[Anglican Communion 16 May 2020] Topic: God Is Working His Purpose Out!
TOPIC: God Is Working His Purpose Out!
READ: RUTH 4:1-22 (NKJV)
- Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, friend, sit down here.” So he came aside and sat down.
- And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.
- Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which [belonged] to our brother Elimelech.
- “And I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy [it] back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem [it,] redeem [it;] but if you will not redeem [it, then] tell me, that I may know; for [there is] no one but you to redeem [it,] and I [am] next after you.’ ” And he said, “I will redeem [it.”]
- Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy [it] from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.”
- And the close relative said, “I cannot redeem [it] for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem [it.”]
- Now this [was the custom] in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave [it] to the other, and this [was] a confirmation in Israel.
- Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, “Buy [it] for yourself.” So he took off his sandal.
- And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You [are] witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that [was] Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi.
- “Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You [are] witnesses this day.”
- And all the people who [were] at the gate, and the elders, said, “[We are] witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
- “May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman.”
- So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.
- Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed [be] the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!
- “And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.”
- Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.
- Also the neighbor women gave him 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.
- Now this [is] the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron;
- Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab;
- Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon;
- Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed;
- Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.
THE MESSAGE:
God often uses ordinary daily decisions and transactions to work out His purpose in the lives of His people. The first potential kinsman-redeemer was only interested in Elimelek’s property, but not in the welfare of the family he left behind (verses 4-6). With this, he lost the opportunity to acquire the family property (which also implied marrying Ruth), and the duty fell to Boaz. With a solemn prayer in the presence of ten elders and several witnesses in the public square, Boaz married Ruth (verses 9-12). In the course of time, Ruth gave birth to a son who became the ancestor of David and ultimately of Christ (verse 13, verses 16-23 6-23; Matthew 1:17).
Thus, as God helped Naomi and Ruth overcome their immediate problems, He was also working out His grand salvation plan for the entire human race.
We often face challenges and difficulties in our lives daily. Good things also come our way daily. As we face each one, whether pleasant or not, may we trust God to work out His good purposes through our daily activities. May we agree with Jeremiah 29: 11 that God will give us a future and a hope!
PRAYER: Thank You Lord, for Your gracious plans for my life. Please enable me to trust You as You work them out for me.
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