“Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a kinsman closer than I. Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until the morning.”
— Ruth 3:12-13
Our natural man, which is our closest kinsman, is inclined toward these three aspects of the religious world, each of which replaces Christ. First, our natural man desires to please God by fulfilling the law. Second, he desires to hold onto and defend an ideology. We should only defend the common faith adhered to by all genuine believers, as revealed in the Bible. Third, we are confident that we can do something for Christ. Because our natural man is so close to us, if we are ever to belong to Christ alone, we need Him as our Boaz to take action on our behalf.
Adapted from Ruth: Growth Unto Maturity, page 83.
Monday: “I Compare You, My Love, to a Mare….”