Ruth chapter 4 Read it here
Perhaps, the word 'redemption' which is the keynote of Ruth's story, seems a little mysterious to many of my readers. Literally, the word means 'the act of purchasing back something previously sold'. What I've been trying to do, is to draw analogies between the redemption in Ruth's saga, to the redemption of humanity, as accomplished by Jesus Christ according to the Bible. In a way, I'm also suggesting that Ruth's life and legend, as preserved by the Jews, was intended to stand as a shadow of what was to eventually happen in history, through the death of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
The big day has arrived. The scene of action is the entrance to Bethlehem city where as we learned earlier, the 'Citizen Justice Council', if I may call it so, gather to discuss cases and disputes. This day, the members have gathered at the behest of Boaz, a rich Bethlehemite, to decide the matters concerning the property of the late Elimelech, another of the same family and city. As we are familiar by now, the only surviving members of Elimelech's immediate family are his widow, Naomi and his daughter-in-law, Ruth. Having sold their property in the face of poverty some time ago, they had moved to the neighboring country of Moab. Having lost everything in the process, they stand in home country seeking to return to their inheritance, helpless however as they have nothing to help them buy back their sold out property.
Ruth however, went around seeking food and came upon Boaz's field – and that was where the whole matter turned around. One thing led to another and finally, upon Ruth's request, Boaz decided to shoulder the responsibility and settle the case once and for all.
However, redemption rights belonged first to the closer relative, as Boaz pointed out. On being offered the opportunity, he readily agreed. However, on learning that the deal involved marrying Ruth and having to name her child heir to Mahlon's property, he backed out. Boaz faithfully snapped up the opportunity without wasting another moment – indeed, he was a man of his word.
Do you remember Naomi's gentle words at the end of the previous episode? “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”
If you have read the New Testament, one of the most thrilling promises of our Good Boaz, Jesus Christ, is to return and take us away to be with Him (John 14:1 - 3). Right from the early days of the Church, word went around that the same Jesus Christ who had been seen ascending to Heaven, would return in like manner for those who eagerly awaited His coming. In fact, during the periods of intense persecution that racked the first century Church, hope was one of the fundamental elements that sustained the hunted Christian.
It also helps to understand that the Church's interest in the Lord's return is only inversely proportional to its materialistic passions. History bears witness that when either of these desires rise, the other has to bow down and give way. The more attached the Christian to the Lord, the less attached he is to the fading glory of the temporary. The more attached he becomes to the temporary, the eternal loses its meaning and significance in his perspective. Often wondered why we have little interest to kneel down for an hour of prayer when we could spend double the time and effort on the phone? Its important for us that we learn to give 'the things of today' merely their due attention, and nothing more.
Moving further along the lines of thought, man's deliverance from sin has been a major focus of God's plan all through history. As we learned the last time, God's first step towards this was to show man the wickedness of his own heart. The coming of Jesus Christ signaled the next phase of God's salvation plan. His death on the Cross revealed the true price of man's folly in God's eyes. At the same time, that very price, which no man could hope to pay off, was paid once and for all. The Lord Himself said, “...whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37) Hence, we now know that man may surrender his life into God's hands, who promises to shoulder the responsibility of redemption, just as Ruth trusted in Boaz.
But wait a minute! Does that mean our redemption is complete? What is our current position in the salvation story?
Some people claim that trusting in Jesus Christ today means that perfection has been attained. This teaching is otherwise known as 'Perfectionism'. These people believe that the innocence of the Adamic Age in Eden, prior to the fall, is immediately restored. Some among them claim that a Christian cannot fall ill or become poor. A great wave of prosperity-teaching has been spreading across the globe, never lacking popularity due to the obvious fact that materialism is at its very heart. I say this because, most of the Gospel presentations I see today is merely a watered-down soup that says, “Come to God if you want to be blessed. Jesus died for the forgiveness of your sins and there's a great life just waiting for you – come on and enjoy the blast!”
If the sinner fails to realize what his fundamental problem is, he will not understand what the doctor's diagnosis and medicine is all about. The result? Churches get flooded with multitudes who have probably never experienced the rebirth into God's family – you never see the need for it, if you never understand what sin is.
I remember raising the issue with an 'enlightened' soul recently, who felt that it was I who needed a 'fuller' revelation of the New Testament. He said that there was no point in telling a poor man his sin because he's already in the dirt, its better to tell him that God will take care of his financial problem. This is strange because if wealth was the issue, Christ need not necessarily be the answer. You have the lottery, self-management gurus, pilgrimage to Miracle Centers and a horde of other options, which have nothing to do with Jesus Christ or His message. Besides, what then about the rich man? Since he's rich already, does he not need God anymore?
The best was yet to come – this man claimed that since he came to believe in the Lord, he has not had to use medicine for the past 2 years. He believes that all true believers have a total 'exemption' from sickness of all kinds. I barely refrained from popping the question that came to my mind – what about the toothpaste we use every morning?
Sometimes we get so carried away with our feeble interpretations of Scripture that we try to twist truth to fit our perceptions. I remember the words of Dr. Ravi Zacharias who said, “Either your Christianity will carry you. Else, you will carry your Christianity. After a while, it becomes a tiresome exercise because its impossible to carry the Infinite.”
The New Testament points to the fact that we're in a position similar to Ruth, somewhere between the end of chapter 3 and the middle of chapter 4. Having believed in Christ, we have placed our hope upon Him and we await the completion of the good work that has been set in motion by His Divine Grace.
When writing to the believers in Ephesus, Apostle Paul writes thus: “In Him(referring to Jesus Christ) also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:11-14)
Those of us who are already familiar with Ruth's background will be in a position to grasp the meaning of the above text. Paul is obviously referring to a transaction that is to be completed in the future. He notes that the purchase has been made by paying the necessary price and sealed to make evident its destination in God's plan. When Ruth placed herself into the redeeming power of Boaz, he kept his word and completed the formalities of paying off the debt. Now comes the union of Boaz and Ruth in matrimony that will finally end Ruth's journey in search of a new identity.
Similar sentiments echo with regard to the Christian's spiritual experience in the following passages of the New Testament: Romans 3:23-25, Romans 8:23, 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, Colossians 1:13-14 and Hebrews 9:11-15. One thing is certain: coming to Christ is just the beginning of a journey, and not the end of it!
All of this sounds like great theory – but there is a problem. We find Christians all over the world, still awaiting the return of the Lord who promised, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3) The wait, in itself, is a severe test of faith, that has now lasted almost 2 millennia. Through the centuries, Christians have been no strangers to persecution and suffering. After all, doesn't the whole thing sound a little silly, now that so many years have gone by and there seems to be no sign that these extraordinary claims would come to fruition? Humanly thinking, I can understand the enthusiasm of the early first century Christians who had had the opportunity to walk with the Lord personally or at least be taught by close eyewitnesses. The great miracles, the fiery preaching, the love of fellow brethren and much more besides, may have contributed a sense of reality to the believers of that time. But what now? Could it have been merely a passing illusion like the many fallen ideologies of our day?
As the Christian wrestles his own gnawing doubt within, he finds solace in the pages of the New Testament that resound with hope of a different kind. Read the much-persecuted Paul's second letter to the Corinthians as he explains his unwavering faith in the midst of difficulty - “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) These are the words of a man who had been repeatedly beaten, imprisoned and chased from city to city, for his faith. Yet, he chose to label his difficulties 'momentary'. Why? He says that he's experiencing a renewed strength in his 'inner man'. Sounds strange and self-contradictory, doesn't it? Why should one search for something that can't be seen? Read further Paul's words to the Romans - “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.” (Romans 8:23-24) He explains in his letter that redemption through Christ, has given him a taste of the wonderful things yet to come - “the firstfruits of the Spirit” - and that foretaste keeps him going.
As Christians, we may have thought that the whole 'funda' is in the 'Christian' label and the weekly pilgrimage to the local shrine. The truth is God desires that we move on from the realm of 'facts and figures' and come to a daily 'tasting' and definite experiences of His good gifts in our lives – particularly spiritual. We may not know or recognize our own spiritual needs and that's part of our problem. There's definitely more to life than what meets the eye. A life void of such rich personal experience in relating to Jesus Christ, soon finds itself tossed about and broken in the waves of doubt and despair.
In his famous hymn 'Come Thou Fount of every blessing', Robert Robinson penned his own internal struggle in the following stanza:
The big day has arrived. The scene of action is the entrance to Bethlehem city where as we learned earlier, the 'Citizen Justice Council', if I may call it so, gather to discuss cases and disputes. This day, the members have gathered at the behest of Boaz, a rich Bethlehemite, to decide the matters concerning the property of the late Elimelech, another of the same family and city. As we are familiar by now, the only surviving members of Elimelech's immediate family are his widow, Naomi and his daughter-in-law, Ruth. Having sold their property in the face of poverty some time ago, they had moved to the neighboring country of Moab. Having lost everything in the process, they stand in home country seeking to return to their inheritance, helpless however as they have nothing to help them buy back their sold out property.
Ruth however, went around seeking food and came upon Boaz's field – and that was where the whole matter turned around. One thing led to another and finally, upon Ruth's request, Boaz decided to shoulder the responsibility and settle the case once and for all.
However, redemption rights belonged first to the closer relative, as Boaz pointed out. On being offered the opportunity, he readily agreed. However, on learning that the deal involved marrying Ruth and having to name her child heir to Mahlon's property, he backed out. Boaz faithfully snapped up the opportunity without wasting another moment – indeed, he was a man of his word.
Do you remember Naomi's gentle words at the end of the previous episode? “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”
If you have read the New Testament, one of the most thrilling promises of our Good Boaz, Jesus Christ, is to return and take us away to be with Him (John 14:1 - 3). Right from the early days of the Church, word went around that the same Jesus Christ who had been seen ascending to Heaven, would return in like manner for those who eagerly awaited His coming. In fact, during the periods of intense persecution that racked the first century Church, hope was one of the fundamental elements that sustained the hunted Christian.
It also helps to understand that the Church's interest in the Lord's return is only inversely proportional to its materialistic passions. History bears witness that when either of these desires rise, the other has to bow down and give way. The more attached the Christian to the Lord, the less attached he is to the fading glory of the temporary. The more attached he becomes to the temporary, the eternal loses its meaning and significance in his perspective. Often wondered why we have little interest to kneel down for an hour of prayer when we could spend double the time and effort on the phone? Its important for us that we learn to give 'the things of today' merely their due attention, and nothing more.
Moving further along the lines of thought, man's deliverance from sin has been a major focus of God's plan all through history. As we learned the last time, God's first step towards this was to show man the wickedness of his own heart. The coming of Jesus Christ signaled the next phase of God's salvation plan. His death on the Cross revealed the true price of man's folly in God's eyes. At the same time, that very price, which no man could hope to pay off, was paid once and for all. The Lord Himself said, “...whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37) Hence, we now know that man may surrender his life into God's hands, who promises to shoulder the responsibility of redemption, just as Ruth trusted in Boaz.
But wait a minute! Does that mean our redemption is complete? What is our current position in the salvation story?
Some people claim that trusting in Jesus Christ today means that perfection has been attained. This teaching is otherwise known as 'Perfectionism'. These people believe that the innocence of the Adamic Age in Eden, prior to the fall, is immediately restored. Some among them claim that a Christian cannot fall ill or become poor. A great wave of prosperity-teaching has been spreading across the globe, never lacking popularity due to the obvious fact that materialism is at its very heart. I say this because, most of the Gospel presentations I see today is merely a watered-down soup that says, “Come to God if you want to be blessed. Jesus died for the forgiveness of your sins and there's a great life just waiting for you – come on and enjoy the blast!”
If the sinner fails to realize what his fundamental problem is, he will not understand what the doctor's diagnosis and medicine is all about. The result? Churches get flooded with multitudes who have probably never experienced the rebirth into God's family – you never see the need for it, if you never understand what sin is.
I remember raising the issue with an 'enlightened' soul recently, who felt that it was I who needed a 'fuller' revelation of the New Testament. He said that there was no point in telling a poor man his sin because he's already in the dirt, its better to tell him that God will take care of his financial problem. This is strange because if wealth was the issue, Christ need not necessarily be the answer. You have the lottery, self-management gurus, pilgrimage to Miracle Centers and a horde of other options, which have nothing to do with Jesus Christ or His message. Besides, what then about the rich man? Since he's rich already, does he not need God anymore?
The best was yet to come – this man claimed that since he came to believe in the Lord, he has not had to use medicine for the past 2 years. He believes that all true believers have a total 'exemption' from sickness of all kinds. I barely refrained from popping the question that came to my mind – what about the toothpaste we use every morning?
Sometimes we get so carried away with our feeble interpretations of Scripture that we try to twist truth to fit our perceptions. I remember the words of Dr. Ravi Zacharias who said, “Either your Christianity will carry you. Else, you will carry your Christianity. After a while, it becomes a tiresome exercise because its impossible to carry the Infinite.”
The New Testament points to the fact that we're in a position similar to Ruth, somewhere between the end of chapter 3 and the middle of chapter 4. Having believed in Christ, we have placed our hope upon Him and we await the completion of the good work that has been set in motion by His Divine Grace.
When writing to the believers in Ephesus, Apostle Paul writes thus: “In Him(referring to Jesus Christ) also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:11-14)
Those of us who are already familiar with Ruth's background will be in a position to grasp the meaning of the above text. Paul is obviously referring to a transaction that is to be completed in the future. He notes that the purchase has been made by paying the necessary price and sealed to make evident its destination in God's plan. When Ruth placed herself into the redeeming power of Boaz, he kept his word and completed the formalities of paying off the debt. Now comes the union of Boaz and Ruth in matrimony that will finally end Ruth's journey in search of a new identity.
Similar sentiments echo with regard to the Christian's spiritual experience in the following passages of the New Testament: Romans 3:23-25, Romans 8:23, 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, Colossians 1:13-14 and Hebrews 9:11-15. One thing is certain: coming to Christ is just the beginning of a journey, and not the end of it!
All of this sounds like great theory – but there is a problem. We find Christians all over the world, still awaiting the return of the Lord who promised, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3) The wait, in itself, is a severe test of faith, that has now lasted almost 2 millennia. Through the centuries, Christians have been no strangers to persecution and suffering. After all, doesn't the whole thing sound a little silly, now that so many years have gone by and there seems to be no sign that these extraordinary claims would come to fruition? Humanly thinking, I can understand the enthusiasm of the early first century Christians who had had the opportunity to walk with the Lord personally or at least be taught by close eyewitnesses. The great miracles, the fiery preaching, the love of fellow brethren and much more besides, may have contributed a sense of reality to the believers of that time. But what now? Could it have been merely a passing illusion like the many fallen ideologies of our day?
As the Christian wrestles his own gnawing doubt within, he finds solace in the pages of the New Testament that resound with hope of a different kind. Read the much-persecuted Paul's second letter to the Corinthians as he explains his unwavering faith in the midst of difficulty - “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) These are the words of a man who had been repeatedly beaten, imprisoned and chased from city to city, for his faith. Yet, he chose to label his difficulties 'momentary'. Why? He says that he's experiencing a renewed strength in his 'inner man'. Sounds strange and self-contradictory, doesn't it? Why should one search for something that can't be seen? Read further Paul's words to the Romans - “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.” (Romans 8:23-24) He explains in his letter that redemption through Christ, has given him a taste of the wonderful things yet to come - “the firstfruits of the Spirit” - and that foretaste keeps him going.
As Christians, we may have thought that the whole 'funda' is in the 'Christian' label and the weekly pilgrimage to the local shrine. The truth is God desires that we move on from the realm of 'facts and figures' and come to a daily 'tasting' and definite experiences of His good gifts in our lives – particularly spiritual. We may not know or recognize our own spiritual needs and that's part of our problem. There's definitely more to life than what meets the eye. A life void of such rich personal experience in relating to Jesus Christ, soon finds itself tossed about and broken in the waves of doubt and despair.
In his famous hymn 'Come Thou Fount of every blessing', Robert Robinson penned his own internal struggle in the following stanza:
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Back to Ruth. The ending of the fourth chapter comes on the wings of a beautiful blessing pronounced by the elders and all the others at the gate, recalling God's amazing grace in their own history. The history of Judah is testimony of the fact that in spite of man's vested interests, God in His mercy, turns things around and causes light to shine in our darkness.
The author of the book ends the recorded genealogy with King David. Interestingly, Mathew, tells us better details of this unique family tree in his Gospel writings. Mathew chapter 1 tells us that Ruth's second mother-in-law was none other than Rahab, the prostitute from Jericho, who aided the Israeli spies (Mathew 1:5)! Rahab is another prime example of how someone with a regretful past found forgiveness and healing, in the quest for the true God. Whats more, the greatest man ever to walk the face of the earth, comes later in the lineage - “...and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Mathew 1:16)
Behold the great things God has wrought! The story began with a backsliding family that soon tottered on the brink of extinction. Then began the search of a strange woman for God and a desire to break with convenient worship, that culminated with redemption in a foreign land and a place in the lineage of Jesus Christ. All of this stands as a gentle lesson of God's Love and Grace that still shines for those who would make it a point to sacrifice status quo for the Truth.
I close with the following words of Jesus Christ:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
(Mathew 7:13-14)
The author of the book ends the recorded genealogy with King David. Interestingly, Mathew, tells us better details of this unique family tree in his Gospel writings. Mathew chapter 1 tells us that Ruth's second mother-in-law was none other than Rahab, the prostitute from Jericho, who aided the Israeli spies (Mathew 1:5)! Rahab is another prime example of how someone with a regretful past found forgiveness and healing, in the quest for the true God. Whats more, the greatest man ever to walk the face of the earth, comes later in the lineage - “...and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Mathew 1:16)
Behold the great things God has wrought! The story began with a backsliding family that soon tottered on the brink of extinction. Then began the search of a strange woman for God and a desire to break with convenient worship, that culminated with redemption in a foreign land and a place in the lineage of Jesus Christ. All of this stands as a gentle lesson of God's Love and Grace that still shines for those who would make it a point to sacrifice status quo for the Truth.
I close with the following words of Jesus Christ:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
(Mathew 7:13-14)
