Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Ruth 4:1-12.

“Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, friend, sit down here.”  And he turned aside and sat down.  He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.”  So they sat down.  Then he said to the closest relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.  So I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people.  If you will redeem it, redeem it;  but if not, tell me that I may know;  for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’”  And he said, “I will redeem it.”  Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.”  The closest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance.  Redeem it for yourself;  you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.”

Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter:  a man removed his sandal and gave it to another;  and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.  So the closest relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.”  And he removed his sandal.  Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.  Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place;  you are witnesses today.”  All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses.  May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel;  and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.  Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman.”  Ruth 4:1-12.

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Today’s Scripture teaches us about redemption.  

The closest relative only wanted to redeem the land.  But, Boaz pointed out that redemption required the redemption of a person, namely Ruth.  Boaz was willing, even eager, to redeem Ruth.  Verses 5-6.

Moreover, redemption was not dependent on the willingness of the person being redeemed.  Ruth could not have said “No.” to the closest relative if he wanted to redeem her.  And, Boaz did not need to establish the consent of Ruth to be redeemed in order to accomplish redemption.  Verses 9-10.

Other doctrine teaches that Christ died for everyone, but this redemption depends on the works or the will of man to make the redemption effective to save him.

But, Reformed Doctrine teaches that Christ died only for God’s elect, but this redemption was effective to save every one of God’s elect.  

Consider the following from the Canons of Dordt in the section titled SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby in which it was God’s will and purpose that Christ’s redemption “should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation”.

Article 8.  For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation:  that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death;  should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing;  and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.

Then, consider the following from the Canons of Dordt in the same section the following that was rejected as errors. 

I.  Who teach:  That God the Father has ordained his Son to the death of the cross without a certain and definite decree to save any, so that the necessity, profitableness and worth of what Christ merited by his death might have existed, and might remain in all its parts complete, perfect and intact, even if the merited redemption had never in fact been applied to any person.  For this doctrine tends to the despising of the wisdom of the Father and of the merits of Jesus Christ, and is contrary to Scripture.  For thus saith our Savior:  “I lay down my life for the sheep, and I know them,”  John 10:15,27.  And the prophet Isaiah saith concerning the Savior:  “When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand,”  Isaiah 53:10.  …. 

II.  Who teach:  That it was not the purpose of the death of Christ that he should confirm the new covenant of grace through his blood, but only that he should acquire for the Father the mere right to establish with man such a covenant as he might please, whether of grace or of works.  For this is repugnant to Scripture which teaches that Christ has become the Surety and Mediator of a better, that is, the new covenant, and that a testament is of force where death has occurred.  Hebrews 7:22;  9:15,17.

III.  Who teach:  That Christ by his satisfaction merited neither salvation itself for anyone, nor faith, whereby this satisfaction of Christ unto salvation is effectually appropriated;  but that he merited for the Father only the authority or the perfect will to deal again with man, and to prescribe new conditions as he might desire, obedience to which, however, depended on the free will of man, so that it therefore might have come to pass that either none or all should fulfill these conditions.  For these adjudge too contemptuously of the death of Christ, do in no wise acknowledge the most important fruit or benefit thereby gained, and bring again out of hell the Pelagian error.

“For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”  Romans 9:15-16.