Ruth: 3:1-9; a study on chesed – the substance of all things, God’s glory.

Title: Ruth: 3:1-9; a study on chesed - the substance of all things, God’s glory.

 

MAT 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

 

MAT 6:20 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

 

MAT 6:21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 

MAT 6:22 "The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear [singular], your whole body will be full of light.

 

This does not mean asceticism. There is no command against owning property. Paul wrote Timothy to teach the rich not to be conceited, not to give everything away. They, as well as the poor are to be gracious and cheerful givers. However, if I look at the material aspect of my things as the real treasure than I am storing up that aspect of them.

 

If I look at the material aspect of my things as their real treasure then that is all I am storing up. I must store up the glory of God in them.

 

These are the eyes of the soul that see the glory of God because they have intently and humbly

 

In RUT 3:1 we read of Naomi’s plan for Ruth to ask Boaz to marry her. We noted the obvious fact that God used this plan, and with the bravery and faith of Ruth, that the end was more than marriage, but in fact redemption. We asked, how did God use Naomi’s plan to His benefit, and we went to the NT to see our Lord’s teaching on God’s involvement in the affairs of men, notably in Luk 12, where Jesus says that the hairs of our head are numbered. God knows all and He knows how to use the free decisions of man.

 

Yet, as we normally do, we looked at the context of that teaching. The Lord started His discourse by warning His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which was hypocrisy. They hypocrite can fool others and he can actually think he is fooling God.

 

It was just after this teaching that a man in the crowd asked Jesus to intercede in his dealings with his brother.

 

Let’s read it again. The Lord reveals more of the teaching on the material and the real substance of ownership. 

 

LUK 12:1 Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

 

LUK 12:2 "But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

 

LUK 12:3 "Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

 

LUK 12:4 "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

 

LUK 12:5 "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who after He has killed has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!

 

LUK 12:6 "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? And yet not one of them is forgotten before God.

 

LUK 12:7 "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.

 

LUK 12:8 "And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man shall confess him also before the angels of God;

 

LUK 12:9 but he who denies Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

 

LUK 12:10 "And everyone who will speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him.

 

The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was in reference to the Pharisee’s accusation that Jesus did miracles by the power of the devil.

 

LUK 12:11 "And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not become anxious about how or what you should speak in your defense, or what you should say;

 

LUK 12:12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

 

Keep the context. The hairs of your head are numbered. You are more valuable than sparrows, of which the Lord knows intimately. Even when you are wrongfully abused, the Lord knows exactly what you need and He will deliver it.

 

LUK 12:13 And someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me."

 

We might imagine a number of reasons why this man thought that this was a good time to ask this. Maybe the truth of God knowing all his needs has opened to him and he then realizes that his brother has defrauded him of his portion of his father’s inheritance. I think this likely. Why ask such a thing to Jesus who is not a judge of such things? Jesus just said that the Father knows all about our lives, so He knows about this fraud, and since the Father will provide my needs, He will provide me my part of the money. Seems straight forward enough.

 

Yet, is the money important, or is something else far more important in this man’s relationship to his brother, father, and money?

 

LUK 12:14 But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbiter over you?" 

 

LUK 12:15 And He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."

 

Clearly, possessions are not life.

 

LUK 12:16 And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a certain rich man was very productive.

 

LUK 12:17 "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?'

 

LUK 12:18 "And he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

 

LUK 12:19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."'

 

LUK 12:20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'

 

LUK 12:21 "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

 

Compare this rich man to Boaz. What does Boaz still possess?

 

The man in the parable only saw the material of his possessions. Let’s compare him with Boaz who was also rich in grain and goods. What does Boaz yet still possess? His valor, lovingkindness, his graciousness to Ruth and Naomi, his love of the word of God are all eternal. Ruth and Naomi were the recipients of these and so it was these things in their relationships which was the real inheritance of Boaz. The rich man in the parable could have done many things with his riches that were in the realm of the glory of God, but all he did was to store up the material, which when he died, was lost to him and given to another.

 

Again:

If I look at the material aspect of my things as their real treasure then that is all I am storing up. I must store up the glory of God in them.

 

MAT 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

 

MAT 6:20 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

 

MAT 6:21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 

MAT 6:22 "The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear [singular], your whole body will be full of light.

 

The heavenly treasure is directly associated with the glory of God in everything and everyone in our lives. The heavenly treasure is unseen to the natural eye while it is fully beheld by the spiritual retina.

 

Let’s take the example of a human relationship and let’s find the real substance in it.

 

Even in a person, I could treasure what they look like, their skin, their form, their clothes, etc. I could treasure what they give to me: material, comfort, time, etc. All of this is measured and of the earth. I do not neglect the material aspect of any blessing, or fail to appreciate them, and if needed, I happily let them go in giving or in losing, for the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be His name. The material aspect of a person, place, or thing is not the real substance. Let’s look at a few things that are the real substance of a relationship.

 

The real substance of a relationship is mercy. It is the thought of giving up anything for their benefit. The substance exists, well before the giving is done. The substance is agape love.

 

Mercy is in my soul due to my relationship with the Trinity, well before it is needed by another person.

 

The eye of my soul must be fixed upon mercy and love. When I lose this focus, I lose sight of the glory of God in my relationship with that person, and we all know what that turns into. It results in bitterness, anger, jealousy, and even hatred. Spiritual glaucoma results in self-pity, arrogance, and condemnation. I will find something that they haven’t done that I wanted or expected. I have completely lost sight of the glory of God in my relationship.

 

Think about it and don’t let it go. Find the glory of God in every relationship you have, and if it still looks to foggy, go to God in prayer and ask.

 

When I find it difficult to see the glory of God in a certain relationship, ask God in prayer.