Have your life led anyone to the Lord? By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

 Weekly Message: Have your life led anyone to the Lord? By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel music                      May 15, 2021

 

My friends, have you been a good Christians and led someone’s life to the Lord? Have you been good mothers-in-law or good daughters-in-law impact your family and lead grandchildren to the Lord? and fear of the Lord? In Old Testament Ruth, whose grandson was King David became a worshipper of the Lord through the influence of Naomi. Had Naomi, a believer in the Lord, been a less lovable character or a less attractive worshipper, Ruth would not have been led to the Lord.  Let us discover Naomi and Ruth, the King David’s grandmother.  

The events of the book of Ruth occurred during the period of the judges (the latter part of the twelfth century B.C.) the date about 1000 B.C. author unknown, some scholars suggested Samuel was the one wrote the book of Ruth. The book provides a glimpse into the lives of ordinary, though godly, people during the turbulent period of the Judges. It shows an oasis of faithfulness in an age marked by idolatry and unfaithfulness.

 Because of a local famine, Elimelech (means my God is King) took his wife Naomi (means pleasant, lovely) and his two sons, appropriately named Mahlon and Kilion, to visit temporarily in nearby Moab Ephrathites. A designation for inhabitants of Bethlehem. (1Sam17:12). Elimelech, Naomi’s husanband died, and she was left with her two sons, they married Moabite women, one name Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. Although such mixed marriages were not specifically forbidden in the Mosaic law, condemnation is implied in the restrictions placed on the offspring (Deut.23:3). Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law,                                                     

“Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show kindness to you, as  you have shown to you dead and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest  in the home of another husband .” (Ruth1:8-9)

 The Naomi’s prayer that the Lord (lit., Yahweh, the covenant name of God with Israel; would show His faithful, covenant-keeping love to these two Moabite widows. Twist, Naomi said to two daughters- in-law,                                                                                                              

“Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husband? Return home, my daughters, I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me-even if I had a husband  tonight and then gave birth to sons would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain  unmarried for them? No, my daughters, it is more bitter for me than for you,because the Lord’s hand has gone out against me!” (Ruth1:11-13)

 Then, one of daughter-in-law named, Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but another daughter-in-law named, Ruth clung to her and replied,          

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Where  you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separated you and me.” (Ruth1:16-18)

Ruth’s commitments to her vow, and showed that Gentiles could believe in the true God. She emphasized, “You people will be my people, and your God will be my God…” Ruth’s leaving meant final severance from her nation and her religion. She followed her mother-in-law Naomi’s faith, a formula invoking divine punishment, the addition of ever so severely indicating the worst possible consequences if Ruth were not true to her vow. “May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, it anything but death separated you and me.” So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning. Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz. The lineage of Boaz, Elimelech’s relative, is traced to Perez, a son of Judah, in 4:18-22, Boaz was a man of standing, a phrase meaning that he possessed the finest of qualities. 

Boaz meets Ruth

 Ruth asked her mother-in-law, “let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi permitted her, so Ruth began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters, in the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.  When Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “the Lord be with you!” Boaz met Ruth, had found favor in her, and said, “May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel,” under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”  (Ruth2:12).

Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours?” Naomi suggested her wash and perfume herself, and then go down to the threshing floor, when Boaz lies down after he has finished eating and drinking. Go and uncover his feet and lie down. Ruth did everything what her mother-in-law told her to do.

Boaz discovered a woman lying at his feet. “Who are you?” he said. “ I am your servant Ruth, Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman –redeemer.”

Boaz agreed and said, “The Lord bless you, my daughter, this kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier. You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character… “(Ruth3:9-11).

 “Spread the corner of your garment over me”, Ruth said, as a pledge that he would marry her. This expression is used of God’s relation to Israel in Ezek.16:8.The reason for Ruth’s request is that Boaz was a kinsman-redeemer. The responsibilities of the kinsman redeemer included 1) redeeming family property that had changed ownership, and 2) marrying a childless widow to raise up children in her dead husband’s name. According to the law of levirate marriage, when there was no brother to raise up children in the name of the deceased, the responsibility was extended to the next of kin. Ruth’s action was in accord with this law, which required the initiative of the widow in seeking the marriage (Deut.25:5,7-10). Ruth was indicating that night her desire to have Boaz, who had given evidence of willingness to perform the duties of kinsman-redeemer.

Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi; “praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth” (Ruth4:14-15). Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. The women living there said, “Naomi has a son.” and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. (Ruth4:16-17).

Theological view 

   The book of Ruth, gives a partial lineage of David, and thus of Christ, and shows that Gentile blood was in the line of the One who became the Savior for all mankind. Ruth illustrates that Gentiles could believe in the true God. Boaz, as the kinsman-redeemer, serves as a beautiful type of Christ, in that he was a blood relative (Rom.1:3; Heb.2:14); he had the price with which to purchase the forfeited inheritance (1 Pet.1:18-19). He was willing to redeem (Heb.10:7). The book is a moving example of the sovereignty of God in caring for His people. (Ruth2:12).  

Implication/ application

1). A godly parents who have faith in the Lord as Naomi, can greatly impact next young generation, even gentiles could believe in the true God as Ruth. 

2). Ruth’s commitment of vow and faithfulness to her mother-in-law, led her to the Lord and gained the favor and blessings. She became a grandmother of King David, who was a heart of God’s own heart worshipper.       

2). Keeping trust in the Lord even in the darkness hours. Christians’ victory and blessings comes from the Lord.  As Apostle Paul said, “ But Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him, For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” (2Corinthians2:14-15)

3). Practicing godliness, love and faithfulness and reverence before God, God will enable you to find the favor in people’s eyesight. “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.(2Corinthians3:5-6)

 

 

   Bibliography,

   King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

   Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.