More than we can Sacrifice

God always gives more than He asks of us. Remember, He gave us His Son.

Sept 9

I just finished the story of Ruth and Boaz. I have always loved this story of hope and redemption. Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth come back to Bethlehem after Naomi’s husband and both her sons had died. As Naomi meets old friends she tells them not to call her Naomi, but to call her Mara, which means bitter. She went away full and came back empty. It seems that all is lost and no hope for a future. Naomi feels destitute. The only thing she has in the world is her daughter-in-law Ruth, a Moabitess. But Ruth so loves her mother-in-law, she leaves her family and follows Naomi, and trusts Naomi’s God.

Boaz is an older wealthy man who happens to be the family redeemer. If he chooses to redeem the land belonging to Naomi’s husband, he must also marry Ruth in order to have a child to carry on the deceased’s name. This first child would carry on the name of Ruth’s first husband, the son of Naomi, Mahlon. Essentially this child would be the son of Mahlon, not the son of Boaz. This was the custom of the Jewish people at that time. Since Boaz did not have another wife or son, this was a huge decision. Boaz knew what God was asking of him. He knew his firstborn son would not be included in his family line. Since he was wealthy the inheritance was at risk also.

Boaz agreed to marry Ruth, redeem the and do what was right. He understood what he was giving up. Boaz and Ruth had a son, and they named him Obed. Obed was the grandfather of David. What I noticed today, was that as you read the genealogical line of Christ, Obed is listed as the son of Ruth and Boaz. Mahlon’s name is nowhere to be found.

Sometimes God asks us to make what appears to be a great sacrifice, like the sacrifice He was asking of Boaz, or the sacrifice He asked of Abraham with Issac. Then when we count the cost and choose to obey, we get even more than we were willing to give up. We can't see that before we make the sacrifice. Sometimes we may not see what God was up to until eternity. We need to remember that whether it seems like a good plan or not, God is up to something good. Abraham was given descendants that outnumbered the stars. Boaz was given a place, along with his son, in the genealogy of David and eventually Christ. God always gives more than He asks of us. Remember, He gave us His Son.