Bread of His Presence

Lechem Panim #31 "The United Heart" (Psalm 86:11) Pastor Cameron Ury

You know, the oneness we are to have with God and with one another is truly a remarkable thing. In Genesis 1 and 2 we see that God created man and woman in His image. And the text says that Adam and Eve were one flesh. And this wasn’t just figurative. The woman (as we see in 2:22) is quite literally taken out of the man. Their relationship with one another is that they are one. In fact, they are so one that when the serpent asks Eve about what God had commanded to Adam before she was even created, she implies that she also is not to eat of that one tree. Though the command was never given directly to her but to Adam, it extended to her because she was Adam; she had been taken out of him. Therefore what is commanded to Adam extends to her because they are one. That is how close their relationship is. And in many ways their one-fleshed-ness mirrored what their relationship with God was to look like. It says that when man was created God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. And that word breath in Hebrew is ruach, which is the same word used for the Spirit of God. So their relationship with God was as close as the very air they breathed.

A Vulnerability-- And the Genesis 2:25 says that they were both naked, and they felt no shame. This means they were completely vulnerable with one another. There was intimacy; there was trust, just as there was vulnerability, intimacy, and trust between them and God.

A Broken Trust-- Now it is interesting to me how the serpent approaches Eve; how He tempts her. And what he basically does is he attacks that trust. He says to her that God (rather than being loving) is being selfish. He is holding back from her. He gets her to question His goodness and His love for her by inciting distrust between her and God. And once that distrust had been created, she takes of that fruit and eats; and gives some to Adam as well, who also eats. And isn’t it interesting what the text says. It says: then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Vulnerability Lost-- The vulnerability and trust is lost. They withdraw into hiddenness. They hide themselves from each other and then they proceed to hide themselves from God. And then it says in…

Genesis 3:8-13– 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Adam Turns on Eve-- Now here we see clearly what sin does to the human heart and to human relationships. Adam, who had said of Eve: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; now turns on her; and even places the blame back on God, saying: “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

So we see that their relationship implodes from self-less, outpouring, one-flesh love inwards to self-preservation; to a placing of their needs before the need of the other person. And from that moment onwards mankind has never recovered from that self-orientation. Sin is more than an action; it is an orientation of the heart. And 6,000 years later we still find ourselves wrestling with this same implosion of the heart.

Selfishness Revealed in Marital Counseling-- I am telling you, in every pastoral marital crisis counseling situation I have witnessed, either one or both persons have been turned inwards on themselves; on gratifying their own needs to the neglect of those of their spouse. And there’s little or no trust because there’s no selfless love, only an enslavement to personal wants and desires. 

Marriage Reveals our Selfishness-- I remember when I got married, I thought that loving and serving my wife in the way that she needed would be any easy thing. But the funny thing about marriage is that it reveals just how selfish we really are. And if there doesn’t come a point of surrender of both spouses in love to one another, there will always be tension.

After the Honeymoon Stage-- And the same is true in our relationship with God. When we come to faith in Christ, we are filled with excitement and emotion. We are in the honeymoon stage with God. But soon after that initial emotion wears off, we find that often times our nature is at odds with God more often than not. There is a struggle in us. And even after we come to Christ, there is still often times this war going on inside of us.  We know we ought to love God a certain way, but find ourselves incapable of doing so. We have two natures that are at war with one another. We want to love God but cannot love Him the way we ought. Because we have divided hearts. The Psalmist senses this in his own life when he cries out to God in…

Psalm 86:11 (NIV)— 11 Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Now many Christian do not believe that we can have a united heart this side of heaven. They trust in Christ to forgive them; but not to transform them.

Coke in the Face-- Once [A man entered a restaurant, bought a glass of coke and then immediately threw it into the waiter’s face. Quickly grabbing a napkin, he helped the waiter dry his face while he apologized with great remorse. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I have this compulsion to do this. I fight it, but I don't know what to do about it." "You had better do something about your problem," the waiter replied. "You can be sure I'll remember you and will never serve you another drink until you get help." It was months before the man faced the waiter again. When he asked for a coke, the waiter refused. Then the man explained that he had been seeing a psychiatrist and that his problem was solved. Convinced it was now okay to serve him, the waiter poured him a coke. The man took the glass and splashed the coke into the waiter’s astonished face. "I thought you were cured," the shocked waiter screamed. "I am," said the man. "I still do it, but I don't feel guilty about it anymore.”]

Free from Guilt, Not the Power-- Now this may seem ridiculous to us, but that is how many of us often times approach salvation. We believe that Jesus came to set us free from the guilt of sin, but not its power. It’s like that bumper stick you see all the time on the back of cars, “I’m not perfect, just forgiven.” In other words, “I’m no better than anybody else; no more holy; it’s just that Jesus forgives me constantly.” I wonder what they do with Jesus’ command in Matthew 5:48…

Matthew 5:48 (NIV)-- 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Christ’s call is for more than just a receiving of His grace for forgiveness; it is a call to follow Him in holiness of heart and life. In looking forward to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God says through the prophet Ezekiel…

Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NIV)— 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

“Comforter”-- And of course God is talking here about that day when He will pour out His Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which we see in Acts chapter 2. And we see in scripture that the primary title given to the Holy Spirit is “comforter”. But the actual Greek word doesn’t mean comfort in the sense that the Holy Spirit makes us feel good. A better translation is “empowerer” or “the one who strengthens”. Empowers us and strengthens us to do what? To be holy. And this is what we see here in Ezekiel 36:27: And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. That is the primary role of the Holy Spirit in our lives; to empower us to be holy. 

God Supplies A Power-- [Ludwig Nommensen traveled to begin mission work with a tribe in southeast Asia. The village chief welcomed Ludwig and said, "You have 2 years to learn our customs and convince us you have a message worth hearing." After 2 years, the tribal leader asked the missionary how Christianity differs from the moral rules and traditions of the tribe.
"We already know what is right," the chief explained. "We too have laws that say we must not steal, or take our neighbor's wives, or tell lies." 
The missionary replied, "That's true. But my God supplies the power needed to keep those laws."
This startled the chief. "Can you really teach my people to live better?" 
"No, I can't," responded Ludwig. "But if they receive Jesus Christ, God will give them the strength to do what is right." 
The chief invited him to stay another 6 months, during which Ludwig preached the gospel and taught villagers how the Holy Spirit works in the lives of Christians. 
"You can stay as long as you want," the chief finally announced. "Your religion is better than ours, for your God walks with men and gives them strength to do the things He requires.”]

THE TRANSFORMED LIFE— Now I don’t know about you, but that is encouraging to me; to know that Jesus can end the war inside me. That God can change the orientation of my heart; that He can unite my heart to fear Him; that I don’t have to remain in bondage to myself and my way of doing things. I can be empowered to treat my wife right; to treat my kids right; to make the right choices. My relationship with God can be made whole again; His breath can be breathed anew in me. And God wants to breath new life into your marriage; into your work. He wants to unite your heart to fear His name; He wants to give you true freedom. But that freedom only comes through surrender; through a decision you make before Christ to live a life fully surrendered to Him. And in and through that surrender, you will find a new life and a new heart. And your life will never be the same. Give your life to Him today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #30 "The Face of Life" (Exodus 33) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to the show today!

[Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are camping-- I don’t know how many of you like detective stories, but my wife and I thrive on them. And {not long ago I read a story telling of a time when} Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson were going camping. They pitched their tent under the stars and went to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night Holmes woke Watson up and said: “Watson, look up at the stars, and tell me what you see.”
Watson replied: “I see millions and millions of stars.”
Holmes said: “and what do you deduce from that?”
Watson replied: “Well, if there are millions of stars, and if even a few of those have planets, it’s quite likely there are some planets like earth out there. And if there are a few planets like earth out there, there might also be life.”
And Holmes said: “Watson, you idiot, it means that somebody stole our tent.”]
​
The Basics-- You know, when it comes to the Gospel, I think that it is often times the most basic truths that are the easiest to overlook. And something can be right in front of your face for decades before you really discover it. I find that often to be true in my own life when I study the scriptures and think about the Gospel. Even when it comes to the most basic doctrines; the obvious things in scripture; the absent tents, if you will. But it’s the basic things that often carry the most weight when it comes to our relationship with God in and through Jesus Christ. And one of the things God seems to be showing me in my own personal life is His amazing ability to reach into the depths of everything that you and I face and give us promise and hope for the future. And as I read through the scriptures, I keep coming across what I believe to be the central desire of God, and that is to have a people to Himself who are willing to enter into fellowship with Him and to share in His life. It is obvious, but we can still miss what it means for our own lives.

Face to Face-- What does that fellowship look like? If we look at scripture, we see that that fellowship involves sharing in a face to face relationship with God. That is what Adam and Eve had with God before they fell into sin; from the moment of their creation, they got to live before the face of God.

Kinlaw & Michelangelo-- Growing up, I remember in our house in Indiana my folks had a large picture hanging up on our living room wall. It was a reproduction of Michelangelo’s famous painting that he did on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel depicting […the famous scene of God creating man. {And one of my favorite authors (Dr. Dennis Kinlaw) pointed out that} Michelangelo was an absolute master of painting the human form, and in this painting Adam is strong, muscular, and vigorous, but he is also lifeless. God’s finger is extended, and the spark of life goes into Adam. {And what is so powerful in this painting is to observe that} Adam’s face is positioned so that when the spark of life comes into his being from the finger of God and consciousness breaks into his soul, his eyes open, and he sees his first sight. The first image Adam beholds with his eyes is the face of God. This is the way human creatures are to live, gaining life from the finger of God and gazing into his face.]

Eden-- Now everything changed in Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned by eating that forbidden fruit from the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil, they lost something. They lost the ability to share in that face to face relationship with God. And the reason that there is death in the world is because that sin has cut us off from the source of life itself: The FACE of God. And not only that, but (as we see later in scripture) the face of God becomes dangerous for man because of man’s unholiness. And that is why throughout the Old Testament you see this recurring fear in men and women who have encountered God in a special way, fearing that because they have seen God, their lives are in jeopardy. There was this understanding that because of how mankind had become unholy, exposure to the presence of God must mean death. And that is why throughout the Old Testament, no one sees the face of God.

Moses’ Request-- However, there is a remarkable passage in Exodus where Moses, perhaps the greatest man who ever lived outside of Jesus Christ gives to God a very unusual request. And it is perhaps this request that God is most pleased with. And it comes within the context of [the sorrowful story of the Israelites’ betrayal of Yahweh with the golden calf and Yahweh’s desire to bring destruction on them. Moses interceded for the people, and God relented. Then he instructed Moses where to lead the people next: “Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way” (Exod. 33:3).
    {But} Moses was not about to continue the journey {to the promised land} without God’s presence. He knew the necessity, the value, the delight of God’s company, and he refused to move or to lead without his presence. “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” (v. 15).
    So God agreed, “My Presence will go with you.” The Hebrew actually says, “My face will go with you.”] 

[THE "YES" FACE-- {Not long ago} I read a story about our 3rd president, Thomas Jefferson, him and his companions were traveling the countryside when they came upon a river that had overran its banks because of heavy rain. The bridge had been washed out and they had to cross the river on horseback fighting against the rapid currents. It was a dangerous situation. 
    There was a traveler who was not a member of the group watching it all take place. After several had plunged in and made it to the other side, the stranger asked president Jefferson if he could hitch hike a ride with him and so the two crossed safely to the other side. After he had gotten off, one of the president's companions asked the man why he had asked the president of the United States for this favor. The man was shocked, he had no idea it was the president who had helped him. Then he said, "All I know is that on some of your faces was written the word 'No' and on some of them was the answer 'yes.' His was a 'Yes' face.”]

God’s Yes— Isn’t it wonderful that whenever we ask for the presence of God to come into our life and help us, the answer is always yes. Now He may not always answer or help us in the way we want Him to or think He should. But He will always respond to our cry for help and will always be faithful to carry us through whatever it is you and I are facing. His face is a YES FACE; and especially when the cry of our hearts mirrors the desire of Moses in that we want to know God more. It says in…

Exodus 33:17-18 (NIV)-- 17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” {(But Moses doesn’t stop there.)}18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
His presence, not His signs-- Now Moses at this point had already seen God perform miracle after miracle after miracle; and many people might be satisfied with just seeing the signs. But interestingly, Moses was not. He didn’t want God’s miracles alone. In fact, what we see instead is this thirst; this desire; this craving in the heart of Moses to see God Himself. “God, the signs are great. But I want to see you! Show me your glory.” And what is amazing is that God says “Okay. What you can handle, I will show you.” And He shows Moses His back. Now what is interesting is that while Moses never does see the face of God, the Bible says that God spoke with Moses face to face. But we see in context that [In this instance, the phrase “face to face” is {simply} a figure of speech indicating they were in very close communion {having heart to heart communication}. God and Moses were speaking to each other as if they were two human beings having a close conversation.]

Jesus, The Face of God-- But that real face to face relationship where we could once again behold God in ALL of His glory was always what God wanted, and was always the aim of God’s plan of salvation; to restore that relationship. And therefore God revealed His face to us in a way that nobody could have ever have imagined; in our very flesh, in the face of Jesus Christ, who Himself (through His atoning death) mended the gap created between us and God by our sin. And we cannot miss the wonder of this. In Jesus, we get to experience intimidate, close, and glorious fellowship with God again. In Jesus, we get to behold the face of God. Listen to the language of…

2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)-- 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

His Presence Within Us-- You see, Jesus made way for that restoration. In Jesus, we can once again know God face to face through the Holy Spirit and not only appear before His holiness, but can have His Holy presence within us. And instead of consuming us, it purifies us. It makes us like Him.

Soldier Reunions-- One of the most enjoyable things to watch on TV is when a soldier comes home from military service and surprises his family. I was blessed to watch a number of videos in which some soldiers did this during Christmas. One lady took the lid off a large box and out popped her son. Another woman, surrounded by family, was wondering who it was who was dressed in the Santa costume. Pulling the beard down, she saw the face of her son. And the reactions were overwhelming. There was screaming for joy; there were tears the moment their child’s face was recognized. And there was an unbridled overflow of joy in that wonderful reunion. And you know, the same kind of reunion happens in your life and in my life when we come to Christ. And it happens in an even more tangible way when we enter into heaven.

Revelation 22:3-5 (NIV) Eden Restored-- 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

The Bookends of History— You see, history begins in fellowship with God and for those who are in Christ, it will end in fellowship with Him, as in Jesus we become new. Has God made all things new in your life today? Do you know His life-giving presence; His very face in your life? If not, then you have missed the very heart of the Gospel. The Gospel is not about signs or legalism or all that other religious stuff; it is about coming again into the glory of the presence of God and experiencing His face once again in the face of Jesus Christ, in whom we have the hope of everlasting salvation. And you can have that kind of relationship with God right here and right  now in and through Jesus Christ. If you ask Him to come into your life, He will make all things new in you; He will restore your life by (in and through Him) bringing you back into a face to face relationship with God. If you want that today, all you have to do is ask. Don’t miss out today on the opportunity to come to know God face to face. Receive Him; and you WILL have life. Amen.

Lechem Panim #29 "A Redeemer For Me" (Ruth 4) Pastor Cameron Ury

In the story of Ruth we have no come to the part of the story where Ruth proposes to Boaz at the threshing floor, wanting him to claim her as her redeemer. And he wants to; and promises to do so if he can. But there is a problem. He says in…

Ruth 3:12-13 (ESV)— 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”

Order of relations-- Now what Boaz is saying is that the man who is the closest in relation gets to have first dibs on being the redeemer. And [The order of these relations is: brother, uncle, cousin, or close clan relative (Lev. 25:48–49; Num. 27:11;] And so although Boaz is a close clan relative, apparently there is somebody who is even more closely related. And so after Ruth returns to Naomi, Boaz (as Naomi predicts) takes immediate action to try to secure Ruth as his wife. That very day it says…

Ruth 4:1a ESV— 1 Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. 

The City Gate--  Now the city gate was more than just an entrance to the city. [The gate served as a combined town hall and courthouse (2 Sam. 15:2; Job 29:7–17; Prov. 22:22; 31:23; Amos 5:10).] where the [Elders witnessed transactions (Ruth 4:4, 9–11; cf. Deut. 25:7) and decided cases (cf. Deut. 21:19; 22:15).] So Boaz naturally comes here. And it says…

Ruth 4:1b-4a ESV— And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.”  
And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth2 the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” 6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

An Unwanted Obligation— Now this redeemer apparently is really excited at the opportunity of gaining this extra land. It is a good thing for him. More land means more harvest. It would also increase the inheritance he could pass down to his children. [However, when he learns that Ruth will become his wife as part of the transaction, he changes his mind,] And he says he can’t do this lest I impair my own inheritance. In other words, he was [concerned that any son born to him and Ruth would share the inheritance already planned for his present children.] So this man is all about the property redemption because the land will benefit him, but he doesn’t want to deal with this whole “levirate” marriage business because he knows that if he provides Ruth with a son, that son will share in his inheritance but will do absolutely nothing to perpetuate his name. Ruth’s son would carry the name of her dead husband Mahlon in order to preserve his name. That’s the point. So this redeemer’s estate would (should Ruth bear a son) be divided between two names and he doesn’t want that. If Ruth wasn’t involved, he would accept. But things being the way they were, he will have nothing to do with it. And so he says to Boaz, Take my right of redemption yourself. 

Not Willing-- Now I said before that the closest in relation gets to have first dibs on being the redeemer. And while that is true, I don’t want you to think that the redeemer who is the closest was allowed to just arbitrarily pass off the responsibility to someone else as we see here in this passage. It was more than just a bonus he could turn down. It was his responsibility; his obligation to produce an heir for the deceased’s wife so that that man’s name might not die out. But this other redeemer, we see, isn’t willing to fulfill his obligation. He passes. And some speculate that this is why his name is not mentioned anywhere in the book. It’s interesting. I was reading a commentary on this section by Dr. Victor Hamilton. He was one of my professors at Asbury University. And he makes the point that many of our translations, when Boaz first calls out to this man at the gate, say that [Boaz introduces this closer redeemer as “friend” (NRSV; NIV). {But} The Hebrew is peloni almoni, which cannot mean “friend.” Many commentators render {(more accurately)} something like “Mr. So-and-So.” Perhaps it is the Hebrew equivalent of “John Doe” (Pardes 1992: 107). {So the fact} That the closer redeemer is denied a personal name and identity may be the narrative’s way of pronouncing a condemnation upon him for withdrawing from his (levirate/go’el) responsibilities.] 

A Sharp Contrast— And in doing so […this unnamed man marks himself as dramatically different from Ruth in {regards to} their respective scale of values. For Ruth, loyalty…stands head and shoulders over everything else. {But} For this person, loyalty is expendable, especially when it may mean sacrifice.] 

God’s Khesed Love— Now in thinking on a larger scale about God, I am very thankful that we have the love of a God who is faithful and loyal to us no matter what it costs Him. Even though it cost His own son, our Redeemer remained faithful to redeem us; not because He was obligated to (because He wasn’t); but because He (like Boaz) wanted to take us under His wing and make us His bride. His love for you stretches beyond what you and I can fathom. His loyalty; His love never fails or falls short.

Ruth 4:7-16 ESV— 7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. 8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. 10 Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” 11 Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, 12 and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.”
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse.

God’s Restoration-- Now the women are blessing Naomi. Why? Because God has made her rich again. She came to Bethlehem empty and “bitter” (calling herself Mara). And she did so in front of this same group of women. But now the lord has shown her the rich overflow of His blessing and has restored her to being Naomi (which means “pleasant”). God has become new life for her. 

More Than 7 Sons-- Now I like what Edward F. Campbell said about the women’s blessing to Naomi: for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” He says “What more appropriate way to praise Ruth than to say she is worth seven times what the story has made such an absorbing concern—a son!”

A Restorer of Life-- Now the women describe the child born as a restorer of life, which is an interesting phrase which in Hebrew means [Lit., “he who causes life to return [Hb. shub],”]. They are pronouncing that life has returned to Naomi. And interestingly it is not Boaz or Ruth (or even Naomi) who names the child. It is the women of the town. And keep this in mind it is this group of women that Naomi had mourned to upon her return to Bethlehem. So perhaps in order to serve as a lasting reminder to Naomi of the faithfulness of God, it says in…
Ruth 4:17-22 ESV-- 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.  

Our Redeemer-- And this genealogy is especially important to us because it connects us with our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who is our ultimate “restorer of life.” He is the one who takes us when we are empty and makes us full. He takes us when we are bitter and makes us sweet. 

No Concept of a Loving God-- Naomi thought she had no hope. She thought that God had turned His back on her because she had to go through some difficult trials and circumstances. Ruth had no concept whatsoever of a God like the God of Israel; a God who cares for her as a person. And she certainly doesn’t get that idea from Naomi, who is struggling with bitterness and blame towards God for her situation. Yet in this story Ruth discovers for the first time that God is a God who will reward her; who will bless her; and not just sufficiently but abundantly; with fullness and overflow. Why? Because to God Ruth is NOT Ruth the Moabite. She is Ruth the daughter (as Boaz calls her); Ruth the bride; Ruth the one that He greatly loves.

And Christ loves each and every one of us in the same way. He doesn’t want us as mere servants or slaves. He wants us as sons and daughters. He wants us as His children on whom He can shower an eternal outpouring of His love, dwelling in us even as we dwell in Him. And this Advent season, I want to encourage you to remember that no matter what you are going through, what you’ve done, or where you’ve been, Christ longs for you as a man longs for a bride. He has laid claim to you. He has paid for your soul and has bought you at a great price. Why? So that we might share in that richness of life that is found only in Him. If you don’t have that life today, ask, and He will pour it abundantly upon you. Amen.

Lechem Panim #28 "The Wings of The Redeemer" (Ruth 3) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings. In our series on the book of Ruth we have come to part of the story where Ruth has come under the protection of a man name Boaz, in whose field she has been gleaning. And Naomi is excited about this man Boaz, because he can (if he wants to) redeem them and make them his own, preserving their name and securing provision for them. And so she begins to play the role of matchmaker. Look at…

Ruth 3:1-6 ESV-- 1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” 5 And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”  6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her.

Wash, Anoint, & Put On— Now keep in mind that Ruth had (like every widow did), gone through a period of mourning over her husband’s death, not wearing perfume and wearing mourning clothes. But now the time of mourning was over. Naomi tells her to wash, anoint, and put on. And so she does.

Imagine being Ruth at night-- Now just imagine being Ruth; wrapping yourself in a cloak and sneaking out of Bethlehem eastwards toward the threshing floor. And she’s moving stealthily, trying to hide her face from anyone who might recognize her. And, approaching the threshing floor, she enters quietly without making herself known. And Boaz and his men are threshing. And after they are finished, they begin turning in for the night, grabbing some dinner and going to bed. And verse 7 says...

Ruth 3:7 ESV-- 7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. {And the reason she lays at his feet is to demonstrate her dependence on him.}

Cold Feet— Now I think that most of the men in our congregation are taller than their wives. And usually that is helpful, but not always; especially when it comes to how your wife makes the bed because the end of the bed doesn’t really matter too much for your wife. She rarely, if ever comes into contact with it. However, for tall guys like me, there is always a danger of my feet sticking out the bottom. And many of you guys know exactly what I mean. You can’t sleep like that. You gotta have those feet covered! My wife will reserve a little material to tuck under the foot of the bed, but not much. When I make the bed, I like to get a lot more of the end under that mattress to ensure that my feet aren’t going to get exposed. Because few things are more uncomfortable than having your feet exposed while you’re trying to sleep. And men, if you wake up to exposed feet, what do you do? You try to bend a little to kind of suck those babies back in. Especially on some of the nights we have been having lately. Now verse 8 says...

Ruth 3:8-9 ESV— 8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, {the Hebrew is actually “bent forward”. And this makes sense. The night is getting colder and his exposed feet are getting more uncomfortable. So he is startled and bends forward. And what does he see?…)} and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. 

Shipkah and ‘ Amah-- Now in the English we kind of lose what is going on. For us “servant” is “servant”. But in Hebrew there are actually two words for servant. There’s “‘amah” and then there’s “shipkhah”. Now remember that before Ruth called herself a servant in 2:13; she called herself a “shipkhah”, which was a slave-servant with few rights. She didn’t have to take that title, but she did out of humility and respect. But notice that here she no longer calls herself “shipkhah”. She calls herself “‘amah”, which is a maidservant who could enjoy the privileges of being in an Israelite household (e.g.,Ex. 20:10) and could give birth to an heir (see Gen. 30:3–4, 9). And so she (like many girls do today) is dropping her guy a hint. “I am no longer shipkhah. No,.......I am ‘amah. You can claim me. I have that right. Now remember that verse from Ezekiel 16 we just read a few moments ago?...

Ezekiel 16:8 (ESV)— 8 “When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine.

The Talith & Prayer— In that culture every man would wear a prayer shawl called a “Talith”. And the word TALITH contains two Hebrew words; TAL meaning tent and ITH meaning little. Thus, you have LITTLE TENT. Each man had his own little tent. Six million Jews could not fit into the tent of meeting that was set up in the Old Testament. Therefore, what was given to them was their own private sanctuary where they could meet with God. They would pull it up over their head and pray and chant privately to God. And so the Talith became known as their prayer closet! That’s right. When Jesus talks about going into your closet to pray, he is not talking about a literal room in your house; He is referring to the Jewish custom of going into your Talith to pray secretly, as opposed to those who want to make their identity known while they pray publicly.

The Talith & Marriage— Now the Talith also has significance for marriage. Jewish weddings are sometimes performed under a prayer shawl held up during the ceremony. And in Mid East culture they cast a garment over the person being claimed for marriage. But in Numbers 15:38 the word translated for the border or corner of the tallish is a Hebrew word which can also be translated wings, as it is some seventy-six times in the biblical text. For this reason, the corners of the prayer shawl are often called wings. In Ezekiel 16:8, the Lord speaks to Jerusalem and likewise says, "and I spread my wing over thee, and covered thy nakedness,”] And this is a way of saying that they have come under the talith of God. So you have all this imagery going on. Now in light of that, look at what Ruth asks Boaz to do...

Ruth 3:9b ESV— Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”   

Wings of Fulfillment— Now remember Boaz had blessed her, saying in 2:12: The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” (Ruth 2:12 ESV) Well here Ruth is bringing up that same terminology. And what I think she is doing here is incredible. She is saying, “Boaz, I want you to be the fulfillment of your blessing to me. I want you to be God’s wing of protection over me.

Ruth 3:10-11 ESV— 10 And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. {(And listen to how he gives her assurance. He says…)} 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman.   

A Worthy Woman-- Now that phrase, in Hebrew, is ’eshet khayil. It is the same phrase that is used in Proverbs 31:10 of the “excellent wife” . You see, Ruth fits that description; that rare quality of woman. And not only does Boaz see her this way, but Boaz’s fellow townsmen also see clearly that she is ’eshet khayil an “excellent” woman. And we remember from chapter 2, when Boaz first enters the scene, he is also called “worthy”. So they share the same qualities and are therefore a good match. But there is a problem. Although Boaz is very moved and reassures her that he will do all that she asks (v. 11), he explains in verse 12, saying…

Ruth 3:12-17 ESV— 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.” 14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” {(You see, [Boaz is concerned for propriety and for his and Ruth’s good reputation.])} 15 And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. 16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, 17 saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’”  

A Sign to Naomi-- Now Boaz isn’t sending the barley back with Ruth solely for their sustenance. The fact that he gives Ruth such an ample supply was to [confirm his intentions to Naomi (v. 17).] And even in his saying ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’”, he is revealing himself to be [the channel of the Lord’s recompense (Ruth 2:12) and kindness (2:20) to Naomi.] as well as to Ruth. He has heard of the new name (Mara/“bitterness”) Naomi had given herself and wants to demonstrate to her that God is not done blessing her. Now Naomi reassures Ruth...

Ruth 3:18 ESV— 18 She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”  

In other words, Boaz is not going to waste any time. Why? Not just because He wants to help, but He is eager to enter into that marriage relationship with Ruth. And that eagerness (just like the eagerness of every man who is betrothed) is a picture of God’s eagerness to enter into a relationship with you and me. Yet sometimes we think of ourselves as Ruth did; as the slave-servant (the shipkhah). But God says, “No, you are nobody’s shipkhah. You are MY ‘amah, for I desire you to dwell in my house; to dwell in My tent; to dwell under the shadow of My wings. I want to envelop you. I sent my Son for that very purpose, that in Him you might be brought into my family. You know, there is an amazing prophecy of Jesus in Malachi 4, which says: But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. (Malachi 4:2 ESV)

The question is, have you receive that spiritual healing; are you living every moment knowing that you dwell under the wings of your Redeemer? If not, you can invite Him today. You can say, “Jesus, throw Your cloak over me. Lay claim to every area of my life. Take all of who I am; all the sin and bitterness that goes with it and make me sweet.” If that is your prayer this morning, as we sing our closing song, enter into your closet (in a spiritual sense) and lift up your heart to Him.

Lechem Panim #27 "The Welcome of The Redeemer" (Ruth 2:2-23) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings. As we continue our series on the book of Ruth, we find that Ruth and Naomi have just returned to Bethlehem. And it says in…

Ruth 2:2 ESV— 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”  

Care for the Poor— Now remember the because God cares about the poor, He required that part of the fruit of the land of Israel during harvest was to go to the poor, the sojourners, the widows, and the orphans. The corners of the fields were not to be reaped, and the scatterings of the cut grain were not to be picked up. That was for them. (Lev. 19:9–10; 23:22; Deut. 24:19).

Ruth 2:3-4 ESV— 3 So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. 4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.”

The First Words-- Now this is significant because the very first words she hears this man Boaz speak are “The Lord be with you”, a phrase that [acknowledges the Lord’s presence with the workers in the field.] So Ruth sees that this man is a God-fearing man that keeps the knowledge of God on his lips. He acknowledges God in the workplace. And the workplace can be the hardest place to acknowledge God. But to see a man unafraid to acknowledge God in his place of work is a good sign that he keeps God at the center of his home life as well. Now Boaz begins to take notice of Ruth as she is working diligently in the field. Verse 5...

Ruth 2:5-9 ESV— 5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.”  

An Unexpected Gesture— Now Ruth is in awe of what has just happened. She has come to the field expecting to hear the other women gossiping about who she is and where she came from. She is expecting dirty looks and rejection from everyone she comes into contact with. All she wants to do is keep her head down and keep working. But then she is met with this thoughtful and overwhelming gesture of love and care from a man who should (by every social standard prevalent in that day) reject and despise her. And yet his response is opposite. He invites her to take what food she can; he promises her protection; he invites her (a Moabite) to drink from the pitchers of the Jewish men! And what he has done is he has met two of the most important things women need: security and provision. And she is overwhelmed with gratitude. Verse 10...

Ruth 2:10-13 ESV— 10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” 13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”

A Woman of Character— Now Boaz sees something special about this woman. Even though she is not a Jew, Ruth is a woman of incredible character. She is faithful, dedicated, hard-working, and deeply committed; so much so that in our English Bibles we place the book of Ruth after the book of Judges (in order to contrast her character with faithless Israel). She is the opposite. And in the Jewish Bible, the order of the books is a little different. Do you know where the book of Ruth falls in their Bible. Right after Proverbs 31, which is a description of the wife of noble character. Why? Because she (apparently, even though a Moabite) was that caliber of woman. And so no matter which order of books you go with, the point is the same; this is a woman worth modeling your life after. She is admirable. Her heart is beautiful. Boaz even says to her later in 3:11: all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. (Ruth 3:11b ESV) 

Humble Servant— Not in addition to all this, she is incredibly humble. We see this in the fact that she [calls herself a foreigner, but by virtue of her loyalty to Naomi and to the Lord she has become a sojourner, who can enjoy many of the rights of an Israelite (see note on 1:1; Lev. 24:22; Num. 9:14; 15:14–16; Ezek. 47:22–23).] Yet instead Ruth calls herself a servant. And [The type of servant (Hb. shipkhah) to which Ruth humbly compares herself had limited rights (cf. Gen. 16:6; Lev. 19:20).] So, interestingly, she doesn’t claim those rights of a “sojourner” in front of Boaz. Yet Boaz still chooses to bless her. He says in verse 12: 12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

He is the Abundant Answer— Little does he know that he himself will become the Lord’s answer to his prayer. He [becomes the Lord’s protective “wings” when he “spreads his wings” over Ruth (see note on Ruth 3:9).] But even now he is being God’s hand of blessing in her life, being that strong arm that can provide for her. And we see in the next passage that [Boaz’s favor goes well beyond the requirements of the law (see notes on vv. 2 and 7).] Look at verse 14 and following...

Ruth 2:14-17 ESV— 14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”
17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.
Ephah— This was about 5.5 gallons. This was “at least a two-week supply for the two women.” Plus she had food leftover from the meal Boaz provided for her. So, overwhelmed by the grace she had been shown that day, she hurries back into the city.

Ruth 2:18-20 ESV— 18 And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. 19 And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”

What this meant— Now what this meant for Ruth and Naomi was that Boaz stood in a position where he might be able to redeem the land. And not only that, but he could also marry Ruth in order to provide her with children who could help her in her old age and carry on the family name. Verse 21...

Ruth 2:21-23 ESV—  21 And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’” 22 And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” 23 So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.  

Undeserved Grace— Now one thing that stands out in this passage is the fact that Ruth had everything going against her in that culture. She was a Moabite; she was young; and she was a woman. And women had very low status in ancient culture. But Boaz takes her, even when she is unworthy, and meets her needs in a very deep and personal way. He puts his reputation on the line in order to lift her up.

When We Are Least Worthy— And what is so encouraging to me is that when we are leastworthy, it is then that God reaches out to us. Sometimes in my own life I have found that it is not during the times that I am at my best that Christ is closest; it is during those darker hours in which I need Him most that He shows Himself most. And sometimes; I don’t know how to explain it; but we kind of resist Him because we subconsciously think that either we are unworthy of that presence or that that sense of His presence must be imaginary because surely God would not draw close to me now; in this hour. But He does. He does. God doesn’t just draw closest to us when we are at our best. He draws closest to us when we need Him the most. Why? Because He is our Redeemer who redeems us by grace. He sees us gleaning along and because of His own grace, He lifts us up. He says, “Come dine with me. You are picking up scraps from the field? I’ll give you more. Come dine at my table. Come have your fill of me to where you have left-overs; to where your cup runneth over. Drink from my pitcher. Rest in the shade under the shadow of my wings. Let me give you security; let me be your fortress; your provider.

She DIDN’T Seek Boaz Out— Now what is an amazing point in the story of Ruth is that she didn’t seek Boaz out. She doesn’t ask for special treatment; she doesn’t ask for food and water to keep her strong as she worked with sweat on her forehead. But Boaz reached out to her anyways. Why? Because he is good. 

God is already seeking you out— And I want to tell you this morning that God is already reaching out to you. God wants to be your redeemer in every sense of the word. Why? Because He is good. And He promises that if you remain in Him; in His field; in His house; He will meet your every need. The Psalmist writes: The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10 NIV) 
This week, seek the Lord your Redeemer. Abide in Him and He will abide in you. Amen.

Lechem Panim #26 "Finding Hope In The Harvest" (Ruth 2:1-2) Pastor Cameron Ury

Greetings. Recently we began a series on the book of Ruth, a book that opens with a woman name Naomi and her husband and two sons moving to Moab to escape the hardships of a famine that had come over Israel; a famine that may be part of God’s judgment on Israel for their sins. And while there Naomi’s sons marry Moabite women (Ruth and Orpah). But Naomi’s husband and sons all die and she and her daughters-in-law are left without any providers. But when Naomi hears at long last that there is food in Israel, so she decides to go back. And Ruth (out of love for her mother-in-law) vows to continue on with Naomi and remain with her; to be a friend and support for her; not just till her needs are met, but until death. And this of course was of great cost to her, as it meant that (because of her being a Moabite) she would be seen as an outcast in Israel, who had bad history with the Moabites and despised them. But even so, Ruth is willing to return with Naomi to Bethlehem in Israel. And Naomi is grieved and embittered. In fact she is so grieved that she tells her people (upon her arrival) to no longer call her Naomi (which means “pleasant”) but to call her Mara (which means “bitter”). We see that (in a very powerful way) she lets her grief become how she defines herself; her center of identity. And we also can do that if we’re not careful.

The When: 3 Harvests-- Now it is the time of the barley harvest (as 1:22 indicates). And remember that these people live in a culture of harvest. Their lives revolve and depend on the fruitfulness of the land. [The economy of the Israelites was strictly agricultural. Harvesttime was a very significant event for them. They had three each year. The barley reaping (Ru 1:22) came in April-May; the wheat harvest (Ge 30:14) was about six weeks later, in June-July; and the ingathering of the fruits of tree or vine took place in September-October.] 

Whose Land is it— But remember how God wanted them to think about the land. It was His land; not theirs. Israel was His people on His land. He was the owner of that land. This is why you could not permanently sell your land or permanently buy land. Why? Because it’s not yours to buy and sell. It’s God’s. And He wants it to be kept within your family as part of your inheritance. Remember how Ahab wanted to buy Naboth’s vineyard. Naboth refused. Why? Not because it was a bad business deal. In fact, Ahab made him a great offer. But Naboth refused, saying in 1 Kings 21:3 “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” Who forbid? The Lord forbid. Naboth is not willing to disobey the Lord. He still recognizes whose land it it; not his, but the Lord’s. And because it is God’s land, just like you would do if you leased your land out to someone, God set certain rules that He expected His people to follow while they abided in His land. And so God builds into their economic system reminders that help keep their eyes on Him; not only as their Lord, but as the Lord of the land also.

Rules of the Land— And to help the owner of the land remember that God is the ultimate owner of His land, [The owner was required each year to present the first-fruits of the crop as an offering to God before he could take any of it for his own use ({Lev.} 23:10, 14). Stalks of grain that grew up without being sown were not to be harvested. ({Lev.} 25:5). With a new orchard or vineyard, the fruit was not to be gathered for three years, and the fourth year’s crop had to be given entirely to the Lord. So the owner had to wait until the fifth year to get any fruit for himself ({Lev.} 19:23-25).]

Feasts— In addition to this, God commanded that they observe three major feasts every year that would remind them of God’s provision. And I guarantee that all of you know the names of all three of these feasts.
    First you have the Passover Feast, when they remembered their captivity in Egypt and how God struck down the firstborn of the Egyptians, yet caused the death angel to pass over them. Hence the name “the Passover”.
    Second you have the Feast of Pentecost. Now many of you might be surprised because when we think of Pentecost we think of the book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit came. But the Bible doesn’t say the Holy Spirit’s coming was Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came, the scriptures say: “When the day of Pentecost came,” (Acts 2:1). In fact, [The word derives from the Greek for “the fiftieth day.” It was the Jewish Feast of Weeks (Ex 34:22; Dt 16:9-11), variously called the Feast of Harvest (Ex 23:16), or the Day of Firstfruits (Nu 28:26), which fell on the fiftieth day after the Feast of the Passover....the festival was the time when, with appropriate ritual and ceremony, the firstfruits of the corn harvest, the last Palestinian crop to ripen, were formally dedicated] to the Lord. And when you think about it, how appropriate it is that the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost; when Christians became not only dedicated to, but indwelled by our Lord in and through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. We became the firstfruits. 
    The Third feast you have is the Feast of Tabernacles (also known as the Feast of Booths), when the Israelites set up booths to remember their wandering in the wilderness when they lived in tents.

Harvest Festivals/Feasts & Remembrance— Now what is fascinating is that [The Lord fitted the three main religious feasts that he prescribed for the people into this agricultural economy. The Passover came in the season of the barley harvest (Ex 23:16). Seven weeks later at time of the wheat harvest the Feast of Pentecost occurred (34:22). The Feast of Tabernacles was observed in the seventh month, which was the period of the fruit harvest (34:22).] So I want you to see that you not only have a culture of harvest. You have a culture of remembrance; remembering the good things the Lord has done for you. Every time they collect food they visually and actively remember Who the source of their food and provision is. What a testimony that is to us in our culture.

The Passover Connection— Now when you understand that this story happens at the time of the barley reaping, what does that mean? It means that it was April-May and was also around the time they were celebrating the Passover, when God redeemed Israel from physical death in Egypt by their shedding the blood of a lamb. Now I find this interesting because we know that Jesus Christ was crucified during Passover; in fact, at the time the Passover lambs were being slaughtered in order to redeem us from our sins as our ultimate Passover Lamb, so that we might be delivered from death. And so scripture makes this remarkable connection between Passover and redemption. The two are intertwined; and so it is fitting that in the very town where Jesus would be born, at the point when Ruth and Naomi are in their greatest need of a redeemer, it is the time of Passover, when Israel is reminded of God’s past provision, which also points forward to the future work of Christ. 

Scene 2— So Ruth and Naomi return to Israel. And so ends scene 1. But now enter scene two, where Ruth and Boaz encounter one another for the first time.

Ruth 2:1 ESV— 1 Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 

Choosing Husbands-- Now for you ladies who are listening, before you met you husbands, did you have a list of requirements ahead of time of the kind of man you wanted to marry? I don’t know, maybe you had rugged; handsome; kind; gentle; has to make at least such and such amount of money; he’s respectful; must be good with and want many many kids. 
You know, its not unusual or weird to have those kinds of lists; reasonable expectations of what you are looking for in a mate. And you should think ahead; because choosing a mate is important. You need to know that you are going to be provided for; that the kids you hope to have with that man are going to be provided for; that you will be safe and secure with him.
Now nowadays a woman who has suffered the loss of her husband can make it pretty well on her own, though not always without difficulty. But imagine, in choosing a husband, the reality that the man you choose to marry will affect the course of your life forever; financially & socially. Imagine being wholly and completely reliant upon that man for your every single need. I mean there is a lot of pressure in choosing the right guy. And the story of Ruth and Naomi is itself a picture of what can happen when that protection (your husband, the house of your father, and even your children) is lost. You are thrust to the edge of poverty; you have the fear of starvation placed upon you. 
And so here we find that in every way that you could be in need in the Old Testament, Ruth and Naomi find themselves. They are poor; they are alone; they have no security; and they have no hope for provision. They are the living picture of what it means to be destitute in the ancient world. There was not a woman in that time who (reading this story) would not cringe in horror at the painful, hopeless nature of their situation.
But imagine also if you marry someone who is cruel towards you; someone who uses and mistreats you. Divorce is not really an option in that culture, so marrying a man who has a Godly character, which is manifested in how he provides for and treats you, is very important. 

4 Key Characteristics of Boaz-- Now it is interesting how in the very first sentence (where Boaz enters center stage) we discover four things about Boaz: (1) His name: Boaz, which means [in him is strength] (What a great name for a guy!) (2) His relation to Naomi— He is a relative of her dead husband’s. (3) And not only that, but he is of the same clan. (4) There is also this statement about Boaz’s character: he is a worthy man. And in Hebrew the word for “worthy” is hayil, which literally means “of worth or excellence”. But it also “connotes character, wealth, position or strength.” All character qualities that would meet Ruth’s husband checklist.

Remarriage Almost Impossible— But right now Ruth isn’t looking for a husband. Remember she, because she is a Moabitess, doesn’t even think that remarriage is a possibility. All that is on her mind is providing for the immediate physical needs of herself and her mother-in-law. And their immediate need is food. While they have plenty of farmland to grow their own crops, that land has not been sown. And you can’t reap what you don’t sow. So until their land becomes fertile again, they need to find food somewhere else. Look at verse 2...

Ruth 2:2 ESV— 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”  ​

As a pastor, one of the things I have learned (especially as I have participate in so many funerals over the years) is that people can deal with grief in any number of ways. But in essence, what it ultimately boils down to when it comes to grief is that we can allow our grief to drive us from God; or we can allow our grief to drive us to God. We can allow our grief to become our identity (as Naomi did) or we can choose to love; choose to serve; choose to move forward in the midst of it. Ruth doesn’t let her grief handicap her. She chooses to open her heart in love to Naomi. She chooses to serve. She doesn’t withdraw into herself. And that is what ultimately leads her into the field of Boaz and into a position where God can bless her. And what this should say to us is that (no matter what we are going through), if we choose love rather than bitterness and still seek to serve God and others rather than just focusing on ourselves, God can (and always will) lift us up. God will only do what you allow Him to do in you. He will only remake what you give Him. And so I’d like to say, “Let’s give it all to Him.” And He will bring us from death to life. Amen.

Lechem Panim #25 "The Ultimate Promise" (Ruth 1:6-22) Pastor Cameron Ury

Last week we started our series on the book of Ruth, a book that (in many ways) begins in tragedy. A man named Elimelech and his family flee a famine in Bethlehem and go to the land of Moab. And then he dies, and after his sons take Moabite wives, they die, leaving the man’s wife (Naomi) and the two daughters (Orpah and Ruth). And (because they have no male providers) they are left destitute and without provision. And verse 6 of chapter 1 picks up where we left of. It says…

Ruth 1:6— 6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. 

The Lord Visits-- Now why did Naomi choose to go back? Well, two reasons: First, in Israel, it says the Lord had visited, which meant that God had sent rains to water the crops; and so now, in the springtime, there was the long-anticipated harvest where food, or “bread” (Hb. lekhem) was available again. But remember she has no men in her family to farm her land. And even if she did, remember they have been gone from their land for 10 years, so there was probably no crop to be harvested. So what good is it to go back?

Provisions for The Poor-- Well, God had made provisions for people in her predicament. God breaks the mold of ancient culture by building into Israel’s economy a system for caring for the poor. Women like her could survive by doing such things as picking up the grain dropped by the harvesters and intentionally left, as God commanded, as a provision for the poor. And we will talk more about that provision in later weeks. But for now I merely want to point out that this was probably not a possibility in Moab. So Naomi leaves. And Naomi’s return to Bethlehem begins the first major scene in the the book of Ruth. Let’s look at it; verse 7...

Ruth 1:7-13 (ESV)— 7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.”   

Ruth and Orpah’s Predicament-- Now what is going on here is that Ruth and Orpah want to come with Naomi back to Israel. But there is a problem. They would not be able to get married again and have children of their own. Why? Because they are Moabites. No Jew would marry them. If Naomi had more sons and they waited for those sons to grow up, then maybe they could get married to them and produce children who could in turn provide for them in their old age. And that may seem strange to us, but was the custom of the day. And that system makes sense because it provides you with children who can take care of you and (if sons) preserve the family name. But, even if it were possible still for Naomi to find a husband and conceive (though she was too old), it would be ridiculous for Ruth and Orpah to wait so long. So Naomi urges them to return each to their father’s house. And we know from 2:11 that Ruth still has a father who is living, so it would seem to be in Ruth’s best interest to return to her father’s house. But look at verse 14. It says…

Ruth 1:14-18— 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return 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 my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Ruth’s Oath-- [Ruth’s decision had far-reaching spiritual implications (2:12; Mark 10:29–31). Her confession of faith, your people … my God, recalls the central covenant promise: “I will be your God and you shall be my people” (Gen. 17:7–8; Ex. 6:7; Deut. 29:13; Jer. 24:7; 31:33; Hos. 2:23; Zech. 8:8; 2 Cor. 6:16; Rev. 21:7).] And not only that, but [...Ruth binds herself by an oath that invites punishment if she is unfaithful. She swears this oath in the name of Yahweh (cf. 1 Sam. 3:17; 1 Kings 2:23), thereby owning him as her God.] And this is one of the things that makes the story of Ruth so amazing; because here in the period of the Judges, where you have Israelites turning to Canaanite religion, here you have a Moabitess forsaking her idols and following Yahweh. It is such a reversal. And for her it is transformative.
Chemosh--  Because the Moabites worshiped an evil god named Chemosh; a god of child sacrifice; a god of fear. In fact in Ruth’s culture [It was customary for those who worshipped this god Chemosh to offer their infant children as sacrifices on an altar, {as} burnt offerings {in order to appease him}.] Imagine serving a god of terror like that. But then Ruth comes to Bethlehem; and in and throughout the book of Ruth we see the one true God challenging her worldview, showing her that He was a very different kind of God; a God who loves her and wants to bless her. And he reveals His love to her in that He provides food for Ruth and Naomi; He provides a husband for Ruth; He provides for the redemption of their property. And from what we know in history, God even chooses to bring the Messiah (Jesus Christ, the Son of God) through her future husband Boaz’s line, the line of David. And what is most fascinating is that many years later, when Jesus is born in Bethlehem, He is born for a purpose. The sins of the world had to be payed for. But our God is not like Chemosh. Although a sacrifice is necessary, God doesn’t demand us to sacrifice our children; He sacrificed His. He allowed His own Son to die on the altar of the cross for us!!! That is why, when Jesus (the one who is and called Himself The Bread of Life) was born in Bethlehem (this very city; the House of Bread), the house was full again. Salvation had come to all those who would receive Christ as their Savior.
Romans 3:23-25a (NIV)-- 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith…

Three-fold Commitment-- Now Ruth’s Commitment meant three things: (1.) First, she was forsaking her loyalty to Moab and pledging allegiance to Naomi, her country, and the God of Israel. (2.) Secondly, she was resolving to live a life of celibacy, knowing that she would likely never get remarried because of her nationality. (3.) Third, she forsook her gods, turning from Molech and Chemosh to worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

Ruth’s Love a Picture of God’s-- Why does Ruth do all this? She could have taken the easy route and gone home, where she would have been provided for. But instead she chooses to really give up her life for her mother-in-law, pledging herself to take care of her. And this kind of love is really at the heart of the whole book. A love that doesn’t seek its own good but the good of another; a love that seeks to love and sustain another. And what the message of the book teaches us is that God is also seeking to love and sustain us, even though He doesn’t have to. God never takes the easy road in His relationship with us. God gave it all (even at the cost of His own Son), who died on a cross so that we could enter into a relationship with God. 

Don’t Know How-- Now Ruth and Naomi don’t yet know how God is going to love and provide. And I am not sure if Naomi even expects Him to. Look at verse 19...

Ruth 1:19-21-- 19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;[a] call me Mara,[b] for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

The Famine in Naomi’s Heart-- Now this passage reveals that the famine that took place did not take place only in the land. It took place in Naomi’s heart as well. She [describes her family situation before her return (as full) and after her return (as empty). {In courtroom imagery, she says} the Lord has testified against me. {She’s saying} He has brought calamity (destitution, childlessness, widowhood) upon her. {And so} She sees her suffering as God’s testimony, i.e., as proof that God condemns her for…sin… (see note on Ruth 1:11–13).]

Mara-- And so Naomi tells the people to no longer call her Naomi (which means “pleasant”) but to call her Mara (which means “bitter”). And that word for bitter is the same word used to describe the bitter water in the desert that the Israelites came across, and which God made sweet. Well here she is blaming God for doing the opposite; turning her from sweet into bitter. And [...Naomi is interpreting her hard circumstances as coming from God’s enmity toward her; {but} as the rest of the book will make plain, she is mistaken (see note on Ruth 1:20–21).] Verse 22…

Ruth 1:22 (ESV)-- 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

Now sometimes you and I wonder just exactly how God is going to provide. And sometimes we, like Naomi, sometimes doubt whether He will or not. But He always does. In my preparation of this message, I think the Lord really spoke to me again the truth of Romans 8:28, which says: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
And what this reminds us of is that God sees our future better than any of us can see our past. His hand is always on us; always steering our lives through the rough waters to the shores of His purpose for your life. You know it is amazing what can happen in your life when you let go and trust in the providence of God. Today, I would like to encourage you to turn to Jesus; the One who is your redeemer; your shelter; your Provider; your Comforter; and yes, even your Bread. Amen.

Lechem Panim #24 "Fleeing An Empty House" (Ruth 1) Pastor Cameron Ury

I am so blessed to be starting as new series with you today on what has become one of my favorite books of the Bible; the book of Ruth, one of the most Christmas-oriented books of all the Bible. You may be surprised to hear me say that, but, it’s true. As you may know, it is a book about a woman who had the courage to leave her own country and go to a land where she knew she would be despised because of her ethnicity. A woman who knew she would never be loved by a man because of who she was. But God had other plans for her life and demonstrates, by bringing a man into her life, not only what the greatest quality of romance looks like, but also how God (as humanity’s husband) longs to have a relationship with us that is every bit as passionate; ever bit as redemptive. As she comes under the wings of the protection of this man, she in fact will discover that she has come under the wings of God. And as this man will make provision for her every need, so also God will make provision for our greatest need; the need for a Savior.

God & Israel— And so as we begin our study in the book of Ruth, It is important for you to see this not only as a picture of romance between a man and a woman, but a picture of the kind of relationship God desires to have with you and me; a relationship where, no matter what the circumstance, He will take care of us, He will provide for us, and He will redeem us. Even in the midst of tragedy, you can rely on God to meet your every need.

Background— Now the book of Ruth reads more like an exciting novel rather than a mere history book. In fact, the book is written almost like a play, with various scenes in mind. We don’t know who wrote the book of Ruth; it could have been the prophet Samuel, as he seems to fit the scene pretty well. But we don’t know. What we do know is that because this story makes reference to King David, it was written many years afterwards either during his reign or later. But before that it was transmitted orally for years, being passed down from generation to generation before finally being written down. So as you also listen today, I want you to imagine this story being told among David’s family. Imagine David, when he was a boy, sitting on Great Granny Ruth’s lap to hear it for the first time. Go ahead and look with me at Ruth chapter 1...

Ruth 1:1 (ESV)— 1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

The Time of The Judges-- Now although Ruth was written during the time of David, the events of this book actually take place during the latter half of the book of Judges, being a mere three generations from David. And remember the time of the judges is a very tumultuous time. Israel kept sinning against God by worshipping other gods; so God would then allow Israel to be oppressed by an enemy so they would turn to Him in repentance; and sure enough the people of Israel would cry out to God; and then God would send a judge or liberator to free His people from that enemy. And we remember some of these judges, the most famous of them probably being Samson. However, after Israel would be liberated, they would fall into sin again. And the cycle would repeat over and over again.

Famine as part of God’s judgment?— Now I mention this because I want you to see this famine not as a random meteorological event, but rather one that is strongly connected to this cycle of disobedience in the book of Judges. The book of Judges ends with a tragic one-line description of the heart of the problem in Israel; the problem that continued to bring God’s judgment upon them...

Judges 21:25 (ESV)— 25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

That sounds increasingly like our culture, doesn’t it? And it’s interesting; our story begins with a famine; a physical famine that reflects the spiritual famine in Israel; and is likely the cause of it; being yet another part of the ongoing consequences of Israel’s continually rebelling against God. Now it says in…

Ruth 1:2a— 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah.   

The House is Empty-- Now catch the irony of this famine. Elimelech’s family is from where? Bethlehem. They are from the Ephrathite clan in Bethlehem. And what does Bethlehem mean? “House of bread/food”. So the irony is that here you have a family who is leaving Bethlehem, the “house of bread”, because the house is empty; there is no bread. So, because they have no bread, it says in…

Ruth 1:2b— They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 

Moabite-- Now this is actually a reversal of the Exodus; because you have Israelites going back into the land of their enemies from the promised land. It was a horrific, embarrassing thing. Not only Moab was in a barren desert area east of Israel and across the Dead Sea, but it was a country that for many reasons had been cursed by God. You will remember that Lot (after he left Sodom and Gomorrah) was made to be drunk and was seduced by his own two daughters into laying with them so that they might have offspring to carry on their father’s name; the worst kind of relationship there is. And so Moab was born out of that incestuous relationship (Genesis 19:37). In fact the similarity in Hebrew between Mo’abi (“Moabite”) and me’abi (“from my father”) is no coincidence. And after Israel had come out of Egypt after 400 years of bondage, you will remember Moab set themselves against Israel, seducing some of their men into idolatry and their king (Balak) even hired a man named Balaam to curse them. And yet you will remember he had a hard time doing it; and he eventually got a talking to from his donkey (Numbers 22-25). But because of all this, they invited God’s curse in Deuteronomy 23, where He declares that the Moabites were to be cut off from the assembly of His people the scripture says for 10 generations, which some argue is the Bible’s way of saying forever. And they continued to remain a thorn in Israel’s side. As we come to the time of the Judges we find that Israel is oppressed by Moab with at least 18 years of direct oppression. That was before King Saul came around and conquered them, leaving Israel to enjoy peaceful relations with them during David’s reign until they return to trouble Israel again in 2 Kings chapter 3. And then because of their unbelievable corruption and wickedness, their idolatry, their rejection of God, and their having been the consistent troublers of Israel, God speaks against them again through His prophets in Isaiah 15-16, Jeremiah 48, Ezekiel 25:8-11, and Amos 2:1. And in the Isaiah passage God declares that they will have three more years. And sure enough (as we know from history) three years later in 715 B.C. (300 years after David) a Syrian king by the name of Sargon came in to Moab and absolutely destroyed that nation, leaving only a small and feeble remnant.

Cut Off-- And so here, it would seem that the Moabites could never be accepted by God. However, when we come to Isaiah 56, we discover remarkably that God lovingly opens up the way into the assembly of His people to any foreigner who is willing to live obediently before Him. And what this shows us is that the curse was only affective as long as the people persisted in their sin. God will not turn away forever anyone who is willing to enter into a relationship with Him. And this is ultimately why Ruth will be allowed to become a part of God’s people, which we will talk about later. But for now, all we need to know is that Naomi and her family have come to settle in Moab. And it says…

Ruth 1:3-4a— 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. 

The Problem of Marrying Outside Israel-- And we know from 4:10 that [Ruth’s husband was Mahlon (4:10).] Now this is a problem because God wanted Israel to remain separate from the surrounding nations, not taking on their ways or intermarrying with them. And [marriage to Moabites was discouraged because of their commitment to other gods (such as Molech {and Chemosh}), the Balaam debacle, Israel’s debauchery with Moabite women in the wilderness, and the 10-generation Moabite male exclusion from the assembly of the Lord (Numbers 22–25; Deut. 23:3–7; Ezra 9:2, 12; 10:44; Neh. 13:25).] But these men married Moabite women anyway and the scriptures say that...

Ruth 1:4b-5--They lived there {(in Moab)} about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

All the Males Die-- So here you have Naomi’s family going to Moab in hope of preserving their lives. It is a desperate move; and sadly, it doesn’t help; because while in Moab, sadly all the males in the family who could provide for Naomi die. We don’t know how Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, though it was likely from old age. Her sons Mahlon and Chilion died likely due to poor health, because Mahlon means “unhealthy” and Chilion means “puny”. And so (as Biblical names often describe the nature of a person), that is likely how they were and why they died. But I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a spouse and then (amidst that grief) to, on top of that, lose your own children. I don’t know if there is a greater pain in all the world.

No Life Insurance or Welfare— And to lose a spouse in any culture is devastating in many ways. But because we in the United States have life insurance, this is not always as financially devastating as it would be to somebody in other places in the world today and especially in the ancient world. When we lose a spouse, we are paid a lump sum in order to help compensate for our financial need. And even if your spouse doesn’t have life insurance, we still have the nice soft cushion of a welfare system that ensures that we at least get the things we need. But in most ancient cultures (such as Moab) there was no life insurance policy; there was no welfare system like we have today. You know what your insurance policy was called? Kids. Your insurance was your children. You had as many children as God allowed you; and your children (when you could no longer take care of yourself) would take care of you in your old age. So we see that Naomi no longer has any means of support; all her security and means of provision are gone. 

​When All Crumbles-- What do you do when the world seems to crumble underneath you. I don’t know if you have ever gone through an experience like that. A single family member’s death can sure make you feel this way. And in the midst of that, it can be hard to see God. We might wonder where God is in all of this. Is He still there? Does He still care about me? Am I forgotten? The story of Ruth begins in grief. But thankfully, it doesn’t end there. Even though Naomi feels forsaken, God is about to lift her up in a remarkable way and show her (in and through Ruth her daughter-in-law) that He still loves her, that He is still going to be her provider, and that He still has a plan and purpose for her life. And that is God’s message to us as well. No matter the valley, God (whether you recognize it or not) is walking it with you. And if we continue to keep our hands in His, He will lead us through. Are you trusting in Him today? If you do, you will find Him to be worthy of your trust. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #23 "The Blood of The Lamb" (John 1:29-31) Pastor Cameron Ury

Before we begin the study of our passage today, I just want to take a moment to remember the 11 people who were recently killed in this horrific shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh: Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger,  Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Melvin Wax, and Irving Younger. We mourn with the rest of the country for their loss and grieve and pray especially for their families. 

Tragedies like this are never easy to process; nor should they be. No matter what our worldview, our souls always scream against the reality of death; and even more so against the violent acts that often cause that death to be experienced sooner than it should. And we as Christians know why death entered into the world. As we have talked about in recent weeks, it came from our being cut off from the tree of life, which was a manifestation of the presence of the very God who is Life. 

I find it so interesting that the name of the synagogue in question was Tree of Life. Because the tree of the life of the presence of God is exactly what we need to get back to if the murder in our hearts is ever going to be cleansed. And of course that tree of life is revealed again in Jesus and is something we are ultimately restored to in and through He who is the Life, which is why the Bible, in it’s final chapters in the Book of Revelation (22:19) closes with our being united again with the Tree of Life. But the question comes, how is the tree of life made available to us again. What needs to be done for us and in us for us to be united again with the presence of God. That is the subject of our message today. Go ahead and look with me at…

John 1:29-31 (NIV) John Testifies About Jesus— 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

As we finish up our series on the Tabernacle, I would like to re-emphasize how centrally important this theme of sacrifice that is interwoven in and throughout much of the symbolism of the Tabernacle truly is. As we move past the altar and into the holy place and then the holy of holies, and are confronted with the ark of the covenant, we find that the ark was a dramatic symbol and picture to us of two things; first, having the Word of God (His Law) at the very center of our lives (as the tablets of the testimony were at the very center of the ark). And secondly, that at the center of our worship there is also the need for us and our sins to be covered by the blood of sacrifice, which the ark being sprinkled with blood every year by the priest was a reminder of.

A Culture of Sacrifice— Now in our culture we don't offer up sacrifices. In fact the whole idea of sacrificing an animal is very unfamiliar to us. We have pulled some images from scripture here and there, but for most of us, we don’t really know what it really meant to live in a culture of sacrifice; a lifestyle that in every sense revolved around the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem. 

A Place of Death— But in that time, the Jewish religion revolved around sacrifice as the means of coming into and maintaining a right relationship with God. But imagine growing up in this kind of culture. As a kid you were certainly no stranger to seeing blood; you saw animals being killed on a regular basis. You see animal after animal being offered up on the altar of God as a sacrifice; some of which were for your sins. It was normal in Jewish culture to see animals being slaughtered. And the temple, though it was the house of God, it was also (as we have said before) a place of death. Multitudes of animals died in the Temple. Now I want to highlight this for you because I want you to see this startling visual connection between death and the presence of God. You cannot enter into God's presence without first submitting something to die. In order for you to some into the presence of God, your sin must be atoned for. And the only way for your sin to be atoned for is through the death of an animal. And that animal was a lamb.

Christ The End of Sacrifice-- Now imagine what it would have been like for you to in that culture, after hearing the Gospel, to then become a Christian. And you begin to recognize what it means that Christ, the Lamb of God, died for you. That is the reality of what Christ did for you and for me. He willingly died; willingly shed His blood, and even in the midst of His being pierced, licked the blood off our hands in His prayer to the Father, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Forever Clean-- Because Jesus (Our Ultimate Priest; and yet also the Ultimate Passover Lamb of God) sacrificed Himself, we have been set free not only from this whole sacrificial system; but we have been set free from our very bondage to sin. We can be forever cleansed; we can be made forever pure in and through allowing Him as our Passover Lamb to have His blood sprinkled on our lives. 

Your Final Sacrifice-- Now I said His death ended the whole sacrificial system. But there is still one sacrifice left that we need to make; not an offering of grain, drink, pigeons, doves, goats, or lambs; but the sacrifice of ourselves.

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) A Living Sacrifice— 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.[b] 2 Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

by the mercies of God— Now that phrase "by the mercies of God" points us not just to  the fact that God is a nice God, but to the fact that God is so good; so loving that He has made provision for us for our atonement in and through Jesus Christ. That is why the throne of God on the ark of the covenant was called “the mercy seat”. Because Jesus Christ and His blood (which was represented by that blood sprinkled on the ark of the covenant) is the ultimate expression of God’s mercy.

Living Sacrifices— And in response to that, Paul says that we are to offer up ourselves; our bodies as living sacrifices to Christ. And that word "bodies" encompasses both our bodies and our souls; our hearts and minds as well. All of who we are is to be offered on the altar to Christ. We are to be living sacrifices. But what does it mean to be a living sacrifice? To begin to answer this question, we need to take a look at 1 Corinthians 3:16, which says…

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)-- 16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

Hieron vs. Naos-- My wife Tanya is without a doubt one of the most brilliant people I know. Having come originally from Ukraine, she studied and graduated from the seminary I graduated from as well. And we had the joy of sharing classes together. And just to help you understand the mind God has gifted her with; picture this: she was a Ukrainian in the English-speaking United States learning Hebrew from a Japanese professor. I still don’t know how she pulled that off. Only somebody with her mind could do it. But some time ago, as I was discussing some of this material with her in order to glean what I could from her years of Biblical study, she described to me that in Greek there are actually two words for Temple: ἱερόν and ναός.  ἱερόν is used of the larger Temple complex (the [buildings, balconies, porticos, courts], etc.). But ναός is used to denote the temple itself, [consisting of two parts, the 'sanctuary' or 'Holy place' (which no one except the priests was allowed to enter), and the 'Holy of holies' or 'most holy place’]. 

We are God’s ναός-- And here in this verse, in talking about the United Body of Believers, it literally reads Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s ναός and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

We Are God’s ‘Most Holy Place’-- In other words, we as the united Body of Christ are God’s ‘most holy place’; we are the ‘Holy of holies’. That is what Paul is saying here. Just think of what that must have meant to him as a supremely dedicated Jew!!! What does that mean for us? What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?

Walking in the new way— It means we are to walk in a new way. Paul says here in Romans 12 that we are to be "holy and acceptable to God". This is our offering; our "spiritual worship". We must present ourselves "holy and acceptable" to Christ. Holiness (not ritual purity, but holiness of heart and of life) is what we are to present in worship to God.

Forsaking the World-- And this means conforming ourselves, not to the world, but to the image of Christ. Paul says: Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,

The Will of God: Not Direction, but Holiness— And the reason Paul gives us for this is (he says), "that by testing you may discern what is the will of God". Now immediately we begin to think about knowing the things God wants us to do. But that is not what Paul is talking about here. He is not talking about knowing the future will of God, but knowing what is pleasing to God. That is why Paul follows the phrase "that by testing you may discern what is the will of God" with "what is good and acceptable and perfect". God wants us to make choices that are good and acceptable and perfect. We obsess over the direction. But God is less concerned with the direction than we think. Yes He will lead us on and along His path. But we need not fret over whether we take a wrong turn. It is having the character of God and coming into His presence through Jesus Christ; that is what God chiefly wants; not letting anything separate us from or take priority over Him.

Your Death-- If you want to enter into the presence of God, then you have to die. You have to die to sin so that you might be made alive in Christ Jesus. Through dying to ourselves we are made alive to God. And an amazing thing happens. We ourselves become the Temple/Tabernacle of God. 

Have you given yourself to God like that? Have you offered up yourself to Him as wholly and completely as He did for you as the Lamb of God? All this imagery we looked at today points us towards death. Because it is only through death that we can attain life. Christ (the Lamb of God) became the sacrifice we needed for our sin. And being saved from eternal punishment, all He asks us now is to offer ourselves to Him and abide in His love; to lay our own lives on the altar for Him; not just so that we might die to sin; but so that through Him we might be made alive to righteousness, to joy, to lasting fulfillment; and even to eternal life. Today, if you haven’t done so, give yourself to Christ like that. Give yourself to Him as fully as He gave Himself to you; and He will make YOU truly alive. Let us do this. Amen.

Lechem Panim #22 "Living Life By The Stream" (Psalm 1) Pastor Cameron Ury

You know, one of the key questions we ask ourselves is, how does true and lasting change happen in a person’s life. How can we consistently experience the life of God and live victoriously? We often think that the formation of new habits is what is key to changing who we are. But good habits are the fruit of changed people, not the other way around. It is sort of like saying, “If I can change the fruit in my life that I am producing, I can become a better tree.” Yet Jesus says something truly remarkable in Matthew 12:33 when He says “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit…”. In other words, the tree must be made good before the fruit can be good. Well, how then do we become good? What is the key to lasting change in our lives? The writer of the Psalms says that rather than conforming to our own picture of who we ought to be, we must seek to conform to the pattern that God has set for us in His Law.

A World-Changing Event-- You know, there are many turning points of history; moments that forever mark us not just individuals, but groups of people. And some are even large enough to mark the human race as a whole. The day man set foot on the moon was (as Neil Armstrong said) not just a small step for man, but a giant leap for all mankind. But I would argue that an even greater leap forward (in a spiritual sense) happened at Sinai in God’s giving mankind one of the greatest revelations of Himself; the Ten Commandments.

A Picture and Promise-- I had a professor in seminary named Matt Friedeman who wrote a number of books, one of which was a catechism for children to teach them the basics of Christianity. And he recounts a dialogue he had had with my uncle Dr. Bill Ury, who is a theologian, author, and minister. And Matt decided to run some of the answers in his catechism by him to make sure they were theologically accurate. And [One of the statements to be memorized defined a commandment as “a law of God.” Simple enough {(he thought)}. {But he says:} I submitted this question and answer to…Dr. Bill Ury, for critique. His edit? He scribbled out my answer and gave this one: “A commandment is a picture of who God is and a promise of what we can become!”
{Matt said} I’ve never looked at a biblical directive in the same way since.]

And that statement has been transformative for me as well. The Law of God was not just a list of rules, but rather was a picture who God is and also a promise of what we can become, not by our own strength but in and through the abiding presence of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives; a presence made possible by His Son Jesus Christ. The Law could not save us; nor could we keep it by our own strength. But in Romans 1:7 we find that …in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” And so in and through Jesus came not the abolishing of the Law, but rather His writing that Law on our hearts and empowering us to keep it by faith. Why? Because it is a tree of life. 

Now the giving of the Law was a very dramatic and visual thing. When Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, the Lord was like a burning fire on top of the mountain. And everyone down in the camp saw this fire (Exodus 24:16-18). And so Sinai was the place where God visibly connected with His people in a powerful way; and it amazing to think about how much of history has been shaped; how many codes of law have been written (including our own justice system) based upon these Ten Commandments, which have cut right to the heart of our spiritual problem and provided instruction for how to experience the righteous and true justice of God in our world. So this event was (in so many ways) earth-shattering. 

A People Forever Marked-- Imagine being a Jew and witnessing all this visual manifestation of the presence of God; and then to carry with you a reminder of that encounter in the ark of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. By this experience you were forever marked by God as different from the other nations and were therefore committed to living a life that was different; by a code that was different; as you followed a God who was (in so many ways) different from the gods of any other people or nation. And these commandments encompass every area of human life.​

Psalm 1:1 (ESV)-- 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

Blessed-- And this word “blessed” refers to the joy and satisfaction that comes when we know that we are right with God. They are a delight to the person who walks in them. It says in verse 2…

Psalm 1:2-3 (ESV)-- 2 but his delight is in the law[b] of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

Absolute Truth-- You know, the concept of truth is very important to us as Christians. We cannot say that what is true for you may not be true for me because truth is not relative. It is absolute. And not only is it absolute, but it is personal. God Himself is Truth and the source of Truth. And the moment we turn from Him, we will find ourselves in the darkness of falsehood. There is a right way; and because of that there is also a wrong way. You know, I found out just recently where our word “true” comes from. I was reading a theologian who himself discovered it only later in life. He say: I was in my sixties before I ever wondered where the word true comes from. {He says} I pulled down my dictionary and found that the word true comes from an old Indo-European word for tree. I was intrigued by the idea that the word truth comes from the word for tree. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to make perfect sense. Trees do not move. We can count on them to be there every morning when we wake up. Truth is the same way. We can count on it. It will not deceive us. It will not give us one face today and another tomorrow. The best news of all is that Jesus Christ is true. He is absolutely, totally reliable and faithful. And when our lives are ordered by him, we stay in reality, and we walk in truth.]

Psalm 1:3-5 (ESV)-- 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

The Chaff-- Now this was an image from ordinary everyday agricultural life. [Chaff, the dried husks surrounding the kernels, has to be separated from the grain by winnowing so it can blow away (35: 5; Is 17: 13; Mt 3: 12).] But it is light, flaky, and easily destroyed. It stands in stark contrast to the tree, which not only remains, but remains strong and healthy and even produces fruit. Chaff produces nothing. A tree rooted in the stream will. In fact, the person here described as righteous [(tsaddiq) refers to a member of the covenant who seeks to live righteously;] and because of that is known by God. As it says in…

Psalm 1:6 (ESV)-- 6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Who God Doesn’t Know-- Now if I were to tell you that there are things God doesn’t know, you would probably look at me kind of strange. Why? Because God is omniscient. He knows everything. But then what do we do with passages like this, where God seems to be saying He doesn’t know the way of the wicked person. Or (even more explicitly) passages like…

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV)-- 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Relational “Yada”-- Does this mean when the unsaved get to heaven, Jesus isn’t going to know who they are? No. You see in Hebrew, the word “know” (“yada”) is a relational word. It is the same word used to describe Adam and Eve’s knowing of one another; becoming one flesh. And so what the Psalmist (and Jesus) is saying is that if we don’t have a relationship with the One who is Truth and aren’t walking in the righteousness that relationship with God produces, we neither have a relationship with Christ on earth nor will we suddenly have one in heaven. For us to be known by Him there, we must know Him here and abide in Him. Because He is the fulfillment of the Law. He is that stream of Living Water.  

Trees in Israel-- Some time ago a gentleman asked me why there seems to be so few trees in every picture of Israel he had look at and wanted to know if I had seen many trees during my time there. And certainly there are fewer trees in Israel than in most regions of the United States. Yet I was amazed during my travels to see just how quickly the landscape could change from one moment to the next. You could be going through barren territory one minute and suddenly happen across ground that is rich and fertile the next, with many trees and shrubs. And what was always the case when we happened upon one of these more fertile places was that we were approaching a water source. Because there is so little rain in Israel, plant life is much more dependent upon standing or moving (what is called in scripture “living”) water. They must have those sources of water if they are going to survive. And this is what the Psalmist has in mind when He describes God’s Law as a stream of water. It is not something that just adds a little bit of something to our lives, but rather is the very source of life itself. To think that we could have life without the Law of God is as foolish to think a tree can last without water. And therefore, if we are to have life, we must draw near that stream. And that is the greatest challenge that you and I face in our day to day culture. In the midst of all the noise and busyness, are we seeking out the quiet stream of His presence and spending time with Him in His Word? I find that our chief excuse is always that we don’t have time; that we have so many other important things to do. We don’t have time for that little trickle on the ground. Yet what we have to understand is that our success in those other areas in our lives is dependent upon that trickle. We must choose to anchor all of our lives on that quiet but steady stream. And we will (as the Psalmist says) yield fruit in season. 

​This morning, I want to encourage you to cast your roots deeply into Him, so that you might experience life, have it abundantly, and bear the fruit of righteousness for His glory.