Ruth's redemption and the people of Israel

I have been reading through the book of Ruth the last few days as part of the Bible Reading Plan I have been doing and I was struck by a couple of things.

1. Humanity

There is real warmth to the story of the book of Ruth. It begins with a horriffic tragedy, Naomi losing her husband and two sons, making her a widow and putting her in desparate circumstances. Ruth, (A Moabitess, not a Jew), is her daughter -in-law, and makes a decision to stick with her motheri-in-law, even though it severely reduces her opportunity of gaining a new husband. Ruth's care and concern for another in a hopeless situation, to the point of such personal sacrifice, is a poignant aspect of the first few chapters. Ruth becomes a follower of Yahweh, the God of the Jews, and works hard to put food on the table. The story ends well as she captures the heart of Boaz, who redeems her, becoming her new husband.

2. History

The final few verses of the book reminded me of the massive implications of this story for the rest of the Bible, and history itself. Ruth and Boaz have a son together, Obed, who went on to become the father of Jesse, the father of King David, who altered the course of history through his rule over Israel. How unsearchable are the plans of God, that he would use the outcasts and foreigners in the genealogy of King David, and ultimately the Lord Jesus Christ as well.

And so, Ruth is not simply a touching story, with a happy-feel-good ending, but also another key example of the love of God for the world, seen through his plan to redeem the world, and use the world, to bring about his purposes.

Striker No. 7 (Wins 2, Losses 0, Draws 0)

Game Result
Strikers v Wakerhurst 2-0

To be honest, the score could have (or should have), been higher. We ran circles around the opposition, especially in the second half, with great performances from all the players, seriously, I think everyone played well, we just needed to finish a little better.

I don't think that Wakehurst even had a shot on goal in the second half.

Anyway, I played OK, felt pretty tired towards the end of the second half, made a foul throw, and got pinged, but other than that, things are looking good on the field.

Looking forward to the next game!

Striker No. 7 (Wins 1, Losses 0, Draws 0)

So, today we are playing our second game of the season, against Wakehurst, who won their first game as well. We won our first game 6-0 in firsts, so that got us off to a good start. Hopefully we can make it two from two this afternoon.

It's fun waking up on Saturday mornings and getting ready for the game. I can never quite work out when to eat lunch on Saturday's though. Eat too early, and I won't be able to because of Breakfast, eat too late, and I'll feel sick during the game. Eat not at all, and I have no energy. What hard decisions we face!

The photo is our strikers team from 2006.

Still Waiting

Well, we are still waiting for some final results to be released from the Zimbabwean presidential election. For some reason (you can't help but suspect Mugabe), the results have not yet been released - this is against the Zimbabwean constitution. The people, and the opposition party have filed a petition to the High Court for the immediate release of the results, with the judgment scheduled for Monday.
Breathing space for Mugabe perhaps?

Update

Well, it is still not official, but things are looking more promising that Mugabe may well be standing aside as President.

Let's keep watching.

Where has Zimbabwe gone?

Last Sunday I was asked to pray at church about matters relating to our world, and so I spent a portion of it praying to God, asking for him to intercede in Zimbabwe.

For those of you who don't know, Zimbabwe is currently suffering significant economic problems, with inflation at over 100,000 % - yes you read that right. Unemployment at over 80%, and huge problems relating to food shortages. Disease ravages that land, and in particular HIV.

The place is falling apart, and in the midst of it I find two biting contrasts, and a note on our self-preoccupation.

1. The Presidential Election

This year, Zimbabwe has real hope for change in government, with Robert Mugabe (28 years of age), clinging to power by a thread, facing a real battle with Morgan Tsvangirai. However, the election has taken place, and there is real concern over whether the vote has been corrupted by the government in charge. The people want change, but many are afraid that their vote will either not count, or that they will face retribution for voting for someone other than Mugabe. Perhaps the saddest thing is that now their lives are so difficult, they would prefer to face the backlash than give in to the wishes of Mugabe.

Votes are currently being counted - fairly, I hope, but in all likelihood a second round of voting will be required.

2. The Pastor

In the midst of these awful times and conditions in Zimbabwe, many of the skilled workers such as doctors, nurses and teachers have fled the country, however I was encouraged to see footage on TV of a pastor who had stayed with his people, to encourage them with the Bible, they are clinging not just to a slim chance of government change, but of a real hope in their Lord Jesus, whom they long to meet. As I consider ministry and full time work, it has been helpful to see that God can use people in different ways, and that the difficulties that plague my life and work are really trivial when compared to what is happening in Zimbabwe. What a good work the pastors are doing in Zimbabwe, restoring hope, and providing people with the real truth about life, death and everything in between.

3. The Prime Time News

In the meantime, the prime time news bulletin in Sydney broadcast the 'catastrophic' fire in a building, and a punch up at a pub involving an Olympian was-gonna-be as the so called main stories of the day. In the Meantime where has Zimbabwe gone? And more importantly why is the rest of the world so unconcerned?

God is concerned for the oppressed, the homeless, the poor, the sick, and the needy, and so ought we.

Please pray for Zimbabwe.