by Pastor Douglas Brauner

Pausing at the Pivotal Moments of Our Redemption

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“[Naomi replied to Ruth], ‘Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out…'”
Ruth 3:19a English Standard Version

Being familiar with the Scriptures is both positive and negative.

Being intimate with the Bible is beneficial. Hopefully we see Jesus in the Scriptures. We see our need for Jesus, we see our hope in Jesus, we see our future in Jesus.

So what could be negative about being tuned in to the Bible?

When you know a stories of the Bible like the back of your hand, it’s easy to miss those times when our salvation hangs in the balance. The story of Ruth is one of those pivotal points in our redemption.

What if the first guy had married Ruth rather than Boaz?

Ruth’s husband had died and left Ruth without a son as an heir to carry on the family name. The Bible states that such a woman was to become the wife of the dead husband’s relative. He was to be her kinsman redeemer that he might keep his relative’s name alive.

Boaz had to first approach the man who was closer in relation to Ruth’s husband to see if he would carry out his obligation. Naomi tells Ruth to wait and see what will happen.

This kinsman redeemer doesn’t fulfil his responsibility which frees Boaz to marry her. If this is the first time that we’ve read the story, we might be struck with the possibility that Ruth could have become another man’s wife: No Obed. No Jesse. No King David. (Ruth 4:22) No Savior.

We hear the words of Naomi as if they were meant for us, “Wait…until you hear how the matter turns out.” Even though we know how Jesus’ story ends, may we listen to his march to the cross as if it’s the first time we’ve heard the story. May we pause at those pivotal moments when our salvation hangs in the balance and thank God that Jesus made it to his cross and empty tomb.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado