Remember the Poor-11

Is poverty the result of the decline of marriage in our society? Is it because of the feminist movement for sexual equality, which turns into sexual promiscuity? Is it a result or government welfare programs that actually incentivize women to have children without a husband? According to the Brookings Institute, it could be all of the above. Unfortunately, politics and social re-engineering blurs a real objective answer.

Since 1970, out-of-wedlock birth rates have soared. In 1965, 24 percent of black infants and 3.1 percent of white infants were born to single mothers. By 1990 the rates had risen to 64 percent for black infants, 18 percent for whites. Every year about one million more children are born into fatherless families. If we have learned any policy lesson well over the past 25 years, it is that for children living in single-parent homes, the odds of living in poverty are great. The policy implications of the increase in out-of-wedlock births are staggering.

Why don’t our programs and personal involvement adhere to God’s plan for the poor? One reason would be that our government and most of our society is ignorant, defiant, and antagonistic toward God and His Word.

Jesus told us that we would always have the poor.

Matthew 26:11  "For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. 

Since this is true, what has God provided for us to understand this great problem. We have studied the story of Ruth to gain understanding. How did it turn out?

Ruth 4:13  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. 

So Boaz lived up to his promise to Ruth, his commitment to redeem in front of 10 witnesses, and the commandments of God. He did not try and make it more favorable to him. He did not do it halfway. The other potential redeemer thought more of his personal wealth and inheritance, Boaz knew what God had required of him. Ruth may also have been attractive as she was younger than Boaz. Ruth had done her part of God’s plan as well.

4:14  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. 4:15  "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." 

What an interesting statement! May his name become famous in Israel! Ruth was not from Israel, but from Moab. Yet, this was all forgotten as they praised God for providing Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi with a male child. They all recognized the love of Ruth for Naomi, as it must have been evident to all, just as it was to Boaz.

Rth 4:16  Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 4:17  The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi!" So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 

A widow from Moab is in the lineage of Jesus! Salmon’s wife was Rahab (the harlot) who would have been Ruth’s mother in law if she had still been alive. Boaz knew personally what it meant to be part of Israel, yet have a mother who was not.

4:18  Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, 4:19  and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, 4:20  and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, 4:21  and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, 4:22  and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David. 

Lessons from Ruth

Ruth turned from idolatry to the only true and living God.

Ruth left her country to go with Naomi

Ruth began her journey in Israel by gleaning in the fields which turned out to belong to Boaz.

Everyone seemed to know what kind of woman Ruth was.

There was no charity, God’s requires the poor to work, just as He requires His people to help the poor.

Boaz knew what God required, but did not know or think Ruth would be interested in being his wife until she came to him at the thrashing house.

Boaz fulfilled his right to redeem Ruth.

God’s sovereign plan is hard to see at the begining of the story. Ruth lost her husband, Naomi lost two sons and her husband. They were not in Israel and seemingly all alone to fend for themselves.

Sometimes it is only visible what God had been doing when we take time to look back.

God’s plan, for those who love Him and keep His commandments, are always better than our plans.

Never let your plans get ahead of your prayers

More next Saturday.