Christian Living

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Positioned For Worship That Brought Forth Salvation

God's purpose is found wanting after the death of a father and two sons that died in a foreign country. The name and inheritance of this family are endangered. Owing to the actions of a kinsman with a noble view of his obligations, the hereditary line remained unbroken. The union of Boaz the Hebrew and Ruth the Moabitess becomes the avenue of God's fulfillment of his gracious purpose. The genealogy culminates or reached its climatic or decisive point with King David to whose line the promise of the advant of the Messiah is given. This included the Moabite ancestress whereby the pentecostal perspective of the universal meaning of the Messiah is opened. He is not only savior of Israel, but to the human race.

But there were some things that had to transpire and some decisions had to be made by allowing the people involved making a decision to choose God over their sinful ancestry that would cause them to be positioned for worship that would bring forth salvation. The purpose was to bring forth a union that would offer salvation not only to the Jews but the Gentiles alike. God still bring forth unions that will work for his purpose.

Let's look at our characters; Elimilech and his two sons that died killing the seed of promise; the sons had married Moabitess women Ruth and Orpah. While the sons lived their wives went to worship God with them. One was true to God and the other just went because it was required. Naomi was the wife of Elimelech and the mother of the two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, and mother in law of Ruth and Orpah. After her husband died Naomi still had her sons. When they died, she had her daughters in laws. Not wanting to put demands on them to stay with her Ruth 1:11 she told them a second time to return to their people. She was going back to Judah. Orpah turned but Ruth remained in position, choosing to stay with Naomi and trusting her God.

Ruth and Naomi was women that were in a proper position for worship. They realized the importance of God in their lives. They offered reverence to God first instead of where they were and what was happening in their lives. Their situation looked bleek at the time but they recognized the supernatural power of God their Divine Being. Everyone naturally they depended upon for their sustenance was dead.

Naomi not only said she loved God but she lived a life of God. She was devoted to God, admired Him and God was highly esteemed. Naomi was in Moab; a city of incest and sin but never forgot to honor God. Naomi, her husband and sons had migrated to Moab during a time of famine.

Ruth was a lady, Naomi's daughter in law that would not allow her mother in law to return home alone unattended. Ruth thought about Naomi more than she did herself. Her love was not selfish but true. Ruth 1:11, turn again my daughters, why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more sons in my womb that they may be your husband? Orpah turned and went back, but Ruth stayed the course.

Naomi along with her husband followed the way of the family of Judah that did what they wanted. Judges 21:25 in those days there was no king in Israel, every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Ruth and Naomi had a natural connection with spiritual connotations. The significance of their attachment was to later be used to bring forth the essential part of salvation for the whole of mankind. Their connection also set the stage for the line of David which would introduce salvation and bring a love for God back to mankind.

We know the story; people in Moab was born of incest. Ruth however was in the genealogy of Jesus. She was the wife of Boaz and the mother of Obed and listed in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-14. Obed name means server or worship. Obed was the father of Jesse and Jesse the father of David, the lineage of Jesus who's name means Jehovah is salvation. David brought forth Solomon with Bathsheba whom he committed adultery with and had her husband killed. Ruth started the process of worship needed for salvation through her obedience and love which brought man back to God. This way was to worship God in spirit and in truth. From Abraham to Jesus is forty two generations which Boaz fell into. Boaz was the son of Salmon and Rahab the Harlot that caused the Israelites spies to flee the enemy for their lives. Tamar played the whore with Judah deceiving him for the seed for which Jesus would come. The seed of Judah brought forth twins; Pharez and Zarah. Judah was the son of Jacob, the son of Issac the son of Abraham.

What's in your seed that God can use? Boaz seed with Ruth brought forth the lineage of the savior of the World. Jesus came and died not only for the sin of his people, but the sin of the world. What made this happen is what we will see here with Naomi and Ruth.

The Book of Ruth is a love story firstly; a love for Naomi, Naomi's God and Boaz. Ruth was a Moabitess woman married to an Israelite. She followed Naomi and her God although Naomi tried to send her back to her people. It was twelve significant things Ruth did to persistently persevere in this time of widow hood for here and her mother in law; also a widow.

1. Ruth positioned herself to receive of God's divine favor

2. Ruth stayed in position even when she did not understand the course of her life. She trusted God.

3. What Naomit had spiritually Ruth wanted. We cannot find God in the flesh, for He is spirit. Ruth denied her flesh of worldly lusts to provide for herself.

4. Do we know how to get from God what we need? Ruth's humility got her enough barley (six measures worth) for her and Naomi's sufficient need everday. Ruth fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground before Boaz.

5. How willing are you to give up your roots for God? Ruth left her mother and father, siblings and the land of her nativity and all of its inhabitants to stay with God and Naomi.

6. Ruth found a new life rooted in God, stayed the course and finished the race. She did not end up the way she started.

7. Ruth wanted Naomi's God; do you know if some one, anyone that wants your God?

8. Ruth worked and did a good job noteworthy that the Master of the field saw her and made sure she had her needs sufficiently filled without asking for it.

9. A virtuous woman's work is noticeable to superiors for it is done right. Ruth 2:12, Boaz talked to Ruth, the Lord recompense thy work and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel under whose wing thou are come to trust.

10. God blessed Ruth because of her loyalty, her quality and desire for him on the inside. She had allowed God to come inside her heart. Naomi could not force Ruth to leave as she did Orpah. Ruth was not selfish. Orpah was looking on the outside at their situation and she went the normal natural way going back to the old way she left, but Ruth looked inside for what Naomi had brought to them that she knew would push her into God's purpose.

Some times we be in the right place with the right people but Satan tricks us into turning away from our blessings. We do not walk with people because of what they have, but what we need to mimic in them is the spiritual part of whoever it is we are following. An example is we follow our leaders, Bishops, Pastors or Apostles not because of their titles but are they noteworthy in their love for God, their life lived after God, their belief in God and a life of prayer that brings their people forth to relationship with God also. The people should acquire the same spirit of prayer that the leader has and a love for God through obedience as the leader does.

11. Ruth knew haw to follow instructions. Ruth in Ruth 3:1-6, Naomi gave he instructions to go into Boaz with humility and she obeyed everything Naomi told her to do. She laid at Boaz feet.

12. Ruth and Naomi were virtuous women; Naomi taught Ruth because Ruth was teachable how to be a virtuous woman. This same virtue was recognized by Boaz. In Ruth 3:11 he recognized in her that she was a virtuous woman. When he saw Ruth she was already presenting herself as a wife.

We are, you are, I am important to God for we have a part to play in the way of salvation. We are called to do a work for the kingdom of God, called, anointed, and appointed to continue the work of Christ that started with the people here being in obedience to God and man. It's not where you came from, but where you are going. Ruth came through a sinful lineage, so did Boaz. Her country was an incestrous nation and Boaz's lineage was filled with deception, lies, and whoredoms. Solomon filled with wisdom and a name meaning peace was not sin free.

Jesus came through the lineage of these women that was considered by men to be worthless, but they just did not know that God would use them to bring forth Jesus, the Messiah to die for their sin and ours too!

We should never cut ourselves short and feel we are not important; for we are, you are and I am just as important to God as any other. Ruth did not know the road she took or understood the way she took but God brought her through her love, devotion, and honor to Naomi and Himself to her expected end.

God has a plan for us also and He will bring us to the expected end of His choice for our lives. We must give up our will and earthly desires for His Will, Word, and Way.

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