Separate From Me
“Separate from me, ” said Abraham to Lot,
“our people cannot coexist with one another.”
Lot chose to live in Sodom, where it’s very hot,
and said to Abraham: “It really doesn’t bother
me that all the people there are dreadful sinners.”
Its nightlife influenced him to be the city’s chooser.
Some people do not have a knack for picking winners,
but do not pity Lot. Although he was a loser
who nearly fried to death and lay with both his daughters,
he ended up the ancestor of Israel’s kings,
when Ruth the Moabite caught up with Boaz, tortoise
that breaks its safety shell and flies with wifely wings.
This is a story that we learn in Aesop’s fables,
relating how the tortoise overtook the hare;
Boaz was a hare who didn’t care for labels,
thought anti-Ruth discrimination wasn’t fair.
In ancient Athens ostracism was ten-yearly,
a ritual that allowed return, recalling Lot’s
descendant who returned to Abraham sincerely,
by tying nuptial knots while cutting Gordian knots.
3/14/06
poem by Gershon Hepner
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Bible Stories: Ruth (Part II)
A man of wealth great was Boaz-
A kinsman of Elimelech,
The (dead) husband of Naomi.
Ruth asked Naomi to permit
Her glean among the ears of grain
In rich Boaz’s field that day;
Naomi told her to do so.
Young Ruth began to glean the ears
After the reapers, in the field
Of rich Boaz, from morn that day;
From Bethlehem, then Boaz came
And told the reapers all that day,
‘May Lord, our God be with you all.’
And they replied, ‘May He bless you! ’
Boaz then asked his servant nigh,
‘Who is that young woman that gleans? ’
The servant said, ‘A Moabite
With Naomi, from Moab-land.’
Ruth begged Boaz, ‘Please let me glean
And gather grain after reapers! ’
Boaz told Ruth, ‘You may do so,
But venture not into next field.’
She could stay on with his maids there.
He told the servants, ‘Don’t touch her.’
If thirsty, drink from water-jars
Or from what servants shall too draw.
Ruth fell upon her face on ground
And bowed and asked, ‘Is it because
She was a foreigner, she found
Good favor in Boaz’s sight? ’
To this, Boaz replied to her,
‘I am aware of all you’ve done
For your mother-in-law after
Your husband died and how you’d left
Your parents and your place of birth
To people whom you never knew.’
‘May Lord, the God of Israel then
(Under whose wings, you take refuge)
Reward your work that looks so great
And pay wages in accordance.’
To this Ruth said, ‘I’ve found favor
In your sight, lord, indeed so well.
I thank you for your kind words said,
Although I’m not akin your maids! ’
At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth,
‘Come, dip your bread in vinegar,
And served her roasted grains with all.
Ruth ate and seemed so satisfied.
When she arose to glean once more,
Boaz commanded that she glean
Even among the sheaves this time,
And no one was to insult her.
He told them to pull out grain-ears
From sheaves and dropp them purposely,
Allowing Ruth to glean freely,
And no one was to rebuke her!
Until that evening, Ruth had gleaned;
She beat the ears to gather grain;
It was an ephah of barley!
She took the grain into the town
And showed it all to Naomi
Who appeared very satisfied.
Her mother-in-law then asked her,
‘Where did you glean today and work?
May God bless him who favored you! ’
Ruth told her his name was Boaz!
Naomi told, God is so kind
To both the living and the dead.
May God bless Boaz specially
She told, ‘He’s our close relative! ’
Ruth told all that Boaz had said;
Naomi felt so happy that
Ruth had been asked to glean again,
Until the barley harvest ends.
Ruth did as Boaz instructed
And lived with her mother-in-law!
poem by John Celes
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Bible Stories: Ruth (Part IV)
Boaz Marries Ruth:
As Boaz sat down near the gate,
There came the kinsman whom he sought;
He sat along with elders ten!
Boaz told them of Naomi
Who’d come away from Moab-land
After the death of her husband.
She has a plot of land to sell;
The kinsman had first right to buy,
And if he did, he should redeem
Ruth, widowed daughter-in-law too.
The kinsman told that he could not
And gave up right to redeem Ruth;
The man removed his shoe as sign,
‘Let Boaz buy the plot himself’
This was the practice in Israel! ’
So, Boaz told the elders there:
He had purchased Elimelech’s
And Naomi’s inheritance,
And Ruth, the wife of dead Mahlon.
Would be his new wife from then on.
This was to save the dead one’s kin,
From being cut off from brethren,
And all were witnesses that day,
Who sat to hear the news by gate!
The elders glorified the Lord,
And blessed the new wife of Boaz,
To build her house in Bethlehem,
And bear forth children: be famous
Like Rachel, Leah and too Tamar.
So, Ruth became Boaz’s wife,
And bore a son through grace of God
The women blessed and praised the Lord
Whose kindness saved Naomi’s clan.
Obed was son of Boaz, Ruth
And Naomi became its nurse!
Obed begot Jesse, father of
David, the King: Glory to God!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 4-24-2007
poem by John Celes
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Bible Stories: Ruth (Part V)
The grief of bereavement is great;
Three women lose their husbands fast;
But one has lost husband and sons!
Oh, what a tragedy for all!
The selfless mother-in-law feels
The daughters-in-law need not share
The cup of woes that life gave her,
But tells them to make their future.
One daughter-in-law goes away;
Ruth’s love for Naomi but stays;
She will not leave her any day;
But follows her in her pathways!
Naomi is more experienced;
Ruth puts her future in her hands;
She has to leave for Bethlehem,
Where she knows not the people there.
Her trust in Naomi is great;
She does whatever she tells her;
Naomi does right things for her
And guides Ruth to new destiny!
What unflinching love both do share!
And God is with them in travail;
They do not curse or lament much;
Their faith in God just cannot fail.
God works a miracle for Ruth;
Though Moabite, she is so good;
A rich man Boaz marries her
In accordance with Israel’s rites.
God’s mercy on two righteous souls-
Two widows without any hope,
Is brought out by the story here:
“Believe the Lord and He will care.”
poem by John Celes
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Great Women - Young and Old
The lights of Bethlehem still burn,
For Ruth’s mother-in-law to return.
Since her unfettered faith, so strong,
Convinced Ruth, with her, to come along.
Facing bravely the consequences of God’s plan,
Ruth, with Naomi, went to the Promised Land.
To live on in Bethlehem was their decision,
Both seeking to receive God’s provision.
God doesn’t stop being God in adversity
Is what Naomi taught Ruth to believe.
So there in Bethlehem, Ruth sought for a man
To help her with the consequences of God’s plan.
And Boaz of Bethlehem, Naomi’s rich kinsman,
Found Ruth to be both charming and winsome.
So he shared with Ruth the bounty of his field,
When he learned her faith, though foreign, was real.
Thus they became one with the grace of God’s will
And with a prophecy of God their duty to fulfill.
Ruth’s faith in Naomi’s God found reinforcement
While lovelorn Naomi was freed of her resentment.
God’s will it was to give Ruth and Boaz a boy,
And for Naomi to restore her spiritual joy.
poem by Albert Price
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The Mystery of Israel
This is the mystery of Israel, and how they fit into God’s will.
God met with this man Abram, when this man had not a son.
He told him to leave his kin, and go to a place He’d show him.
His name changed to Abraham, for he’d be given many lands.
God told him he’d have a son, when he and Sarah had no one.
Then Abraham simply gasped, while his wife Sarah laughed.
So Sarah decided to use Hagar, although God played no part.
Hagar and Abraham had a son, but he wasn’t the chosen one.
Abraham’s first son was Ishmael, but he was of a human deal.
For Abraham’s other son Isaac, was the one God would pick.
And it was Isaac’s son Jacob, who was the one that God loved.
Jacob wrestled with God’s will, and his named became Israel.
And this is the name of the land, that God promised Abraham.
God said He’d bless each nation, through Abraham’s situation.
Then the Jews entered the land, under Joshua and God’s Hand.
But they would anger The Lord, when His decrees they ignored.
God for a time turned from them, with His Covenant for all men.
Israel’s been hardened for awhile, as God includes the Gentile.
The Jew and Gentile are now one, under the Blood of God’s Son.
And Israel will receive her land, under the rule of The Son of Man.
Today... 'Greater than Abraham
Abraham with the Lord could not compare
For none like Jesus can be found anywhere.
Just trusting in Abraham would not do
we all need to trust and believe in You.
'Before Abraham was, ' You said 'I AM.'
For You were there before the world began.
You were present at creations first dawn
and saw the day when Abraham was born.
Saw him leaving Ur of the Chaldeans.
Watched over him walking through foreign scenes.
At Sodom and Gomorrah You were there
ensuring Lot their judgment did not share.
'You are demon possessed' to You they said
and picked up stones for they wanted You dead.
Not trusting Christ but Abraham instead
would bring greater judgment upon their head.
Lord Jesus you are far beyond compare.
Your glory with another You won't share.
That is why the people heard You declare
That one greater than Abraham was there.
(see also the additional information in the Poet's notes box)
Alankar(Decor) -69
Their Race Yet Not Over(Kyrielle Poem)
a narrative, it tells a story.
stanzaic, in quatrains.
syllabic, each line is 8 syllables. in iambic tetrameter.
written with a refrain in the 4th line of the quatrain.
rhyme scheme may vary. Quatrain options abaB, cbcB, dbdB
Their race yet not over with that
Else way tortoise as thought to race
To run, to swim in halves, to work-
Agreed the hare willing to race
Starting speeded with hare on land
Plodding slowed with tortoise to race
To help the river came on hand
Swam fast tortoise won first the race
Knowing not to swim the hare lost
Foolish was his challenge to race
Judging oneself the best way last
Is the way best to win the race
poem by Indira Renganathan
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Watch The Race
Watch the race
Here is the hare
And the tortoise
It is funny for the hare
And a serious game
For tortoise.
poem by Gajanan Mishra
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Tortosise and the Hare: The true story
So you think tortoise
won the race,
not so.
Today the last
of Hare's descendants
passed on.
Oh his death
bed from his
lips came this,
my great, great
so many grandfather
was bribed,
to throw the race,
to the Tortoise
by the way of carrots,
his greatest weakness
you didn't really think
the Tortoise could have
won do you. Then he passed on.
wrote 4-14-07
Bible Stories: Ruth (Part III)
Boaz Will Redeem Ruth:
Then Naomi told Ruth one day,
‘Should I not seek security
For you, my daughter, to be well?
Our kinsman Boaz winnows grain
With maids at threshing floor, tonight! ’
‘You therefore wash yourself, anoint
And wear your best clothes and be there;
Don’t tell him who you are until,
He finishes eating, drinking;
You note the place where he lies down;
Go uncover his feet and lie;
Then, he will tell you what to do.’
Ruth promised to obey her words;
She reached the threshing floor and did
All that her mother-in-law said;
When Boaz had his food and fill,
With merry heart, he lay down still;
Ruth secretly went near the man
His feet uncovered, she lay down.
In middle of the night, the man
Got startled, seeing a lady!
She asked her whoever she was.
“I’m Ruth your maid and relative.”
Then Boaz said, ‘Blessed of Lord,
You’ve been kind to not go after
Young men, whether the poor or rich!
Do not fear, my daughter, now,
You’re a woman of excellence;
I’ll do for you whatev’r you ask.
‘There is a closer relative;
Remain this night until the dawn;
If he redeems you, well and good;
If he does not, I surely will;
He told her to lie down till morn.’
He got up early and told them,
‘Let none know that the woman came;
He asked her cloak and measured six
Measures of barley onto it.
Ruth went into the city then;
And told Naomi everything;
She showed the barley that he gave;
‘My daughter, wait’ said Naomi,
The man won’t rest till he settles! ’
Let’s wait and watch how things turn up.
Copyright by Dr John Celes 4-24-2007
poem by John Celes
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Ruth, a Moabite widow, gleaned ears of corn
God made her wife of the landlord, Boaz
Obed, her son was born
quote by by John Celes
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Shield Of Abraham
(kinky friedman)
Jacob climbed the ladder, climbed it to the sky,
Said, people, whats the matter ?
Heaven aint so high,
People, heaven aint so high,
When you got the shield,
You got the shield,
You got the shield,
You got the shield of abraham.
Little children.
You got the shield,
You got the shield,
You got the shield of abraham.
The years were lights they wandered in the desert 40 years
And ol moses told the children
brush away them tears,
Hey, kids, this aint no time for tears.
Children
You got the shield,
You got the shield,
You got the shield of abraham.
Little children.
You got the shield,
You got the shield,
You got the shield of abraham.
David, he fought goliath with nothing but a tiny stone.
David, little david, God knows youre not alone,
God knows youre not alone.
David, you got the shield,
Youve got the shield,
You got the shield of abraham.
Little david.
You got the shield,
You got the shield,
You got the shield of abraham.
Rock and roll redeemer, oh people, hear my song,
And let the music keep us loving, let the spirit keep us strong,
Let your sweet love keep us strong.
cause weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield of abraham.
Little children.
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield of abraham.
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield of abraham.
Little children.
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield,
Weve got the shield ...
song performed by by Kinky Friedman
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Bible Stories: Ruth (Part Ib)
Her daughters-in-law wept aloud;
Orpah kissed her mother-in-law
And left towards her mother’s house;
Ruth, howev’r clung to Naomi!
Although Naomi advised her,
Ruth refused to leave, like Orpah;
Ruth told her not to compel her;
She loved to follow Naomi;
She’d stay wherever, she would stay;
Her God and people would be hers!
She was ready to die with her,
And be buried, where she would be;
She did not care if worse things came;
She wouldn’t desert her, until death!
When Naomi saw Ruth was firm,
She didn’t dissuade her thereafter!
They both entered Bethlehem town;
Seeing them, the city got stirred;
They asked if she was Noami.
“Call me Mara, Naomi wept!
The Lord has been bitter to me.”
“I went out full but come empty.
The Lord has afflicted me now.”
Thus, Naomi with Ruth returned
From Moab to Bethlehem town,
When barley harvest had begun!
poem by John Celes
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Slow and steady wins the race.
Aesop in The Hare and the Tortoise
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A tortoise
the tortoise is just inadequate
she has been treating
the same way everyone
of another kind
a supercilious front
to shroud weaknesses
broadcasting insouciance
with a hard hard shell
she knows she has a birthright
a hard headed advantage
with its shell signed
with letters from heaven
nobody is allowed even to knock on
it, protected species
here she is behaving in ways
that turn people away
without even knowing why
ten thousand years from now
she would be still in her same state
and behaving the same way
one big curvy hard hard shell
as the world shuttles to a new sphere
poor tortoise! poor tortoise!
poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
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Abraham
abraham hears the voice of God
to bring Isaac on top of Mt. Moriah
there he must kill his own son
his offering to the Lord, His God
the argument begins, why his God
must order him to kill his own son?
is this killing this murder not a sin?
does God make man to commit sin?
If One orders him to kill his own son
God? Is God in this not a murderer too?
the steps to Moriah are difficult thougths
yet Abraham, Abraham, do you Love
your God as God and none other?
kill your own son, Love of God?
you know how it ended. You know
how Abraham became the Father of Faith.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Such A Great Salvation
After 400 years in Egypt, God did not forget His promise to Abraham,
And He sent Moses back to lead Israel into the Blessed Promised Land.
God's awesome power through His miracles was apparent from the start,
And for the sake of His people, God began to harden Pharaoh's heart.
From bondage in the land of Egypt, God delivered His entire nation,
But never did they stop complaining, to see God's arm of Salvation.
With Pharaoh's army in the sea, God's Salvation to the eye was clear,
But on the other side in safety, hearts were still gripped with fear.
When the spies went into the land their eyes of flesh could not see,
That this was the land God promised to Abraham through all Eternity.
And because their father Abraham did not display his faith like this,
When he heard God, he believed and was credited with righteousness.
Unbelief was the cause of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness,
For God used it to purge the next generation of such unrighteousness.
However, Joshua and Caleb believed God and Moses just like Abraham,
So God used these two men to lead all Israel into the Promised Land.
And Moses said a Prophet like himself would be raised up in the end,
The Prophet was Jesus Christ whether you believe it or not my friend.
The Church can look back on the fulfillment of this great revelation,
So how, my friend, can you turn your back on such a great Salvation?
(Copyright © 02/2002)
Hari Chrishna
People with light orange cloaks
comes pass in a jolly procession.
There are two hitting drums
and one sings over a loudspeaker horn
and I see a few
getting rattling noises out of cymbals
that makes the people
on the sidewalk stand still
while the small group of people
draws attention and pass.
It’s a shrill “hare krishna hare krishna
krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare”
that goes right through you
and I wonder
what the strange words
are exactly saying
and I hear how the drums
keeps the earthly rhythm
and it’s like a street circus
that disappears in the distance
while they disappear behind buildings.
poem by Gert Strydom
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This Land Is Mine
The little tiny land of Palestine need not be such a big question,
For this land belongs to only One and it's His Eternal Possession.
The land that was given to Abraham, by much of the world is denied,
Most of the world does not know that God said, “This land is mine.”
The name Palestine is truly a misnomer, perpetrated by the deceived,
This name actually gets its roots from God's enemies the Philistines.
The Philistines were one of the peoples found in the land of Canaan,
The land God promised to Abraham, and from God to him it was handed.
Abraham patiently waited to see when The Lord his God would lead him,
Not fully relying on The Lord his God, he made a treaty at Beersheba.
The very first treaty that Israel made was with a Philistine leader,
After Abraham had died they became to Isaac nothing but an agitator.
And during the time of The Judges when Israel did evil in God's eyes,
God would give them over to the Philistines to simply be chastised.
A foreshadow of God's deliverance was seen through David and Goliath,
As David struck down the giant so will The Son of David be relied on.
The Philistines in the land today are the fly that's in the ointment,
And The Word of God has destruction as their only future appointment.
For Christ is coming back to deliver all of His people in The Land,
You only need to believe that He is Israel's Messiah to understand.
(Copyright © 05/2002)
The Race
Nature caught me uo and satan thought that she has won the race!
But like the story of the hare and the tortoise,
I moved on gradually with this motto in my mind: 'Slow but sure'!
And i finally won the race and i was presented the cup.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
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