It’s Fall, Y’all: Seasons Change

I love fall weather.  Seasons change, be ready to change with them. Changing seasons remind me of God’s faithfulness to lead us out of our pain into a new season. God in His goodness gives us a picture of His love towards us in the changing of the seasons. Green leaves give way to the beautiful majestic colors of red, orange, purple, yellow, and sometimes pink. What a beautiful picture of God’s faithfulness.

One of the chapters in the book (10 Life Lessons from the Book of Ruth) I am currently writing is called: Be Ready to Change With The Season

Here’s a quick peek inside the book.

“Ruth started working the fields at the beginning of the barley harvest and worked through the wheat harvest. Ruth stayed and only worked in the fields of Boaz through a change in seasons.  Ruth could have gone to work in other fields; however, she would have missed the blessings God had prepared for her (Ruth 2:23). Barley is the first grain harvested during the Spring (around Passover); it is a hardy grain which can withstand harsh conditions, unlike wheat. Passover symbolizes Christ’s giving of Himself as our Redeemer as Boaz was for Ruth (Ruth 3:8-13). As her redeemer, Boaz was responsible for preserving the life, property, honor, and family name of his close relative (Naomi). He was presumably the ‘Goel’ (redeemer or next-of-kin).

Ruth withstood many harsh conditions while in Moab and on the way to Bethlehem; however, she was willing to stay strong during the change in seasons, thus receiving the blessing of Pentecost (Exodus 23:24-33). Typically, the Book of Ruth is read on Pentecost (Shavuot).  Studies indicate the varies reasons for reading Ruth on Pentecost:

1. “Like Shavuot, the book of Ruth is a very agrarian in character, giving us one of the best depictions of ancient Israelite agricultural practices including reaping, gleaning, threshing, and winnowing. The whole narrative takes place around the harvest calendar. When Naomi and Ruth return from Moab to Judah, the text says: “They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest” (Ruth 1:22).”
2. “The second reason why Ruth is read on Shavuot concerns the genealogical information at the very end of the book. Ruth and Boaz are married and have a son. Regarding this boy, the text says: “They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:17). This makes Ruth the great-grandmother of King David. This is perhaps the main reason why this lighthearted pastoral story was included in the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The connection with Shavuot? King David, according to a post-biblical Jewish tradition, was both born and died on Shavuot (see Ruth Rabbah 3:2; Jerusalem Talmud, Beitza 2:4), so it makes sense to read about David’s genealogical line on his birthday.”
3. “A third reason why Ruth is read on Shavuot has to with Ruth’s courageous decision to voluntarily enter into the nation of Israel.” Ruth 1:16-17 records Ruth’s words to Naomi, “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried. May the LORD do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!”

I hope you enjoy the fall weather as much as I do. Please take a moment to thank God for the change in seasons. Yes, seasons change and we, therefore, have an opportunity to grow from glory to glory.  Stay tuned for more updates on my new book. Please enjoy and share.