I have been listening to teaching on the Book of Ruth (Thanks Malcolm). This is a nice story about faith and redemption. It is not a story about perfect people. Ruth was a Moabite and Moabites were considered second rate people under the Law, see Deuteronomy 23v3. Moabites were not to be included in the assemblies of Israel. They were descended from Abraham's nephew Lot by incest. Despite this shame, they were therefore however, close blood relatives to the Israelites. Unlike Canaanites, Moabites were not beyond the pail for intermarriage, Deuteronomy 7. Yet Ruth, marriageable for an Israelite but not to be accepted as a full Israelite under the Law, was included in the natural bloodline of David and therefore of Christ.
Ruth was the great grandmother of David. In the book, we see that Ruth married Boaz. Now Boaz's mother was Rahab, see Matthew 1v5. Rahab is spoken of in the Book of Joshua. Assuming it is the same Rahab in both cases (which is widely assumed; see for example the Spirit Filled Life Bible or the Wikipedia article on Rahab), this again shows that David had a dodgy family line in terms of legalistic purity according to the Law of Moses. Rahab was a prostitute, and also presumably a Canaanite, and therefore, according to the letter of the Law, unlike a Moabitess, not to be married, see Deuteronomy chapter 7.
Naomi the Israelite seized the opportunity when her daughter-in-law was shown unusual kindness by Boaz when they first met. The advice given by Naomi could also be seen as less than morally ideal. Ruth was told maximize her attractiveness and make her romantic intentions known to Boaz in a way which could be seen as seductive.
And so there were dodgy goings-on in the ancestry of David and therefore in the natural line of ancestry of Jesus himself.
It is notable that David himself had serious problems with sexual morality, which is not good ( 2 Sam 11,12). He did not get away with it. It is also notable that David did not adhere to the letter of the Law (1 Sam 21) and he did get away with it. Why? I believe that anyone who looks for the heart of God, the underlying kindness and mercy, finds that He does not hold them to the letter of the Law. That does not mean He overlooks all misdemeanors as David also found. We see these truths even in the time when the Law was deemed to reign over Israel. It also does not detract from the Law as being a broad indication of God's standards, even today. It just means, under grace, that we are not held to it in a pedantic way. God prefers growing intimacy to rigorous adherence to procedure. It means grace was available even during the dispensation of the Old Covenant for those who truly sought God as a friend and not just for a contract.
We see that Jesus had no definitive moral advantage in his human ancestry; what we would now probably call his 'DNA' or 'breeding'.
Ruth as we have pointed out, also did not have the right stuff when it came to ancestry. However, when confronted with people who knew of the God of Israel, she displayed a humble and contrite heart. She left her people for those who worshiped YAHWEH. She was willing to take a lowly role and a lowly future with those who were the people of God at that time. David too seemed to realize at at least one point in his life that God was not after rigorous Law-keepers, see Psalm 51v17-18. He was looking for those who were looking desperately, loyally, to Him, and those who walked with Him, or at least tried to, and acknowledged His Name.
Contrast this grace seen in the life of Ruth and Rahab with the rigorous and ruthless (interesting word) enforcement of legalistic righteousness seen in Ezra 10. Pagan wives are summarily put away without mercy. It is not clear whether any of these wives had, as Rahab did, a heart after God. If so, the Israelites were displaying an unnecessary, 'legalistic' cruelty to these, technically pagan, wives and their children.
The Law of Moses is a shadow of realities found in Christ. It is inadequate and insufficient. God is really looking for faith working through love (Galatians 5v6), not legalistic adherence to Law.*
Strict ritual (exemplified by the Law) absolves the heart of responsibility to forgive and love. Righteousness is reduced to ritual, procedure and checklist. This provokes us to self-justification and judgment of others. Faith alone however steers us into the arms of God, into adoration and surrender. The new life which comes forth from intimacy will start to keep the righteous requirements of the Law quite naturally, see Romans 8v1-4.
Attempting to keep the letter of the Law will very often make us miss God's heart. God was happy for His Son to be descended, humanly speaking, from people who, under the Law, would be rejected from the assembly of God.
And so Jesus was descended from an imperfect human line; imperfect in faith, imperfect legally speaking. However, His spiritual descent was perfect, the Holy Spirit was His Father, and this factor over-rode the natural factors completely.
The same is true for us; the Holy Spirit within us can over-ride the natural disadvantages and setbacks in our lives.
*However, it is possible to exhibit a degree of faith even in one's pursuit of God through the Law. I believe Ezra was doing just this. Primary theme; Ezra and the Israelites were looking to revive their worship of God after exile. Secondary theme; they did so by resurrecting the Law. But since this was all they understood, God accepted their efforts.
Ruth was the great grandmother of David. In the book, we see that Ruth married Boaz. Now Boaz's mother was Rahab, see Matthew 1v5. Rahab is spoken of in the Book of Joshua. Assuming it is the same Rahab in both cases (which is widely assumed; see for example the Spirit Filled Life Bible or the Wikipedia article on Rahab), this again shows that David had a dodgy family line in terms of legalistic purity according to the Law of Moses. Rahab was a prostitute, and also presumably a Canaanite, and therefore, according to the letter of the Law, unlike a Moabitess, not to be married, see Deuteronomy chapter 7.
Naomi the Israelite seized the opportunity when her daughter-in-law was shown unusual kindness by Boaz when they first met. The advice given by Naomi could also be seen as less than morally ideal. Ruth was told maximize her attractiveness and make her romantic intentions known to Boaz in a way which could be seen as seductive.
And so there were dodgy goings-on in the ancestry of David and therefore in the natural line of ancestry of Jesus himself.
It is notable that David himself had serious problems with sexual morality, which is not good ( 2 Sam 11,12). He did not get away with it. It is also notable that David did not adhere to the letter of the Law (1 Sam 21) and he did get away with it. Why? I believe that anyone who looks for the heart of God, the underlying kindness and mercy, finds that He does not hold them to the letter of the Law. That does not mean He overlooks all misdemeanors as David also found. We see these truths even in the time when the Law was deemed to reign over Israel. It also does not detract from the Law as being a broad indication of God's standards, even today. It just means, under grace, that we are not held to it in a pedantic way. God prefers growing intimacy to rigorous adherence to procedure. It means grace was available even during the dispensation of the Old Covenant for those who truly sought God as a friend and not just for a contract.
We see that Jesus had no definitive moral advantage in his human ancestry; what we would now probably call his 'DNA' or 'breeding'.
Ruth as we have pointed out, also did not have the right stuff when it came to ancestry. However, when confronted with people who knew of the God of Israel, she displayed a humble and contrite heart. She left her people for those who worshiped YAHWEH. She was willing to take a lowly role and a lowly future with those who were the people of God at that time. David too seemed to realize at at least one point in his life that God was not after rigorous Law-keepers, see Psalm 51v17-18. He was looking for those who were looking desperately, loyally, to Him, and those who walked with Him, or at least tried to, and acknowledged His Name.
Contrast this grace seen in the life of Ruth and Rahab with the rigorous and ruthless (interesting word) enforcement of legalistic righteousness seen in Ezra 10. Pagan wives are summarily put away without mercy. It is not clear whether any of these wives had, as Rahab did, a heart after God. If so, the Israelites were displaying an unnecessary, 'legalistic' cruelty to these, technically pagan, wives and their children.
The Law of Moses is a shadow of realities found in Christ. It is inadequate and insufficient. God is really looking for faith working through love (Galatians 5v6), not legalistic adherence to Law.*
Strict ritual (exemplified by the Law) absolves the heart of responsibility to forgive and love. Righteousness is reduced to ritual, procedure and checklist. This provokes us to self-justification and judgment of others. Faith alone however steers us into the arms of God, into adoration and surrender. The new life which comes forth from intimacy will start to keep the righteous requirements of the Law quite naturally, see Romans 8v1-4.
Attempting to keep the letter of the Law will very often make us miss God's heart. God was happy for His Son to be descended, humanly speaking, from people who, under the Law, would be rejected from the assembly of God.
And so Jesus was descended from an imperfect human line; imperfect in faith, imperfect legally speaking. However, His spiritual descent was perfect, the Holy Spirit was His Father, and this factor over-rode the natural factors completely.
The same is true for us; the Holy Spirit within us can over-ride the natural disadvantages and setbacks in our lives.
*However, it is possible to exhibit a degree of faith even in one's pursuit of God through the Law. I believe Ezra was doing just this. Primary theme; Ezra and the Israelites were looking to revive their worship of God after exile. Secondary theme; they did so by resurrecting the Law. But since this was all they understood, God accepted their efforts.
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