When something is not familiar, we usually want to run away from it. Leaving what you know for what you don’t know and embracing fresh experiences can be a challenge.
Let’s look at the story of Ruth and Naomi. Ruth was a Moabitess and the daughter-in-law to Naomi. Naomi had changed her name to Mara, which means bitter.
Naomi’s conversation, her countenance and her conduct were “Oh, woe is me,” but she still had faith toward God. She was not claiming what was hers. She was an heir to be able to marry Boaz, but she wasn’t going to do that.
Boaz is a type of a savior. He was the redeemer kinsman. Naomi sent her daughter-in-law out to glean in the fields.
Boaz saw the pretty girl and told his men, “Watch over her and see that she gets hands full on purpose. Leave her the gleanings, leave her the good part, then invite her to come in and have food with us.”
Ruth and her mother-in-law had plenty to eat because Boaz sent food home with Ruth. It was harvest time.
Right now, I believe harvest time is upon us. When I think of Naomi, I think of a church that is stuck in the traditions of yesterday.
We’re all being invited to come to a deeper understanding. You can resist that if you want to. From age to age there have always been those that miss the true moving of God because they want it to be like it used to be.
God’s not going back, he’s going forward. You can either be a part of the restoration or you can frustrate it.
Instead of embracing what was judicially and legally hers, Naomi who preferred to be called Mara, told her daughter-in-law, “It’s harvest time. They’re going to be out having a big party and all of them will be drinking. Watch Boaz and when he gets drunk and he’s laying down, then you go lay down by his feet and just wait until he awakens.”
When Boaz awakened, he was startled. Ruth said to him, “Extend the border of thy mantle and cover me.”
Here’s this beautiful young girl at his feet in the midnight hour. He was already attracted to her. He realizes immediately that he loves her, and he says, “I’m going to do right by you. I will extend the border of my mantle.
I’m going to marry you.”
Ruth followed the instructions of her mother-in-law who knew what to do but didn’t do it for herself.
Think about that for a second. You don’t want to be one of those. You don’t want to be one of those that says, “Listen, I had all the benefits, it was all mine, if I would have just taken it.”
No, don’t pass on what’s yours because you don’t want the procedure of having to embrace change. The greater the change, the greater the reward.
In this story, he said, “There is a kinsman that’s closer to you than I am.” I believe that represented Satan. He had a call; he had a legal hold upon the life. There would be an exchange.
The way they did it was bringing the elders into the city, and they would take a shoe.
Boaz said, “I want to redeem Ruth, the Moabitess, who was the wife of my brother’s children, my nephew. Now that they’re all passed away, I want to make her as my wife.”
However, the nearest kinsman to her had a legal hold on her. The enemy has a legal hold until the kinsman redeemer says, “I’m going to redeem her.”
He explained to the one that had the hold the price he has to pay. He said, “Listen, what you’ve got to do is buy her, pay her bills, and give her a part of the inheritance.”
Once the enemy realized the incredible price that had to be paid for the beloved of God, he said, “I don’t want any part of it.”
Then, there was an extending, an exchange of the shoe, which was witnessed by all the elders.
Boaz married Ruth. They were very happy and had a baby, Obed.
This grandson made Mara so happy. She decided to change her name back to Naomi and be pleasant again.
This represents the restoration of God bringing all of the church together, those that have missed out on claiming what was theirs.
Remember the Song of Solomon, when the king asked the queen, Shulamite, “I’ll give you anything you want,” and she said, “I want our little sister.”
I want those that have not had the maturity and that have not come to the place that their love and faith is sufficient for the day.
God says, “Because there’s an intercessor in the land, I will make them fit into the plan of God.”
What a God that we have that does incredible things like that!
Did you know that Obed grew up and he had a son named Jesse and Jesse had a son named David? From the heritage of a Moabitess, a heathen became a direct great, great, great, grandmother of guess who?
The Lord Jesus Christ!
We have got to understand the full power. God says, “Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
As we call upon the name of the Lord, our kinsman redeemer, he is going to the devil and he is saying, “Listen, I have Joe, I have Mary, I have Susie; I have the price to pay to redeem them. I will pay the price. I will bring them in. I want them to be mine.”
The enemy cannot afford that price. Satan cannot redeem you.
You have to make a decision. You have to make a choice to say, “Oh my God, the kinsman redeemer, I invite the power of the living God to come upon me.”
These days are very significant, very important days; days of amazing change, amazing power, amazing invitation that you are not going to miss.
You’re not going to be able to turn your birthright over.
Do you remember the story about the man that exchanged his birthright for a bowl of soup? He wept and cried. His name was Esau. He wasn’t crying over his lost birthright, he cried because he was caught. He didn’t value his birthright.
Value your birthright. Value the calling, and the election, and the gift that God wants to give to you – eternal life. You have got to make a choice.
I pray for you now. I loose upon you wisdom and the ability to use knowledge skillfully.
Claim what is yours. Don’t ignore it or pass it on. Embrace the experiences and benefits God has for you.
❤️?