Other Non-KJV study bibles

New Living Translation Study Bible – This is my favorite non-KJV study Bible even though the translation is a thought-for-thought (dynamic-equivalence) one. I usually judge a study Bible by how easily it illumines the Book of Psalms and the writings of St. Paul. In these two aspects the NLTSB is wonderful. The Psalms are given ample treatment with both an overall note on each Psalm and then verse-by-verse notes as needed. Short articles on Psalm types (laments, praises, thanksgiving, etc.) are also presented.  In regards to Paul’s writing, the NLTSB helps us relate many of Paul’s words back to their Old Testament roots. Again, nearly every verse is covered in the concise notes. This is a pretty thick volume because there is a nearly 60/40 split between verses and notes. The font and design make it easy to read.
Recommended: Highly

Holman Christian Study Bible – This study Bible is an eye-candy masterpiece. Of all the books listed this one is the most stunning and imaginative I’ve ever seen. It incorporates all the things you would expect from a good Study Bible, such as notes, cross-references, maps, book introductions, etc. Everything is placed in thoughtfully designed pages. A wonderful additional feature are over 400 word studies which cover topics of interest. For example, the ancient Greek word for “Comforter” (John 14:16,26), is examined alongside the usual study notes. My only complaint is the overuse of color in regards to the type fonts. One color in particular, the medium blue for the verse numbers, is too light. Also, there are about 20 or so “essays on practical and theological issues” scattered throughout the book which are similar to the “life lessons” articles from the LAB. So while the study notes and comments are focused on history and background it does have some contemporary evangelical content. The verse/notes split is about 60/40.
Recommended: Highly

MacArthur Study Bible – Pastor John MacArthur is a publishing legend. His books, commentaries and study bibles are very popular and can be found matched with the ESV, NKJV, and the NASB. All three versions contain the same notes so pick a translation you don’t have. I picked the NASB which is very close to the KJV. MacArthur words are strongest when he teaches. His comments are not technical, nor focused solely on the words, but more toward explanations. The verse/notes split is about 60/40. The view is conservative, evangelical and dispensational. It also includes, like many evangelical works, “rapture” views. This is a good study Bible for those who want a modern scholar explaining the Bible with a little bit, actually more than a little, of God’s wrath poured in.
Recommended: Neutral.

Life Application Bible – This is the most preachy, theology-stuffed of all the study bibles. I liked its narrative style in the notes but then you get hit with lines like, “Everyone will meet his Maker. When that happens to you what will you say?” These types of comments, sometimes called “Life Lessons”, are found throughout the easy-speaking notes in the LAB. As you’d expect from this popular evangelical study Bible, the focus is toward the conservative view of Scripture. The verses-to-notes split is about 60/40 and includes plenty of book and chapter notes including introductions of themes for each Psalm. While the LAB was a product of the 1990′s it has been replace by the newer Life Application Study Bible.
Recommended: No

Oxford Study Bible – With the seminary student in mind, the OSB is scholarly, ecumenical and easy to stuff in a backpack for classes. It uses the Revised English Version (an update from the New English Version) as its text. Keeping with the practice of other Oxford study bibles (OASB and NEB) this verse to text split is 80/20. Instead it goes for more articles (the first 200 pages are scholarly articles) which are excellent. It uses views from all the major Christian and Jewish universities in order to be diverse. It can only be bought as a paperback and it’s really floppy.
Recommended: Yes

Jewish Study Bible (OT only) – This is a wonderful book because it gives a rich Jewish perspective on the Old Testament. This is very helpful in the understanding of the Psalms, which often gets drenched in Christian theology. The study Bible is an Oxford production and does take some getting used to. It presents the books in the traditional order which is the Torah (the five books of Moses); Nevi’im (the major and minor prophets); and Kethuvim (the other writings). Also, the notes are along both the side and the bottom. The verses to notes split is about 60/40 and the translation is based on the Tanakh from the Jewish Publication Society.
Recommended: Yes

New English Bible-Oxford Study Edition – This was the first study Bible I owned. I got it from the Christian Science Reading room in the early 1980′s. It was a paperback with a bright blue cover. It had these weird books called the Apocrypha. The notes are concise and brief and the verses/notes split is about 80/20. The focus is ecumenical (at least from a 1970′s perspective). This study Bible is hard to find and has long been replaced by the Oxford Study Bible.
Recommended: Nice to have but not essential

Geneva 1599 Bible – This is the Bible that the Pilgrims brought over with them to America. The Geneva Bible was the first to use chapter and verse numbers. It was used and quoted by William Shakespeare, John Bunyan, and John Milton. The notes were written by Reformation giants such as John Calvin, John Knox, and Miles Coverdale. The notes pull no punches in their regard to the papacy and kings. After reading them you can see why King James wouldn’t allow any notes in the KJV. The verses/notes split is about 70/30. The version you want is the one by Tolle Lege Press formatted with modern spelling and the standard study Bible format (verses on top notes on the bottom). Otherwise, you’ll have to work with 16th century English and that’s not much fun.
Recommended: Nice to have but not essential

NET Bible (NET) – It doesn’t get any better than this for a study Bible freak! It has over 60,000 notes! As such the verse to note split is a staggering 40/60. The notes are of three types: 1) translator’s notes; 2) text-critical notes; and 3) study notes. My own review of the notes is they are mainly offering different renderings of words and phrases with explanations for the chosen translation. The study notes address cultural and historical points. Translator’s notes far exceed study notes. The book itself is pretty thick, so if you want, you can use for free online. In terms of viewpoint, it seems the NET goes for the exact meaning of each word rather than style. As such, you won’t be using this translation to read aloud but if you want to hash over the words to get the deeper meanings, you’ll like it.
Recommended: Yes

Summary: We’ve covered twenty-seven unique study bibles in our three posts. There are probably another 25 or so out there in the marketplace but in my mind these are the major ones. The purpose of a study Bible is to help us gain greater understanding of the meaning of the Scriptures either through illumination of its passages, a deeper examination of the words themselves, and through inspiration or “aha” moments. With all the diversity of backgrounds we know that no study Bible is perfect. Thankfully, we have the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, as our divinely inspired guide to the Bible.

Like a good reviewer should, I have made recommendations at the bottom of each capsule.  Each recommendation is based on how I typically use a study Bible but that may not be much different than how you would use one.  As a final recommendation, here’s a couple of groupings of the top study bibles:

Top KJV-based:

1. Scofield Reference Bible (1917)
2. Key Word Study Bible
3. Archaeological Study Bible

Top Non-KJV:

1. New Oxford Annotated Study Bible (NRSV)
2. New Living Translation Study Bible (NLT)
3. Chronological Study Bible (NKJV)
4. NET Bible
5. Holman Christian Standard Study Bible (HCS)

I would enjoy hearing your thoughts, comments and recommendations.  Please use the “Leave a Comment” box found below.

Enjoy!

Our next list of study bibles are keyed to a translation other than the KJV.  As you will see the list of available non-KJV study bibles nearly doubles in length.  The major Bible publishing houses, such as Oxford, Nelson, Tyndale and others, have produced newer, sometimes more contemporary translations than the KJV.  That doesn’t mean the KJV is going away.  According to the top Bible scholars, the KJV still reigns and remains as “the magisterial rendering in English” (Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative). I will provide some thoughts on the subject of translations in a near future post.

The great benefit from working with a non-KJV study Bible is that you not only get to read the top-notch, up-to-date scholarship of the major publishing houses, but you get to add a new translation to your library.  Both of these features help us in our quest to gain the spiritual sense of the Bible verses we study.

Another aspect to consider with study bibles is the viewpoint of the publishers.  Most of the top publishers take an ecumenical (liberal) view or a pre-millennial/dispensational (conservative) view of the Scriptures.  There are other views as well but these are two major views.  These views often color the notes and comments found in the study bibles.  In this list we will pinpoint the view and see how much “coloring” is occurring.

The practice of putting the words of Christ Jesus in red is often a major criteria for buyers.  The practice began over one hundred years ago and has gotten to the point where some will never buy a Bible without this feature.  I personally don’t care for it because it messes up highlighting and often the color of the text runs from deep burgundy to hot pink! (although I know a Christian Scientist and Bible Ph.D who appreciates it because it helps show when Jesus is speaking in Acts and Revelation).

Another criteria is the inclusion of the Apocrypha in the study Bible.  These works, which are not included in the KJV, are considered part of the official canon by Roman Catholic and orthodox churches.  Inclusion of these books is found in study Bibles that target the ecumenical segment of the market.  For Protestant Christians, who are used to KJV bibles, it is a distraction.  They don’t like the extra weight or size that the Apocrypha adds (in some cases 400 pages or more) to an already bulky book, they see no spiritual value coming from the Apocrypha (did you ever hear anyone quoting from the Apocrypha?), and finally, when they think they’re flipping to Matthew in the New Testament they’re landing on books named “Tobit” or “I Maccabees”.

The construction of the study bible itself is often a major concern for buyers.  Many of them will take the Bible with them every day.  Leather, binding, page weight and other factors weigh in heavily.  The only Bible I transport is a simple leather-bound KJV and I typically buy the hardcover versions and put them on my shelf as a reference work.  (If Bible construction is of interest to you, please read the excellent Bible Design blog).

Here’s my list of non-KJV study bibles.  I bundled several of them together by translation.

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Study Bibles-based study bibles:

New Oxford Annotated Bible (Augmented Third Edition) – This Oxford product (NOAB) is one of three which are produced by what is considered the top scholarly resource (the other two follow this review).  All three books use the New Revised Standard Version which is considered a highly accurate translation that satisfies the views of the liberal, ecumenical group (notice how often translations are targeted toward market segments).  There is little theological bias in the notes so it doesn’t offend many.  It includes the Apocrypha in order to reach a broader audience. .  Also, the Old Testament is called “The Hebrew Bible” and all dates are not BC/AD but BCE/CE.  It uses gender-neutral language and the words of Jesus are not in red ink.  So while all this makes it seem rather lifeless, it’s actually a really good study Bible.  The layout and readability is the best of all I’ve seen.  Poetical segments are presented in lyrical form while other parts use the standard full alignment approach.  The notes are not as plenteous like some others (about a 70/30 split between text and notes) but the ability to get the scholars points across is never a problem.  My study of Amos, Nahum, Joel and other Minor Prophets was greatly enhanced by the notes.  This is the study Bible for those who want to grasp the deeper meanings of the Bible using a neutral, non-controversial product.  What it lacks in inspiration it excels in credibility.  (Please note that a Fourth Edition has already popped up and is a substantive re-write of this edition.)
Recommended? Yes.

New Interpreter’s Study Bible – Another one of the three major study bibles the NISB.  It is a product of the Abingdon Press which gave us the Abingdon Bible Commentary and the Interpreter’s One-Volume Bible Commentary, both of which were sold in our Christian Science Reading Rooms.  They also provided the twelve-volume Interpreter’s Bible and favorite of pastors and ministers for years.  The NISB has similar features to the NOAB including neutral-bias, ecumenical viewpoints, gender sensitivity and use of the Apocrypha (which takes up about 400 pages in this book).  The notes are more plenteous than the other two study bibles probably averaging a 60/40 page split between the Bible verses and the notes.  How does the NISB stand out from the other top study Bibles? It is more moderate than the other two but it is still bias-free, more notes and accurate information. 
Recommended? Yes.

Harper Collins Study Bible – This is another excellent ecumenical study bible and is comprehensive, thorough and representative of liberal, mainstream Bible scholarship (on the dust jacket it has a quote from Bill Moyers!  How much happy, unified National Council of Churches can we be?)  The HCSB has all the familiar features of our other two top scholarly study Bibles so I won’t list them.  The HCSB has about a 70/30 verse/notes split.  The excellent, easy-to-read layout is similar to the NOAB, and includes new articles on archaeology and ancient religion.
Recommended? Yea, sure.

As you can see, the lines blur between these products.  I’m sure we’d get an argument on that point from each publisher but when you look at it there are so many similarities between the three books it makes you wonder if the ecumenical movement is winning.  Most of us only need one of these three books.  If I had to pick I’d say 1) NOAB , 2) HCSB and 3) NISB but they’re all pretty close.

New King James Versions (NKJV)-based study bibles:

New King James Version Study Bible  – This is a rock-solid work with a 60/40 split between text and notes.  To make it easier on the eyes and to get away from the standard sea of black text on white paper, the publishers have added light blue to enhance the pages!  The theological bias is toward progressive dispensationalism but other views are there too.  Unlike the scholarly trio, there is no Apocrypha, the language is not gender neutral, but surprisingly the words of Christ are not in red like most evangelical bibles.  What impresses me about this book is the emphasis on the words.  Nearly every other page has a call-out box highlighting a certain word in the text such as “sin”, “heirs together” and “similitude of God”.  Then follows a definition and a description of the word’s use in the context or setting.  Overall, this book is very helpful in understanding the text meanings as opposed to theological meanings.
Recommended? Highly.

Chronological Study Bible – This wonderful work is eye-popping with color, charts, articles, photos and more.  It provides, on nearly every page, a perspective on the history of a certain Bible passage found on that page. It is one of the most pleasing to read of all the study bibles.  The pages follow a biblical timeline or epochs and moves books, chapters and verses throughout the Bible in order to show what words were said or written at which particular time.  You’ll find some of the Psalms intertwined throughout the books of Kings, Chronicles, Nehemiah, and Ezra.  The prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah and others are also interspersed within the other historical books of the Bible.  All the gospels are combined in a new way or continuum which makes for a fascinating journey.
Recommended? Highly.

Scofield Study Bible III – As mentioned in the previous post, the Scofield III is the second remake of the original or “Old” Scofield Reference Bible.  The dispensationalist editors, wishing to preserve the Scofield system of study, but updating it to reflect current historical events, have done a massive overhaul.  They went away from the KJV to the NKJV, and did a complete redo of the Scofield notes.  To me, it leaves little that I remember of the original Scofield Reference Bible. 
Recommended? Not.

English Standard Version (ESV)-based study bibles:

ESV Study Bible – It took some effort not to buy this study Bible.  It has all the makings of a solid resource,–book summaries, plenty of notes, charts, cross-references, etc.  The prices at Amazon and especially at Half-Price Books made it tempting. What stopped me was the somewhat bigoted, self-righteous articles in the back of the book regarding “cults.”  Of course, Christian Science gets lumped in there for special hatred by the editors.  You would hope that after 150 years of the public practice of Christian Science, the publication of a multi-Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, with open and public church services and lectures, and especially the exemplary Christian lives of its members, that old theology would let it go.  We are no more a cult than the small band of religious zealots who followed a messianic leader nearly 2,000 years ago.  I can give kudos to the ESV translation which is pretty good.  But the ESV Study Bible, for the most part, presents old-time Calvinistic dogma which is the theology that drove Mrs. Eddy away from the Congregational church of her day. 
Recommended? Not.

Literary Study Bible – To get away from the ESV Study Bible, I came across another product put out by Crossway.  The Literary Study Bible was produced by two of the top Bible linguists, Leland Ryken and his son Philip Graham Ryken.  In this volume you won’t find copious notes, charts or cross references.  You will find the Bible text presented in the way prose, poems or lyrics are presented.  At the beginning of each book and at the beginning of nearly every chapter, the Rykens provide a summary of the literary aspects of the Bible passages.  You won’t find explanations of words or phrases but it will help you understand the techniques and styles used by the authors to present their revelations.  Many some of us believe that the Bible, especially the Old Testament, was written by romantic shepherds while watching the flocks or by fire and brimstone prophets being chased by angry kings and queens.  Actually, the authors of the books of the Bible were men of deep intellect who wrote in the highest standards of literature of any era.  Can any book today top the Book of Job, written 1,500 B.C.?  The Literary Study Bible will help you understand the way they wrote.
Recommended? Neutral.  Not for everyone.

This group of study bibles covers three of the major translations, the NRSV, the NKJV and the ESV.  But wait, there’s more!  Our final list will cover several major study bibles like the MacArthur, the New Living Translation Study Bible, the Oxford Study Bible and others.

Though I haven’t posted very often in the last few months, there are some things I want to say over the next few months.  In particular, I will present my recommendations for Bible study and reference books that are useful to Christian Scientists.  Also, there will be a couple posts regarding Bible translations and their use in our Weekly Bible Lesson-Sermon.

I have posted the first part of my survey of study bibles.  Enjoy!

Jim

Why use a study Bible?  We believe that part of our work as a student of Christian Science is to discover the spiritual sense or deeper meaning of the Bible.  As one of our religious tenets states, “As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life” (Science and Health pg. 497)

Study bibles help to explain the verses in their theological, historic, symbolic and cultural meanings.  Often this illumination provides the “aha” moments or inspiration we receive when we get the true or deeper meaning of a Bible verse.

With any Bible resource there will always be some things we won’t agree with but here is where we need to be discerning.  We are seeking deeper illumination or the spiritual sense of the Bible.  Often a Bible resource, be it a commentary, translation, dictionary, word study or study Bible can trigger that inspiration or understanding.  So we shouldn’t condemn what we see in the study bibles or translations.  Remember, we have the King James as our standard text, so we can always go back to it.

Here’s my quick survey of the study bibles I use.  The first list are KJV-based study bibles.  This means the text and references are keyed to the King James Bible which is the version used by the Christian Science and other Protestant churches. It is not easy finding study bibles keyed with the King James Version these days as most publishers are using New Revised Standard Version or the New King James Version as the basis of their books.  But there are enough good ones available to help us along in our Bible studies.

This is the list and I have linked each book to either Amazon or to the book’s Web site so you can read more.

Key Word Study Bible by Spiro Zodhiates – The Bible is all about the words, all 780,000 of them!  This wonderful book allows us to look up the full meaning of each Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic and Chaldean word from a lexicon section in the back of the book.  All the “key” words are numbered (using Strong’s numbering system) and the roots and definitions are easy to find in the lexicon.  With this book, who needs to learn ancient Hebrew and Greek! (My apologies to those who have spent their lives learning these ancient languages.  Thanks to people like you and Spiros we don’t have to learn them).  But you will need a couple Post-Its in order to easily flip back and forth to the lexicons.
Recommended? Highly.

Companion Bible by E.W. Bullinger – I liked this one right away when I looked up Bullinger’s correct interpretation of Genesis 1:16 which reads, “And God made two great lights.”  He translate “lights” as “luminaries” or “lightholders” instead of the “sun and moon” like most Bible commentators.  If you click on the link to the Companion Bible, you can see its unique layout of each page with notes, references and comments on both the bottom and sides.  There is also a large compendium of notes at the back of the Companion Bible.  Bullinger and others, like C.I. Scofield, are dispensationalists, which means they believed in periods or eras as the way which God’s kingdom is revealed to mankind.  Bullinger is also known for two works, Witness to the Stars and Number in Scripture. The former is a study of how the Bible writers referenced the stars and the heavens as a way of establishing the vastness and glory of God’s creation.  The latter is a study of the symbolism of numbers found in the Scriptures.  Of course, there will be some things that you won’t agree with in the Companion Bible but overall it is a very useful and intriguing resource. 
Recommended? Highly.

Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible by Finis Jennings Dake – This is the most densely packed study Bible I’ve ever seen.  For many, the type is too small for normal reading and in recognition of this, the publishers created a large print version. (Make sure you know which one to order before you do.)  I think it is fair to say that Dake’s Bible is the most controversial of all the study bibles mentioned here.  Throughout his works Dake will say something that is non-traditional and controversial.  It draws so much fury that I believe it is the only study Bible that has its own discussion board Web page.  It includes his beliefs about the rapture, Jesus’ divinity and other Pentecostal views.  The best part of Dake’s is the voluminous notes that border the KJV text especially his penchant for making lists.  Nearly every chapter or verse is outlined as a list.  For example, Dake breaks down Isaiah 3:8 as the “4-fold cause of Judah’s ruin.”  If you like to see these interesting patterns then Dake’s is the study Bible for you.  Otherwise it is not recommended by me overall unless you can handle more than a few unusual interpretations.
Recommended? Not, except for list freaks.

Zondervan KJV Study Bible by Kenneth Barker, General Editor – This is one of my favorites.  The study notes are clear and helpful, the layout is excellent and the cross references are highly relevant.  (Please note that Zondervan uses the same notes for it NIV, NASB, and TNIV study bibles.  so you may want to get this volume but with a different translation.)  The scholarship is conservative and that means there aren’t many notes that suggest things that aren’t really there.  I like the way it provides substitute words in the center column for some of the archaic words in the King James Version. 
Recommended? Highly.

Archaeological Study Bible – I am so grateful for this book and the fact it comes keyed to the King James Version.  Though it’s another Zondervan product, the notes are completely new and distinct from the KJV Study Bible mentioned above.  It provides a refreshing mix of notes and articles regarding the historical, geographical, cultural and archaeological aspects of the Bible with beautiful color layouts  Our Sunday School snapped up a copy right away to help illumine the Bible for our younger students.  Most study bibles are filled with theological comments but this work mainly eschews it.  You won’t find too much on salvation and atonement here, but you will find many short presentations of subjects like “The Migration of the Danites” or “The Tragic Reign of King Josiah” or “The Legion of the Needle’s Eye Gate”. 
Recommended? Highly.

Ryrie Study Bible by Charles Ryrie – This work is a product of the Moody Bible Press so as expected it is conservative (meaning Calvinistic, Baptist, and dispensational). It may be the easiest-to-read of all the study bibles mentioned here.  While other study bibles have notes on nearly every verse, the Ryrie does not. In that way it achieves its goal of helping the reader understand the most important points.  This softer approach is useful when trying to get a grasp on St. Paul’s writings or the Wisdom Books in the Bible (Job, Psalms, etc.) without making your head spin.  Ryrie’s work is also available in versions keyed to the ESV, NIV, and the NASB.
Recommended? Neutral.

Scofield Reference Bible by Cyrus I. Scofield – The book is a classic and was used and recommended by many Christian Science teachers in the early to mid-20th century.  When Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “In the opening of the sixth seal, typical of six thousand years since Adam…”, she is referring to one of the periods of God’s unfoldment of the His Kingdom to mankind.  Some of these periods is outlined in Scofield’s work and is called a dispensation.  While there is no direct relation between dispensationalism and Christian Science there is some affinity between the two.  Again, we need to be discerning when we read this excellent work.  If you like to study Bible prophecy than this is the study Bible for you!
Recommended? Highly.

Please note: Conservative, evangelical Christians believed that many of the things that Scofield outlined have now come to pass. So the Bible publishers decided it needed to be updated.  On the market today is a new version called Scofield II or the New Scofield Study Bible.  This new version of Scofield’s study Bible is not recommended because it portrays a corrupted, pre-millennial view of history and is not helpful to our study.  

Nelson KJV Study Bible – I don’t have this in book form but use it on my Logos Bible Study software.  The notes seem sparser than the other study bibles.  It represents a conservative, evangelical position on the Scriptures.
Recommended? No.

Thompson Chain Reference Bible – Yes, every now and then I pick up the Thompson because the cross references or chains are very thorough.  Nearly all study bibles have cross references.  I find the best way to use a cross-reference Bible is to sit with it in front of a computer and keystroke in the cross reference into a program like Logos or Biblos.com.  That way you can move quicker through the list of cross references.
Recommended? No, except for cross-references fanatics.

KJV Parallel Bible Commentary – I consider this book a study Bible though the title implies it is a Commentary.  The book contains the full text of the KJV Bible and along the right hand column are notes and comments regarding the Bible passages.  The comments are along side the Bible verses so you can simply look side-to-side to read them.  This results in patches of blank space along the left-hand column and thus creating a bigger book than necessary.  It was produced exclusively by well-known evangelical Baptist theologians such as Jerry Falwell, Edward Dobson and others, who are or were associated with Liberty University.  That doesn’t mean it’s all fire and brimstone, but the comments focus on a literal view of the Bible and not necessarily take in a spiritual view.
Recommended? No.

This concludes Part I of this two-part post.  The next one will cover non-KJV study bibles and there will be some great ones on that list.

Enjoy!

This is a great week to be a Second Reader (no, really, it is!). We get to read the story of Ruth. Not only is it a fascinating story with a wonderful ending, it is one that digs deeply into the culture and traditions of families in the Near Middle East in the early Iron Age.  While the story centers on Ruth, the circumstances regarding her mother-in-law, Naomi, are equally inspiring. Here’s some notes:

1. Naomi (“pleasant”) and her husband Elimelech (“God is King”) ventured into the land of Moab during a period of drought and famine in the land of Israel. Unfortunately, her husband died.  Her two sons, Mahlon (“sickly”) and Chilion (“wasting away”) grew up and married Moab woman.

2. The Moabites worshipped pagan gods and the women were very adept at turning the Hebrews away from the one God.  As such the marriages were strictly forbidden by Hebrew law. This was during the time of the judges, a period of social and religious disorder. “Everyone did whatever he wanted,” (Judges 17:6). Moabites were descendants of the incestuous relationship between Lot and one of his daughters.

3. After the disastrous experience in Moab, Naomi decided to return to her homeland.  At age 50, with no husband and no sons, living in a foreign country, Naomi had lost everything.  She may have believed she was cursed (“the hand of the LORD is gone out against me,”she says) and that God had abandoned her.

4. She didn’t want her daughter-in-laws to suffer her fate, so she released them to return to their families.  In fact, Naomi believed so deeply in her bad fortune that she asked to be called by the opposite name of Mara (“bitterness”).

5. One of the daughter-in-laws returned to her family, but Ruth (“friendship”) was determined to stay with Naomi no matter what.  She swears an oath that testifies she will never leave her mother-in-law until the day of death.  Included in this oath is Ruth’s commitment to serving only the God of Israel.

6.  Many Israelites were corrupted by the worship of pagan gods, but here we have a case where a pagan turned to worship of the one God, Yahweh. This made her fit to be accepted by the Hebrews and later to be the great-grandmother of David, whose kingly line included Christ Jesus.

7.  Now back among her tribes-people, Naomi tells Ruth to meet with Boaz (“in him is strength”), a kinsman of Elimelech, at night and to stay with him.  He takes kindly affection toward Ruth. Later, Ruth is married to Boaz and they have a child. This helped ensure Naomi’s fate. Her world completely turned around.  Now she had a family and status. Everything that she thought she had lost forever was returned and more.

This wonderful story is one of the many Biblical proofs of God’s great lovingkindness to His creation. After such disaster and seeming lack of prospects, the blessings flow! Why? Because they were willing to leave the land (or consciousness) of limitation and impurity, represented by Moab, and return to the land of promise represented by Israel.  As a result Naomi is brought back from financial calamity; Ruth is freed from the worship of false gods and has a new home and family; and Boaz, through his kindness and generosity, will bring forth through his seed, the kings of Israel and eventually, the Messiah, Christ Jesus.

It reminds us that no matter what the circumstances any situation can completely turn around. As shown in the story of Ruth, God never abandons us and His lovingkindness is readily at hand.

Yet they keep pursuing us until we turn around and face them.

That’s what Jonah learned (Book of Jonah).  He found a ship to Tarshish and he fled back to his old, comfortable, material ways.  So satisfied was he in this direction he fell “fast asleep” in a ship that was being rocked by a terrible storm.  It was mesmeric sleep, the Adam-dream, of separation from God. In this sleep he no longer could hear the “still, small voice” of truth calling him.  Instead he was on the journey of mortal mind’s choosing, life in and of matter.

But the time for his awakening from a false sense of safety had come.  Jonah couldn’t get away from the demands of God and nor can we.

When he awoke things got progressively worse for Jonah.  He was dumped overboard by the ship’s crew.  Then he was swallowed up by a whale.  For three days in the belly of the whale, he wrestled with error,–the false belief of a mind separate from God.

But our dear Father-Mother God always provides a light to guide us out of darkness.  Jonah realized he had permitted himself to use human will-power instead of unquestioning obedience to God to achieve his desires.  Finally, Jonah prays, “I will pay that that I have vowed.” Instead of fear he now uses spontaneous obedience to God, which immediately subdues all fear and sets us on the right path.  His solemn duty, to proclaim God’s word to the Nineveans, is now achieved with great success!

The claim, of a life separate from God, is the “poor thought-model” which makes us “afraid to trust Truth” as Mrs. Eddy tells us (S&H 259:9 and 181:23).  But the grand “thought-model” is that we have no mind, life or being separate from God.

How close and inseparable is God?  Tennyson says, “Closer is He than breathing and nearer than hands or feet.”

With this understanding, we can do our duty,–of rebuking and destroying error, without any fear or harm to ourselves nor any need for a side trip to Tarshish!