Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel – Living Contrary
I’ll confess. I like studying the book of Judges for the same reason I liked studying the Tudor-Stuart monarchy – horrible characters are never boring! When during the Judges, “Everyone did what was right their own eyes” is the philosophy of life, there is no telling what is creeping out of people’s heart. And yet….
During the time of the judges, there is Boaz.
During the time of the judges, there is Elkanah.
During the time of the judges, Hannah.
In the scheme of great leaders, none of these would fit the category. Boaz was an unmarried, financially well-off, man who according to all appearances did not live a sexually orientated life nor get rich off the backs of others through unfairness. Elkanah would go up from his town every year to worship and to sacrifice, to the inspired prescribed place (despite the priests being ungodly – can’t you hear the excuses of others?). His poor wife lived a life of socially shamed life with constant mocking due to her being childless. And yet she worshiped and prayed.
What’s the point? Living contrary to the world might not be interesting to the world, in fact they might find us quite boring in a contrary and surprising way (1 Peter 4:4). But we can live contrary to our time’s philosophy of life by following God. Who knows, maybe that is the only way to reach some who might find this life-style curious enough to wonder. Then we get to confess Jesus!
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