RUTH 4
But then we have to learn that nothing but Christ and a definite personal link with Him, will avail. We have to learn under divine teaching the utter inadequacy of the legal principle, and this is brought out typically in chapter 4. Man has the knowledge of good and evil, and conscience applies this to responsibility. Every man knows he ought to do what is good, and not to do what is evil. The law put that into formal shape, and held men definitely responsible to God for their actions and even their desires. This is represented by the one who had the prior claim in the case of Ruth; the law is nearer to us naturally than Christ. It is true that Gentiles have never been put under the law by God, but obligation to do what is right is upon all men by the knowledge of good and evil, and by conscience. Many of us have the light of Christianity as the standard of what we ought to be and do. The natural man would say, That is quite enough. Many would tell us we have only to use our inward perceptions and keep a good conscience, and we shall be all right! But we have to learn that we have no power. The law, or any kind of obligation you can think of, cannot undertake to meet conditions which are exactly opposite to what they ought to be. That principle cannot do anything for a dead man so that his name shall be raised up upon his inheritance. If death has come in, the raising up of the name of the dead involves a power of life in Another on his behalf which is, typically, resurrection power, and it is such power that is in Christ as the true Boaz. The object of the statute in Deuteronomy 25: 5, 6, was that the inheritance might be secured to one upon whom death had come, “that his name be not blotted out from Israel”. This was pure grace acting in regard of one dead; the legal principle could do nothing in such a case. So the nearest kinsman — representing the law, or the legal principle — says, twice over, “I cannot redeem it”. He drew off his sandal, as much as to say, I have no standing in such a case as this; I must give place to another.
Every one of us has to learn this lesson. The early part of Romans 7 gives the solution of the problem before showing us in detail in the latter part what the problem is; it is like a boy being given the answer to a sum before he is set to work it out. That is how grace would help us; we are shown that we have [p. 212] become dead to the law by the body of Christ, so that we might be to Another, even to Him who has been raised from the dead, that we may bear fruit to God. Then we are shown what bondage it is to be married to the first husband. Abigail had a similar exercise in getting freed, first in spirit and then actually, from a husband who was incapable of being what her heart needed, in order to be linked with one who was a satisfying husband.
The nearer kinsman could not undertake what was really needed; he could not take up Ruth, nor bring in a seed to inherit when death had come in. I may feel as a Christian that my ways and spirit should be this or that, but this does not give power. Power is in Christ; without Him we can do nothing, but having Him there is sufficiency to achieve everything.
The gate of the city would suggest a definite public witness to what Christ has become to those who love Him. There are no people in the world so much observed as Christians; they are in the “gate”; the eyes of the world are fixed on them. Do they see clearly that we have a mighty and wealthy Husband — One who has set us in rest from selfishness, worldliness, and earthly mindedness, so that servants and worshippers of God are really brought forth?
Boaz is a type of Christ as risen. He alone, in the true and divine sense, has the right of redemption. He has secured the inheritance, not only by personal title as the Heir, but in view of our having it with Him He has established a title by purchase; it is an “acquired possession”, Ephesians 1: 14. He holds it by an unquestionable title for He has discharged every claim upon it and made it His own. The precious thoughts of divine love in all their fulness could not be held by any other; in this regard Israel, and the Gentiles too, are “the dead”. If their names are raised up upon the inheritance it must be in virtue of the power of life in Another which acts in grace towards them. All that God has in love purposed for man is held by Christ in the strength of resurrection, and it becomes the portion of those who, like Ruth, come to Him, and are married to Him. “The sure mercies of David” are the wealth and fatness of the inheritance, and they are all secured in Christ risen.
When the remnant of Israel find death upon them they will go through the bitterness that Naomi knew, and this [p. 213] will be accompanied by affectionate desires after Jehovah such as were seen in Ruth, but both will find their satisfying answer in being brought to their Messiah, known as having been in death for them, but now in risen strength to hold everything from God for them.
And if, like Israel, the saints of the present period have lost the possession and enjoyment of their God-given portion, the way is open for Naomis and Ruths to return, and to find that a Kinsman lives who delights to secure to them in Himself as risen and glorified all the wealth that they have departed from. This book belongs to the time of the judges; that is, it stands in relation to a time of failure and departure. It shows how love will reach Christ and find Him sufficient for everything — sufficient to secure the enjoyment of the inheritance for us, sufficient to answer perfectly every affectionate desire for what is of God, sufficient, by giving us the Spirit, to constitute us suitable heirs. In Romans 8 we see that saints are suitable to inherit; they are sons and children, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ; the living seed is there. Estates fall into Chancery when there is no heir whose title can be established. Without heirs the inheritance would lapse; God’s thought would be invalidated. This could never be, and the effect of reaching Christ as the true Boaz, and being married to Him, is that a seed is secured that is not under death, but which is capable of enjoying the inheritance. A son is born (chapter 4: 13) who has the right of redemption, for the women said, “Blessed be Jehovah who hath not left thee this day without one that has the right of redemption, and may his name be famous in Israel”, verse 14. This refers to Obed, the son brought forth. It is a beautiful and interesting suggestion; the right of redemption is clearly viewed in two different ways. As attaching to Boaz it is typical of what is available in Christ as the Kinsman. But as attaching to Obed (Worshipper or Servant) it is typical of what comes to pass in the saints as the result of being brought in affection to Christ, and married to Him according to Romans 7: 4. The right of redemption becomes practically valid in the saints as they bring forth fruit to God in service and worship. Not only are things secured on God’s side in Christ, but He brings about conditions on our side that are suitable in living heirs. A seed comes in that has manifestly right to the inheritance, having such a character as the children of God that they are suitable to be His heirs and Christ’s joint-heirs. This is the result of the work of God in His saints; it is brought out, as to the teaching of it, in Romans 8.
I do not doubt that the Spirit of God would give present application to the teaching of this book. The general state of things today is the evidence that the people of God are in the fields of Moab rather than in Bethlehem. Death has come in, for the Lord says to Protestantism, “Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead”, Revelation 3: 1. But Christ is great enough to bring in life where death has been. If God has assigned a portion to His saints He is glorified in their being in possession of it, and enjoying it, and bringing forth its fruits. He is not glorified by there being famine in the land, and by His people being in Moab. Such a state of things is to say publicly that Moab is a better place than Canaan! When Christians turn to the world and to earthly things their condition is such as to say publicly that these things are better than what God gives. I am sure that none of us would like to continue to give such a testimony as that.
But through the rich grace of our God there is opportunity for any who are in such a condition to feel it and own it, as Naomi did. And if hearts are attracted to the blessing of God as Ruth’s was the result will be that Christ will be known and reached as the Mighty Man of wealth. He will be known as the source of everything, the Restorer of all that was in God’s original thought for His people, for all is secured and maintained in Him. And as saints abide in Him they become capable of taking up the inheritance. If Christ is in the saints, and the Spirit is life, the right of redemption is secured morally in them.
The reason why many fail to enjoy the inheritance is that they have never realised that they are not enjoying it; they lack the deep exercises seen in Naomi. Their spiritual standard is low; they believe that their sins are forgiven, and that they will go to heaven when they die or when the Lord comes, but they have very little conception that there is a vast wealth of spiritual blessing which they might be enjoying now. On the other hand, how often is there a lack of affectionate interest in God’s things such as was seen in Ruth. She had never personally been in the land, so that she could not have quite the sense of having departed from it. Perhaps many of us have opportunity to come into things as she did. Under the influence of [p. 215] Naomi her affections went out fully to what was of God. If this is so with us it will lead to reaching Him who can fully secure to us the blessedness of the inheritance. There is often desire at the bottom of the heart, but no definite purpose to go in for what is desired, and when this is the case there is danger of being diverted by all kinds of things that are not Christ.
When a personal link is established with Christ known as the Kinsman with the right of redemption the result will be a seed that is spiritually capable of entering upon and enjoying the inheritance. All is secured for possession and enjoyment on the principle of pure divine favour, and a raising up in resurrection power. This is the product of such exercises as are set forth in Naomi; the son is said to be born to Naomi. But it comes in also in answer to such affections and desires as are seen in Ruth.
Then Obed begets Jesse — Jah exists; we are brought into the changeless certainty of all the things which are of God. And it only remains that Christ shall come as the true David to publicly introduce the rights of God as King, and to give the heirs of promise their full place in the inheritance as known in conditions of glory.