Ruth 1

Ruth 1:1-4

Chapter 19 Seven Lessons From The Book Of Ruth Rth 1:1 to Rth 4:22 The story of Ruth and her kinsman redeemer has special appeal to believers, because we see in Ruth and Boaz an outline of our own spiritual history and of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer, of whom Boaz was but a type. I have not attempted to give a thorough exposition of this blessed little history. I leave that to others who are more capable. It has been my purpose simply to show forth the grace and glory of God in Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer, as he is portrayed in these four chapters. In this final study, we will take an overview of the entire book. We will begin in chapter one, verse one, and pick up seven of the golden nuggets scattered through these four chapters. In these four chapters, the Holy Spirit clearly sets before us seven specific lessons regarding the grace of God, redemption by Christ, and our relationship to him by faith. The first lesson is a very sad and regrettable one, but one we all must learn. It is set before us in the very first verse of the first chapter. Here we are taught THE COST OF AND . “Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.” In a time of famine, Elimelech, whose name means, “My God is King,” took what he determined was a prudent step. He moved to Moab. But his move was a very costly one. The move was instigated and made by selfishness and unbelief, and ended in tragedy. Elimelech died in Moab and left his family in a godless, pagan land, far away from the people of God, the house of God, and the Word of God. Elimelech’s disobedience led his sons into disobedience. They both married Moabitess women. The move to Moab cost Elimelech dearly. There he died in poverty. Both his sons died in poverty and disobedience to God. His wife was reduced to a bitter existence (Rth 1:20-21). Elimelech reminds me a great deal of Bro. Lot. Let all who are wise learn from Elimelech’s error. It is always less costly to obey God. All disobedience is manifest unbelief. Bad decisions made early in life will have bad consequences in years to come. Our example is at least as important as our words, and probably much more important. Do not, for any reason, move your family anywhere you would not want to die and leave them. The second thing clearly taught in this Book is GOD’S , . “Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread” (Rth 1:6). Ruth was a Moabitess, the daughter of a cursed race. She was a stranger. Some suggest that her name means “Satisfied Stranger.” Ruth was a stranger to God by nature; but she found satisfaction in the Lord God by grace. Ruth was chosen of God to be an heir of eternal salvation in Christ. Let us ever rejoice in and give thanks to our God for his free, electing love in Christ (Psalms 65:4; John 15:16; Ephesians 1:3-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). God’s election is an eternal, unconditional, immutable act of love and grace to sinners in Christ, by which all the blessings of grace are secured to the objects of his love. Third, the Book of Ruth beautifully unfolds THE MYSTERY OF GOD’S WISE AND . Providence is the unfolding and accomplishment of God’s everlasting purpose, which is the salvation of his elect (Romans 8:28-30). Once we get to the end of the story, especially reading it with hindsight and in the light of the completed Volume of Inspiration, we can see God’s providence in everything that took place in this story. Providence brought the famine in Bethlehem and gave bounty in Moab. Elimelech’s move was an act of great wickedness on his part, for which he alone was entirely responsible; but even that was totally ruled by God’s sovereign providence and according to his eternal purpose of grace.(Psalms 76:10). Let no one imagine that the family bloodline of our Savior was left to chance! The Lord God had chosen Ruth as an heir of his grace and to be the ancestral grandmother of our Lord’s earthly family (Matthew 1:5). Therefore, Elimelech came to Moab. Then, at God’s appointed time, Naomi heard good news in Moab, good news of God visiting his people in mercy.(Rth 1:6).

By the arrangement of special providence, Ruth came to the field of Boaz (Rth 2:3). There, Boaz (the type of our sovereign Lord and Redeemer) commanded his young men to protect her, give her handfuls of purpose, and let her drink at his fountains. Will we ever learn to trust God’s providence? “God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable mines Of never failing skill He treasures up His bright designs And works His sovereign will!” Fourth, this little Book is most precious, because it sets before us in a beautiful, typical picture THE OF BY CHRIST. “And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen” (Rth 2:20). What a beautiful picture of Christ Boaz is! He was a kinsman redeemer. - Christ assumed our nature. “The Word was made flesh.”He was a mighty redeemer. - Our blessed Savior is mighty indeed. His name is “The Mighty God!”Boaz was a wealthy redeemer. - Christ is filled with infinite, inexhaustible treasures of grace for sinners. He was a willing redeemer. - Christ willingly laid down his life for us. He was a lawful redeemer, such a redeemer as the law required. - So, too, is our Lord Jesus Christ. Boaz was an effectual redeemer. He got Ruth, the object of his love. - The Son of God, our effectual Redeemer, shall get the people of his choice. Boaz was a complete redeemer, too. When Ruth got Boaz; she got him and everything in him. - And it is written, concerning all God’s elect, “Ye are complete in him” (Colossians 2:10). I am not straining inspiration at all when I tell you that the fifth lesson set before us in the Book of Ruth is THE OF THE WORD IN . “Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread” (Rth 1:6). God has ordained the salvation of his people; and he has ordained the means by which he will save them. When the appointed time of love comes, when God is pleased to call the sinner he has chosen to life and faith in Christ, he will do so by sending someone to the chosen sinner with the gospel of his grace. To many, this teaching seems inconsistent with the message of God’s sovereign grace; but man’s inability to comprehend the consistency of Scripture does not alter the plain statements of Holy Scripture. And the Scriptures plainly declare that God saves sinners only by the instrumentality of the gospel. “It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Ephesians 1:13; Hebrews 4:12; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23-25). Sixth, the Book of Ruth shows us THE OF TRUE FAITH. True faith is commitment to Christ. “And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God :Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her” (Rth 1:16-18). The difference between Ruth and Orpah was commitment. True faith acknowledges personal unworthiness (Rth 2:10) and humbly takes its place at the feet of Christ (Rth 3:4-8). This is the place where Mary was found, hearing the Savior’s words. The leper fell at the Master’s feet, when he came seeking mercy. When John saw Christ in his glory and heard his voice, he fell at his feet. Let us ever be found “at his feet.” This is the place of humility, reverence, faith, worship, rest, love, and honor. We serve Christ best, when we serve at his feet, leaning upon his Word, trusting his grace, seeking his glory. Seventh, this precious little Book gives a hint regarding THE REWARD OF FAITH. “The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust” (Rth 2:12). Faith is taking shelter under the wings of the Almighty, fleeing to Christ our Refuge. Faith, above all else, honors God. And faith obtains the reward of grace. Our faith in Christ is not the cause of God’s grace to us. Indeed, our faith in him is the gift and operation of his grace (Ephesians 1:19; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 2:12).

Yet, it is by faith that we obtain the enjoyment and blessedness of all the blessings of God’s grace in Christ. Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, all that he is is ours. All grace is ours. All things in time are ours. All things in eternity are ours. If Christ is ours, all is ours! The Lord Jesus Christ is our great Boaz. In him we are blessed with all spiritual blessings, from everlasting to everlasting. “Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.” AMEN.

Ruth 1:6-18

Chapter 3 Three Women “Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.

And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me. And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. Rth 1:6-18 The study of Bible characters is one of the most profitable and instructive aspects of Bible study. I like to study people as they are set before us in the Scriptures, because the Word of God always gives us an honest representation of them and they set before us the varied circumstances and conditions of the believer’s life in this world. Seeing the hand of God in the lives of others, it is easier for me to understand the Lord’s dealings with me. Naomi had moved to Moab with her husband, Elimelech, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. They left Bethlehem in a time of famine. But Elimelech had brought his family down to Moab, a pagan, idolatrous land. It proved to be a very costly move. Elimelech died in Moab. His widow, Naomi continued to live there for some time. Her sons both married Moabite women, in direct violation of God’s express command (Deuteronomy 7:2-3; 2 Corinthians 6:14). And they both died childless. Naomi was left in Moab, a widow with two daughter-in-laws, three widows in one household, poor, destitute, and alone. That is where we take up their story. Read Rth 1:6-18. Here three women are set before us by God the Holy Spirit. They are set before us upon the pages of Holy Scripture for our learning and admonition (Romans 15:4). Naomi - was a woman who believed God and, after a time of great trial, returned to the people of God and the place of blessing. Orpah was very much impressed with Naomi and started with her back to Bethlehem; but at last returned to her people and her gods. Orpah rerpresents those who profess faith in Christ, but do not persevere in faith. Ruth was chosen of God, the object of special grace.

Her decision to return to Bethlehem with Naomi was more than an act of love to Naomi. It was an act of faith in Naomi’s God, the Lord God of Israel. Ruth is set before us here as a picture of a true believer. True faith endures trials and temptations and perseveres unto the end. True faith cannot be destroyed. These three women, Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth are examples both of what we should and what we should not be and do. NAOMI’S Naomi was a woman of remarkable faith. We do not know much about her husband, or her sons, but Naomi was a believer. She left Bethlehem with her husband. And she stayed in Moab after Elimelech died. Yet, her heart was never in Moab. As Lot’s wife looked back to Sodom with regret, so Elimelech’s wife looked back to Bethlehem with regret. It appears that, by one means or another, all the time she was in Moab she kept up with what was going on in Bethlehem (Rth 1:6). She maintained correspondence with Bethlehem. Here is a work of providence. The providence of God was at work for Naomi. The Lord God always deals with his children a wise and loving father (Hebrews 12:5-12). Because he loved Naomi, the Lord would not allow Naomi to stay in Moab. He would not permit her to continue there, away from Bethlehem, away from his people, away from his worship. But to get her back he had to deal with her in a very trying way. First, the Lord killed her husband. Then, he killed both of her sons. He made Moab bitter to her. Thank God for those painful, bitter thorn hedges that force us to return to him when we would forsake him (Hosea 2:6-7). Here is a work of the word. The Lord caused this chosen one to hear the good report of his grace toward his people. Naomi “heard in Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread” (Rth 1:6). When Naomi heard what God had done for his people, she believed the message and arose to return to Bethlehem. “Faith cometh by hearing!” By some means or another God Got the good news to Naomi that he had visited his people and given them bread. This is the way God saves sinners. He sends a preacher to proclaim the good news of his rich, free, abundant grace.

The Lord has visited and redeemed his people. The Bread of Life has come down from heaven. Whenever God brings deliverance to his chosen, he causes them to hear the good news of his accomplishments of grace (Romans 10:17). He never by passes the use of means, the means he has ordained for the salvation of his people. Here is a believer’s work of faith (Rth 1:7). “Wherefore she went forth out of the place!” There can never be a reconciliation with God without a separation from the world. Those who eat at the Father’s table have to leave the hog troughs of the world. You cannot serve God and mammon. A choice must be made. “Choose you this day whom ye will serve!” Naomi had made her choice, and so must we (2 Corinthians 6:17; 1 John 2:15). She was determined to leave Moab and return to Israel. She was willing to leave her dearest and nearest relatives. Naomi was a true believer. She knew from whence she had fallen. She knew what she had lost. She remembered how blessed things had been in Bethlehem. And she was determined to return. She counted no cost too great. ORPAH AND RUTH’S Orpah and Ruth both ‘went on the way to return” with Naomi to the land of Judah. Naomi was an exceptional woman. Though she was a stranger in Moab, both her daughters-in-law preferred living with her to returning to their parent’s homes. Not only that, they were ready enough to leave their families to return with Naomi to Bethlehem. Even though Orpah and Ruth were pagan idolaters, Naomi was kind to them. Without compromising either the glory of God or the truth of God, she lived peaceably in the same house with them. She honored God and won their affection by her kindness. We could all learn from Naomi (Romans 12:18). Kindness is always right! Naomi urged her daughters-in-law to go back to their own families. She commended their behavior (Rth 1:8). She prayed for them (Rth 1:9). Then she kissed them good-bye (Rth 1:9). But both Orpah and Ruth professed a determination to adhere to their mother-in-law. “They said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people” (Rth 1:10). Their emotions were high. They were all boo-hooing and sobbing. And they made an emotional pact. But it did not last. Decisions based upon sentiment and emotion rather than upon sound judgment do not usually last very long. Then Naomi persuaded both Orpah and Ruth, with strong reasons, to go back to their own families (Rth 1:11-13). Why did she discourage them? What was her purpose? Did she not want to save them from idolatry? Did she not want them to worship God? Without question, Naomi wanted both Orpah and Ruth to accompany her to Bethlehem. But if they returned with her, she wanted them to return, not for her sake, but because they wanted to. Those who take up a profession of faith in Christ in order to satisfy someone else, or in the heat of an emotional experience, prove in time to be useless converts. An old deacon and dear friend who is now with the Lord, Bro. Darrell McClung, used to say, “Anything born in the storm will die in the calm.” If Orpah and Ruth did come with her to Bethlehem-Judah, Naomi would have them make a deliberate, informed choice. She was not a good “soul winner” by today’s standards. She was honest. She said, “If you go with me, it will cost you” (Matthew 8:19-22; Luke 14:28; Luke 18:18-23). Opah was easily persuaded to go back to Moab, to go back to her family, and to go back to her gods (Rth 1:14-15). Orpah’s kiss showed that she had affection for Naomi; but she had greater affection for Moab and for all that Moab offered. Like Orpah, many today see great value in Christ and have an affection for him, but cannot and will not follow him, because they simply cannot find it in their hearts to forsake the world. Many Orpahs, because of adversity and excitement, run well for a season. But after a while, like Demas, because they love the world, go back. Frequently, they forsake Christ with a pretended kiss of friendship and love! The motives of every professed believer must be tested. Naomi said, “Why will you go with me?” (Rth 1:11). No earthly inducements were offered. No worldly gain was to be obtained. Nothing but faith in, gratitude to, and love for the Lord Jesus Christ can induce men to follow him through thick and thin. RUTH’S Though Orpah forsook Naomi, and in forsaking Naomi forsook the Lord God, Ruth could not be persuaded to go back - “Ruth clave unto her” (Rth 1:15-18). Grace had chosen her. Providence arranged all things necessary for her soul’s eternal good. And at the appointed time, grace fetched her to the throne of God. Ruth, with complete resolution, walked through the door of commitment and closed it behind her. In this, she is a pattern to all who follow Christ. As she saw in Naomi what Orpah could not, believing sinners see the beauty and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ as he is revealed in us by the grace and power of his Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:6). We are made to see who he is - the God-man our Savior. We are made to see what he has done for sinners, that he has both brought in an everlasting righteousness for us by his obedience and fully satisfied the law and justice of God for our sins by the sacrifice of himself. And God the Spirit has convinced us of the fulness and perfection of Christ as our Mediator. John Gill informs us that the Chaldean paraphrase of Ruth’s statement suggests that her commitment was more than a commitment to Naomi. It was a commitment to her God, his worship, his will, and his people. As such, it represents the declaration made by believing sinners in the waters of baptism. By that symbolic ordinance (Romans 6:4-6), being buried with Christ in the watery grave, believers assert publicly to God, before all the world, “I take the Lord God to be my God. I take his people to be my people. I am resolved that nothing shall separate me from him..

Thus we have bound our souls to him with an oath, vowing to walk with Christ our God forever in the newness of life. Like Jephthah of old, we have lifted our hands unto the Lord. We cannot go back. Let us each, like Ruth, be “steadfastly minded” to follow Christ all the days of our lives.

Ruth 1:14

Chapter 5 Ruth’s Choice “Ruth clave unto her.”Rth 1:14 Great issues are often determined by choices that appear to be insignificant. The choice or decision of one person often affects many. Indeed, there have been a few people in history who made choices and decisions by which God, in his providence, has directed the history of the world. Ceasar’s decision to cross the Rubican forever changed the history of the world. Columbus’ decision to continue his western voyage for just one more day was a decision that has affected everyone of us. But by comparison the decisions of those men were insignificant when weighed against the decision made by Ruth the Moabitess in the plains of Moab over 3000 years ago. “Ruth clave unto Naomi.” The decision of that Moabitess stranger forever fixed the course of human history in the direction of God’s eternal, redemptive purpose! If we learned nothing else from Ruth’s choice, we ought to be made to realize the importance of making, even seemingly insignificant decisions, with wisdom and care. We must always consider the consequences of our decisions. Do not make hasty, rash, spur of the moment decisions. They are almost always costly and regretted. Elimelech made a decision which resulted in the ruin of his family. Ruth made a decision that was costly to herself, but was right, and resulted in the salvation, the everlasting salvation of untold millions. Yet, it was a decision, a choice made in a lonely dessert, which no one knew about but Ruth, Orpah, Naomi and God. Ruth’s cChoice involved the complete commitment of herself to Naomi, her people, and her God. It is a beautiful and instructive picture of every believing sinner’s consecration to the Lord Jesus Christ. “And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” Rth 1:14-17 Ruth said to Naomi, “WHITHER THOU GOEST, I WILL GO.” In the course of our lives we cross many paths. At each cross road we come to, we all like to reserve to ourselves the freedom to choose which direction we will take. Ruth had no way of knowing what cross roads she might come to. But here she deliberately and decidedly renounced all freedom of choice in the affairs of her life.

She committed herself to a path, not knowing where it might take her, only that it would end in Bethlehem. She committed herself to a course of life that would be entirely determined by someone else. That is exactly what sinners do when they come to Christ. We commit ourselves to him. Taking his yoke upon ourselves willingly, bowing to his will and his dominion as our Lord. We become his voluntary bond slave (Matthew 11:28-30; Exodus 21:1-5). This is what we publicly declared to our Lord, to his people, and to all the world in our baptism. Is it not?

Buried in the watery grave and rising with Christ to walk in the newness of life, we publicly avowed that we would, from that day forward, walk with him in the newness of life (Romans 6:4-6). We have been turned from our way to his way. To walk in his way is to walk in the King’s highway by faith (Isaiah 35:8). That is the highway of holiness, the low way of humility, the narrow way of faith, the rough way of trial, the old way of truth, the safe way of security and the good way of grace. This is the way of the cross that leads us home. What could be more blessed than to have our path ordered by the Good Shepherd, who goes before his sheep in the way in which he leads them. “AND WHERE THOU LODGEST, I WILL LODGE.” Ruth made no stipulations as to where the lodging place should be, or what kind. The one desire that filled her breast was to be with Naomi, her beloved mother-in-law. She had many friends; but she dwelt with Naomi (Rth 2:23). Even when she married Boaz, “Ruth clave unto Naomi” (Rth 4:15). This is a picture of every believer’s great ambition and blessed prospect - To dwell with Christ (Psalms 27:4; Psalms 23:6; Isaiah 57:15; John 14:23). It matters not where my path takes me, if Christ is there. It matters not where I live, if Christ is there. It matters not where I worship, if Christ is there.It matters not what, or where heaven is, if Christ is there. This is the blessedness of the New Jerusalem - “The Lord is there!” (John 14:3). “THY PEOPLE SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.” Ruth’s choice involved a painful separation. She left her people and took Naomi’s people. The very first thing God calls for is an affirmation of love by a separation, an alienation of affection from all natural, earthly relationships. If we would follow Christ, Christ alone must be considered (Luke 14:25-27). Just as the Lord God passed by Esau, giving him no consideration, to save Jacob (Romans 9:13), so we must allow no consideration to stand between us and Christ. When God called Abraham, he commanded him to leave his country, his kindred, and his father’s house.

But Abraham would not let go of his father Terah. So God killed Terah (Genesis 11:31-32). Then, he brought Abraham into Canaan (Genesis 12:1-4; Acts 7:1-4). If we would follow Christ, there is a very real sense in which we must forsake our own people (Psalms 45:10-11). You can only worship and serve one person. Commitment to Christ not only involves the severance of old relationships; it involves loving, loyal commitment to all is family - Behold, my family (Matthew 12:49). Then, Ruth said, “THY GOD (SHALL BE) MY GOD!” Without question, this was the most difficult part of Ruth’s decision. The natural man clings with the utmost tenacity to his religion and to his gods. It matters not how degrading the religion is, or how useless the god is, the fact that it is his religion and his god gives it value in his eyes. He resents any reflection upon it. He will fight for his religion. He will die in the defense of his god. Yet, if we would follow Christ, we must abandon the gods of our fathers. It is absolutely impossible for anyone to follow Christ without forsaking the religion of Babylon and the gods of Babylon (Revelation 18:4; 2 Corinthians 6:14 to 2 Corinthians 7:1). We cannot worship at the altar of free-will and the altar of free-grace. We must choose , as Ruth did, between the gods of our fathers and the true and living God, the God revealed in this Book, the God revealed in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who is the true and living God is both sovereign and gracious, just and merciful. He is the God of eternal electing love, effectual blood atonement, and sovereign irresistible grace. Then Ruth said to Naomi - “WHERE THOU DIEST, WILL I DIE!” At the very outset, Ruth said to Naomi, “I have made my decision. It is a life-long commitment. It will not be reversed. Not one step will be retraced.” I will be with you to the end!” (Luke 9:62). This, too, is a picture of faith in Christ. The believer comes to Christ recognizing that in his death as the sinner’s Substitute, we died (Galatians 2:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Romans 6:11). We glory in the cross of Christ, because we died there with him (Galatians 6:14). And the believer’s commitment to Christ is a resolute, permanent, persevering commitment (Philippians 3:13-14). With the true believer, faith in and commitment to Christ is not spasmodic thing, but a deliberately chosen way of life. “AND THERE WILL I BE BURIED.” Ruth’s life was so interwoven with Naomi’s that she wanted to be buried with her. She could follow her no further than to the grave. But she followed her that far. Ruth’s allegiance to Naomi ended in a common grave, but the believer’s union with and allegiance to Christ begins in a common grave - We are buried with him in baptism (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12). Yet, our burial with Christ looks far beyond the grave to the resurrection and on to the endless ages of eternity. If we died with him, we shall be raised by him.

When we are raised by him, we shall live together with him forever - We shall “ever be with the Lord!” I hold before you the City of God and this world, Bethlehem and Moab. I hold before you the Lord Jesus Christ and this world. I bid you now to follow Christ, to consecrate yourselves to him in exactly the same way that Ruth consecrated herself to Naomi. I cannot tell you what you may meet with in the way. But I can tell you that this path is the path of life and ends in life, eternal life. Let us each make Ruth’s choice our choice? “Whither thou goest…there will I be buried!”

Ruth 1:16-18

Chapter 7 The Resolute Consecration Of True Faith “And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.” Rth 1:16-18 Be sure you understand these two things: (1.) Good works are not, in any way, a cause or condition of salvation. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Yet, (2.) good works are the fruit, consequence, and evidence of true, saving faith (Ephesians 2:8-10). No one is born of God who does not bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). If Christ is in a person, that person’s life will bear a distinct resemblance to Christ. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creature in him (2 Corinthians 5:17). God the Holy Spirit holds Ruth before us as an example of true faith. This woman’s decision to worship and serve the Lord God was followed and evidenced by her determination to go with Naomi to Bethlehem and identify herself with the people of God. If there is anything plainly taught in Holy Scripture it is this - Wherever there is true faith in God, true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is a voluntary, determined consecration of heart and life to him (Read Matthew 5-7, Romans 6, 1 Corinthians 6, 2 Corinthians 6, Ephesians 4, Philippians 2, Colossians 3, Hebrews 6, James 2, 1 Peter 2, 2 Peter 3 and 1 John 3, 4). RUTH’S Ruth was converted by the grace of God through the godly testimony and influence of her mother-in-law, Naomi. Without question, she was converted by God’s grace. All true Christians understand that “Salvation is of the Lord!” It is God’s work alone. Yet, our God condescends to use human instruments to accomplish his work. And the instrument God used to save Ruth was Naomi’s testimony and faithful witness. Every child of God ought to long for the privilege of being an instrument in his hands for the saving of his elect. We ought, as instruments in God’s hands, to zealously seek the salvation of chosen, redeemed sinners. It is written in the Scriptures, “He that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30). Like those four men in Luke’s gospel (Luke 5:17-20), let us bring needy souls to the Savior. We must never use the sovereignty of God and the doctrines of grace as an excuse for indifference to the souls of men or the neglect of our own duties and responsibilities. Ruth’s conversion gave Naomi a reason to rejoice and give thanks to God. Naomi was so melancholy, so dejected that she hardly seems to take notice of what the Lord did for Ruth. But she should have rejoiced. True, her afflictions were sharp. She had suffered great loses. Her husband, her sons, her home, her wealth, all were gone. She thought the Lord had dealt bitterly with her. Naomi failed, as we often do, to realize that the Lord always deals graciously with his own, especially when he appears to deal bitterly with them (Romans 8:28). Consider what she had gained. True, she had lost everything earthly and material; but she had gained the soul of her daughter-in-law. She should have been rejoicing (Luke 15:10). We are all too much like Naomi! We are often so concerned about ourselves and about the cares of this world that we fail to care for and minister to the souls of men, and fail to observe the works and blessings of God’s grace. It appears to have been Naomi’s decision to return to Bethlehem which influenced Ruth to trust her God. What a lesson there is here for every believer. One great reason why many have so little influence upon their children, their relatives, and their friends is the fact that they do not live consistently with their profession. G. G. Letters, a preacher who lived a long time ago, said that he was converted at a prayer meeting one Sunday evening. That same night, as his mother sat with her children by the fire, she told them how delighted and thankful she would be if they, as one family, were traveling together on the King’s highway. When she said that, young George stood to his feet and said, with a calm, resolute voice, “I, for one, have decided for Christ.” Thank God, he does use the influences of the godly to save his people. But it takes more than godly influences to save a sinner. Those godly influences must be accompanied by the power and grace of God the Holy Spirit (John 6:63). Not even the preaching of the gospel can bring forth the fruit of faith in the hearts of men without the quickening power and grace of the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:5). Let every mother and father learn from Elimelech and Naomi the importance of obedience and consecration to Christ. Elimelech led his sons away from God to Moab, and they died there. Naomi taught Ruth about God and led her to the Lord God by her renewed devotion. Let us learn from Ruth the necessity of consecration to Christ. Let us, like Ruth, renounce all for God, “count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord.” RUTH’S Ruth’s consecration to the Lord was tested, and ours will be as well. Like Ruth, all who trust Christ, consecrating themselves to the Lord God, will have their faith tested. Their resolution will be tempted. Their consecration will be tried. One great trial of faith, particularly the faith of young believers, is observing the sorrows and trials of other believers. Naomi worshipped God. She was a true believer. Yet, she was a poor, penniless, homeless widow. She had lost everything dear to her in this world. It was not an easy trial she had to bear. As we have seen, the Lord took her husband, her sons, her home, and all earthly comforts, that he might have her heart. He would not leave her; and he would not let her leave him (Jeremiah 32:38-40). But her trial was a great trial for Ruth’s faith to endure. Ruth’s faith was tested in that she was required to stop and count the cost of following her Lord (Rth 1:11-13). If she would walk with God, she had to leave Moab; so will we. If she would live by faith, she had to forsake family and friend; so must we. If she would be numbered among God’s elect, she had to share the lot of God’s despised and afflicted people; so must we (Hebrews 11:24-26). Like Samuel Rutherford, all who count the cost and follow Christ acknowledge that “his sackcloth and ashes are better than the fool’s laughter!” Ruth’s faith was also tested by Orpah’s apostasy. Orpah followed Naomi for a while. She made a good start for Bethlehem. However, when she realized what it would cost to be numbered among the people of God, she kissed Naomi and went back to Moab. Like the rich young ruler, she decided against God. Like him, she departed reluctantly; but she departed forever (Matthew 19:20-22). The Pliables of this world are a grief and disappointment to Christians. Yet, as Bunyan taught us, believers must not be influenced by the falls of those Pliables. Ruth’s faith was certainly tried by the humiliation she had to endure (Rth 2:2). She had to glean in the fields of Boaz as a pauper, as a stranger, depending entirely on his charity. Even so, you and I must humble ourselves as empty-handed beggars before the throne of Christ. Her faith was greatly tried, I am sure, by Naomi’s apparent coldness. “Ruth clave unto Naomi;” but Naomi was a wise woman. She did not want Ruth to come with her because of pity, but because of conviction. To Ruth, it must have appeared that Naomi did not care for her; but Naomi was more interested in her soul than in her approval. Ruth was not a mere statistic to Naomi, but an immortal, eternity bound soul. Ruth’s faith must have been greatly tried by Naomi’s sorrow and bitterness, too (Rth 1:20-21). If only Naomi had been able to look into the future, she would have seen that she had greater reason to rejoice now than ever. She was about to be brought into the family from whom the Lord Jesus Christ would be descended! Let us learn to trust God’s providence (Romans 8:28). When our hearts are overcome with sorrow, for the sake of others we might influence, we ought to take care that we speak no disheartening word (Psalms 73:15). In spite of all these trials, Ruth “was steadfastly minded,” and …. RUTH’S She devoted herself to the Lord God of Israel. When she said, “Thy God shall be my God,” Ruth declared her allegiance to God. When she said, “Entreat me not to leave thee,” she was declaring her thoughtful, resolution and determination in this matter. Like Jephthah, she had lifted her hand to the Lord and could not go back (Judges 11:35. The essence of all true faith is a confident consecration of heart and life to the one true and living God, the God revealed in Holy Scripture, the God revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ruth said to Naomi, “Thy God,” not another god, not Chemosh or Moloch, but Jehovah - “Thy God shall be my God!” Most people religious people today have no idea who God is. The imaginary god of their devisings is no God at all. They shudder at the mention of the God of the Bible, whose justice is such that he once destroyed the world in his wrath, burned Sodom and Gomorrah in his fury, drowned Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, swallowed up Korah, Dathan, Abiram and their followers into hell, and saves sinners only by the blood of his own dear Son!This God, the one true and living God, the God of mercy and truth, grace and justice, fury and goodness, severity and love, the Lord God of heaven and earth, is the peculiar, distinguishing possession of every believer. “Thy God shall be my God.” This is every believer’s great article of faith - “I believe in God!” We believe his Word, trust his Son, and bow to his rule. God himself is our Ruler and Lawgiver (Psalms 119:35-38). The Lord God is our Instructor (Psalms 27:11; Psalms 86:11). He is our Trust (Rth 2:12). Our faith is in God, that God who is revealed and known in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. We trust him alone for grace, salvation and eternal life. “This God is our God, forever and ever, he will be our Guide even unto death” (Psalms 48:14). RUTH’S Being consecrated to God, Ruth was consecrated to his people. She said to Naomi, “Thy people shall be my people.” The fact is, those who love Christ love his people (1 John 3:14). It is impossible to be devoted to Christ without being devoted to his people. When Ruth said, “Thy people shall be my people,” she knew that they were a despised people, but that they were God’s people. She knew they were a people with many faults, but that they were his people. She knew they were a people from whom she was not likely to gain much, but she knew they were God’s people. Therefore she chose to be identified with them, and counted it her honor to be numbered among them. Being a Moabitess, Ruth might well have expected ill-treatment from the Jews. But, because Jehovah was their God, Ruth made Naomi’s people her people. The only hope of redemption was in Bethlehem. There was no kinsman redeemer for her anywhere else. Boaz was in Bethlehem. The hope of redemption more than made up for any deficiencies she may have seen in her kinsman redeemer’s people. So it is with the church of God today. Christ’s presence with his people more than makes up for their deficiencies.

Ruth 1:19-22

Chapter 8“Change And Decay All Around ME I see” “So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.” Rth 1:19-22“Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day, Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around (me) I see - Thou who changest not, abide with me!” I once heard Bro. Scott Richardson say, “Life in this world ain’t much. It begins with a slap on the bottom and ends with a shovel full of dirt in your face, and there ain’t much in between except bumps and bruises.” Certainly, Naomi would agree with Bro. Scott. (Read Rth 1:19-22). Naomi was a true believer, once highly esteemed in Bethlehem, a woman of wealth and influence. But during a time of famine, she left her country with her husband and her two sons. When Elimilech and Naomi might have used their riches to relieve great need, they chose to hang on to their money and leave their people. But things changed in a hurry. After ten years’ absence, Naomi returned from Moab bereaved and destitute. She had lost her husband and her two sons, her money and her property.

She came back to Bethlehem with nothing but the ragged clothes on her back and a daughter-in-law who was as poor and destitute as she was. How quickly things change! When Naomi arrived in Bethlehem, as she walked down the streets, broken, weary, ragged, and worn with age and trouble, the whole town was astonished by what they saw. They said to one another, “Is this Naomi?” The withered rose is so much unlike the blooming flower that the one bears only a faint resemblance to the other; and Naomi was so unlike the woman who left Bethlehem ten years earlier that her friends could hardly believe it was her - “Is this Naomi?” The afflictive hand of divine providence makes great changes, sometimes shocking changes, in a short time. When God chastens, he means to correct; and his chastening rod always has its intended effect (Hebrews 12:5-12). Naomi correctly attributed all her troubles to the hand of her God. She learned that everything she had experienced was brought to pass by the hand of her heavenly Father and that it had all been for her soul’s good. A PICTURE OF THE FALL Certainly, Naomi stands before us in this text as a picture of the fall of the human race in our father Adam (Rth 1:20-21). If we could get some idea of Adam’s condition and circumstances in the garden of Eden, as God made him, we would look in the mirror every morning and say, “Is this Adam? God made us full, but now we are empty!” (Ecclesiastes 7:29). God made man in his own image and after his own likeness (Genesis 1:27). In the beginning, Adam was full. He was perfectly righteous. He was incredibly brilliant. He was spiritual, strong, and in complete peace and harmony with both God and his creation. Then, Adam sinned, and we sinned in him. Oh, how great was the fall of man! (Romans 5:12). Because of that terrible fall, we all bear greater resemblance, by nature, to the devil than to God (Matthew 15:19). We are spiritually empty, void of righteousness and full of sin. Man is no longer spiritual but carnal, no longer wise but foolish, no longer strong but weak. Fallen man is without peace, without God, and without hope in his natural condition. The only remedy for this lost, ruined condition is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:14-16). When Naomi had lost everything, she returned to Bethlehem, she returned to her God and his people. Even so, sinners who have lost everything in Adam must return to the Lord God by faith in Christ Jesus. When Naomi returned to Bethlehem, she came home to God. Bethlehem means “House of Bread.” In the house of God there is always “bread enough and to spare.” And there is always a warm welcome in the Father’s heart for returning prodigals. The word Judah means praise - Bethlehem-Judah was the Place of Praise. Naomi and Ruth came out of the place of sorrow and suffering, out of the place of death and despair into the place of praise. The mercy-seat is the place of praise. There God meets with sinners and declares that they are forgiven. That Mercy-Seat is Christ (Hebrews 9; 1 John 2:2). Bethlehem-Judah was the place of God, the place of his presence, his power, his protection, his promise, his provision. That is what Christ is to all who trust him. He is our divine refuge (Proverbs 18:10). GREAT CHANGES In this text, Naomi also represents the changing circumstances of life in this world. What changes occur in this world! Every day something new happens that either elevates or depresses our spirits. We rejoice in favorable changes. Naomi had been through some hard times. But things were about to get much better. Even in this vale of tears there are some joys that must not be overlooked or taken for granted. What great joy we have when our children become mature, responsible adults, when God is pleased to save them, when they bring grandchildren into the family. When friends prosper, our hearts rejoice with them. When someone we love recovers from sickness or their family’s troubles seem to be over, we find joy in change. But our text is not talking about favorable changes. The changes Naomi had experienced were afflictive, trying changes, changes which are hard to endure. Though her friends appear to have been terribly disturbed by Naomi’s great losses, she was composed. She resigned herself to the will of God. She spoke honestly, but not scornfully of the Lord’s dealings with her (Rth 1:20-21). Naomi had endured a very sorrowful trial. She went out full. At least, she thought she was full. After all, she had everything the world could offer. Her husband was wealthy and highly respected. Her sons were in good health. Her family enjoyed social rank and prestige. But, when she came home, things were different. She came home empty. Let us learn and ever remember that the fulness of this world is soon gone (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3; 1 Samuel 2:3-5). There is a fulness that can never be taken away in Christ (Luke 10:42). To be in Christ, to have Christ is to be rich in our souls, rich toward God, rich forever. Painful as her troubles were, and though they must be blamed upon disobedience and unbelief as their cause, Naomi properly acknowledged the hand of God in them all. She said, “The Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me.” “The Lord hath brought me home again empty!” (See 1 Samuel 2:6-8). The fact is, nothing will give our souls peace and satisfaction in the times of trouble and great sorrow like the acknowledgment of God’s hand in our troubles. This is were Job found solace for his soul (Job 1:21). When God took Eli’s sons and told him it was because of his sin, Eli comforted his heart in the acknowledgement of God’s providence (1 Samuel 3:18). When David’s son was killed because of David’s sin, he took comfort in the fact that God loved him, in the fact that he is always wise, gracious and just, and he always does what is right and good (2 Samuel 12:20-24). When Shimei publicly cussed David out before his servants, the man after God’s own heart took refuge in the purpose, providence, and promise of God (2 Samuel 16:9-12). The One by whose hand Naomi had been afflicted and by whose hand she had been brought home was, “The Lord, the Almighty!” El-Shaddai! God all-sufficient, God almighty, the God of covenant faithfulness is the God she had learned to trust and worship (Genesis 17:1) Naomi acknowledged the pain she had felt and still felt by reason of her long trial. She said, “The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.” The cup of affliction is a bitter cup. Though it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness in the end, it is not joyous, but grievous in the experience (Hebrews 12:11; Job 13:24-26; Lamentations 3:15-17). Naomi also acknowledged that the Lord God had dealt with her sharply, because she had given him reason to do so. She said, “The Lord hath testified against me.” “He doth not afflict willingly” (Lamentations 3:33). God had a controversy with her, so he laid the rod to her back that he might retrieve her heart (Job 5:17-18).

This afflicted believer, this corrected child, humbly submitted to and acquiesced in the will of God. She said to her friends, “Call me not Naomi (Sweetness), call me Mara (Bitter): for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me!” God will do what ever must be done to correct his erring children and turn their hearts to him again. How many illustrations we have in the Scriptures. Naomi is but one. Naomi lived in Moab for ten years. Lot lived in Sodom a long, long time. Samson did not lose his hair the first time he laid his head in Delilah’s lap. David spent a full year without communion with his God. All of them suffered much because of their sinful behavior. But the Lord God will never lose one of his own. He says, “Give me thine heart;” and if we are his, he will see to it that we give him our hearts. THE ’S What should our attitude be when we see great changes like this in the lives of our friends or experience them ourselves in God’s good providence? May God the Holy Spirit seal to our hearts this portion of his Word by making it beneficial to our souls and by making us useful to one another. When we see one of God’s people suffering great adversity, let us be kind, gracious, and sympathetic, even when we know they have brought the trouble upon themselves (Ephesians 4:32; Galatians 6:2). Let us relieve them if we are able, and love them if we cannot relieve them. When they return, when the Lord has recovered them, we should always receive them into our hearts with open arms. How often? Our Lord says, until seventy times seven. In other words, let there be no limit to our forgiveness of one another, just as there is no limit to our heavenly Father’s forgiveness of us.When the Lord God fills our cup with bitterness, let us seek by his grace to be content, even when we are made to suffer adversity (Philippians 4:12).

As Naomi was bettered by her bitterness in life and Job was advanced by his adversity (Job 42:10-16), so shall we be at God’s appointed time (Romans 8:28-30). Let us, therefore, set our hearts upon the world to come (2 Corinthians 4:17 to 2 Corinthians 5:1). Though we are unworthy of the least of God’s mercies, the Lord God has done great things for us. All things are ours now. Eternal glory and eternal happiness await us. The Lord knows exactly what he is doing. “God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable mines Of never-failing skill He treasures up His bright designs And works His sovereign will. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy, and shall break With blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour; The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower. Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan His work in vain; God is His own Interpreter And He will make it plain.”

Ruth 1:22

Chapter 6 “The Beginning Of Barley Harvest” “So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.” Rth 1:22 It was no accident that Naomi and Ruth came to Bethlehem “in the beginning of barley harvest.” They came at this time by the arrangement of God’s good providence; and this is here recorded by divine inspiration for our instruction (Romans 15:4). We read in Rth 1:19 - “So they two went until they came to Bethlehem.” We are not told how long their journey took, or what obstacles they met with along the way, only that they came to Bethlehem, the House of Bread. Nothing else is really important. They came to that place where all their needs were met, Bethlehem, the House of Bread! They had come to the right place. When they came to Bethlehem, they caused a great stir. “All the city was moved about them.” Why? Why did the arrival of these two poverty-stricken, travel-weary, ragged and hungry women cause such a stir in Bethlehem? No one would profit by their arrival. In fact, those two women were just two more mouths to feed, bodies to clothe, and citizens to protect and provide for from the stores of the city. When I read this 19th verse, I am reminded that there is a commotion in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10). There is a party in heaven every time a prodigal comes home. Ruth and Naomi came to the right place. They received a warm welcome. And they came at a good time - “In the beginning of barley harvest.” The beginning of barley harvest was in late April, in the early springtime. Barley is the first grain that ripens in the spring. It is then that the firstfruits of the earth are brought forth, upon which the Scriptures place such great significance. “The beginning of barley harvest” was a time of great joy and of great spiritual significance, because it anticipated the redemptive work of Christ, his resurrection glory, and the believer’s eternal life in him. There were three feasts held by the Jews every year. These three feasts were established by the law of God and are full of typical instruction. We read about them in Leviticus 23. 1st - The Feast of Passover (Rth 1:4-8) - Actually, this feast originated in Egypt (Exodus 12:1-13). When the judgment of God fell upon the Egyptians, every household in Israel sacrificed a paschal lamb. The blood of the lamb was put upon the door of every house. When judgment fell, God looked on the blood and passed over the house where blood was found. That slain paschal lamb represented Christ our Passover, who was sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5; 1 Corinthians 7), by whose blood we are saved. Our Lord Jesus Christ kept the Passover feast with his disciples just before he was crucified as our Substitute. It was then that he instituted the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:17-30). The feast of the Passover intimated that the immediate result of Christ’s death would be a body of people, a family, a nation, a church, sharing together the benefits of his sacrifice in blessed communion (1 Corinthians 10:16). 2nd - The Feast of Firstfruits (Rth 1:9-11) - On Sunday after the Passover, Israel brought a handful of the firstfruits of their harvest and waved it before the Lord. This signified that every product of the soil, every result of man’s labor and toil is of the Lord and belongs to the Lord. It was on this day that our Lord Jesus Christ arose from the grave and became the firstfruits of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). All the results of Christ’s work on the cross, our redemption and our resurrection, are the works of our great God. And all who were ransomed by the sacrifice of Christ our Passover belong to God as his distinctly redeemed people. 3rd - The Feast of Pentecost (Rth 1:15-21). This was held seven weeks after the Passover. Pentecost was a time of renewal. The Jews renewed their vows and consecrated themselves anew to the Lord God on the day of Pentecost. This feast foreshadowed the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh after the resurrection and exaltation of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was on this day that the Holy Spirit was given in Acts 2. It is the second of these great, typical feasts (The Feast of Firstfruits) which corresponds to the beginning of barley harvest. (Read Leviticus 23:10-11). Ruth and Naomi came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. What spiritual and typical significance is to be seen in this fact? THE FEAST OF AND THE OF BARLEY HARVEST THE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD (1 Corinthians 15:20; Colossians 1:18). When we realize that the beginning of barley harvest, the time when Ruth came to Bethlehem, refers to the resurrection of Christ, it takes on very special meaning. Typically and spiritually, this is an event bursting with gospel truth. The beginning of barley harvest, the feast of firstfruits, was a time of new life, after the long death of winter. In the winter time everything dies. The flowers fade, the grass withers. The trees shed their leaves. But in the spring time new life rises out of the earth. So it is in things spiritual. This present gospel age began with the resurrection of Christ from the grave. Our Lord compares this age to a great field ripe with the harvest (Matthew 13:37-39; Luke 10:2; John 4:35). The field is the world. The seed is the Word of God. The harvest is the end of the world. Just as the beginning of harvest was marked in Palestine by the waving of the first ripe fruit before the Lord, so the beginning of this gospel age was marked by the resurrection of Christ from the dead.

This was a time of great joy to our Lord’s disciples, and would be to us, if we understood its full meaning (Luke 24:50-53). Chosen sinners, redeemed by the blood of Christ, are at God’s appointed time born again by virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection as their Substitute. Every time a sinner is born again he becomes a kind of firstfruit unto God (James 1:18). The new birth is the first resurrection which guarantees we shall have part in the second (Revelation 20:6). This feast was held on the first day of the week - “On the morrow after the Sabbath.” Our Savior rose from the dead on the first day of the week. Though we have no laws requiring it, and though we do not observe any sabbath day, other than the sabbath of faith, the first day of the week is peculiarly the Lord’s day (Revelation 1:10; Psalms 118:23-24; 1 Corinthians 16:2). The feast of firstfruits was a time of great joy. It symbolized our complete justification by the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The words, “to be accepted for you” (Leviticus 23:11) describe what the resurrection of Christ is to God’s elect (Rom. 4;25). His righteousness is “accepted for you.” His blood is “accepted for you.” He is “accepted for you.” The very word “firstfruits” means “There is more to come.” The sheaf of firstfruits waved before the Lord signified two things: It was an acknowledgment that God alone brought the grain out of the earth. Life comes from Him. It was also a pledge of much more to come. So it is with the resurrection of Christ. It manifests the exceeding greatness of God’s power and grace to all who believe (Ephesians 1:19-20); and it is the pledge of our own resurrection at God’s appointed time (1 Corinthians 15:13; 1 Corinthians 15:23). Though this gospel age has already lasted for nearly two thousand years, it is still “the beginning of barley harvest.” From the moment of Christ’s resurrection, God has, as it were, stopped the clock of time. There are no times and seasons counted in this age. There are no signs to be fulfilled before Christ comes. When you read the Old Testament prophets, they saw no interval between “the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow” (1 Peter 1:11). We are to look upon the coming of our Lord with imminent expectancy. God has stopped the clock, in longsuffering patience, for the salvation of his elect (2 Peter 3:9; 2 Peter 3:15). This is still the beginning of barley harvest Philip Mauro wrote… “The application of this to all who hear and believe the gospel is apparent. The glad message of pardoning love, with the gracious invitation, ‘Come, for all things are ready,’ is sent to every part of the world, and is intended even for those who are at the lowest levels of human degradation and need. The words that save (Acts 11:14) can penetrate everywhere; and even those who are cursed by the law, as were the people of Moab, may, through the gospel, become partakers of the unsearchable riches of Christ. For He, by his death, has taken away ‘the middle wall of partition,’ the law of commandments in ordinances, which shut Gentiles out from those privileges the law conferred on the people of Israel (Ephesians 2:12-16); and now, ‘by means of the gospel,’ all that Christ is in the resurrection is shared equally by believing sinners, whether from among the Jews or from among the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:6-9). So we may say that every believing sinner comes to Bethlehem, to the House of Bread, to share the ‘true Bread from heaven,’ and that he comes at ‘the beginning of barley harvest’, for he comes to CHRIST RISEN FROM THE DEAD!”[2] [2] Mauro, Phillip, Ruth The Satisfied Stranger, (Fleming H. Revel, Old Tappan, New Jersey, 1920), p.88 The gospel we are sent into this world to proclaim is the gospel of the risen Christ. The tendency of most in our day is to make little of the resurrection of Christ, except for the rituals of Easter Sunday. In the New Testament, the resurrection of Christ was the burden of Apostolic preaching (2 Timothy 2:8). Christ on the cross cannot save you. Christ on the throne does (John 17:2). Christ in the tomb has no saving power. Christ on the throne does. The gospel proclaims Christ alive and reigning! Thank God he died. He died to save his people from the penalty of sin. But he did not stay dead. He lives to save his people from the power and dominion of sin. YET, THE CHRIST WHO IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD IS THE VERY CHRIST WHO WAS FOR SINNERS, AS OUR . The feast of firstfruits and the beginning of barley harvest looked back to the slaying of the paschal lamb; and the resurrection of Christ looks back to the death of Christ, the Lamb of God, and has meaning for us, because he made atonement for us by shedding his precious blood in our place on the cross. The only other place in the Bible where these words, “the beginning of barley harvest,” are used certainly portrays the death of our Lord Jesus Christ and our glorious redemption by the shedding of his blood (2 Samuel 21:9). A brief survey of 2 Samuel 21 gives a very clear picture of the redemptive work of Christ, which was most truly “the beginning of barley harvest.” The story should be familiar.Saul had sinned against the Lord by breaking a covenant made in the name of God. He slew the Gibeonites with whom Israel had made a covenant (Rth 1:1). Judgment fell upon Israel, because of this sin. God sent three years of famine in Israel. Before God would take away the curse, justice had to be satisfied.

The Gibeonites required a just atonement (Rth 1:9). Atonement could not be made by silver and gold (Rth 1:4; 1 Peter 1:18-20). Atonement could only be made by blood (Rth 1:6). It must be a complete, perfect, entire atonement, represented by the number of men slain. Seven is the number of fulness, completion, and finality (Rth 1:6). The atonement could be made by none but men of Saul’s house.

Even so, atonement for man’s sin could not be made except by the Son of God becoming a man (Hebrews 10:1-9). Man sinned and man must die. The atonement was made “in the hill before the Lord” (Rth 1:9). And the day of atonement was “the beginning of barley harvest.” Though justice demanded a complete sacrifice for sin, mercy spared Mephibosheth, because of a covenant (Rth 1:7). Once the atonement was made, “God was intreated for the land,” and the curse was removed. Reconciliation was accomplished upon the grounds of justice satisfied (Rth 1:14). “The beginning of Barley Harvest”… Looks back to the death of Christ - Faith. Symbolized the resurrection of Christ - Justification. Illustrates the beginning of life in Christ - The New Birth.