Boaz - in Him is eternal life

Here's the really fast Christ focused commentary on Ruth


- the condition of the time of the judges is spiritual anarchy
- this is represented by the life of Elimelech (my God is King)
o They reject their God who is King
o they marry into the despicable practises of Moab
o the results are Mahlon and Chilion – famine and pestilence
o indeed there is no bread in Bethlehem (the house of bread)
o Ultimately it will take the death of the God who is the King of the Jews to kill famine and pestilence and restore bread to Bethlehem
o this is the time of the beginning of the barley harvest - Passover
- After the death of the King,
o there is return to the house of Israel
o this time not just the Jews – Naomi
o but also the Gentiles, Orpah & Ruth
- The Jews advertise Israel to the Gentiles
o many love it – but they do not know the cost and are not prepared for it
 indeed they are Orpah (stiff-necked)
 so they cannot turn away from worldy things and sinful darkness
o a few will follow despite the cost
 they are Ruth (companion)
 the bride of Christ, partners of the church
 they know that it will cost them their whole lives, and they are ready to die for the resurrected Messiah
- The Jews initially think that it is a bitter thing – Naomi becoming Marah (bitter)
o that the Lord has dissolved their family, their people, their possessions
- The Gentiles upon following Christ find it a hard thing
o faith in the beginning is often impoverished
o crawling with God, gleaning the crumbs that fall off the Jewish table
- Yet the Lord of the Harvest – Boaz – the One in whom is Life
o He will come and assure them
o He will build us up and feed us
o He will give provision for us
o He will invite us to the King’s table to commune with Him bread and wine
o Those who were far off are brought near, adopted sons and daughters, equal partners with their Jewish Christian brethren
- They now have an equal share in the crop
o here also can be an allusion to maturity of faith, growing from crawling to walking side by side with our Messiah, as those who have gone before us
- They have ample blessing
- Their share in the gospel convicts the Jews that the Lord has not deserted them
o indeed He is the risen Lord who has not forsaken the living or the dead
- This resurrected Christ calls in the whole harvest
o it is the time of the end of the harvests – Pentecost
o The Lord sits enjoying the fruit of His work, resting from His daily work of redemption
o He takes out His winnowing fork and separates the wheat from the chaff
- The bride is now prepared, Rachel and Leah, Ruth and Naomi
o She waits for Him at His feet with eager expectation, knowing it is now but a little while
- He will not delay
o He is the redeemer-kinsman
o the Saviour who is one of our own
o He grants her the deposit that her wedding is assured (?)
- He claims the birthright from the ‘legal owner’
o the hairy man Esau/Adam who has spurned his inheritance for Mammon
o Indeed he is the un-sandaled one who deserves to be spit out of the mouth of God
- And so Israel claims His people
o and indeed His people are Rachel and Leah
- Boaz being only the symbol
o the true Messiah will come from the people of God, from Israel
- He will be of the red line of Perez – the scarlet thread that is the blood of Christ
- In the end of days He will restore all things, He is the true King to come, the true David