The ABC's of Christmas

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! It is a beautiful morning; a white Christmas! It is such a wonderous, miraculous day! The day Christ was born! A great day to celebrate all that Jesus means to us. So celebrate! Celebrate the birth of Christ and give Him praise.

Ray Pritchard asks, "Have you ever tried to explain the real meaning of Christmas to a child? It isn’t easy. There is so much tradition mixed up with spiritual truth that it is sometimes hard to tell Jesus from Santa Claus and the Wise Men from the snowmen.

"Sometimes our children have a hard time understanding what it all means. Some years back there was a cartoon called 'Marvin.' In the first frame a young mother has just finished reading the Christmas story to her young son. The lad has a puzzled look on his face as he sorts it all out. Then he thinks to himself, 'Let me see if I’ve got this straight... Christmas is baby Jesus' birthday, but I get the presents?' The final frame shows him with a satisfied grin as he says to himself, 'Is this a great religion or what?!' (keepbelievingministries.com)

There is an old children's story book called The Christmas ABC Book (Florence Johnson,‎ Illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, The Christmas ABC [Litte Golden Book #478], Golden Press, 1962). Some of you may be familiar with it. Each letter of the alphabet connects with the biblical story in a little rhyme. For instance:

A means Angel…

An Angel was the first to tell

That Christ had come on earth to dwell.

D means Donkey…

A Donkey followed Joseph's track 

And carried Mary on his back.

(That's okay. Even though the Bible does't mention a donkey, it is quite possible that Mary did indeed ride a donkey since she was in the late stages of her pregnancy.)

Then there is the occasional odd one:

O means Oxen…

An Ox awoke and wondered why

So many people knelt nearby.

But all in all, it was a wonderful book. It's good for children to know the ABC's of Christmas. Even more, it's good for all of us to see through the tinsel and fantasy to the great story of Bethlehem.

There is one verse that sums up the real meaning of Christmas better than any verse in Scripture. It is just one verse tucked away in a forgotten corner of the New Testament. But in it we find the ABC's of Christmas.

2 Corinthians 8:9 tells the whole story of Christmas. It sums up the great truth behind the birth of a baby. Here we discover the ABC's of Christmas, first for the strengthening of our own hearts, and second, that we might teach these things to our children and grandchildren. Here is the true meaning of Christmas revealed in three truths.

The first truth is that He was rich. Hebrews 1:3 says that all the glory of God radiates from Christ: "He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature." Colossians 1:17 says that "in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:16 also says that "by Him all things were created." And Isaiah 9:6 says that before He was born, He was the "Mighty God" and the "Eternal Father."

"He was rich" (v. 9a). He didn't leave heaven in search of riches. He had the universe at his disposal. He wasn't looking for money. All the money in the universe was His for the asking. Theologians speak of the pre-existence of Jesus Christ. That simply means that before Bethlehem, the Son of God existed from all eternity in heaven. Not as a pauper or a beggar, but in glorious splendor. "He was rich" (v. 9a).

That is the "A" of the ABC's of Christmas—"He Was Rich." But that is only part of the story. Christmas begins with what happens next.

The second truth is that He became poor. What does this mean? He was rich in eternity. He became poor in time. He left heaven for a remote village in a forgotten province, to join a despised race, to be born of an obscure teenage peasant girl in a stable, wrapped in rags, and placed in a feeding trough instead of a crib.

This much we all know. But notice the verb: "He became poor" (v. 9b). Not, "He was made poor." That is what happens to us. We are made poor by circumstances. But He, of His own free will, became poor. That is something we would never do. He voluntarily gave up the riches of heaven for the poverty of earth. He who was richer than any man has ever been, gave it up freely and became poorer than any man has ever been.

We understand riches. And we understand poverty. But to choose poverty is beyond us and something we would never do. But that is the heart of the gospel. The richest person in the universe, of His own free will, became poorer than the poor.

Theologians refer to this as the "Incarnation." The thought is found in John 1:14—"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." The phrase "became flesh" really means "to wrap yourself in flesh." It has the idea of God wrapping Himself in human flesh. That's what happened at Bethlehem. It was God entering the human race in the form of a man.

That is what God did. He didn't mail a letter or shout from heaven. He did the one thing we could understand. God Himself came down and entered the human race. He became poor like us so that we would hear him saying, "I love you."

We wouldn't have done it that way. We would have scheduled a press conference, called the TV stations, hired a press agent, had a parade, called in the dignitaries, sold tickets, and made a big deal so all the world could see. We would take the Madison Avenue approach.

But that is not God's way. Read the New Testament again. Instead of flash and splash, there is a frightened father, an exhausted mother, a dirty stable in wintertime, swaddling cloths and a feeding trough. There He is, ignored by the mighty and powerful. Immanuel—God with us. It's so simple that you know it must be true. Only God would have done it that way.

That is the "B" of the ABC's of Christmas—"He Became Poor." But there is one more truth about Christmas that we must know if we are to discover the true meaning of this day.

The third truth is that you might become rich. Here is the purpose of Christmas. He came so that we who were poor might become rich. How does that happen? Most of you are familiar with the term guilt-by-association. That means, if I hang around with a fellow who has committed a crime, I may be considered guilty as well because of my close relationship with him. Turn that concept around and you've got Christmas. It is grace-by-association. All the grace of God is available to me by virtue of my relationship with Jesus Christ.

Think of it! All the riches… all the power… all the prestige of His good name are mine. But someone will say, "You don't deserve that." Indeed I don't. That is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. If I deserved it, I wouldn’t need Jesus, would I? But through my association with Jesus, suddenly I am a rich man.

Theologians refer to this as the doctrine of imputation. It is what happens when I come to Jesus Christ. He takes my sin, and I take His righteousness. I do not earn it; it is imputed to me. It is credited to my account. That is grace-by-association.

When I come to Jesus Christ, I come as a pauper in the spiritual realm. My hands are empty, my pockets bare; I have nothing to offer, no claim to make. All my good works are as filthy rags; my resume is filled with failure. All my life I have gone two steps forward and three steps back. And when I come to Him, I am fed, clothed, filled, forgiven, crowned with every good thing. He takes away my rags and puts around me the robe of His own righteousness. Everything that was against me is gone. Everything I lacked, I now have.

Once I was poor. Now I am rich. That is the grace of God. And it happened because of Christmas. He who was rich became poor for my sake, that I "through His poverty might become rich" (v. 9c).

C.S. Lewis explained it like this: "The Son of God became the son of man so that sons of men may become sons of God." (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (Publisher: Geoffrey Bles], 1952)

That is the "C" of the ABC's of Christmas—"That you... might become rich." So, the ABC's of Christmas are: A — He was rich; B — He became poor; and C — That you might become rich.

That is the true meaning of Christmas. Let us rejoice this year that these things are true and let us teach them to our children and grandchildren that they may know what this season is all about. Amen.

Jesus Was Born to Be Your Savior

It was "His Son" (Gal. 4:4b) that was born that first Christmas. Jesus was God's own Son. He was fully God, perfect in every way. He was also "born of a woman, born under the Law" (v. 4c). Not only was Jesus fully God, He was also fully man. He was one of us. Yet, being God, He was without sin. That qualifies Him to be our Savior.

There are a couple of things we see happening in this text. The first has to do with God's providence. God's providence means that He rules over the affairs of men and nations. As it pleases Him, He raises up one ruler and brings down another. He moves the entire course of history so that all will be ready for the coming of His Son. With God there is no fate, and nothing happens by mere chance or coincidence. Nothing ever happens "by accident" with God. Everything works together as part of His eternal plan.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, in his sermon entitlled, The Great Birthday and Our Comong of Age, said it this way: "He came at the hour which God had determined. The infinite Lord appoints the date of every event; all times are in His hand. There are no loose threads in the providence of God, no stitches are dropped, no events are left to chance. The great clock of the universe keeps good time, and the whole machinery of providence moves with unerring punctuality" (worr.wordpress.com)

Some of us need to hear this because we wonder (and secretly fear) that God has forgotten us. Perhaps you come to the year's end with a sense of unfulfillment and perhaps a sense of dread about what the future will bring. Fear not! God's timing is perfect."When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law" (Gal. 4:4, NIV). And when the time is fully come, He will keep all His promises to you.

The other thing happening here has to do with the importance of Jesus Christ. He is the center of history. History is really His Story; the story of Jesus Christ planned and told by God. Secular history gives us dates and times and places and people, but only God gives meaning to history. Jesus' birth is the hinge on which the door of history swings.

He came at the appointed time—not a moment too late, not a second too early. This means that the first Christmas miracle started long before Bethlehem. It took place over several centuries as God prepared the world for the coming of His Son.

He is the Savior of the world. He is our Savior. Some years ago C. K. Lee, a Christian leader from China, came to America. One Sunday he spoke in a church in California. At the conclusion of the message, a young college student asked this question, "Why should we export Christianity to China when you have Confucianism in your country?" "There are three reasons," was the answer. "First, Confucius was a teacher and Christ is a Savior. China needs a Savior more than she needs a teacher. Second, Confucius is dead and Christ is alive. China is in need of a living Savior. Third, Confucius will one day stand before Christ to be judged by Him. China needs to know Christ as Savior before she meets Him as Judge." (Story taken from "Triumphs of Faith," in The Most Amazing Man in History; keepbelieving.com)

In the end it becomes very personal. We all need a Savior. Some of us realize it, but many people do not. Christ came so that you might be saved from your sin. So the question becomes: What will you do with Jesus Christ?

Ray Pritchard relates this story from a night of Christmas caroling. They came upon a man who attended their church off and on for ten years, but not often the last few years. But he was glad to see the pastor. He said that he thought his life was turning around and that he wanted to go in a new direction. Then he said something the pastor had not heard anyone say before. He said he was hoping that God would "meet him halfway." He meant that he was taking a step toward God and now he hoped that God would take a step toward him and that they would meet somewhere in the middle. (keepbelieving.com)

The truth is, God never meets any of us halfway. It's not, you take one step and then God takes one step. It's not even that you take one step and God takes four steps. No, we never have to take the first step. God always makes the first move.

The message of Christmas is this: In Christ, God has taken a thousand steps toward us. Now He says, "Won't you take one tiny step toward Me?" The journey from heaven to earth was the longest journey anyone has ever taken. That's what it meant for God to "send forth" His Son. Now all He asks is that we take a tiny step of faith toward him. When we do, He meets us right where we are. Amen.

Jesus Was Born When the Stage Was Set

Jesus said, "If I had not come" (John 15:22); and Paul said, "When the fullness of the time had come" (Gal. 4:4a). Meaning, when time itself was pregnant and ready to deliver; when the stage was set, "God sent forth His Son" (Gal. 4:4b).

If we stand back and look at history, what do we discover about the world in the day when Christ was born? Four things are evident:

(1) It was a period of international peace. For only the second time in the history of the Roman Empire, the doors of the Temple of Janus (the god of war) in Rome were closed, meaning that the Empire was not at war anywhere. The great Pax Romana, the Roman Peace, was in force, which meant that the whole Mediterranean world was united under one government.

No doubt you have heard it said, "All roads lead to Rome." That statement was literally true. The Romans had built a road system that stretched from Rome in all directions. That enabled the gospel message to quickly spread to all parts of the known world. And Greek was the common language throughout the empire (because of Alexander the Great), which further united people and made it easier for the message of Jesus to come to the masses.

(2) It was a time of religious ferment. Across the empire, the various mystery religions were in decline. There were so many gods in ancient Greece that one writer called Greece, "one large altar." And Judaism was ripe for Messiah to come. During those 400 "silent years," the Jews had migrated to every corner of the ancient world. Judaism flourished as the Jews built synagogues wherever they went. And where did Christianity begin? It emerged from the womb of Judaism. Early church worship was modeled after synagogue worship. And where did Paul start when he went to a new city? Always in the local synagogue, preaching the gospel to his own people. By the time of Christ, there were Jews at every level of society in the Roman Empire, and many Gentiles knew of the God of Israel.

Looking back, we can see clearly that God had placed His chosen people, the Jews, in strategic positions to help advance the gospel. Still the Jews asked each other, "Why hasn’t the Messiah come?" Their experience in Old Testament times had left them yearning for something better. The Law, good as it was, could never save them. It was a schoolmaster meant to lead them to Christ.

Historians tell us that in the centuries preceding the coming of Christ, there was a feeling of unrest and an undefined expectation of something about to happen. That is why Paul, standing on Mars Hill in Athens in A.D. 50, could refer to the Altar to the Unknown God as a jumping-off spot for proclaiming the gospel.

(3) It was an era of moral decline. Athens was in the late afternoon of its glory. The gods of Greece and Rome no longer could command the blind allegiance of the masses. Education, philosophy, and great art created desires they could not fill. In the end, the verdict was clear. Athens produced Aristotle, Socrates, Euripides, and Aristophanes. Rome produced Seneca, Cicero, Juvenal, Tacitus, Suetonius, and Julius Caesar. But the best man could do, was not enough. Nothing could fill the "God-shaped vacuum" inside the human heart. Art, literature, poetry, music, architecture, and the greatest military machine the world had ever known, all of it taken together, could not provide meaning to life or point the way to lasting forgiveness. It could not offer any answer to three questions we all must answer: Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going?

Again, it is a simple historical fact that the condition of the heathen world was deplorable. Even the Roman poets said as much. They saw the problem, but were powerless to do anything about it. They knew the truth, at least in part, but had no power to effect lasting change. The result was gross superstition, debased immorality, widespread corruption, evil run amok, and rank unbelief.

This is the world into which Christ came. It is the world Paul describes so graphically in the first chapter of Romans; a world that knew the truth but suppressed it, ignored the true God, and turned to idolatry. It was a world that was given over to paganism, sexual immorality, homosexuality, murder, perversion, dishonesty, and brutality. A world of broken promises, broken dreams, broken homes, and broken hearts. And into that darkness, God shined a light in a stable, in an obscure village called Bethlehem.

(4) It was an age of prophetic fulfillment. That which started in Genesis, continued throughout the Old Testament. God promised over and over that He would intervene in history. One day the Messiah would come. There was an ever-narrowing stream of prophecy, the promises becoming more and more specific. Until it happened! The angel came to Zechariah and Elizabeth. Then to Mary. Then to the shepherds and the Wise Men in the east, who saw the star and knew that the King of the Jews had been born. Herod, the evil king in Jerusalem, seemed to have been caught by surprise. But the scribes weren’t. They knew the baby would be born in Bethlehem.

Thus, the stage was set for the coming of Christ. It happened just as God said it would. Not too soon. Not too late. "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son" (Gal. 4:4ab).

This brings us back to where we started, to the words of Jesus, "If I had not come" (John 15:22). If Christ had not come, how would the world be different? Just for a moment, imagine that some powerful hand has wiped the influence of Christ out of our civilization, as a hand would clean a blackboard in a schoolroom. Go to a library, and you will find no trace left of the life or words of Jesus. All has vanished. In the encyclopedias, the entries on "Jesus Christ" have all been removed. In the museums, where "The Transfiguration," "The Last Supper" and "Christ on the Cross" had been, there are only empty spaces. The works of the great masters are gone. The great cathedrals have disappeared. The greatest poems of Dante and Milton, of Wordsworth and Tennyson—all gone, vanished without a trace.

If Christ had not come, the Christian hospitals and schools that have had such a magnificent influence both at home and abroad, would not have existed. If Christ had not come, all the churches and the good works they have done, would be erased from the earth. There would be no Christian relief agencies bringing hope and help to the hurting people of the world. There would not even be any Christian books or music. No great hymns of the faith. No Christmas carols. No Angel Tree. No Christmas Eve services, for there would be no Christmas to celebrate.

There would be no churches anywhere, if He did not come. We would not be here. There would be no building, no people, no choir, no sanctuary, no worship, no sermon, because we would have nothing to preach. There would be none of the things we take for granted. All would be gone, vanished into the mist, if Christ had not come.

But the news is much worse. If Christ had not come, the promises of God would be unfulfilled; the world would still be in darkness. If Christ had not come, there would be no gospel to believe; there would be no Christmas and no Easter. If Christ had not come, there would be no hope beyond the grave; we would still be lost, for there would be no Savior for sin.

Listen to the words the angel said to the shepherds, and think of what it means to us: "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). "When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son” (Gal. 4:4ab). Jesus was born when the stage was set. In perfect timing, Christ came to bring us hope and salvation. Amen.

Jesus Was Born When the Time Was Right

In John 15:22 Jesus begins with the words, "If I had not come." With those words He invites us to consider a possibility. What if Jesus had not come to earth? What if He had not been born in Bethlehem? What if He had not walked the dusty roads of Judea? What if He had not given the Sermon on the Mount? What if He had not walked on water? What if He had not made the blind see, the deaf hear, and the lame walk? What if He had never raised the dead? What if we didn’t have His words to comfort us, to challenge us, to teach us, and to lead us to God? What if He never died on the cross? What if He never rose from the dead? What if He had never sent His disciples out into the world? Where would we be? What kind of world would this be? How would things be different if Jesus had not come?

In just three weeks, we celebrate the anniversary of His birth. It is not exactly 2017 years because the calender is off maybe four years or so, but it's close enough. We're not certain what year He was born or exactly what day. It might be December 25, but no one knows for sure.

The fact that we don't know the exact day or year shouldn't be of any concern. Secular historians didn't record His birth, and among the gospel writers, only Luke gives us specific historical information to work with. The New Testament doesn't command us to remember His birthday with a yearly celebration. That started in the early church several centuries later.

The great message of the Christian faith may be found in the declaration that God was manifest in the flesh, that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, that Jesus was God Incarnate, fully man yet somehow also fully God. That is the center of our faith. Everything else derives from that one fact. The dating of His birth is secondary.

Again, Jesus said, "If I had not come" (John 15:22). But He did come. And history has been changed forever because He came. That is what matters. For a little over 30 years the Son of God walked on this earth, and nothing has been the same since. He came, and in His coming He split time itself in two. Everything else is secondary compared to what happened in Bethlehem on that bleak midwinter night 20 centuries ago.

Galatians 4:4 begins: "But when the fullness of the time came," or "when the time had fully come" (NIV). This phrase invites us to consider God's timing. The phrase, "had fully come," is a very picturesque Greek expression. It speaks of something that is complete and fully developed, like a ripe apple ready to be picked, or a pregnant woman feeling labor pains, ready to deliver her baby. It describes that moment in history when all things were in place, when all the pieces were on the board; that one moment when the stage was perfectly set. At that moment, not earlier and not later, "God sent forth His Son" (KJV). Jesus was born when the time was right!

God's timing is always perfect. We know that because we know the Bible. He is never early, and he is never late. Yet God's timing sometimes staggers us when He does something we weren't expecting, and we say, "Why did you do that?" Or when we have prayed and prayed and the heavens seem as brass, when we wonder if God can't hear us, and deep in our souls we wonder if there is even a God at all.

The Jews wondered about that too. They had some legitimate questions to ask of God. One of our great carols says, "Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free." That is exactly accurate. "Thou long-expected Jesus." From the very beginning of time, God promised to send His Son. Going all the way back to the Garden of Eden, God promised that one day the Seed of the Woman would crush the head of the Serpent, who is Satan (Gen. 3:15). Adam and Eve didn't know and couldn't have known, but that phrase, "Seed of the Woman," was a direct prediction of the coming of Christ.

Centuries later, God promised Abraham that he would have a son, and that through his son and his descendants all the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3). Several generations later the promise was made more specific, that a scepter would arise in Judah (Gen. 49:10), meaning that Christ would be born of the tribe of Judah. Hundreds of years later, God promised David that one day he would have a son to sit on his throne whose reign would be everlasting (2 Sam. 7:12-16). Thus, the promise narrows from Adam to Abraham, to the tribe of Judah, to the house of David.

Still later, the prophet Micah declared that the Messiah would be born in the little village of Bethlehem: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2).

Finally, Daniel received insight into the exact time frame when Christ would come to the earth: "Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate" (Dan. 9:24-27).

All of that was written in the Old Testament, and much more that I haven't mentioned. The Jews knew this, and even if they didn't understand it all, even if they couldn't put it all together, it created within them a great desire, a hope and dream that one day the Messiah would come from heaven.

The Old Testament comes to an end with the prophet Malachi who lived approximately 433 years before the coming of Christ. We call the period following his ministry, the "400 Silent Years." That phrase can be misleading because those centuries were filled with action, including the storied career of Alexander the Great. We call them the "silent years," because no prophet arose to speak for God and no Scripture was being written. It is almost as if the heavens became silent; almost as if God had forgotten His promises. But He had not. He merely set the stage, so to speak, and He sent His Son "when the time had fully come" (Gal. 4:4a). Jesus was born when the time was right. Amen.

The Hope for the Future: Christ

The Book of Ruth ends with the genealogy of Perez of the line of Judah: "Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David (Ruth 4:18-22).

Note especially verses 21b-22: "Boaz begot Obed; Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David," confirming the statement about the birth of Obed to Ruth and Boaz in verse 17b, which reads, "And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David." This is what gives the Book of Ruth its significance. Ruth's great-grandson was David, the greatest king in the history of Israel. It was through the line of David, in fulfillment of prophecy, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born in Bethlehem. Isaiah says that the Savior will be "a shoot (that) will come up from the stump of Jesse… the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him" (Isa. 11:1-2, NIV).

God was never in doubt as to what He was doing. He was silently accomplishing His purposes in the godly line of David, which would one day come to its complete fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is our hope! Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer! Remember, it was by His Incarnation that the Son of God became our kinsman so that by His sacrificial, atoning death He might also become our Redeemer. All of our needs and problems find their solution at the Cross of Christ and in His glorious Resurrection.

So, the Book of Ruth points ahead to Christ, the hope for the future. We are encouraged to rely on the character of God as revealed in His Word. Isaiah asks, "Who among you fears the LORD? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light?" (Isa. 50:10a). And he answers, "Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely upon his God" (v. 10b).

We are to judge, not by what we see of our circumstances, but by what we know of the unchanging character of our God. The only way that can happen, is to have our minds soaked in Scripture and our thinking informed by the certainty of God's sovereignty being exercised in love and grace, right now, in the circumstances of our daily lives.

Boaz and Ruth were ordinary people who lived faithful lives. In the same way, God wants you to be faithful. Trust Christ, the hope for your future. He is our "kinsman-redeemer," our Savior. He is our Lord, our God. As Isaiah says, "Trust in the name of the LORD and rely upon (our) God" (Isa. 50:10b). Amen.

The Answer to the Problem: A Son

In Ruth 4:11-17, the story turns to the real answer for the problem that Naomi and Ruth faced. That answer? A son! Without a son being born to Ruth and Boaz the redemption is incomplete. And so, as the story continues, all the people proclaim, "We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman" (v. 11-12).

The people pronounced a blessing of fertility on Ruth (v. 11a), that she would be like Rachel and Leah, who had twelve sons between them (Gen 29:31-30:24). Then they pronounced a dual blessing on Boaz: First, literally, "may you have standing" (v. 11b) or "may you prosper" (v. 11b), referring to wealth, and second, that he "be famous in Bethlehem" (v. 11b).

Verse 12 expands on the idea of being "famous in Bethlehem" (v. 11b). It is the offspring of Boaz and Ruth that will bring fame to this family. It is the birth of their son and all who follow that are in view here. "Perez" was the more important of the two sons born to Judah by Tamar, as he is an ancestor of the people of Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah. Not only do they long to see a son raised up for Elimelech, but a famous line of descendants from Boaz himself, as a reward for his faithful, compassionate love and kindness. They ask for God's blessing to be poured on the man who has acted faithfully for the preservation of the family line, by granting him a famous dynasty—a prayer that was abundantly answered.

It was to Bethlehem that Samuel, the prophet, came (1 Sam. 16:4) to anoint David, the great grandson of Boaz and Ruth, to be king over Israel. It was about Bethlehem that the prophet Micah later proclaimed: "Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). And so it was to Bethlehem that Joseph from Nazareth came with Mary, under the decree of Caesar Augustus, to be registered, and in Bethlehem that the Savior of the world was born (Luke 2:1–12).

"So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son" (v. 13). Obed, the son of Ruth and Boaz, the true "kinsman-redeemer!" Obed is being referred to throughout verses 14-15, and he is clearly regarded as the "kinsman-redeemer." "Then the women said to Naomi, 'Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him'" (vs. 14-15).

As one commentator put it: "The child was the real kinsman-redeemer, a word that here has the broad sense of 'deliverer' and 'helper'… Only through the child was the yoke of affliction that the Lord had laid on Naomi completely removed." (David Jackman, quoting Goslinga, The Preacher’s Commentary, Vol. 7: Judges, Ruth, [Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1991], 349)

The problem is taken care of. The need is met. A son is born who is the true "kinsman-redeemer" for Naomi. So she cares for her grandson, Obed, and helps raise him (that is the literal thought of verse 16): "Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him."

Obed, meaning "servant," indicates that this son would serve his grandmother as her "kinsman-redeemer" in the sense that he would take care of her in her old age. And so, as we look back we can see God's answers to prayer in the birth of the son, Obed, and then, as we look forward to David, we see it even more dramatically. Obed was "the father of Jesse, the father of David" (v. 17b). That is what God had been working toward behind the scenes all along.

The birth of a son to Ruth, a "kinsman-redeemer" for Naomi, is the ultimate answer! And it all points to the future, not only to the birth of David, but certainly to the birth of Jesus in the line of David. Jesus is the Son born that first Christmas morning to be our redeemer! What a glorious truth to keep in mind as we prepare in the weeks ahead to celebrate the birth of Christ our Savior, Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Heart of the Matter: Redemption

W. Gary Phillips, in his commentary on Ruth, offers the following summary on all that has taken place: Pretend you are an ordinary field worker in Bethlehem during the days of the judges, specifically at the time of Ruth. What events would you have observed?

First, you would have seen two women walk past your fields into town—one of them obviously a foreigner. Naomi was an embittered woman who described herself as someone whom God delighted in tormenting. It was clear to all that she had nothing—except a widowed Moabite daughter-in-law (Ruth 1). Then you would have been surprised by two things: First, you would have been impressed at the hard work undertaken by this young Moabite widow. And second, you would have been surprised because the country squire, Boaz, kept looking in her direction, providing more "supervision" of that part of the field than normal (Ruth 2).

Some weeks later, on your way back to town after the grain was harvested, if your eyes were sharp, you might have noticed Ruth, no longer in her mourning clothes, quietly going in the wrong direction—out from town toward where all the harvested grain was being kept overnight. But if you knew Boaz was there, you would know that she (a young woman alone at night) would be kept safe (Ruth 3).

And now, as you are on your way through the gate to the field to start transporting the grain, you notice a crowd gathered. You look closer, and all the elders are there—very unusual for this time of day—and then you see Boaz with another man in the middle of them, surrounded by a crowd of townspeople pressing against one another, every one of them trying to get close enough to hear what is happening. It turns out to be a fascinating legal mini-drama. This chapter of Ruth records the "court transcript" (Ruth 4). (W. Gary Phillips, "Reading an Ancient Court Transcript," Holmon Old Testament Commentary: Judges, Ruth, [Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 2004], 345)

David Jackman, in his commentary on Ruth, assesses the situation in Ruth 4 as follows: From one point of view, Naomi's story is like anybody else's in Israel in the days of the judges, "when there was no king in Israel" (Judges 21:25a). Elimelech made his decisions on the basis of what he thought would be best for himself and his family. He did "what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25b). It brought his wife to the brink of ruin, eventually, but he could not have foreseen that. Her only way out was through her foreign daughter-in-law, whose loyalty to her because of her loyalty to God, paved the way for the kinsman-redeemer to rescue them both. (David Jackman, The Preacher's Commentary, Volume 7: Judges, Ruth, [Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1991], 341)

At first glance, this might seem to be an ordinary and limited story of one family’s crisis. Yet it merits a whole book of the Bible, indicating that the revelation it contains is necessary to our understanding of the mind and purpose of God. The necessity and provision of redemption is at the very heart of God's plan. Not only that, it is the plan of His heart!

You cannot study the final chapter of Ruth without taking notice of the fact that Boaz, the "kinsman-redeemer," is the only possible solution to the problems faced by Ruth and Naomi. He takes the initiative in bringing about the act of redemption (v. 1). He pays the price (vs. 8–9). He publicly claims his own (vs. 9–10). He provides a name and an inheritance where before there was only ruin (v. 14). He restores and sustains Naomi, even in old age, through the birth of Obed (v. 15). Ruth and Naomi could have done none of these things themselves. They were entirely dependent on the covenant-faithfulness and personal compassion of Boaz, their "kinsman-redeemer." They were entirely dependent upon grace.

Through the lens of the New Testament, we can see that what God did for Ruth and Naomi through Boaz, He has accomplished for all of us who have received His mercy in Christ. We too, have suffered from the absence of a king in our lives. Actually, we have taken over the throne in our lives which rightly belongs to God alone. We too, need a redeemer as we suffer the just consequences of our sin and rebellion. We are equally unable to save ourselves, and no other kinsman could possibly meet our need. "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law" (Gal. 4:4-5).

By His Incarnation, Jesus, the Son of God, became our kinsman so that by His sacrificial, atoning death, He might also become our Redeemer. All our needs and all our problems find their ultinate solution at the Cross of Christ, and in His glorious Resurrection. Christ Jesus is our "kinsman-redeemer." This is the ultimate lesson of the Book of Ruth.

Ruth 4:1-10 goes right to the heart of the matter—redemption. That is what this story is about—redemption. As the story resumes in Ruth 4:1, Naomi's prediction that Boaz is a man of immediate action (Ruth 3:18) is fulfilled, as he heads for the town gate. Indeed, the indication is that he did this as soon as he got back to Bethlehem from the threshing floor.

"The gate" (Ruth 4:1) was really the center of the community's life; there cases were heard and contracts were made. The "elders" (v. 2) dispensed justice, the poor waited for help, and the ordinary people met one another to exchange news at "the gate" of the city. It had much the same function as the village square in medieval Europe. Everyone had to pass through "the gate," so it was the obvious place to go in a small community if you wanted to be sure of meeting someone. (Ibid, 343)

For Boaz to fulfill the role of the "kinsman-redeemer" for Ruth and Naomi, he first had to find out the intentions of the closer relative (Ruth 3:12). So when he came by, Boaz asked him to sit with him (v. 1) and he gathered the elders (v. 2) to serve as witnesses. And so he presents his case in verses 3-4a, saying: "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold (or "is selling") the piece of land which belonged to our brother (or "relative") Elimelech. And I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.'" The relative replied, "I will redeem it" (v. 4b). He must have thought that he would gain by buying the land. This seems to be somewhat of a surprise, but not to Boaz. He was prepared.

He goes on in verse 5 to remind this relative of the additional condition that must be met: namely, he must marry Ruth and provide an heir for Mahlon. He said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance" (v. 5). Boaz probably hoped to discourage the kinsman from buying the land by reminding him that the purchase of the land obligated the kinsman to marry Ruth, though he gave the kinsman every opportunity to do just that.

It turns out that this "closer relative" would have none of it. He replies, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it" (v. 6). In the end, he refused his right of redemption in the hearing of the elders. So, in keeping with the custom of the day, he "took off his sandal and gave it to (Boaz)" (v. 7) to confirm the agreement. Again he told Boaz, "Buy it for yourself" (v. 8).

Boaz then announces to all who are present: "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day" (vs. 9-10).

With compassion and kindness, Boaz accepts the role of "kinsman-redeemer" with regard to Elimelech's property, which had passed to his sons, and he marries Ruth to provide a legal heir for the family. Only in verse 10, are we finally told that Ruth had been Mahlon's wife.

Boaz began and ended his remarks with the same words: "You are witnesses this day" (vs. 9a, 10b). It may be that the writer of the Book of Ruth wanted to suggest that if a mere human being could love an outcast, redeem her, and bring her into fellowship with himself, then God certainly could love all the outcasts of the world, redeem them, and bring them into fellowship with Himself. That is the heart of the matter—redemption!

We are the outcasts God seeks to redeem! If you will confess Christ Jesus as Lord, "and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom. 10:9). Jesus shed His blood on the cross and died for your forgiveness. He rose again from the dead the third day to give you life, abundant and eternal. Just believe and trust in Him. Amen.

Boaz's Example: Reflect God's Character

Boaz was flattered by Ruth's kindness in seeking him out. He blessed her for it: "Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter," he said (Ruth 3:10a). And he added, "You have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning" (v. 10b). This is a reference to Ruth's kindness to Naomi in not forsaking her. It pleased him that she turned trustingly to him rather than to a younger man, "whether poor or rich" (v. 10c). It is increasingly clear that Boaz interpreted Ruth's bold actions as a request for marriage.

Boaz comforted Ruth as he promised to do all that she requested of him: "And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request" (v. 11a). He told her that everyone in Bethlehem knew that she was a woman of noble character ("a virtuous woman," v. 11b). The same phrase is found in Proverbs 31:10, which says, "Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies." It might be said that Ruth was well known as a Proverbs 31 woman! No greater compliment can be made. So Boaz assured Ruth that all would know there was nothing wrong in the fact that she had come to him with the request to marry him.

In verse 12, Boaz told Ruth, "It is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I." He went on in verse 13 to say, "If he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the LORD lives!" No one was compelled to act as the "kinsman-redeemer." However, because there was another who was first in line to act as such, Boaz, being a true man of God, would check out the situation and then, if appropriate, would be Ruth's "kinsman-redeemer." He would strictly follow God's Word. Truly a man reflecting God's character. Ruth couldn't ask for a better man.

Ruth remained at Boaz's feet till morning, but arose to leave before daybreak with Boaz's encouragement, lest it be known that "a woman" had spent the night there (v. 14). He knew that if it became known, people might assume the worst, and Ruth's reputation, as well as his own, might be ruined. But before she left, Boaz filled her shawl with "six ephahs of barley" (v. 15), most likely a simple gift reassuring Ruth that, as a man of God, he will provide, which also served as a message for Naomi.

Upon returning home, Naomi inquired as to what had happened and Ruth filled her in (v. 16). She said, "These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, 'Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law'" (v. 17). These are the last recorded words of Ruth in the book. The message? Her "empty" days were about to end.

The final verse of the chapter is another great statement concerning the character of Boaz: "Then she said, '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'" (v. 18). On learning what had happened, Naomi advised, "Sit still" (NKJV, KJV), or "Wait" (NIV), "until you find out what happens" (NIV). Literally, "Wait until you find out how the matter will fall." She was convinced that Boaz was the kind of person who would not rest untill the matter was settled that day—the matter of the right of the nearer kinsman. The final chapter will prove she knew her kinsman well. Boaz was truly a man of God. He was a man who knew God, trusted God, and walked with God, following His every lead. He was a man who reflected God's character.

In addition, Naomi's advice to "wait" (v. 18), reveals a stance of faith—a confident, expectant belief that only God could bring about the fulfillment of the "kinsman-redeemer" for Ruth. She would trust Him.

Missionary John Paton never forgot his father's deeply ingrained habits of daily devotions. Day after day, he would hear his father praying in the next room of the little cottage where he lived, and even as a boy of six, he noticed the bright countenance his father perpetually wore. He later said that while the outside world might not understand the light on his father's face, "we children knew that it was a reflection of the Divine Presence in which his life was lived." ("A Reflection of the Divine Presence," Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes, [Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 2000], 377)

That is a description of Boaz; a man whose life was a reflection of the Divine Presence. When you learn to follow God's lead, your life will be one of following God's Word, trusting in God's protection, and reflecting God's character, His divine presence. May those three characteristics describe you. Amen.

Ruth's Example: Trust God's Protection

Like Naomi, Ruth is also a woman of active faith. In Ruth 3:6-9, we see Ruth literally taking refuge under God's wings as she ventures forward in faith to put Naomi's plan into action: "So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her" (v. 6). Ruth followed closely Naomi's instructions, all the while trusting in God's protection.

"After Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down" (v. 7). "At midnight" Boaz awoke and there she was "lying at his feet" (v. 8). Boaz asked who she was (v. 9a) and Ruth responded, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative" (v. 9b).

Behind these highly unusual actions lay a sincere trust in God’s care and protection. Faith always grows when it acts on the basis of what the Lord has already accomplished and provided. Based on what the Lord has already done for her, Ruth's request in verse 9 includes the use of the word "wing," the same word Boaz used in Ruth 2:12 when he said, "The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."

"Under your wing" (v. 9b), most likely refers to the corner of the garment or blanket which covered Boaz. If that is so, then Ruth's request is for more than protection. It is an appeal to Boaz to marry her so that they will share the same covering. In the context, this seems to be the most likely meaning, as she reminds him that he is "a close relative" (v. 9b), or a "kinsman-redeemer." She is asking him to act upon this truth of God's Word.

Knowing that Boaz is a man of God, Ruth asks him to provide for her and to protect her, just as God has been leading him to do. In this, she provides a pattern for our faith. In order to move forward spiritually, there are moments when we have to trust the Word of God's promise and venture out in faith. There are many times when we cannot see how it is going to work out, but that is no reason not to trust God, commit our way to Him, and act upon our faith.

Sometimes we seem to be sitting down and waiting for an awful long time, because we are always requiring God to show us more before we launch out and trust Him. It is possible to be so afraid of making mistakes that we do nothing. But provided our lives are in a right relationship with God and we honestly want to go His way and not our own, He gives us permission to launch out in faith, to risk for His sake. God honors the heart that is set on attempting great things for Him because it expects great things from Him.

Here we see that blend of faith and action. Naomi followed God's Word and Ruth trusted God's protection. We must act by faith in the same manner. Amen.

Naomi's Example: Follow God's Word

One night as the famous Bible teacher F.B. Meyer stood on the deck of a ship approaching land, he wondered how the crew knew when and how to safely steer to the dock. It was a stormy night, and visibility was low. Meyer, standing on the bridge and peering through the window, asked, "Captain, how do you know when to turn this ship into that narrow harbor?"

"That’s an art," replied the captain. "Do you see those three red lights on the shore? When they're all in a straight line I go right in!"

Later Meyer said: "When we want to know God's will, there are three things which always occur: the inward impulse, the Word of God, and the trend of circumstances.... Never act until these three things agree." ("F.B. Meyer's Formula," Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes, [Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 2000], 369)

George Truett said, "To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge. To do the will of God is the greatest achievement" (Ibid, 368). So when the three lights line up—the inward prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the circumstances of life—then you know the will of God, and what remains is to act on it.

A.W. Tozer added this thought: "The man or woman who is wholly and joyously surrendered to Christ can't make a wrong choice—any choice will be the right one" (Ibid). When you are wholly surrendered to Christ, your life will be in the complete control of God's Spirit and you will be led in only one direction—the direction God has for you. All that remains is to follow Him—to act upon God's lead.

When you make it a practice of following God's lead in your life, your life will become a blend of faith and action. Your faith will discover where God is leading and your actions will follow in that direction. You will learn to discern God's direction or will in your life, and then follow where He is leading and moving. When God leads—by faith, act!

The three main characters in our story—Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz—act by faith upon God's lead. These three characters each show us a special characteristic that will be seen in our lives as we learn to follow God's lead. Today we will consider Naomi's example.

For nearly three months, while the barley harvest was being completed, it seems that nothing was happening in the Ruth-Boaz story. Life goes on. Day by day, Ruth continues to glean with the servants of Boaz, and day by day, her daily needs are met (Ruth 2). As time passed, Naomi and Ruth must have been wondering what was going to happen. Would Boaz fulfill his role as Ruth's "kinsman redeemer," or would he not? Will he continue to take care of their daily needs? They simply had to wait and see.

Can you imagine what these women were going through? Waiting is difficult at the best of times, but our ability to wait upon God depends on how we understand Him. This brings us back to "the central theological message of the book which is that of the hidden, but active, God, who is at work continuously in the lives of His people, even when they think nothing is happening. There is not the slightest hint that this overruling sovereignty for one moment limits the freedom of our human actions or the dignity of our choices. Sometimes, God disappears completely into the tapestry of everyday life and we assume that He has forgotten us in our daily routine with its pressures, hassles, and uncertainties" (David Jackman, The Preacher's Commentary, Vol. 7: Judges, Ruth, [Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1991], 329). But He has not! The God "who works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Eph. 1:11) is always there, even as we wait.

As we pick up the story in Ruth chapter 3, if we look through the lens of today, Naomi appears to be that scheming mother-in-law who pushes Ruth forward in hopes that her own plans would succeed. Ruth comes across as somewhat forward, if not immodest, as she literally throws herself at Boaz. But apply the lens of the ancient world, and all things change. There are basic cultural practices written into the Law of Israel which govern the story at this point.

Israel was created by God's call to be a unique people. When we describe the nation-state as a theocracy, we mean literally that God was its King, its covenant Lord. As such, God called Abram to a new land and promised this land to his descendents (Gen. 12:1, 7). In Exodus, God led His people Israel out of bondage and delivered them into this land. The land was God's free gift to His people. This was His part of the covenant He had made with them. The peoples' response is to be that of love and loyalty to God, shown by their obedience.

Please note, however, that Israel's obedience is not the means by which they earn God's grace and favor. Rather, obedience is seen as the expression of gratitude for the mercy already given. They were created to serve God, and obedience is an aspect of His comprehensive blessing.

Following the conquest of Israel, the land was divided up among the tribes as their inheritance from the Lord. So they were leaseholders. They had no absolute rights to the land. They could not part with the family portion or sell it whenever they wished, because it was not theirs. It belonged to God. But He had given it forever to the family as a mark of His Blessing.

But what if poverty struck? Could they realize the value of the land to alleviate their suffering? The Law was clear: "The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for You are strangers and sojourners with Me. And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land. If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold. Or if the man has no one to redeem it, but he himself becomes able to redeem it, then let him count the years since its sale, and restore the balance to the man to whom he sold it, that he may return to his possession. But if he is not able to have it restored to himself, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee; and in the Jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his possession." (Lev. 25:23-28)

It was the duty of the nearest relation or kinsman to redeem the land, to buy it back for the family. It is this provision which Naomi was wanting to invoke. We learn later in Ruth 4:9, that Elimelech owned property that Naomi had to sell because of her poverty. She, therefore, plans to call on Boaz, as a kinsman, to become the redeemer and thus to ransom the family property. But there is more.

The Jewish law further provides for a man to marry the widow of his deceased brother if no heir has been born. The widow was not to remarry outside the family, but the brother of the deceased husband was to raise up an heir for his dead brother so that his name might be perpetuated and his family inheritance continue to be possessed by the family. This is spelled out in Deuteronomy 25:5–10, where the force of the passage is that, while such a marriage is the right of the nearest kinsman, it is not a duty to be forced upon him. It is a right that he can feel free to lay aside.

The important point, of which Naomi was most certainly aware, concerns the fact that the "kinsman-redeemer" acts out of compassion and commitment, rather than compulsion or mere duty. Naomi wants Boaz not only to ransom Elimelech's property, but also to marry the widow of her husband's rightful heir, Ruth, and so to establish the name of her husband and son, and to return the family to its proper status in Bethlehem.

In all of this, Naomi is simply trying to discover God's will and she is directly following God's Word. In Ruth 3:1, she says to Ruth, "Shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?" "Seek security" can be translated, "find a home" (NIV). The Hebrew word literally means, "find rest." What is implied is the security and benefits found in marriage by a woman in Israel. It was customary for parents to arrange marriages (in this case, Naomi for Ruth). The motive: "that it may be well with you" (v. 1b), or that Ruth may be well provided for.

Naomi interpreted Boaz's kindness to Ruth as an indication of his interest in her, possibly indicating a willingness to be that "kinsman-redeemer" for Ruth. The inward impulse, the Word of God, and the circumstances all lined up, so Naomi acted upon God’s lead and sent Ruth to the threshing floor to find out Boaz's intentions in the matter: "Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do" (vs. 2-4).

Ruth complied: "And she said to her, 'All that you say to me I will do'" (v. 5). Ruth followed the custom of the day, just as Naomi had instructed. In this manner, Ruth made clear to Boaz her willingness to marry him. God led, and Naomi acted upon His lead by faith. That is what God would have us do as well. Let God lead through the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit, through His Word, and through life's circumstances. When all three line up, like Naomi, act upon His lead. Amen.

Grace: God's Unbelievable Redemption

Grace is not only God's unending provision and God's unlimited resources, above all, it is God's unbelievable redemption! This truth is especially evident in Ruth 2:20. I said last week that we would take a closer look at verse 20 this week, the key verse not only in chapter two, but in the entire book of Ruth. So let's do that now; let's take a close look at Ruth 2:20.

There is a lot to be learned here that will introduce us to what is yet to come in the Book of Ruth. Naomi made two statements in this verse during her conversation with Ruth. First, she said, "Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!" (v. 20a). Second, she said, "This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives" (v. 20b).

First, the phrase, "the living and the dead," has been interpreted as a reference to both Naomi and Ruth ("the living"), and Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion ("the dead"). It is thus taken as the equivalent of "everyone." God "has not forsaken" (v. 20a) Naomi and Ruth, but God "has not forsaken" (v. 20a) Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion either. His "kindness" (v. 20a) is to the whole family. Naomi's statement may indicate that she already anticipated what was about to take place.

Second, Boaz is described here as "a close relative" (v. 20b). Literally, it is the Hebrew word "ga'al," meaning "kinsman redeemer" (as in the NIV). Boaz, by law, could fulfill the duty of preserving the name of the dead by marrying Ruth. He had already begun to fulfill this duty by providing food and protection for her.

The root of "ga’al" means "to redeem" or "buy back," usually with an emphasis on the redemption being the privilege or duty of a near relative. The responsibilities of the "ga’al" included avenging the death of a murdered relative (Num. 35:19), marrying a childless widow of a deceased brother (Deut. 25:5-10), buying back family land that had been sold (Lev. 25:25), buying a family member who had been sold as a slave (Lev. 25:47-49), and looking after the needy and helpless members of the family (Lev. 25:35), as Boaz had already been doing.

It is difficult to know how conscientiously this law was observed since the Israelites broke most of the covenant laws in the time of the judges, but Jeremiah 32:6-25 indicates that it was still binding in the sixth century B.C., many years after the time of Boaz. What we are about to witness in the Book of Ruth is that righteousness still existed in Israel, even in the time of the judges. At Bethlehem, where so much sin and rebellion existed, there was yet one godly man by the name of Boaz. He would certainly carry out his God-given task. We are about to experience unbelievable redemption in the Book of Ruth.

Let's return to our opening question from a couple weeks back: What is grace? Benjamin Warfield said, "Grace is free sovereign favor to the ill-deserving" (George Sweeting, Great Quotes and Illustrations, cited in Swindoll's Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1998, 253). Here Ruth had begun to experience just that, free sovereign favor, even though she didn’t deserve it.

That is what grace is. It is God standing ready with unending provisions. It is God standing ready with unlimited resources. It is God standing ready with an unbelievable redemption just for you! God's grace stands ready for you! Like Naomi and Ruth, trust God no matter what is happening around you. At all times, no matter where you are, trust God. He will, by His grace, meet your every need. Amen.

Grace: God's Unlimited Resources

Grace is God's unending provision. He never ceases to provide abundantly all things for those who love Him. Handfuls on purpose! But grace is more than that. Grace is also God's unlimited resources.

Boaz's instructions were generous well beyond the requirements of the law that allowed the gleaners in the fields only after the reapers had finished their work. As a result, Ruth was able to gather more grain than she ever could have imagined. We are told she gathered "about an ephah of barley." "So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley" (Ruth 2:17). That is estimated to be about one-half to two-thirds of a bushel (about twenty-nine to fifty pounds).

Such a large quantity of grain could not be gathered in one day by an ordinary gleaner. It shows how Boaz's instructions to his reapers aided Ruth and also how diligently Ruth had worked. Since the ration of a male worker was about one to two pounds of grain per day, Ruth probably had gathered enough to last Naomi and her for several weeks.

Upon returning home, Naomi "saw what she had gleaned" (v. 18a) and Ruth gave her the food she had saved from dinner: "So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied" (v. 18b). Naomi was quite impressed as she inquired, "Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work?" (v. 19a). And she added a blessing, "Blessed be the one who took notice of you" (v. 19b).

Upon learning that the man who provided for Ruth was Boaz (v. 19c), Naomi blessed him again: "Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!" (v. 20a). And she told Ruth, "This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives" (v. 20b). And so, the fifth dialogue of this chapter has begun. It might be noted that every prayer in the Book of Ruth is a prayer of blessing, and every prayer is answered!

You might also note that, in this second blessing, it is God who is praised for continuing to show His great kindness through His unlimited resources with which He provided. It was through one of their "close relatives" (v. 20b), Boaz, that God provided, but it was God who gave them unending provisions through His unlimited resources. That is the general thought of this verse. We will take a closer look at verse 20 next week.

For now, let’s continue on. As the dialogue continues Ruth says, "He also said to me, 'You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.'" (v. 21). To which Naomi responds, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field" (v. 22).

Naomi realized the dangers Ruth might face if she went to some other fields. She also realized the protection Ruth would receive in Boaz's fields. When she said, "It is good...that people do not meet you in any other field" (v. 22b), the verb "meet" can mean "to meet" or "to encounter," but it can also mean "strike down" or "attack violently." Again, we see the blessing of God's protection while providing with abundance.

The chapter wraps up with these words: "So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law" (v. 23). She recognized God's gift of provision and protection, and she obeyed the voice of God through Naomi.

God continued to supply their need through His servant Boaz. The two harvests (barley and wheat) followed each other and would last about seven weeks, normally from late April to early June, providing food for many months beyond that. Truly God provides without end from His unlimited resources; a lesson we must never forget.

Like Ruth, recognize God's gift of provision and protection, and obey the voice of God in your life. Follow His leading and trust Him in all things. He, in turn, will protect you and provide abundantly for all youir needs. Handfuls on purpose! Amen.

Grace: God's Unending Provision

I wrote on this second chapter of Ruth once before in August of 2016. There I covered the gist of the teaching in a blog entitled Handfuls on Purpose. Indeed, Giod provides for our needs with handfuls on purpose, just as Boaz purposely provided for the needs of Ruth and Naomi. But there is so much more to this story than I wrote about the first time. So, today I am going to expand greatly on this passage to fill in the many details of truth glossed over back then.

What is grace? Grace is giving what cannot be purchased. Let me illlustrate with a story: "Once there was a poor woman who greatly desired a bunch of grapes from the king's conservatory for her sick child. She took half a crown, went to the king's gardener, and tried to purchase the grapes, but was rudely repulsed. A second effort, with more money, met with like results.

"It happened that the king's daughter heard the angry words of the gardener and the crying of the woman, and inquired into the matter. When the poor woman had told her story, the princess said, 'My dear woman, you are mistaken. My father is not a merchant, but a king; his business is not to sell, but to give:' Whereupon she plucked the bunch of grapes from the vine and gently dropped it into the woman's apron." (Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, [Assurance Publishers, Rockville, Maryland, 1979], #5407, 1228)

The king's business is to give. Our God is the King and His business is to give to those who love Him. That is grace! God's grace!

Again I ask, what is grace? Grace is God's unmerited favor. But it is much more than you can imagine. Ruth chapter two is perhaps the most complete picture of God's grace as you will find in Scripture. Ruth's experience in chapter two, shows just how far God is willing to go for you.

Simply put, grace is God's unending provision. Note the structure of Ruth chapter two. It is made up of five dialogues that follow a well-established pattern among Hebrew narratives called a chiasm (a, b, c, b, a). The five dialogues are: Ruth and Naomi (vs. 2–3), Boaz and the reapers (vs. 4–7), Boaz and Ruth (vs. 8-14), back to Boaz and the reapers (vs. 15–16), and back to Ruth and Naomi (vs. 19–22). Hence, the pattern a, b, c, b, a. The emphasis in such a pattern is always on the central unit, which is the exchange between Boaz and Ruth. At the heart of that exchange lies what may be the key verse of the whole book, the words of Boaz in verse 12b, "a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."

Immediately as the chapter begins, Boaz is introduced: "There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz" (Ruth 2:1). In what might be called a "foreword flash," the author leaves no doubt as to whom the future hope of Naomi and Ruth rests on. Here is the first step in the fulfillment of all that the barley harvest stands for. Boaz, whose name means "in him is strength," is introduced as a man of standing, through his great wealth; but much more important, he is a kinsman of Elimelech. This is the first indication that God is already working out His purposes.

In the opening dialogue, Ruth asks Naomi, "Let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor" (v. 2), and Naomi let her go. God had already made provision for landowners like Boaz to provide food for the poor and the hungry. Moses, in Leviticus 19:9-10, said, "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest… you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God." Ruth was merely doing as the Law of Moses provided, so that she could gather food for her and Naomi.

However, landowners weren't always so kind and cooperative, especially in the time of the judges, when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). Few were paying much attention to the Law of Moses in those days, and so to go to the fields to gather grain after the harvesters was dangerous at best. Not only that, but a hard day's work under the hot sun usually only netted a small amount of grain. That is why Ruth hoped to find a field to glean where she would "find favor" (Ruth 2:2b).

Enter the providence of God. Note verse 3: "Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech." Literally the Hebrew says, "her chance chanced" or "she happened to happen on" or, as the NIV puts it, "as it turned out." In other words, by chance Ruth came to the field owned by Boaz.

But remember, the overriding perspective of the Book of Ruth is that God is at work even in the accidental and chance happenings of life. Nothing is truly by accident or by chance. Even in the small things of life God is at work to accomplish His purposes. To Ruth and Boaz this may have been by accident, but not from God's perspective. He has a purpose in all of this.

Precisely the point of the start of verse 4a: "Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem." The timing was perfect because it was of God. And with these words the second dialogue begins. He greeted his workers with a typical Israelite greeting, but one that would be rare in that day and age: "The LORD be with you!" (v. 4b). His reapers responded in similar fashion: "The LORD bless you!" (v. 4c). From this little exchange we get a glimpse of Boaz's character. He was certainly a man of God.

Then Boaz turns his attention to Ruth, a woman he had not previously seen working in his fields. In verses 6-7 he seeks to discover who she is, namely, her ancestry or the clan she comes from. The servant, having identified her as the "young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi" (v. 6), further described her as courteous and hard working, taking little time to rest (v. 7).

The third dialogue, that between Boaz and Ruth in verses 8-14, brings us to the heart of the matter. Boaz encouraged Ruth not to go to other fields to glean, but to "stay close by my young women" (v, 8). The men cut the grain with sickles and the women followed along tying the sheaves in bundles (v. 9). Ruth was to follow them as she gathered what was left on the ground.

Not only that, but Boaz told her in verse 9 that he had ordered the men not to "touch" her, a Hebrew word meaning "to reach to" or "to strike." The New English Bible (NEB) translates it "molest." Boaz was concerned for her safety and so he took measures to protect her. He even said she could drink from "the vessels" or "water jars" (v. 9) that the men had filled for their use, a privilege not ordinarily permitted the gleaners.

Note Ruth's response in verse 10: "So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, 'Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?'" To bow down with her face to the ground was a typical way of expressing gratitude and humility in that culture. Boaz responds with praise for Ruth: "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before" (v. 11).

Then Boaz pronounced a blessing upon Ruth in verse 12: "The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." As I mentioned earlier, this may well be the key to the entire Book of Ruth. The Lord will "repay your work" and a "full reward" will be given you by God when you take refuge in Him. In other words, when you trust in God and look to Him in all your needs, He will respond as He has promised and He will meet your needs and see to it that you are fully provided for. And so the "wings" (v. 12b) symbolize the power of God's grace that Ruth is experiencing, both in protection and in provision.

Ruth responded again with all humility and with gratitude for his kindness to her. In verse 13 the phrase, "Let me find favor," is better translated, "May I continue to find favor." And so we read: "May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants."

Yet Boaz wasn't finished. He continues to provide by having her share in his own meal (v. 14). And through the forth dialogue, he commands his reapers to "let her glean even among the sheaves" (v. 15), allowing her more than what was accidentally dropped. He even said for them to "let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her" (v. 16).

Handfuls on purpose! Here we see God abundantly providing. He does the same for us. He shows His grace through His unending provision for our needs. Amen.

Any Doubts? God Builds Your Faith!

We left off last week looking at Naomi's almost relentless trust in God. Changing her name to "Mara" (Ruth 1:20) did not mean she was bitter against God in her heart. She wasn't. It only reflects the bitter experience she had in Moab where God dealt harshly with her. The lesson we learned was that soometimes God empties us, but only to fill us again with His gioodness. We learned of God's unchanging faithfulness and dependability. Naomi's realization was that God never forsakes us. No matter what may be happenning in your life, God is there and He is actively at work in your life, watching over you and taking care of you.

The title figure of the book now becomes the focus. The first thing to notice about Ruth is that she is a foreigner, outside the covenant community. Yet she is going to be brought into the royal line of the King of kings because of God's grace and her faith in His covenant-love. At first her faith was a borrowed faith. It was Naomi's faith in which Orpah and Ruth shared. But God builds that faith in Ruth.

Ruth apparently was moved by the quality of Naomi's faith in the face of all her trials, and she wanted to share it. She knew that Naomi's God could be relied on. Even a little faith may be called on to face great testing, as Ruth was through her bereavement, her poverty as a widow, and her leaving behind the prospect of marriage in Moab if she decided to go with Naomi. She was further tested by the return of Orpah to their homeland, but through it all she "clung" to Naomi (Ruth 1:14), and by clinging to Naomi, she came to believe in Naomi's God.

Verse 16 expresses Ruth's decision in memorable terms: "But Ruth said: 'Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.'" Ruth's loyalty to Naomi is shown to have its roots in her loyalty to Naomi's God ("your God, my God," v. 16b). What began as a borrowed faith is now declared to be her own, and her further statement in verse 17 reveals her commitment to the powerful, sovereign hand of God over her life: "Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me."

This is undoubtedly the turning point in Ruth's life, but she is brought to it along a path of suffering, disappointment, and grief. In her way, she too meets God when she is at the end of her rope. Yet is was then that she was ready to put her life in His hands.

Whatever our past or present experience, the moment of change always comes at the point where we are prepared to stop fighting God and to start trusting Him, to stop going it alone and start giving it to God, to determine never to go back to our old way of life but to bring our emptiness to God and move forward into the unknown with Him. Your faith may begin small, but as God brings you through the trials of life, He builds your faith.

The chapter ends by reminding us that the barley harvest was beginning, just as Naomi and Ruth arrived at Bethlehem (v. 22). There will be food for them both, and who knows what other possibilities may lie ahead of them in the providence of God? The chapter ends on an upbeat note, because the future is always as bright as the promises of God for those who trust Him. As Paul said, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God" (2 Cor. 1:20, NIV). Amen.

Feel Deserted? God Never Forsakes You!

Barb and I returned home to Stanzel Tuesday evening after Barb spent the better part of ten days in Mayo Clinic's Methodest Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, fighting pneumonia. She was very sick with fluid gathering in her lungs and abdomen, and around her heart. It is all cleared up now, and she is doing much better. She is stronger and walking without a walker or cane again. Thank you all for your prayers. Keep praying for her continued improvement. God bless all of you richly. Now to today's Bible Insight.

We saw in Ruth 1:1-5, how Naomi learned a great lesson about the God she loved and trusted so much. That lesson was that, no matter how bad things seemed to get in your life, God is there. When you are at the end of your rope, God is there!

The turning point for Naomi comes with a direct intervention by the Lord. He corrects the situation that indirectly led to her problems. God comes to the aid of His people by providing food: "Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread" (Ruth 1:6). The situation having changed, Naomi decides to go back empty to Bethlehem, meaning the House of Bread, where she really belongs. Though a common-sense response to outward circumstances, spiritually it is a move toward the Lord, not away from Him.

God is putting the pieces together for Naomi, although at this stage she isn’t aware of that. She merely does what seems right. As David Jackman says in The Preacher’s Commentary, "This is an interesting feature of the theology of this book. There is not the faintest hint that the total control being exercised by the Lord in any way limits the freedom of activity of the people involved. But as the book proceeds, we see the detailed and delicate way in which God in fact works all their actions together into His plan." (The Preacher's Commentary: Judges, Ruth, Vol. 7 [Thomas Nelsonn Publishers, Nashville, 1991 by Word, Inc.)

The more the story seems to hide the hand of God, the more it actually affirms His total sovereignty. This story shows that God does not act on occasion, but continuously. Though He may appear to step into the scene at given key moments, He is actually actively there every moment, although hidden. That reality sees Naomi through the midst of life’s bitterness and keeps her trusting the Lord, even when she cannot see where He is leading her.

Professor Ronald M. Hals in The Theology of the Book of Ruth writes: "While in the Book of Judges the Lord is described as periodically stepping in to punish or deliver his people, here he remains on the scene every moment, but hidden. While in the Book of Judges he acts through charismatic agents and in holy wars, here he acts in the needs and hopes of ordinary people... So deeply has the author hidden God’s directing of history that the thread of God’s plan disappears completely into the tapestry of everyday events." (Ibid)

That is the point of Scripture. It is written to reveal God’s view of the uncertainties of this life. Only when we, like Naomi, learn to see God’s hand in every moment of life can we truly begin to understand His sovereignty and omnipotence. Yet in everything, we only understand what God has chosen to reveal. As Moses said, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deut. 29:29). God reveals His work in our lives through Scripture so that we might do all His words. To recognize that is to realize why Paul said, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17).

Look at the evidence of Naomi’s faith, in spite of all she was enduring. First, Naomi prays for her two daughters-in-law. She instructs them to return to their people in Moab and she asks the Lord to be with them and deal kindly with them there (Ruth 1:8). She prayed for rest and a new husband to provide for each of them (v. 9). Then, in verse 10 when they, through their fears, state that they want to go with her, she reminds them of the consequences (vs. 11-13). She can no longer bear them any husbands, so they need to return and trust the Lord to provide for them in their hometowns.

The key statement in verses 6–13 is found in verse 13b where Naomi openly recognizes God’s hand in her circumstances: "It grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!" These words demonstrate how she met her bitter experience with acceptance and trust. There is pain and anger in this verse, but there is also honesty and faith, for Naomi knows that her life is in God’s hands.

These things have not happened by chance. God rules. How else can we comfort one another when we are facing life’s tragedies? If we deny God’s sovereignty, we have to say, in effect, that God’s back was turned, which means that either He didn’t know or didn’t care. What sort of a God is that? No, we have to admit that we cannot know why a particular tragedy has happened, but then that is not what would help us most, anyway. We want to come to the point, with Job, where we can say amid all the tears and pain and anger, "though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). That is not submitting blindly, but actively cooperating with the God of all power, all wisdom, and all love, who is working all things together for the good of those whom He loves, as the Book of Ruth will go on to prove.

But first lets take a close look at the end of this chapter, which speaks clearly of the bitter life Naomi had lived thus far. Having returned to Bethlehem, everyone was excited to see her again, though somewhat startled by what they saw: "Is this Naomi?" (Ruth 1:19). Then we see even more clearly Naomi’s almost relentless trust in God: "But she said to them, 'Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?'" (vs. 20–21).

The contrast observed by her friends must have been startling to them (v. 19). But the fact that she calls herself "Mara" does not mean that she was bitter against God in her own heart, but rather that her experience had been bitter, and, for some reason which she could not understand, God had dealt harshly with her.

We need to be reminded that the Lord does sometimes empty us, but only in order to fill us with His goodness. The name by which Naomi refers to “the Almighty” is El Shaddai. No one is exactly sure of its meaning, though it is common to relate it to the idea of mountain-like stability, or to God’s attribute of unchanging faithfulness and dependability. She knowingly makes a conscious decision to place all her pain, bitter experiences, and hopelessness within the structure of God’s sovereignty, and she leaves the explanation and responsibility with Him. She realizes that God never forsakes us.

That is a great lesson for us. No matter what is happening in life, God is there, actively at work in your life. He cares for you and watches over you at every moment. He never forsakes you. So trust Him with all your heart and look to Him in all things, for He cares for you and He will take care of you and meet all your needs. Amen.

At the End of Your Rope? God Is There!

Barb has been getting weaker by the day for a week or so. Sunday afternoon I called the ambulance and they took her to the Greenfield hospital, She has fluid on her lungs, possibly from an infection. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota sent their airplane to fly her up there. I am headed that way this morning. Pray for her health and a speedy recovery. Pray for her strength to return as well. Thanks.

Now for today's Bible Insight. In an article entitled, When God Is Out to Get Us, W. Gary Phillips tells this story: "There was once a lady who came from one of the older established families in town. Old money. Social status. Her family went to the “first church.” She and her husband had two sons. He decided to relocate the family to greener pastures in a different town, where he thought life would be more pleasant. But he died of a sudden heart attack at age forty-eight. The business venture into which he had put all their money went bankrupt, and the family was left penniless. The two boys had to quit high school and go to work. In order to make ends meet the boys took a second job at a factory, late shift. They also married girls outside their race and religion, which was hard for their mother to adjust to. One night returning home at 2:00 a.m., the older brother fell asleep at the wheel and ran off the road. Both sons were killed. The woman who had previously had it all, now had nothing! She felt that God was against her. She told the girls to go home to their parents. One did, one did not." (W. Gary Phillips, Holman Old Testament Commentary: Judges, Ruth, [Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 2004], 301)

Sound familiar? This is a fictional story, yet it is found in the first chapter of Ruth; just change a few details and transport the family back in time about three thousand years. As you see in Ruth chapter one, God’s people suffer greatly at times. When bad things happen to good people, how do we hold on to our faith in a loving God? Naomi became embittered against God, yet she still believed! She gave up on God’s goodness for a while, but she never gave up on God.

The Book of Ruth may have originally been written as part of the Book of Judges. (The Jewish Talmud refers to them as one book.) The last two stories of Judges (chapters 17-21) and the story of Ruth, all occur around the small village of Bethlehem. That is why these three stories are often referred to as the Bethlehem trilogy. The difference in the stories is one of demeanor. The last two stories in Judges are negative, pointing out man’s basic problem: sin. Ruth, however, is positive and speaks of redemption; the redemption of a family which points to the future redemption of mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Going back to the story I began with, how would you react to such a tragedy in your life? Perhaps you have experienced something similar. If so, how did you react? How do you maintain your faith in God when bad things happen to good people? Do you become embittered against God and give up on Him? Or do you continue to have faith, and trust that God will take care of you and make you all the better as a result?

I am reminded of Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." As we will see here in chapter one, Naomi had a hard time, but she never let go of her faith and trust in God. When confronted with difficult circumstances in life, she knew that God is always there.

The problems Naomi faced came about because of her husband’s decision well over ten years before. Yet that decision was made in response to circumstances that were quite outside his control. The famine of verse 1, may have been an act of God’s judgment through drought, or because of marauding invaders, like the Midianites in Gideon’s day as recorded in Judges 6. It is likely that this story occurred around the time of Gideon. Whatever the cause, the fact remains that at Bethlehem (which means "the house of bread") the supply had stopped and a man whose name means "my God is King," made the difficult decision to take his wife and two sons off to live as resident aliens in the land of Moab, about fifty miles southeast of Bethlehem.

Was he right or wrong? The biblical text does not encourage us to be dogmatic, but certainly the decision was questionable. Why go off to a country and people whose god Chemosh demanded human sacrifice? Why join a nation whose king Eglon had pressed Israel into servitude for eighteen years (Judg. 3:14)? At the time Elimelech chose to go to Moab, it seems that Israel and Moab must have been on friendly terms, and clearly Elimelech had no intention of staying there forever. It was just "for a while," during the famine.

Although they would not be Moabite citizens, they would be able to make a living, food would be more plentiful, and no one would stop them from practicing their religion because all religions were allowed. It seemed like a good deal. But decisions like this can have life-changing effects for generations.

Was Elimelech turning his back on the Lord? There is certainly no record in the text that he consulted God about it. Was it lack of faith on his part? The fact that he was an Ephrathite (v. 2) probably means that he belonged to a well-established, even wealthy family, and certainly Naomi’s remark in verse 21 would seem to support this: "I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty." She not only contrasts the conditions in which she left and returned ("full" and "empty") but also the different reasons behind her experiences: "I went out full," but "the LORD has brought me home again empty."

Were material comforts and prosperity too high on Elimelech’s agenda? Certainly the purpose of the move, to escape discomfort and death, was not fulfilled (vs. 3, 5). First the father and then Mahlon ("sickly") and Chilion ("failing") died. It is clear that the names were intended to be significant. They were Canaanite names frequently in use, which may again imply a detachment from the worship of the Lord God.

Whatever the reasons for Elimelech’s decision, Naomi is left, widowed and childless, without sons or grandsons to continue the family line, which is a situation of great deprivation and despair. All this has happened in a foreign land, far away from the support of those who speak her language or worship her God. Yet, equally clear, Naomi is a believer in the Lord. Ruth’s subsequent confession of faith in God (v. 16) confirms that: "But Ruth said: 'Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.'"

Still Naomi is at the end of her rope. That is seen in the changing of her name in verse 20 from Naomi ("pleasant") to Mara ("bitter"). Can the God she believed in really be at the other end of the rope? Clearly that is the message here. When you come to the end of your rope, God is there. When things happen and you find yourself asking "where did I go wrong?" or "why did God let this happen to me?" remember, God is there. When you need Him most, He is there. Look to Him in faith and He will see you through even the toughest of circumstances. Amen.