Worthy Brief - 5/23/2018
Friend, our Goel lives!
Job 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer (Goel) lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;
As we continue our study in Ruth during this Shavout season, the theme of redemption is prevalent. We read that Boaz became Naomi and Ruth's "kinsman redeemer", or "goel" - from the Hebrew, "lig'ol", to redeem, receive or buy back. In the Torah, a provision had been made for the poor person who was forced to sell part of his property or even himself (into slavery). This man's nearest of kin could step in and "buy back" or "redeem" what his relative had been forced to sell. [Leviticus 25:25] A slave could be redeemed from his bondage by his "goel" who literally purchased his relative's freedom.
In the story of Ruth, we read that Boaz became Naomi and Ruth's "goel", their kinsman "redeemer". First, Boaz was qualified as kin to Naomi's deceased husband Elimelech [Ruth 2:1]. Secondly, he needed to be able to redeem by paying the price of redemption. [Ruth 4:2-3]. And finally, he was willing to redeem the land which had belonged to Elimelech.[Ruth 4:4].
Naomi's losses had been devastating in Moab. Her husband and two sons had passed away and she had returned to her ancestral homeland a desolate woman, with no inheritance. Her only solace was Ruth, whose love and loyalty were legendary. But Ruth's character of devotion apparently inspired Boaz to love her, and even to ignore her Moabite ancestry; for when Boaz decided to redeem Elimelech's property, he also agreed to marry Ruth. Naomi's life, her inheritance and her destiny were also redeemed in this sweeping transaction. She had returned to Israel in deep bitterness, yet through this beautiful and unexpected redemption her friends exclaim "Blessed be the LORD, which has not left thee this day without a 'goel'. [Ruth 4:14]
The marriage of Ruth and Boaz produced a son named Obed, and a grandson named Jesse, who was the father of King David; four generations of the lineage of Yeshua the Messiah. And through his redemption of Ruth and Naomi, Boaz became a picture of Yeshua (Jesus) our Kinsman-Redeemer, who redeemed us for Himself, out of desolation and slavery to sin, and made us His own beloved bride!
Friend, isn't it amazing how a tiny slice of human history can be filled with such significance and typological meaning? Only God could invest a beautiful human love story with an eternal redemptive purpose. Can we do any less than to fall-or rather rise-hopelessly in love with such a Redeemer?!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Arad, Israel
UN chief urges Lebanon's Hezbollah to halt military action
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly criticized Hezbollah for operating as the most heavily armed militia and a political party in Lebanon and urged the militant group to halt military activities inside and outside the country, including in Syria.
US, South Korea work to keep North Korea summit on track
The United States and South Korea are laboring to keep the highly anticipated U.S. summit with North Korea on track, even after President Donald Trump abruptly said 'there's a very substantial chance' it won’t happen as scheduled.
U.S. warplanes take out ISIS sleeper cell in Iraq
U.S. and allied warplanes destroyed an Islamic State sleeper cell near the terror group’s former stronghold of Mosul Tuesday, ending with roughly 12 jihadists dead, military officials in Baghdad say.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF strikes underground Hamas terror target, seaport in Gaza
Israeli Air Force jets targeted underground terror infrastructure in the northern Gaza Strip early Wednesday morning, the IDF said. Two further targets belonging to Hamas naval forces in Gaza were also targeted.
Israel is first country to use US-made F-35 fighter jet in combat, IAF chief says
Israel is the first country in the world to have flown the U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter jet in combat, the commander of the Israeli air force said on Tuesday in remarks carried by the IDF's official Twitter account.
IAF commander: Israel still striking targets in Syria
Israeli jets have continued to strike targets in Syria following the recent Iranian missile barrage against IDF posts in the Golan Heights, a senior Israel Air Force officer said on Tuesday.
Inside the United States
House Passes Trump-Backed Prison Reform Bill
The House passed a bipartisan bill Tuesday that would help give prison inmates a second chance at life.
Congress Passes Bill Rolling Back Banking Rules
Congress has moved to dismantle some key rules for banks that were installed to prevent a replay of the 2008 financial crisis.
Trump questions why FBI informant received payments from government
President Trump on Tuesday asked why an FBI source who met with some members of his 2016 campaign was paid by the government, arguing the informant was 'there to spy for political purposes.'
Trump says he will propose new tax cuts prior to November
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he will propose new tax cuts sometime prior to November, when Republicans look to retain their control of the U.S. Congress in midterm elections.
Media insist: FBI's source on Trump was an 'informant,' not a 'spy'
News reports have revealed the identity of a Cambridge University professor who fed information about the Trump campaign to the FBI but the national media have consistently declined to characterize the activity as spying, and are actively rejecting President Trump's push to call it spying.
Stacey Abrams wins as Democrats bet on new strategies and voters
Georgia’s battle of the 'Staceys' barely qualified as a minor skirmish, as Stacey Abrams cruised to an historic landslide victory over Stacey Evans in the Democratic primary, becoming the first black woman nominated by her party for governor.
FBI overstated number of locked cellphones in encryption debate
The FBI has overstated the number encrypted cellphones that investigators are unable to access because of a flawed internal accounting system that relied on multiple databases.
Christian News
‘Purge Against Christians’ Underway in China as Persecution Ramps Up
It feels like every day we are hearing more news about China increasing persecution on the Christian community.
Why Jesus Is No Longer the Only Way for Many American Christians
Just over two months ago, as winter landed its final blows of snow in New York City, Michael A. Walrond Jr. of Harlem's 10,000-member First Corinthian Baptist Church landed an ideological blow of his own in traditional Christendom.