WHAT TRUE FREEDOM LOOKS LIKE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36

I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 21:3-5

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Today, Independence Day (also known as the 4th of July), millions of people will celebrate their freedom in the United States. They will gather for picnics and cookouts, attend parades, and culminate the day with watching glorious fireworks displays. It’s a holiday where most people are off, a day filled with fun and enjoyment.

But here’s the thing.

There’s a large segment of those millions of people who aren’t really free because they have not yet accepted the true source of freedom, the freedom that endures for all eternity long after this temporary worldly life is over.

You see, people in America are entangled in their national history and pride so much that they believe freedom is grounded in a day 250 years ago when the nation’s founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, establishing the first thirteen American colonies as a nation liberated from British rule and tyranny. And although a democracy was born that day…a democracy we still enjoy today…it only set people free for the here and now. It hasn’t guaranteed anyone a future freedom nor will it.

This is because there is only one way to ensure that you are free now and forever, a truth that has existed since we started counting years as AD. Maybe you have never thought about that but why do we use a marker that separates BC and AD anyways? I know you have seen this used all the time but most people fail to understand that the demarcation point is the birth of Jesus.

Thus, BC stands for Before Christ and AD, short for Anno Domini, means “in the year of the Lord”, the time that Jesus came into the world to bring salvation, and yes, freedom. Not just salvation and freedom for the short term but salvation and freedom eternally. And so we base the way we look at time and years…the way we look at history…off of Jesus. He is our benchmark and yet, as mentioned earlier, there are millions upon millions of people who don’t even acknowledge belief in Him, a number that reached roughly one third of America’s population in two recent polls (Pew and Gallup). That’s a lot of people (roughly around 125 million) who think they are free and exercise that false sense of freedom to choose not to believe in Jesus, and yet they are as far away from freedom as they could be.

This isn’t just my opinion. The Word of God from the Gospel of John tells us this:

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36

The Bible makes it clear and these are words from the Savior Jesus Himself. True freedom is only found in Him, the only One who God sent to save all mankind from their sins, the only One who can bring anyone to the Father (John 14:6).

When it comes right down to it, people can claim freedom through a democracy all they want but they are anchoring their liberation in a system of government and no government can or will ever be able to bring a person salvation and the associated hope of Heaven.

Only Jesus can do that. Only He can set someone free.

So what do we need to be freed from? Perhaps this is a question that needs to be answered to underscore the urgency of finding true freedom. Look at these verses from the twenty-first chapter of the Book of Revelation which promises the return of Jesus to judge the earth and take into Heaven all who believed and trusted in Him as Savior, those who will be counted among the free:

I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 

Revelation 21:3-5

Within this passage, we find the promise and assurance of some of the things a Jesus believer will be free from as soon as they believe in Him and accept Him as Savior.

First, they will be free from death.

Jesus conquered death and the grave after bearing the sins of all mankind at the cross of Calvary. His subsequent resurrection and ascension paved the way for us to follow Him into Heaven once we place our belief in Him.

Second, they will be free from mourning.

There will be no more need for grief in Heaven for we will not lose anything or anybody ever again. We will live forever with God and Jesus, in the company of the other saints who gained their salvation.

Third, they will be free from crying.

There will be no need for sadness as you enter the eternity of Heaven free from all the afflictions and hardships that your worldly life brought upon you. You will only experience elation and joy over having made it across the finish line to claim your inheritance in the Kingdom of God.

Fourth, they will be free from pain.

In this, there will be liberation from all forms of pain.

No more pain from the guilt and penalty of sin.

No more physical pain from illness or injury.

No more emotional pain from any number of life events that may have left you hurt.

No matter what pain might look like in any person’s life, one thing is certain. It will be no more in Heaven and I don’t know about you but I’m looking forward to that.

Finally, they will be free from the everlasting damnation and torment of Hell. 

The truth for every single person is that they are a sinner who has fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23) and, without a Savior, are destined to live in Hell after this life is over. This is because their names will not be found in the Book of Life when Jesus returns for only those who chose to believe in Him as Savior will be written down. Going back to the Book of Revelation, we read about their fate:

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15

Heaven or Hell. All will end up in one or the other forever after they die. The only way to make sure you'll be in Heaven and freed from Hell is to place your belief in Jesus. Today, that is about two billion of eight billion people in the world which tells you that Hell is going to be very crowded if Jesus would return right now. 

And so yes, we celebrate our nation’s independence today but true freedom will come only when the Lord Jesus returns one day to make all things new, ushering every single Christian believer into Heaven, a world that is free from every difficulty we experience in this worldly existence.

If you want to know what true freedom looks like, whether today or any other, look to Jesus and believe in Him, receiving Him as your Savior. For it is only then that you will know that you are free indeed, now and forever.  

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

REJOICING IN DELIVERANCE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Hannah prayed and said:

My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord, my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in Your deliverance.

1 Samuel 2:1

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In Chapter 1, we studied the events that surrounded the birth of Samuel which included his mother’s promise to the Lord to surrender her child to him if she would be allowed to conceive. After her baby was born and the prescribed time of weaning had passed (the scriptures tell us this was three years), we saw where Hannah stayed true to her vow and left Samuel in the custody of Eli the priest. It’s where Samuel would remain until he grew into adulthood and become Israel’s final judge.

Now, you would think that this act - the surrendering of her only son to the Lord under the guardianship of Eli - would have returned Hannah to the downtrodden state of mind she was in while unable to conceive, weeping constantly and refusing to eat. But as we see in the opening verses of 1st Samuel, chapter , we see Hannah doing anything but get consumed by loss. Rather, the scriptures show us that she turned to God and prayed, not a prayer of petition like we saw in chapter 1 but rather a prayer of thanksgiving. I will be covering this prayer over the next few messages, specifically focusing on the reasons Hannah gave for praising her Lord, beginning today as we find her showing gratitude to the Lord for the way He delivers those who trust in Him.

In Hannah’s case, we know she had been barren and harassed persistently by Penninah, Elkanah’s other wife who had bore sons and daughters for Elkanah. This incessant aggravation from Penninah only stoked the sadness Hannah felt over being unable to have children leading her to not even wanting to eat. There, at rock bottom emotionally, we saw how Hannah lifted up a prayer to the Lord from her heart, pouring out her soul and promising to give her son to Him if she were just allowed to conceive and deliver. And as we have seen many times already in our study of the Old Testament, God heard Hannah’s cries for help and acted on them.

For the Lord did open up Hannah’s womb so she could conceive and birth a son who she named Samuel. This newborn boy was such a joy to his mother as she reveled in the blessing God had given her, not only in the baby she held in her arms but the deliverance he brought her from the anguish and hardship she had felt while barren. As she opens her prayer, we see where she is in a true place of joy and peace after handing Samuel over to Eli and his care, the depth of her happiness shining through as she says:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord.”

This is the same heart that she had prayed so fully from when in need, the prayer where she emptied out her frustration and despair so the Lord could fill it with rejoicing and thankfulness.

Indeed, the Lord had delivered Hannah from her hardship and she, in turn, delighted in that rescue and the victory over those who had assailed her before. Of interest, we never hear anything else out of Penninah after Hannah conceives and gives birth to Samuel because she now no longer had any leverage to torment her. And Hannah, liberated from humiliation, finds her horn lifted high symbolizing her newfound emotional strength and spiritual power granted from God.

Friends, we too, like Hannah, should feel our own sense of emotional strength and spiritual power through our Lord because He has, is, and will continue to deliver us through each and every day He blesses us with. And as we experience this daily deliverance, let us be in the spirit of rejoicing, giving thanks to the One who lifts up our spirits when life brings us down…the only One who can save us...the One who is worthy of all our honor, glory, and praise.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

GIVING FULLY TO GOD

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, "After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always."

"Do what seems best to you," Elkanah her husband told her. "Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good His word." So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord."

And he worshiped the Lord there.

1 Samuel 1:21-28

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

What would you do if God asked for your most valued possession?

Would you obey Him?

And before you answer that too quickly, think about how you would respond if it were your only child?

How difficult would that be for you?

Think about how hard that would be.

Well, at the end of 1st Samuel, Chapter 1, we see a situation that is sort of like that. The only difference is that Hannah, who had prayed from her heart and poured her soul out to the Lord asking for a son, was now faced with keeping her end of the bargain after God allowed her to conceive and give birth to a son who she named Samuel. You’ll remember that she had promised to give her son to the Lord for “all the days of his life” (1Samuel 1:11).

So as Elkanah “went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow”, we read where “Hannah did not go” saying to her husband:

“After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always."

To which, Elkanah replied:

“Do what seems best to you…Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good His word."

And so Hannah did wean Samuel until the time came for her to dedicate him to the Lord as she promised. This weaning period was set in the culture at three years.

After this time had passed…the time “after he was weaned”…Hannah “took the boy with her…along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine” bringing all “to the house of the Lord at Shiloh”. There, the bull was sacrificed before Hannah went to Eli the priest and presented Samuel to him, saying:

“As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord."

And with that, we read where “he worshiped the Lord there”.

In Hannah, we see an incredible display of courage, obedience, and sacrifice. For after having spent three close years with Samuel, she now fulfilled her promise and gave him to the Lord “for his whole life” with Eli serving as his guardian. All she had invested in mothering was now in the hands of someone else and I can’t imagine the void this must have left in her life but knowing this, she still remained true to her word.

You know, Hannah’s actions reminded me of another similar situation that would happen later in the Bible…where another only Son was willingly surrendered. Indeed, this Son named Jesus was given up by His Father God to die for us all…a sacrificial, unblemished Lamb who was slain to bear the sins of all mankind.

In the end translation, God sent Jesus to die so we might live…He gave it all up for us and so shouldn’t we be willing to give it all up for Him?

To do any less would be falling short of the mark and certainly not meeting what He expects.

Friends, in Hannah we find qualities of sacrifice and loyalty in a woman who was dedicated and faithful to her God. My prayer is that we all exercise the same level of deep obedience when He calls on us…giving fully to God whatever He asks for, understanding that He is the source of every good and perfect gift we receive (James 1:17).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

PRAYING WITH YOUR HEART

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah, son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

Year after year, this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. And because the Lord had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.

This went on year after year.

Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Elkanah, her husband, would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"

Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord's temple. In bitterness of soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord. And she made a vow, saying, "O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine."

"Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief."

Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him."

She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

Early the next morning, they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the Lord for him."

1 Samuel 1:1-20

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever found yourself downtrodden, frustrated, humiliated, anguished, deeply sorrowed, and/or bitter, emotions that took you to a place where you cried out to God for help?

If so, then you will be able to relate to Hannah in this passage from the first chapter of 1 Samuel, and hopefully gain confidence and faith in knowing God does hear and answer our prayers.

As this book opens, we’re introduced to a typical Old Testament family although this family arrangement would be very atypical by today’s standards. For we read about a man, Elkanah, who had two wives, Hannah and Penninah, daughters, and two priestly sons, Hophni and Phinehas. We know the children were all born from Penninah because unfortunately, Hannah’s womb was closed.

Now, we should keep in mind how Old Testament culture treated women who were barren. Sadly, they were held in low esteem because childbearing was one of a woman’s primary values, particularly when it came to giving birth to males who would carry on the husband’s lineage. For a woman unable to conceive, humiliation and deep sadness were both emotional burdens that were carried daily.

Well, despite Hannah’s inability to get pregnant, Elkanah still loved her dearly and we read where he would give double portions of meat to her on the days when he had to sacrifice. Yet, no amount of meat or love from Elkanah could help Hannah in her situation and what made it even worse was Penninah, Hannah’s rival, incessantly provoked “her in order to irritate her…year after year”. In fact, the scriptures tell us that Penninah badgered Hannah until “she wept and would not eat”.

And so as if it wasn’t already bad enough that Hannah felt terrible about her barrenness, Penninah piled on, rubbing it in and taking her down even further toward an emotional rock bottom. Even her loving husband, not knowing about Penninah’s provocations, seemed uncaring about the state of Hannah’s mind as he asked her:

“Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"

Through his words, we see that Elkanah makes it more about himself than having empathy and compassion for Hannah.

Maybe you’ve either experienced this yourself or know someone else who had, being in a place where you or they were already down and out…and then someone decides to kick you when you’re already down. Maybe they were insensitive to what you were going through or mocked you in the midst of your hardship, or talked about you behind your back to others. As we see in the Bible, there are many people out there in present times who, like Penninah, seem to take pleasure in hurting others.

Let’s go back to the scriptures where we see Hannah near her breaking point. She hasn’t eaten and is distraught to the point where all she could do is weep and while in her “bitterness of soul” and while in eyeshot of “Eli the priest” who was “sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord's temple”, Hannah “prayed to the Lord”, making this vow:

"O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

We should note that Hannah’s prayers weren’t simply spoken. They were much deeper than that.

For as Eli watched Hannah, he saw her lips moving but no words being spoken because the scriptures tell us that she was “praying with her heart” while “pouring (her) soul out to the Lord”. We read where this led Eli to think she was drunk and so he challenges her. Hanna responds by setting things straight telling the priest that she wasn’t drunk or wicked but instead “deeply troubled” and “praying…out of (her) great anguish and grief”. And after hearing her testimony, we see the priest giving her this command:

“Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.”

To which Hannah replied:

“May your servant find favor in your eyes."

After this, we’re not told right away whether or not Hannah’s prayers were effective in allowing her to bear a son but we do know that they helped relieve her troubled heart, mind, and soul. We know this because the scriptures tell us that her “face was no longer downcast” and she began to eat again. Through this, we learn that there is a peace that comes when we bring our burdens to God the right way…praying to Him with all our heart while pouring out our soul out to Him. Later in the Bible, we find the Apostle Paul sharing these words in what is one of my favorite passages :

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

It’s this peace that we find Hannah experiencing in our passage today from 1st Samuel…a peace that transcended understanding. It’s a divine peace that took her from the depths of despair and brought her to a special solitude that only comes when one puts their full trust in the Lord, choosing to trust Him by fully laying any and all burdens at His feet. After all, He was and is in control of all things and that means there is nothing beyond the work of His Almighty hands.

Well, as our passage closes, we read where after rising the next morning and going to worship, Elkanah and Hannah returned home where he laid down with her and in that moment, the Lord remembered Hannah. We read where “in the course of time” she “conceived and gave birth to a son”, naming him Samuel because she had “asked the Lord for him." And Samuel, her son, would grow up to be the last judge of Israel.

In the end, Hannah saw here deep sorrow and distress depart but only after she prayed with all her heart and soul, bringing her matter before the Lord and trusting He was able to fulfill her need. When she did, she discovered the peace of God that truly does transcend all understanding and the good news for us today is that the Lord wants to extend the same to all who would place faith in Him.

What is weighing you down today, maybe to the place where you find your spirit always downtrodden under the weight of your life circumstances?

My prayer is that you will follow Hannah’s lead and surrender the issues to God today so that you might also experience His solace and the powerful work He does in the lives of those who place their hope in Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat there. When the kinsman-redeemer he had mentioned came along, Boaz said, "Come over here, my friend, and sit down." So he went over and sat down.

Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, "Sit here," and they did so. Then he said to the kinsman-redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line."

"I will redeem it," he said.

Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you acquire the dead man's widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property." At this, the kinsman-redeemer said, "Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it."

(Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)

So the kinsman-redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it yourself." And he removed his sandal.

Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, "Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records. Today you are witnesses!"

Then the elders and all those at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."

Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

This, then, is the family line of Perez:

Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.

Ruth 4

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever had a night that seemed to last forever as you faced an uncertain event the following day?

I know I have and maybe you do too…so we should be able to fully relate to what Naomi and Ruth must have endured as they waited for morning and Boaz’s encounter with the other kinsman-redeemer…the one who had first rights to buy the land owned by Elimelech and his two sons, and in turn, the hand of the widowed Ruth. If there was any good news, Naomi and Ruth knew one way or another that they would be claimed by a kinsman-redeemer. The suspense was found in whether or not that man would be Boaz.

Well as promised, we read where the aforementioned Boaz “went up to the town gate and sat there” the next morning, waiting for the “kinsman-redeemer he had mentioned” to come along and when he did, Boaz called for him saying:

"Come over here, my friend, and sit down."

As the man sat down where Boaz had told him to, “Boaz took ten of the elders of the town” and asked them to sit there as well. They would serve as witnesses for the matter that was about to be discussed. With everyone in place, Boaz explained the situation as follows:

"Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line."

It’s interesting here that Boaz only mentioned the land here…land that the other kinsman-redeemer was obviously interested in because he told Boaz and the elders:

“I will redeem it."

But then, we see Boaz play the “Ruth card” adding this:

“On the day you buy the land from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you acquire the dead man's widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property."

This changed the dynamics of the deal exponentially because it wasn’t just simply a land transaction. The kinsman-redeemer would be required to marry the widowed wife of Naomi’s son, Mahlon, and this changed the decision of the other kinsman-redeemer who says this to Boaz and the gathered elders:

“…I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it….Buy it yourself.”

And with that, he “removed his sandal” which the scriptures explain was a sign of a “legalized transaction”…one showing that “the redemption and transfer of property (had) become final”. The deal was then completed and we read where Boaz makes sure everyone knows it by making the following announcement to “the elders and all the people”:

"Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records. Today you are witnesses!"

In response, we read where the “elders and all those at the gate” proclaimed:

"We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."

And so it was.

Boaz became the kinsman-redeemer for Naomi and Ruth, taking the latter as his wife. After their marriage, we read where “the Lord enabled her to conceive” and she gave birth to a son who they named Obed, which means servant or worshipper. This son, Obed, would end up being the father of Jesse who would become David’s dad, afterwards being selected by God to become the King of Israel. Further, this would later place Obed in the genealogy of Jesus where we find Boaz and Ruth mentioned as well (Matthew 1:5).

What a blessing God bestowed on Boaz and Ruth!

He also richly blessed Naomi…a point recognized by the town women who said:

“Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."

For her part in this wonderful ending, Naomi took Obed in her lap and “cared for him” like any other proud grandmother would.

You know, we can sum up this story’s ending by using an age-old cliché for we find everyone - Naomi, Ruth and Boaz – living “happily ever after”. My friends, this is what happens when redemption becomes a reality for a person’s life is changed forever. The sure salvation found through belief in Jesus leaves one “happily ever after” because we have the sure guarantee of Heaven. One is rescued from the everlasting torment and damnation of Hell, gaining infinite peace and joy in knowing that death has lost its proverbial sting (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). In other words, through faith in Christ, every single Christian believer is victorious.

Jesus Himself said this:

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

Indeed, in and through Him, all Jesus followers get just that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A DIVINE REDEMPTIVE RELATIONSHIP

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."

"I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.

When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."

"The Lord bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning."

So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, "Don't let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor." He also said, "Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out." When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and put it on her. Then he went back to town.

When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, "How did it go, my daughter?"

Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, "He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'"

Then Naomi said, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today."

Ruth 3

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we finished looking at the second chapter of this book, we saw Naomi and Ruth had been buoyed up in hope after discovering that a kinsman-redeemer named Boaz was in their midst in Bethlehem. We know Ruth ended up gleaning grain from a field that belonged to him and he had treated her kindly, ensuring that she and her mother-in-law had plenty to eat.

After these events, Naomi obviously began thinking about Ruth and her future and just as we had seen Ruth being loyal and devoted to Naomi in her time of need, now we see Naomi doing the same for her daughter-in-law. For despite knowing that life as a widow wouldn’t be easy, she couldn’t bear to see Ruth have her best years of life pass by…years that would allow her to marry again and possibly bear children.

And so we read where Naomi said to Ruth:

“My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."

Based on Boaz’s prior behavior towards Ruth, Naomi felt he had displayed a liking of her and so we read where she advises Ruth as to how she should present herself to him as a possible wife. If he accepted her, Boaz, as a kinsman redeemer, would be eligible to marry Ruth and fill the role of her deceased husband, rescuing her from a life of isolation and loneliness.

For her part in this, we find Ruth promising Naomi that she would do as she was asked and “went down to the threshing floor” where she waited for Boaz. The scriptures tell us that he was “in good spirits” after he had “finished eating and drinking”, lying down “at the far end of the grain pile” afterwards. And as he did, “Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down”, just as Naomi had told her to do. She remained there until Boaz became startled “in the middle of the night” and “discovered a woman lying at his feet”, quickly asking:

“Who are you?"

To which Ruth replied:

“I am your servant Ruth…Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."

We should take note of the humble way that Ruth comes to Boaz. She doesn’t force herself on him but rather respectfully requests that Boaz spread the corner of his garment over her because he was a kinsman-redeemer. Through this, Ruth acknowledged her reliance on Boaz for deliverance while at the same time, displaying a great deal of trust and faith in him. And as we see, her submissive, honorable attitude and actions were rewarded.

For we read where Boaz tells Ruth:

“The Lord bless you, my daughter…This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning."

Here, we see it’s obvious that Boaz was as committed to Ruth as she was to him and was willing to assume the role of her kinsman-redeemer immediately but there was only one problem. There was another kinsman-redeemer in line before him…one who had first right to marry Ruth ahead of Boaz.

Now, I’m sure this had to cause Ruth’s spirit to sag a little but we see Boaz promising to stay the course with her, vowing to inquire of the other kinsman-redeemer in the morning. There would be one of two possible outcomes.

1. If he decided to take Ruth as his wife, then she would go with him.

2. If the other kinsman-redeemer passed, then Ruth would marry Boaz.

All this injects some tense drama into the Ruth story. In fact, we almost could insert the three words, “To be continued”, at the end of chapter 3, such was the cliffhanging nature of how it leaves off.

Well, the scriptures tell us that Ruth returned to Naomi before anyone could find out the events of the evening. And once again, Boaz made sure Ruth didn’t return empty-handed, filling her shawl with “six measures of barley”. As she goes to her mother-in-law, Ruth details all that happened and after hearing it, Naomi states the obvious. For now Ruth would have to wait and see what happened, knowing that Boaz would do all he could for her and wouldn’t rest “until the matter was settled.”

Indeed, this is what a true redeemer does. He or she doesn’t rest until redemption happens.

As Christian believers today, we know this to be true through what the Lord Jesus has done for us for our relationship with Him is, at its essence, redemptive in nature. Like Ruth, every single person is destined to a life of isolation and loneliness without redemption unless they place their belief in Christ and in Him alone. He breaks the bondage of sin and liberates us to live, love, and learn, all under His leading.

Ruth required rescue from her widowed status. We require rescue from our sinful status.

In Ruth’s case, she recognized her chance for deliverance in Boaz and submitted herself to him humbly with faith and trust that he would redeem her. And as we see, Boaz did not disappoint her. Rather, he honored and blessed her, placing his covering over her.

In the case of people today, they need to also recognize their sole chance for rescue…a rescue from sin and the eternal penalty of Hell that only comes through belief in Jesus as Savior, the one and only Son of God who was sent to save and redeem us from our sins.

It was His shed blood on the cross of Calvary that washed our sins away and left us white as snow, placing a covering over us…a covering that identifies Him as our Redeemer. Indeed, Jesus does not disappoint those who come to Him humbly, confessing their desperate need for His redemption. He honors and blesses all those He saves and then sends them out to help others find their own rescue.

In the end translation, let us never forget the ultimate good news that we have every day because of Jesus for He willingly chooses to enter into redemptive relationships with any sinner who repents and comes to Him for salvation.

Thanks be to God for His Son…today and forever more.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.