Studying Together: Kiss or Cleave?

The tiny book of Ruth in the Bible tells an amazing story about the events in the lives of 3 women, of which Ruth’s famous declaration of love and commitment is probably the most well-known portion.  “Entreat me not to leave thee”, and “whither thou goest I’ll go” are passionate words that have been quoted by more than one bride on her wedding day.  However, there was a lot more going on in the moment those heartfelt words were spoken than is often taken into consideration. 

Chapter 1:6-17 tells of Ruth and Orpha standing at a crossroads in final farewell to their mother-in-law Naomi, who is leaving the pagan land of Moab and returning to her home, Bethlehem of Judea.  Naomi, who arrived in Moab “full” during a famine, is returning to Judea “empty” and in disgrace, having lost her husband and both sons to untimely deaths in that strange land where God had told them not to go.  Believing she had nothing left to hold her in Moab, Naomi plans to return to Israel broken and alone. But she failed to reckon with the strength of Ruth, who saw something in her mother-in-law despite all the failures that she greatly desired.  When she begged of Naomi “entreat me not to leave thee”, she was essentially telling her that she was willing to give up all that remained in Moab, for the chance of a new life in Israel.   

Ruth cleaved to her mother-in-law, begging her not to leave her alone in Moab. Orpha kissed her on the cheek, cried a few tears, and turned back to her old life. Two young Moabite women in similar circumstances.  Both married to young immigrant Jewish men, both tragically widowed without children at a young age.  Both facing terribly difficult choices in life – where do we go from here? Which path would be best?   Orpha chose to kiss possibility goodbye and returned to Moab, a land which God hated. Ruth clung to Naomi and chose a newer, brighter, albeit unknown future in Bethlehem, the House of Bread. 

We hear no more about Orpha after that encounter.  Her teary kiss to her mother-in-law was as many in society today – noisily “air kissing” near the cheek but never really contacting the recipient.  Somehow, Orpha came out of her encounter with an Israelite family without ever knowing the God they served. 

Ruth went on to Bethlehem, still facing considerable opposition because according to Israelite law, she was prohibited even of entering the sanctuary of God.  No hope whatsoever in the eyes of the law or Israelite society of ever making good in life.  She was forced by their dire circumstances to glean left over wheat kernels in the fields of strangers for their mere existence.  

The determination that she showed that day at the crossroads in her life was demonstrated by the fact that she “cleaved” to Naomi.  Verse 16 in various translations indicates the passion and urgency she felt and expressed to Naomi.  “Don’t force me to leave you… don’t urge me… don’t make me go back to my own people”.   At the same time, she was physically holding on to Naomi – “cleaved”, “clave”, “clung”, “stayed with her”, “stuck with her” – all translations indicating that she was holding on to her mother-in-law for dear life.   

The Hebrew word used here & over 50 times in the Bible is dabaq, which describes a deep, inseparable, and voluntary bond, most famously used in Genesis 2:24 to describe a husband “clinging” to his wife.  It signifies a strong, loyal, and one-flesh union, and implies a passionate, persistent pursuit and an unbreakable commitment.   

Job used it many times in his agony to describe how his bones “cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh”.  David used it in Psalms 119:31 to show his dedication “I have held fast (stuck, cleaved, cling) to thy testimonies, Oh Lord”.   

But my favorite use of all we find in 2 Samuel 23, where Eleazar, one of David’s mighty men, fought so valiantly & successfully against the Philistines that “his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword”. What power!  What physical & mental commitment!  He fought so hard and unstoppably that his hand wearied, cramped, and literally seized around the handle of the sword so that he could not put it down, and the two became one.  I can just imagine the scene later, when it was all over and the adrenaline stopped pumping – having to literally peel his cramped & stiffened fingers away to remove the sword from his hand. 

Ruth demonstrated that level of determination and commitment to Naomi’s God!  “Your people will be my people, your God will be my God”.  Ruth was laying it all on the line, refusing to go back in any sense of the word, looking only forward toward an unknown but a God-inhabited future. 

Like Ruth and Orpah, each of us must decide.  What will you do?  Will you kiss God and his goodness goodbye, never to be heard from again, or will you cling to this new life with all the strength you have?  There is hope for those who hold on! There is an easy formula to ensure we have the best “hold” on God!  Romans 12:9 says, “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”  My God is good! We must follow Him!

I pray that you don’t go back – there’s nothing of value in your old world.  Decide to follow Jesus as Ruth followed Naomi – He will never leave you.  Like the sword that stuck to the hand of Eleazar, David’s mighty man, and like Ruth who cleaved to her mother-in-law and new life in the House of Bread – Hold on!  Keep holding on!  Cleave to the things of God and don’t let them go!

Kay Burgess

 Leading Together: New Year, New Me

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. – Proverbs 16:24

In 2006, my family was awaiting approval for our application to become missionaries to Finland. We had recently returned from a mission trip to Estonia, and I was struggling to readjust to American society. All I wanted was to return to the mission field. I struggled with renewing friendships and felt very alone. Thankfully, God placed specific people in my life whom I still cherish to this day. They spent intentional time with me, teaching me their skills, helping me gain a sense of direction, and building me up through our conversations. 

We often don’t realize the power of gracious words until we find ourselves in a situation where we desperately need them. We can all imagine a time when we were discouraged, and someone came along and offered us a message of encouragement. Upon hearing those words, we felt a change within, the heaviness of our burden lightened, and we were strengthened! In moments of loss, change, illness, or upheaval, a well-timed gracious word is exactly as Solomon describes: “Sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” 

Recently, I went through a difficult season. During a conversation, a dear friend and fellow leader stopped me and shared something that God had impressed upon her to say. As she spoke, I was moved. She didn’t know the full picture of what I was going through. She wasn’t aware of the questions circling my mind or the emotions I struggled to reconcile. All she knew was that God wanted her to remind me that He knew exactly where I was. I walked away from that conversation once again amazed at how God could use someone else to personally minister to me. I was greatly encouraged, and her words helped carry me through the rest of that season. 

As leaders, we have a prime opportunity to speak gracious words to those around us. A compassionate leader is aware of the needs of those they lead; they continually listen for God’s direction when speaking to others. They notice the little details and make each person feel heard and seen. They speak up when they see someone struggling and offer support. They pray, cry, laugh, mourn, and rejoice with them. They walk alongside those they lead, offering encouragement and wisdom as the opportunity presents itself. 

Paul wrote to the Colossian church in Colossians 3:16: “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” What words are more gracious than Christ’s message of hope and mercy! It truly provides sweetness to our soul and healing to our body. May our words be as honeycomb to everyone we meet, directed by the Lord and full of hope and healing. 

Candace Lindholm

Meeting Together

Honey!  Mmm!  I enjoy honey on bread, in tea, and used as a sweetener in baked goods.   

Besides it’s sweet taste, honey has been used as a healing agent for thousands of years.  It is loaded with antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins and minerals and is known for soothing a sore throat, relieving a cough, helping to heal a wound and helping with seasonal allergies.  Some claim that it is a food that never goes bad. 

Here are some interesting trivia facts I found about bees and honey that might be fun to share with your ladies as an ice breaker: 

• A honey bee can fly up to 15 miles per hour.   
• A honey bee only makes an average of 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime.  
• One ounce of honey would fuel abeesflight around the world.  
• A half kilo of honey is made by 2 million flower visits.  The bees fly 88,000 km back and forth to bring that honey.  
• A honeybee visits 50-100 flowers in one trip.  
• Honey comb is hexagon (six-sided) shaped.   
• Honey bees beat their wings 11,400 times per minute.  This is beating of wings makes the buzzing noise.  
• Honey bees never sleep.  
• An average hive has 50,000 to 60,000 worker bees. 
• The honeybeeis the only insect that produces food for humans.  
• Honey keeps very well. A pot of honey was found in good condition in King Tut’s tomb. 
• Eating honey is a natural way to get an energy boost. It is a mixture of simple sugars, glucose and fructose.  Studies have shown that this works best in preventing fatigue and enhancing athletes’ performance.  

The Scriptures also have much to say about honey.  This month, why not consider doing a meeting around the topic of this sweet nectar given to us by bees? 

Decorations:  Consider decorating your venue in black and yellow.  Table centerpieces could be made from any yellow flower of your choice with little honey bee decorations added.  Or you could place a decorative beehive in the middle of each table.  You could also add beeswax candles to your table which could be draped with a yellow table cloth and topped with black place mats. 

If you haven’t already, I suggest you check out Temu and search for “honey bee decorations.”  There are dozens and dozens of options that are very inexpensive.  Check out their mini honey jars and spoons.  So cute!   

If you can find honey sticks in your country, you could buy one as a take home gift for each lady.  Print out your favorite Scripture about honey and tie it to the honey stick with a pretty ribbon and stick a little honey bee on it. 

Devotion:  The Bible has many Scriptures referring to honey.  Here are a few suggestions to stimulate your creativity: 

• Psalm 19:10; 119:103 – God’s Word is sweeter than honey (and to be desired more than much fine gold.) 
• Exodus 16:31 – The manna God provided from heaven tasted like wafers made with honey. 
• Proverbs 16:24 – Kind words are sweet like honey. 
• Exodus 3:8 – God promised Israel that He would deliver them from slavery and bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey.  This talked of a land of abundance, and the sweetness of living in a land of freedom. 
• I Samuel 14:25-27 – When he was exhausted from the battle he was fighting, Jonathon ate some honey and his energy was renewed.  We often get exhausted when fighting our spiritual battles, but if we will dip in and partake of God’s Word, our spirits will be renewed to continue the fight. 

Don’t forget, if you use any of this in your meetings, we would love to hear from you and see your pictures!

Crystal Wallace

Teaching Together: Busy like Bees, Sweet like Honey

Spring—a season of new beginnings, growth, and hopefully some sunshine! One thing we all had in common this winter was an abundance of snow! I’m definitely ready for warmer weather and longer, brighter days. 

A few streets away from where we live, there is a home with very colorful wooden crates built above the garage. Naomi, my oldest daughter, always notices them whenever we pass. She later learned that they are beehives! She has become fascinated with learning all about bees and the sweet honey they make. 

Bees must find nectar from flowers and bring it back to the hive, all while avoiding dangers. There, special bees work to store it, and over time it becomes the sweet, sticky honey that we all know and love! 

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 16:24, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” 

One of the greatest things we can do as women of God is share sweet words of encouragement and blessing. There is power in the words that we speak to one another. Your words can be like medicine to a hurting heart or bring sweetness to a bitter moment. My sisters, let your words be sweet to those around you! 

How do we practically apply this to our lives? Here is a small list of helpful tips to get you started: 

• Read the Word of God daily. Let His words flow out of your mouth! Speak Scripture aloud—you can create a sweet atmosphere in your home by reciting God’s Word. 
• Be thankful and let gratitude be expressed through your words. Write it down in a journal, and when you face discouragement or frustration, remind yourself of the goodness of God. 
• Be prayerful. Ask God to guide your words each and every day. If you struggle with anger or gossip, ask Him to help you overcome. 
• Change your vocabulary from negativity and gossip to truth. Combine truth with kindness. Share the Gospel with love and integrity. 
• Sing praise and worship songs as you go about your daily tasks. Even if you don’t consider yourself a singer, there is power in your words! Let your worship rise before God as a sweet offering. 
• Encourage someone daily. The more you speak life, the more you too will be renewed. 

 So, let’s be busy like bees and make sweet honey through our pleasant words!

Christine Patterson

“She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” Mark 14:8-9 (NLT)