. Essentially Festus just wants to get the matter of his hands.

1 Samuel 1:3-8 - Why are you downhearted?

1:3

Elkanah and his family went up to Shiloh every year to offer sacrifices to the Lord, and to worship Him. During the time of the judges, Shiloh was the worship centre of Israel. We see that even in the godless times of the judges, there were some who still worshipped God. Eli’s two sons served as priests of the Lord.

1:4,5

Elkanah gave portions of the meat to Peninnah, his second wife, and his sons and daughters, but he gave a double portion to Hannah who was unable to have children. It is possible that Hannah was his first wife, and only after discovering that she was barren did he take a second wife, to ensure that the family line continued. Elkanah clearly cared very much for Hannah.

1:6-8

While Elkanah was devoted to Hannah, Peninnah had a very different attitude. She kept provoking Hannah because she was childless. This provoking got worse and worse and made Hannah’s life a misery. She wept and refused to eat. While Elkanah did care for Hannah, he did not fully understand her. He seemed to think that she should be satisfied that her husband truly loved her. If Peninnah had not been so horrible that might have been the case, or at least she could maybe have lived with her disappointment, but things were not like that and she found things intolerable.

Acts 25:9-15 - You have appealed to Caesar

25:9-12

Festus wanted to keep in with the Jews. This was probably because the Jews had a reputation as potential troublemakers, and he wanted peace during his time there. So Festus was inclined to send Paul to Jerusalem. It seems that Festus knew the charges had very little basis, otherwise he would have ordered Paul to Jerusalem. Paul sensed that he could well end up being sent to Jerusalem, as he knew how Roman governors acted. So he appealed to Caesar. As a Roman citizen he had the right to do this. Paul did this to avoid going to Jerusalem, and also in order to get to Rome. So Festus agrees to send Paul to Rome.

25:13-15

King Agrippa was from the infamous Herods,  his father was Herod Agrippa I, and he was the great grandson of Herod the Great. He had been given rule over certain areas, including the temple in Jerusalem, by Emperor Claudius. His sister Bernice was his constant companion. He seemed to be very proud of himself. He came to visit Festus, and they discussed the case of Paul and that the Jews wanted him condemned.

1 Samuel 1:1,2 - He had two wives

1:1

The first book of Samuel is focussed on the inauguration of the kingship in Israel, but the book starts in what we might think of a strange place for such an important change in the nation. We start with the family of Elkanah, an ordinary family, with typical family problems, and it is the faith of a woman experiencing difficult circumstances that kicks things off. You might think that this in some ways describes your circumstances, not in the details, but in the ordinariness of life, and life having problems. If we respond to difficulties with faith, with looking to the Lord there is no telling where things might end up.  Elkanah is described as “an Ephraimite”. Thus may just indicate that that is the region he came from, and he was actually a Levite, as indicated by 1 Chron 6.

1:2

Elkanah had two wives. Now the Biblical principle is one wife! Yet in the Old Testament we find a lot of instances of men having two wives. This may have happened because men tended to die in battle, so there were fewer men than women. While the Biblical ideal is one man one wife, the practice does not receive outright condemnation. However, having multiple wives rarely worked out well, and this was the case here. So maybe having multiple wives was endured as a necessary evil, but the message of the Bible is very clear that it is not a good idea!

Acts 25:1-8 - I have done nothing wrong

25:1,2

Paul’s trials continue. We should remember that all this took years, with him spending a lot of time under arrest of one form or another. Felix is now off the scene, replaced by Festus. The various Roman rulers all seemed keen to placate the Jews as much as possible, and Festus was no exception. He went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. The Jewish leaders, probably the Sanhedrin, appeared before Festus and presented their trumped up charges.

25:3-5

The Jewish leaders had not given up on their plan to ambush Paul, though no doubt they had not been fasting all that time! Festus being new to the situation would be unaware of the plot to kill Paul. However, Festus, unknowingly, foiled their plot by inviting the Jewish leaders to come to Caesarea to present their case. It seemed simpler to him for the case to be heard in Caesarea as he was going there, and Paul was being held there.

25:6-8

Festus spent eight or ten days in Jerusalem. On returning to Caesarea he convened court and Paul was summoned. “The Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him”. This may have been a rather threatening position. They brought the same serious charges against him as before, but without any evidence to support their claims. Paul answered in the same way as before, declaring that he had done nothing against Jewish Law, the temple nor against Caesar.

1 Samuel - Introduction

Introduction

1 and 2 Samuel cover the transition from the chaos of the Judges era to the era of the kings. It starts with the coming of Samuel the prophet, then the demand for a king. Saul initially seems like a good king, but very quickly turns bad. The most important point is the anointing of David as king, and then the conflict between Saul and David. David is in many ways a type of Christ, i.e. he exhibits some of the aspects of Christ, and one of the titles of the Messiah is Son of David. However, 2 Samuel in particular makes it all too clear that David is not the Messiah. His failings and sinfulness are brought to the fore.

The two books were originally a single volume in the Hebrew volume, and are part of the “former prophets”. The exact date of the composition of the books is not known. Some date them rather soon after David’s death. At the other extreme, others see them as put together after the exile and forming part of what is known as “Deuteronomic history”. They are almost certainly based on various sources, some of which would be more or less contemporaneous with the events described.

Samuel himself was a “judge” and  a prophet. He was mentored by Eli, Eli’s sons were disobedient, and Samuel’s own sons failed to follow their father’s ways (1 Sam 8:3). David had his own problems with his sons. The Son, of course, followed His Father perfectly.

I am working through 

Crossway Expository Commentary Volume 3: 1 Samuel-2 Chronicles (2019)

The commentary on 1 & 2 Samuel is by John L Mackay

Acts 24:22-27 - Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgement to come

24:22,23

Felix was well acquainted with the Way. We are not told how this happened, but his wife was a Jew, and the Way had become a well known phenomenon. Paul was kept under guard, though he was given a degree of freedom, and his friends were allowed to provide for him. This is the way things worked in those days.

24:24,25

Felix privately listened to Paul speaking about the gospel and faith in Christ. Paul spoke about “righteousness, self-control and the judgement to come”. Like many rulers, Felix was not morally upright. Note that the things Paul’s approach would be criticised by many, saying we shouldn’t speak about such things at first. We find no support for such a view in the Bible. Moreover, Jesus said the Holy Spirit would convict people about “sin, righteousness and judgement” (John 16:8). We are far better to take our lead from the Holy Spirit than from men! Maybe Felix felt convicted from time to time, so could only take so much of Paul, yet at the same time there was something attractive about what he said.

24:26,27

Felix would later be replaced as governor, he was not a particularly upright man. On hearing that Paul had brought money for the Jerusalem church, perhaps he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe. If that was the case, he was out of luck. However, Felix often listened to Paul. After two years, without having made a decision, Felix was replaced by Procius Festus. In order to placate the Jews, Felix had kept Paul in prison. In some ways, Felix was like Pilate.

Ruth 4:13-22 - Ruth is better to you than seven sons

4:13-15

So Boaz and Ruth were married and they had a son. The text makes it clear that it was the Lord who enabled her to conceive. In her earlier marriage she had been unable to have children. A significant number of key people in the Bible were born to women who had problems conceiving, Isaac being the most famous. On the birth of their son the women praised the Lord over what had happened with Naomi. She had endured much pain in her life, the loss of her husband and two sons, and because of that she felt that the Lord’s hand was against her. But now that whole situation had been reversed. They also declare that Ruth was better than seven sons. Ruth and her faithfulness is in many ways the highlight of the story. She had become fruitful, both physically, but also spiritually through her integrity.

4:16-22

The son was called Obed, which means “worshipper”. He would become the father of David, and humanly speaking Jesus was descended from David. The whole story can be seen as a picture of our redemption. Ruth’s life and her significance is utterly transformed. This is partly because of events beyond her control, and was dependent upon the actions and faithfulness of Boaz. But her faithfulness, her decisions also matter and are significant. When God saves us it is not just a matter of forgiveness, we are utterly dependent upon the work of Christ. His work on the cross, the work of the Holy Spirit. But at the same time we are no mere passive recipients. We should chase after God, and when He works in us He does so to transform us.

Acts 24:17-21 - I was ceremonially clean

24:17,18

Paul had not come to Jerusalem to stir up trouble, but to bring gifts to the poor. In a number of his letters we read of Paul organising a collection among the Gentile churches for the Jerusalem church, see 2 Cor 8. When he went to the temple he was ceremonially clean. While Paul clearly taught that Gentile believers did not need to be circumcised, he himself as a Jew continued to observe the Law. And there was no crowd with him. So there was clearly no intention of stirring up trouble. 

24:19-21

Indeed the only ones aiming to stir up trouble were some of the Jews who had come from the province of Asia. They should have been the ones facing charges! We often see this reversal of the way things should be from what they are. The worst enemies of the Palestinian people are Hamas and similar groups. The trans activists are the worst enemies of trans people. Paul challenges his accusers to state clearly what crime he has committed, instead of merely casting slurs. Then Paul again mentions the resurrection. This had previously caused an uproar, but this time has no such effect. Either the group was much more homogenous in their views on this, or they had learnt their lesson from the previous episode.

Ruth 4:9-12 - Today you are witnesses

4:9,10

Boaz now declares that he has bought the field, and acquired Ruth as a wife. All the elders were witnesses to this. Now we might wonder why go through all this rigmarole, why not just run away together? If we look at things in terms of adoption, there are two things that are essential for a successful adoption. One is the love of the prospective parents for the child (and this is more than an emotional thing, it is a lifelong commitment to the child), and the other is going through all the procedural and legal processes necessary to complete an adoption. Both are necessary, one on its own is not sufficient. In the same way, the Father gave His Son for us out of love for us, and the cross sealed the legalities. We are justified by the cross, the cross was also a formal process.

4:11,12

The elders declare a blessing over the marriage, asking that Ruth become like Rachel and Leah. They also declare that Boaz will be of good standing and become famous. And finally they bless all future generations proceeding from the marriage. We should remember that Rachel was a Moabitess. She is fully accepted into Israel, and Israel’s future will proceed from her.

Acts 24:10-16 - I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors

24:10-13

Felix then invites Paul to respond to the accusations. Paul acknowledges Felix’s position, but without the fawning praise that Tertullus used. Paul presents his defence in very measured tones, without overreacting. He had gone up to Jerusalem to worship twelve days ago, but only to worship. Indeed, Paul had not even proclaimed the gospel in the temple, something he often did in the synagogues he visited. And Paul claims that his accusers can present no evidence to support their accusations.

24:14-16

Paul then openly states that he is a follower of “the Way”. “The Way” was a term the believers preferred to use to describe themselves. Jesus Himself said He was the way. Paul also then said that he believed everything that was in the Law and the Prophets. A fundamental aspect of the gospel is that it is the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets. Paul then goes on to refer to the resurrection. Note that both “the righteous and the wicked” will be raised, one to eternal life, the other to eternal judgement. So Paul strove to keep his conscience clear before God and man. This could be a swipe at his Jewish accusers, who were most definitely not acting in accord with God’s ways. They were lying, and seeking to kill Paul, just as they acted against Jesus.

Ruth 4:1-8 - Come over here, my friend, and sit down

4:1-4

True to Naomi’s prediction, Boaz wastes no time in getting matters finalised. So Boaz gets the other kinsman redeemer, along with ten of the elders of the town. He gathered the ten elders so that everything was witnessed and there could be no dispute about the outcome. Boaz starts by saying that Naomi needs to sell a field. The reason for looking for a kinsman redeemer to buy it is in order to keep it within the family, something that was considered to be very important under the Law and within Israel. Initially the other kinsman is keen to buy the field.

4:5-8

Boaz then adds the provision that acquiring the field also involves acquiring Ruth as a wife. Now to our Western ears this may sound rather offensive. However, the reason for this was to keep the family line going. We should also note that there is a very practical approach to marriage in the Bible, something our society could well learn from. At the same time, it is clear from the book of Ruth that Boaz does love Ruth and has genuine affection for her. Romance and practicality go together.

On learning that he would have to take Ruth as a wife, the other kinsman backed out, thinking that it might endanger his own estate. At this point the deal was sealed and Boaz would take the field and Ruth.

Acts 24:1-9 - He is a ringleader

24:1-4

So five days later Ananias, the high priest,  and some elders went down to Caesarea to make their case. They took with them a lawyer named Tertullus, he would be their lead spokesman. So Tertullus presented his case, beginning with a fair degree of flattery. He praised the governorship of Felix, mentioning, in particular, the “long period of peace” and his “reforms”. So Tertullus is trying to butter up the governor.

24:5-9

Tertullus then moves to the case, claiming that Paul was “stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world”. Now riots had often occurred when Paul spoke, but that was a result of Jews trying to stir up trouble. He was described as a “ringleader of the Nazarene sect”. “Nazarene sect” was a term used by the Jews for Christians. Paul was indeed a leader, but ringleader implies something illicit, e.g. leading something illegal. He was then accused of trying to desecrate the temple, which was manifestly untrue. The rubbish spouted by Tertullus was supported by the other Jews.

Ruth 3:10-18 - The Lord bless you my daughter

3:10,11

Boaz seems quite taken by Ruth’s actions. Why had Boaz not acted sooner? He was probably somewhat older than Ruth and thought she would want someone younger. In all this tale there is both initiative on the part of Boaz, especially in his earlier actions, and his actions after this. But there is also initiative on the part of Ruth as we see here. It is like that in coming to Christ. Is it Christ who seeks us out, or is it we who seek Christ? The answer is yes. Jesus portrays Himself as the good shepherd seeking out the lost sheep, but He also says “seek and you shall find”. In the parable of the prodigal son, the son realises the mess he has made of his life and decides to return home, but the Father lavishes riches on him beyond his wildest dreams., Boaz responds very favourably to Ruth’s request, and declares that she is “a woman of noble character”. 

3:12-15

Boaz will act properly. There was a relative who was closer than he, so he would give this other relative “first refusal”. Boaz is not set on his course. So Ruth remained at his feet and left early in the morning so that no one would recognise her. Boaz wanted things to remain private for the time being so that there would not be any gossip. He also gave Ruth six measures of barley to take home.

3:16-18

On returning home Naomi asked how things had gone, and Ruth told her all that Boaz had said and done, including the six measures of barley. Naomi assures Ruth that Boaz will act quickly, and to wait patiently.

Acts 23:23-35 - This man was seized by the Jews

23:23-25

The commanders seemed to be taking the situation very seriously, sending “a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horseman and two hundred spearman” to go to Caesarea. This should have been more than enough to protect Paul! He also writes a letter to Governor Felix. Paul is now in a phase where he is being passed from one to another, everyone being concerned to cover their backs and make sure they don’t get blamed. The situation is somewhat parallel to the situation with Jesus who was sent to Herod and then back to Pilate, and with Pilate aiming to avoid taking responsibility for any decision.

23:26-35

The letter is a little disingenuous, with the commander portraying the situation as if he was the one in control of matters, and acting decisively. In reality the commander was responding to events. However, the soldiers and cavalry took Paul to Caesarea and he was handed over to the governor. The commander could now breathe a sigh of relief! Paul was to be kept under guard, and Paul’s accusers would be summoned so that Felix could try and work out what was going on.

Ruth 3:1-9 - I will do whatever you say

3:1,2

Naomi is now starting to look further ahead, and, in particular, at her daughter-in-law’s future. The basic fact of the matter is that Ruth needed a husband if she was to have a secure future. The NIV has “finding a home”, other translations have “finding rest”. Some feminists object to the idea that “a woman needs a man”, but the truth is that men and women need each other. Naomi clearly hopes that Boaz would be a husband for her. He was a relative, and relatives had an obligation to marry bereaved wives of their family.

3:3,4

So Naomi tells Ruth of a plan to encourage Boaz to act as a kinsman redeemer. She tells Ruth to put on her best clothes and then to go to the threshing-floor. The threshing-floor would be used  by various people in the village during the harvest. Naomi knew that Boaz would be using the threshing floor at this time. Ruth was to note where Boaz lay down after the work and the rejoicing. She was then to uncover his feet. In this whole scenario there are some commentators who see Naomi as urging Ruth to seduce Boaz, or even act as a prostitute, but we should note that the text gives no hint whatsoever of this. Moreover, both Boaz and Ruth are portrayed as being of honourable character with matching actions throughout the narrative.

3:5-9

Ruth agrees to do what Naomi has suggested. So Ruth went down to the threshing floor, and observed where Boaz lay down. She uncovered his feet and lay down. Now why did she do this? It was to demonstrate her dependence upon him. So in the middle of the night he woke up and discovered this woman there! Because it was dark he did not immediately recognise who it was. Ruth identified herself and then said “spread your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family”. Ruth was inviting Boaz to marry her, to fulfil his role as a “guardian-redeemer”.

Acts 23:13-22 - More than forty men were involved in this plot

23:13-15

There were over forty men involved in this plot, no donut encouraging one another in their evil scheme. We see a similar form of madness with Islamic terrorists (or terrorists of any sort) who think that by their atrocities they are somehow pleasing God. These plotters went to the Sanhedrin and got them involved in the plan. They would get the commander to send Paul to them, but they would capture Paul and kill him on the way.

23:16

So some men were making plots against Paul, God was not inactive. Paul's nephew learnt of the plot and went to the barracks to tell Paul. We should not fear when we learn of men making schemes. For God knows all that is happening, and He is not inactive. At present transidealogues, amongst others, make evil plans, but God will not stand by forever.

23:17-22

On learning of the plot Paul called one of the centurions and told him to take his nephew to the commander. The commander would want to be aware of the plot for two reasons. One was to avoid any trouble as far as possible, and the other was that Paul was a Roman citizen. He would be held responsible if any harm came to a Roman citizen. So the nephew was taken to the commander and informed him of the plot. The commander warned the nephew not to let anyone know that he had informed the commander. This would be both for the young man’s own safety, and so that the commander could be one step ahead of the plotters.

Ruth 2:13-23 - The Lord bless him!

2:13-16

Ruth is grateful for Boaz’s kindness. Boaz continues to show kindness by inviting her to have some bread at mealtime. He then gave her further food, so “she ate all she wanted”. After that he instructed his men to show her particular favour. Now why is Boaz doing all this? I think there are two primary reasons. One is that Naomi, and therefore Ruth, are part of the wider family. The other is that he “took a fancy” to Ruth. The book makes it clear that in all this Boaz actress properly.

2:17-19

Ruth worked hard until evening. She then threshed the barley and had about an ephah of grain at the end of it. That amounted to about thirteen kilograms. She then carried this back to Naomi. This must have been quite some feat! They would need a sizable amount, as it had to see them through the season. Naomi was pleasantly surprised with the amount that Ruth had gleaned, and asked which field she had worked in. Ruth told her that the field belonged to Boaz.

2:20-23

Naomi blessed Boaz and told Ruth that he was “one of our guardian-redeemers”, or “kinsman- redeemer”. Israeli society recognised the importance of families, and commitment and responsibility went beyond the immediate “nuclear family”. Rules regarding this were enshrined in the Law. Families are God’s building blocks for society. Naomi encouraged Ruth to remain with Boaz, for there she would be safe, whereas elsewhere she might be at risk. So Ruth continued to work in Boaz’s field during the barley and wheat harvests, and lived with her mother-in-law.

Acts 23:11,12 - Take courage!

23:11

“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage!’” Again we see the Lord giving direct encouragement to Paul, there is no reason whatsoever to think that God does not continue to do this. The key thing is that we seek to follow the Lord, to trust and obey Him. From time to time He may give us some sort of special visitation to give us the encouragement that we need, but He will do this at times of His choosing. Here the Lord tells Paul that he will also testify in Rome. Two consequences of this are (i) that he will not be killed in Jerusalem; (ii) he will reach Rome.

23:12

We then see an immediate threat to Paul’s life, but one that is thwarted by the Lord. Some of the Jews made a vow not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. We see the nature that we can have if we set ourselves on an evil course. If we do this then our thinking becomes worthless and twisted. These men thought they were honouring God, but were in fact planning to break one of the ten commandments.

Ruth 2:8-12 - My daughter, listen to me

2:8,9

Boaz then spoke gently to Ruth. He probably did so because he knew that she was part of his family. He tells her to remain in his field, for there he could ensure that she was well treated. If she had gone to another field she may have encountered far less favourable treatment. Boaz had instructed his men to ensure that none of them mistreated her. She could also avail herself of the water supply.

2:10-12

Ruth is grateful for the kind treatment, and asks why she is being treated so well, since she was a foreigner. Boaz had heard how Ruth had treated her mother-in-law well. It would have been perfectly reasonable for her to stay in Moab and find another husband. Instead she chose to stick with Naomi, even though that meant leaving her homeland and family, and to come and live in a strange land with a strange people. So Boaz declares a blessing over her. If we act well, then good people will notice and we may receive a blessing from them. If we act selfishly then we may attract the attention of evil.

Acts 23:6-10 - Because of the hope of the resurrection

23:6

Paul now goes on the attack. He knew full well that there was a deep split in the Sanhedrin.The Pharisees were the smaller group, but were very influential. They believed in the resurrection and angels, amongst other things. The Sadducees did not believe in these things. So Paul reminds the assembly that he was a Pharisee, and that he was on trial for his belief in the resurrection. The former fact was certainly true, the latter was one way of interpreting events. 

23:7-10

Paul was playing on the division between the Sadducees and Pharisees, and was very successful in this. The Pharisees were not going to deny their belief in the resurrection, so they now declared that Paul was innocent, and instead of Paul being the enemy, they saw the Sadducees as the enemy. The dispute became very violent and the commander decided to break things up and take Paul back to the barracks. There are always deep divisions within the enemy camp, and Paul was not afraid to play on these.

Ruth 2:4-7 - The Lord be with you!

2:4,5

Boaz had not been around when Ruth started work in the field. Boaz now arrives. He is the owner of the field and he greets the harvesters, and is welcomed by them. He obviously knew who his workers were, so notices that there is a woman there and asks “who does that young woman belong to”. The picture painted of Boaz is a very positive one, this is a pleasant change from the bunch that we encountered in Judges. His question could show that he assumed that she was a slave of someone. Anyway, she was not assumed to have an independent identity. 

2:6,7

The overseer informed Boaz that she was “the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi”. Naomi’s return was well known throughout the town. Ruth had asked to be allowed to glean the remnants of the harvest, and had been allowed to do so. He also observed that she had been a hard worker. It seems that she was treated well by Boaz’s employees. The attitude of the boss or owner in any organisation will tend to affect everyone within the organisation.

Acts 23:1-5 - I have fulfilled my duty to God

23:1,2

Paul now speaks again, beginning in what seems a conciliatory manner, claiming that he had fulfilled his duty to God, and had a clear conscience in all that he had done. However, these words drew a strike on the mouth from the high priest Ananias, or at least from one of the others on the order of Ananias. Why was this? This seems a rather odd way for the high priest to act. Well, this high priest had a reputation, and not a good one. So he most definitely did not have a clear conscience. And when our guilt is shown up we tend to react irrationally and with violence. This is what the high priest did.

23:3-5

Paul remained calm. He was actually quite used to suffering violent attacks. He referred to Ananias as a “whitewashed wall”, this reminds us of Jesus’ words in Matt 23:27. The priest had clearly violated the Law, the Law he was meant to uphold. The others then berate Paul for insulting the high priest. Paul responds in rather mocking terms, claiming he did not know that he was the high priest. He certainly was not acting like a high priest. When those in power, be it in the church or in society at large, we should not be surprised at their ungodly behaviour. And we should not acts as if everyone is an upright citizen.

Ruth 2:1-3 - Let me go to the fields

2:1

Ruth and Naomi are now back in Bethlehem and they have to settle back into life there. We are told at the outset that Naomi had “a relative on her husband’s side” called Boaz. He was “a man of standing”.It will become apparent that he had reasonable wealth, and he also had a good reputation. In those days families were meant to care for each other. So we are introduced to Boaz.

2:2,3

Ruth knows that they need food, so she suggests that she should go out into the fields and take the gleanings. It was the barley harvest (1:22), and under the Law some of the crop was to be left for the poor to collect. Ruth was proactive, but wanted Naomi’s permission, which was granted. Ruth went off and worked in the field belonging to Boaz. This is presented as chance, and it was in the sense that Ruth had no idea whose field it was, but it was also God’s providence.

Acts 22:23-30 - Are you a Roman citizen?

22:23,24

The Roman commander was desperate to avoid a riot, which would definitely have been a black mark against him. He then directed that Paul be flogged. This was a common practice amongst the Romans, and was aimed to get the truth out of the victim. The commander wanted to know why the presence and words of Paul were causing such a commotion. 

22:25-29

As they were just about to begin the flogging (which would have been of a particularly severe kind), Paul told them that he was a Roman citizen. Under Roman law floggings were limited to non-Roman citizens. This immediately changed the whole situation, for the commander would not want to be found to have flogged a Roman citizen. He was surprised to find that Paul was a Roman citizen, especially that Paul was born a Roman. Roman citizenship was something to be greatly prized. The flogging was immediately called off.

22:30

The commander still wanted to know why there was such a commotion over Paul. He knew it was the Sanhedrin, the Jewish leaders, who were the root of the problem. So he arranged to have Paul and  the Sanhedrin and chief priests to meet together so he could get to the bottom of the matter. This would take place in a controlled environment, so as to avoid any riots!

Ruth 1:18-22 - Call me Mara

1:18,19

Naomi realised that there was no changing of Ruth’s mind. So she stopped trying to change Ruth’s mind, and the two of them went on to Bethlehem. When they arrived there the whole town became aware of Naomi’s return. We aren’t told what their reaction to her leaving had been. Was there any reproach for Elimelek deserting the place? If so, it would be Elimelek, more than Naomi, who would be the object of reproach.

1:20-22

Naomi means “pleasant”, but Naomi told them to call her Mara, which means “bitter”. Naomi felt that God had dealt with her harshly, and saw the loss of her husband and two sons as God’s direct action against her. She saw the loss as misfortune brought upon her by the Lord. Today we would quickly react against such an attitude, but maybe there is something in Naomi’s approach. She knew that everything was ultimately in God’s hands. There are times when this seems a very hard thing to think, but the upside is that it also means that God can change the circumstances. If He “inflicted” them, He can reverse them.

By the way, we needn’t think that Naomi actually changed her name, but was simply expressing what she felt about the way her life had gone.

So Naomi had returned from Moab with her Moabite daughter-in-law. The time of the barley harvest was a few weeks before the wheat harvest. The significance of this is that it meant there would be work for Ruth to do in the fields.

Acts 22:19-22 - I will send you to the Gentiles

22:19-21

Paul wasn’t too keen to leave Jerusalem, thinking that his record of persecuting Christians would somehow stand him in good stead. He also states that when Stephen was martyred he stood there giving approval. But God had other plans, namely to send Paul to the Gentiles with the good news. There may be times when changes are coming about in our lives that we do not like, even seem to be upsetting good work that we are doing. But it may be that God has even greater plans. Note, however, that God often communicated with Paul, informing him of what he was doing, and why.

22:22

I don’t know if Paul expected his speech to have an emollient effect on the crowd or not, but if he did he was to be greatly disappointed. Instead the crowd just wanted to get rid of Paul, possibly killing him. They knew that Paul truly understood Judaism, and deeply steeped in it. Yet despite all this he had deliberately chosen (as they saw it) to reject their religion and was a keen advocate of an alternative religion. He was a threat to them, as they saw it. Of course, the gospel is the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets, and it was their religious leaders who were unfaithful to the Law and the Prophets. But that was not how it seemed to them.

Ruth 1:14-17 - Your God will be my God

1:14,15

The two daughter-in-laws are distraught, having now been faced with the full reality of the situation. Up until this point they had perhaps been consoling themselves that somehow they could carry on as they were, but now it was made abundantly clear to them that this was not the case. They reacted in very different ways. Orpah decided to go back to her own people. Sometimes she is criticised for this, but we should note that the Bible makes no adverse comment about her decision. Naomi certainly does not seek to condemn her, indeed she urges Ruth to do the same.

1:16,17

Ruth, however, refuses to follow her mother-in-law’s urgings. Instead she declares “Where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God”. She makes as full a commitment as possible to Naomi. Why did she do this? Surely she must have seen something good in Naomi. And bear in mind that Naomi had been going through a very difficult time, losing her husband and her two sons. Yet Ruth saw something in Naomi that made her willing to change her whole direction of life. This is how God’s people are meant to operate, leading/attracting people to Christ through the examples of their lives. This was how God’s nation Israel was meant to live, being a beacon of light to the other nations. We know that she failed miserably as a nation, but not all of them failed.

Acts 22:12-18 - Get up, be baptised

22:12-16

In particular, Paul received help from Ananias, and he stresses that Ananias was “a devout observer of the Law and highly respected by all the Jews living there”. Ananias told Paul to receive his sight, and he did. Ananias then prophesied to Paul that he was God’s witness to all peoples . He was to get up, be baptised, have his sins washed away, and to call on the name of the Lord.

22:17,18

Paul returned to Jerusalem. He has truncated the account here, missing out the bit about being lowered from the walls of Damascus, among other things. Paul was praying in the temple and fell into a trance. The Lord told him to leave Jerusalem immediately “because the people here will not accept your testimony about me”. This is consistent with Jesus’ teaching about shaking off the dust from our feet if a village will not listen. There is a time to persist, for remember that God sent Paul a vision in Corinth telling him to stay there. And there is a time to move on.

Ruth 1:6-13 - Go back, each of you

1:6-10

Some time later Naomi learnt that “the Lord had come to the aid of His people”. So the famine was over. Note that it is seen as a direct action of the Lord. Naomi prepared to return home, and to take her two daughters-in-law with her. They then set out on the road back to Judah. Part way along the road Naomi seems to have had second thoughts about bringing her two daughters-in-law back with her. It seems that she had a good relationship with them, but urges them to go to their own country, and to do so with her blessing. She wanted them to find husbands there. However, the two women state that they will continue to go back with Naomi.

1:11-13

Naomi, however, urges them to go back. She outlines the stark reality of the situation. It was unlikely that any of the Israelite men would want to take Moabite women as wives (though I’m not sure that this would be the case), and there was no way that Naomi could produce sons for them to marry! She sees them as still having the possibility of a good life, while life has turned bitter for Naomi. She thinks that God has turned His hand against her, and the circumstances would support this view. But we know that that was not the case. We need to be careful about judging things by circumstances.