Ruth

I'm sure most of you have either studied the book of Ruth, read her story, or at least heard of her. She is a wonderful role model for women. My good friend, Heather Walker, asked me once, "spiritually speaking, would you be Ruth or Orpah?" Ponder that as we study Ruth and I'll give my answer at the end.

Ruth was a Moabitess (a woman from Moab). Therefore, she was not an Israelite and did not grow up following God. She too lived in the time of the Judges in Israel's history. Her husband's family was from Bethlehem, but was forced to leave during a famine and move to Moab. She and her husband were married for 10 years before he, his brother, and father died. This left Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi, Ruth's sister-in-law Orpah (another Moabitess), and Ruth alone.

Scriptures

Ruth 1:7-10

With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband."
Then she kissed them and they wept aloud and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people."

Ruth 1:16-17

But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

As you can already see, Ruth is devoted to Naomi (her mother-in-law) and devoted to the God that Naomi worships. Previously, as a Moabitess, she would have worshipped idols. Moabites were descendants of the incestuous union of Lot and his oldest daughter after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Her faith will bring blessings to her and Naomi.

Scriptures (cont)

Ruth 2:1-2

"Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a man of wealth of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess 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.'"

Ruth 2:7-9

She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.' She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter."

So Boaz said to Ruth, "My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled."

Ruth 2:11-12

Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

Ruth 3:1-5

One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."

"I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered.

Ruth 4:13

"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."

Ruth 4:18-22

"Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, Amminadab or Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon, Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David."

Phew... did you make it through all those verses? Let's discuss...

Upon their arrival into Bethlehem, Naomi turns to Ruth and tells her that there is a field of a family member of whom they can glean. Ruth faithfully goes to the field and gleans the wheat after the workers have collected their share. Ruth is rewarded for not only her faith in God, that God would provide. However, she is also rewarded for her willingness to work in order to provide food for Naomi. Boaz instructs his workers to leave more grain than normal to help Ruth and Naomi.

The true test comes when Naomi tells to Ruth to lay at Boaz's feet. She goes so willingly! She recognizes that Naomi has her best interest at heart. Ruth also realizes that Naomi follows a God that always provides and always loves. Ruth, in turn, goes to Boaz's feet as she was instructed. Boaz goes through the proper proceedings to make sure there is not a closer kinsman who would want Ruth as a wife (Ruth 4: 1-12). Boaz and Ruth were able to be married. God not only provided a husband (thus, providing an income), but he also provided a child. Ruth had been married for 10 years without conceiving a child. As we see in verses 4:18-22, Ruth becomes an integral part of the line of Jesus. Ruth bore Obed, whose son was Jesse, whose son was David. We know that Jesus came from the house of David.

How amazing is that? Ruth was willing to follow God and thus she was blessed many times over: she was blessed with a mother-in-law who cared for her, she was blessed with a husband who desired her and fought to take her as his own, she was blessed with a son, she was blessed to be a part of our Savior!

Now, back to the question. Would I be Ruth - who followed her mother-in-law and left her family? Or would I be Orpah - who returned to her family and probably to worshipping idols as was the custom. I am blessed with a family who praises God. Therefore, I would never have to face this kind of situation. However, could I following my mother-in-law, Cherie, spiritually? Yes. In fact, I do. I have been blessed with a mother-in-law who is in love with Jesus and His word. I have learned a lot from our conversations. I am also blessed with a mother and father who equally love Jesus and His word. Therefore, I have had a wonderful upbringing with Church and the Bible and God.

One thing to consider. The book that I have been using as a study guide brings up an interesting point. Boaz, in verse 2:12, "May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." Ruth was seeking refuge from God, not from any other place. My book stops at this point to ask the following:

Where are you seeking refuge? In a bank account? In a job or career? In sports? In your intellectual abilities? In your talents? In your social position? In amassing material goods In popularity? There are many false roads to take to find security and protection. The Lord is our refuge. He can cover us with His wings so that we are truly protected forever.

The hand of God in her life as well as the life of Boaz and Naomi gives testimony to the grace, mercy, and love of God in using very ordinary people to fulfill His extraordinary purposes. That is the kind of Kinsman-Redeemer that God is for us.

Prayer:

Lord, I thank You that You never change. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Your hand is ever working, fulfilling Your purposes. Thank You that You have included me in those purposes. Thank You that Your hand is at work, and that You are fitting together all the things in my life, even though I sometimes fail to see your hand working in my life. I thank You for the lean times as well as the times of plenty. Thank You that You have a redeeming, loving heart and that I can find rest in You. May I learn to trust You in all the circumstances of my life and await on You as You fulfill Your purposes and lead me in the security of Your redemption. Amen.

Deborah

Deborah arises in the time of the Judges. It was a period in Israel's history in which they would turn from God, God would give them a wise "Judge", they would turn back to Him for a time, the Judge would die, and then they would return to worshipping idols (Judges 2:11-23). In Judges 2:14, it says that God's wrath or anger was kindled toward the Israelites. I thought it was interested that His anger each time they turned from Him was kindled and not re-kindled. It is showing that He had chosen to forgive and FORGET their last mistakes. What a way for us to live.

Judges 5:6-8 describes what life was like when Deborah was alive. The roads were abandoned because the Canaanites controlled the roads, the roads were dangerous, the areas where the Israelites lived were dangerous, and the Israelites were defenseless.

Scriptures:

Judges 4:4-8

Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.' " Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go."

Judges 4:14

Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men.

In the first verse that we read, we learn that Deborah is a prophetess. A prophetess is a woman through whom God could speak; one who could never add any words to what God had sad, whatever God revealed. Reading that makes the role of a prophet (or prophetess, in this case) even more difficult. I guess I always had a more simplistic view of a prophet. Deborah was someone from whom the Israelites would seek out to have her judge their disputes. She was a woman after God's own heart. She knew that her life was His and not her own.

Deborah called Barak and told him a special message from God. Let's put this in perspective. Barak was to bring 10,000 men with him. However, those men did not have any weapons. Remember that Israel was defenseless. Sisera, on the other hand, had an army of 100,000 troops and 900 iron chariots. But God said that He would draw Sisera out (his city was a walled city like most in those days) and and give Sisera into Barak's hands.

It is interesting to note that Barak requested that Deborah accompany him in verse 8. Barak knew that Deborah was a woman of God. He knew that God would reveal the plan to Deborah. Thus, Barak needed his "strategist" with him. Deborah had the plan, but couldn't fight. Barak didn't know the plan, but could fight. Together they made the team God called together.

You can read Judges 4 for the whole story of the events (it's a pretty cool story). But let's focus on Deborah for a moment. Deborah grew up and lived in a time when the Israelites were worshipping other gods. Deborah didn't go along with the rest of her country. Instead, she knew God intimately and she showed others the way to Him. She was completely open to God's word. She made herself available to Him. How many times do we do that? Sundays? Deborah was open to God's word and His plan for her life 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It was because of her faithfulness and openness that the Israelites were able to defeat Sisera's army. Wow! That is something to strive to attain.

"Victory is not my overcoming sin, or the devil, or the world. True, lasting victory is only found when Jesus overcomes me."

- Life Principles From the Women of the Bible

Prayer:

Lord, forgive me for those times when I have forsaken You for other gods, the god of money, the god of pleasure, or the god of self. Make me sensitive to Your chastening hand. Help me run to You in my troubles and not from You. Thank You for loving me too much to let me stray. Help me to be quick to cry out to You. Most of all, thank You for the grace and mercy You show. Take Your place on the throne of my heart and show Your power through me. Empower me to be faithful and obedient. Amen.

Rahab

Father John spoke last night at Mass about how this season is not about what we do for Christmas (buying presents, cooking a meal, traveling, etc), but what Christ has done for us. What a wake up call. I began thinking about all the things that Christ has done for me this year and my list is long.

On to Rahab...

How many of us know someone who was never introduced to Christ? However, when he/she was introduced held fast to those truths? In our RCIA class at St. James, a Jewish woman going through RCIA for conversion to Christianity and the church explained that the first time Jesus was shown to her was the first time she felt peace about her mother's death. She said that it was the first time that she felt love from scripture. How cool is that??? Rahab teaches us that it is NEVER too late to begin following God (or begin again).

Scriptures:

Joshua 2:1-6

"And Joshua, the son of Nun, sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." And they went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho, "Behold, certain men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land." Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring forth the men that have come to you, who entered your house; for they have come to search out all the land.." But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; and she said, "True, men came to me, but I did not know where they came from; and when the gate was to be closed at dark, the men wen out; where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly for you will overtake them."

Joshua 2:8-13

"Before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men, "I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihoh and Og whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any man, because of you; for the Lord your God is He who is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now then, swear to me by the Lord that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house and give me a sure sign, and save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them and deliver our lives from death."

Joshua 2:15

"Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she dwelt in the wall."

Rahab was a harlot (or prostitute) and some historians believe that she was also an inn keeper. It would be a way for her to earn extra money. We can assume that since harlotry was an abomination to Israelites, that the spies were there strictly for a room and not for her other services. We also see in verse 15 that her house was built into the city wall. Therefore, it would have been a good place to escape from if the authorities came to look for them, which they did.

It has been approximately 40 years since the parting of the Red Sea and yet Rahab reveals that the stories are still being told and she had heard of them. We can see her faith in verses 8-13. Rahab was certain that God will deliver the land to the Israelites and thus she asked for their protection.

Rahab made a courageous decision. She believed in God and put her trust in Him. She lied to the king about the spies' whereabouts. If she was found to be lying, no telling what would have been done to her and her family.

Because of her faith, she and her family was saved when God gave the city to the Israelites. What an incredible act of faith!

But what happened to Rahab and her family? Joshua 6:25 explains: "But Rahab the harlot, and her father's household, and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive; and she dwelt in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho." Rahab lived with the Israelites. It seems that her faith did not end when the city was handed over to the Israelites and she was saved. Her faith continued and she lived among the Israelites. I can only hope that she dropped the harlotry too. God heals and so I have faith that she too was healed from that lifestyle.

Many see in Rahab a beautiful picture of the church. Rescued form out of the sin-stained world, with a compassion to bring others with her, she would eventually enjoy full status in the family of God alongside Israel.

Today I read this verse that reminds me a lot of this story:

"For in everything, O Lord thou hast exalted and glorified thy people; and thou has not neglected to help them at all times and in all places."

God certainly helped and did not neglect Rahab, His daughter.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for revealing Yourself to me. I know that I did not seek You out I only responded to what You revealed. Help me to see all the things for which you have forgiven me. Give me a grateful heart for my forgiveness, and guard me from judging the mistakes of others. I take my own sinful past and place it on the altar in surrender to you. Take it and turn it into something You can use. Send people my way that will give me the opportunity to express my faith. Thank You for the new life You give me in Christ. Never let me take it for granted. Amen.

Miriam Part 2

The long awaited and anticipated... Miriam Part 2.

Last time we discussed how Miriam was faithful and courageous. Because of her faithful act, Moses was able to save Israel. However, no one is perfect, right? Today we're going to learn about how Miriam questioned authority - the authority God put in place.

Let's read the following verses:

Numbers 12:1-16

"Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 'Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?' they asked. 'Hasn't he also spoken through us?' And the LORD heard this. (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) At once the LORD said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, 'Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you.' So the three of them came out. Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, he said, 'Listen to my words:

When a prophet of the LORD is among you,
I reveal myself to him in visions,
I speak to him in dreams.

But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.

With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?'

The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them.

When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; and he said to Moses, 'Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away.'

So Moses cried out to the LORD, 'O God, please heal her!'

The LORD replied to Moses, 'If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.' So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back."

In Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron are talking about Moses. They seem upset or concerned that Moses has married a Cushite woman. The Cushite people were people of the land of Cush, which was in Arabia - or southern Sudan. They were descendants of Cush, the grandson of Noah. These people were contemptible people in the eyes of the Hebrews. Therefore, it appears that Miriam and Aaron were looking out for Moses. However, the true intentions of their hearts is revealed in verse 2 when they ask, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he also spoken through us?" At this point you can see their jealousy of Moses. They feel that they should be equals to Moses. Moses should not be the only leader of Israel. It is interesting to note that the English version says that they both spoke against Moses. However, the Hebrew verb used is a feminine singular, making it clear that it was Miriam who was the leader of this criticism.

God calls all three to the tent for a meeting. God clearly states that He has placed Moses in the head position for a reason. It is true that all sin has consequences. The more public the sin, the more public the consequence (especially back in the Old Testament). The Bible clearly states that God's angry burned against BOTH Miriam and Aaron. However, Miriam was the "ring leader" so to speak and was punished more severely. As soon as the cloud lifted, the onset of Miriam's leprosy was in a fully symptomatic state. Her skin immediately took on a white appearance. Because of its contagious nature, those inflicted were required to separate themselves from other people, and had to cry out "Unclean! Unclean!" when anyone came into view.

Can you imagine the humiliation? Here is Miriam, a woman after God's own heart, who allowed bitterness and jealousy take root in her heart. Here is a woman who risked her life as a child to save her baby brother, who is now on the outside of the camp yelling to others that she is unclean.

Moses cried out to God to heal Miriam. Moses was humble (verse 3) and forgave her quickly. He interceded on her behalf. God didn't heal her immediately. He is a just God who allows us to learn from our mistakes. However, He is a merciful God and healed her in seven days.

We don't hear anything more about Miriam until her death. She was given a burial that was fitting for a public leader. Therefore, she was still beloved and still held some kind of leadership role (probably for the women).

How does this fit into our lives? We are all faced with authority. That authority may or may not make decisions that we agree with or feel is in line with God's ways. However, God is the one who is ultimately in control. We don't have to agree with the decisions of every leader, but we do have the RESPECT the leader and his/her leadership role. Here are some people that may be of authority to you (or you may be that authority to someone else). Read the list and pray for each person and search how you can RESPECT that role/leader: Employer, Supervisor, Management, Club Officer, Police, State Government, Local Government, Federal Government, Husband, Parts, Church Leaders, Teachers.

This is a particular struggle for me as I do not believe in many of the policies that our Government is creating right now. However, I need to pray for them and pray that the truth will be revealed. One small victory is the Stupak Amendment. Keep praying!

Suggested prayer from the book:

"Lord, You are the King of every king in my life and Lord of every lord. All men and women in positions of authority are placed in those positions by You. Help me to trust Your choices. Help me to watch my heart with all diligence and root out any attitudes of jealousy, pride, and covetousness. Help me to be satisfied with where You place me (and where You do not). Most of all, help me to be faithful to the tasks you give me, and humble in every position of authority I hold under Your authority. Amen."

Miriam Part 1

Many of you may not remember Miriam, but you'll definitely know her brothers - Aaron and Moses. Miriam's story of faith is two-fold. Miriam helped save Moses from the Pharoah as a young child and then helped lead the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt.

Let's examine some verses:

Exodus 2:1-10

Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said.

Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?"

"Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water."

Exodus 15:20-21

Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them:
"Sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea."

Miriam's story begins when Moses was a baby. There are no historical documents to know how old Miriam was at the time that baby Moses was put in a basket in the river, but historians guess she is 10-12 years old. Her job was to watch what happened to Moses and then to approach Pharoah's daughter. What bravery! She could have been killed when she approached Pharoah's daugther. Then, she got a Hebrew woman (her mother) to be the nurse for Moses.

Our next set of verses jump to the time when the Israelites had been freed from slavery and began their 40 year trip to the promised land. Miriam was an important figure to the Israelites. She was a prophetess. A prophet/prophetess is someone who can hear God's message and speak it without adding anything to it. Miriam was a vessel of God's word. It appears from Exodus 15:20-21 that she was the leader of the women in Israel.

This woman was obedient to God's calling throughout her life. She was brave and trusted God when she watched over Moses as a child and approached Pharoah's daughter. Through her trust in God, she was given a prominent status within God's people.

Eve

Eve is often called "our first mother." She was created to assist and to complete Adam. It is neat to see how I was also created to assist and to complete Kyle. Kyle and I are alike in many respects (we both love the outdoors, we both have a love for God, we are both driven, etc), but we're also created to compliment each other and pick up where the other has left off. Together we make a wonderful team. Adam and Eve was the first team.

Let's look at the following scripture about Eve:

Genesis 1:26 - 28

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Genesis 2:18-22

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

Genesis 2:22-24

Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman,'
for she was taken out of man."

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Let's breakdown the verses above. Genesis 1:26-28 gives God's purpose for Adam and Eve. There are three purposes for them (and all of mankind):

1. Be an image of God on Earth
2. Rule over creation
3. Be fruitful and multiply

Those purposes are still true today. Are they not? We are created to live as an image of God. We are to show God's love to all people (whether we like them or not - God loves them). We are to rule over the creation and to take care of it. We are to be fruitful both spiritually and physically. Our job is to raise children (whether our own, our God-children, or children in our neighborhood) to love God and to show Christ to the world.

The second set of verses convey Eve's purpose to Adam. She was created as his helpmate. She was created to be perfectly fit to him. They were created as a team. If you notice in the first set of verses it says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Together they reveal God's nature. As a spouse, my job is to be Kyle's helpmate and he to be mine. We were created that together we can reveal God's nature. Together we are a team to bring people into His kingdom.

The last set of verses reveal Godly principles for marriage:

1. Adam was to leave his father and mother and cling to his wife. Here we see that they form a family. They form a team. They are helpmates for one another.
2. The Hebrew word for "cleaving" literally means "to be joined by commitment." We are called to TOTALLY give of ourselves. We are to commit to one another. Our vows say through good times and bad.
3. Marriage should result in oneness. This is both physically and spiritually. We are to be of one mind, one body, one will, one purpose.

We all know the story of Adam and Eve. Eve allows the serpent to deceive her and she shows Adam the wrong path. I am not here to condemn Eve (who should have known better) or Adam (who should have been her spiritual leader). The truth is that they both sinned. They both ate of the tree. We are created to be a teammate for our spouse. That means that I am Kyle's road to Heaven. I should be a spiritually fruitful example to him and him to me. We should be of one mind and one purpose - to know God and to love Him.

It is beautiful to me to see Eve sin, but then to also see that God still loved her. He dealt justly with them, but God never stopped loving his creation. He sent His only Son for His creation. That is inspiring.

Adam and Eve's sin had negative effects on mankind - for all eternity. My sin can also affect those around me. It is important to keep that in mind as we try to help our spouses, friends, family members in this life. We should always try to emulate Christ. If we fail, and we will, repent and follow Him again.

Peter's Wife

"It's been too long" is an understatement. I seem to have neglected my blog since entering the Catholic Church. However, I'm back - with new resolve! I am currently doing a Bible Study on women in the Bible and reading a book on 12 women from the New Testament (a present from Cherie a few Christmases ago... better late than never, right?). Because my Bible Study starts in the Old Testament and my book is from the New Testament, I may be jumping around. However, I feel a pull on my heart to share what I am learning. Women in the Bible are often overlooked, but they have some great lessons to be learned and are a pivotal part of the Bible.

The first woman I want to discuss is Peter's wife. There isn't much Biblical documentation of her, but adding to those verses, ancient writings will give us some great lessons to be learned and applied in our lives.

Let's begin with the verses from the Bible referring to Peter's wife:

Mark 1:21-22

²¹They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²²The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

Peter was from Capernaum. From the Biblical writings we know that Jesus' headquarters for His ministry in Galilee was based from Peter's home. Excavations of that area have found that three or four homes would be grouped together with a courtyard in the middle. A pivotal part of Jesus' ministry revolved around breaking of bread together in the home, groups gathering to hear Him teach and perform miracles, etc. Much of which occurred at their home.

Mark 1:29-31

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.³⁰Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. ³¹So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

From these verses we know without a doubt that Peter (Simon here) had a mother-in-law. Thus, he had a wife.

Mark 10:28

²⁸Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"

Peter has left everything - including his wife - to follow Jesus.

1 Corinthians 9:5

Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?

Later, Peter's wife began traveling with Peter to spread the Good News of Jesus and grow His church.

More discussion:

Can you imagine what Peter's wife must have thought when he came home and decided to follow John the Baptist and then Jesus? From a fisherman's wife to a wife of a man traveling around following this man named Jesus? The changes that must have ensued are innumerable. Not only did her husband leave, but when he returned with Jesus and the disciples she had to run a home and cater to their needs.

However, the Lord builds into us when we give Him time. For Peter's wife, she was privy to his teachings - both public and private. She would be able to hear those words that He spoke in private as she served Jesus and His disciples. This would be important later on when she began traveling with her husband.

After Jesus was crucified, Peter became the leader of the Church (Matthew 16:18 "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."). 1 Corinthians 9:5 shows us that Peter's wife joined the ministry and traveled with her husband. Her ministry would have been pivotal to the spreading of the news. Peter would have full access to preach in the synagogues and churches, but he would never be able to private religious instruction to a woman - Jew or Gentile. Peter's wife would be able to minister to the women as Peter ministered to the men. She would be an obvious first choice to minister to the women as she was learned directly from Jesus.

Clement of Alexandria, an ancient Christian, wrote circa AD 150-215 the following about the martyrdom of Peter's wife:

"We are told that when blessed Peter saw his wife led away to death, he was glad that her call had come and that she was returning home, and spoke to her in the most encouraging and comforting way, addressing her by name: 'My dear, remember the Lord.' Such was the marriage of the blessed, and their consummate feeling towards their dearest."

Peter and his wife were in Rome (AD 64-67) around the same time that Christians were being persecuted by the Emperor Nero. Peter would later be martyred by crucifixion upside down. (John 21:19 "Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, 'Follow me!'")

I like to think that we can all be like the wife of Peter. We can all take time to serve Christ and spend time with Him. We are all able to learn from Him through His holy word. Even in the midst of change (Peter's wife had to endure her life being flipped upside down when he chose to follow Christ) Jesus is preparing us for what lies ahead.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Help me to make room in my heart for You so that when sudden change comes into my life, I will feel the strength of Your presence. When anxieties plague me over circumstances beyond my control, let my trust in You increase, for faith in You will unfailingly sustain me.