Every religious system tries to present a path to
reach its deity—some means of self-effort that can make a person acceptable to whomever
or whatever they believe that deity to be.
Christianity is the one radical exception—for it says God has taken the
path to reach humanity. He has provided
in Christ the way to be accepted—not through what we do, but what He has
done! This is the great story of
redemption, and it is illustrated in the third chapter of Ruth. Ruth’s redemption was totally dependent on a
man from Bethlehem—and that is true for us!
This chapter is the turning point in this drama. Ruth had known about Boaz, and now she will
come to know him personally. While our
redemption requires knowing Christ is the Savior that is not enough. We must come to know Him as our Savior. Ruth was aided by Naomi—the matchmaker (v.1-5). She told Ruth how a girl with a pagan past
could enter into a wondrous future with Boaz.
God still uses people like us who know the Man from Bethlehem—Jesus
Christ—to introduce others to Him.
Naomi’s guidance for Ruth was grounded in the Word of
God (Lev.25:47-55; 27:9-25). The Law
provided for a kinsman-redeemer, and that is the truth that will form the basis
of this new relationship. God uses His
Word as the seed of salvation, sown in the fertile soil of a soul that the
Spirit has cultivated to bring forth the fruit of eternal life. That is the power of the Gospel (Rom.1:16;
10:13-17).
Her relationship with Boaz is a private act before it
becomes a public announcement (v.6-10).
Ruth responded in faith to the Word.
The testimony of Naomi is accepted and she comes personally to seek
Boaz. She comes to a worthy man, though
Ruth herself is so unworthy, for she is helpless to change her situation, but
knows Boaz can if he will. If we would
be saved, it is when we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. His response is one of love. It is amazing grace for a man like that to
embrace a wretch like her—and that is the story of our Savior’s love for us!
It is not sufficient for Boaz to love her—as wondrous
as that is. The demands of the law must
also be satisfied (v.11-18). Boaz will
be her kinsman-redeemer, meeting the legal demands she could never fulfill. That is what Jesus did for us on the
cross! He assures Ruth of the redemption
she has sought. We are reminded that
Jesus promised, “The one who comes to Me,
I will by no means cast out.” (John
6:37)
It would be 2000 years later that what was
foreshadowed in Bethlehem would be fulfilled in the same city. That dark night when a redeemer was revealed
to a needy soul prefigured the arrival on another silent night in that little
town One who would be our Kinsman-Redeemer!
Through Him and Him alone can the legal demands of righteousness and the
loving desire of redemption become available in the Man who was born in
Bethlehem—one of us and yet more than we are!
Fully God and fully man—Jesus is our Redeemer who reconciles unworthy
sinners and Holy God. All we need to do
is ask Him and He will save us!
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