The Bible Monthly vol. 3
CHAPTER 3.
We now see Naomi seeking the welfare of Ruth. She would desire to marry Ruth to Boaz, if it were possible; and there is, in the step she took, and in the advice which she gave to Ruth, what is well worth our consideration. Naomi desires that Ruth should come into the most intimate relationship with Boaz. It is the desire of the Lord to bring us into the most intimate relationship with Himself,
In verse 3 she instructs Ruth to
wash herself. The
believer must be free from sin
if he is to have fellowship with
Boaz (Christ). She is to uncover his feet and
lie down by them. This
suggests the thought that the
believer must be able to
see the feet of the Lord, i.e.,
to see how He walked here so
perfectly to the glory of God,
and should lie down, that is
to take the place of one who
desires to follow humbly in
His steps. To such an one, the
Lord can reveal Himself,
and come out in all His fulness,
and bring that one consciously into the most blessed
fellowship with Himself. Ruth obeys. Oh, that we would
always respond to the
Spirit’s leading when He points
out to us what is the path way here, in which we may most
fully know the fellowship
of Christ. Oh, that we would
always uncover His feet and
see where He goes, and humbly
follow. What blessed,
happy communion might be known
by us, if we were always
in this attitude of soul. Boaz awakes, and finds Ruth at
his feet. She asks that
he will spread his skirt over
her, i.e., attach her to Him self, and give her his name and
protection. He is most
willing to do this if he can. The believer who is in
appreciation of Christ, desires
to
be covered with Christ as his
righteousness, and permanently
to be associated with His Name.
The Lord delights to
answer to this desire. But there
is a difficulty.
The Two Kinsmen Boaz is near of kin, but there
is a nearer kinsman, who
has a prior right to redeem.
Boaz, in the grace and
kindness of his heart, promises
to take the matter up with
the nearer relation who answers
typically to the law. The
two meet, and the matter is
opened up. The nearer kinsman
is willing to buy the land, but
not to take Ruth and make
her his wife. Such an act would
spoil his own inheritance. If he spent his money to buy the
land, and then had a son
by Ruth, the land would have to
go to that son; this would
mean that he had impoverished
his own inheritance to give
a portion to the son of Ruth. He
is not willing to do this,
and Boaz, who could not be
compelled to take up the matter
at all, acting in the kindness
of his heart towards Ruth,
takes up all the
responsibilities and redeems the
land and
takes Ruth to himself to wife. This is a most beautiful
picture. Christ has come in in
grace, and taken up all the
responsibilities of the sinner
and
met all the demands of the law
and satisfied them. He is
able to come out and act in all
the grace and love of His
heart. The inheritance of the
law is lost souls. If the law
redeemed a soul it would spoil
its own inheritance, which it
is not willing to do. Christ,
however, has in free grace
taken up our case, and having
satisfied God as to the
question of sin, is now able to
bring us into the most blessed
relationship with Himself. Boaz marries Ruth. No longer is
it ‘‘Ruth the Moabitess,’’
but ‘‘ Ruth the wife of Boaz.’’
No longer is it an unsaved
sinner, but a believer in the
Lord Jesus Christ, She bears
his name; we bear the Name of
Christ. His position, wealth
and character are hers. God has
associated us as believers
with all that Christ has in the
glory. Boaz gave Ruth his name, to bear
it in all the honour that
it had. Christ gives us His
Name, that we may carry it
honourably through this world as
He did. It must not be
connected with anything that is
contrary to His character.
We must not dishonour it in any
way. He entrusts us with
His honour, and His reputation,
as we pass through this
scene. How, my beloved brethren,
are we responding to
this trust? Is the world thinking lightly of
Christ because of our
walk? Is the Name of Christ in
our lives associated with
that which even an unbeliever
can see to be inconsistent
with the faith of Christ? If so,
beloved, let us humble
ourselves before God, and seek
to be restored, that we may
so walk before Him that out of
our lives may go forth a
sweet savour of that Blessed
One, who has linked us to
Himself in the closest, deepest
bond of His Divine love. J. B. R.
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