An Obedient Little Boy Becomes a Great Man of God

Before doing this Bible study, please read the 1-minute introduction A Little Boy: A Difficult Task. It explains that Samuel faithfully shared God's truth in situations that were difficult and unpopular. But he did so with a heart of compassion and love. 

In every era of history, there have been false teachers offering messages that are soft, self-focused, and not from the Lord. Our modern "Christian" culture is filled with such messages and they are enormously popular. For an important example see Beware of Ex-vangelical Teachings.

1. Samuel Obeyed even though it was hard:

In 1 Samuel 3 when Samuel was a young boy, God gave him the difficult task of telling his guardian Eli that God was going to punish Eli because he allowed his sons to blaspheme God. Samuel was afraid, but he obeyed. 

Jeremiah had similar feelings about his difficult assignments, but he felt so strongly about God's Word that he could not help but obey.

Jeremiah 20:8-9: Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

2. All genuine believers face opposition:

Samuel had to deliver an unpopular rebuke to King Saul which Saul ignored (1 Samuel 15:22-23). King Saul did things to suit his own desires and the people around him encouraged him to do this. See the 1-minute devotion Partial Obedience and the short video As Serious as Witchcraft for a deeper look at King Saul's choices.

Paul warned Timothy that he would face similar opposition:

2 Timothy 4:2-3: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, we read the description of those who reject the gospel message while claiming to be Christians, i.e. "having a form of godliness but denying its power."

And Christ warns us several places in Scripture that the world hated Him and they will hate us too (e.g. John 15:18-19). 

In our present culture, many families are being torn apart because of the gospel. Christ warns us of this in Matthew 10:21-22 and urges us to stand firm.

3. Samuel is an example for us.
Samuel did things that were hard because he loved the Lord and wanted to obey Him. We should remember men like Samuel and Jeremiah. They are part of the "great cloud of witnesses" who have gone before us. We can follow their example. And our perfect example is Christ Himself.

Hebrews 12:1-3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  

The gospel is not pleasant or popular to those who reject it. But we understand the wonderful love, forgiveness, grace, and truth it offers. So let's stand firm, dear Christians! Let's speak God's truth even when it becomes unpleasant and unpopular to do so.

copyright 2015, Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com, updated in 2023 

5 Important Truths from the Life of Ruth

As an introduction to this study, please read the 1-minute devotion The Great Challenges and Great Faith of Ruth.

It's so easy to read Bible stories and forget they record events in the lives of real people like you and me. Ruth had human feelings, questions, and challenges. But she is an excellent example of faith, humility and forbearance. 

1. Ruth stood firm in her new faith despite opposition.

When Naomi prepared to return to Judah, her daughters-in-law were both willing to accompany her. But she urged them to go back to their people and their gods!! 

To put this into perspective, this is like a Christian persuading a new believer to go back to Hindu or Muslim worship!

We don’t know if Ruth’s husband introduced her to God, but Ruth clearly wanted to serve Him, so she stood firm despite the fact that Naomi tried to convince her she'd be happier in her own country. 

Here are some excerpts from their conversation in Ruth 1:

“Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, 'Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home.' But they both wept and said they would go with her. But Naomi said, 'Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me?'” 

When Ruth "clung to" Naomi, Naomi continued:

“'Look,' said Naomi, 'your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.' But Ruth replied, 'Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.'” 

Note that Ruth made it clear that she was committed to Naomi and God for her entire life...“even in death.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her to stay.

2. Ruth overcame prejudice about her ethnic background.  

The Moabites were pagans, descendants with an incestuous beginning: Lot's wicked daughters got Lot drunk, slept with him, and became pregnant (Genesis 19:30-38). That's a pretty disgusting start to an ethnic group. Yet God chose Ruth, a Moabite, to teach the Jews a lesson. There is no doubt that she overcame bigotry and convinced the people of her genuine faith.

In Numbers and Deuteronomy God rebukes Israelites from having fellowship with the Moabites because of their idolatry and sexual immorality. 

 Deuteronomy 23:3-4: “No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation. 4 For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you.”

If someone misjudges you and looks down on you, how do you respond?

The following verses give us insights into the impression Ruth made on those who initially would have looked down on her due to her ethnicity:

Ruth 3:11: “All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.”

Ruth 4:14-15: “The women said to Naomi ...'your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.'”

Ruth 2:11-12: “Boaz replied, 'I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.'”

Boaz could see that Ruth's faith had changed her in visible ways, and that is most likely why he married her because he was a God-fearing, honorable man. To better understand why Boaz would marry Ruth despite these Old Testament laws, see Got Questions.

3. Ruth overcame Naomi's selfishness and respected her advice.

Naomi was bitter and insensitive to Ruth in a number of ways. For more on this, please read Was Naomi a Good Mom-in-law?.  

Despite Naomi's insensitivity, Ruth listened to her advice. 

Ruth 3:1-5: One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. [Naomi gives Ruth instructions]... 5 “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered.  

Perhaps we don't respect everything about a particular elder, but that doesn't mean God can't use them to advise us. And it doesn't mean we can't show them respect. It is humbling to admit older people know things we don't, but it's true.

How do you respond to advice from those who are older than you? 

1 Peter 5:5-6: You who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

4. Ruth was willing to take a low position.

The only type of work Ruth could get to feed her and Naomi was humble, difficult and sometimes unsafe.  

If you were out of work, would you do something "beneath" you in order to put food on the table?

Ruth 2:9,  22: [Boaz said] “Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you” ... 22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.”

5. God honored Ruth's faith and humility.

Matthew 1: “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah ... 5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David ...”

Women are usually not listed in genealogies during this time frame, but Matthew, under the direction of God's Spirit lists three women and one of them is the Moabite Ruth. I also believe that God prompted Boaz to marry Ruth because Boaz was a godly man and even though Ruth's children were officially children of her first husband due to Leverate Law Boaz is mentioned in Matthew 1 as the true father. 

copyright 2015, Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com, edited and updated in 2025

Why Celebrating Christmas Is a Good Thing

Before doing this short study, please read the 1-minute Bible Love Note Why Celebrate? as an introduction. 

Even though Christmas has been commercialized by our culture, we shouldn't underestimate the value of holidays, i.e. holy-days. 

God instituted a number of Old Testament festivals as foreshadowing of Christ. Read 7 Feasts that Point to Christ. 

The Lord wanted His people to enjoy and celebrate their faith in Old Testament times, and He wants us to do the same. 

What reasons for celebrating are provided in the passages below?

Deuteronomy 11:18-21: Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Do you talk about the Christmas story during the holidays? Do your Christmas decorations remind you and your family of Christ? 

Years ago, I created tree decorations with various names of Christ from Scripture. For example, Prince of Peace, Savior, Alpha and Omega, Messiah, Lamb of God. 

When my grandchildren were small, I created a "play nativity set" so they could incorporate the story of Christ's birth into their playtime during the holidays. I share how I made this in Helping Kids Focus on Christ. 

Psalm 105:1-5: Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced...

Why not create a family time during Christmas when you gather to remind each other of the wonderful blessings God has given, sharing your testimonies, and ending in prayer.

I also recommend the one-minute devotion Think God is Against a Party? Think Again!

See 8 Steps to a More Meaningful Christmas and The Symbol of the Christmas Tree.

copyright 2015, Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy, edited and updated 2024