Of First Importance

 Of First Importance

1 Corinthians 15

Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This celebration occurs around the same time as the Jewish Passover, and although the timing varies because of calendar differences, the first Easter happened at the end of Passover.

Throughout the ages, many different teachings and errors have sprung up around the events of that day. Most appalling is that some who say they are “Christians” deny the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead is a necessary part of the gospel. Romans 10:9-10 says:

Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

In these verses, the Scriptures say, “and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead.” This makes believing that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead a necessary part of salvation. I would go as far as to say that one cannot be saved apart from believing that God raised Jesus from the dead.

The Bible is a long book, as books go. However, the Bible is also a collection of literature from over 1400 years of history. The Bible contains books of History (1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, etc.), books of Poetry (Job, Psalms, Proverbs), Books of Law (Leviticus, Deuteronomy), books of prophecy ( Isaiah, Jeremiah, Revelation), and letters of instruction (the epistles). These books and letters were written by over 40 different men from different periods of history.

According to the Bible, all of these books are inspired by God and given for our instruction.

2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV) All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

The critical point here is that everything between the covers in this book is important for our knowledge, growth, and relationship with God. He has not wasted any space. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:18 (NKJV) “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

But here is a problem, what if I don’t know the whole Bible? Where should one start, and what is the essential or fundamental gospel? We can and should spend our entire lives reading the Bible, but never know all there is to know concerning God that is revealed in its pages. So, what is necessary for one to know?

In 1 Corinthians 15, the Bible gives the basic or essential gospel. Read with me.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NKJV) ¹Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, ²by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. ³For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

With this brief statement, the Scriptures tell us the essentials.

The first point is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

An important side note is that this passage emphasizes that these events or truths are “according to the Scriptures.” The truth or facts surrounding the gospel cannot be separated from the Scriptures. It is through the Scriptures, the Bible, that we learn and know the gospel.

1 Corinthians 15:3 says, “Christ died for our sins.” Every part of this sentence is essential. The “Christ” spoken of here is Jesus Christ, who lived in history and was born of the virgin Mary. The crucial part is understanding that as “the Christ,” Jesus was (and is) both God and man. 

The next truth is that “He died” is tied to “for our sins.” Please pay close attention. “For OUR sins” implies that we have “sins.” It is necessary for us to recognize and acknowledge our sins. For one, what are we saved from? Are we in danger? Why do we need to be saved? Teachings about sin can become complex and challenging to understand as we dig into the depths of the subject as taught in Scripture. However, the essential knowledge is that all of us (each and every one of us) are under the judgment of God for our own sin, not our fathers’, not humanity’s but our own. The penalty or price for our sin is death. This is why we need to be saved. 

Sin is the dark background that makes the gospel “good news!” (“Gospel” means “good news.”) The gospel includes that Christ died for our sins. The significance of this is that our sins were paid for by His death. Again, remember that this is all “according to the Scriptures.” The more we know of the Scripture, the more we understand the severe nature of our offense against God and the price that was paid for our salvation. But the starting point is acknowledging that we are sinners and that Christ died for our sins.

1 Corinthians 15:4 gives the next essential of the gospel. It says, “That He was buried.” 

Islam teaches that Jesus did not really die, but God made it appear that Jesus died. Some teach that Jesus was only unconscious when they put Him in the tomb, and the coolness of the tomb revived Him.

The burial of Jesus is essential because it is crucial that we know that Jesus was really and truly dead. His death was not faked or misleading in any way. This truth emphasizes the resurrection.

Death is final as far as we are concerned. Once a person dies, they are gone, and there is nothing we can do about it. However, God is not limited in this way. The resurrection of Christ from the dead is an essential truth of the gospel. It is the strongest evidence for the truth of the gospel. 

We accept many events of history as factual—the life and conquests of Alexander the Great or Julias Cesar, or Mark Anthony. Compared to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the historical evidence for the lives of these great men is very small. The historical record of the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the best documented events of history. It has to be for us to accept it because people do not come back from the dead.

Jesus said that if we believe in Him, He will give us eternal life. We know He can do this because He came back from the dead.

To encourage us and strengthen our faith, the Scriptures include some details that are worth noting at this point. 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 says:

1 Corinthians 15:5-8 (NKJV) ⁵and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. ⁶After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. ⁸Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

“Then last of all He was seen by me also” refers to the Apostle Paul, who is giving his personal testimony. When Paul wrote this letter, Most of the Apostles were still alive, and he includes the detail that most of the 500 people who saw Jesus all at the same time were still alive. If these witnesses were all still alive, they could be asked about what they saw. This is why they are mentioned. Paul, by the Holy Spirit, was asking people to make sure of the truth of what he was saying. In his testimony before kings, Paul said, 

Acts 26:26 (ESV) For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.

The truth of this statement by Paul is found in the events of this little backwater area (as far as Rome was concerned) are mentioned by historians from that era who were not believers and were not trying to prove or disprove any facts about Jesus. This is why Roman historians like Tacitus or Josephus are so popular among Christians.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave is essential to the gospel because of the foundation it lays for our faith. However, this is not the only reason for its significance. We live in the hope of His return. We know from Scripture that He ascended to the Father and will return to gather His own. Our expectation and hope are that He will return soon.

Now, if He is going to return, He must still be alive. Two thousand years ago, on a Sunday morning, some ladies and then the disciples went to the tomb and found it empty. Angels at the tomb told them:

Luke 24:5-6 (NKJV) ⁵“Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶“He is not here, but is risen!

All the prophets died, and some of their tombs are still recognized. The founders of other religions, Buddha and others, are all dead, and their tombs are still in existence. The tomb of Jesus is still in existence, but it is empty.

When the women went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus on that Sunday morning, they went to find a corpse, but they found the stone removed from the entrance and the tomb empty. This one event has done more to change the world and history than any other. It transformed Peter. It transformed the twelve. It transformed Paul. Throughout history, it is the testimony of many men and women that Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, has transformed their lives.

He can transform your life today. The starting point is the essentials of the gospel. Jesus will be returning soon; He promised to return. Our only hope to be ready is to accept the truth of the gospel. Romans 10:9-10 tells us how we do this.

Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Will you? Will you believe in your heart? Will you confess with your mouth?

The empty tomb stands as a reminder of the salvation offered and the promised return.

Son of David

Matthew 21

Matthew 21:9 (NKJV) Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed [is] He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

We mark Palm Sunday and Easter on our calendars every year. Please remember that although it is very significant, this is one little slice out of a three-year ministry that Jesus carried on in Galilee, Judea, and Samaria. We have repeated the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem so often for so long that most people know the story, even if they do not know its significance. The word “hosanna” is almost universally known. As we once again consider the account of the triumphal entry, pay closer attention than at other times. In our familiarity, we may assume we know the story and not pay attention to what the Spirit is saying to us.

For one thing, do you know what the word “hosanna” means? The words the people shouted are taken from Psalm 118.

Psalm 118:25-26 (NIV) LORD, save us! LORD, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.

The words “Lord, save us” are where the word “Hosanna” comes from. Every year during the feast of booths, these words were sung to the waving of palm fronds. (Psalms113 through118 were repeated during the festival.) At the triumphal entry, the season was Passover, not the feast of booths, but the crowd recognized their need for salvation and borrowed from that tradition. They did not invent the idea of waving palm fronds on that day.

Before arriving at Jerusalem, Jesus traveled through Jericho and healed two blind men on the way. Let’s look at part of Matthew’s account of this healing.

Matthew 20:29-31 (NKJV) ²⁹Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. ³⁰And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” ³¹Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

These men were not shouting “hosanna,’ but they were shouting, “Have mercy on us!” (The same idea as “Hosanna?”) Jesus healed these men, but let's pay attention to what they called Jesus. They called Him “Son of David.” The multitude celebrating His entry into Jerusalem was shouting the same thing. They were shouting:

Matthew 21:9 (NKJV) “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed [is] He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

The crowd responded to the truth as they perceived it, and they thought it was the day of their salvation.

The disciples also were prone to think the same way, but Jesus carefully instructed the twelve differently. In Matthew 20:17, on His way to Jerusalem for the triumphal entry, Jesus took the twelve aside and taught them privately. Here is what it tells us about His teaching of the twelve.

Matthew 20:17-19 (NKJV) ¹⁷Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, ¹⁸“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, ¹⁹“and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”

Jesus tells His closest followers, the twelve, that He is going to Jerusalem to be crucified and rise from the dead. Notice also that He calls Himself the “Son of Man,” compared to the crowd’s “Son of David.” 

When Peter heard Jesus talking about being crucified, we know that at first, Peter tried to correct Jesus, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Matthew 16:22) (As the end drew near, Jesus told the disciples on multiple occasions concerning his death and resurrection.)

But Jesus responded:

Matthew 16:23 (NKJV) “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

When Jesus refers to Himself as the “Son of Man,” He is building on two truths. First, He points out His humility and His death on the cross. Philippians 2 tells us:

Philippians 2:5-8 (NKJV) ⁵Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to [the point of] death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus was found in appearance as a man; He humbled Himself. When Jesus calls Himself the “Son of Man,” He points to His humble position, and this is the first truth we see in this name.

The second truth seems to directly contradict the first truth because the second truth is that He is exalted. Philippians 2 continues to say that God has given Him a name above every other name because of His humility. 

When the twelve heard the “Son of Man, they probably thought of the following Scripture. 

Daniel 7:13-14 (NKJV) ¹³“I was watching in the night visions, and behold, [One] like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. ¹⁴Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, And His kingdom [the] [one] which shall not be destroyed.

Notice that in the visions, the Son of Man was coming “with the clouds of heaven!”

Jesus told us that He will come with the clouds of heaven at the end of the great tribulation. We find this in Matthew 24:29-30.

Matthew 24:29-30 (NKJV) ²⁹“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

So, Jesus will come with power and great glory at the end of the tribulation. Verse 29 begins with “Immediately after the tribulation.” These words attach power and great glory to the title “Son of Man.”

The twelve (Peter, James, and John especially) were given knowledge that nobody else had, and they had trouble understanding that Jesus had to die. It may be that Jesus used the name “Son of Man” to refer to Himself to help the disciples to understand.

If the disciples, who had been given more knowledge, had trouble understanding that Jesus had to die, the crowd that greeted Jesus as He entered Jerusalem had no idea of what was coming. 

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowd shouted:

Matthew 21:9 (NKJV Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed [is] He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

The crowd and blind men called Jesus “Son of David.”

The blind men and the multitude that surrounded Jesus as He entered Jerusalem for His final week knew that Jesus was the “Son of David.” One thing that all Israel knew was that God had promised to give David an everlasting kingdom. God’s words to David were:

2 Samuel 7:16 (NKJV) And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.”

The blind men and the crowd were recognizing Jesus as the promised Messiah. Thus, they were shouting, “Save us now!” 

The Old Testament has many prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. One of the details these prophecies contained was that the Messiah would be from the line of David and sit on David’s throne. This is why the multitude was calling Him “Son of David.” So, Jesus asked them a question to make them think. Mark 12:35-37 tells us:

Mark 12:35-37 (NIV) ³⁵While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? ³⁶David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” ³⁷David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with delight.

The people did not answer Jesus’ question.

Can you answer His question? 

On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached a sermon that explained the relationship of Jesus to His name, “Son of David.” Look at Acts 2 with me.

Acts 2:25-39 (ESV) ²⁵For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; ²⁶therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. ²⁷For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. ²⁸You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence’ ²⁹“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, ³¹he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³²This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. ³³Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. ³⁴For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, ³⁵until I make your enemies your footstool’” ³⁶Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” ³⁷Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

These last two verses are the response that Palm Sunday calls for from us. How do we receive or welcome the Son of Man, Son of David, Son of God?

Worthy

 

Revelation 5

Revelation 5 is a view of the throne room in heaven where the angels, elders, and saints are gathered in the presence of the Lord. Revelation 5 also takes place at the time when the Church Age has come to an end. The title deed to creation is brought out, and the Day of the Lord begins.

The events of the great Day of the Lord begin when God presents the title deed of creation. Revelation 5:1 says:

Revelation 5:1 (NKJV) And I saw in the right [hand] of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

Everything recorded here is significant, including the fact that the scroll was in the “right” hand of Him, who sat on the throne.

The right hand is a place of honor and where things of utmost importance are kept. The warrior’s sword is held in his right hand, and the favorite counselor and friend of the king sits on his right hand.

Let’s remind ourselves of the praise that ends Revelation 4.

Revelation 4:11 (NKJV) “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

Notice how important the creation of all things is and that all things exist because God wills it. When God finished His work of creation, He said:

Genesis 1:31 (NKJV) Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed [it was] very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

The creation was “very good.”

At the time of creation, God gave it as a gift to man. Consider the meaning of “dominion” in Genesis 1:28.

Genesis 1:28 (NKJV) Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

God gave creation to man, to humankind. But, sin broke God’s covenant with man, and the title to the earth was sealed against the debt that mankind owes to God. Romans 8:20-23 tells us:

Romans 8:20-23 (NKJV) ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected [it] in hope; ²¹because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. ²³Not only [that,] but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

In Revelation 5, we see the futility that the creation was subjected to. No one was found worthy to open the seals and read or even look at the title to the earth. The value of the scroll is beyond doubt as God holds it in His right hand. John weeps bitterly because no one is worthy.

We must consider the significance of being “worthy.” 

Throughout history, men have tried to be worthy. God’s people are the best example of this. In the days of Jesus, the nation was at its final days. The nation’s leaders’ devotion to the law and to being worthy blinded them to the arrival of the Messiah.

God did not call them to be worthy, and he has not called us to be worthy. Look at what God said to Israel that He has repeated to us. God structured the worship practices of Israel in the book of Leviticus. The end and purpose of these practices is repeated three times in Leviticus 14:11, 19:2, and 20:7.

Leviticus 20:7 (NKJV) ‘Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I [am] the LORD your God.

Our world thinks one who is holy is worthy because of their good works, but this is wrong. This world thinks holy means “good,” and we must not think this way. Holy means “set apart.” Every aspect of our life is to be “set apart” for God. What we do with our time, money, leisure, and any other thing are to be “set apart” for God. This is what it means to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength.

I would like to point out that even any righteousness we have comes from God and not ourselves. Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. He was not righteous because he was good. Rather, he was righteous because he believed God. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said the one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness is blessed. But consider what He says about righteousness in that sermon. 

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Jesus says to seek God’s righteousness, and he does not say we are to seek our own righteousness. Only God is righteous, and this is why no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll.

Believers in heaven are called saints because a “saint” is “holy,” as in, “set apart for God.”

The Lamb is the only one who is worthy.

Even the elders, who have victors’ crowns, cast those crowns at the feet of the Lamb because only the Lamb is worthy.

Now let’s look at the worship that is given to the Lamb.

Revelation 5:9-10 (NKJV) 9And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, ¹⁰and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”

Let’s focus on one of the lines in this praise of our Lord. “…For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

First, we see redemption. We, and the entire creation, have been redeemed.

When each seal is opened, wrath and judgment are poured out. That is because God has patiently waited, giving men time to repent. However, consider Romans 2.

Romans 2:5 (NKJV) But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

The seals are these stored-up judgments that must be released before the redemption of all things is complete. If the Lord wills and we remain, we will look at these judgments later.

But today, let’s look at the worship given to the Lamb because the worship of the Lamb expresses a glorious truth. Once more, look at verse 9. “…For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

Man and woman are the pinnacle of God’s creation. He gave His only Son, the Lamb, to redeem us. Again, the scroll was in God’s right hand. The value is not just “creation,” but it is every single individual. God said in Psalm 139 that His thoughts for good toward each of us are more numerous than the sand, all the sand in the world. Consider the glory given to us that we should be called children of God. 

We all must grasp the importance of this one statement: “…out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

Jesus said that the gospel must be preached throughout the whole earth, and then the end will come. Revelation 5:11 tells us that unimaginably large numbers of angels and saints will raise their voices in worship. Among these voices, every language will be represented, every nation will be represented, and every tribe will be represented.

Let’s make sure you are there too. Not one of us is worthy, but the Lamb was slain and has redeemed us for Himself. He invites us to come to Him and calls Himself the door by which we can enter the kingdom of God. He also tells us there is no other way to get into heaven.

I want to invite you to accept the Lamb of God as your Savior today. It is simple; pray something like the prayer below.

Lord Jesus, only you are worthy, and I accept the gift of eternal life that you are offering. Give me the understanding to know what all this means and make me one of your children.

Kinsman Redeemer

Revelation 5

Man was created in God’s image, and in the beginning, man was not stained by sin. However, it was not long before sin marred the image of God in man. The Bible tells us:

Isaiah 53:6 (NKJV) All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Even the ancestors of our Lord Jesus Christ were tainted by sin. To pay for the sins of mankind, Jesus had to be a man. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. 

Romans 6:23 (NKJV) For the wages of sin [is] death, but the gift of God [is] eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We have all earned these wages. In addition to being a man, Jesus had to be sinless, or His death would only pay for His sin.

Jesus had to be the Son of man to pay for man’s sin. However, it was also necessary that he be born without the guilt of Adam’s sin. God’s solution was the virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was from the woman’s seed and yet free from Adam’s sin.

One of the women in Jesus’ lineage was a woman named Ruth. She was from Moab and had married an Israelite named Mahlon. Mahlon’s father was Elimelech, and his mother’s name was Naomi; both were Israelites.

If we turn to the first chapter of the book of Ruth, we see there the story of how Ruth the Moabite became a part of Jesus’ family tree.

Ruth 1:1-2 (NKJV) ¹Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. ²The name of the man [was] Elimelech, the name of his wife [was] Naomi, and the names of his two sons [were] Mahlon and Chilion — Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.

“In the days when the judges ruled” refers to the time in Israel before the nation had kings. Men like Samson and Gideon lived during this time, and the man who anointed Saul and David as kings was the last of these judges. 

The day of the judges was characterized by the “cycle of the judges.” This cycle describes the pattern of Israel’s relationship with God. They would stray from God, God judged them by turning them over to their enemies, then they would cry out to God for deliverance, and finally, God raised up a deliver who turned their hearts back to God. This cycle happened repeatedly.

Elimelech and Naomi lived during this time. Elimelech and Naomi moved their family to Moab during a time of judgment, when there was a famine in Israel. While they were in Moab, their sons married Moabite women. The name of Mahlon’s wife was Ruth. 

Naomi’s husband and sons died, leaving Naomi and her daughters-in-law widows. Eventually, Naomi heard that things back home in Bethlehem had improved. So, she moved back to her home in Israel. One of the daughters-in-law went back to her people, but Ruth moved with Naomi.

 

The people of Naomi’s hometown, Bethlehem, welcomed Naomi back with great joy, but Naomi was defeated and depressed. Her name, “Naomi,” means “pleasant,” but Naomi no longer believed she enjoyed anything pleasant. So, she said the following.

Ruth 1:20-21 (NKJV) ²⁰But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. ²¹“I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” 

Naomi changed her name to Mara. Mara means bitter.

Naomi’s story is a picture of the human race. Our lives are bitter because we have left our creator and God, and the further we stray from God, the more bitter our life becomes.

When Naomi’s family moved to Moab, they left the inheritance God gave them as Israelites. God gave the land of Canaan to Israel and divided the land among Israel’s families. Naomi’s family inherited land in Israel, but they left their inheritance when they left. However, the good news is that their inheritance was waiting for them when they returned, but it had to be bought back or “redeemed.” 

The difficulty for Naomi was that the land passed through the males of the family. Since Naomi’s husband and sons died, the inheritance was in danger of passing to a different family. 

The Lord had a solution for this; the tradition of the “kinsman redeemer.” Kinsman means relative. Male relatives of the family could “redeem” the inheritance. Naomi had no way to reclaim the family inheritance without her sons or her husband.

The story of Boaz and Ruth is a story of redemption because Boaz was a close relative of Naomi’s husband’s family. 

When Ruth went out to glean wheat for her and Naomi to eat, Boaz noticed her and was attracted and impressed. He quietly inquired more about this young lady. Ruth chapter 3 verses one through nine tell us. 

Ruth 3:1-9 (NKJV) ¹Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? ²“Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, [is he] not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. ³“Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your [best] garment and go down to the threshing floor; [but] do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴“Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.” ⁵And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.” ⁶So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. ⁷And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. ⁸Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. ⁹And he said, “Who [are] you?” So she answered, “I [am] Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.”

Notice here that Ruth says, “for you are a close relative.” She was telling Boaz that he was qualified to be her kinsman redeemer. 

Boaz was a close relative of Naomi’s family; however, another relative was closer. So, the more immediate relative had the first right of refusal. Ruth chapter four, verses three through ten give the account of what happened.

Ruth 4:3-10 (NKJV) ³Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which [belonged] to our brother Elimelech. ⁴“And I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy [it] back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem [it,] redeem [it;] but if you will not redeem [it, then] tell me, that I may know; for [there is] no one but you to redeem [it,] and I [am] next after you.” And he said, “I will redeem [it.]” ⁵Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy [it] from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.” ⁶And the close relative said, “I cannot redeem [it] for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem [it.]” ⁷Now this [was the custom] in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave [it] to the other, and this [was] a confirmation in Israel. ⁸Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, “Buy [it] for yourself.” So he took off his sandal. ⁹And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You [are] witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that [was] Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. ¹⁰“Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You [are] witnesses this day.”

This last line is why the family redeemer did not want to endanger his own inheritance. The son would carry on another family’s name and so this would prove to be a costly transaction.

Let me explain a little bit more about the property. The title deed to the land was written on a scroll. On one side, the boundaries and definition of the property were written. On the other side, any liens, mortgages, or debts against the property were listed. 

Now let’s jump to Revelation chapter five.

Revelation 5:6-10 (NKJV) ⁶And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. ⁸Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, ¹⁰And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

Where it says “you were slaughtered and your blood has ransomed people for God,” this points to Jesus as our family redeemer. He is our “kinsman” because He took on flesh and became a man. The scroll is the title deed to earth. It has writing on both sides because on one side, it has our inheritance, our place in the kingdom of God, our right as children of God to rule the earth, and our right to live forever in the presence of God. On the other side, it has a list of what it will take to redeem us, the charges against us, the debts we owe, and the price of our sins. 

No one was found worthy to open the scroll until our Kinsman Redeemer came forward. He was born of a woman, a virgin, so he is our relative, but he was not born of the seed of a man, so He did not have Adam’s sin.

Now, look at the words of Revelation 5:9-10.

Revelation 5:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, ¹⁰And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

 When we enter into our inheritance, we will sing this song to Jesus because He is our Kinsman Redeemer.

Ruth shows us the hope we have in God. For mankind without Jesus, everything is lost and has become bitter. But Jesus has paid our debt and reclaimed our inheritance for us. It is a free gift. 

Like Elimelech and Naomi, we have gone to Moab (the wrong place) looking for hope, redemption, and life. But we find there is no help where we are looking.

Please stop looking for hope in Moab; look to God for hope. When you have messed up, made the wrong decisions, remember Jesus is your redeemer.

Look at Ruth 3:9 once more with me. 

Ruth 3:9 (NKJV) ⁹And he said, “Who [are] you?” So she answered, “I [am] Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.”

Ruth asked Boaz for His help. Have you asked Jesus for His help? Jesus promises He will not refuse anyone who asks. Have you asked? It’s free, and it’s easy, and it’s complete. All you need to do is ask.