LET THERE BE LIGHT!

by | Mar 9, 2023 | 2015 | 0 comments

It’s a cold, misty, mid winter’s morning here in Cape Town. The kind of morning when you want to stay in bed with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book.  

Now and then there’s a light patch in the sky where the sun is trying to make an appearance, but soon the mist closes in again. Even the birds seem to be sleeping late.

But I can be fairly confident that by the middle of the day the mist will have lifted and changed everything I see. It will be warmer and clearer – encouraging me to get busy with something useful.

I have just finished reading the book of Judges in the Bible, a book that resembles the weather today. It’s all about the misguided actions and involvements of the Israelites after the death of their hero Joshua, who led them triumphantly into the Promised Land. Samson and Gideon break through the ‘clouds’ at times, but the mists of self reliance and human reasoning soon close in again. The book ends with everyone doing his own thing, even after a monstrously violent episode which rivals anything in the news today (Judges 19 and 20).

Then I turned the page and started to read the book of Ruth, realizing that these events took place during that same gloomy period. The story of Ruth (meaning friendship) is one of persistence and purpose. Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, was about to return to the land of Israel. Though Ruth insisted on following her back home, Naomi pointed out that life might be better for her if she remained with her own people, the Moabites. At least she might find another husband there, while prospects in Israel were not too good for a foreign girl.  But Ruth would have none of it. Come whatever, even death, she would cling to Naomi, who had by this time changed her name to ‘Mara’, meaning ‘bitter’. Small wonder, seeing she had lost her husband and two sons.

Back in Bethlehem, Ruth faithfully follows Naomi’s instructions about gathering the leftovers of the barley harvest. She finds herself gleaning in the fields of Boaz, a relative of Naomi on her husband’s side.  She finally marries Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer, and is incorporated into the physical family tree of King David, the ancestor of Jesus Christ.  In Old Testament law, a kinsman-redeemer was a male relative who, according to various laws of the Pentateuch, had the privilege or responsibility to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need.

This story has a wonderfully happy ending for both Ruth and Naomi. It’s like the sun finally breaking through here around midday.

No bed of roses

I couldn’t help seeing the similarities between the story of Ruth and our calling as Christians. Jesus didn’t promise us a bed of roses, but more likely a difficult time – “foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head”( Matthew 8:20). This was His reply to a teacher of the law who wanted to follow Him. On another occasion, He made it clear that there was a cost involved in discipleship. If anyone wanted to build a tower, or consider making war with a rival, he should count the cost. There was no way it would be easy street. Like Ruth, Christians might have to forsake some of their advantages in life, perhaps even putting their calling before their own families.

But there would be huge compensations!  Just as Ruth gleaned in the barley fields of Boaz and experienced his kindness and protection, so we can have spiritual reassurance when we put our lives in the hand of our Kinsman-Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We get to have fellowship with other Christians, sometimes in a more meaningful way than with our blood relatives. And like Ruth, we are destined to marry our Kinsman-Redeemer – in fact to become the bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7-8). That’s got to be the ultimate happy ending.

Though we can still see the dark clouds and storms around us, good things are happening at the same time. The gospel is being preached in places we’ve probably never heard of, and people are turning to Christ even in the midst of chaos and crime. This is the news we don’t see – the Kingdom of God advancing steadily under the guidance of our Kinsman-Redeemer.

By the way, I see the mist has lifted and the sun is shining. There are things I must do while the weather allows.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *