August 10

RUTH 3-4
Boaz is a type of Christ as our Kinsman Redeemer. As such, think of this statement by Naomi concerning Boaz to Ruth, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.“ How many times have I missed out on a blessing of the Lord because I was not willing to sit still and let Jesus conclude a matter? I was too busy conniving and twisting an outcome to the position which I thought would provide me with the best result. Ruth could have told Naomi, “No, I think if he really loved me, we would have gone to the priest right away to get married. I think that I will go talk to this nearest relative myself.” Instead she waited to see the outcome. She waited for Boaz’s heart to be completely revealed in his action and his timing. If I want to see the glory of my Lord Jesus, I need to do the same thing. I need to rest in the promise of what the Scriptures say concerning Him, do what He commands, listen to His instruction and wait for His results. He will produce that which brings the greatest glory to His Father, which ultimately includes my best.
Jesus is my Kinsman Redeemer. A Kinsman Redeemer had to have the following requirements:

1. He had to be the nearest relative.
2. He had to have the means to redeem.
3. He had to have the desire to redeem.

There was a kinsman who was a nearer relative than Boaz. He had the means to redeem her, but he did not have the desire to redeem her. Jesus became our near relative by becoming human. Sheep, goats, oxen, doves were not close enough. Our redeemer had to be human. Jesus had the means to redeem us for not only was he perfect human through the virgin birth, but He was also God. He had the ability bear in moment the eternal punishment for our sin and defeat it by rising again on the third day. Jesus had the desire to redeem us for He did not deem equality with God a thing to be hung on to convulsively, but emptied Himself by adding to His person the nature of a man humbling Himself even to the point of death on a cross. He did that for us that we might be His bride. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

PSALM 40
Yesterday, I was thinking of my wife. She is so sweet. I cannot believe she puts up with me. So on the way home I bought her one of her favorite chocolate bars and put it under her pillow with a note. She probably doesn’t believe it when I say that I think of her constantly. I guess my actions don’t reflect to her that I think of her constantly, but I do. Did you ever stop to think that the Lord thinks of you constantly?

5Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. . . 17 But I am poor and needy; Yet the LORD thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.

If the Lord thinks on me constantly, the next question is, “Are those good thoughts?” I am dreadfully aware of some of my sins and imperfections. Those could be motivation for the Lord to be angry with me all the time. Now that is cause for alarm! But tucked away between verse 5 & 17 are verses 6-8:

Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said,
“Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”

The concept that God’s first desire wasn’t sacrifice and offering is found in 1 Sam. 15:22; Ps. 51:16; Is. 1:11; Jer. 6:20; 7:22, 23; Amos 5:22; Mic. 6:6–8. Then why did He command sacrifice and offering? Why does the book of Leviticus focus upon it? Why do major portions of Exodus and Deuteronomy focus upon it? What God really wants from us is to love Him. What I really want from my wife is for her to love me. Loving God is displayed by doing His will. When I do not love Him and obey Him, justice kicks in. His justice demands death for sin. His love demands mercy for sin. His justice and mercy are displayed when His Son chose to become flesh, live a perfect life in love and submission to the Father, die as a substitute for us on the cross, rise again on the third day being victorious over sin and death. He came as our substitute to enable us also to do the will of the Father.
Hebrews 10:5-9 makes it absolutely clear that the purpose of Jesus’ coming was to do the Father’s will. He gave Himself to purify us of our sin. If we are pure of sin, His thoughts toward us are only pleasant. He purified us so that we could do His will. Now we who were unrighteous can proclaim His righteousness! His thoughts toward us, because of His will for us can now be continual thoughts of promoting our righteousness! Wow! He thinks continually of me, and it is good! Now that is glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

EZEKIEL 9
In the previous chapter we saw a number of abominations that the people had brought into the temple rather than seeking the glory of the Lord. In this chapter the Lord marks those who had bemoaned the fact that the abominations had been allowed into the temple. The others were killed. The glory, which once dwelt only in the holy of holies, now begins to move to the threshold. The Lord is removing His manifest presence from the temple and from the city in order that He might destroy the city. These abominations had been in the temple for years, yet no one had noticed that the glory of the Lord had been over shadowed. Outwardly, the abominations had all the religious trappings, but they were merely the works of mans hands. Yet few really noticed or objected to the difference.
Fast forward 2600 years. Has the church replaced the glory of the Lord with the work of our own hands? Tough question. When the Lord removes His presence, do we really notice or object to the difference? All that I know is that if His presence leaves, I do not want to stay. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john


ROMANS 11:1-18
To be really honest, I don’t completely understand how the sovereign will of God and the free will of man work together. And I think a lot of people who try to explain it are really just blowing smoke. But this I know, there are plenty of passages that clearly teach that man has choice. Choice seems to imply a free will. Then there are passages like Romans 9-11 that clearly teach the sovereignty of God. Paul doesn’t seem to attempt to reconcile the two together. He simply presents them both as true. The sovereignty of God displays His glory.
Jesus is sovereign. He said, “All authority in heaven and earth is given unto me.” He controls to whom He gives grace. He has grafted us, who believe, into His family. He did it to provoke those, who wouldn’t believe to jealousy. God allowed the Israelites to reject Him so that He might reconcile the world. The glory of Jesus is seen in His sovereignty! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John