Ruth 1-2

Dear RTB’ers,

If this is your first time reading the book of Ruth, I would not be surprised to learn that you continued on to read the last two chapters also. It would be hard not to go on and to see the final, complete redemption of the tragedies that fell on Naomi. But today we have only the first two chapters, each with it’s own story line – Naomi and Ruth in the first chapter, with Ruth and Boaz in the second chapter.

The first chapter has a couple of beloved lines, often read or sung at weddings: But Ruth said, “Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me, and worse, if anything but death separates me from you.” (vv. 1:16-17) Precious words.

Boaz’s words in the second chapter are no less redemptive: “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. May the LORD reward your work, and may your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge.” (vv. 2:11b-12) What Boaz says to Ruth is only half the story. He speaks further to his servants to make sure that she is protected and successful in her gleanings: “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her. Also you are to purposely slip out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it so that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.” (vv. 2:15b-16)

If this book had ended here, we would have seen the Lord’s hand in Naomi’s redemption. But it goes on (tomorrow) and His hand looking forward is even more powerful than what we have read today!! Come join us for our RTB gathering after coffee hour!! GLORY!!

Blessings!

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See also: March 20 (2023) / Ruth 1-4

I Peter 5

Dear RTB’ers,

Today we end 1 Peter, closing with a number of exhortations, all directed to the building up of the body of Christ. Elders, …shepherd the flock of God… (v. 2). You who are younger, …be subject to the elders. (v. 5a) All of you, Clothe yourselves…with humility toward one another… (v. 5b) Humble yourselves…under the mighty hand of God … casting all your anxieties on Him… (vv. 6-7a) Be sober-minded; be watchful… Resist him… (vv. 8a, 9a)

Finally, after having spent so many words on suffering throughout this letter, Peter closes with a word of encouragement as to the end of those sufferings: And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace … will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (v. 10) Not a bad reward for whatever we might have gone through…!

Blessings!

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See also:

• November 19 (2021) / I Peter 5:1-14
• December 23 (2023) / I Peter (again, now that we’re at the end)

I Peter 4:7-19

Dear RTB’ers,

Suffering… The word “suffer” (and its endings) occurs once in I Peter 1, four times in I Peter 2, three times in I Peter 3, six times in I Peter 4, and three times in I Peter 5. We know from the book of Acts that Paul and his fellow travelers (Barnabas, Silas, others?) suffered for their preaching at the hands of the Jews with beatings, stoning, etc., especially in Galatia, Philippi, and Thessalonica. Peter is very likely writing to these same people and is probably aware of what Paul and his companions have gone through, with an expectation that Gentile converts in those regions would be suffering the same fate. To that end, Peter reminds his readers of Jesus’ suffering and ties their suffering to His. It’s a good reminder for us also! I remember the nuns in my Catholic grade school who used to speak of difficult times with one phrase: “Offer it up.”

In addition to “offering it up”, Peter also offers his readers some good, encouraging advice: keep loving one another; show hospitality; serve one another (by the strength that God supplies); and speak as one who speaks oracles of God. (vv. 8-11) Why? …that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. (v. 11b)

Finally, my Study Bible relates Peter’s quote in verse 18 to Proverbs 11:31, but more pointedly (to me) to Jesus’ own words as He walked His path to Golgotha: For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry? (Luke 23:31) If they did these things to Jesus…

Suffering… (misfortunes, disappointments, etc.) – expect it, and offer it up.

Blessings!

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See also: November 18 (2021) / I Peter 4:1-19

I Peter 3:13-4:6

Dear RTB’ers,

Some challenging verses today, especially … in which He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison… (3:19) and For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead… (4:6) These verses have confused me every time I have read them and again today. So I don’t think I can clarify them to the extent that I would like. However, there is one thing that I do know, that Jesus went to hell after His death. Here is the text from our Apostles’ Creed: [Jesus] was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead… Our Apostles’ Creed clearly states that Jesus went to Hell between His death and His resurrection. These words are not in our Nicene Creed (go figure!). It simply states that He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again… We pray both the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed in our worship services and we accept them both as true in our faith. We do not accept one and exclude the other. Yes, Jesus went to hell. Why? Ask Him!

Come to our RTB gathering this coming Sunday and we’ll discuss this further! 

Blessings!

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See also: November 17 (2021) / I Peter 3:1-22

I Peter 3:1-12

Dear RTB’ers,

In yesterday’s reading Peter spoke of slave-master relationships and of our subjection to government authorities. Today he covers wives and husbands (vv. 1-7), then all of us (vv. 8-12). In those last three verses he quotes Psalm 34:12-16. Let’s look at a few more verses from that Psalm. I’m sure many of you will be singing along with me!

I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes its boast in the LORD
let the humble hear and be glad.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt His name together!

I sought the LORD, and He answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:1-4

Blessings!

I Peter 2:18-25

Dear RTB’ers,

The word “suffer” (and its endings) occurs four times in today’s eight verses, Peter quickly tying Christian sufferings to Jesus. And in so doing, he reminds his audience of Isaiah’s prophecy:

He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned–every one–to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth. [Today’s reading, I Peter 2:22] Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush Him…

Isaiah 53:2b-10a

I have no greater appreciation for my Catholic roots than when we consider Jesus’ persecution, His suffering, and His crucifixion. Peter ties our sufferings to Jesus’ sufferings. We need to remember that.

Blessings!

I Peter 2:4-17

Dear RTB’ers,

Yesterday I commented on the word “exile”, which the NASB had translated as “stay on earth”. Peter continues that analogy today, Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles… (v. 11a) The NASB has foreigners and strangers in place of sojourners and exiles. All four words suggest temporary residence. I like Peter’s sense that we do not belong here, but that Heaven is our true home. But then again, with the faith that we share, what we are living in our faith is something like “Heaven on earth”.

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by Him … Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (vv. 13-14a, 17) Beginning with Truman and now with Trump, I have lived during seven Democratic presidents and seven Republican presidents. I have lauded some and scorned others. But wherever my biases (or economic theory!) take me, from the time I first read Peter’s words (noted above) I have prayed for our country and our president. God is God and I am not. As Mark Bruner is fond of saying, “God is not up there wringing His hands” over national or worldwide situations. He has it under control!

Blessings!

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See also: November 16 (2021) / I Peter 2:1-25

I Peter 1:13-2:3

Dear RTB’ers,

…conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed … with the precious blood of Christ (vv. 1:17b-19a). Exile. [NOTE: The NASB translates “exile” as “stay on earth”.] Peter sees our born-again life here on earth as an “exile”, a time when we are living where we do not belong.

Perhaps he had in mind his forefathers’ captivity in Babylon, a time that we know as “the Exile”. With leaders like Ezra, Nehemiah, and Ezekiel the Jewish people were able to hold on to their faith. I can remember reading that this time in Babylon may have been the beginning of Jewish synagogues – building/locations/activities through which the Israelites could maintain their faith in the absence of Temple activities in Jerusalem.

Whether Peter had Babylon in mind or not, he clearly is telling his audience that they, themselves are “exiles”, that they are living in a temporary earthly home and that they should live in this home as if their real home is elsewhere. A good message for us today!

Blessings!

I Peter 1:1-12

Dear RTB’ers,

Back to the New Testament, the first of Peter’s two epistles. It’ll be a long while before we see the second!

I have two general reflections on Peter writing these two letters. The first is that many scholars have argued that Mark’s gospel could well be called Peter’s gospel, that Mark’s gospel reflected Peter’s teachings, with Mark effectively serving as Peter’s scribe (https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/marks-relationship-with-peter-was-the-foundation-for-his-gospel/). Second, today’s first verse has Peter writing to the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia… (v. 1b) Three of those locations (emboldened above) are mentioned by Luke as part of Peter’s audience in his Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:9-11). So in today’s reading Peter is writing to many of those people to whom he preached on the day of Pentecost. Interesting.

I was taken by Peter’s words (as I applied them to myself): He has caused us to be born again to a living hope, … to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you… (vv. 3b-4) Imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept. If that inheritance is all these things, then that “living hope” should be the essence of our daily thoughts and activities. A future inheritance is a now promise. We should be living a “Heaven on Earth” life.

Blessings!

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See also:

• November 15 (2021) / I Peter 1:1-25
• December 23 (2023) / I Peter