Readings from the books of Ruth, Samuel, and 1 Kings
Our artistic journey through the Old Testament continues! Here you'll find our selected artworks and commentary to accompany this month's Come, Follow Me readings. Remember, you can also subscribe to get email reminders when new artworks are ready or follow along weekly on Instagram or Facebook. We hope that art-lovers everywhere will be inspired by these artworks as they complement their gospel study, family discussions, and church classes with fine art from around the world.
June 1-7
To the Israelites, Ruth the Moabitess was seen as an outsider. They had a volatile relationship with the Moabites: sometimes friendly, often hostile. She wasn’t raised in their religion or traditions, and her husband’s death left her without any wealth or power. Nevertheless, her faith, resilience, and loyalty blessed the nation who took her in, and she became the grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ.
How has someone different from you blessed your life?
June 8-14
Despite their righteousness in their youth, Israel’s first kings all fell victim to their vices, just as the prophet Samuel predicted. Saul succumbed to jealousy, David was overcome by lust, and Solomon slipped into idolatry. The books of Samuel and Kings are largely about the rise and fall of these leaders. Eventually, a perfect king would arrive in Israel, but he brought neither weapons nor warhorses; instead, he carried forgiveness and a message of peace.
Look at this sculpture of the Savior. What attributes make Christ a perfect leader?
June 15-21
Goliath, champion of the Philistines, was “six cubits and a span” tall, over nine feet. Any average soldier would have been terrified to face him in battle, but a young shepherd boy brought him down with a single stone fetched from a brook. This panel from the Gates of Paradise shows the aftermath of his shocking defeat, as the Israelites rout their invaders on the field of battle. Ghiberti chose to include a stony riverbed in the bottom-left corner, presumably the source of young David’s weapon. It’s a reminder of the simplicity of the battle’s hero, and that miracles can come from mundane and overlooked sources.
June 21-28
King David’s fall from grace started with a simple error. We’re told that it was “the time when kings go forth to battle,” but David, for reasons left unexplained, remained home. It was here, in the wrong place at the wrong time, that his failings escalated from lust to adultery to murder.
This painting shows the interior of Chartres Cathedral, which has served as a spiritual refuge for more than 800 years. Though God’s influence can be found everywhere, being finding our own place of spiritual refuge can give us power and protection. What makes a place holy for you?
