It was the women who chose the name of the baby boy--they called him "Obed"--the

meaning of which is "serving" or "a servant". The Prince of Wales has a motto which

has a similar meaning, "Ich Dien"--I serve. The most wonderful thing this world has to

offer is the coming of the desire in our hearts to serve our Heavenly Father and the Lord

Jesus Christ. This desire does not come until we realize something of the love of God,

Who in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself, an offering for sin,

the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.

Only when we understand a little of the cost of that sacrifice, and that it vitally affects

us, does the desire to serve Him become the burden of our heart, our mind, our will.

So when faith in His faithfulness, and belief in His Work lead us to acknowledge Him

as our Saviour, the Holy Spirit seals us as a child of God, and the desire to serve Him is

born.  The Lord Jesus Christ performed the lowly and menial task of washing the

disciples feet. This act of service was to be something they would remember with awe

when He ascended up out of their sight. It is a mighty good thing for us to remember,

and to continually reflect upon, the condescension of the almighty God, the everlasting

Father, the Prince of Peace.

Just as the Gospel of Matthew presents the Lord Jesus Christ as King, whose symbol

is the Lion, Luke presents Him as the Man, John as God and Mark presents Him as the

Servant. The lion, the man, the eagle and the ox were the four faces of the four "living

creatures" of Ezek. 1:, the cherubim of Gen. 3:, which speaks to us of paradise lost,

and in the Book of Revelation where they speak of paradise regained.

There are four other Obeds mentioned in Scripture. The father of Jehu was one.

Another was one of David's valiant men. Another was son of Shemaiah, a Kohathite, a

gate keeper of the Tabernacle in the days of David. Another was the father of Ahaziah, a

captain, who helped Jehoiada the priest to make Joash king of Judah. All were good men

who were loyal servants of God and the people.

Obed the son of Ruth and Boaz takes his place as the father of Jesse, who was the

father of David.

He was indeed fortunate, for he was without doubt brought up in the fear of the Lord

and in a family atmosphere of love and understanding.

Pharez was the son of Judah and Tamar. Amminadab was a name of note. It was his

daughter Elisheba who became the wife of Aaron and the mother of Nadab and Abihu,

Eleazar and Ithamar. So this delightful Book links up the days of the Judges to the times

of Samuel. It is an interlude where faith and love shine out in the midst of failure and

apostasy. Surely here the God of Israel points to the faith of the young woman from