The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Ruth 3:5,
"'I will do whatever you say,' Ruth answered."
Behind the scenes God is doing something very fascinating with Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. Clearly, as God looks ahead in his agenda of redeeming those of faith, he prepares the generational line that will provide the family the Son of God is to be born into. He is here, bringing Ruth and Boaz together. The family line will go from Boaz to Obed, to Jesse, then to David and on to Solomon and so on, down to Joseph and Mary.
I can't help but notice the wonderful submissive obedience that Ruth displays in her response to Naomi. In our culture today, "wonderful" and "submissive obedience" do not fit together. However, transcending our culture and where submissive obedience is appropriate, it is a wonderful quality that very few, I suspect, have manifested, given our sinful nature.
In the Scriptures, the gospel is considered an issue of obedience if we have any desire to join the family of God and inherit eternal life. I recognize the gospel as an invitation that makes its appeal to our own free wills. However, as Jesus pointed out, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.", John 14:;6, our desire for eternal life is not something that we get to define for ourselves. We must embrace, in submissive obedience, the person and work of Jesus Christ. "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10:9-10.
This gospel is a message we must submit to, with all of the humility and obedience displayed by Ruth, a woman of true noble character. In reflecting on his ministry, Paul says, "Through him [Jesus Christ] we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake." Romans 1:5. He further says, later in the same letter, "I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God." Notice the reference to obedience when discussing a response to the gospel.
"'I will do whatever you say,' Ruth answered."
Behind the scenes God is doing something very fascinating with Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. Clearly, as God looks ahead in his agenda of redeeming those of faith, he prepares the generational line that will provide the family the Son of God is to be born into. He is here, bringing Ruth and Boaz together. The family line will go from Boaz to Obed, to Jesse, then to David and on to Solomon and so on, down to Joseph and Mary.
I can't help but notice the wonderful submissive obedience that Ruth displays in her response to Naomi. In our culture today, "wonderful" and "submissive obedience" do not fit together. However, transcending our culture and where submissive obedience is appropriate, it is a wonderful quality that very few, I suspect, have manifested, given our sinful nature.
In the Scriptures, the gospel is considered an issue of obedience if we have any desire to join the family of God and inherit eternal life. I recognize the gospel as an invitation that makes its appeal to our own free wills. However, as Jesus pointed out, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.", John 14:;6, our desire for eternal life is not something that we get to define for ourselves. We must embrace, in submissive obedience, the person and work of Jesus Christ. "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10:9-10.
This gospel is a message we must submit to, with all of the humility and obedience displayed by Ruth, a woman of true noble character. In reflecting on his ministry, Paul says, "Through him [Jesus Christ] we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name's sake." Romans 1:5. He further says, later in the same letter, "I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God." Notice the reference to obedience when discussing a response to the gospel.
Just as Ruth's wonderful character displayed a submissive obedience to her mother-in-law, so we must toward the gospel, toward the Lord, if we wish to participate in God's family and enjoy an eternity of life with him.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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