The man walking in the light
Ruth 4:1-10; 9/18/2022; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang
Introduction
If a person has light in his heart, he will be willing to act out this light. After a person decides to act out the light, God will give the way, the truth, and the life of the light to act out the presence of Emmanuel. Let’s look at the first point:
The person who talks to the elder
The Proverbs says, “Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. (Proverbs 31:23)” This is a portrait of a wife supporting her husband, yet Boaz was sitting with the elders at the city gate before he got married. First, sitting with the elders. At first glance, it seems that this is a “face project”, and there seems to be a suspicion of caring about vanity. But, in the next verse, King Solomon said: ”Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:30)” It was his daily life for Boaz to talk to the elders at the city gate. The testimony lived out is reverence for God and respect for authority. If a person does not have the fear of God, it is impossible to have respect for others, let alone obey the discipline of the church. Boaz took the initiative to come to the gate of the city to explain the reason to the elders, and at the same time he was waiting for the opportunity to meet with his closest relatives.
Second, go with the coincidence. Where can there be anything purely coincidental in life? Everything in our life is under the Lord’s control and His will! It appears in the scriptures: “ just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along.” Is it really a coincidence? Why didn’t this guardian-redeemer happen to go out and not return? And then Boaz never got a chance to see him, let alone marry Ruth, right? All we can say is, because this is what the LORD has purposed to do, and He will do it! He would first move the elders to come to the city gate and sit there, and then let Boaz come to the city gate while the elders were still there. What’s even more rare is that there are still numbers of elders who have come, and Boaz can also choose ten among the elders of this city. At this point in the story, would you still say it was accidental?
Finally, testify with honesty. Obviously, God opened the way for Boaz, gathered the three parties to one place, and publicly testified to God’s will at the gate of the city. This is very important, that is, without any presuppositions! Even if Boaz intended to marry Ruth, he could not use God as a tool. It is to use a committed attitude or mood to confirm God’s will, rather than insisting on a certain kind of preconceived result in people’s heart. This is quietness, this is honesty, this is prayer! This is not the same as setting the end in advance and then letting God satisfy his own desires. What I want to do and what God wants me to do are two completely different things. Can you understand? Sometimes I would encourage brothers and sisters to be quiet. Maybe most people do not understand what quietness is, but they mistakenly think that they are already quiet! The essence of quietness is to be honest with the Lord, and its sign is to let go of the attachment to the outcome. Let’s look at the second point:
Be the person yield the right to get the right
Authority is a very bewildering thing, often far greater than the temptation of money. In today’s world where everyone wants to gain, is anyone willing to yield power? First, get the facts straight. Usually, people who like to fight for power often don’t know what the truth is, and they already fighted. I have an “old friend” who has a natural love for power and is even more of a scramble for power. He left a church, but never forgot about the authority of the church, and he always wanted to fight for some “residual value”. So he asked the deacons of the church to give him the title of emeritus pastor. However, everyone did not understand this title from the Bible, and of course it ended up being nothing. However, the brother did not let it go and made a mess in the church. Once I saw him and asked, are you still reluctant to leave such a title? As soon as he heard it, he looked at his wife and stopped talking. I think he should first know what he is fighting for? In order to fight for this false title, any kind of friendship and affection have been completely ignored, and even went to the point of being an enemy of the church.
Second, yield the choices. Boaz knew very well that if he got Ruth back by fighting, he would go against the will of God. In fact, he also has the opportunity and conditions to get things done and unchanged. Boaz’s godliness caused him to let go of power or opportunity and yield the choices. Boaz said to the guardian-redeemer, you have a priority over me to redeem the land in Naomi’s hands. Excuse me, are you willing to redeem? As the saying goes, Land is priceless, and house has its price. With such a good opportunity, how can it be rejected? He answered: I will redeem it! This is probably the choice of most people too, right? However, like most people, he forgot that there are obligations and responsibilities behind rights. Having possessed the land of Naomi, he must still marry Ruth, the wife of the dead. Moreover, if a child is born in the future, it must be counted in the genealogy of Elimelek, so that the dead will retain his name in the inheritance.
Finally, take responsibility. The guardian-redeemer said: “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.” (Ruth 4:6)” For the guardian-redeemer, he gave up both power and responsibility. For Boaz, he also received power and responsibility. From then on, Boaz could fulfill his promise to Ruth. Remember what Boaz said to Ruth the night before: “Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.” (Ruth 3:13)” Let’s look at the third point:
The person who testify for God everywhere
To walk in the light is to leave a testimony that glorifies God and benefits others. Boaz was a man who left a good testimony everywhere, and is worthy of our imitation. First, facing God. When Moses was on Mount Sinai, he heard the Lord God calling him from the bush: Moses, Moses! Moses replied, “Here I am! When God saw that Moses was about to step forward to see what was going on, God said to him: “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5)” Since then, taking off sandals has become a way for the Israelites to express their godliness and solemnity. So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal. (Ruth 4:8) God and completed a wonderful testimony!
Second, there are witnesses. The process for this matter to be settled is clear, the legal evidence is clear, and there is no problem. However, over time, people may forget. Therefore, the principle of the Bible is to have at least two witnesses. Deuteronomy 17:6 says, “On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.” In the New Testament, 1 Timothy 5:19 says, “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.” This time Boaz found ten elders of the city to testify about this. In doing so, Boaz not only blocked the breach, but also made a beautiful story.
Finally, state the facts. The heart is deceitful above all things, who can know it? Don’t wait until one day the closest relative regrets it and bites back, saying that Boaz didn’t make it clear that day. Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!” (Ruth 4:9-10) Now, everything is clear! Don’t say, “they are all people in the Lord, there is no need to make it so clear!” I’m sorry, but it’s really necessary to make it clear!
Conclusion
Well, dear brothers and sisters, it turns out that what the Bible says about walking in the light is very clearly defined. No one can use the Bible to complete their own flesh works and destroy the body of Christ. It is to submit to the authority of the church, to let go of self-righteous rights, and to be a vessel that glorifies God and benefits others.
Let us pray……
Ruth 4:1-10
1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.
2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.
3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek.
4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” “I will redeem it,” he said.
5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”
6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”
7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)
8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.
9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon.
10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”
