Week Six - Something Worth Seeing

Beside the Well

             Ruth’s name means worth seeing.  I love that definition because it reminds me of the worth in Ruth’s story.
               But before we look at Ruth’s life, let me drift away for just a bit.  One of the saddest things I read in the Bible is Ecclesiastes 7:27-28, “Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.”
               And what does that mean?  One Bible commentator said Solomon was looking for someone who could help him in his search for satisfaction.  He could only find one man in a thousand, but he never came across even one woman who could provide the fulfillment for which he was searching. 
             Another commentator made note that Solomon had a thousand wives and concubines, so he interprets the verse to say that none of his wives brought him fulfillment. 
               Charles Swindoll says, “Perhaps the reason this occurred was because his preoccupation with sexual intimacy robbed him of the opportunity to experience the deep joys of marriage with one mate.”  (p 73, Living on the Ragged Edge, Charles Swindoll)
               For whatever reason, Solomon found it hard to find the Proverbs 31 woman his mother described.  She set the bar very high preparing her son for seeking a wife.  I don’t know of any woman who meets all those standards without exception, including myself.
              However, though Solomon said a good woman was hard to locate, our Lord made sure to record several in Scripture.  Elizabeth, Mary, and Priscilla, to name a few, all point us to the qualities necessary as women of God.  Qualities like faith, submission, obedience, and service revealing that the Proverbs woman can be alive not only in the women of the Bible but also in us today.
               Ruth is another of these women worth seeing. In her story, we read of a young Moabite girl who fell in love with the God of the Hebrews and behaved herself wisely in every instance.  Though she had been widowed at a young age, desperately poor, and a stranger in town, God moved in a miraculous way making her a progenitor of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He found her worthy.
              
               “Lord, let me be that one in a thousand.  May I be found faithful and live a life worth seeing; bringing honor to Your name.”

NOTE:  As I start 2019, the blogs in Beside the Well, are a collection of excerpts and thoughts from my forthcoming eBook, Bible Women.  I hope to have it ready later this year.
               The book will be a more complete study of the twelve Old Testament women from these 2019 blogs.  There will be a basic textual chronology and devotional thoughts, but also an outline with Scripture references for those wanting to use them for study or teaching.
               Please pray with me as I work toward this completion. I’d encourage you to go to the Beside the Well blog site and become a follower, so you don’t miss out on any news!   https://ggritts.blogspot.com/  and please share the blog with those around you!