路得記4:13-22

4:13 於是，波阿斯娶了路得為妻，與她同房。耶和華使她懷孕生了一個兒子。
4:14 婦人們對拿俄米說：「耶和華是應當稱頌的！因為今日沒有撇下你，使你無至近的親屬。願這孩子在以色列中得名聲。
4:15 他必提起你的精神，奉養你的老，因為是愛慕你的那兒婦所生的。有這兒婦比有七個兒子還好！」
4:16 拿俄米就把孩子抱在懷中，作他的養母。
4:17 鄰舍的婦人說：「拿俄米得孩子了！」就給孩子起名叫俄備得。這俄備得是耶西的父，耶西是大衛的父。
4:18 法勒斯的後代記在下面：法勒斯生希斯崙；
4:19 希斯崙生蘭；蘭生亞米拿達；
4:20 亞米拿達生拿順；拿順生撒門；
4:21 撒門生波阿斯；波阿斯生俄備得；
4:22 俄備得生耶西；耶西生大衛。

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. ¹⁴ The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. ¹⁷ The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
¹⁸ This, then, is the family line of Perez:

Perez was the father of Hezron,

¹⁹ Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,

²⁰ Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,^[d]

²¹ Salmon the father of Boaz,

Boaz the father of Obed,

²² Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of David.

****************

    路得雖然是外邦女子，卻被列在王朝的族譜中。照這個族譜，她是大衛的曾祖母。而在主耶穌的族譜中也是有提到路得：「撒門從喇合氏生波阿斯；波阿斯從路得氏生俄備得；俄備得生耶西；」（馬太福音1:5）

    這也讓我們看見非常重是血統純正的猶太人，竟然也會讓家譜有外邦女子，也是很特別。不過這也要告訴我們，耶穌基督不只是猶太人的救主，也是外邦人的救主。

    因此，在基督裡不再分外邦人和猶太人，也不再受國籍、血緣、文化、…等等的限制了，因為耶穌基督是萬國萬民的救主！

路得記4章

       路得記4:1-12      , 

       路得記4:13-22 ,

 

 

 

路得記4:1-12

4:1 波阿斯到了城門，坐在那裡，恰巧波阿斯所說的那至近的親屬經過。波阿斯說：「某人哪，你來坐在這裡。」他就來坐下。
4:2 波阿斯又從本城的長老中揀選了十人，對他們說：「請你們坐在這裡。」他們就都坐下。
4:3 波阿斯對那至近的親屬說：「從摩押地回來的拿俄米，現在要賣我們族兄以利米勒的那塊地；
4:4 我想當贖那塊地的是你，其次是我，以外再沒有別人了。你可以在這裡的人面前和我本國的長老面前說明，你若肯贖就贖，若不肯贖就告訴我。」那人回答說：「我肯贖。」
4:5 波阿斯說：「你從拿俄米手中買這地的時候，也當娶（原文是買；十節同）死人的妻摩押女子路得，使死人在產業上存留他的名。」
4:6 那人說：「這樣我就不能贖了，恐怕於我的產業有礙。你可以贖我所當贖的，我不能贖了。」
4:7 從前，在以色列中要定奪甚麼事，或贖回，或交易，這人就脫鞋給那人。以色列人都以此為證據。
4:8 那人對波阿斯說：「你自己買吧！」於是將鞋脫下來了。
4:9 波阿斯對長老和眾民說：「你們今日作見證，凡屬以利米勒和基連、瑪倫的，我都從拿俄米手中置買了；
4:10 又娶了瑪倫的妻摩押女子路得為妻，好在死人的產業上存留他的名，免得他的名在本族本鄉滅沒。你們今日可以作見證。」
4:11 在城門坐著的眾民和長老都說：「我們作見證。願耶和華使進你家的這女子，像建立以色列家的拉結、利亞二人一樣。又願你在以法他得亨通，在伯利恆得名聲。
4:12 願耶和華從這少年女子賜你後裔，使你的家像她瑪從猶大所生法勒斯的家一般。」

Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer^[a] he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

² Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. ³ Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. ⁴ I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you^[b] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.”
“I will redeem it,” he said.
⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the^[c] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”
⁶ At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”
⁷ (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)
⁸ So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.
⁹ Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”
¹¹ Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. ¹² Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

****************

    波阿斯是一個辦事有次序的人，該怎樣進行就怎樣進行，尤其是財產的承接一點也不馬虎，把事情處理的有條有理。因為照猶太人的律法，取得土地也要娶過世兄弟的妻子，好使兄弟的財產不制失落。

    然而可以有第一順位承繼的人，不願意娶路得為妻，就失去了承繼的權利了。波阿斯願意娶路得為妻，就可以取得土地了！而這樣的舉動就蒙了長老的祝福：「我們作見證。願耶和華使進你家的這女子，像建立以色列家的拉結、利亞二人一樣。又願你在以法他得亨通，在伯利恆得名聲。願耶和華從這少年女子賜你後裔，使你的家像她瑪從猶大所生法勒斯的家一般。」

    從這件事的過程，我們看見上帝賜福，在願意選擇遵行旨意的人身上。正如波阿斯，願意承擔起路得的事情，讓家族的土地得以完整，上帝就大大的賜福給波阿斯。

箴言17:19

喜愛爭競的，是喜愛過犯；高立家門的，乃自取敗壞。

Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
    whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

*************

    「喜愛爭競的」，就是愛爭吵的人，這樣的人常常是自以為是，正如後面說到的「高立家門」。這些人常常是希望別人聽他的，他卻不願意聽別人的！甚至在教會中喜愛為頭，用不奉獻或離開教會來恐嚇人，好像大家都應該怕他，甚至連傳道人都要掌控。

    然而這等人之所以有這樣的表現，是因為仍然受到罪性的控制，不是一位重生的基督徒，雖然他的家族已經信主好幾代。但是從來不清楚基督徒所當看重的是什麼，只覺得自己最大，大家都要聽他的！

    所以，遇到這樣的人，當為他禱告求主保守，讓他能夠曉悟自己的狀態，也能夠清楚信仰的原則，不要再「喜愛爭競」，願意謙卑在基督的權能之下，願意讓基督居首位，而不是自己最大！

箴言17:18

在鄰舍面前擊掌作保乃是無知的人。

One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
    and puts up security for a neighbor.

*************

    為鄰舍做保證人是一件愚昧的事情，因為人心是不可靠的，之所以不可靠是因為被罪性所綑鎖，所以沒有自由可以履行責任的事情。為鄰舍做保的危險就是這樣來的。

    雖然如此，耶穌基督卻願意為我們做中保在上帝面前。祂做這個中保可不容易啊！祂為了完成中保的職分，還要犧牲自己的性命，把自己當成祭物，為我們的罪死在十字架上呢！這個中保可使賠上自己，也在所不惜，就是要完成上帝的信實。

    因此，我們可以坦然無懼的來到上帝面前，不需要任何聖徒代求，我們靠耶穌基督也成了聖徒，是聖潔無有瑕疵了！這樣的聖潔不是從我們來的，是上帝透過耶穌基督賜給我們的！這是上帝在基督裡的恩典，更是上帝給人的福音！