Today we attended our final Bible Discussion Group for 2007. It was a Christmas Bible Study with a difference. Led superbly by Major Lawrence Coleman, we followed the personal journeys of four OT women of faith who each were connected to David's Lineage of Love ~ Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba ~ all of whom bore children who were significant in God's chosen family line culminating, of course, with the glorious song of Mary, God's chosen earthly mother. Interestingly, these are the only 4 women who are mentioned in the Christmas narrative genealogies that set the scene for Jesus' birth.
While discussing Ruth, we discovered again that there was a 'love connection' with Bethlehem. Her second husband was Boaz of Bethlehem, and together they were blessed with a son.
Ruth 4:16-17 (NIV) ~ "Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David." ...and the rest is History! Coincidence? No. God-incidence? YES.
Roll on 5 February, when we recommence again for 2008.
