THE SECRET OF THE LORD
P.S.Warren
Where we were on Lord's day this scripture was read at the reading and a brother made the comment that he longed to be in the secret of what the Lord Jesus is doing at the present time. I was reminded of that as our brothers have spoken and I do not think that this view of Boaz as active in any way conflicts with what our brothers have said as to the Lord Jesus in His present position on the throne and His occupation at the present time. We can speak in general terms, it may be, knowing that He is nourishing and cherishing His assembly, but it should be, I think, the concern of all of us to be, like Naomi, in the secret of what He is actually doing, doing tonight. Is He not doing it? She says: "Behold, he is winnowing barley in the threshingfloor tonight". That was the very activity that night; and then he would eat and drink and then lie down. We may say she was in the secret of what the Lord Jesus was doing.
It is called the book of Ruth, but then Naomi is also a very interesting person. We are not told her age, but she was attractive to Ruth. In chapter 1 Ruth says to her "thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God". Naomi had made things attractive to one that was near to her. She had gone through much bitterness of experience herself. She had had many exercises and in the feeling of them, as she comes back, she says that she ought to be called 'Mara' - but all through the book she is referred to as Naomi. I wonder whether we can be like that. There is the experience of sorrow, but there is to be fruit from it, in making the truth and in making the blessed God, our God, attractive to a younger generation and to those that are near us. It may be to those that are older or it may be to those that are younger. Can we have an influence on those that are close to us? I think somebody who is in the secret of what the Lord Jesus is doing in detail, at any particular time, would be attractive and fruitful, because the book closes with the women saying "There is a son born to Naomi".
We should be always on the lookout, as we are left here, that there might be fruitfulness and more in the service of the blessed God. As I have said, Naomi is the one who is referred to as having a son born to her, and at this point she is in the secret of what Boaz is doing. May we be stimulated and concerned to be in the secret of what the Lord is doing and, as in the secret, be attractive to others, to draw them into the wonderful system of things in which our Lord Jesus Christ is, we might say, wondrously active and yet restful. May the Lord encourage us all in relation to it.
LONDON
8 January 1980
THE CHILDREN'S WARNINGS
You will have noticed that preachers of the glad tidings enjoy most of all speaking about the blessings of being a Christian saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But they also have to give warning of the dangers of neglecting so great a salvation as that which is offered by God in His word. The day of judgment will surely come for those who refuse the Saviour. Such persons may have forgotten their sins or may have hidden them. If not covered by the blood of Jesus these sins will rise up against them as did the evidence in the following incident which happened about two centuries ago.
A bundle of papers tied round with string and found inside a large shark caught at sea was brought after some delay into Kingston, Jamaica, by a visiting vessel. It happened that another ship, suspected of piracy, had recently been boarded and brought into the same harbour. Although there was no firm proof of crime the matter of this ship was still before the authorities. Then the bundle of papers, which had been thrown overboard by the pirates when pursued, arrived just at the moment of judgment and was enough to bring conviction. Just think of the feelings of the captain and crew of this ship when confronted with proofs of their misdeeds which they thought to be lost for ever! But the sins of those who trust the Saviour will never rise against them thus. Even if a believer may remember some of them they would not be on his conscience.
Whilst Noah's ark was being built there must have been a continual warning of judgment to come. As the vessel took shape during perhaps 120 years the warning would also have gradually grown and become more and more distinct. Yet only few, that is, eight souls were saved through the waters of the flood. Perhaps we do not think enough about the completeness of the salvation provided for those persons and the many creatures - which may signify the variety of persons small and great who are saved through the death of Jesus. The ark must have had sufficient food of all kinds to last about a year with constant attention to the needs of all the inhabitants. Do you enjoy life "more abundantly"?
J.C.Evershed