When Luther learned that his writings were condemned to be burned, he said, “Let them destroy my works: I desire nothing better; for all I wanted was to lead Christians to the Bible that they might afterward throw away my writings.” Such singleness of purpose may well be coveted. Honored is the writer who can lead his readers to the scriptures themselves, for there we are safe; they always make Christ their theme.
The story of God's gifts to Adam can be told in one chapter: the story of the gift of His Son to sinners fills a volume of many books, not one of which, in spite of the critics, can be spared by those who have received Him.
The book of Ruth affords a beautiful instance of how the Spirit of God can cast a simple narrative of homely facts into a form that brings before the mind one of the most precious titles of the Lord Jesus Christ, and rivets the attention upon it, “the Redeemer.” The Revised Version gives the Hebrew word in the margin of chap. 3, verse 9. (Goel), and it occurs nine times in this book. It is found repeatedly in Isaiah, and occasionally in other books, and is translated, according to the context, by “a near kinsman”, “a kinsman”, “he who redeems”, “the avenger of blood”, and, most frequently, “the Redeemer". One has truly said, “This word would be a study in itself “: may the Lord give us light upon it as found in this book.
The narrative opens with the departure of Elimelech and Naomi, with their two sons, from the place and the portion which the Lord God had so recently given to His people, and where He Himself dwelt among them, in a time of dearth, to seek help from the Moabites. The times were indeed distressing and difficult. It was in the days when the judges ruled, a time when repeated sin brought again and again severe chastisement, and verging on a crisis of the gravest character, when there would be not only aggravated disobedience but open rejection, by Israel, of Jehovah as their King (1 Sam. 8:77And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. (1 Samuel 8:7)). Notwithstanding this, He was with the judges, and in power, on behalf of His rebellious people, setting them free again and again from their oppressors. What a testimony to all that He was there and full of compassion for them (Judges 2:1818And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. (Judges 2:18)). Yet this family turned from Him to seek their supplies at the hand of proud, haughty, and wrathful Moab (Isa. 16:66We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so. (Isaiah 16:6)). Had not the Moabites done all in their power to destroy them by sorcery, by lust, and by war? (Numbers 22-25 Judges 3:1212And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. (Judges 3:12)).
But more than this. In the laws and ordinances of the Lord by Moses provision was made for the poor; and they had, nigh at hand, a near kinsman, not only rich but kind, and therefore willing to open his hand wide to them. Had they forgotten him, or was it utter faithlessness that turned them from him to the Moabites? Whatever it was, their course recalls to the Christian the more astonishing fact that, when the Son of God came in flesh, became thus the near Kinsman, and nigh at hand, displaying God's bounty in the most distressing scenes of human misery, His own people rejected Him and turned to the Romans. Neither ought it to be lost sight of, that, as Balaam taught the Moabites how to seduce the Israelites, so teachers in the church who held his doctrine, and taught for reward, first drew the servants of Christ from dependence on, and confession of Him, to find their gratification in the world (Rev. 2:1414But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. (Revelation 2:14)). Thus, morally, do we always find the various parts of inspired history hang together.
Strange, yet beautiful, it is to see the marvelous effect the name of Boaz had on Naomi when truly humbled by affliction, and when Ruth told her of his thoughtful care and delicate attentions to her, a poor reaper in his fields. She was like another woman. The sun of joy and hope had risen and dispersed all the clouds of sorrow and despair (read chap. ii. onward). She at once instructs Ruth in the claims which God's grace had given them on such a kinsman, and that out of the very laws and ordinances which, aforetime, both she and her husband must either have been faithless to or have forgotten. Oh! the loss, even of truth once known, when the true Redeemer is slighted and the world coveted. Certainly it is not Elimelech and Naomi alone who have turned from the Lord, in a day of trouble, to the world for their support. How many who are saved by faith, fail in times of trial to walk by faith! How many trust God for their souls who are anxious and filled with fears for their families and their daily requirements! The power of circumstances was too great for these Ephrathites of Bethlehem-Judah; their neighbors were no helpers and they faithless. So, in these anxious times, when, in every path of active life, so many things combine to pile burden upon burden on the child of God, the low state, morally, of Christians all around, and his own forgetfulness of the Lord and His word, cause circumstances often to prove too much for him. It is for such that simple, homely truth is so essential; and, thanks be to God, it abounds for them in scripture, especially in the teaching of our Lord. Self-will and self-confidence are approved in the world, but must plunge the Christian, as they did this family, into deeper sorrows.
There is thus one lesson on the surface to be learned from Elimelech's failure. He, as all, needed God to sustain him. There might be meat in Moab; but life, breath, and all things are in the hands of the Lord. To forsake Him and to lose life and breath in seeking meat is folly and worse; yet this was in fact and experience Elimelech's course, and, alas! the course of many others. His thought was only to “sojourn” in Moab, but he died there; and his sons, no longer restrained, settle there, taking them wives of the women of Moab. The father sought the things of the world; the children, the world itself; and death came upon them all and spoiled their plans. Is not this a scene within the experience of most? Who has not witnessed something of it? Yet who, like Ruth, have profited by it, and learned to shun the ways of the world and put their trust in the Lord, seeking their reward alone from Him (chapter 2:12)?
Naomi and her daughter-in-law are left desolate and there is no heir. Their coal is quenched; they have neither name nor remainder left on the earth. What a testimony to their forfeiture of all creature-blessing! Was such a state of things possible to woman before the fall? Is there any more common since? All blessing for a ruined creature must be on the ground of redemption, and Naomi ought to have known this from the Exodus. But God, in grace, taking occasion by her failure, would lead her into deeper truth, bringing before her in type, not redemption only but, the Redeemer. This will come before us more fully in Ruth's sweet story; but we must not pass over the touching view opened to us of the deep heart-exercises in poor Naomi. She heard that the Lord had visited His people in giving them bread, and she would return to the land of Judah. But restoration of soul, though sure when God is working, is not at a bound. We must realize what a blank the world's prizes are. We see her thus dwelling with much feeling on the past, the time before she wandered (chapter 2). Then she was Naomi (Pleasant). She “went out full”. Now she is Mara (Bitter). “The Lord,” she said, “hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me.” All her resources in nature are dried up, and her vision is clouded by her sad experiences. She can scarcely speak of anything, save of her sorrows, her age, and her helplessness. There is not a word of encouragement for those she loves, widows like herself. She even counsels them to return to Moab when affection led them to accompany her on her way to Judah. The simple piety of Ruth kept her from going back, but Orpah was effectually stumbled by it, for each one has to learn what really governs the heart.
It is wonderful how the faithful course of the young convert, and her considerate love for the desponding mother were used to comfort her, eventually to fill her soul with hope by testifying of the grace of Boaz. All this, to the believer in Jesus, is very suggestive. Not only does the mention of His name bring before Naomi's mind the bright certainty that through him the full tide of redemption blessing would flow in and enrich them, but they would possess, and Ruth in the closest way, the redeemer himself. And so it was. Ruth became the wife of Boaz, and thus the Lord gave Naomi a son. Her hope made not ashamed. Even her neighbors, not now the proud Moabites, but the people of God, cannot refrain from praise. “Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a redeemer, that his name may be famous in Israel. 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. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, The father of David.” Surely Naomi's joy was full. Christian reader, let us ask the question, Is ours? We have more, oh! how much more, to make it so; even as the testimony of the Spirit to our Redeemer exceeds that of Ruth to Boaz (1 John 1:1-41That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:1‑4)). W. B.