The Shadows
Lift the shadows, -oh, the shadows,-
From the weary heart of care;
Let glad sunlight out of heaven,
From thy throne of glory there,
Heavenly Father,
Lift the clouds of shadowy care.
Darkly heave the gloomy shadows
O'er the rugged way of life,
As we struggle onward, weary,
Fainting in the dreadful strife,
Heavenly radiance
Lifts the darksome shades of life.
Lift the shadows, blessed Savior,
From the weary couch of pain.
May thy beams of heavenly sunshine
Bring returning health again.
Star of Bethlehem,
Light the shadowy couch of pain.
Bless the shadows-cooling shadows-
At the hour of burning noon,
When we hail the fleecy curtain,
Thankful for the heavenly boon.
Blessed shadows,
Shutting out the eye of noon.
Welcome, welcome lengthened shadows
Of the hill-tops in the West,
Telling of approaching evening,
When we sons of toil may rest.
Shades of evening,
Lengthening in the golden West.
Bless the sunshine and the shadows,-
Side by side they smiling lay,
Lifting up our gloomy darkness,
Shading us in heat of day.
Evening shadows,
Mingling with the closing day.
Thursday, December 23, 2021
The Shadows
The way to treat the neighbor you don't like...
Description of Illustration: a vintage illustration from a Children's Bible, text - "He went over to him, poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of him." Luke 10:34, parables of Jesus, caring for a neighbor no matter who he is..., left for dead on the side of the road
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Chide Mildly the Erring
Chide Mildly the Erring
Chide mildly the erring,
Kind language endears;
Grief follows the sinful,
Add not to their tears.
Avoid with reproaches
Fresh pain to bestow;
The heart which is stricken,
Needs never a blow.
Chide mildly the erring,
Jeer not at their fall;
If strength were but human,
How weakly were all.
What marvel that footsteps
Should wander astray!
What tempests o'er shadow
Life's wearisome way!
Chide mildly the erring,
Entreat them with care;
Their natures are mortal,
They need not despair.
We all have some frailty,
We all are unwise,
And the grace which redeems us
Must come from the skies.
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
The innkeeper left in charge...
Description of Illustration: a vintage illustration, text "The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. "Take care of him,' he told the innkeeper, 'and when I come back this way I will pay you whatever else you spend on him." Luke 10:35, from Children's Bible, color picture of robbed man, Samaritan and innkeeper
Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject folks.
The Samaritan arrives in time to rescue his enemy...
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| A greyscale picture of the Good Samaritan. |
Description of Illustration: a vintage illustration from a children's Bible of the Good Samaritan, a man beaten and robbed, left for dead, scripture verse "But a Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity. He went over to him, poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn where he took care of him." Luke10: 33-34, When Jesus was asked "Who is my neighbor.?" He told his parable of the Good Samaritan.
- Why the Hatred Between the Jews and Samaritans? (Pdf)
- Why did the Jews hate the Samaritans?
- Origins of the Samaritans by Henry Abramson
- Who are the Samaritans? Their history, worship, abbreviated Bible, and place in the New Testament
Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject folks.
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Knocking at the Door
Knocking at the Door.
Behold a stranger standing
Just outside a close barred door;
He's weary with his waiting,
But he will not give it o'er.
He knocks and as he's knocking,
He lifts his heavenly voice,
"Ope the door and let me enter-
I will make your heart rejoice."
I hear his soft voice calling,
Ever calling at the door,
"I'm knocking, sinner, knocking,
As I've often knocked before.
Just ope the door a moment,-
Long enough to let me in, -
And I'll dwell with you forever,
And cleanse you from all sin."
Christ is knocking, gently knocking,
Ever knocking at my heart;
I'll gladly bin him enter,
I will ask him not depart.
Welcome! welcome! blessed Stranger,
Come and sup with me -
Fulfill thy gracious promise, Lord,
And let me sup with thee.
So we'll ever sup together,
This blessed Friend and I;
And if I ever hunger,
He can hear my faintest cry,
And when my warfare's over here
I'll share his heav'nly bliss.
Oh, who could ever bar the door
'Gainst such a friend as this!
Jesus walking on water . . .
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| "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus." Matthew 14:29 |
Description of Illustration: a
vintage illustration depicting Christ walking on water during a storm. Disciples cling to the boat in fear, but Peter walks out on the water for a brief moment before sinking in fear. stormy skies, old children's Bible illustration from Germany
Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject folks.
Time and Eternity
Time and Eternity
It is not time that flies;
'Tis we, 'tis we, are flying;
It is not Life that dies;
'Tis we, 'tis we, are dying.
Time and eternity are one;
Time is eternity begun:
Life changes, yet without decay;
'Tis we alone who pass away.
It is not truth that flies;
'Tis we, 'tis we, are flying:
It is not Faith that dies;
'Tis we, 'tis we, are dying.
O ever-during faith and truth,
Whose youth is age, whose age is youth!
Twin stars of immortality,
Ye cannot perish from our sky.
Jephthah made an ill considered vow...
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| "And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." Judges 11:30-31 |
Description of Illustration: a vintage illustration depicting Jephthah being greeted by his beloved daughter greeting him unaware of his ill considered vow. pipes, tambourines, dancers, triumph in battle, grief at home, soldiers, scripture from Judges, old children's Bible illustration from Germany
Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject folks.
The Narrow Way
The Narrow Way
by James Y. Heckler
How many a path that leads astray,
Aside the one which Jesus trod,
Deceives the traveler on his way,
And leads him far away from God.
The narrow path which Jesus trod,
For followers of the Nazarene,
Is wide enough: it leads to God,
And in his word is clearly seen.
The prophet saw this narrow path,
This only way of holiness:
He viewed it with an eye of faith,
As leading through the wilderness.
The path no eagle's eye hath seen,
Is still clear as 'twas of old;
No lion's whelp can walk therein,
And none its pavement can behold.
How many traveler in this vale,
Beholds a path to suit his mind;
A way that leads him down to hell,
To which by nature he's inclined.
How few perceive the narrow way,
Or know the peace therein to find;
But choosing, rather go astray,
To suit the purpose of their mind.
How few compared with all mankind,
Are walking in this narrow path:
The meek and lowly of one mind,
One practice and one faith.
John The Baptist Clip Art
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| Samples of the clip art representing John The Baptist in the collection below. |
- A statue of St. John the Baptist
- The Holy Family including John The Baptist
- Head of John The Baptist
- John Baptizes Jesus
- Illumination of Christ's Baptism
- Baptism of Christ
- Icon of Mary, Jesus and John
- "Repent of Your Sins!"
Questions & Answers About John The Baptist:
- What Is Known of John's Birth and Early Training?
- Was John the Baptist Sentenced to Death Before The Dance of Salome?
- Was John the Baptist Elijah?
- John the Baptist's Place in Prophecy?
- What Were the Locusts That Became the Food of John The Baptist?
- When Did John the Baptist Die?
- How old was Jesus when He began to understand the nature of his mission?
- John the Baptist's Place in Prophecy?
- Why Was Twelve the Number of Apostles?
Last updated December 21st, 2021
Monday, December 20, 2021
Who was the 5th wife of King David?
Haggith (II Sam. 3:4; I Kings 1:5, 11; 2:13; I Chron. 3:2), the fifth wife of David and mother of his fourth son Adonijah. In the five places that Haggith is mentioned, it is always as the mother of Adonijah.
Immediately after the name of Haggith in I Kings 1:5, is the passage that Adonijah was a man who "exalted himself, saying, I will be king."
Haggith is mentioned another time when Nathan spoke to Bathsheba, mother of Solomon, saying, "Has thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?" 1 Kings 1:11. Solomon took this attempt to be a plot to seize the throne, and because of it Haggith's son, Adonijah, was put to death.
Finally, in Chronicles the name of "Haggith, mother of Adonijah" is again recorded. Are not the son's selfish attempts to push himself a reflection of the character of his mother, who has no identity except through her son?
Who was the wife of Aaron?
Elisheba (Exod. 6:23), wife of Aaron, first head of the Hebrew priesthood. She became the ancestress of the entire Levitical priesthood.
Elisheba was the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Naashon, prince of the tribe of Judah. She bore Aaron four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. From her latter two sons descended the long line of priests who ministered in the sanctuary and taught the people the law of God. Her other two sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered "strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not . . . and they died before the Lord." (Lev. 10:1, 2) Probably these sons disobeyed God when they drank strong wine before entering the tabernacle (Lev. 10:9).
But Elisheba's third son Eleazar became chief of the Levites and second only to his father Aaron in authority of the priesthood. After his father's death he held his office during the remainder of Moses' life and the leadership of Joshua. Also he played a prominent part in dividing Canaan by lot among the several tribes.
Upon Elisheba's youngest son Ithamar fell the duty of enumerating materials gathered for the tabernacle (Exod. 38:21).
Elisheba's name means "God is an oath" a probable indication of her strong belief in God?
Who was the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah?
The great prophet Jeremiah, in his denunciation of the wickedness of Hamutal's son Zedekiah, placed emphasis on the fact that "his mother's name was Hamutal. . . . And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord" Jeremiah 52:1-2
This mother's first king son Jehoahaz, after being deposed, was taken in chains to Riblah by Necho, king of Egypt, and afterwards into Egypt. Her other king son saw his own sons put to death, had his own eyes put out, was bound in fetters himself and carried to Babylon.
Is the character of these sons a reflection of the mother?
Who was the woman, Hammoleketh, in 1 Chronicles?
Hammoleketh, mother of Ishod, Abiezer, and Mahalah. From the line of Abiezer sprang the great judge Gideon. It is thought that Hammoleketh ruled over a portion of the land belonging to Gilead, hence her name, which translated from the Hebrew means a queen of Israel.
His sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer and Mahlah. 1 Chronicles 7:18
Who was the Harlot of Gaza?
The harlot of Gaza is mentioned in the story of Samson in the book of Judges. "One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her." Judges 16:1
He went in unto her, and because he did, the Gazites knew where he was and lay waiting for him all night in front of the woman's house. When it was morning, they expected to kill him, but Samson arose at midnight, taking with him, in revenge, the doors of the gates of the city, together with the posts.
Who were the women assembling at the tabernacle in Exodus?
Women assembling at the tabernacle (Exod. 38:8) are those who ministered at the door of the tent meeting place. In a description of the building of the tabernacle after the Israelites had come out of Egypt, we are told that near the altar there was a laver or vessel of metal made from the polished copper or bronze "looking glasses of the women assembling.'' These women who ministered at the door probably assisted the Levites in the preparations for the service. This is one of the earliest examples of women's ministry in the house of God.
Who were the wise-hearted women of Exodus?
Wise-hearted women (Exod. 35:25) refers to the devout women who spun, "both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen" for the tabernacle. In the next verse we learn that all women "whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair." We get a picture of how, in this time of Moses, about fifteen centuries before Christ, women worked just as they do now to beautify their places of worship. These gifts that they made came from the heart and into them they put their best talents. This is the earliest record we have of the handwork of the women of Israel.
Sunday, December 19, 2021
For the Love of Christ
Did you ever read how the last fight of gladiators in the Colosseum ended? It was when Rome had become Christian, but still the cruel sports of the people had not been entirely given up. After a famous victory, the Emperor, a feeble boy, and all the great men of Rome, went to the crowded theater to witness the amusements given in honor of the triumph. After the harmless sports were over, some gladiators entered the arena armed with sharp swords. The people shouted with delight because the old savage amusements of their heathen days were restored to them. Suddenly an old man, named Telemachus, dressing in the habit of a hermit, and unknown to all, sprang into the arena, and declared that as Christian people they must not suffer men to slay each other thus. An angry cry rose from the eager crowd. The gladiators, disappointed of their gain, menaced the hermit fiercely, crying, "Back, old man, for thy life." But the stranger stood fearless before the angry mob; he heeded not the swords of the gladiators, nor the yells of the people, but solemnly protested against the deed of blood. In another moment he lay dead on the red sand, pierced by a dozen wounds. He died, but his words lived. When the people saw the fearless courage of a weak old man, shame filled their hearts; the sports were stopped, and never again did the gladiators fight in the Colosseum. My brothers, if we are learning the love of Christ, we shall be brave to do the right, come what may.
Saturday, December 18, 2021
Apostles Clip Art Index
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| Sample clip art of the Apostles from the collection below. |
All graphics/illustrations/clip art on this web journal are free to download and use for personal art projects, church related hard copy or webpages. Images are not to be redistributed in any other collections of clip art online. Please include a link back to this web journal if you use the materials for web articles. Link to htpp://christianclipartreview.blogspot.com
- St. Thomas Apostle to India
- A Pentecost Stained Glass Window
- On The Road to Damascus
- Betrayed with a kiss...
- Apostles Appointed
- Christ and Thomas by Verocchio
- St John The Evangelist stained glass design
- St. Peter's Key
- The Conversion of St. Paul
- Saul Became Paul
- Paul and Silas Singing in Prison
- Peter Finds the Tax
Questions and Answers About The Apostles:
- Why Was Twelve the Number of the Apostles?
- Did John Write the Last Chapter of His Gospel?
- What Were the "Marks of the Lord Jesus?
- Have We Historical Records of The Deaths of the Apostles
- How Was the Apostles' Creed Formulated?
- Who Was Ananias?
Members of Christ
Two gentlemen were discussing the subject of baptism, one of whom doubted its value to a child, regarding it only in the light of an empty form. "Let us go into the garden," said the doctor, "and I will show you." He and his friend paused before a tree, and the doctor pointed with his stick to a withered branch, carefully tied with twine to a round limb. "I used to believe that in a baptism a child was dedicated to God: that is, that he was fastened on to the Church, but with no present spiritual influence. If such be the true doctrine, there is an illustration of the result. "Now see here," he continued, pointing to the limb, "the Prayer-book taught me that in baptism the child is not tied on, but grafted in by the Holy Spirit. See that little twig. I put it there, and the life-giving Lord has made it a part of the tree."
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5
Friday, December 17, 2021
Prayer Clip Art Index
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| Sample clip art included in the prayer index below. |
All graphics/illustrations/clip art on this web journal are free to download and use for personal art projects, church related hard copy or webpages. Images are not to be redistributed in any other collections of clip art online. Please include a link back to this web journal if you use the materials for web articles.
- The tassel knot...
- What is done in secret...
- The Prayerful Virgin
- Kneeling in prayer...
- Praying Hands and Prayers
- The Rabbis Invocation
- Perfect Submission
- Praying with angels...
- Banner of praying hands
- The Christmas Prayer
- "Gloria In Excelsis Deo" angels
- Confession Clip Art
- "Ask for it and it shall be given." in Spanish
- Matthew 18:20
- Praying Nun
- Praying Child
- Rosary
- Praying in the dark...
- Baby thinking hard...
- Does God Answer Prayer?
- Do Prayers for the Unconverted Help?
- Should We Pray for One From Whom the Holy Ghost Has Departed?
- Should We Persistently Ask For Blessings?
- Is It Right to Ask For Definite Blessings?
- Does God Regard Our "Little Things" in Prayer?
- Does God Hear the Prayer Of The Wicked?
Seeing Christ in His servants...
Sister Dora gave up her life to nursing sick people. At the head of her bed a bell was fixed by which sufferers could summon her at any hour of the night. As she arose at the sound of the signal, she used to murmur these words, as if they were a charm: "The Master is come and is calling for thee." It was as if the sick sufferer faded away, and in the couch she saw the Face that was marred with a world's anguish. Christ's Face across her fancy came, and gave the battle to her hands.
"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done." Proverbs 19:17
Thursday, December 16, 2021
What is gleaning or gathering in the scriptures?
This grain in the corners, and these odd sheaves in the field, were for the poor. The story of Ruth is a most beautiful illustration of this law. Reference is supposed to be made to this custom in ''The poor must go about naked, without any clothing. They harvest food for others while they themselves are starving. They press out olive oil without being allowed to taste it, and they tread in the winepress as they suffer from thirst.'' Job 24:11-12
Ruth, The Faithful Daughter-in-Law
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| Ruth gleaning in the field. |
Though of a neighboring people, hated by early Israel, Ruth finally won her way into their hearts as the ideal daughter-in-law, wife, and mother. The people of the little town of Bethlehem admired her, not because of her genius or her foresight or her great beauty, but because of her womanly sweetness. Her story, which finally culminates in her marriage to Boaz, a man of influence, is one of the most beautiful romances in the Bible.
Modest, meek, courteous, loyal, responsible, gentle yet decisive, Ruth always seems to do the right thing at the right time. Though the Bible gives no clear-cut description of her appearance, literature and art have depicted her as extremely lovely. In his book on Ruth Irving Fineman describes her as a woman "whose radiant beauty of face and form neither the shadows nor the sad state of her raiment could obscure. He further depicts her as having gleaming golden hair and dark eyes. Frank Slaughter's Song of Ruth pictures her as "startlingly beautiful, with dark red hair, high cheekbones, and warm eyes'' and as a woman who dressed in the "clinging robe of a temple priestess.''
At the opening of the story Ruth as the young widow of Mahlon faces an uncertain future, along with her mother-in-law Naomi and her sister-in-law Orpah, widow of Chilion. From this point on Ruth herself becomes the embodiment of all that is fine in a young widow. We do not hear her crying out at the loss of her husband, but expressing her affection for him in her loyalty to his mother, his people, his country, and his God. Nor do we find her pitying herself, though she and her mother-in-law are destitute. Instead she chooses to follow her mother-in-law wherever she leads, and she does so in a spirit of love.
Ruth's husband and his father Elimelech and mother Naomi and brother Chilion had left Bethlehem ten years before because of famine. Recent explorations of the land of Moab have given confirmation of the fertility of the plains of ancient Moab, a fact which is implied in the statement that Naomi's family went there to escape the famine of Judah. Dr. William L. Reed, professor of Old Testament at Texas Christian University and a well-known archaeologist of the Holy Land, reports that explorations and excavations point toward a close association among Hebrews and Moabites, as is implied in the story of Ruth.
Naomi and her family had gone into the fertile, well-watered highlands of Moab east of the Dead Sea, but there her husband and her two sons had died.
Old and weary, Naomi longed to return to the land of her birth. All three women wept as they stood to say good-by. Naomi pleaded with her two daughters-in-law to turn back to their mother's house. Orpah did turn back, but Ruth clung lovingly to her mother-in-law, and as she did she made this most wonderful confession of love ever spoken by a daughter-in-law, "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried.'' Ruth 1: 16
Like so many young widows, she might have said, "Somebody else must take care of this forlorn old woman. I'm still young. I want to marry again. The mother of my first husband is in my way.'' But Ruth made this other choice, and she made it gracefully.
She never swerved from her unselfish purpose during the many trials that followed. Nor did she ever complain because she had given up everything, her country, her relationships with young friends, or her chance to marry a man of her own country. She had given them all up with a resolution fierce in its quietness.
The young and beautiful daughter-in-law and the old and wise mother-in-law now turned their faces resolutely toward Palestine.
The journey was less than 120 miles, but this distance represented a long, fatiguing, and dangerous trek in this period thirteen centuries before Christ, especially for two lone women who had neither money beyond their barest needs nor protector. They crossed the Arnon and the Jordan, ascending mountains and descending into deep valleys, partly on foot, let us suppose, and partly on donkeys. This journey through desolate places caused them to cling more closely together.
When they reached Bethlehem, in order to support herself and her mother-in-law Ruth performed the lowliest of tasks, that of following the reapers and gathering up the fragments of grain which fell and were left behind for the poor. Without the least feeling of self-pity or dread of a difficult task, Ruth gleaned all day in the hot sun, returning to Naomi joyfully at the end of the day with her small harvest.
One day, as Ruth gleaned, she came into a field belonging to Boaz, a large landowner, who was a distant kinsman of Naomi's husband. For a time Ruth worked with the other poor gleaners and was unknown to Boaz. She performed her work well, from the hour that the sun first rose over the fields of swaying barley until it dipped gently behind the low-lying hills of Judah.
Humble woman that Ruth was, she did not rush to Boaz, her husband's rich kinsman, and introduce herself, but worked quietly at her task. Her good work was rewarded. When Boaz came into his fields and saw this pretty young woman, he inquired of his servants who she was, and they told him she was the Moabitess who had come back with Naomi from the country of Moab. Immediately offering her his protection, he asked her not to glean in any field except his own, ordered his young men not to touch her, and invited her to drink of the water which they had drawn.
Later he returned his admiration for her in little kindnesses, for he knew not only that she had to support her mother-in-law but that she was a woman with a gentle disposition. "The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.'' Ruth 2:12
Boaz, who was a man of God, also a man of intelligence and with a high code of morals, could appreciate Ruth's quiet loveliness, her inborn purity and generosity of soul. And he began to shower small favors upon her. He asked her to come and eat bread and to dip her morsel in wine. As she sat among the reapers, he passed parched grain to her and instructed his helpers to pull out some stalks from their bundles and leave them for her so as to make her gleanings easier and more productive.
When Ruth returned to Naomi at the end of each day with about an ephah (or a bushel) of barley, Naomi would always question her about the day's happenings. Once when Ruth told her she had gleaned in the field of Boaz that day, Naomi said, "Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead.'' And Naomi added, "The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.'' Ruth 2:20
The entire scene was now set for the culmination of a beautiful romance. We know why Goethe has called the Book of Ruth "the loveliest little idyll that tradition has transmitted to us.''
Naomi, an honored matron of Judah, made the next step on behalf of a brighter future for her beloved daughter-in-law. With bold tenderness she directed Ruth to the threshing floor at night, where Boaz would be winnowing his grain. She instructed her to wash, anoint herself, and put on her best raiment, and to go where Boaz was after he had finished eating and drinking. This wise mother-in-law advised Ruth one step further.
"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.'' Ruth 3:4 Ruth, knowing that her mother-in-law would command her to do nothing that was not considered proper, replied, "All that thou sayest unto me I will do.'' Ruth 3:5
The bold yet humble advance of Ruth was accepted by Boaz with a tender dignity and a chivalrous delicacy. He treated this act by which she threw herself upon his protection as an honor due him, for which he was bound to be grateful. And he hastened to assure her that he was her debtor for the preference she had shown for him. He became as careful for her reputation and chastity as if she had been his daughter.
The measure recommended by Naomi and adopted by Ruth was equivalent to a legal call on Boaz, as the supposed nearest kinsman of the family, to fulfill the duty of that relationship. An archaic custom this was, and one which subjected Ruth to a severe moral test, but she had confidence in her mother-in-law's judgment and she also knew that Boaz had proved himself to be meticulously upright.
This part of the story is handled in the Bible with great delicacy and restraint. First Boaz told his servant not to let it be known that Ruth had come to the threshing floor. There might be idle gossip. He also knew there was a nearer kinsman than himself, one who would have a prior claim to Ruth.
He immediately sent word to Naomi that he gladly accepted the legal protection of her daughter-in-law. Now he summoned the next of kin. This man waived his right to the young widow, admitting that he did not care to redeem Elimelech's portion of the land, a necessary part of a levirate matrimonial transaction, which assured the continuation of family life, the preservation of property, and the welfare of widows.
Boaz had shown his honorable and businesslike traits of character in going to the gates of the city before the elders. Then he went forth publicly to tell that he had brought Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be his wife. And the lovely stranger in Judah became the wife of the rich land proprietor Boaz. By her perserverance and faithfulness, she had achieved the seemingly impossible. She had been lifted out of obscurity and poverty to influence and plenty.
From this marriage of Ruth and Boaz sprang an auspicious lineage, the House of David (Matt. 1:5). Before the birth of her son Obed, Ruth was assured that her child's name would be "famous in Israel.'' Ruth 4:14 And Naomi was told that the child would be a nourisher of her old age. Her neighbors, rejoicing with her, said, "Thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath bom him.'' Ruth 4:15 And Naomi joyfully took over the duties of nurse to her grandchild.
Love had worked the miracle in Ruth's life. She was beloved by all because she was so lovable. She had proved that love can lift one out of poverty and obscurity, love can bring forth a wonderful child, love can shed its rays, like sunlight, on all whom it touches, even a forlorn and weary mother-in-law. Ruth's love had even penetrated the barriers of race.
Book of Ruth Index
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| A few examples of clip art for the Book of Ruth. |
- The Gleaner - vintage sepia illustration of Ruth carrying grain
- "Hesed" - Romanized version of Hebrew word, " Chesed" meaning kindness
- Ruth Gleans From Boaz' Field
- Measuring the grain...
- "Thy People Shall Be My People"
- Wedding Scriptures From Ruth, 1rst John and Matthew - Ruth 1:16
- Ruth
- "Harvest-Home" by J. Byington Smith
Measuring the grain...
Description of Illustration: a vintage illustration two men from the Bible dividing and measuring wheat, women carry grain in baskets on their heads towards camels in the background
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Hesed
In Jewish theology it is likewise used of God's love for the Children of Israel, and in Jewish ethics it is used for love or charity between people. Chesed in this latter sense of "charity" is considered a virtue on its own, and also for its contribution to tikkun olam (repairing the world). It is also considered the foundation of many religious commandments practiced by traditional Jews, especially interpersonal commandments.
Chesed is also one of the ten Sephirot on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. It is given the association of kindness and love, and is the first of the emotive attributes of the sephirot.
The Gleaner
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Wednesday, December 15, 2021
How was Orpah related to Ruth and Naomi?
Orpah, sister-in-law of Ruth, and wife of Giilion, son of Naomi.
As Ruth and Naomi stood ready to depart for the latter's native Beth-Iehem-Judah, Orpah wept as she bade them good-by. She kissed her mother-in-law and turned back to Moab. Her record ends there, while Ruth's journey into great things begins after she becomes a believer in Naomi's God.
Though Orpah had been closely associated with four who had worshiped God - her husband, her brother-in-law Mahlon, her father-in-law Elimelech, and her mother-in-law Naomi - like Lot's wife, she turned back to her own way of life and worshiped the gods of Moab.
Orpah showed spiritual indifference, preferring her own rich and highly prosperous Moab to the uncertainties and poverties that lay ahead of the widow Naomi in Beth-lehem- Judah.
Orpah typifies the normal young woman who selfishly pursues her own way, thinking little of older people and drawing away quickly from sacrifices she can avoid.