Isaiah Chapter 1

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Isaiah Chapter 1

Rebellion of God's People

vision= Heb. chazown :
to see, mentally dream see a vision,
have a revelation, receive an oracle.

1The vision of Isaiah [yesha‛yâhû {yesh-ah-yaw'} the salvation of the Lord]
the son of Amoz ['âmôts {aw-mohts'} strong]
concerning Judah [the praise of the Lord; confession]
and Jerusalem, [vision of peace]

The message is primarily one
concerning Judah and Jerusalem…
not the church…
while there are spiritual lessons and principles
to be gleaned for us today…
we must keep in mind the time and setting
of the prophecy to avoid confusion.

which he saw during the reigns
of Uzziah, [Uzzel the strength, or kid, of the Lord]
Jotham, [the perfection of the Lord]
Ahaz [one that takes or possesses]
and Hezekiah, [strength of the Lord]
kings of Judah. [the praise of the Lord; confession]

Judah at this time was not involved
in the same kind of gross immorality of Israel,
but they were in grave spiritual danger
because they were living by the externals of the law
with no real heart’s commitment toward God

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The chronology here indicates that Isaiah served
from about the time king Uzziah died (about 739 B.C.)
through the time of Hezekiah.
This was at least through the time that Jerusalem
was under the siege of Sennacherib in 701 B.C.

Isaiah begins in a strikingly similar way
as the Song of Moses (See Deuteronomy 32:1)

2Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth;
For the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] speaks,
Sons I have reared and brought up,
But they have revolted against Me.

All heaven and earth are commanded to hear
the divine proclamation and plea of God –
announcing sanctions and justice
for Judah and Jerusalem.
God is issuing a formal indictment against Israel,
and the non-deified cosmos is called as a witness.
This was a typical action in Near Eastern traditions and literature.
In the covenant that God made with Israel
the heavens and the earth had been called as witnesses…

“ 26I call heaven and earth to witness against you today,
that you will surely perish quickly from the land
where you are going over the Jordan to possess it.
You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed.”
Deuteronomy 4:26 NAS

…so it is equally appropriate that God calls them as witness
to hear the indictment against them for breaking the covenant.

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Sons I have reared and brought up:
Notice that God has:
1- reared (nourished) them
2- brought (trained) them up

But they have revolted against Me
revolted = Heb. pasha –
revolt, rebellion, sin against lawful authority

Here we see how they have
turned their backs on God
they are in rebellion

3"An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger,
But Israel does not know, My people do not understand."

Here God implies that humans are
in comparison, worse than dumb animals.
Although animals have very little intelligence
they use what they have correctly.
Men who were given free will and superior intelligence,
do not walk with the same degree of righteousness.
Their ignorance was born from
their willful desire to have their own way,
rather than follow God’s commands.

Understand:
literally: to "stand under" a truth

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4 Alas, sinful nation,

sinful nation : 7 fold sins of Judah and Israel

1- sinful: degenerate, depraved by nature,
bent in the wrong direction morally (Ephesians 2:1-3)
“ 1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
3Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
Ephesians 2:1-3 NAS

2- Laden with Iniquity: Heb. ‘avon’ – perversiveness, crooked, out of course. (Matthew 23:4) “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.”
Matthew 23:4 NAS

3- Seed of Evildoers: born from sinful parents (Psalm 51:5)
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.”
Psalm 51:5 NAS

4- Corruptors: going into deep depravity and corruption:
(Deuteronomy 32:5)
“They have acted corruptly toward Him,
They are not His children, because of their defect;
But are a perverse and crooked generation.”
Deuteronomy 32:5 NAS

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5- Forsake God: backslide, pull back like a backsliding heifer
(Hosea 4:16)
“16Since Israel is stubborn like a stubborn heifer,
Can the LORD now pasture them like a lamb in a large field?”
Hosea 4:16 NAS

Heifers are immature female cows
who have not yet given birth to a calf;
so they are unfruitful, not yet in milk.
They also are usually extremely cantankerous
when they are being handled – as they are untrained.

6- Provoke God to Anger: by their scorn and blasphemy.
(Mark 7:21-23)
21"For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
22deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander (blasphemy), pride and foolishness.
23"All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."
Mark 7:21-23 NAS

7- Gone away backward: becoming apostates, turning their backs on God (Romans 1:28-29)
“ 28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
29being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,”
Romans 1:28-29 NAS

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(verse 4 continued)

People weighed down with iniquity,
Offspring of evildoers,
Sons who act corruptly!
They have abandoned the LORD, [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
They have despised the Holy One of Israel, [who prevails with God]
They have turned away from Him.

The Myth of Erra and Ishum: (eighth century Babylon)
Speaks of the destruction of cities being justified
because the people had abandoned justice and righteousness,
committed atrocities and plotted wicked schemes.

5Where will you be stricken again,
As you continue in your rebellion?
The whole head is sick
And the whole heart is faint.
6From the sole of the foot even to the head
There is nothing sound in it,
Only bruises, welts and raw wounds,
Not pressed out or bandaged,
Nor softened with oil.

The whole head and heart of Judah has become morally corrupted.

7Your land is desolate,
Your cities are burned with fire,
Your fields--strangers are devouring them in your presence;
It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers.

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land is desolate: (vs.7 above)
The devastation of the land was a natural consequence
of the invading forces.
Such armies often lacked an adequate supply line
to support their troops,
so they relied on living off the land they were invading.
What ever they didn’t use for their own purposes was destroyed.
Often the indigenous people of the land
would actually burn their own crops
so that they would not become
a source of sustenance for the enemy.

8The daughter of Zion [monument; raised up; sepulcher]
is left like a shelter in a vineyard,
Like a watchman's hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.

daughter of Zion:

Zion is the name of the mountain
on which Jerusalem is situated
and represents spiritually the place from which
the Lord conquers and reigns.
In this respect it is connected to
the Davidic covenant and kingship that was ordained by God.
The daughter of Zion generally refers to the city itself.

a watchman's hut in a cucumber field:
Small huts were built in the fields so that watchmen could stand guard over the fruits or vegetables that were almost ready to harvest.
At the end of the harvest these huts were abandoned and let desolate.
Here Jerusalem is being compared to these desolate huts –
i.e. vacant and deserted with no form of protection

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9Unless the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] of hosts
Had left us a few survivors,
We would be like Sodom, [sedôm {sed-ome'} to scorch; burnt]
We would be like Gomorrah. [‛ămôrâh {am-o-raw'} a (ruined) heap;]

Of course Sodom and Gomorrah
were destroyed by the Hand of God, not invading forces…
…the intent here is not to demonstrate the method of destruction,
but to show the comparative magnitude of destruction
of God’s judgment due to their rebellion and failure to repent.

10Hear the word of the LORD, [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
You rulers of Sodom; [sedôm {sed-ome'} to scorch; burnt]
Give ear to the instruction of our God,
You people of Gomorrah. [‛ămôrâh {am-o-raw'} a (ruined) heap;]
11"What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?"
Says the LORD. [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
"I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle;
And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.

burnt offerings:
Burnt offering usually were accompanied by petitions.
Many cultures in the ancient world believed petitions
had to be accompanied with food for the gods.
The ‘meal for the gods’ concept, had been theoretically discarded
in the Jewish law and traditions,
but the practice found its way back into many believers.
The problem with the ‘feeding of the gods’,
is that it presupposes that God had needs
that worshippers could meet,
and therefore presumably procure his favor.

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12"When you come to appear before Me,
Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?

trampling of My courts:
Temples in the ancient world were considered sacred places
and were generally protected by Temple guards
who closely guarded and restricted access.
Admission to the general public was only allowed
when a sacrifice was to be offered,
and then the worshipper was only allowed in the outer court.
Entrance to the sacred inner courts or the holy of holies
was only accessible by the priests or high priest at appointed times.
Evidently the sacredness of the Temple, was now,
no longer the priority it had once been –
and common people were desecrating the holiness of the Temple by violating these laws, i.e. “trampling” the courts of God.

13"Bring your worthless offerings no longer,
incense is an abomination to Me.

Incense:
In the ancient world incense was valued
as an accompaniment to sacrifice.
Its sweet scent effectively masked
any unpleasant odors resulting
from the performance of the rituals.

New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies--
I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.
14"I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts,
They have become a burden to Me;
I am weary of bearing them.

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New moon and Sabbath:
Ancient Israel utilized the lunar calendar,
in which they recognized the first day of the month
by the ‘new moon’ phase, as a festival day
(every twenty-nine or thirty days).
As on the Sabbath, all work was to cease.

"When will the new moon be over,
So that we may sell grain,
And the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market,
To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger,
And to cheat with dishonest scales,
Amos 8:5 NAS

15"So when you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Yes, even though you multiply prayers,
I will not listen
Your hands are covered with blood.
16"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight
Cease to do evil,
17Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
Plead for the widow.

At this point in their history
Judah could still have repented
and returned to God

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8"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the LORD, [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
" Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.

The dyes needed to make scarlet or red cloths
during ancient times were the most durable and striking,
creating the most noticeable and permanent stains.
This speaks to the awesome power
of God’s forgiveness of our sins.
There is nowhere in the Old Testament
or in ancient Near Eastern literature
where the color red is symbolic of sin
and white is symbolic of purity.

19"If you consent and obey,
You will eat the best of the land;
20"But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be devoured by the sword "
Truly, the mouth of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
has spoken.

Zion Corrupted, to Be Redeemed

21How the faithful city has become a harlot,
She who was full of justice!
Righteousness once lodged in her,
But now murderers.

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22Your silver has become dross,
Your drink diluted with water.

silver has become dross:
In the ancient world silver was extracted and assayed
through the process called cupellation.
In the initial smelting process silver was extracted
from galena (lead ore) which contained
less than one percent silver in a given sample.
The lead was melted to attempt to separate
the silver from lead and other impurities.
The temperature for the cupellation process was critical to its success. If the temperature was not maintained just right,
the conglomerate of materials would fuse together
and the resultant material was called dross.
The formation of dross made the silver content virtually useless,
and the process would have to begin all over.

23Your rulers are rebels
And companions of thieves;
Everyone loves a bribe
And chases after rewards
They do not defend the orphan,
Nor does the widow's plea come before them.

Defending orphans and widows:
A major aspect of the Israelite legal tradition
involved making provision for groups
classified as weak of poor:
widows, orphans, and the resident alien
(see Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 10:18-19; 24: 17-21)
This reflects a concern throughout the ancient Near East
that the vulnerable classes be provided for.

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God’s warning to Judah of impending judgment
if they do not repent and turn back to God.

24Therefore the Lord ['âdôni {aw-done'} sovereign, that is, controller]
GOD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] of hosts,
The Mighty One ['âbıyr {aw-beer'} mighty (spoken of God): - mighty (one).]
of Israel, declares,
"Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries
And avenge Myself on My foes.
25"I will also turn My hand against you,
And will smelt away your dross as with lye
And will remove all your alloy.

The major emphasis of Isaiah is set down,
that of God’s coming glory upon His people.

26"Then I will restore your judges as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
After that you will be called the city of righteousness,
A faithful city."

restore your judges and counselors:
Since this section has to do with justice in society
and the court system, the judges mentioned here
are most likely judicial ones
rather than the deliverers of the Judges period.
The counselors were responsible
for helping kings formulate and enforce the laws and policies.

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27Zion [monument; raised up; sepulcher] will be redeemed with justice
And her repentant ones with righteousness.
28But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together,
And those who forsake the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
will come to an end.
29Surely you will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired,
And you will be embarrassed at the gardens which you have chosen.

the oaks and the gardens:
Gardens in the Near East were often arboretums
filled with fruit trees and shade trees,
serving as outdoor shrines or sacred enclosures.
Sacred trees played a significant role
in popular religions of the day.
Clusters of trees called Asherim groves
were places where the light was blotted out and truth obscured.
('ăshêyrâh was a Phoenician goddess)
They were often places where sexual sin
was combined with religious customs.
They were places of secret sinning in the Canaanite religions
(See Deuteronomy 7).

30For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away
Or as a garden that has no water.
31The strong man will become tinder,
His work also a spark.
Thus they shall both burn together
And there will be none to quench them.

Although the messianic age will be marvelous,
it will come only to a people
who are willing to walk with the Lord
and forsake their sins.

30 Chapter 1

Introduction to the Book of Isaiah

Isaiah Introduction:

Isaiah’s name = “the Lord saves” or “Salvation of the Lord”

Isaiah is the fullest revelation of Christ in the Old Testament
so much so, that it is often called "the gospel according to Isaiah."

The prophetic nature of the book of Isaiah
is one of the great proofs that the Bible is the word of God,
for Isaiah lived some 724 years before Christ.
The many passages looking forward to the Messiah
point so clearly to Christ and are fulfilled in him,
and thereby constitute an unanswerable argument
for the divine inspiration of the book.

The book of Isaiah has long been recognized as a miniature Bible.
The Bible is comprised of sixty-six books. Isaiah has sixty-six chapters.
There are thirty-nine books in the Old Testament,
and twenty-seven in the New Testament.

The book of Isaiah divides exactly in that way.
The first half of the book comprises thirty-nine chapters.
There is a distinct division at chapter 40,
so that the remaining twenty-seven chapters
constitute the second half of this book.

The New Testament begins with the history of John the Baptist,
the forerunner of Christ,
as he came to announce the coming of the Messiah,
and it ends in the book of Revelation
with the new heaven and the new earth.

Chapter 40 of Isaiah, which begins the second half,
contains the prophetic passage that predicts the coming of John the Baptist:
A voice cries:
"In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God." (Isaiah. 40:3)

As we read on to the end of the book
you will find that chapter 66 speaks of
the new heavens and the new earth that God is creating.
So you find here in the book of Isaiah
a remarkably close analogy that parallels the entire Bible.

Throughout the book of Isaiah we sense
the greatness and the power of God
juxtaposed to the insignificance of man.

The prophet Isaiah lived and prophesied in Jerusalem and Judah

His ministry began some 740 years before Christ
when the ten tribes that formed the northern kingdom of Israel
were being carried away into captivity by Sennacherib, the Assyrian invader.

The tribes of Judah and Benjamin,
the southern kingdom, were plunged into idolatry
toward the end of Isaiah's ministry in 687 B.C.
and were therefore to be carried into captivity in Babylon.

Background for The Tribes of Israel
To understand the times of Isaiah
it is helpful to know some of the ancient history
concerning the tribes of Israel.
Abraham's grandson, Jacob (Israel) had twelve sons,
born in the years around 1750 BC.
Listed in order of age, they are
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad,
Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin (Genesis 29:32 - 30:24 and Genesis 35:18).
But their father, Israel, gave Joseph a double portion,
so that each of his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh,
became a tribe rather than just one tribe of Joseph (Genesis 48:5).
So that made the total thirteen tribes,
but the tribe of Levi (the Levitical Priests)
received no contiguous region of land like the other tribes.
Instead, the Levites were given certain cities,
including the cities' suburbs,
scattered about the lands of the other tribes (Numbers 35:1-8).

Levi was the tribe of the priesthood that received tithes
of the other twelve tribes who each had land.
So the other twelve sons of Jacob, became the twelve tribes

that had contiguous regions of land,

if you are counting Ephraim and Manasseh separately.

After the reign of King Solomon, around 980 BC,
the kingdom of Israel split.

The ten northern tribes rebelled against King Rehoboam,

the son of Solomon, the son of David, of the tribe of Judah.
It should be noted that one of the ten tribes that rebelled,

Simeon, was actually south of Judah and Benjamin,
but more distant from Jerusalem.

Judah, along with Benjamin, were the two southern tribes

that remained loyal to Rehoboam,
who reigned from the capital city of Jerusalem.
Like Judah, the lands of Benjamin were near Jerusalem.

The ten northern tribes (including Simeon) made Jeroboam,

a son of one of Solomon's servants, their king instead of Rehoboam.

The split of the kingdom of Israel occurred when

the new King Rehoboam told Israel that he would make their burdens heavier,
rather that lighter, than his father Solomon had done.

Rehoboam (after receiving counsel from his ungodly friends)
told Israel in 1 Kings 12:14,

"... My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions."

These words provoked rebellion by the northern tribes,
but 1 Kings 12:15 tells us that

"... the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying,

which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam ...."
This was as prophesied near the end of Solomon's reign, in 1 Kings 11:31,

when the prophet Ahijah said to Jeroboam,

"... thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee (Jeroboam) ...."

In 1 Kings 11:33 the prophet gives God's reason,

"Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his (Solomon's) father."

Then in 1 Kings 11:34-35 we see that the split would actually occur

during Rehoboam's reign, not during Solomon's lifetime.

"Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand:

but I will make him (Solomon) prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake,

whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:
But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand (Rehoboam's hand),

and will give it unto thee (Jeroboam), even ten tribes."

So the ten tribes were not removed from the royal line of David

and Solomon until after Solomon had died.

Once the split occurred, it was maintained and deepened

by the wicked actions of Jeroboam in 1 Kings 12:26-31,

who set up false gods to be worshipped by the northern tribes.

"... Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:

If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem,

then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord,

even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me,

and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold,

and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem:

behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.

And this thing became a sin:

for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

And he made an house of high places,

and made priests of the lowest of the people,

which were not of the sons of Levi."

The term "Israel" usually refers to the entire nation,

all of the tribes, but sometimes in the old testament,

it refers just to the northern kingdom of ten tribes,

as is the case in the passage above.

The ten are Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad,

Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, and Manasseh.

Span of Isaiah’s Ministry:
So the ministry of this prophet spans the time between the captivity of the northern kingdom and the captivity of the southern kingdom---about 50 years.

Began when King Uzziah died (740 B.C.)
To King Manasseh (696 – 642 B.C.)

Contemporary of
Micah in the south
Hosea in the north

He was a great help and godly support to King Hezekiah

In his second letter, Peter says of the Old Testament prophets,
"First of all you must understand this,

that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation because,

no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man,

but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:20,21)
This explains how Isaiah could speak and write with such power and eloquence.

The Times of Isaiah:
Isaiah lived in a time of national stress,

when man's true nature was visible and was exposing itself for what it was, just as in our day.
Isaiah’s heart reflected the heart of God toward mankind,

he was distraught by the overt rebelliousness he saw,

as he cries out in the opening chapter.

The nation has deliberately forsaken the ways of God

and their stupid obstinacy is simply beyond his understanding.
"Why," he cries, "even the ox knows its owner, and the ass its master's crib..." (Isaiah 1:3)

Outline of Isaiah:

1- Prophecies of Punishments Chapters 1:1-35:10
a. Contains statements of judgment
b. Important truths of coming Messiah and His kingdom
One of Isaiah’s great contributions lies in his revealing the truth as it relates to the coming Messiah and His kingdom. The great days of the establishment of His kingdom upon the earth.
c. 1:1- 12:6 Focuses on Southern kingdom of Judah
sins of the people
breaking of His covenant
rebellion, thanklessness
religious formalism, and hypocrisy
external conformity without heart for God
d. Invitation to repent
e. The warning of coming judgment if they don’t repent
2- Parenthesis for History Chapters 36-39
3- Prophecies of Peace Chapters 40-66

Key Word: Servant of the Lord

Key Theme Verses:
1:2
2Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth;
For the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] speaks,
"Sons I have reared and brought up,
But they have revolted against Me.
1:4-6
They have abandoned the LORD, [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
They have despised the Holy One of Israel, [who prevails with God]
They have turned away from Him.
5Where will you be stricken again,
As you continue in your rebellion?
The whole head is sick
And the whole heart is faint.
6From the sole of the foot even to the head
There is nothing sound in it,
1:16,17
16"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight
Cease to do evil,
17Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
Plead for the widow.

Main Characters:
Isaiah and Hezekiah

Isaiah is quoted 58 times in the New Testament
by both Christ and the Apostles.

30

The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven

Never think that God's delays are God's denials.
Hold on! Hold fast! Hold out! Patience is genius. –
Georges L.L. de Buffon

The Kingdom of God

and the Kingdom of Heaven:

Recently I was teaching a lesson to our Life Group on how Jesus taught about the kingdom of heaven, and I said that I pretty much thought you could use the terms “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” interchangeably. I went on with the teaching, but I immediately had an unsettled feeling in my spirit. So I spent some time this week trying to distinguish the similarities and differences of the two. Here are the results of my survey.

The term Kingdom of God is used 72 times in the Scriptures
The term Kingdom of Heaven is used 33 times in the Scriptures.

The term Kingdom of Heaven literally means “Kingdom from the heavens”
and refers specifically
to that which is headed by Jesus Christ
and is establishing the restoration of God’s kingdom
over the rebellious part of God’s realm.

The parables of the kingdom of heaven apply to this age.
At the end of the age,
Christ will come and set up a literal earthly kingdom forever.

During the first 1000 years of His eternal reign
He will put down all rebellion and rid the earth of all rebels.

Anything that can be said of the kingdom of heaven can also be said of the kingdom of God, because the kingdom of heaven is the earthly dimension of the kingdom of God.

The sovereignty of God extends over all the universe, and includes the kingdom of heaven.

Some things they hold in concert, yet there are some difference worth noting:

In The Kingdom of Heaven
1. The Messiah as King
John 18:37
Revelation 20:6
In The Kingdom of God
1. God as King
1 Corinthians 15:28

In The Kingdom of Heaven
2. From heaven
John 18:36
Daniel 7:13
In The Kingdom of God
2. In heaven and earth
Psalm 103:19

In The Kingdom of Heaven
3. Upon earth only
John 18:37
Revelation 5:10
In The Kingdom of God
3. In heaven and earth
1 Corinthians 15:28

In The Kingdom of Heaven
4. Scope is limited
Zechariah 14:9
In The Kingdom of God
4. Scope is unlimited Revelation 4:11
Revelation 6:11

In The Kingdom of Heaven
5. Political
Isaiah 9:7
Daniel 7:14
In The Kingdom of God
5. Moral and Spiritual
Romans 14:17

In The Kingdom of Heaven
6. Future
Matthew 6:10
2 Timothy 4:1
In The Kingdom of God
6. Past, Present & Future
Psalm 90:2

In The Kingdom of Heaven
7. Under Christ
Psalm 2:6
Luke 1:32-33
In The Kingdom of God
7. God over all
Psalm 103:19

In The Kingdom of Heaven
8. Given to Christ
Daniel 7:13
Luke 1:32
In The Kingdom of God
8. Not given
Psalm 10:16

In The Kingdom of Heaven
9. Begins at 2nd Advent
Zechariah 14:2
2 Timothy 4:1
In The Kingdom of God
9. Is Now
Psalm 90:2

In The Kingdom of Heaven
10. Under heaven only
Daniel 7:27
Revelation 11:15
In The Kingdom of God
10. Overall
Psalm 103:19

In The Kingdom of Heaven
11. Jewish-earthly
Isaiah 9:7
Luke 1:33
In The Kingdom of God
11. Angelic-heavenly
Revelation 5:11

In The Kingdom of Heaven
12. Local-planetary
Revelation 11:15
In The Kingdom of God
12. Universal-interplanetary
Revelation 5:13

In The Kingdom of Heaven
13. Earthly capital
Isaiah 2:3
Zechariah 14
In The Kingdom of God
13. Heavenly capital
Hebrews 12:22

In The Kingdom of Heaven
14. Dispensational in purpose
1 Corinthians 15:24-28
In The Kingdom of God
14. Eternal in purpose
Ephesians 3:11

In The Kingdom of Heaven
15. Has a beginning
2 Timothy 4:1
Matthew 6:10
In The Kingdom of God
15. Timeless – endless
Psalm 90:2

In The Kingdom of Heaven
16. Tares in it now
Matthew 13:38-50
In The Kingdom of God
16. Only born-again ones in it
John 3:5

In The Kingdom of Heaven
17. Comes with outward show
Matthew 24:29-31
Matthew 25:31-46
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
Jude 14
Zechariah 14:1-5
Daniel 7:13-14
Revelation 19:11-21
In The Kingdom of God
17. Without show
Luke 17:20
Romans 14:17
1 Corinthians 4:20

In The Kingdom of Heaven
18. “Flesh and blood” inherit it
for earthly natural people
Psalm 37:11
Matthew 5:5
Matthew 25:34
Daniel 7:18, 28
Ezekiel 43:7
In The Kingdom of God
18. Resurrected, glorified saints
inherit all things in Christ
Romans 8:17
1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Revelation 21:7

30 fkj

Part II Ruth’s Decision to Follow Naomi:

The Book of Ruth

Part II Ruth’s Decision to Follow Naomi:
Chapter 1.

Ruth Chapter 1 Overview

Scriptures from Ruth chapter 1 in green
Parallel Scriptures in purple

1Now it came about
in the days when the judges governed,

[Judges 2:16-18]
16Then the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)]
raised up judges who delivered them
from the hands of those who plundered them.
17Yet they did not listen to their judges,
for they played the harlot after other gods
and bowed themselves down to them.
They turned aside quickly from the way
in which their fathers had walked
in obeying the commandments
of the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)];
they did not do as their fathers.
18When the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)]
raised up judges for them,
the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)] was with the judge
and delivered them from the hand of their enemies
all the days of the judge;
for the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)]
was moved to pity by their groaning
because of those who oppressed and afflicted them.
Judges 2:16-18

that there was a famine in the land

Genesis 12:10;2 Kings 8:1]
10Now there was a famine in the land;
so Abram [high father] went down to Egypt [troubles or oppresses; anguish]
to sojourn there,
for the famine was severe in the land.
Genesis 12:10 NAS

1Now Elisha [salvation of God] spoke to the woman
whose son he had restored to life,
saying, "Arise and go with your household,
and sojourn wherever you can sojourn;
for the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)] has called for a famine,
and it will even come on the land for seven years."
2 Kings 8:1 NAS

And a certain man of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah [praise].

[Judges 17:7-8; Micah 5:2]
7Now there was a young man from Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah [praise], of the family of Judah, [praise]
who was a Levite; and he was staying there.
8Then the man departed from the city,
from Bethlehem [ house of bread] in Judah, [praise]
to stay wherever he might find a place;
and as he made his journey,
he came to the hill country of Ephraim [fruitful; increasing]
to the house of Micah [poor; humble].
Judges 17:7-8 NAS

2"But as for you, Bethlehem [ house of bread] Ephrathah, [fruitful; increasing]
Too little to be among the clans of Judah, [praise]
From you One will go forth for Me
to be ruler in Israel [who prevails with God]
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity."
Micah 5:2 NAS

went to sojourn in the land of Moab, [of his father]
with his wife and his two sons.
2The name of the man was Elimelech, [my God is king]
and the name of his wife, Naomi; [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
and the names of his two sons were
Mahlon [infirmity; a harp; pardon]
and Chilion, [finished; complete; perfect]
Ephrathites [fruitful; increasing] of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah.[ praise]
Now they entered the land of Moab [of his father]

[Judges 3:30]
30So Moab [of his father] was subdued that day
under the hand of Israel. [who prevails with God]
And the land was undisturbed for eighty years.
Judges 3:30 NAS

and remained there.
3Then Elimelech, [my God is king]
Naomi's [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] husband, died;
and she was left with her two sons.
4They took for themselves Moabite [of his father] women as wives;
the name of the one was Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
and the name of the other Ruth. [beauty, satisfied]
And they lived there about ten years.
5Then both Mahlon [infirmity; a harp; pardon]
and Chilion [finished; complete; perfect] also died,
and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband.
6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law
that she might return from the land of Moab, [of his father]
for she had heard in the land of Moab [of his father]
that the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] had visited His people
[Exodus 4:31; Jeremiah 29:10; Zephaniah 2:7]

31So the people believed; and when they heard
that the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
was concerned about the sons of Israel [who prevails with God]
and that He had seen their affliction,
then they bowed low and worshiped.
Exodus 4:31 NAS

10"For thus says the LORD, [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon [ confusion; mixture]
I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you,
to bring you back to this place.
Jeremiah 29:10 NAS

7And the coast will be
For the remnant of the house of Judah, [praise]
They will pasture on it
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the LORD their God will care for them
And restore their fortune
Zephaniah 2:7 NAS

Houses of Ashkekon [weighing place, market]
Five city-states, Ashdod,[ effusion; inclination; theft]
Gath,[ a wine-press] Ekron, [eradication]
Gaza, [strong; a goat] and Ashkelon [weighing place, market]
constituted the Philistine [those who dwell in villages] pentapolis

{A pentapolis, from the Greek words penta 'five' and polis 'city(-state)'

is geographic and/or institutional grouping of five cities.} (1 Sam 6:4,17).

These cities were at the height of their power, influence and opulence,
boasting of beautiful homes and the “finer” things of life
at the time of Saul,[demanded; lent; ditch; death]

when they were militarily superior to the Israelites.

in giving them food.

[Psalm 132:15; Matthew 6:11]
15"I will abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her needy with bread.
Psalm 132:15 NAS

11'Give us this day our daily bread.
Matthew 6:11 NAS

7So she departed from the place where she was,
and her two daughters-in-law with her;
and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. [praise]
8And Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] said to her two daughters-in-law,
"Go, return each of you to her mother's house.
May the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] deal kindly with you
as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

[2 Timothy 1:16]

16The Lord [supreme authority, controller, Master]

grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, {on ay sif or os} [profit bearer]
for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains;
2 Timothy 1:16 NAS

9"May the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
grant that you may find rest,
each in the house of her husband."
Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
10And they said to her,
"No, but we will surely return with you to your people."

[Genesis 38:11]

11Then Judah [praise] said to his daughter-in-law Tamar,[ palm; palm-tree]
"Remain a widow in your father's house
until my son Shelah [that breaks; that unties; that undresses] grows up";
for he thought, "I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers."
So Tamar [ palm; palm-tree] went and lived in her father's house.
Genesis 38:11 NAS

11But Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] said,

"Return, my daughters.
Why should you go with me?
Have I yet sons in my womb,
that they may be your husbands?

12"Return, my daughters!
Go, for I am too old to have a husband.
If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight
and also bear sons,
13would you therefore wait until they were grown?
Would you therefore refrain from marrying?

5"When brothers live together
and one of them dies and has no son,
the wife of the deceased shall not be married
outside the family to a strange man.
Her husband's brother shall go in to her
and take her to himself as wife
and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.
Deuteronomy 25:5 NAS

No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you,
for the hand of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
has gone forth against me."

[Judges 2:15; Job 19:21; Isaiah 53:10]

15Wherever they went,
the hand of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
was against them for evil,
as the LORD had spoken and as the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
had sworn to them,
so that they were severely distressed.
Judges 2:15 NAS

21"Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God [eloahh {el o ah}– God Deity, Divine, Godhead]
has struck me.
Job 19:21 NAS

10But the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
will prosper in His hand.
Isaiah 53:10 NAS

14And they lifted up their voices and wept again;
and Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull] kissed her mother-in-law,
but Ruth [beauty, satisfied] clung to her.
15Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law
has gone back to her people and her gods;

[Joshua 24:15; Judges 11:24]

15"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD,
choose for yourselves today whom you will serve:
whether the gods which your fathers served
which were beyond the River,
or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living;
but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Joshua 24:15

24'Do you not possess what Chemosh [kemıysh {kem-oshe'} subdue, powerful]
your god gives you to possess?
So whatever the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
our God has driven out before us,
we will possess it.
Judges 11:24

Chemosh [kemıysh {kem-oshe'} subdue, powerful]
The god of Moab (1 Kgs. 11: 7); also of Ammon (Judg. 11: 24).
Solomon built for him a high place on Mount Olivet (1 Kgs. 11: 7),
which Josiah destroyed (2 Kgs. 23: 13).
Chemosh was worshipped with human sacrifices (2 Kgs. 3: 27).

return after your sister-in-law."
16But Ruth [beauty, satisfied] said,
"Do not urge me to leave you
or turn back 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, [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator] my God. [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator]
17"Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
Thus may the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] do to me, and worse,
if anything but death parts you and me."

[1 Samuel 3:17; 2 Kings 6:31]

17He said, "What is the word that He spoke to you?
Please do not hide it from me.
May God [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator] do so to you, and more also,
if you hide anything from me
of all the words that He spoke to you."
1 Samuel 3:17 NAS

31Then he said, "May God [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator]
do so to me and more also,
if the head of Elisha [salvation of God]
the son of Shaphat [judge] remains on him today."
2 Kings 6:31 NAS

18When she saw that she was determined to go with her,
she said no more to her.

[Acts 21:14]
14And since he would not be persuaded,
we fell silent, remarking,
"The will of the Lord [supreme authority, controller, Master] be done!"
Acts 21:14 NAS

19So they both went until they came to Bethlehem [ house of bread].
And when they had come to Bethlehem [ house of bread],
all the city was stirred because of them,
and the women said, "Is this Naomi?"

Matthew 21:10
10When He had entered Jerusalem, [vision of peace]
all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"
Matthew 21:10 NAS

20She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
call me Mara, [bitterness]
for the Almighty [shaddai all powerful One] has dealt very bitterly with me.

Exodus 6:3; Job 6:4
3and I appeared to Abraham, [father of a great multitude]
Isaac, [laughter]
and Jacob, [ that supplants, undermines; the heel]
as God [el (H41o) – strong, mighty Almighty] Almighty,
but by My name, LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God],
I did not make Myself known to them.
Exodus 6:3 NAS

4"For the arrows of the Almighty [shaddai, all powerful One] are within me,
Their poison my spirit drinks;
The terrors of God [eloahh (H433) {el o ah}– God, Deity, Divine, Godhead]
are arrayed against me.
Job 6:4 NAS

21"I went out full, but the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
has brought me back empty.
Why do you call me Naomi, [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
since the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] has witnessed against me
and the Almighty [ shaddai, all powerful One] has afflicted me?"

Job 1:21
21He said,
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
And naked I shall return there
The LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
gave and the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]."
Job 1:21 NAS

22So Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] returned,
and with her Ruth [beauty, satisfied] the Moabitess, [of his father]
her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. [of his father]
And they came to Bethlehem [ house of bread]
at the beginning of barley harvest.

Exodus 9:31; Leviticus 23:10, 11
31(Now the flax and the barley were ruined,
for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud
Exodus 9:31 NAS

10"Speak to the sons of Israel [who prevails with God] and say to them,
'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you
and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in
the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.
11'He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
for you to be accepted;
on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Leviticus 23:10-11 NAS.

Commentary on Ruth Chapter 1

Elimelech means "my God is king."
In that one name the whole doctrine of man,
"My God is king" may be fully understood.

The Book of Ruth begins with God,
just as the Bible begins with God---
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Genesis 1:1

The Bible never argues the existence of God.
The God of the Bible is the God who is, the God who exists.

From beginning to end
you will never find any apologetic dissertations
on whether or not God exists.

The Bible starts with the fact of God.

The existence of God is a matter
that rests wholly upon the innate revelation
given by God to the human heart.

Man either admits that God exists
or he denies that God exists,
one or the other.
He was created not just to recognize the existence of God,
but to crave His presence.
He was created in God’s image.

Our fellowship with God was meant to mirror
the love and fellowship of the Trinity.

20For since the creation of the world
His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly seen,
being understood through what has been made,
so that they are without excuse.
Romans 1:20

There is no hope for him if he doesn't,
because as Hebrews 11 tells us,
For whoever would draw near to God
must believe that he exists.
Hebrews 11:6

God is.
It isn't difficult to believe that God is.
Light from God both physical and spiritual,
is streaming to us from all around.
It is more difficult to believe that God isn't.

Only those who are educated “beyond their intelligence”
Who are bathed in the secular human whitewash,
finally talk themselves into believing that there is no God.

The whole story of man begins with that great fact that God is.
But there is more: "My God is king."

It is the "God who is, the Great I AM, who is my God.
That means that the "God who is" is available to me as a man.
The God who exists and created the universe
has made himself completely available to man.

Hebrews 11:6 goes on to say
"whoever would draw near to God
must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who seek him."

Jesus said,
7"Ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you.
8"For everyone who asks receives,
and he who seeks finds,
and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9"Or what man is there among you who,
when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?
10"Or if he asks for a fish,
he will not give him a snake, will he?
Matthew 7:7- 10

If a man never finds God,
it is because he never bothered to seek.

Any man who wants to come to God and discover the realities of God,
grasp the fact of God, and experience the person of God
needs simply to begin to seek God,
because God makes himself available
step by step to the man who begins to look.

Throughout the testaments both old and new
is this common thought from the throne of God:

‘I will be their God,
they will be my people,
and I will dwell among them.’

I have found this thought from the heart of God
91 times (and still counting) from Genesis to Revelation.

Then he becomes "my God"
this increasingly becomes the relationship
that man in his innocence had with God in the Garden of Eden.

In the eighth Psalm we read David's remarkable statement:
When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars which You have established;
what is man that You are mindful of him
and the son of man that You care for him?
Psalm 8:3, 4

Then the Psalmist answers his own question:
You crown him glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands...
Psalm 8:5, 6

Here is yet another facet of that name "my God is king."

Man was given dominion over the universe that God had made,
but only as he himself
was subject to the dominion of the God who made him.

As he subjected himself to the dominion of "my God"
(all that you are is available to me ),
he began to exercise dominion over all the rest of the world.

As he humbled himself and remained subject to God’s dominion,
he was given dominion.

This was exactly the relationship into which Jesus Christ came.
After quoting the verse from Psalm 8.
the writer of Hebrews said.

"...we do not yet see all things in subjection to him.
But we see Jesus. who for a little while
was made lower than the angels...
that by the grace of God
he might taste death for every one."
Hebrews 2:8-9

When Jesus Christ came,
he came not to act as God, but as a man,
subject to the dominion of God.

All dominion was given to him. As he said:
"All power in heaven and on earth is given unto me."
Matthew 28:18

Why? "Because," he said,
"I am totally subject to the dominion of my father."

That is the true relationship of man with God.
Thus when Adam walked in that relationship,
all the universe was subject to his dominion
because his "God was king."
That is man in his innocence.

The Book of Ruth begins with this statement:

1Now it came about (or in some versions: “Now it came to pass”)
in the days when the judges governed,

This phrase is used five times in Scripture:
Genesis 14:1; Ruth 1:1; Esther 1:1; Isaiah 7:1; Jeremiah 1:3

Whenever this phrase is used in the Word it denotes:
1. impending trouble is about to rear it’s ugly head
2. the trouble will be followed by God’s deliverance
3. there will be a happy ending to the story.

During the times of the Judges
Moab [of his father] held Israel [who prevails with God]
in servitude for 18 years

14The sons of Israel [who prevails with God]
served Eglon [heifer; chariot; round] the king of Moab [of his father] eighteen years.
Judges 3:14 NAS

Next we learn that”
that there was a famine in the land

Famine is classically
a result of rebellion and disobedience

And a certain man of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah [praise].
went to sojourn in the land of Moab, [of his father]
with his wife and his two sons.
2The name of the man was Elimelech, [my God is king]
and the name of his wife, Naomi; [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
and the names of his two sons were
Mahlon [infirmity; a harp; pardon]
and Chilion, [finished; complete; perfect]
Ephrathites [fruitful; increasing] of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah.[ praise]
Now they entered the land of Moab [of his father]

Elimelech, [my God is king] was this “certain man”
and he was a foreshadow of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ:

2"But as for you, Bethlehem [ house of bread] Ephrathah, [fruitful; increasing]
Too little to be among the clans of Judah, [praise]
From you One will go forth for Me
to be ruler in Israel [who prevails with God]
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity."
Micah 5:2 NAS

Now Elimelech married a woman whose name was Naomi
which means [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]

In the joining of these two names
you have the entire doctrine of the fall of man.

Elimelech = [my God is king]
Naomi = that which is [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]

When Satan came to Eve in the Garden of Eden,
he said to her,
"Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?"
Genesis 3:1

In the clever phrasing of that question
he suggested that God was denying
that which would bring pleasure to her.

Then he dangled the fruit in front of her and said something like,
"It looks good, doesn't it?
I'll tell you something.
It tastes better than it looks.
And if you will take of it,
you will find that it will make you wise."

The devil in his cleverness did not lay before Eve
a temptation which she could obviously see through.
He offered her a very delightful proposition.

He suggested to her that if she would take of this fruit
which God in his sovereignty had forbidden them to take
as a test of their obedience
she would be given the ability to become like God.

This of course was Lucifer’s own prideful mistake
when he was an anointed cherub of God – a covering angel.

12"Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre
and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,
"You had the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13"You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The ruby, the topaz and the diamond;
The beryl, the onyx and the jasper;
The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald;
And the gold, the workmanship
of your settings and sockets, was in you.
On the day that you were created
They were prepared.
14"You were the anointed cherub who covers,
And I placed you there
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
15"You were blameless in your ways
From the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you.
16"By the abundance of your trade
You were internally filled with violence,
And you sinned;
Therefore I have cast you as profane
From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the stones of fire.
17"Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor
I cast you to the ground;
I put you before kings,
That they may see you.
18"By the multitude of your iniquities,
In the unrighteousness of your trade
You profaned your sanctuaries.
Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you;
It has consumed you,
And I have turned you to ashes on the earth
In the eyes of all who see you.
19"All who know you among the peoples
Are appalled at you;
You have become terrified
And you will cease to be forever."'"
Ezekiel 28:12-19

Eve would be entering into a new domain
where she could step out
into her own independent activity and be "god" without God.
Satan offered man pleasure, outside of God’s design.

When "my God is king" married "pleasure"
he stepped outside of the limits God had placed upon him.
He sought his own pleasure before he sought his own God.

We read in the New Testament that such
are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
This is the spirit of the age and has been through the centuries.

In the marriage of Elimelech [my God is king]
to Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
we have a picture of the fall of man.

Now this couple had two children whose names were Mahlon and Chilion.

Mahlon means [infirmity; pardon; sick]
and Chilion means [finished ;pining away]

Can you imagine choosing those names for your children?!
How would you like to go visit this home and ask about the boys.
Mahlon [infirmity; pardon; sick] and Chilion [finished ;pining away]?
Oh, there’s little Mahlon [infirmity; pardon; sick]
lying in the corner, sick, pasty-faced
with a temperature, hovering somewhere between life and death.
Little Chilion is nothing but skin and bones wasting away.
When these boys grew older they went into the country of Moab [of his father].
While they were there (we read) the boys married girls who were Moabites.
Their names were Ruth and Orpah.
Now Orpah means [fawn, the neck or skull] a little young deer.
We also use the word in English to mean a superficial kind of love
fawning upon someone, a kind of surface love or attention.
Her name also brings to mind one with a stiff neck, or being stiff-necked.
Ruth means [beauty, satisfied]

The next thing we read is that Elimelech [my God is king] died.

3Then Elimelech, [my God is king]
Naomi's [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] husband, died;
and she was left with her two sons.

4They took for themselves Moabite [of his father] women as wives;
the name of the one was Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
and the name of the other Ruth. [beauty, satisfied]
And they lived there about ten years.
5Then both Mahlon [infirmity; a harp; pardon]
and Chilion [finished; complete; perfect] also died,

Mahlon died, and Chilion died.

The marrying of Moabite women
is no where expressly forbidden in scripture;
but it is commonly held that such an action
comes under the restriction in the law
which forbids Israelites from marrying Canaanites.
(See Deuteronomy 7:3 and 23:3).

Our Canon of scripture doesn’t elaborate
on why or how these sons of Naomi died.

The Targum (the Targum is the Aramaic translation of the Torah)
states that their deaths were a direct result
of their disobedience in marrying outside the faith.
Whatever the reason, it is clear
that the law stated that obedience results in long life
while disobedience yields the cutting off of life.

All three died, and this is exactly in line
with the picture in scripture of the results of the fall.
After Adam [earthy; red] and Eve [living; enlivening]
were excluded from the Garden of Eden [pleasure; delight]
we read that they had a son, Abel, [vanity; breath; vapor]
who was murdered by his brother Cain [possession, or possessed].

Then we read of the generations of Adam [earthy; red].
Adam [earthy; red] had a son whose name was Seth [put; who puts; fixed].
Seth [put; who puts; fixed]. died.
Seth [put; who puts; fixed]. had a son
whose name was Enos [mortal man; sick; despaired of; forgetful].
Enos [mortal man; sick; despaired of; forgetful]. died.
Enos [mortal man; sick; despaired of; forgetful]. had a son.
He died---and he died, and he died, and he died.
All down through that chapter
the bell of death rings out again and again.

When "my God is king" marries "pleasure" the result is death.

Here in the land of Moab these three men died
and left behind three heartbroken, destitute, lonely widows.

Now the heart of the story really begins
with these three widows in the land of Moab [of his father].

6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law
that she might return from the land of Moab, [of his father]
for she had heard in the land of Moab [of his father]
that the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] had visited His people

We read that Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
decided to return to her home in Bethlehem [house of bread] in Judah [praise].
because the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] had “visited” His people

We don’t know how she learned of this;
again the Targum elaborates
and claims that an angel gave her this message.

Of course we don’t know that this is true,
it suffices to say that God arranged some form of communication…
(but I kind of like the angel account - :-)

7So she departed from the place where she was,
and her two daughters-in-law with her;
and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. [praise]
8And Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] said to her two daughters-in-law,
"Go, return each of you to her mother's house.
May the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] deal kindly with you
as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

It is fairly evident from this,
that both Ruth [beauty, satisfied]
and Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
had treated their husbands and Naomi with kindness

Naomi’s insistence that they return to their mothers and their gods
makes perfect sense when we consider the culture they lived in.

There was no hope that these Gentile girls
would be able to find husbands in Israel
if they returned with Naomi. [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] had no other sons,
to fulfill the demands of the law.
See: Deuteronomy 25:5

9"May the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
grant that you may find rest,
each in the house of her husband."
Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.

There was obviously genuine affection between
Naomi, [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
Ruth [beauty, satisfied]
and Orpah. [fawn, the neck or skull]

Such closeness resulted in blessing:
1. Naomi’s blessing in verse 9 (above)
2. Ruth’s blessing of Naomi through her faithfulness

10And they said to her,
"No, but we will surely return with you to your people."

Naomi’s attitude is desperate and her thinking unclear:

13b No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you,
for the hand of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
has gone forth against me."

Both of these girls made a promise
to accompany her back into the land.
As they started out along the road and got further from Moab,
Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull] kept dropping behind.


14And they lifted up their voices and wept again;
and Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull] kissed her mother-in-law,
but Ruth [beauty, satisfied] clung to her.

At last Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
saw that Orpah's [fawn, the neck or skull] heart was really not in this journey,
that she longed to go back into Moab [of his father].
So Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
kissed Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull] good-bye and sent her back.


The Word says that Ruth [beauty, satisfied]
“clung to” Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]

The Body of Christ
should cling to the Holy Spirit.

8but you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be My witnesses
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Acts 1:8

When we learn to cling to the Spirit of God,
we spend time in His presence
and our hearts are transformed more and more
to the image of Christ;
this transformation is witnessed by
the Fruits of the Holy Spirit (the character of Christ)
being birthed in us and through us.

But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patients, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

In Ruth [beauty, satisfied] and Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
there is a clear picture
of the two kinds of spiritual commitments
that are made to Jesus Christ.

Many, many times you will find that two people
who at the very same moment and under the same circumstances,
being confronted by the same truth,
will make a commitment to Jesus Christ.

But one of them is a soulish emotional commitment
while the other is a heart commitment.

People who make soulish commitments
may be emotionally stirred for the moment.
They are drawn by some superficial view
of our Lord's person or his glory,
or to something that they hope to gain from their commitment.

They do not actually meet the Lord in an intimate way…
face to face… heart to heart… spirit to Spirit.

At the moment of the encounter you can't tell the difference
between this soulish and a heart commitment; they both look alike.

But as the two walk on in the Christian life,
one begins to hang back, and at last, like Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull],
comes to the place where, as they say. "I can't go on any longer."

We read that Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
turned and went back to her own people and her own gods.
It was only a superficial change that had occurred;
making it easy for her to return to her own people and her own gods.

In today’s world, we would see such superficial believers returning
to their own contemporary idols;
money, position, power, or a host of other pleasure-centered substitutes,
to living in the presence of God.

Idolatry is primarily an inward response of personal adoration
toward anything that is less than God;
whether that object is physical
or a concept that we have embraced.

"An idol may be metal or mental,
carved by man or conceived in the mind. "

Judson Cornwall, Things We Adore, page 18

Simply put, an idol is anything or anyone, including ourselves
that is given credit for the abilities or possessions
that God is responsible for in our lives.

Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure] said to Ruth [beauty, satisfied].
"Do you want to go back also?"

15Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law
has gone back to her people and her gods;
return after your sister-in-law."

Then Ruth [beauty, satisfied] said those wonderful words

16But Ruth [beauty, satisfied] said,
"Do not urge me to leave you
or turn back 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, [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator] my God. [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator]
17"Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
Thus may the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] do to me, and worse,
if anything but death parts you and me."

These words are words that the Body of Christ
should profess to their Bridegroom.

But in Ruth [beauty, satisfied]
we see that marvelous commitment that says,
I am wholly yours---body, soul and spirit.

Ruth [beauty, satisfied] made her decision
and consecrated her life
to following Jehovah [LORD] the God of Israel,
and in doing so, she turned her back on the idols of Moab.

For this she was blessed
to become a part of the lineage
of the Messiah, Christ Jesus.
(See: Matthew 1:1-6)

19So they both went until they came to Bethlehem [ house of bread].
And when they had come to Bethlehem [ house of bread],
all the city was stirred because of them,
and the women said, "Is this Naomi?"

Evidently the family of Elimelech [my God is king]
had been well known in Bethlehem. [ house of bread]
They were of the tribe of Judah, [ praise],
as such they knew it was prophesied
that the Messiah would come through them.

At the time however,
they did not know which family of Judah [ praise]
the Messiah would come through.

The women of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
were probably shocked to see Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
returning without Elimelech, [my God is king]
and in such a destitute condition.

20She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
call me Mara, [bitterness]
for the Almighty [shaddai all powerful One]
has dealt very bitterly with me.

Elimelech [my God is king]
married Naomi, [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
but the result was Mara [bitterness]

When "my God is king" marries “pleasure”
"pleasure" is turned into "bitterness."

The Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem, [ house of bread]
and he said,
"I am the bread of life."

Here again we see Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
attributing her hardships
to the hand of the LORD. [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]

We are quick to come to this kind of conclusion
when things are stormy in our lives.
Our culture today
frequently attributes disasters to the “Wrath of God.”

Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure] attributed her troubles
to a personal attack of God.

Often when our comfort level is disrupted
we can react in the same way.

But God has come to comfort the afflicted
and afflict the comfortable.

Famine, flood, hurricanes, earthquakes,
tornadoes, wars, pestilences,
and most other kinds of natural disasters
are not generally a result of an individual curse.

Such afflictions fall on the righteous and the wicked,
they are no respecter of persons.

In Israel [who prevails with God] the famine was the result
of a nation who had turned its back on God;
they had become rebellious and defiant
stiff-necked like Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull].

The people had clearly
been given a promise from the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
that if they followed after His ways
they would be immune from such afflictions
(See Leviticus 26 & Deuteronomy 28)

When God found it necessary
to punish an apostate Israel [who prevails with God]
the righteous suffered
right along with the wicked majority
who were serving God with their lips,
but not with their hearts.
They were going through the religious rituals
with a cold heart toward fellowshipping with God.

13Then the Lord said,
"Because this people draw near with their words
And honor Me with their lip service,
But they remove their hearts far from Me,
And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,
Isaiah 29:13 NAS

They observed religious traditions,
outward sacrifices and works
but they wanted to live their own lives,
“free” from the governance of God.

This is a picture of most of the Church in America today.

One of the worst slanders against God
comes from His own people
blaming Him for human sorrows and failures
which they (and their culture) bring upon themselves
through their own sin, lust and idolatries

Often this is not individual sin
(although that cannot be excluded)
but general attitudes of sin, lust and idolatries
that are leading to apostasy.

This makes it likely that God
will bring judgment upon a people/nation.

When these things happen,
the righteous are involved in the judgment
and suffer along with the wicked.

God will use such judgment to bring a people/nation
to the place of repentance and restoration.

God will additionally use
circumstances and affliction to purify and refine us.

We must be careful not to judge God concerning His actions.
Job 2:10
1 Corinthians 13:12-13

Attacks from satan are simply a part of our calling in Christ.
Ephesians 6:10-18
James 4:7
1 Peter 5:8-9

We must learn to give thanks to God in times of trial.
Job 1:21
Philippians 4:6

End Part 2
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