Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his servant ran him through, and he died. – Judges 9:54

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 7, 2019): Judges 9

Joseph Conrad, in his 1913 novel “Chance,” writes “Being a woman is a terribly difficult trade since it consists principally of dealings with men.” Historically, the task of women has often been to “lead from the second chair.” They did not just have to discern to the correct action, but they also had to convince the men of what is right and needed to be done. And sometimes they still do. One of the greatest trials of the female is in their dealings with the male. We will probably never know the extent that the woman, who stood behind the male endowed with the reigns of power, was the real political power of the nation. But we need to pause more often than we do and acknowledge the real power of some amazing women who led the United States through the reigns of their husbands, whether or not we agree with their politics: women like Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosalynn Carter, and Sara Polk.

Abimelek is dying. The life and reign of the man who I think should be listed as the first King of Israel, instead of Saul, has come around full circle. He killed almost all of his brothers so that he could take a position of leadership that his father, Gideon, had rejected. And Gideon had rejected the idea of “king” not just for himself, but for his family. Gideon recognized that God was the king of Israel; Abimelek recognized no such thing. Abimelek believed that he was king of his own life and, on the basis of his father’s accomplishments, felt that he should reign over the whole nation. He had taken a role in history that was never really his to claim.

Abimelek is dying, but he is not yet dead. And as he lays breathing his last, he is still thinking about his legacy in history. And Abimelek recognizes that his death is not going to be a glorious defeat in battle that he might have dreamed of, but rather that it would be what he probably considered to be an honorless death at the hand of a woman. And so Abimelek calls for his armor-bearer and tells his male soldier, gender is the point here, to kill him with a sword. In the mind of Abimelek, it would be better to die as a result of treachery, at the hands of his own men, than to die at the hands of an enemy who happened to be a woman. And so Abimelek is killed by his armor-bearer.

But as far as history was concerned, Abimelek’s hopes were dashed. History still remembers the death of Abimelek the king happening at the hands of a woman. The author of 2 Samuel writes this: “Who killed Abimelek son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez” (2 Samuel 11:21)? Yes, she did. Sometimes the work of a woman is hard and is made even harder because they have to deal with men like Abimelek.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 10

Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. – Ruth 4:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 6, 2019): Ruth 4

The television situation-comedy invited us into a place “where everybody knows your name. And they’re always glad you came.” One of the running gags of the television show “Cheers” was the whole bar shouting out the name of “Norm” or “Cliff” as they walked through the door of the bar. Anywhere else, they were nobodies, but at “Cheers” they were somebodies.

We all long to be somebody. We want to be recognized. We need to find that place where everybody knows our name. And for some, that drives us to do evil things. News organizations in recent years have taken it upon themselves not to speak the names of people who have been the perpetrators of mass shootings, not wanting to contribute to the problem by giving people their fifteen minutes of fame, or that fifteen minutes when everybody knows your name. In this case, the media refusal to speak the name reinforces societies condemnation of the action; we are not glad that they came. If only we could forget names like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, and not remember the evil that they have done. Of course, in the loss of that memory, there might be those who would want to repeat the error. Mussolini’s dead body was hung upside down at an Esso Gas Station so that we would remember him and not follow in his footsteps.

There is little doubt that the words placed in the mouth of Boaz here are not the words that he actually spoke. Boaz knew the name of the man that he had come to deal with, and it would have been the accepted custom for Boaz to speak that name as the negotiation began. But the writer of Ruth did not preserve that name for us. And the omission was likely made on purpose.

There is tension in this negotiation. On the one hand, Boaz hoped that the man he was dealing with would renege on his responsibility to Naomi. It was not that Boaz wanted or needed the land, but at this point, he wanted to take Ruth as his wife. But we also cannot lose sight of the fact that this unknown person refused to take the action that he should have taken because of selfish considerations. In this case, both the land and Ruth needed to stay within the tribe to which Elimelek belonged, but this unknown man refused to do what should have been done.

As a result of this failure, the author of Ruth purposefully leaves out the name of this man who met with Boaz. It was a way for the author to show his contempt for the one who would not step up and fulfill his obligations and a just punishment visited on the one who the writer has decided did not deserve to have his name immortalized. In a literary sense, this friend of Boaz is buried in an unmarked grave, and his name has been forgotten by the generations who have followed him, all because in this culture he failed to do what he should have done.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 9

And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. – Ruth 3:11

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 5, 2019): Ruth 3

We are all on a search for our legends, even if we don’t really believe that the legend exists. We want to believe. I want to believe in King Arthur, who ruled over his people with a benevolence unknown in his day, and yet was still powerful enough to defend the weak for no other reason than it was the right thing to do. We want to believe that Arthur existed somewhere in history, even if Excalibur, his legendary magical sword, does not.

I want to believe that Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men actually walked in their own version of the Sherwood Forest. These were average people who were willing to speak truth to power. These men possessed the character to stand up and protect the weak from those who wanted to take advantage of them, giving to them what they deserved or needed to live, in the absence of the good King Richard. We need our heroes and our legends, even if we don’t believe that they could exist.

The Bible is filled with heroes. Many are not without their faults, but they are united by the idea that they want to do what is right. And many are described as possessing “chayil,” a word that means valour and a moral strength of character, traits our legends, like King Arthur and Robin Hood, also possessed.

Biblically, “chayil” is a character trait predominately possessed by men, but there are a few women who are also said to have possessed this attribute. And one of these women is Ruth. In spite of the sexual innuendo present in the story of Ruth and Boaz, and Boaz insistence that Ruth leave the threshing floor before anyone finds out that she had visited him there, he insists that she is a woman of noble character, and the word he uses here is “chayil.” We have no idea what Ruth might have looked liked, but part of what attracted Boaz to her was her valour and the moral strength of her character. Everyone knew the story of Ruth and Naomi. And while Naomi seems to have been loved by the people, Ruth’s defense of her earned her the respect of everyone who had heard her story, including Boaz.

In the story of Naomi, the wife of Elimelek, the hero is Ruth. When Naomi needed a Robin Hood, Ruth appeared and filled that role. She possessed no power, but that did not stop her from doing what she could to protect Naomi. She put her life on hold, and on the line, to help her mother-in-law survive.

We all want to believe that legends and heroes exist. But maybe what we need to understand is that they do exist. They live inside of us, clamoring to get out. We can be the hero that we need, and all we have to do is follow the example of Ruth, and in the midst of darkness, step up and do the right thing.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ruth 4

Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz. – Ruth 2:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 4, 2019): Ruth 2

I love Seth Godin’s description of a tribe.

“A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. For millions of years, human beings have been part of one tribe or another. A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.”

The problem is that most of us are members of a tribe, or maybe more than one tribe, but only superficially. We might be able to share a statement of belief and a shared interest, but when it comes down to it, our shared interest has to be supported our way, or else we tend to tune out the message, and leave the tribe. We live in an era of echo chambers, where what we already belief is the only message that we are willing to consider. We do not want to be convinced or converted. The earth is flat, and there is no proof that you can offer to me that can sway me away from that belief.

But in the past, the tribe was very important. Defense from outside enemies and care for the weak within the society depended on the strength of the tribe and the tribal leader. The tribe was important, and to be outside of the tribe meant that you had to face the world alone. And the concepts of survival and alone seldom went together.

Elimelek and Naomi left the safety of the tribe when they moved to Moab. In Moab, the unthinkable happened and disaster struck the family. As Naomi returns to Bethlehem, she returns alone. She has cut herself off from the tribe and from any support that might have been there. Yet still, the tribe survives. It is just that Naomi stands on the outside.

So at this part of the story, we are introduced to the tribe, specifically the tribe of which Naomi’s husband was part; the tribe of Elimelek. In some ways, the NIV translation of this verse cheats us of some necessary information as it introduces us to Boaz. The NIV calls Boaz a “relative” and a “man of standing” in the tribe to which Elimelek belonged. But this verse is attempting to introduce, really for the first time, a very important concept. Boaz is not just a relative. The word translated “relative” here should really be “kinsmen,” indicating that Boaz is a person of influence within the tribe. Boaz is not only a man of wealth, he is also the leader to whom the tribe is connected.

And to understand the rest of the story, this one fact needs to be understood.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ruth 3

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. – Ruth 1:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 3, 2019): Ruth 1

Hockey legends and brothers, Bobby and Dennis Hull, were born in Point Anne, Ontario. That might not be a huge surprise, after all, we all have to be born someplace, and for a hockey player to be born in Canada is not exactly a huge surprise. What is interesting about the birthplace of the Hull brothers is that the town no longer exists. Bobby and Dennis Hull cannot go home to the place where they were born and find life. Oh, there are a few long-time residents still living in the area, but the town itself no longer exists. There are no hockey players who wear the colors of the Point Anne or play sports for the pride of the town – not anymore. Point Anne is a ghost town.

The story is not an uncommon one. Point Anne was built around industry, specifically the cement industry. At its height, cement plants formed the basis for the financial viability of the town. And as happens all over the world, industry brings with it other businesses. Grocery stores, hardware, and specialty stores, automotive dealerships, and many other businesses spring up to serve the needs of the people involved in the main industry of the area. All of this is what gives life to an urban setting. But the reverse is also true. When the main industry disappears, so does everything that grew up to support the industry. And the town, often, dies. This is Point Anne’s story. When the cement industry moved away from Point Anne in the early 1970s, it took away jobs and a reason to live in the area. People moved away to places where they could find work. And the town quickly died.

The story of Ruth begins with the story of one family who lived in Bethlehem. Bethlehem, whose name means “House of Bread,” was known for its agriculture. But this was a time of famine, and the famine had even decimated the “House of Bread.” At this moment in time, the main industry in Bethlehem, which was agriculture, was suffering, and so the people began to leave.

For this family, we are about to find out that their names are Elimelek and Naomi, along with their sons Mahlon and Kilion, they decide to leave the home that they had known and go and live someplace where there is food. The phrase “live for a while” is important. Elimelek and Naomi had no intention on leaving forever; the move into Moab was a temporary response to famine. The hope was that at some time in the future, Bethlehem would once again become the “House of Bread.” And when the famine ended, they would return home.

All of this happened during the time of the Judges, a time of oppression and general anarchy in Israel. Because “in those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25).

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ruth 2

But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? – Judges 8:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 2, 2019): Judges 8

Communication often starts with telling people how great they are. Apparently, we need the affirmation. I used to have a couple of friends who would sit in and listen to my sermons, and I would also sit in and listen to their preaching. The idea was that we wanted to become better speakers, and so we needed objective eyes and ears to tell us where we were falling short. Maybe the easy way to accomplish this would have been to have a short meeting where each person would highlight one area where they felt improvement was possible. After all, that was the purpose of the exercise. But that never happened. We had a rule. When offering our words about areas of improvement, we first had to identify something that the speaker did well. Then, we offered our criticism or an area where we needed to improve. Finally, we offered a second thing that the speaker did well. To give our criticism, first, we had to be willing to give twice as much encouragement than we gave criticism. It is not a bad idea. Speaking groups all over the world are arranged around the same idea – a criticism sandwich, starting off and ending with a message of praise about the person being criticized.

When dealing with power, especially power that is critical of your performance, the same principle can be applied. If you want a political leader to ease up, don’t criticize them. Offer them your praise. We all have experienced times when the only thing we could do is to step up and kiss the ring of the king, usually offered with a phrase of affirmation about how great they are – even when the truth is that they leave much to be desired.

One of the power tribes of Israel was the Tribe of Ephraim. So as Gideon closes off his battle with Midian, the question that comes down to him from power is “why did you not ask us for help?” The truth is that the problem had existed for a while and Ephraim had never lifted a finger to help resolve it. The other side of the truth is that God had decided that this would be his battle. He was going to take a scared farmer with no self-confidence, add a few weak, would be warriors, and win the battle that the powers in Israel refused to fight. That is the truth.

But the truth wouldn’t have helped Gideon, so he chose to take another action. He decided to kiss the ring of the powerful. Gideon tells Ephraim that his campaign against the Midianites does not measure up to all of the wonderful things that Ephraim had done (reality check, what God did against the Midianites was amazing). And then he adds that the least of the grapes that Ephraim had to offer is better than the best that Gideon’s family could muster. Abiezer was Gideon’s ancestor. At best, this was an exaggeration.

So what Gideon tells the Ephraimites may not be true on a literal level. But maybe a better way to read this passage is with an eye on the humility of Gideon. Gideon did not care how Ephraim or anyone else viewed him. He was comfortable returning to his role as a humble farmer. His own people wanted to make him a local king, but Gideon recognized that there could be no other king over Israel than God. What Gideon accomplished, he accomplished through the power of God. He was uncomfortable taking the glory and wanted all of the praise to go to God.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ruth 1

Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. – Judges 7:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 1, 2019): Judges 7

Veronica Roth, in her book “Divergent,” argues that “Fear doesn't shut you down; it wakes you up.” Fear, in proper proportion, helps you to focus on the threats that exist around you. In times of battle, fear is a necessity. It makes you focus at the task at hand, it may not heighten your senses (as in fear does not allow you to hear better), but it does make you pay attention to the sounds that you are hearing, and to the sights that you are seeing. Fear is an important survival response. And we need to remember that fear is not unnecessary; it is important to meet the struggle that lies ahead.

Even when we are not in times of battle, fear is important. I remember paying a visit to my grandfather late in his life. Grandpa Mullen was a singer, the artist featured on numerous recordings, and someone experienced at singing in a concert setting, and often singing in front of hundreds of people. On this day, Grandpa was practicing. He was going to sing one song in his small church on the following Sunday, performing in front of maybe fifty people. As I walked in on him, he continued to sing, but walked over and put his arm around me. Grandpa had a booming, powerful, baritone voice. He finished his song, and then he turned to me and told me of his upcoming performance and admitted that he was nervous. I was confused. My grandfather had sung in concerts to audiences many times the size of the small congregation that he would share a single song within a few days. And that was exactly the question that I posed to him. Why are you nervous? I will never forget his response. “Garry, if you are not nervous, if there is no fear inside you about the path on which you are about to embark, then you are not giving the task your very best.”

The advice of my grandfather, given to me three decades ago, has changed the way that I read this verse. Essentially, God is instructing Gideon to get rid of the very soldiers that he would need for the fight that was coming. Gideon was getting rid of the soldiers who were smart enough to be scared. Walking into battle, all of them should have been trembling in fear, but apparently, ten thousand soldiers were too stupid to understand the necessity of fear. The heroes were sent home. Those who would excel in battle would leave the army before the fight would even begin.

And those who Gideon had left with him were essentially too foolish to understand that, as they headed into battle, fear was not only expected, it was needed if they were going to excel at the fight on which they were about to embark.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 8