PENTECOST

The day of Pentecost commemorates God’s people receiving God’s laws and His Holy Spirit, but it is also an exciting prophecy about the Church marrying Jesus Christ.

The Book of Ruth

The book of Ruth was written in the Bible especially for our time today and it is far more important than most people realize.

Ruth 1:1 “In the days when the judges ruled...” The story begins during the period of Israel’s judges. The book of Judges is part of what is know as the former prophets, which is definitely prophecy for our day. In the time of the judges, Israel was very evil and corrupt - a time much like today.

Judges 21:25 “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” There was no king in Israel at the time. this was before God instructed the prophet, Samuel, to anoint Saul as the first king of Israel Israel, generally would not seek direction from the judge. So, every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Israel’s ultimate hope is in the Second Coming and our marriage to Jesus Christ. That message is what the book of Ruth is all about.

There are five books that the Jews consider “festival scrolls”; they read each one on a particular holy day every year. On the day of Pentecost, the Jews read Ruth, a book that holds a lot of meaning for them. This book holds even greater meaning and depth for members of God’s true Church. It needs to be understood by those whom the Bible calls “firstfruits”, who are called before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Ruth 1:22 “So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.”

Ruth and Boaz courted during the spring harvest, and they married on Pentecost. The story occurs during that 50-day period. It is a type of the Church’s marriage to Jesus Christ! Boaz was a type of Christ, and Ruth was a type of the end-time Church at Christ’s Second Coming. This story is about all of the “firstfruits” making it to the end of the harvest when the marriage occurs.

The book of Ruth progressively leads to the Church’s marriage to Jesus Christ. What Ruth talks about leads right up to our ultimate destiny; becoming the Bride of Christ! This epic event is pictured on Pentecost, and that is what this book is all about.

To make matters even more inspiring, Ruth was an ancestor of King David - the great grandmother in his royal lineage. The book of Ruth relates the physical origins of the house of David.

Times of Trials

Sometimes in trials we have a hard time seeing any good coming from it: we can’t understand why God would allow it. How many of us would stay with God if we lost our husband and two sons? But we must have faith to know that God is love, and He will never do anything that would be harmful to us.

Naomi had been reduced to nothing. She was really experiencing a harsh trial. To lose a great husband and two sons, whom she loved dearly, was a massive fiery trial to say the least!

Ruth 1:20–21 ““Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”” Naomi means “pleasant or delight”. Mara means “bitter”. It is terribly bitter for a woman to lose her entire family.

We must know by faith that our husband will protect us in every way possible. When you experience a serious trial, you really must know that, or you might turn and walk away from God as many have! We must always submit to God, even when He disciplines us .

When Naomi was going through all her trials, she had no idea where God was leading the situation. Yet difficult as it was for Naomi, through it all, she remained loyal and faithful to God. She just decided that she would not leave God. She knew God was working something out, especially through Ruth. But she had to learn it as she went along.

When Ruth lost her husband, it was also a fiery trial for her. But you must look at it the way Ruth did. She knew God had a purpose in this. We have to keep this in mind when fiery trials afflict us.

God Offers a Choice

Naomi began her journey to go back to Judah. Both daughters-in-law started out with Naomi. But then through God’s inspiration, Naomi told them about this hard choice they would have to make.

Ruth 1:8–10 “Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.””

Both daughters-in-laws said at this stage that they wanted to stay with Naomi. But Naomi countered with several arguments:

Ruth 1:11–13 “But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons—would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!””

This is God’s way in getting us to count the cost. We have to fully realize what we are getting into before committing to follow God.

At that point, Orpah rethought her position: Ruth 1:14 “At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.”

Orpah turned her back on Naomi while Ruth remained faithful.

Orpah means to turn the back or to turn back. Her name was a prophecy of what she did. The fact that it says she turned her back shows that at one time she knew the God of Israel. Orpah was on the right track for a time, but here she made a deadly decision . I think it’s safe to say that she was lukewarm.

Revelation 3:15–16 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

We want to be like Ruth and cleave to God. There will be hardships in doing so, and we must count the cost; but look at the reward; We will marry Jesus Christ! This is the very best that God has to offer men and women of this world - nothing else in the Bible equals it in glory or opportunity! This is not fantasy; it is real, and it is worth sacrificing and striving for. We have to reach a certain level of character before we will be ready for our marriage to Jesus Christ. We have to passionately love the law that God gave on that first Pentecost.

Jesus taught us this lesson on how we must not make a commitment to God lightly. He demands that each of us count the cost:

Luke 14:25–27 “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:28–30 ““Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’”

Luke 14:31–33 ““Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”

Total Commitment

Look at the incredible attitude Ruth displayed toward Naomi: Ruth 1:16–17 “But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.””

How powerful Ruth’s declaration is! This is the wholehearted attitude Christ wants from his bride. He wants total commitment from her.

Ruth had counted the cost. She knew what she was doing. So what did Naomi finally do? Ruth 1:18 “When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.”

You know that if you have total commitment, some of the pressure of this life is bound to be lessened. If Satan sees real determination in us, he is likelier to leave us alone, as far as trying to change our mind goes. Do we have Ruth’s determination? Do we cause people to say, “There’s no need to talk to that person - they’ are solidly in the Church until they die. Of course, we cannot discount that Satan will always try to destroy us.

We want to be like Ruth and cleave to God, in the same manner that Ruth chose to cleave to Naomi. Ruth was the essence of true loyalty. She had the unwavering commitment that it takes to be in the Kingdom of God.

When someone is Baptized into God’s Church, this is the commitment that he or she makes to God. When we get Baptized, we are committing to move to a new land, becoming a part of a new people, following the true God. We enter a new family - a NEW LIFE! When I counsel someone for Baptism, I make sure to spell this out very clearly. Every person has to realize what he or she is getting into. God doesn’t want anyone to follow who cannot keep this commitment! It must be the very same depth of commitment that Ruth had!

I Will Do Whatever You Say

Naomi gave Ruth some peculiar instructions:

Ruth 3:2–4 “Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.””

This is a strange custom. It seemed very unusual and even undignified. But focus on Ruth’s incredible attitude: Ruth 3:5 ““I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered.”

What an attitude! This is not about looking to a man or a woman. This is about our attitude toward God. Yes, He will put us through some unpleasant circumstances at times. But we need to strive for this wonderful attitude: I will do whatever you say.

This is the attitude we must have toward Jesus Christ. He wants us to get to the point where we say, “I will do whatever you say” - even if we don’t understand it! Will you humble yourself to the point of total submission? And will you do it with a good attitude? This is where the real battle goes on in these fiery trials, and sometimes it takes time to work your way through it.

This is the attitude Christ demands of His wife, an attitude which shows you have faith that God knows what He is doing. When we have this attitude, God trusts that He will never have another Lucifer rebelling against Him. God is going to bring each of us to this point before we marry Him.

Ruth not only said she would follow Naomi’s instructions, she followed through to the details: Ruth 3:6 “So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.”

God is saying that if we will get to the point where we will do all that God says and won’t compromise on even one detail, then He will make us His wife for all eternity.

Again, how real is this to you? Our spiritual marriage isn’t far away. We don’t have much more time to prepare for it.

Protection

Ruth 3:7–9 “When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet! “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.””

Ruth’s request to Boaz to “spread thy skirt over thine handmaid” was a reference to a custom at that time. The Hebrew meaning literally means to “spread your wing”, which symbolized protection, like a chick seeking refuge under the wing of its mother. Even today, when a Jew marries a woman, he spreads the skirts of his prayer mantle over her to represent his protection of her. Ruth showed that she wanted to marry Boaz, and he reciprocated.

Boaz’s protection of Ruth is a vital part of the covenant. it is a type if Christ’s protection of His faithful saints. God says He will protect us, or keep us under His skirt, if we have this depth of submission toward Him. And we are going to need His protection even more in the soon coming future.

Ezekiel 5 :1-2 describes the terrible destruction and enslavement that will afflict the modern nations descended from ancient Israel, One third of the people in in these nations will die from societal breakdown in the cities, one third will die in a foreign military attack, and one third will enslaved and taken to other nations as captives.

God says that even among those who survive as slaves, He will draw out the sword after them. That is the wrath God has toward the people of Israel and those lukewarm ones in the Church because of their own sins. The violence is going to produce rivers of blood. There is going to be nuclear devastation!

God is wrathful because of our wickedness and evil - especially those who have known God. He is going to punish, punish, and punish as mankind can’t even imagine, because we have never seen such calamity before. It is a fearful thing to those that do not have God’s protection over them.

When these terrible times come upon the whole world, our Husband will look after us and take us to a place of safety. Notice Ezekiel 5:3 “Thou shalt take therefore a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts.” Right in the context of all the destruction, it says that God will take “a few” - His very elect - and protect them! God will take His people who have attitudes like Ruth’s to a place of safety. The day when that will be needed is at the door. NOBODY ON EARTH HAS EVER NEEDED PROTECTION LIKE WE ARE GOING TO NEED IT IN THE NEAR FUTURE!

God protects us even today. Of course we have trials and tests. We know that He allows trials and they are always for an important reason: Our Husband is getting us ready to marry Him. Without trials, we wouldn’t grow: we would stagnate. He is going to put us through a nuclear tribulation, but we are never outside of His protection, if we remain faithful to Him.

Any good husband will protect his wife. But what about having the ALL-POWERFUL, Jesus Christ protecting you? As the rest of the people of Israel are killed, dying, or being swept into captivity, the protection Christ offers will be truly precious. This is what he will do for those who have made and kept their marriage covenant with HIM!