December 2008 (A Lesson from Salmon, Rahab, Ruth and Boaz)
Dear Wowsarang Friends in the Lord,
It's again a very joyous season. I don't know whether Christmas day or Easter Sunday is the most joyous one for all Christians throughout ages.
Anyway, for sure in our lifetime we have this joyous season once again in God's infinite grace. I want to mention two famous ancestresses of Jesus. They had the living and saving faith in Jehovah God. One of them is Ruth from the Book of Ruth in the O.Testament. The other one is Rahab from the Book of Joshua.
Interestingly, Matthew spells out an obscure man by name Salmon who got married to Rahab, the proselyte from Jericho (Matt. 1:5). Out of Salmon's union with Rahab, Boaz was born. This Boaz from Bethlehem got married to another proselyte from Moab, Ruth. Like a father, like a son! Thus, we have a very unique family snap shot of a fathe-mother and their son and daughter-in-law. Got it?
Jehovah God gave graciously a saving and unmovable faith to the prostitute, Rahab out of His infinite grace and mercy. Likewise, He gave the same kind of a faith to the Moabitess, Ruth who was poor, hopeless, and helpless widow. And Salmon and Boaz honored God by marrying Rahab and Ruth respectively with an obedience to His Covenant promises through the Messiah.
Our covenant God is always faithful to His own people regarding His promises through His "Anointed One", the Messiah, the Christ!
God's providence brought Rahab and Salmon together. Later He did same to their son Boaz and Ruth. At the crux of this whole inter-racial relationship is God's marvelous faithfulness to His own Covenant promises. And out of the faithfulness of the Father God, the Mediator of this Covenant of Grace, Jesus Christ was born on the Christmas Day.
To those four persons involved in this providence, God gave an immutable saving faith. All of them exercised such a gift without any fears or doubts for their future. Jehovah held their future securely in His Covenant promises.
To the married, today, look in the eyes of your spouse and say, "You are the perfect gift of God through Jesus Christ to me, the unworthy sinner!" The overflowing joy and gratitude to Jehovah God shall fill your heart and mind for the rest of your life!
To the singles, I will say with an absolute belief in the same Covenant God, Jehovah, "Rejoice in Jesus Who took away all your sins!" This same Jesus and His Father will guide and protect you for your future godly and God-honoring marriage. Are you willing to exercise God-given saving faith no matter what? If you do, there will be a joy-filled marriage for you!
Salmon, Rahab, Boaz and Ruth followed the coming example of their Messiah without any sight of Him! Are you willing to show same kind of an obedient faith to Jesus at His birth?
At His birth, we cannot but rejoyce with faith not sight!
Your brother and pastor
Sunny Boaz
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