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Truth for today #33

Scripture:  4:9-12.

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This book commenced with an account of the declining fortunes of those who had sunk down into backsliding and disobedience and it ends with a glorious recovery through the intervention of a kind and gracious kinsman/redeemer.
It truly is the story of God’s redemption in type! Only the story of the gospel can be said to end with “everyone living happily every after!” Man’s story will end in weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.

In the verses before us we have
I. THE PARAMETERS OF THE DELIVERANCE WROUGHT BY BOAZ.
1. He bought back out of poverty the property of the one who had been head of the family.  “And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s.” Ruth 4:9. Nothing remained in the possession of others.
2. He bought the person of Ruth. “Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife.”
“Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Ephruth 4 9
1:14.
3. He presereved the name of Mahlon. “Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place,” verse 10. Mahlon’s name lives on. First kinsman’s name does not!
How like the Saviour who has purchased the estate of our father, Adam, out of poverty and made his name to live on through those raised up by Christ.

Truth for today #32

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III. THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE NEARER KINSMAN.

He was a hindrance to God’s will and had to go.

1. Only by his removal can Ruth’s life be made full and complete. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me,” Galatians 2:20.

2. His removal involved a humbling of him. Shoe taken off, vs. 7-8. He would have limped home as did Jacob after his meeting with the Lord, Gen 32:31. This signifies the mortifying of the flesh, Rom 8:13-15.

3. The reproach remained upon the man. Deut 25:7-10. In like fashion we must keep the flesh in the position of reproach and shame if we are to enjoy the fulness of Christ’s grace and power in our lives.

4. This was all accomplished by Boaz. Ruth benefitted but played no part in the proceedings! 3:18, Php 2:13, Isa 40:31.

Truth for today #31

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II. THE INABILITY OF THE NEARER KINSMAN.

“I cannot redeem it,” verse 6. The flesh cannot do that which we require in order to be delivered from our present state.

1. Kinsman was to redeem from debt. Lev 25:25-28. We have inherited our father Adam’s debt and added to them by our own transgressions. Sin is a debt to God. “And forgive us our debts,” Matt 6:12. Christ alone can clear our debts and enrich us. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich,” 2 Cor 8:9.

2. Kinsman was to redeem from bondage. Lev 25:47-50. By nature we are slaves to sin. “For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness,” Romans 6:20. The flesh cannot take us out of that bondage but rather strengthen our servitude.

3. Kinsman was to redeem from death. Deut 25:5-6. The reproach of death and barrenness lifted. Every wife in Israel wished to bear a son with the hope that he would be in the line of the Messiah. By this marriage, Ruth was brought into the line of the Messiah.