Ruth 4:15. “And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him.”
BETTER THAN SEVEN SONS. There are claims to be met – protocol to follow Judges to hear the case – witnesses to call Land to be exchanged – money to be spent A redemption price to pay – for a full inheritance.
Two witnesses are involved – there are also two kinsmen Land can be purchased by one – there are two women to attend One is linked to the land – the other her dead son’s wife One needs to be cared for – the other one needs a life.
To maintain honor then, something must be done To get the land or wife – the redeemer of both the same one Ruth became the wife – redeemed and loved Ruth, the daughter in law – her honor proved.
A mother she became – she was greatly blessed From her line Christ came – God knew what was best Her kinsman-redeemer’s choice – changed history Through his decision one day – blessing came to me.
I may not realize – the importance of one event A choice that is acted on – reaches to a great extent Way beyond what I had thought – but knew what must be God alone really knows – the results I can’t see.
May I always be available to respond to the Lord May I never avoid acting on what I learn from His Word May God be always able to find me ready and willing May I be in such a condition of soul for divine infilling.
“Such profound results came from one day’s activity, O God, that I am wanting to be sure I am in the right place doing the right thing today. I know I can only take one step at a time and one day at a time, but the consequences of choices on that one day was so lasting and impacting we are experiencing its benefits today. I am praying to be kept from taking decisions lightly or for granted, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
There are many ways biblical truths can be taught from the book of Ruth because the whole book is an example of God dealing with us in grace in days of departure and failure. From the immigration of Elimelech and his family to Moab, we are taught that what we may think is an advantage to us may be a terrible mistake when we leave the rest God has provided for His people in the middle of apostate-like times. We also learn there is a way back to God, when one is willing to return to Him in repentance. That person will find mercy and the rest they once had can be restored. As those who want God's will to be done in our lives and seek that heartily, that rest can be found when we are in close fellowship with the Lord. That rest remains and is secure when we walk with our Lord and His people in the light of His word.
We also learn lessons relating to the actions we take in life. There are high costs to pay by being in the wrong place and with the wrong people. We may not realize it at first, but before long the actions and attitudes of those who serve the pleasures of the world, or the siren call of materialism are soon compromised in testimony. Even our own heart is grieved to where we surrender to what we inwardly know is not God's will. To return to that which we left is very hard. The pride inherent in every one of us has to be humbled. Criticism by those with whom we have been associating, hurts us because we have learned to care for people who do not know what we know, nor have they experienced the joy of fellowship with God to the same degree we once did.
When we finally find ourselves back where we once were and among people who knew us and remember our former fellowship with them; we find it is very hard to establish a credible reputation again. But by a consciousness of God and through His word and prayer we persevere, we will be able again to "restore the years which the locusts have eaten." We will also find God's people for the most part, are very forgiving and willing to reestablish meaningful fellowship with those who are again experiencing the guidance of the Lord through the hard times of restoration. There usually are some who will go out of their way to include and accept one who displays a real desire for God and are committed to His word. That kind of return is typical of those who forgive "even as Christ forgave us." The conclusion of such a move is blessing from God to us and the blessing of God to others through us.
A character study of Ruth takes us through pretty well every aspect of the life of a believer from the first act of faith to the final blessing to others. When our faith urges us to plead for God's mercies, and He by His grace, brings us back to the path and place of His choosing, we will find His people there with an interest that is godly and sustaining. The power of God will strengthen us to follow His plans with unrestrained self- will that is submitted to His will and the prospect ahead will be greater than we could have imagined. Back in Bethlehem the poor were able to be fed. There was no evil speaking in the field of Boaz but rather an appreciation by all strata of society for each other and their work. There could be wise counsel passed on, care provided, comfort given and just compensation for the efforts of labor put forth. When there is spiritual activity, there is unity and purity that accompanies it. The book of Ruth gives wise counsel to individuals, families and the assemblies of God's people. The illustrations the Spirit of God gives can be easily applied to those issues that face us in all of these areas of life.
Whoever the Holy Spirit used to write this book must have been impressed with the fact that David was an important person when he wrote the genealogy and ended it with David. David either was or had been king. There is left for our learning the fact that we may never know the reasons for unexplainable things that have happened in our lives, but it is enough to know that God does know, and everything is under His control. There are no commands from God nor statements made by the Lord to the leading characters in the narrative. There is just the understanding clearly given when reading through the book, that these people were people of faith who lived faithful, unassuming lives. The sovereign God uses them to bring about His purpose of having our Redeemer to bring salvation to us.