Ruth 3 & 4 | Psalm 68 | Matthew 2
Today we read out of Ruth 3-4, Psalm 68, and Matthew 2.
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
Matthew 2:11
I’ve always found the wise men to be an interesting part of the birth of Jesus. We never get details on who they are - but they are the first to truly worship Jesus, while He is still just a baby.
And to give the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh - these were prized gifts - showing these wise men either had money, or gave much of it to Jesus, the child.
We never receive much information on the wise men past this point on them showing up, meeting Herod, seeing Jesus, and then avoiding Herod. But they are within out nativity scenes, we see them every Christmas as a part of the birth of Jesus - yet, we know so little about them.
There is one thing we do know - they had faith in Jesus, they were wise in that they accepted Christ as their messiah when He was still just a baby.
These wise men were men of Faith.
My prayer for you to day is that you have faith like the wise men. They hadn’t seen any miracles, heard of the blind seeing, the lame walking, or the dead coming back to life - yet they believed.
We have the entire life of Jesus in the Bible, so we to should be able to believe on Christ as well!
Ruth 3
Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.
Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.
And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.
And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.
And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.
And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.
And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.
Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.
And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.
Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.
Ruth 4
Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:
and I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.
Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.
Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.
Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.
And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Beth-lehem:
and let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.
So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.
And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
and Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
and Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Psalm 68
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: Let them also that hate him flee before him.
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: As wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: Yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
Sing unto God, Sing praises to his name: Extol him that rideth upon the heavens By his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, Is God in his holy habitation.
God setteth the solitary in families: He bringeth out those which are bound with chains: But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, When thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: Even Sinai itself was moved At the presence of God, the God of Israel.
Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, When it was weary.
Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: Thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
The Lord gave the word: Great was the company of those that published it.
Kings of armies did flee apace: And she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove Covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.
When the Almighty scattered kings in it, It was white as snow in Salmon.
The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; An high hill as the hill of Bashan.
Why leap ye, ye high hills? This is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; Yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.
The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: The Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men; Yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord GOD might dwell among them.
Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
He that is our God is the God of salvation; And unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.
But God shall wound the head of his enemies, And the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:
That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, And the tongue of thy dogs in the same.
They have seen thy goings, O God; Even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; Among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
Bless ye God in the congregations, Even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, The princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
Thy God hath commanded thy strength: Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
Because of thy temple at Jerusalem Shall kings bring presents unto thee.
Rebuke the company of spearmen, The multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, Till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: Scatter thou the people that delight in war.
Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; Lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
Ascribe ye strength unto God: His excellency is over Israel, And his strength is in the clouds.
O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: The God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.
Matthew 2
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet,
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, Art not the least among the princes of Juda: For out of thee shall come a Governor, That shall rule my people Israel.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
In Rama was there a voice heard, Lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, And would not be comforted, because they are not.
But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judæa in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.