The Bridegroom (Ruth 4:1-10)

4/6/2010 8:15 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  The Bridegroom

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Ruth 4:1-10

 

          Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, "Turn aside, friend, sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down. 2  He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down. 3  Then he said to the closest relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4  "So I thought to inform you, saying, ’Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’" And he said, "I will redeem it." 5  Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance." 6  The closest relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it." 7  Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. 8  So the closest relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." And he removed his sandal.

    9 ¶  Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10  "Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.’”

            You don’t have to read to far into this section of Scripture to find out that redemption and redeeming is what the main theme is here.  As I begin this last chapter in the book of Ruth and also in Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on Ruth, “Be Committed,” I am grateful to the Lord for teaching me many truths that are in this small, but very important book that is found in the OT.  I am also very grateful to Warren Wiersbe and his wonderful way of putting the cookies on the shelf where I can reach them.

            Wiersbe entitles this chapter “Love Finds A Way,” and the chapter focuses on three persons:  a bridegroom, a bride, and a baby.  When first looking at the bridegroom the theme of redemption is seen and in many ways pictures what the Lord Jesus Christ did to redeem His bride.

            The meaning of redemption is “to set free by paying a price,” and in the case of Ruth and Naomi it was the land that was owned by Elimelech, for because of his death and the death of his two sons the land had to be redeemed in order for it to go back into the family, for at this time the family was too poor to still own the land, and so Boaz was the one who would do this, but not before asking a closer kinsman redeemer to do it first.

            The marks of the redeemer is the next subject discussed by Warren Wiersbe and the laws that went along with this are found in Lev. 25:25, “If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.”  The land belonged to the Lord and this law was to prevent rich land owners from buying all of the land from poorer people.  Unfortunately this did happen and was one of the reasons that the Lord took Israel to be in captivity. 

            The method of redemption is the last sub-title in this section and it had to do with paying the price for the redemption of something, and in this case it was the land.  This also pictures what Jesus Christ did for His children, for in the first place He had to become a man so that He would qualify to redeem His children, and next He had to pay the price, which was His life, in order to buy back His children from the power of sin.

           

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I would say to begin with that there are far too many times when I forget how it was that I was redeemed from sin, and do not thank the Lord Jesus Christ for what He has done to provide redemption for me.  The meaning of the Lord’s Supper is about looking back on what the Lord did for me in the past and looking ahead of what He will do when He comes to take His bride back to heaven to be with Him for eternity.  I am thankful for what He did for me in order to provide salvation and I praise Him today for seeing such a wonderful picture of it in this wonderful little book tucked away in the history section of the Old Testament.  I am thankful for the great love that He had for me that caused Him to be born and to go to the cross to pay for my sin, and so I need to keep from sinning by the power of His Word and His Spirit.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Trust the Lord to keep my thoughts pure.

 

4/6/2010 9:09 AM