EMBRACING REDEMPTION (18 OF 52)
Scripture: Ruth 4:1-10
This content is part of a series.
Embracing Redemption (18 of 52)
Series: Discipleship Part Three
Christopher B. Harbin
Ruth 4:1-10
It is easy to slip into the comfortable structures of the gospel as it has been popularized. It is easy to repeat the creeds of the faith, mention justification by faith, shout ''Jesus Saves!'' or even quote John 3:16. Those are all important aspects of the Christian faith. They are essential elements of the gospel, and yet by themselves, they may ring hollow, for the good news Jesus preached and lived goes far beyond the simple recitation of a text, the acceptance of a doctrinal position, or repeating a bumper sticker phrase of popular faith. When the gospel calls us to do more than pay lip service to our relationship with Christ, do we rise to the challenge?
Boaz was a good man. He was considered an upstanding citizen of Israel. He was known as one whose faith in Yahweh was borne out in his actions, a life committed to following the legal and moral code given through Moses. He was a model member of society. In chapter two of Ruth, we saw him stand up on Ruth's behalf, offering her security and protection. We saw him do more than simply allow her to glean in his fields. We saw him shower her with grain she could not have collected on her own, making sure that she did more than simply survive to glean another day.
Had the text of Ruth ended in chapter two, we would likely have gone away considering him an upstanding man, one determined to follow Yahweh's design for his life, Yahweh's design for Israel as a whole. It is when we get to chapter four, however, that we see a fuller picture of what Yahweh's design for life in Israel looks like, more fully fleshed out.
You see, Boaz's generosity toward Ruth in chapter two was good. He showered her with grain to meet her immediate needs, as well as that of her mother-in-law, Naomi. At the same time, he had done nothing to address why Ruth needed assistance in the first place.
It is a lot easier to give some ...
Series: Discipleship Part Three
Christopher B. Harbin
Ruth 4:1-10
It is easy to slip into the comfortable structures of the gospel as it has been popularized. It is easy to repeat the creeds of the faith, mention justification by faith, shout ''Jesus Saves!'' or even quote John 3:16. Those are all important aspects of the Christian faith. They are essential elements of the gospel, and yet by themselves, they may ring hollow, for the good news Jesus preached and lived goes far beyond the simple recitation of a text, the acceptance of a doctrinal position, or repeating a bumper sticker phrase of popular faith. When the gospel calls us to do more than pay lip service to our relationship with Christ, do we rise to the challenge?
Boaz was a good man. He was considered an upstanding citizen of Israel. He was known as one whose faith in Yahweh was borne out in his actions, a life committed to following the legal and moral code given through Moses. He was a model member of society. In chapter two of Ruth, we saw him stand up on Ruth's behalf, offering her security and protection. We saw him do more than simply allow her to glean in his fields. We saw him shower her with grain she could not have collected on her own, making sure that she did more than simply survive to glean another day.
Had the text of Ruth ended in chapter two, we would likely have gone away considering him an upstanding man, one determined to follow Yahweh's design for his life, Yahweh's design for Israel as a whole. It is when we get to chapter four, however, that we see a fuller picture of what Yahweh's design for life in Israel looks like, more fully fleshed out.
You see, Boaz's generosity toward Ruth in chapter two was good. He showered her with grain to meet her immediate needs, as well as that of her mother-in-law, Naomi. At the same time, he had done nothing to address why Ruth needed assistance in the first place.
It is a lot easier to give some ...
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