Head and Heart
Lesson 9
Ruth 4:1-10
Rules of right and wrong
Etched in stone
Ten elders stood as judge.
Two kinsmen of choice
One of head
One of heart
The first counted loss
The second gain
The first could not give
The second must give.
Shortsighted and temporal,
He held his eyes
The second,
Eternity held his heart.
Different motives
Divided their fate
Head of stone, heart of flesh
The higher law is love.
God’s Story
Boaz calls into judgment the next kinsman. God, as the shepherd of this earth, brings to remembrance John 10:11 – “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
Before the foundation of the world, the lamb was slain. God bought back the earth before the fall. He answered before anyone called. God’s story covers the universe. “The heavens are not pure,” Job says.
God’s story encompasses everything above the earth, under the earth and on the earth. God’s answer comes through His people Israel
The near kinsman is the fallen man, the one who was given the land, by default lost it to the evil one. The fallen man still operates in the nature of the evil one, who he gave over all in the garden.
The fallen man is the one who robs us today. He is the hireling. He wants all that appeases his flesh who has come under the domain of Satan.
The near kinsman, our flesh, must be subdued by love. It is God’s love which has bought us back.
Jesus lays down his flesh, but takes back to heaven in resurrection power, the title of The Son of Man, who sits on the throne of the universe and will reign and co-reign with redeemed man. Flesh and blood can not enter into heaven, but the Son of Man entered and took the title to the throne of God.
Boaz’s Story
Boaz, as the kinsman redeemer, had to put his own flesh down for the betterment of the Seed for Elimelech. He understood the law of Israel
Ruth’s Story
Ruth, as the church, as the resurrected church comes into place out of her faith and obedience. She enters into God’s story by the way of her faith in Naomi’s God and people.
In the Gate
The Law sat inside the gate. They were the ten men of the elders of the city.
They became witnesses to the decision between Boaz and the near kinsman.
Who becomes the witnesses and the influence in the gate of the Christian?
Nearest Kinsman
In the day you purchase the land from the hand of Naomi, you will also acquire Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, etc.
“I can not”. The Targum seems to give the proper sense of this passage: ‘I cannot redeem it, because I have a wife already; and it is not fit for me to bring another into my house; lest brawling and contention arises in it; and lest I hurt my own inheritance.
The near kinsman was not a brother, but a relative, a kinsman; and the shoe was not pulled off by Ruth, but by the kinsman himself. The Targumist, instead of his shoe, renders his right hand glove, it probably being the custom, in his time, to give that instead of a shoe. De 25:7-10
The witnesses Gen 23:16-18, Je 32:10-12, Is 8:2,8 Mal , He 13:4
Principles of Relationships
In any relationship there is more than meets the eye. There will always be influence for the people around that relationship.
1. Do we understand the power of a relationship?
2. Do we understand any relationship is bigger than the two involved?
3. How does two people stay in closer relationship?
4. What happens when we disobey what the Word says?
5. Is the nearest kinsman always talking to us?
6. What is he saying?
7. How can we trust Jesus’ words?
The golden chain: the gate: De. ; 17:5; ; 25:7, Job 29:7, 31:21; Amos 5:10-12, 15. The kinsman Is 55:1, Zec 2:6. The elders Ex ,22; 21:8. De 29:, 1King 21:8. Pr. 31:23. La 5:14. Ac 6:12
The Story – The Cameo
Ruth wept. She had not expected such kindness. As Ruth turned her head, her chin quivered as Boaz moved his hand cupping her face in his hands. Holding her, he leaned down and kissed her. A kiss that drained all the resistance from her, leaving her weak and helpless.
“Boaz,” Ruth whispered.
Boaz held her close for a long time, and then he took his garment, laying it over Ruth, he told her to lay down until sunlight. “Will you marry me, my love.”
“Yes, I will.”
As Boaz and Ruth talked, Boaz was more determined to do whatever it took to redeem Ruth and Naomi. He understood the ramifications, but his heart led.
Boaz was determined not to lose this opportunity. “There is someone standing between you and me, it is Naomi’s closest relative. I must go to the gate of the city tomorrow and before witnesses I will approach your near kinsman. I will not rest until I have found an answer for us.”
“No matter what he asks for, are you willing to pay it?”
“Whatever he ask I will pay,” Boaz reassured Ruth.
Boaz drove a hard bargain. By the end, the kinsman reclined to his life, his wife, children and land with a handsome price. He gloated in the bargain. He gladly took the money before the witnesses and took off his shoe to seal the agreement.
“And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel Bethlehem Judah
Boaz hurried as he entered the field. “Ruth, come quickly.” Boaz pulled Ruth aside outside of the ears of the reapers. “Let’s go to Naomi. I have word for her.”
“Boaz, what did they say? What is our outcome?”
“When we see Naomi, then I will make it known what has been determined. It is Naomi’s field which I had to purchase from the other man.”
Entering the little house, Naomi was on her knees praying. “Naomi, Boaz has word for us.”
Boaz took Ruth into his arms and said, “I would like to marry Ruth. We will give you an heir for Elimelech.” The three of them wept.
Workbook Lesson 9
Head and Heart
1. Why was it important for this relationship to happen?
2. Do you understand how important your marriage is also? You are not carrying the Christ Child, but you are carrying Christ.
3. What can we learn from this?
No comments:
Post a Comment