Part 16
---The series on Ruth began in Part 10---
“I will give you treasures of darkness and hidden riches of the Secret Place, that you may know that I, the Lord, Who calls you by your name, am the God of Israel.” Isaiah 45:3
“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 anything but death separates you and me.’ When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.” Ruth 1:16-19a
Finally….after famine, after heart-wrenching decisions, after standing at the crossroads, after resisting the enemy….finally….they enter the Gate---the Way, the Truth and the Life.
“I will go. I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.” “I Am the Gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved.” John 10:9a
They find themselves in the Outer Court of the Tabernacle. “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.” Psalm 27:4 “Within Your temple, O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love.” Psalm 48:9
And when they enter, they cause quite a commotion…“When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them…” Ruth 1:19a
Court: The enclosure of the Tabernacle, of the Temple and of a King’s Palace. (Parson’s Bible Dictionary)
The Courtyard
“Make a Courtyard for The Dwelling (The Tabernacle)….The Courtyard is to be 150 feet long and 75 feet wide. The hangings of fine twisted linen set on their bronze bases are to be 7 1 /2 feet high. All the tools used for setting up The Holy Dwelling, including all the pegs in it and the Courtyard, are to be made of bronze. Now, order the Israelites to bring you pure, clear olive oil for light so that the lamps can be kept burning. In the Tent of Meeting, the area outside the curtain that veils The Testimony, (the Ark of the Covenant),…keep this light burning from evening until morning before God.” (Exodus 9a, 18-21 The Message)
When we enter into the Outer Court (the Courtyard), what are we going to find? Oh, there is quite a commotion, a stir, alright. The Word of God says that when one enters into the knowledge and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Savior, all of Heaven rejoices. “…rejoice that your names are written in Heaven.” Luke 10:20b “After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in Heaven shouting, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!’” Revelation 19:1 It’s a party! We find ourselves in a place where we can fellowship, sing, dance, worship the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and rejoicing as others find their way through the Gate. This is where we begin to receive all God has for us. This is where we will find the Brazen Altar (sacrifice) and the Brazen Laver (sanctification). This is the place where we discover “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28.
If one of the definitions for Court, according to Parson’s Bible Dictionary, is a King’s Palace, we also get the benefit of:
The Dream of the King… “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
Wisdom and power are His.
He changes times and seasons;
He sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
He knows what lies in darkness,
And light dwells with Him.
I thank and praise You, O God of my fathers;
You have given me wisdom and power,
You have made known to me what we asked of you,
You have made known to us the dream of the King.” Daniel 2:19b-23
There is a lot going on in the Outer Court, the area surrounding The Secret Place, and one of the sweetest promises of all as we enter in…
“He who dwells (stays) in the shelter (the Secret Place) of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely He will save me from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand my fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the Lord, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. ‘Because he loves Me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue (deliver) him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges (knows and understands) My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.’” Psalm 91
He’s all we need…..And the definition for “all” is: all.
“Now I…praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything (all) He does is right and all His ways are just.” Daniel 4:37a
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