Category Archives: Morning Thoughts

Morning Thoughts (Ruth 2:14)

Morning Thoughts,

Ruth 2:14, "And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar.  And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed."

This morning, the world is full of people who either relish their position of authority or aspire to rule in ways that they currently do not.  Some people simply refuse to talk to people that they believe are "beneath them."  When I was in college, it was always interesting to watch the PhD professors interact with other doctorates as opposed to the "rest of us."  Generally speaking, they valued the opinion of their peers and fellows above anything they would have heard from the smaller peons below them.  On one of my last business trips, I had the opportunity to lunch at a cafe near the conference location, and several PhDs from the nearby college came in.  Based on their appearance and manner, it was quickly apparent exactly who they were.  After briefly overhearing some of their conversation, I asked if I could join them as I had an interest in their subject matter.  They agreed, and even though I "held my own" in the conversation with them, they asked as I was leaving, "Where did you study?"  After answering their question and admitting that I was no doctorate, they quickly went back to talking amongst themselves, probably deleting anything I had said from their memory banks.

The book of Ruth is a glorious picture of the redemption of the people of God through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.  By the 4th chapter, the illustrations, types, and shadows have built and heightened to the point of clearly identifying Boaz – in shadow – with Christ, while identifying us in the form of Ruth.  However, nestled right in between the story of sorrow from the 1st chapter and the redemption story in chapters 3-4, we find a beautiful scene that shows Ruth's fellowship with Boaz thereby illustrating our fellowship with Christ.  The scene in chapter 2 is most indicative of Christ's interaction with the church, and it is in that framework that we will focus our thoughts this morning.

Sometimes in my personal studies of Scriptures, I get to a verse that I know I have read dozens of times and yet something jumps out so clearly like it never has before.  Such times make you wonder, "How did I never see that before?"  Our study verse this morning is one of those for me.  Until recently, one of the simplest expressions had gone unnoticed.  Consider the phrase "And she sat beside the reapers."  Such a simple thought, but let us put it in perspective for a minute.  Through the course of the 1st chapter, we learn many things about Ruth, but what would be most important to the common, everyday Jew?  Though she displayed a gracious spirit in the opening of this book, the regular Jew would think 2 things about her: 1. she is a stranger from Moab, 2. she is a widow.  Two more desolate circumstances could not be found in Israel.  They already had a poor opinion of strange nations, and being a widow in those days was a destitute condition indeed.  If there was such a thing as "low man on the totem pole," Ruth fit into that category.

The reapers worked for Boaz, but even they were "above" Ruth in the common perception of culture and daily living.  Yet, our verse tells us that Ruth was able to sit with the reapers when she ate.  First of all, Boaz was not required to feed Ruth (she did not work for him), but in addition to that, he was certainly not required to give her a spot at the table with the workers.  Yet, according to his mercy, he provided a place for her right there with his workers.  Friends, we stand by nature as destitute widows from a strange land, and yet our Lord has made us room at the table with the reapers.  No matter how poor you might feel to be, the Lord has provided a place that we can go and put our feet under His table.  Consider the service in the house of God.  Is there any more important person there than anyone else?  Oh, perceptions might declare there are, but in God's sight there is no respecter of persons in the assembly.  Just as the parable of the vineyard in Matthew 20 shows us, the labourers all receive a penny no matter how long they have served.

Christ compares His apostles and ministry to reapers in John 4:35-38, and though the ministry may labour longer in the vineyard and the field, feeding time is equal for all.  Ruth sat with the reapers and enjoyed the bounty just as much as they did – she was sufficed (received enough).  Sometimes there is a tendency among some to think that the ministry holds some higher place than others do, but the Bible refers to the office as a work and responsibility.  It is not to be seen as a position of worship, but rather, an office worth respecting.  Every now and then, I will hear a statement that makes me slightly chuckle to myself.  Sometimes the way people reference ministers, you would think that ministers are more than normal, everyday people.  Having grown up with a minister as a father and trying to be a minister now myself, I can assure anyone that they are regular people with problems like everyone else.

On a few rare occasions, I have heard expressions that did not make me chuckle but rather weep inside as people uttered sentiments about how a church would not go on without the minister.  Friends, the church is bigger and more resilient than any man, minister or otherwise.  Should no reapers have been at that table, Boaz was still able to feed Ruth, and though the situation is not ideal, the Lord can still provide to the church in the absence of the minister, and many times in absence of the minister's faithfulness.  As I have said before and hope to die saying to the Lord's people in His church, "You can make it a whole lot better without me than I can make it without you."

One last statement in this precious verse that we hope to examine is "and he reached her parched corn."  In the context, there is only one singular male form discussed: Boaz.  So, in the verse, the "he" is Boaz that reaches to get corn for Ruth.  Consider again the mercy of this man.  He has already blessed her above measure for her place and position, but now he personally gives her corn from his own hand.  Translating to today's world, the point is both beautiful and inescapably clear.  When engaged in service in God's house with our feet all pressed up under His table – His banner over us being love – He reaches personally to bring us food.  When the preaching comes forth in power, Peter declares that it is with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. (I Peter 1:12)

Has there ever been a time in church history where "forsaking the assembling of yourselves together" is more rampant and commonplace?  I wonder.  What would happen if every church across this land started a free Friday and Saturday night movie service by showing the latest films in their buildings?  Would their attendance increase?  I would likely think so.  What if all our churches ran ads and had banners saying that God's hand would come down from heaven with food?  Would our attendance increase?  It would for one service until folks discovered that they could not see anything with natural sense, and yet friends, that is precisely what happens in God's house.  His hand reaches and brings us food to eat and be sufficed.  It saddens me to see people view the absence of God's house as some light thing when in Hebrews 10 Paul gives it strong marks of condemnation such as "trampling under foot the blood of the Son of God."  Yet, our absence also shows lack of awe and respect for His hand bringing us food personally.  Ruth was no doubt humbled by Boaz's continued and heightened acts of kindness to her.  May our hearts stay kindled with the thanks and love for the continual kindness that our Lord grants to us through His fellowship with us in this old world.

In Hope,

Bro Philip

Morning Thoughts (Matthew 10:32-33)

Morning Thoughts,

Matthew 10:32-33, "Whosoever therefore will confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."

This morning, mortal men all too often become shortsighted about reality.  In reality, men are not nearly the "masters of their own domain and destiny" as often or to the extent they like to think.  Simple contemplation shows that we cannot even get from place to place without relying on and trusting in other people and things.  For example, for me to get to work on a daily basis, I trust that my vehicle will not break down, there will be gas at the service station if I need it, food will be available to eat through the efforts of many to grow and prepare it, and many of the other daily routines have similar dependencies and needs.  While individuals should do the best they can on a daily basis to strive in their fields of labour and endeavor, we all need and depend on other people to "do their part" as well for the services and needs that we rely on.  The need for others shows forth even brighter in a spiritual sense in our study verses.

Sometimes I sit in contemplation at the end of the day and wonder how much help the Lord gave me during that day that I did not even see or notice.  The possibilities are endless for peril in this old world.  How many of them were close to me but prevented from harming me by His Almighty Hand?  How many pitfalls did I get close to?  We need Him and depend upon Him for so much that we cannot even begin to count the ways in which He has helped and aided us in our daily struggles of life.  In our study verses, the context is crucially important to glean the proper exegesis of the lesson, but even the immediate context – though very specific in application – can be broadened a bit as we shall labour to investigate.

The immediate context deals with Christ sending out His disciples to preach the gospel.  All that precedes our verses in this lesson gives them specific instructions about how to preach, where to preach, how to walk, and how to talk, etc.  Therefore, the specific application of this lesson refers to a minister or ministers going about their labours in the kingdom and how they should behave.  The broader application can touch any of God's faithful trying to war a good warfare in this life.  So, let us investigate the primary thought followed hard by the broader application.  To set the table for this discourse, allow a personal reflection and illustration that shows a skewed point of view on this passage.

Many years ago, I was having a conversation with a man – who wore the name Primitive Baptist elder – who was in serious error about the doctrine of eternal security.  His theology basically back-end loaded the child of God's life with good works as some sort of "proof of election" that all children of God would manifest.  They would all manifest a belief in Jesus, and he was one half-step away from affirming that they would all hear and rejoice in the gospel.  He invoked this passage as one of his proofs that children of God would all manifest this behavior.  They would all confess Jesus, as no child of God would ever be denied in the presence of the Father – he claimed.  While his point of view is patently in error (as many children of God have failed to confess Jesus for one reason or another as John 12:42 so proves), let us at least deal with this point of view to set up the discussion on the right point of view.

In II Timothy 2:11-13, Paul gives the young minister a faithful saying that includes some descriptions about denial.  Putting verses 12-13 side-by-side under the glass could yield the possibility to think "that looks like a contradiction."  It is not, as nothing in the Bible ever does contradict itself.  However, one must figure out how on the one hand He could deny us, but on the other hand He cannot.  As we mentioned in our last writing, the answer lies in the difference between timely and eternal stances: positional vs. conditional language.  When it comes to our position in Christ Jesus, He cannot deny us, for such would be to deny Himself.  He can no more deny us entry into heaven than He could deny His own work in election, predestination, sanctification, redemption, atonement, and eventual glorification.  However, He can and does deny us on a regular basis in this old world when our steps flounder on the uneven pavement of life's thinking.

Christ here tells His disciples how to behave while preaching.  The point is inescapably clear from the context that if they attempt to preach on their own strength and might, they will fall flat on their face.  If they attempt to preach while wholly and totally dependent upon Him, they will invoke the blessings of heaven's throneroom as the Father smiles down upon them and their efforts.  Denying Christ in this lesson is akin to trying to preach based on the power of your own study, prowess of language, finesse of delivery, and acumen of intellect.  While it is important that a minister study and labour intensely while putting forth the best and least distracting delivery he can, the demonstration of God's Spirit and its associated power can only come through dependency upon Him.  If the minister does not depend upon Him, the denial before the Father will be manifestly evident.  I can regrettably say that the pulpit is the most awfully lonely place in the entire world when I have denied Christ for my dependency and strength.

Let us move into the broader thought for a moment.  Some Biblical lessons can be dealing primarily with one subgroup of people but still be applicable to a broader group, and our verse does indicate such a time and place.  The most fitting place to deal with God's children in general in this lesson is through the lens of prayer.  Prayer is something the Bible says should be done perpetually. (I Thessalonians 5:17) Yet, many of us – self included – go about so many daily activities and routines without thinking about invoking His help and strength through the power of prayer.  In all of the daily routines that we mentioned at the start of this piece, how many of those things do we need His help in?  All of them.  We need His help to live and move and even have our being.  Without Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5) However, if your pattern looks a lot like mine, I will charge into the affairs of life without praying for His help, and then watch things blow up and not go as I had planned.  When the problems arise, then I pray and ask for help.  Sometimes, I feel the answer come down into my chest from on high, "No."  What has happened is that I have been denied since I denied Him by not initially confessing my need for His help.

However, to keep from ending this lesson in a downward direction, consider the converse thought.  Whether minister or prayerful disciple, what happens when we do invoke that help from on high?  What happens when the minister lays his soul at the threshold of the altar pleading, "Lord be with me in the sermon as I need Thy help desperately?"  What happens when the disciple of the Lord prays fervently, "Lord, watch over my steps.  Keep me from falling, and lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil?"  Those heart-felt yearnings and petitions should have the hope and consolation that One is in heaven pleading and interceding that case.  He says, "Father, hear and grant the petition.  In love and mercy, bless, forgive, and aid with heavenly power."  Friends, just as surely as denial will come from heaven when we deny Christ, so just as surely will heaven pour out blessings unspeakable and full of glory when we confess Christ as our only help and all in all.

Such verses and passages as these are not meant to – nor should they ever – be used as "scare tactics" for children of God to prove their election or regeneration.  Rather, they should be used as faithful exhortations of encouragement to remember where our hope and strength comes from in our battles of life.  Thanks be unto God, friends, that the war has already been won by the labours of Jesus Christ, but thanks be unto God as well that He sees fit to regularly bless and aid us in our battles when we rely upon the Captain of our salvation and leader of our army.  Through my own unfaithfulness I have been denied in prayer and in preaching, and through His power, I have been blessed in both as well.  May our lives pressing forward in His service be full of confession of Him with denial of our Help and Strength wholly absent in all the labours to which our hand finds to do.

In Hope,

Bro Philip