Eternity Daily Bible Study No. 168 - A Redeemer Eternity Daily Bible Study - http://www.aibi.ph/eternity/ Asian Internet Bible Institute: http://www.aibi.ph Meet the Edmistons: Due to some fairly unusual circumstances we (John & Minda Edmiston) will be in West Coast USA (from Seattle to LA) from the 3rd to th 24th May. If you would like to catch up for coffee or invite us to speak to your church or bible study group email us on: (By the way I had no idea that we would be on deputation when I took up this series, earlier on this week!) (Ruth 4:7-15 NASB) Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. {8} So the closest relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." And he removed his sandal. {9} Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. {10} "Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased may not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today." ..... So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. {14} Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. {15} "May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him." A redeemer is someone who pays a price to get us out of a mess that we could not have got out of ourselves. The redeemer is a person, generally higher up in our community, who acts generously and lovingly on our behalf. It is considered an extra-ordinary act of kindness. An act of sheer goodness that prompted the women to say; "May his name become famous in Israel". The redeemer is a person of power with a kind and generous spirit. They are people who help others up - and do not tread others down. Elihu says of God: (Job 37:23 NKJV) "As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, In judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress." God does not oppress people, God is not small-minded, vengeful, evil and nasty. God is a Redeemer - a generous hearted patron of others who is lavish in His grace. The sheer kindness of God is difficult for most Christians to grasp and we can spend a lot of our Christian lives questioning his love, power, wisdom and goodness. We often ask "Why Lord?" in a tone that questions the intelligence of the Creator. We think He is dim, a little out of touch and generally unaware of our needs. Nothing could be further from the truth. God wants to bless us but will not bless self-centered querulousness. To put it in slightly New Age terms - the Universe does not respond to those that doubt its competence. God favors the bold, the faith-filled, the brave and the importunate who reckon on His absolute love. Job, in the pit of despair, came out with the statement "I know that my Redeemer liveth". Deep down Job was sure of the goodness of God and His abundant love. he just could not figure out why it had suddenly deserted him. Job's friends were sure of God's righteousness - but not of His goodness and never got the point Job was making. Job was sure that God was good, not just just, but blessed, not just fair, but fill of lovingkindness. Job felt abandoned and persecuted by Someone who he was sure had once loved him. Job KNEW that he had a Redeemer, someone far greater than Job (who was in turn the greatest of the men of the East) who was his patron and friend, and who would redeem him from troubles and deliver him from pain. Job was not left alone to fend in the world. he had God on his side. And in the end God turned up. God often turns up at the end of the deepest bitterness. Naomi was desolate, bitter, saying "call me Mara". The opening chapter of the book of Ruth records her complaint: (Ruth 1:20-21 NKJV) But 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?" Job says much the same: (Job 27:1-2 NKJV) Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said: {2} "As God lives, who has taken away my justice, And the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter, Deep down in th bowels of pain and suffering and anguish and bitterness of soul God is planning our redemption. In the agony of the cross, in the depths of Joseph's prison cell, in the depths of our grief, God is planning to act as our Redeemer. What then is the difference between those who suffer bitterly and find redemption and those who do not? Why do some people go on in their misery for scores of years while others find a way out and praise God? In my observation those that see redemption have a core belief that God is good and will come through, they have a fighting spirit and their suffering makes them angry in a good way. They do not fold. Joseph kept his ambitions and dreams, Job maintained his integrity, Naomi kept up her desire for her family to prosper and did her best. They fight the darkness, they hope, they reach out and they find light. God is your redeemer. He is your hope. He does love you and wants you to trust Him when all is dark and bitter and hopeless and all the human evidence is stacked against the goodness of God. He wants you to believe that He is more than fair and just. He wants you to stake everything on believing in His goodness, His mercy, His blessedness and His lovingkindness. He wants you to know His depths. Trusting in God as our Redeemer in the midst of life is a tough lesson. Perhaps the very toughest. It took Job and Naomi to the brink. It tests the very fibers of our being and the substance of our faith. If we survive it - and that is a genuine "if" at the the time, then we will come forth as gold. Blessings in Him, John Edmiston Asian Internet Bible Institute http://www.aibi.ph/ Free Online Bible And Ministry Training Dozens of free Christian ebooks: http://www.aibi.ph/ebooks/ Donate: http://www.aibi.ph/articles/donate.htm This devotional may be freely forwarded to others and used for non-profit ministry purposes as long as the following copyright notice is included. © Copyright John Edmiston 2003