“Covenant love”
Ruth 1:12-17 (June 23, 2024)
I want to begin by saying “thanks” for the invitation to share this service with you today. A number of our First Mennonite folk live here at Bethany Manor, and our congregation has a long-standing relationship with this place.
It’s good to be together, in the presence of God. And good to hear the stories of our faith. Including the one for today, which centres on three main characters: Naomi, Ruth and Boaz.
I’m told the theme for this month is “Weddings, couples and marriages in the Bible.” It’s true that many people get married in the month of June. Maybe some of you will be celebrating an anniversary.
But we also need to say that marriage is not for all people. Some of us have never been married. Others were married, but may not be now. Sadly, spouses die. Or relationships come apart. Life can be difficult.
There is a marriage in our story for this morning. But the message of the book of Ruth is much bigger than that. It speaks to a universal human need for companionship, love and caring – which can appear in many forms, as we shall see.
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This story begins by showing us people who look after each other through a dark and difficult time in their lives. Naomi’s husband died. Then, tragically, her two sons die as well! That leaves her, and two daughters-in-law, grief-stricken and vulnerable.
“You girls should go back to your own families,” Naomi suggests. “Don’t worry about me.” She wants the very best for them. But they resist. “We’d rather stay with you!” they say. We can see there’s a warm and loving bond between them.
One of those daughters-in-law, Ruth, refuses to turn back. Scripture says she “clung” to Naomi. She clung to her.
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Did I mention that love takes many forms? Ruth clings to Naomi and will not let her go!
Is there someone in your life who clings to you? A friend or companion, another person by your side? Someone who will never leave you? And always wants the best for you?
We are made to live in loving relationship with each other. The stronger these relationships are, the healthier we will be.
Who clings to you – even with your faults and foibles? Is it a spouse? A member of your family? A friend or neighbour? Who can you depend on?
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Listen to these beautiful words Ruth gives to her mother-in-law, Naomi:
“Do not press me to leave you, or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16)
Our story highlights the love these two women have for one another! This love that transcends generations: It brings together an older person – Naomi; and a younger one – Ruth. It brings together people of different nationalities: Naomi was an Israelite. Ruth was from the land of Moab. Which, by the way, was enemy territory.
But love – the kind of love that God gives – crosses boundaries, turning enemies into friends.
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This relationship speaks volumes about the character of these two women – who managed to put aside whatever differences they may have had, to care genuinely for each other.
Challenges in life can test a person’s character. When we find ourselves in a difficult place, we discover what’s valuable in our relationship.
Someone once said, “After all, a crisis doesn’t make a person, it reveals what a person is made of.”[1] Do you think that could be true?
When things get hard – love, friendship and beauty can still flourish! We don’t want bad things to happen. But when they do, it can bring out the very best – in us and others: generosity, patience, commitment, endurance.
God’s love enables us to be more forgiving, more caring. It inspires us to always want the best for another, no matter what.
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We’ve been talking about these two women. But now it’s time for us to meet the man in the story.
Boaz was a relative of Naomi’s husband. When she returns to Israel with Ruth, Boaz sits up and takes notice. He sees the kindness and loyalty Ruth has shown toward Naomi. Who would expect that from a Moabite? But there it was, and it was beautiful! Loving and caring for others always makes us more beautiful!
Boaz himself is a pretty decent man. There’s a joke someone shared with me a few days ago. Perhaps you’ve heard it. But before I tell it again, I need to break the suspense of this story and let you know that Ruth and Boaz will eventually get married. We’re finally going to have a wedding!
Do you know who Boaz was before that happens? Get ready for this. Here it comes! The answer is, Boaz was “ruthless.” (Ruth-less!)
In actual fact, nothing could be further from the truth! Boaz was a lovely man. When he sees Ruth gleaning in the fields, following the harvesters, gathering up whatever remains, he tells his workers to be generous toward her. “Leave her some extra!”
He watches out for Ruth and protects her. He even sits down and shares his lunch with her.
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And that’s where, I think, romance begins. Boaz is a perfect gentleman. He makes Ruth feel cared for and safe. Boaz sees something in Ruth. And she sees something in him.
The beauty of these characters is more than skin deep. And therefore more attractive for that very reason. These are not self-centred people. Their lives bear what we would call the “fruit of the Spirit” – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control.
From our standpoint, 3,000 years later, we would say they are Christ-like. And that makes their humanity shine! Here are two people living the way God made us to be.
Here is human flourishing. Even when life is hard and lonely and insecure. Love draws them all together, and helps them find a way through.
Are you going through a difficult time? Do not hesitate to draw strength from your companions. Accept their generosity. Let others support you. Let love embrace you.
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I told you this love comes to us as a gift from God. As we think about “Weddings, couples and marriage in the Bible,” we can say that romance is a lovely thing. But the romance between Ruth and Boaz is rooted in something deeper.
Scripture uses the Hebrew word “hesed,” which can be translated as steadfast love. Or covenant love. It describes the love God has for God’s people.
Hesed means loyalty. God sticks with us even when we try to go our own separate way. Just like Ruth clung to Naomi. When difficulties arise, God does not turn away. Just like Ruth did not turn away.
God’s love is steadfast and sure. We can depend on it. God’s love will never let us go! God’s love is beautiful and life giving and good.
And it can be part of our lives too! When we open ourselves more fully to our loving Creator, and allow God’s Spirit to shape us in the way of Jesus – then we are participating in God’s covenant love.
Naomi, Ruth and Boaz found great blessing as they shared each other’s lives, allowing God’s love to guide them. And, whether we are married or not, we can too!
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Ruth and Boaz did get married. And together they had a son. As our story draws to a close, we’re told their son became the grandparent of great King David. A Moabite woman is the ancestor of an Israelite king! Who’d have thought?
You know what else? The Gospel of Matthew names Ruth as an ancestor of Jesus. God’s love at work in our lives bears good fruit that blesses for generations!
This morning I pray that God’s love would be at work in you, forming who you are, building character, and enabling you to live in loving relationship with others.
God’s love grows in many different ways. May it be so for all of us! Amen.
[1] Warren Wiersbe, https://quotefancy.com/warren-w-wiersbe-quotes, Accessed June 21, 2024.
“God’s choosing”
1 Samuel 15:34 - 16:13 (June 16, 2024)
I have strong memories of being chosen – or not chosen. Have you experienced this? A group of friends gets together to play ball. And the question is, who’s going to be on which team. You don’t want one side stacked with all the best players and the other side to have none.
So you start by naming captains. They’re typically players with the most ability. Then those captains take turns picking others for their team. You know how this goes. The good ones are chosen first. And with each subsequent choice the talent pool gets thinner. So by the time you reach the last couple of players … Well, it’s important to include everyone, isn’t it?
Were you the first to be chosen, or the last? Were you the one with chest puffed out, proud to be recognized by your peers? Or were you the one with a deflated ego, praying that someone would have compassion and pick you before they get to the end of the line?
What we have in our scripture reading today is one of these moments of choice. And this choice comes as a surprize!
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These last few weeks we’ve been following a series of readings from the books of Samuel. First, we listened as God called Samuel in the night. Then, we heard how Samuel received the people’s request for a king.
In today’s reading, Samuel will anoint another king. That’s because things have not been going well. Didn’t God predict as much? “You can have your king,” said God, “but there will be trouble ahead.” Israel’s first king, Saul, had a serious shortcoming – namely, disobedience.
Our passage today tells us that “Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.” Oh dear!
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So now it was time to move on.
We don’t find change easy, do we? But God says, It’s time to move forward, Samuel. “Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”
We grieve. We hesitate. We get stuck. We don’t want to leave what has gone before. And we can’t imagine what the future will be. We’re so caught up with what we’ve lost that we become trapped there.
But listen to this! God has already devised another future. If one path has come to an end, God will provide another way. The future is always open, never closed.
God’s purpose for the people of God will not be thwarted!
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Now the plan for all this is tricky. Samuel is meant to anoint a new king while the present one, Saul, is still living. This is dangerous business. If Saul catches wind of it, Samuel’s life will be forfeit.
So the LORD instructs Samuel to take with him an animal for ritual sacrifice. That way, if anyone asks, he has a valid reason for being there. “Just going to church!” he can say.
We all know there’s more to it than that. Samuel is actually engaged in high treason. His mission is to secretly anoint a ruler of God’s choosing. Just don’t get caught!
When the elders of Bethlehem come out to meet him, you can tell they are nervous. They’ve heard that Saul and Samuel have had a falling out. “Do you come peaceably?” they ask.
“Oh yes,” says Samuel, keeping his cards close to the chest. Then he invites them to the sacrifice, along with Jesse and his sons.
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And this is where things get interesting. Remember I told you that God’s choice will be a surprize? This is the centre of our story, so listen to how it unfolds. It’s a story of high drama and suspense!
The first son of Jesse that Samuel meets is Eliab. And he’s a fine-looking candidate for king. Samuel goes through his check-list and Eliab ticks all the boxes. He is the eldest son, the favoured one, the first in line. It looks like Samuel has his man.
But not so fast, says God. “Do not look on his appearance,” which must have been striking. And “do not look on the height of his stature,” which also must have been impressive. “Because I have rejected him,” says the LORD.
What! Samuel must have wondered what the LORD was playing at. Samuel was sure this would be God’s pick.
But “the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”God is not impressed by superficial things. God sees deeper, often hidden, more important things.
Specifically, it says that God can see the heart. When we hear that word we think of emotions, like love. And certainly a heart that loves the Lord is an important starting place. But there is more to it.
For the Hebrew people, the heart was the centre of our human lives. More than emotion, the heart signifies will and purpose. The heart directs our actions. The heart is the home of obedience. Which is the very thing Saul was lacking.
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So then, candidate #1 – no.
Candidate #2, Abinadab. Jesse made him pass before Samuel. And, once again, the LORD turned him down.
On to candidate #3. What do you think? Will Shammah pass muster? No, he will not!
Are you detecting a pattern here? It’s all rather puzzling, since God had told Samuel that one of Jesse’s sons will be chosen.
And it must have tested Samuel’s faith. Really Lord? I was sure you said I’d find a king here today. I don’t understand what is happening.
Sometimes, we just don’t know. We believe we’re being faithful. We do the best we can. But God’s answers don’t always come quickly.
Samuel could have packed it in. But he persevered, through all seven of Jesse’s sons. And seven is a significant number. Because in the ancient world seven signified perfection or completeness. The seventh son meant that Samuel had seen them all. He was at the end of the line.
“What now?” he wondered. “Are all your sons here?”
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There is one more – the youngest, the smallest, the last, the least. The one that Father Jesse never thought to bring. Because … “someone’s got to mind the flock, you know.”
So Samuel gives instructions for him to come. As soon as he arrives, Samuel takes one look at him and gasps. “Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome.”
Hold on! I thought we weren’t supposed to pay attention to these things.
Samuel cannot help but notice. This last fellow – whose name, by the way, is David – captures the attention of the entire room.
Still, we must wait. What will the LORD say?
Finally, the LORD gives the stamp of approval! David, the last and least expected, will be the one of God’s choosing, Israel’s brand new king. And, as it turns out, he will be the best-loved king that Israel ever had.
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I want to make sure we see the stunning significance of it. Because this is what I understand to be the point of the whole story.
“The LORD does not see as mortals see.”
Eldest, first-born, tallest, privileged, first in line. These are not the criteria that God employs. All through scripture we find God going against the grain of our very human, very earthly, way of choosing.
God’s prophets demand attention to the least privileged and least likely to be chosen. We’re told, throughout the Old Testament, to care for widows and orphans and strangers in the land. People with no family connections, no means of support. Migrants who come seeking shelter.
So also, Jesus cared for outcasts and lepers, the ethnically and religiously impure, people who were sinners, pushed aside and forgotten. Excluded even.
In God’s kingdom, the first shall be last, said Jesus. He promised a divine reversal in our status. So all of you multi-talented people who get picked first – be careful. And those of you who hang your heads in shame and embarrassment – rejoice!
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Like Samuel, we still get caught up in these cultural norms that are deeply ingrained in our society. How do we judge? Who do we choose?
I told you this passage has surprizes to offer. God’s choosing and our choosing are not the same! How do we look upon others? And how do we look upon ourselves.
Sometimes I think we sell ourselves short. We don’t recognize the gifts that we’ve been given. We don’t imagine that God could be calling us, inviting us to give ourselves to something greater.
Imagine David at the end of our story, standing in front of his family– his seven older brothers, his father, the elders from his village – while Samuel poured anointing oil on his head.
Looking after sheep had uniquely equipped young David, in the eyes of God, to be a shepherd-king, the leader of God’s people – protecting them from danger, tending them with care. Even as God cares for us.
Where would Israel have been without David as their king? Where would we be without this writer of Psalms? This forebear of Jesus the Christ – God’s anointed.
God does not see as mortals see. Could you see yourself – even your lowly, humble, last-to-be-chosen self, as a person of God’s own choosing? The right person for what is needed by God and others?
This morning we’re invited to look at others, and even ourselves, with different eyes. With God’s eyes. And let me say – you may be surprized at what you see!
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“Give us a king!”
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1 Samuel 8:4-10, 19-22 (June 9, 2024)
It was just over a year ago that King Charles was crowned in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey. You might have watched it on TV. Interest in the monarchy is waning. And yet, even if it seems like an anachronistic institution, the crown continues to play a constitutional role in the governance of our country.
In our scripture reading for today, the elders of Israel are keen to have a monarch! They plead with Samuel to appoint one for them. “Look,” they say, pointing to their neighbours, “They have a king! So why can’t we?”
Last Sunday we began a series of readings from the OT books of Samuel. We met Samuel at the beginning of his ministry, when he served as a boy in the temple at Shiloh. It was there he heard God speaking. A voice came to him in the night.
After that, Samuel became known as a straight-talking prophet of the Lord and a great leader among his people. He administered justice in the land, encouraged leadership. He performed ritual sacrifice and interceded with God on behalf of his people.
But now, Samuel is nearing the end of his life. And others are growing anxious. “What will happen when this great man is gone?”
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Samuel thought he had it all arranged. His two boys, Joel and Abijah, were judges in Beersheba. Yet, the Bible tells us, they took bribes and perverted justice.
It's the same story we heard last Sunday, with the sons of Eli. Do you remember? They were meant to continue Eli’s priestly line. But they were corrupt. And it was Samuel who had to break the difficult news to Eli: “Your priestly line is finished!”
Now Samuel has the very same problem! Just because one generation offers exemplary service doesn’t mean the next one will follow. Will our kids turn out to be decent human beings? And will their children after them?
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It must have been very disappointing for Samuel to watch his sons go awry. But it happens. And now the people of Israel are demanding a different kind of ruler – something they’ve never had before.
Up to this moment, they have been a loose confederacy of tribes, guided by Spirit-filled leaders that God has raised up when needed. Yahweh alone has been their ruler!
Now they’re asking for hereditary monarchs, an established line. “Give us a king!”
Samuel is not pleased. In fact, he’s feeling rather put out, personally rejected. “Don’t feel bad,” says the LORD. “It’s not you they don’t want. It’s me they are rejecting! Just as they have done … from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods.”
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This is the crux of the matter – the question we all have to answer (whatever form of government we choose): Who will we trust? Who will we serve? Who will we allow to be our ruler?
That question of trust strikes close to home, I’d say. It is a question for us both personally and publicly.
We live in a time when trust for our public institutions has diminished. How much do you trust the government, police, the justice system, educational institutions, scientists, religious leaders? Have you noticed a shift in attitude toward these things?
I remember driving through parts of our province during the pandemic and seeing signs in farmer’s fields displaying obscenities directed at our Prime Minister. We’ve always had a degree of skepticism about politicians. But this seemed new and quite disrespectful.
Who do we trust? How far will it go? What happens to our society when trust is eroded to such a degree?
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The question is personal too. Do you trust your neighbour. And crucially this: Do you trust your God?
Faith is fundamentally about trust. In the Greek text of the NT, there is one word that can be translated several ways: To believe, to have faith, to have trust. In the Bible, belief is not so much about theological propositions as it is about acknowledging our complete and utter dependence on God.
“I am the one who brought them out of Egypt,” says God to Samuel. It was me who led them out of slavery. And now they want to appoint a king. Imagine that – a brand new Pharoah!
It’s ironic. The people of Israel want a strong man who will protect them. Who will defend their interests. Who will make their nation great. But at what cost? The cost of their very identity as a people who live in covenant relationship with God.
Who will we trust?
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Fear can be a powerful motivator. But not always for good.
Anxiety about who will be in charge motivates the people to seek an easy solution. “Just give us a king, Samuel. Everyone else has one, after all.”
Except the people of God are not meant to be like everyone else. We’re supposed to follow a different way. But we get sucked into this vortex of anxiety. And so we grasp the first solution we can see. We don’t stop to consider, “Is this a good idea?”
Both God and Samuel know it’s not a good idea. The LORD says, “You better warn them.”
What follows is a long list of troubles the people are bound to experience. We skipped this section in our reading earlier, because it goes on at length in a pretty negative way. You can look up the details when you get home, but let me summarize them for you.
A king, warns Yahweh, will conscript your children to serve in a standing army. He’ll put you to work manufacturing weapons of war. He’ll take the best of your crops. He’ll tax you to the hilt, and distribute that wealth to his supporters. You’ll lose your freedom and spend the rest of your lives serving the interests of those in charge.
And when all this happens, says the LORD, “you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves.” Notice the language. This is “your king.” It’s not God’s idea. You have chosen him “for yourselves.”
Samuel gives this warning to the elders of Israel. If that’s what they want, God will grant their request. But watch out! This is not a good solution.
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Our passage today is part of a section of scripture that was gathered and pieced together in the time of exile. There, in the face of that tragic event when the promised land was taken away and the kings of Israel were no more, the people of faith wondered how they got into that mess.
And what they realized was that those precious kings whom they’d sought so eagerly … turned out, almost without exception, to be self-serving and unfaithful. They led the nation, all right. But every one of Samuel’s warnings turned out to be true.
You want to concentrate power in the hands of an individual? Be careful! I’m reminded of these familiar words: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”[1]
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So what is this passage about, really? Is it about monarchy? I think not. I think it’s a story that expresses caution about any of our systems of government and any of our earthly rulers. Take them all with a grain of salt, it says.
Don’t let them become as gods to you. Because they are not. They are human beings, susceptible to self-interest and corruption. And just so you know … what I’m saying about them applies to every one of us.
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This is a big year for elections. India, the world’s largest democracy, just finished voting. It was a process that ran a month and a half, accommodating 968 million eligible voters. It boggles the mind!
The UK is in election mode as we speak. Our neighbours to the south seem to be perpetually campaigning.
And over the next year and a half, elections at all levels will be held here in Canada. So whether you’re satisfied or unhappy with government, you will have an opportunity to choose.
To be clear, our choice of leaders does matter. We should always seek the best in our candidates and support policies we believe will be beneficial for everyone.
But we should also acknowledge the imperfections and limitations that are embedded in every party and every candidate. The king is not God. Politics will not, ultimately, save us.
For that, we must look beyond our earthly rulers. To the God who rules all creation. A God who desires justice and peace and goodness for all the citizens of the earth. A God who came to us in Jesus, revealing God’s kingdom way.
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Did you hear what I just said? God’s kingdom. This is an amazing thing! Our scripture tells us the people’s request for a king was an afront to Yahweh. A rejection of God’s sovereign rule. But the Good News is that God takes that very request for a king, and gives it back to us in a way the world has never seen before.
In Jesus, God gifts us with a king who comes to serve. A ruler who is truly good, through and through. A monarch who lives among us as servant. The regal representative of God clothed in humility and grace. A Messiah, God’s anointed ruler, who comes not to conquer his enemies but to win them with his love. Wow!
See what I mean? It’s amazing! God’s steadfast love brings blessing in ways we could never imagine.
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The early Christians made a bold confession of faith in the face of one of the most powerful empires the world has known: “Jesus is Lord,” they said. Jesus, not Caesar.
So, again these questions rise before us: “Who will you trust? Who will you serve? Who will be your ruler?” The answer has implications that stretch far beyond politics. This has to do with every part of our lives.
Whatever you are faced with – whatever difficulty or dilemma, joy or sorrow, challenge or delight … who will you trust?
May it be the God who promises to be with us each and every day in a covenant relationship of love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[1] Lord Acton, 1834-1902, https://www.acton.org/research/lord-acton-quote-archive, (Accessed June 7, 2024).
