Accepted

One of the Sabbath readings for this week comes from the Book of Ruth. Most know the story of the young widowed woman, who was from the country of Moab. Ruth committed herself, her faith, and her future with that of an Israelite woman, Naomi, who was her mother-in-law. She joined herself (see previous blog entry titled "Joined") to her Israelite mother-in-law with these words: "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me." (Ruth 1:15-17). With these words, Ruth turned her heart over to Naomi's God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So the two women who had lost everything, left Moab and returned to Naomi's home town in Israel, which happened to be Bethlehem (v. 22). They arrived at the time of the barley harvest, which also comes just before the season of Passover. There in Bethlehem, Ruth will meet Boaz, whose name means "strength within him": "There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech (Naomi's deceased husband). His name was Boaz." (Ruth 2:1). As we often find, the English translation does not do the Hebrew meaning justice. This is also true of the description of Boaz. "Mighty" is the Hebrew word gibor, which is also one of the LORD's names, El Gibor. Gibor meaning "champion, strong man, valiant, excel, chief, giant, brave, prevail, exceeded, confirm (covenant), be great". The word describing Boaz translated into English as "wealth" is the Hebrew word hayil. Wealth, riches and substance are part of the meaning, but even more so is "valor, strength, army, force, ability, power, train, worthy, warlike strength". The Hebrew root word, hul, shows us the basis of this strength, power and wealth, and also connects us to the image of Christ's sacrifice. This root word means "pain, bring forth, travail, writhe in pain, be in anguish, to be born, suffering torture, to wait longingly". This root meaning brings to mind verses from Isaiah regarding his prophecy of the Messiah: "He shall see the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied (saba - full, plenty, satiate, to have in excess, to enrich)...shall My righteous Servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death..." (Isa. 53:11-12). Many seek wealth and power by the strategies of men, or the ways of the world, but God talked about power from Him that also includes wealth for those who keep Him in remembrance, and desire to do His will: "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day." (Deut. 8:18). From these things, we can see that Boaz is a very special man in God's sight. We know in the story of Ruth, that upon seeing Ruth in his field, Boaz asked his men, "Whose young woman is this?" (Ruth 2:5). Boaz then directed his authority, and the workers of his fields towards the protection of Ruth (v. 8-9). Boaz then said to Ruth: "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." (v. 11-12). Boaz will become Naomi's and Ruth's kinsman redeemer, not only to restore Naomi, but to cover Ruth in marriage. Ruth and Boaz will have a son, and that son will be the grandfather of David (Ruth 4:21-22), who will become king of Israel, and a forefather in the line of Jesus. The story of Boaz and Ruth also points out something else to us. Ruth was from Moab originally. Moab was established through incest. Lot's daughters planned to get him drunk, and then each had a child conceived with their father, one of which was named Moab. Lot was so drunk that he wasn't aware of what was happening at the time (Gen. 19:30-38). Farther along in the history of Moab, as the Israelites left Egypt, the king of Moab would not give them permission to cross his land, and again stood against a judge of Israel in his battle against the oppressors of the land (Numbers 20, Judges 11:13-18). Moab was also associated with depraved idol worship, and Moabite women especially, were considered to be immoral and a corrupting influence by Israelites. It is no coincidence that Naomi instructed her daughter-in-law, Ruth, to approach Boaz after he had been celebrating with food and drink, and to lay down at his feet as he slept. This story is a kind of parallel to the story of Lot and his daughters for a reason. However, Boaz wasn't like Lot. He had eaten and drank in celebration of threshing the harvest, but he had not drunk himself senseless as Lot did (Ruth 3:6-9). Boaz was awakened and became aware that someone was with him. Unlike Lot, Boaz was aware and behaved righteously regarding Ruth's presence. When Boaz found that it was the Moabitess Ruth who was at his feet, he viewed her not with prejudice as an Israelite might at that time, but as the virtuous woman he knew her to be: "Then he said, "Blessed are you my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning...And now my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman." (v. 10-11). Boaz agreed to become Ruth's husband, but unlike the sinful situation with Lot and his daughters, Boaz handled the arrangements according to righteousness, respect, and the requirements of the Law. As the LORD moved people and events according to His will in the story of Ruth and Boaz, He also confronted and challenged the prejudice against a nationality of people. God saw the heart of the Moabitess, Ruth, who had joined herself to His people as well as to Himself, and gave Boaz the lovely and loyal wife that he deserved. God also placed Boaz and Ruth the Moabitess in the genealogy of His Son, Jesus. Many times Jesus dealt with people who were not considered "worthy" or acceptable by the society and religious people around Him. However, God looks upon the heart rather than the outward appearance or circumstances (1 Sam. 16:7). There are people, nationalities and groups whom some Christians might be tempted to view according to the flesh rather than the Spirit, and might hold prejudices regarding them as a result. If the LORD has proven time and again that He does not view people in this manner then we should not either. None of us are righteous when we come to God with our hearts, but He embraces us and cleanses us through Jesus. He teaches us in His ways, and guides our days as we walk with Him. Ruth chose God, and He accepted her. It is by God's grace, not any righteousness of our own, that we are accepted in the Beloved Son (Eph. 1:3-8). Once Ruth joined herself with God and His people, the LORD took hold of Ruth's life, and changed everything about it. Ruth had lost all, and had been at the lowest place, but with the LORD holding her life in His hands, she gained all. If your heart would like to choose God, but you think, or others have told you, that you are unacceptable to Him for any reason, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, You made a way for me to come to You through Jesus, our Savior. I know that You do not show favoritism or prejudice. You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die for all people, and all of those who believe in Him are embraced and adopted by You as a son or daughter. Your kingdom family is composed of people from every kindred, nation, tribe, and tongue. You have looked upon my heart, and You have accepted me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, so I can live a life in Your righteousness from this point forward, filled with the fruit of Your Spirit, changed and conformed to the image of Your Son, Jesus. Take my life, Father, and show me how to walk in Your ways of life, truth, and miraculous hope. I had lost all, Lord, but in You, I have now found all. I ask and believe these things in Jesus' name. AMEN."

Hope

In this week's Sabbath reading portion, which is titled, B'har - B'chukkotai, meaning "On the Mount", and "In My Statutes", there is a guaranteed hope given to God's people. Last week, we read about the 49 + 1 days, or 50 days between the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost, and the meaning of those days, especially the 50th day (see previous post "Counting"). This week, there is a promise given regarding 49 years (seven Sabbaths of years) + 1 year, or 50 years total: "And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee (yobal/yabal- ram's horn, the signal of the silver trumpets, joyful sound, loud noise/bring forth, lead forth, carry away, to flow copiously, to bear or to carry gifts) to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty (deror- liberty, freedom, a flowing, a free run, to move rapidly, spontaneity of outflow) throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession (ahuzza- inheritance property that was seized), and each of you shall return to his family...For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field. In this year of Jubilee each of you shall return to his possession." (Lev. 25:8-13). In Israel, this meant that any property or personal service entered into to pay debt, had to be released or given back in the Jubilee year. It is no coincidence that the coming Jubilee year was announced on the Day of Atonement, which we connect directly to Jesus, who is our atonement (Rom. 5:11). As we learned last week, the number 50 in Hebrew, used again for counting to the year of Jubilee, is the Hebrew letter nun. The meaning of the letter nun relates directly to Messiah, Jesus. Nun means: "seed/sprouting seed, fish, son, heir to the throne, faithfulness". We see another interesting connection between Jesus and the Jubilee: As Jesus began His ministry, He read from Isa. 61 in the synagogue (Lk. 4:18-19). He read of the anointing of the Spirit of the LORD that Isaiah prophesied allowed One to "...proclaim liberty to the captives...to proclaim the acceptable (ratsone/ratsaw- delight, favor, goodwill/satisfy a debt, pardon, to pay off) year of the LORD...". It sounds very much like Isaiah was prophesying a spiritual Jubilee (see meaning above), and Jesus announced that He was fulfilling that prophesy that day. Also, Paul described Jesus as having fulfilled Ps. 68:18 writing, "Therefore He says: When He ascended on high, He led captivity (prisoners) captive (bring away, carry away, lead away), and gave gifts to men." (Eph. 4:8). Again, the language used here relates to the Hebrew word for Jubilee (see above). The promise in the Law of Jubilee allowed Jesus to lead the captives of death out of Sheol. In the next portion of this week's Sabbath reading, the LORD gives hope to His people in the form of the kinsman redeemer: "...if...one of your brethren who dwells by (a rich sojourner or stranger) becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner...after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brothers may redeem him...And if he is not redeemed in these years, then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee - he and his children with him. For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." (Lev. 25:47-55, excerpt). Imagine being in such desperate straits that one not only sold himself into service, but his children with him, to pay debts. However, the hope found in the principle of the kinsman redeemer provided the only hope for many who found themselves in a pressing situation of debt or poverty. In another example from the Book of Ruth, we see an impoverished Naomi, who has lost both her husband and her two sons, return to her homeland, Israel, from Moab. She has nothing except the hope that lays in the Law of Moses. She, and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, will rely on the fact that the Law of Moses commands that the edges of the fields remain unharvested so the poor and the traveler can glean from them in order to eat. In addition, Naomi, knowing the principle of the kinsman redeemer, will regain her land and a husband for Ruth when Boaz becomes their kinsman redeemer. Boaz and Ruth will have a child who will be the grandfather of David, and part of the line of the Messiah (Ruth 4:21-22). Where there was no hope for Naomi in Moab, she found hope and more in her home nation, Israel, and in the provisions of the Law of Moses. In another instance, the LORD will use the principle of the kinsman redeemer to prophetically give hope to His people that they would return from a prophesied captivity. Jeremiah has already prophesied that Judah will be conquered by the Chaldeans, and go into captivity to them. The Lord confirmed His promise to Jeremiah that He would bring Judah back from captivity by using the hope found in the kinsman redeemer. In Jer. 32, from the haftarah portion of this week's Sabbath reading, Jeremiah's cousin comes to Jeremiah while he is in the king's prison to request that Jeremiah redeem the cousin's property: "Please buy my field that is in Anathoth ("answers to prayers"), which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours; buy it for yourself. Then (Jeremiah) knew that this was the word of the LORD." (Jer. 32:6-8). Jeremiah understood that this deeded land that he redeemed confirmed God's promise to return the people to their own land, otherwise there would be no purpose in it if the people were being taken into captivity forever: "Then I charged Baruch before them saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Take these deeds...and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days." 'For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land."' "... I prayed to the LORD, saying,: 'Ah, LORD God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You...' (Jer. 32:13-17). The LORD used the kinsman redeemer of the Law as a sign of His guarantee of the people's return, which seemed to have been an impossibility, but now hope had come. Job, who had lost everything, knew the power of the kinsman redeemer, and he knew Who his personal Redeemer was: "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh, I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" (Job 19:25-27). The Kinsman Redeemer was a source of hope to a destroyed Job. Although Jewish tradition holds that Job lived before Moses, the rabbis believe that Moses wrote the Book of Job. We do not know for sure, but from the above verses, we can see that Job knew the principle of the kinsman redeemer by revelation even before the Law was received on Sinai. The world's understanding would give no hope to Naomi, Jeremiah and Job, but the Jubilee and the kinsman redeemer are from eternity, not the world, and give hope and promise where there is no hope. May we understand the deliverance blessing and the Deliverer of God guaranteed in His Jubilee and kinsman redeemer. Our Father's Jubilee promises bring His people hope. If you would like to know our Jubilee and our Kinsman Redeemer, you can pray: "Lord Jesus, I know my Redeemer lives. You have become my Kinsman Redeemer, and my Jubilee deliverance. You died for my sins, and You rose again from the dead. You redeemed my soul from Hell, and ascended into heaven, leading me with You. I was in captivity, but You gave me liberty as a gift. You redeemed the inheritance of God's people before the foundations of the world. Nothing is impossible with You! As the Holy Spirit anointed You, anoint me also, so that I may understand and live in Your miraculous redemption. I believe and receive these things in your holy name. AMEN."