HOW
RUTH THE MOABITESS WAS REDEEMED
Pastor
J. C. O’Hair
TRUTH WITHOUT COMPROMISE
Most Christians remember the famous words
of Ruth and the question, her mother-in-law, Naomi, asked of her. Ruth said to
Naomi, “. . . Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after
thee: for whither thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest I will lodge:
thy people shall be my people and thy God my God: Where thou diest I will die,
and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me and more also, if aught but
death part thee and me.” (Ruth 1:16 and 17).
Then Naomi’s question when she and Ruth
had come into Israel’s country, “Where hast thou gleaned today?”
We read in Ruth 1:1 to 5 that Elimelech,
with Naomi his wife, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, in the time of
famine in Israel’s land, went into the land of Moab. There Naomi’s husband
died. There the two sons were married to two women of Moab. Then plenty of
trouble came to Naomi. Elimelech had died. Then Mahlon and Chileon died. Would
we have had one of the greatest stories of all times, if they had not died in
the land of Moab when they did?
“Naomi”
means “pleasant.” No one could bring cruel judgment against that mother-in-law.
How gracious and loving she was to Ruth, in spite of her own troubles which
caused her to speak of herself as “Mara” (bitter). (Ruth 1:20).
This
story was in the day of the Judges. (Ruth 1:1). So “Ruth”, in the Bible,
follows “Judges.” In Judges 3:28, God declared that the Moabites were Israel’s
enemies. In Deuteronomy 23:3 and Nehemiah 13:1 we read that a Moabite must not
enter the congregation of the Lord.
In this connection let us think of
Ephesians 2:12 and 13 where we learn how the alienated Gentile strangers were
afar off and then, by grace, brought so nigh to God that they were no longer
foreigners and strangers, but fellow-citizens in the Household of God.
(Ephesians 2:19). They became heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. This
was by the work of Israel’s great Redeemer Kinsman (Hebrews 2:11 - Hebrews 2:16
and 17).
“Moab” has the meaning of “from her
father.” Lot was the father of Moab and also the father of Moab’s mother. Moab
is mentioned more than 160 times in the Old Testament Scriptures, with no good
word to his credit. He is mentioned in the forty-eighth chapter of Jeremiah 34
times. Note Numbers 21:29 - Jeremiah 48:4 - II Kings 23:13: “Woe unto Moab!
thou art undone.” “Moab is destroyed.” “The abomination of the Moabites.”
Consider all of this and then turn to
Matthew 1:3 to 6 and see that Ruth, the Moabitess, was the mother of Obed, who
was the grandfather of King David, from whom Christ came. Tamar, Rahab and
Bathsheba are also brought, by grace, into the royal family into which Christ
was born. (Matthew 1:3 to 6).
Naomi would have given another son to
Ruth; but she had none. But she took Ruth back to Israel’s land and there Naomi
helped her to get acquainted with Boaz, who was a rich kinsman. Ruth worked in
the fields and Naomi told her how to win the favor of Boaz. Ruth replied, “All
that thou sayest unto me, I will do.”, (Read Ruth 3:3 to 6). And she did.
Then the rich kinsman became Ruth’s
redeemer for Elimelech’s sake. Elimelech means, “the God of the King.”
The
redemption story by the redeemer taking off his shoe, as a witness, is told in
Ruth 4:6 to 8. This was God’s plan in Deuteronomy 25:5 to 10. Then the rich
kinsman redeemer said, “Ruth have I purchased to be my wife.” (Ruth 4:10). Then
“Obed,” their son, was born. Their house was established in Bethlehem. Read in
Ruth 4:14; what was said unto Naomi.
We know of a real Kinsman Redeemer Who
was born in Obed’s house in Bethlehem. He was rich, and for our sakes He became
poor, that we through His poverty might be rich.
And the alienated, condemned Gentiles, by
God’s grace, have been married to Christ. His riches are our riches.
Posted By- Cecil and Connie Spive
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