Today’s reading: Ruth 1:1–2:23, 1 Tim 1:1–11, Ps 73:1–10

Today’s theme: Our Kingsman Redeemer

We learn many lessons from the life of Ruth today. Lessons such as being loyal, working hard and remaining humble. In Boaz we see a picture of Jesus, our own Kingsman (close relative) Redeemer through the incarnation. We also learn that it matters what we believe with a pure heart before God.

Ruth 1:1–2:23

Covenantal loyalty

But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” Ruth 1:16–17 (ESV)

We can all learn so much from Ruth’s devotion, commitment and selfless faithfulness. Ruth is determined to stay with Naomi and will not abandon her, in doing so she goes as far as to change her nationality and faith for which God will greatly reward her.

Jesus calls us to show this sort of resolve and covenantal loyalty in following Him. Our spiritual nationality also changes as we become God’s people. We must be resolute, we must not turn back and we must continue to press forward. If we settle our hearts on single-minded commitment to the Lord and perseverance, we will be rewarded. See Mark 8:34 and Luke 9:62.

This attitude should also affect other areas of our lives, areas such as our marriages etc.

Honest and hard work

She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.” Ruth 2:7 (ESV)

Ruth shows us another great example, she is a hard worker. We are called to honest, hard, relentless work in the New Testament both spiritually and physically.

Paul echoes this call in his own account in 1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

Be humble, grateful and gracious

Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” Ruth 2:10 (ESV)

Ruth knew where she was coming from and that she did not deserve and was not entitled to the grace Boaz has showed her.

Ruth shows us the kind of humble, grateful and gracious attitude we should have. We too were once in darkness and were not part of God’s people but by God’s unmerited love He elected and saved us by His grace.

We should remember where we are coming from, how God saved us and not become proud. We should be grateful.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:12-13 “remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Our Kingsman Redeemer

And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” Ruth 2:20 (ESV)

Jesus like Boaz became our kingsman redeemer. He became a relative of ours by becoming human to redeem us from the curse of sin and death. Here are just two verses that point to this as we praise His name for His grace to us:

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17 ESV)

who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:6, 7 ESV)

1 Timothy 1:1–11

It matters what we believe

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 1 Timothy 1:3–4 (ESV)

Teaching and theology matter. It matters what we believe. We can not be certain what the bad teaching was but it was likely some form of Gnosticism.

Each of us is called to know the truth, hold to the truth in faith and defend the truth. We should not give way to relativism, naturalism or any other ism that contradicts or opposes the truth of God’s word and message.

Psalm 73:1–10

Have a pure heart

Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. Psalm 73:1 (ESV)

We must have the vital combination of pure teaching and pure hearts. One is not valid without the other.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on 1 Timothy 1