Uncategorized – Page 11 – The Words Of David C. Frampton

Where Do You Run?

Psalm 3

David the king was a man of worship. He loved to communicate with his God, the true and living God. He prayed, he praised. He wept, rejoiced. He expressed anger, yet he again and again found rest in the Lord. David was glad to share his life with God, regardless of his worldly circumstances. Though he became king, he was often a fugitive from his enemies. We read of one of these times in the third psalm. The Psalms are songs, songs with many purposes. One purpose is to worship God for his glorious true story; another is to teach others about our place in God’s story.

Life hurts sometimes. David was not ashamed to write a song about the problems and pain God’s dearly loved people experience. David did not regard such happenings as a reason to doubt the Lord and to turn away from him. Instead, he wisely found that he could rely upon the God who is over all, even when it was easier to fear than to trust and worship.

David began this song by stating his situation (3:1-2). This is not to inform the all-knowing God about his problems. The Lord fully comprehends our needs before we state them. This is one way people share their lives with others. David talked to his God about what was happening. In the song, it lets others know of why he needed to turned to the all-powerful God. David had many enemies, and they assumed that they had David trapped. What made this especially painful for David was that the leader of his enemies was his own son, Absalom.

In this song David sings about his hope or confident expectation. It was that the Lord would be his shield (3:3). Since David was a warrior, he valued shields as a means of protection. We might think more about the airbags in our cars. He viewed the Lord as his protection in every direction: “you are a shield around me”. Regardless of the ways his many enemies planned to attack him, David was confident that the Lord was sufficient to guard him. God was the one who had lifted him up to be king, and so he was “safe and secure from all alarms”. Knowing God’s all-sufficiency produced four beneficial consequences in David’s heart and relationship with God. He wrote that we might sing about these benefits with him.

David addressed the Lord in prayer (3:4). He cried out to the Lord and the Lord answered him from his holy hill. (This is probably a reference to Zion, where David had brought the ark of the covenant, which was important in Israel’s old covenant worship.) In our time, we night speak of the “throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). David knew the importance of prayer (James 4:2). God is willing to be brought into our battles as the shield of protection that we need.
David affirmed his faith in the Lord (3:5-6). He sang about how he was able to lie down and sleep. Are you able to do this after you pray to the Lord about your troubles? Or do you toss and turn after you pray? Faith requires us to tell our need to God and to leave the results to his wise action. He saw the Lord very close to him. I don’t think David bothered to make an exact head count of his enemies. He used hyperbole to press the point of his complete trust in his Shield.
David appealed to the Lord to act for his good (3:7). Here, David prayed like a man under the law covenant. He asked the Lord to act in vengeance against the enemies of his kingdom. (David was God’s anointed ruler.) As Jesus taught his disciples, we are not to pray like this in our new covenant age (Luke 9:55). We do better to pray like Stephen (Acts 7:60). We need to ask the Lord to enable us to share the good news boldly with those who oppose us (Acts 4:29).
David admired God’s victory, which he had to wait for (3:8). The story of David tells us that the Lord did rescue him and his kingdom, though God’s victory brought great anguish to David’s heart (2 Samuel 18:19-19:8). We suppose that when God rescues us that we will only know great joy. But we must still live in a broken world in our own brokenness. The good news is that David was able to receive the rebukes of others, break out of his grief and depression, and write this song for the benefit of others.

Where do you run in your troubles? I hope you turn to the true and living God, who is able to rescue you. Where do you run after the Lord rescues you? Do you focus on your remaining or new difficulties? Or are you ready to tell others of the comfort with which your Father in heaven has comforted you (2 Corinthians 1)?

Grace and peace, David

Colossians 2:11-12 – God Has Changed Us In Christ – Audio

Today we post another message from our Sunday morning series in Colossians. This recording is “as is” and so there might be occasional questions and/or comments. May the Lord bless you as you listen!

Grace and peace, David

Colossians 2:9-10

Hi everyone! As I prepare new articles, today’s post is an audio message from one of our recent Sunday morning gatherings. These are posted “as is”, and so you might hear background comments, brief times of silence, etc. This message is about the life and source of a Christian’s life and comfort.

Grace and peace, David

The Bigger Story (Part Three)

Ruth 4:13-22

Our God and Father always works to fulfill purpose through Jesus Christ the Lord. God acts in our lives in many ways to bring about the true story of his glory. As the Spirit of God says, This is according to His eternal purpose accomplished in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3:11 HCSB). The end of the book of Ruth shows that it is much more than a little story about two struggling widows who needed a kinsman redeemer to set them free and provide for them. It is part of a bigger story, about God providing a king for Israel: David. And that bigger story is actually part of the biggest story, for David is the one of the top two people in the line of Jesus the Anointed (Matthew 1:1). All that happened in the story was controlled by God to lead up to David. In this story of Ruth, God was writing a much bigger story than any of the characters imagined.

There are ten names in the genealogy. Not everyone from generation to generation is recorded; instead, “father” means ancestor in some sense. Biblical genealogies are lists of significance; fifth and seventh names in such lists were held in special honor. In this list, the fifth is Nahshon, the tribal leader of Judah during the wilderness (cf. Numbers 1:7; 2:3; 7:12, 27), and the seventh is Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer, the man who acted with costly kindness and love.

God has a purpose he is working out in human history; he does this through people. God tells us selected names in his word to highlight his involvement with real people in human history. They are not “just a bunch of names”; no, they are people, like you and me. All of them had a significant part in the line of the Messiah.

God works within a covenant community. This list spans many centuries (seven or eight centuries!) in the old covenant era. The Lord’s purpose worked out gradually over a long time. God’s new covenant community stretches over twenty centuries now. We are part of a bigger story than our own lives. We can read of Christians of other times and places and realize that we are part of the story of God’s glory with them

Ruth had gone to Israel to seek refuge under God’s wings (2:12). Does God reward those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6)? Yes, he does! Who could have forecast such a destiny for this widow from an outcast, despised people group? The Lord did more for her than she could have asked or imagined (Ephesians 3:20-21), by putting this outcast widow into the line of the Messiah (Matthew 1:1-17)! As God’s worked out his purpose in this line of people, his goal was not a neat and tidy list, filled with “nice” people. Think of the not so nice people we read of in this genealogy. There is shrewd Abraham, self-centered Isaac, deceiving Jacob, and incestuous Judah and Tamar. Rahab was a prostitute, Ruth a childless widow, and David, oh David, for all God’s blessings on him was an adulterer and murderer. After David, the line continued with Solomon, who was sexually immoral, Rehoboam would not listen to wise counsel, Uzziah was filled with pride, and Manasseh was an idolater, who sacrificed his own children to idols.

Jesus came to save his people from their sins. Even his own family line was filled with sinners, yet he came to be the friend of sinners. Is Jesus your friend? Turn from your selfish ways and trust Jesus to save you; he is the sinner’s friend. God builds his church with outcasts (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29). They have a place in God’s heart; do they have a place in ours?

We have reached the end of Ruth. I hope that you have profited from these articles. I especially pray that they are used by God to lead us all to bring glory to the God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Grace and peace, David

The Bigger Story (Part Two)

Ruth 4:13-22

In one of our groups recently, we discussed the topic of God’s sovereignty. Our walk of faith can prosper when we realize that God is in control of all things, that he has a plan that he will achieve for his glory and the good of his people. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36 HCSB). We have seen this idea in the book of Ruth several times. In this article, we will focus on it again.

In Ruth, we read the turnarounds that are part of the Lord’s ways. Many times these happen in small events. The small stories are important to God. We have seen God’s provision for two widows. God had given laws about gleaning and a kinsman-redeemer to provide for the needy. At the end of this book, we see him giving Naomi and Ruth a new family. This was very important to them and also to his plan, and so God provided (cf. Psalm 68:4-6). Naomi’s emptiness was replaced with fullness through her daughter-in-law and her son; she could enjoy being grandma to little Obed (4:16). What a great blessing it is to have grandchildren and to be able to hold them on your lap and care for them. Naomi’s arms are no longer empty, because God filled them. Perhaps you face some severe struggles right now. Your outlook might be gloomy, and you might be asking, “Does God care about the little story of my life?” Yes, he does. You are part of his great story and are significant. For this reason, reach out to him in faith. Take refuge in him until the disaster has passed (Psalm 57:1). When you are afraid, trust in him (Psalm 56:3).

God used the unexpected. After Ruth bore a child, the women praised the Lord for what he had done through Ruth. They told Naomi that Ruth was “better than seven sons”. This was high praise for Ruth in a culture where sons were highly sought after. It was the highest honor they could give the former Moabite, who had become a woman of honor. Now, think of what God taught Israel in the Torah. The Lord had given them the two great commands (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18); he also told them to care for the alien living among them (Leviticus 19:33-34). But ironically, Ruth the alien was the one who taught Israel to care. She was like the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). God did the unexpected through her.

The women celebrated two blessings for Naomi in the birth of Obed. Naomi was assured of a kinsman-redeemer in her grandson, and she had someone to care for her in her old age. Obed would renew her life or “turn her life back”. This is the same word as “brought back” in 1:21. How Naomi misevaluated her life then! She thought that the Lord had brought her back empty; surprise! God had given her a grandson who would bring back her life; he would sustain her in her old age. God did the unexpected. Have you been evaluating your life by its present circumstances? You need to change your mind and reevaluate them by your relationship to Christ. Are you in Christ? Then you have one who will renew or bring back your life again and again and again. But there is more to see that we in our culture don’t want to see.

The Lord also teaches the importance of community. We need to grow in our understanding and application of the truth of God’s set apart people, of our spiritual family. We need to join with those that Christ has joined us to. If we know the Lord, we are to share our lives with our brothers and sisters in Christ. This means much more than some casual chitchat on Sunday mornings. Our Father in heaven uses the sharing of life of his people to bring about good in our lives. Notice two examples of their community in action.

The neighboring women named the baby Obed (4:17). They named him Obed, which means “servant”. They saw his future as one able to serve Naomi and to provide for her when he matured. The community sensed the significance of the child and shared it with Naomi. Everybody could rejoice in what the Lord had done for her! Perhaps letting others help name a baby seems strange to us in a self-absorbed western culture, but it seems that the parents would get all sorts of suggestions from their family and neighbors about naming a child (cf. Luke 1:59-66). They had a much healthier understanding of the need for community in a person’s life.

The women of the community celebrated the birth of Ruth’s son and Naomi’s grandson. The birth of a child is an important event in human life and should be celebrated. Sometimes men joke about women’s concerns about bridal and baby showers, but such times are important. Here the Holy Spirit puts God’s approval upon such events by putting this common event into the story; later Jesus showed the same sort of approval by attending a wedding and providing the best wine at the reception (John 2).

We need to be sharing all of life with one another. Read God’s word and pray that it will transform your thinking about your place and function in God’s family in a greater way than you have ever experienced.

Grace and peace, David

The Bigger Story (Part One)

Ruth 4:13-22

Good morning, dear friends! So how are you today? How do you like your life now? Are you content? Or are you really wishing for more? Are you feeling discouraged or depressed? Does it seem like the Lord cares? Or do you feel that he has forgotten you? Sometimes we may wonder. We might pray something like this: “Father in heaven, I believe that you are Lord of heaven and earth and that you have the absolute right to do whatever you want to do. But what in the world are you doing? This hurts so much! Why are you doing this?”

“The explanation for much that takes place in our lives lies well beyond our own lives, and may be hidden from us all through our lives! For God does not mean to touch only our lives by what he does in us; he has the lives of others in view—even those yet unborn. That is why life can seem so untidy for the people of God. He has not yet finished his business” (Ferguson, Faithful God, p. 145).

We must fully understand that we are part of the story of God’s glory. Life is not the story of your personal happiness or mine; it is not about you or me. It is God’s story, but because it is God’s story, our lives have meaning and significance, even if we are people like Ruth and Naomi. Their lives seemed to be ruined, but God brought them into his story, and now we get to see their part in God’s bigger story. Let’s think about three truths that become clear in this last section. We will focus on the first of these today.

Consider the Lord’s power. The Lord enabled Ruth to conceive (4:13). This can seem very strange to American people, who assume that people are in charge of everything. It actually portrays a very shallow acquaintance with life. If you doubt my words, think of the many couples who cannot reproduce.

Reflect on the earlier part of Ruth’s story. Ruth had been married once and had not been pregnant. If she had borne a child for Mahlon, we would not have had this story. She fits in the “barren wife” theme that is in the Scriptures (Sarah, Rachel, Elizabeth, etc.) This reminds us that God is the source of life: “and life comes from God” (words from the praise song, “You are God”). We need to restore this viewpoint in our thinking. For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began. (Psalm 139:13-16 HCSB).

God makes us and prepares us for the mission he gives to us (Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:15). You are significant in the context of the plan of God. God has made you what you are in order to serve him in your family, your church, your nation, and the world. Sadly, the godless have no sense of purpose; their life is meaningless; weep for them if you understand!

As God gave fruitfulness to the land (1:6), so he gave fruitfulness to Ruth (4:13). This was in answer to the prayers of the people at the gate (4:11). The women also prayed that Ruth’s child would become famous in Israel (4:14). As we shall see, that prayer was also answered. Prayer is one of God’s means toward fulfilling his purposes. We do not have, because we do not ask God (Matthew 7:7-11; James 4:2c).

This is important in the life of your local church at this moment in time. In a time of great uncertainty, your local assembly may be struggling. You need to trust the Lord to adapt and to have boldness to do new things for his glory. The past is past. Stir up one another to fulfill the mission that Jesus gave us (Matthew 28:18-20). In the midst of troubles, think on the new opportunities that God provides. We all need to walk by faith with our Risen Lord, and realize that he rules over everything for the good of the church (Ephesians 1:22-23). We need to think and act prudently, and we need to pray fervently. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit. (James 5:16b-18 HCSB).

Grace and peace, David

Two Outcomes of Redemption

DSCN0209 Ruth 4:11-12

One of the blessings of summer is the opportunity to get away from our normal routines, if only for a couple weeks. Perhaps I should say, the experience can be a blessing if we use our time off to stop and think, to invest some quality time in our walk with God. We live in a culture that is very self-focused. We have carried this natural human tendency to extremes, and so we need to reorient ourselves to how God has designed us. He made us to share our lives with him and with people. This will be the nature of eternal life. In our text we can see some glimpses of God’s desire for us on display.

The first glimpse is the importance of worship. They asked for God’s blessing on Ruth and Boaz. Ruth in some ways could be called “a book about prayer,” because we have heard many prayers in it (1:8; 2:4, 12, 20; 3:10). “Now all the people respond with prayer to the transaction at the gate by seeking God’s blessing on Boaz and Ruth… Every aspect of life, from misery to joy, from the routine to the extraordinary, daily work and social intercourse, as well as the very private moments, are lived in the faith that God is there and God cares” (Atkinson, my emphasis). Prayer ought to be natural to redeemed people. It should be so much a part of us that we naturally flow into and out of it. Pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17 HCSB). We should be able to talk with one another, and then seamlessly transition to talk with our Father in heaven together. Since Christ has set us apart for God (made us holy—positional sanctification), we should be living such holy lives that we have no qualms to approach God at any time.

The elders and the rest of the people prayed for three blessings. They prayed that Ruth would be fruitful, bearing many children like Rachel and Leah together did. Children are a great blessing from the Lord. Have as many as you can! (Yes, I know that is not politically correct, but don’t believe all the propaganda put out by anti-family types.) They prayed that Boaz would have a high standing in the community. Obviously, they were not jealous of his present success and prayed that he would become greater. The increase of a kind man like Boaz contributes to the prosperity of the community. They prayed for the good of their family and tribe. God had worked through the life of Tamar, who was from the people groups of the nations (a Gentile), to build up the tribe of Judah. They prayed that the family of Ruth and Boaz would also prosper.

The second glimpse is the importance of community. Notice the phrase “the elders and all the people.” They joined together to maintain order; for example, by being witnesses. No one would be able to dispute the legality of the land purchase and the standing of Ruth in their community. The new covenant community is to maintain the unity of the Spirit. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3 NIV). Every gathering of followers of Christ ought to have this as a core value. “Together, we will keep the peace in our fellowship as children of God” (cf. Matthew 5:9).

They joined together to celebrate. Sharing joy is significant. When you share your joy, it multiplies. It is like the bread and fishes of the boy. If he kept them, only he would have eaten them and been satisfied. But when he gave them to Jesus for the good of others, a great crowd was satisfied – with leftovers. Don’t waste your life on yourself. Be willing to share your life with others, so that together you can celebrate the Lord’s blessings. Offer your life to the Lord in sharing it with others, and he will multiply its worth beyond your ability to calculate.

Grace and peace, David

Redemption Accomplished

Ruth 4:9-12

The Bible is the story of God’s glory in Christ. Our God has revealed himself through his word, the Bible, and we can listen to it, and be filled with worship, confidence, and joy, because of the greatness of our God. In this story, we are happily surprised that he includes people, including people that seemed ruined and forsaken like Ruth and Naomi, as well as an ordinary guy like Boaz, who trusted the Lord and tried to imitate his kindness. We are part of the great story or purpose that God is working out in life’s history. By the grace of God, we have significance; our lives are important; we are here for his purpose. And in this account of redemption accomplished, we view God move toward the fulfillment another part of his plan of redemption.

In previous articles, we saw that Naomi and Ruth needed to be redeemed, but their closest relative refused to do what was necessary for them. Therefore, he gave the right to redeem them to Boaz. Now we come to the great moment of this story.

Boaz kept his promise and redeemed (4:9-10). He redeemed the property that Naomi wanted to sell—what belonged to her husband Elimelech, and her sons Kilion and Mahlon. Buying this much land must have been costly for Boaz, but by doing it Naomi had sufficient to live on, and Boaz was able to gain the crops that the land would produce. This transaction benefited both of them in different ways. Naomi got short term cash, and Boaz acquired long term profits. It was a fair deal in many ways.

Jesus Christ redeemed his people by dying on the cross. (To redeem means to set free by the payment of a price.) We were in bondage to sin and Satan and in this bondage had earned the hard wages of eternal death. But by his redeeming blood, Jesus set us free! We are free to live forever, and Jesus receives glory and joy by rescuing us. Here is the great deal. Trust in Jesus and he will set you free.

By buying Naomi’s land, it stayed in the family. They could keep what the Lord gave them as their inheritance. God’s gift and purpose are respected. Do you know what are God’s gifts and purpose for the church, Christ’s new assembly? Do you respect them in your approach to life?

Boaz redeemed Ruth. For the first time we learn that she was the widow of Mahlon, but now she will become the wife of Boaz. In this way, the names of both Elimelech and Mahlon would be maintained in Israel, since the first son born to Ruth and Boaz would inherit their land. This was important in old covenant Israel. The land would stay in the family, not just to the Year of Jubilee, but beyond—to him and his heirs. The end of the story tells who got this land.

Ruth also was redeemed from what had seemed a hopeless future. She became the wife of Boaz, and was provided for through his riches. In all this we should see a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we should live.

Jesus paid the very costly price of our redemption by shedding his blood on the cross. Ruth was desolate; she had neither husband nor children, but Boaz set her free to become his wife and the mother of his children. So also, we were spiritually desolate, but through Christ, we died to the law that we might belong to the resurrected Jesus, and so be able to bear fruit for God (Romans 7:4-6). Ruth was a foreigner, a stranger to the covenants of promise, but when Boaz married her, she had a place in the covenant nation. So in Christ, though we were far away, we are now brought near to God and have a place in God’s household and are fellow citizens with God’s people (Ephesians 2:11-22). The Spirit of God shows us in this story that as Boaz received Ruth the Moabite as his wife, so he receives people from all the people groups of the world.

Jesus wants us to set others free. There are so many people that need to be redeemed and set free! We live in a messed up world. Some are in misery because of addictions; they need people to bring the good news of the Redeemer to them. He alone is strong enough to break their chains. Some are ruined by poverty; they need people to befriend them and help them in their struggles. Some have had their family lives ruined by sexual immorality and abuse; they need someone to love and accept them. When we reach out to them, we can lead them to the Lord Jesus, who can bring about true restoration.

Your local assembly must be known as a place of love and acceptance. First, of course, you must accept one another as Christ as accepted us (Romans 15:7). But then each one needs to provide opportunities where people can experience the acceptance that the grace of Christ gives.

Grace and peace, David

Redeeming Love

Ruth 4:5-12

Last time, we read how Boaz followed through on his promise to redeem Ruth, if possible. However, he knew there was an obstacle in his path; another kinsman was a closer relative of Naomi and had the first right to redeem. At first “Mr. So and So” agreed. He saw a perfect opportunity to add property to his estate. However, people were also part of the deal, and he was unaware of this.

So then, Boaz clarified the cost of the deal (4:5). Having shown what his relative was able and willing to do, Boaz proceeded to show what he is not willing to do. Boaz told him that the cost to redeem was greater than he thought. The people of Christ’s time had wrong ideas about the work of the Messiah. They thought that all that was involved was freeing Israel from political oppressors. “Defeat the Romans and we’re free! We believe you can do that Jesus! You can be our king” (see John 6:15). But when Jesus explained them what God’s plan for the Messiah really was, they weren’t interested. They did not want to turn from their sins and to trust in him for eternal life (see John 6:35-66). The cost to have the Messiah was greater than they thought.

Boaz told “Mr. So and So” that he must also marry Ruth to maintain the name of her dead husband (and through him, Elimelech’s name also). In that culture, the first son born to Ruth would inherit all the property that had belonged to Elimelech, and thus his name would not vanish from Israel. (Recall that the people and the land where important concepts in old covenant Israel.) This disclosure revealed the full cost of this redemption. If he redeemed the land, he would not simply gain title to it at the year of Jubilee, because Elimelech would have an heir, and it would go to Ruth’s son. Put simply, the man would be out the price of redemption with nothing to show for it, and his own family would lose the money that he had spent to redeem and to care for Naomi and Ruth. Their inheritance would not increase.

Faced with these conditions, “Mr. So and So” refused to be the kinsman redeemer. It is important for us to realize that he was under no legal obligation to redeem. It was a voluntary act. As far as the law was concerned, he was okay. But as far as love, kindness, loyalty and compassion were concerned, he failed miserably. As far as we know, he had not helped Naomi and Ruth; now, he flatly refused to help. His money meant more than kindness. This is where the story can get uncomfortable! Do we too easily look for excuses not to help others in need? They might need the kindness we can show, but do we look for a way out, for a way to justify our inaction? “It might cost me too much! I might endanger my retirement fund!” Yes, you might. But where are you seeking to build up treasure? “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV)

For this reason, he handed over his rights to redeem to Boaz. Guess what? He got to keep his money! But there is something else. He vanished from the pages of Biblical history, but God had something better in store for Boaz, though neither man knew it at the time.

In chapter one, we saw the contrast between Ruth and Orpah. Neither one had to return with Naomi to Bethlehem. Both were legally free from any obligation to help her. Orpah took the easy way and stayed in Moab. Ruth made the hard choice of faith and trusted that God would help her as she helped Naomi. And as the story has unfolded, we have seen God’s blessing on Ruth, since she trusted in him. In this chapter, we see two men, Boaz and his unnamed relative, who have a choice to make. “Mr. So and So” made the easy, worldly wise choice, and like Orpah, he walked away from the story of God’s glory and is lost in history. Boaz made the hard, costly choice to redeem and is remembered wherever the Bible is read. What choice are you making? Are you making the easy choice to enjoy life now? Or are you making the hard choice to lay up treasure in heaven?

But we should see more. In the hard choice of Boaz, we should see the One who is greater than Boaz, the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not have to redeem us. He could justly have let us perish forever in hell. But love and kindness stirred him to make the hardest, costliest choice. He chose to take our sins upon him and die on the cross as our substitute, in order to pay the full penalty for us. He did that for us so that we might be free from sin and live forever with him in glory. Are you trusting in Christ our Redeemer? Are you praising him for dying to set you free? Are you rejoicing in his redeeming love? Today, right where you read these words, turn from your rejection of God, your refusal to love God and others, and your rebellion against his ways and trust in the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you call on him, he will save you. If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).

Grace and peace, David

Boaz Acts on His Promise

Ruth 4:1-12

What means more to us—people or possessions? Oh, I know what we’re supposed to say – “people”. Yes, we all do quite well in theory. We give the proper answer and congratulate ourselves on our knowledge. However, life isn’t about theory. Life concerns practice; it demands hard, costly choices that stretch us and our faith. When an unnamed law expert heard the story we call the parable of the Good Samaritan, he was able to give the right answer! But Christ did not commend him for having such keen theoretical knowledge. He pointed him to a new practical way of life that would demand faith and love. Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37). In the same way, the story of Ruth is about costly love, and in the start of the fourth chapter of Ruth, we see two men confronted with the need for costly, redeeming love. Let us listen, not to learn more facts, but to live by faith in Christ.

Boaz set up the process for redemption (4:1-2). As he did what he promised to do, God assisted Boaz by his providence. Boaz went to the right place to be able to function as the redeemer. The city gate was where legal matters were transacted. Boaz needed to be there to be able to redeem Ruth. God wants us to be in places to fulfill his will. For example, Christ has sent us “into the world” (John 17:18). We will not reach the world by keeping our distance from people that are part of it. We must always carry Christ’s missional perspective with us, wherever we may go. In our passage, the Hebrew text carries the idea of surprise. Boaz waited at the gate, “and just then” the other kinsman redeemer walked by. Yes, this was a small providence, but the Lord often helps his people in little ways as they do his will. Do what you’re supposed to do (the commands that Christ has given to his people in the New Testament Scriptures). Then wait on the Lord for his help in the details.

Boaz made sure all was done legally. He invited the other man to talk with him. “My friend” is too generous a translation. Better is “Mr. So and So.” The Holy Spirit does not name the man, though Boaz surely knew who he was. The significance of this will become clearer in the rest of the chapter. But the phrase used is not complimentary. Think of how you can refer to someone as “so and so” either not to reveal their identity or to imply that he or she is a “mean old so and so.” Boaz got ten of the elders of Bethlehem to function as legal witnesses for this discussion. Their job was to make sure that all was done in a legal manner and to testify to the result, if that would prove necessary. Jesus relied on witnesses about his saving work: the Father (John 8:12-18), John the Baptist (John 1:29-34), and the apostles (Acts 1:8). Our ongoing mission is to be a witness for Jesus.

Next, Boaz negotiated with the other kinsman-redeemer. From the manner in which he presented the matter, we find out that Boaz was a clever or shrewd businessman. Boaz presented the need to act as a kinsman redeemer (4:3-4). He told his relative about the land that Naomi wanted to sell. Clearly, she had the right to do this, since none of the elders objected (cf. Leviticus 25:8-28). She needed to sell the land to support both Ruth and her. This probably looked like an excellent real estate deal, since Elimelech and his sons had not left any heirs. If he purchased it, at the year of Jubilee, it would permanently become his, since he was the closest relative. The unnamed relative jumped at the deal. He could look good in town by helping out Naomi and keeping the property in the clan, which meant much to the people of Israel. And when Naomi was gone, the property would be his, since she was past childbearing. Do you catch the suspense of the story at this point? It seemed that Ruth would not be able to marry Boaz and that the family of Elimelech might disappear from Israel. Will the story end in this sad way?

The greater subject is the accomplishment of God’s plan, which involves Ruth and Boaz. All seems to hang on the choice of “Mr. So and So”. What did this unnamed man value more – people or possessions. Did he care enough about Naomi to do all that was necessary to redeem her? It would require costly love, sacrificial love.

You and I will not reach people with the good news of redemption in Jesus Christ unless God’s kind of love motivates us. It requires turning from the enjoyment of our possessions to the good of other people. It is too easy to disguise our love of possessions with the excuse of “I’m too tired” (or stressed or busy) to avoid getting involved with people who need the Lord. Examine yourself. Which do you actually love more: people or possessions?

Grace and peace, David