Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-26

dustry and her beauty attracted the
attention of the owner, and her dali
ly earnings were increased. 1t paid.
Ruth was a virtuous Woman-au
the country about Bethlehem knew
the story of her devotion and her
loyalty, about her choice, and knew
the high character that she posses.
sed. Judged by present day stand
ards her affair at the threshing floor
of BoaZ would certainly discount
this statement; but that is just be.
cause We do not look at it right
Naomi would not have suggested
that would have been
wrong. Ruth unmarried was in far
greater danger than when she went
to Boaz. To understand her, we
must remember that the law pro-
vided for such a case as hers-the
Nrother, or the nearest of kin, should
marry the widow of his brother who
had died childless, and preserve the
family name and the Inheritance. If
he did not do this, the widow was
instructed to go to him and demand
that he take her as his wife as re-
quired by the law; if he refused.
she was to take off his shoe, and
spit in his face; and he was to be
marked out for the scorn OF all as
one whose shoe was loosed.
Naomi knew of BoaZ's relation
ship. For reasons, which we know,
but which she did not know then,
he had not made the move. There
fore, Naomi sent Ruth to comply
with the law. In the eyes of ali,
Ruth was practically his wife, al
though the nuptial ceremonies hal
not been performed. To Boaz cred
it be it said that he treated her con-
fidence in the most honorable way.
Since he was not the nearest of
kin he might have taken advantage
of Ruth's ignorance; but he was ev.
cry inch a gentleman! He knew bet
ter than anyone else that she was
a woman of virtue, and protected
her as a gentleman.
Faith, loyalty, devotion, industry
humility, virtue-all have their re
wards. The obstacles removed, Boar
takes this beautiful young woman
as his wife. She received her re.
ward for all the sacrifices that she
had made for her blood ran in the
veins of the Babe of Bethlehem.
There is another reason for the
beautiful idyl being in the Book OF
God; for God does not write these
just to give us an Insight into a bit
of personal history, or even for
genealogical reasons only. All
through the Bible the red thread OF
salvation runs, like the red thread
in every inch of rope in the British
navy. That is one of the ways to
identify the Author. This other rea-
son is to give a picture in type OF
what is ahead. Naomi is type of
the Jewish nation, Gods people aft
er the flesh who were given the land
for an inh eritance, but who could
not stand the test lin her case the
famine test, and went into a lane
that was not theirs, and there made
alliances with the nations. Ruth
the name means "shepherd-tended"
lis the Gentle bride who first
learns to know God through Israel
and who afterwards learns to know
the kinsman by actual experience.
who cannot stand the test and who
show the back Of the neck" who
turn back to the old world of things
and who turn away from God. Boaz.
the mighty man of valor-his name
also means, Gin him there is
strength"-is the kinsman, the buy
err, the redeemer; he is the type of
Him who was the most perfect Gen
tleman that ever lived, in Whom
there is all strength, who is our
Buyer, our Kinsman, our Redeemer
1t is He who plays the part of the
nearest kin, and buys the inherit
ance to redeem it. Ruth came to
Boaz as the nearest of kin, for pro
lection asking him to draw his skirt
over her, or to change the figure,
to take her under the protecting
wing. That was her only salvation
though. Is there any ahead of
Christ in claim upon you? Yes,
There is a way Of salvation other
than by Christ spoken of in the BIZ
bic. You will find it in, Ezekiel
18:22-27. It is the righteousness
that is of the law. If a man perfect.
ly keeps the whole law, his sins
shall be forgiven-and salvation. So
our Boaz waits to see what the
nearer kinsman will do-the law,
Moses the mediator of the old cove
nant, But this one frankly admits
his inability. II cannot redeem it,"
he says. Then our Boaz buys the
right to redeem, after calling the
ten witnesses (the' ten command.
ments) to witness that the law is
incompetent to purchase our sal
walton.
And not that Naomi's inheritance
is built up through the marriage of
Boaz and his Gentle bride. The
Jew is coming into his own again,
through the marriage of Him who
has purchased the right to redeem
and His Gentle bride, the church
When you think of Ruth, there,
fore, think little further of Boaz'
and then let the prayer of his great
grandson be yours; Let the words OF
my mouth and the meditations of
my heart be acceptable in Thy sight
o Lord, my Rock, my Kinsman, my
Buyer, my Redeemer.