"And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord [Shub Nephesh], which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that His name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him."
Ruth 4:15
When you get to Heaven, who after Jesus Christ your Shub Nephesh would you like to be introduced to?
Is it Abraham, Paul, Daniel, Joseph, David, Deborah, Samson, Esther, the disciples, Elijah, Elisha, Hannah, Timothy, the Bereans, or perhaps an influencer for Christ who lived outside the Bible times? Is it too many to count? Perhaps, it is as many as you can! There are so many people in the Bible (and outside the Bible) who were imperfect people like you and me, but living for God became a constant renewal and repentance in their heart and mind. That, in and of itself, gives me hope that I can be used of God.
Those listed above were flesh and blood just like you and me, and we too can have imperfect (yet perfect) stories of hope in Christ with the enabling power of the Holy Spirit!
At this present time, it is unknown to me whether the interpretation of these verses prophesy to the future of Jesus Christ being the Renewer of life, or if they are speaking of Obed (Ruth's and Boaz' child, Naomi's kinsman). Regardless, the application still stands that God is the ultimate Shub Nephesh in this story, and in the story of many, many others.
In this moment, if I had to choose a person I would want to meet when I get to Heaven after meeting Jesus Christ, I would most definitely choose Ruth the Moabite.
Her and I have something in common. We are both imperfect Gentiles. The reason I would want to meet her is because of her Christ-like example of pure, undefiled religion before God.
Allow me to give some background on her past. Her religion used to be to false gods and idols. Namely, one main god named Kemosh or Chemosh which was known to mean "destroyer" or "subduer". He was a heavy-handed and mean-spirited god. When he saw fit to be angry, he would pour out his wrath on his worshippers.
See below:
In fact, this god Chemosh was called "the abomination of Moab" by God (1 Kings 11:7). Second Kings 3:27 and historical findings record that Chemosh demanded human sacrifice from his followers. It was not uncommon for Moabite worshippers to offer their children on the altar to appease the wrath of this pagan, man-made god.
That was Ruth's past. But it was just that. Her past...
We see that Ruth truly had a change of direction in her life. It is demonstrated through her pure religion that evidenced a personal relationship with Shub Nephesh the one true God. James 1:27 says, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
It is recorded throughout the Old Testament and in passages such as Exodus 22:22-24 and Deuteronomy 14:28-29, that God had always required that His people be distinct in their love for Him and their neighbor by providing for the widows indeed (1 Timothy 5:3-16), and the fatherless children (Psalm 82:3).
It is apparent that Ruth had knowledge of the current Old Testament and/or Pentateuch or Torah, and that she was a believer in the LORD. We see her response to her mother-in-law (now a widow) as evidence affirming that Ruth learned Who the Renewer of life was.
In Ruth 1:16-17, she says,
"Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me."
Ruth once served a god who was a destroyer of life and a subduer of life; she served a god that was temperamental and hot-headed; she served a god who had no personal love for those who were his "children" or followers.
She saw first-hand the neglect and divisiveness of Kemosh, and then she was introduced to the God named Shub Nephesh-- Renewer of life-- and that was the God she desired to serve...
"For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee. Among the gods there is none like unto Thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto Thy works.
All nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee, O Lord; and shall glorify Thy name. For Thou art great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone."
Psalm 86:5, 8-10
God's gift of eternal life to all mankind (Jews and Gentiles) is the most marvelous and will only ever be the most marvelous inclusive gift given; yet, it is the only exclusive relationship with the Lord that every soul will need to live in Heaven...
If you claim Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, God has given you (just like He did Ruth), a new life in Him. Renewer of life is one of His many specialties.
If you have been broken by the hardships of life or are wandering away from the very Shub Nephesh Who is ALWAYS good and ALWAYS great, please, return... The same God Who saved you from the penalty of your sins is the very same God Who can renew or revive your present life, if you will let Him...
If you are doubtful of the God Who will always meet your genuine needs (Mt. 6:31-33; Phil. 4:13, 19); Who will always forgive your sin (Ps. 51; Isai. 66:2b; 1 Jn. 1:9); Who is always up to something good in your life (Jer. 29:11; Rom. 8:26-34); Who will always love you personally (Jer. 31:3; Jn. 17:3; Rom. 8:35-39); Who will always give you the grace you need (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 9:8, 12:9-10); Who is always in control of all things (Ps. 103:19; Isai. 14:27, 46:9-10); Who is always present with you (Ps. 139:7-12; Isai. 41:10; Jer. 23:24); Who is always the same (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 1:10-12); Who is always trustworthy (Num. 23:19; Deut. 7:9, 31:8; Ps. 36:5; 2 Tim. 2:13); Who is always wise in what He does (Rom. 11:33; Col. 2:3); and so much more, you are missing out on the Life that God gives us through His Son Jesus Christ.
The above is from the book God Is More Than Enough, and Dr. Jim Berg continues to remind us that,
"A world where God does not love us does not exist..."
"A world where God is not in control of all things for our good and His glory does not exist..."
"A world where God is not with me or where He does not hear my cry does not exist..."
"A world where God is heavy-handed and mean-spirited...waiting for us to mess up...does not exist..."
But a world where a god like Kemosh exists,
...is a world where a god does not love us...
...is a world where Kemosh is in control of all things for his good and our punishment...
...is a world where a god is impersonal and distant, and where he will only hear your cry when you sacrifice your child's life...
...is a world where a god is heavy-handed and mean-spirited...waiting for us to mess up, so he can pour his wrath out on us...
It is no wonder Ruth was drawn to the only God Shub Nephesh. He was Life where she only saw death... and God can be your Life too if you are not His own (John 14:6).
However, if you are in Christ, you are a new creation! He renewed your life and is still working in you to will and do of His good pleasure (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; Philippians 2:13)! The same way God renewed the bitter heart and unbelieving mind of Naomi, and gave her a clean heart and an ample trust in God is the same way God can cleanse you.
That is, through His Word (John 17:17; Ephesians 5:25-27).
Will you let Him heal and sanctify you?
Take a moment to thank God for His name Shub Nephesh (Renewer of life), and not a godless name such as Kemosh (destroyer of life).
And, please, take a moment to acknowledge the fact that Naomi and her family doubted God's Word, left the famine in Bethlehem with an unbelieving heart in God's promises, and disobeyed God by living in Moab (a foreign land with which God commanded them not to associate).
The whole message behind this book is for another time, but let us praise the God of Romans 8:28 Who works all things (obedience and disobedience) for our good and His glory.
He is Shub Nephesh Who personally loved and worked through an imperfect Gentile woman named Ruth the Moabite to touch the life of Naomi, you, and me! He is the God Who used Boaz' and Ruth's marriage and lineage to bring to all mankind the Savior of the world-- Jesus Christ!
May we as Christians live our God-given life with intentional studying of the Bible, steady fervent prayers, renewed minds, cleansed hearts, and by yielding to the convicting and empowering of the Holy Spirit...
Thank the Lord for the Truth of His name Shub Nephesh-- Renewer of [my] life!
Comments