What comes before redemption? The answer is surprising and true
By Dean Collins
One of the most interesting evenings I’ve ever had was when I was seated directly across from T.D. Jakes at a small gathering of Christian leaders. T.D. was the speaker of the evening, and my friend Mark was the host of the event. When I walked into the room, Mark whispered I would like the place he seated me that evening. He was absolutely right!
I had met T.D. Jakes once before at another gathering and found him to be warm, engaging, and thoughtful. Sometimes I have met celebrities who seemed to be scanning the room for important people to speak with, but T.D. took time and was focused in each conversation.
As dinner was served, T.D. and I exchanged questions and enjoyed conversation on many topics. As the evening progressed, we began to discuss our children, sharing details about their lives and their careers. T.D. leaned in when I said my son was a screenplay writer in Los Angeles. He was impressed that my son was a member of the Screenwriters Guild and inquired about his genre. I told him my son writes horror and psychological thrillers. I suspected he was expecting me to answer family-oriented films or something similar. But he smiled and immediately said, “Good for him! Horror always comes before redemption.”
Horror always comes before redemption.
I think about that line often when I read Scripture. Horror does always come before redemption. The sins of Adam and Eve created a cascading flood of horror that began as soon as they took their first bite of the forbidden fruit. As we read through Judges, we see horror that includes darkness, despair, and even violence. Judges ends with the dramatic summary that everyone did what was right in their own eyes. That recipe leads to pleasure for some but will always produce more despair, suffering, and horror for others.
A story of horror followed by redemption
When the book of Ruth opens, we learn there was a famine in the land. In order to avoid the horror of famine, Elimelech took his family of four and headed to Moab, hoping for a better outcome than dealing with the despair that would soon come.
The book of Ruth is compact, easy to read, and filled with tragedy; but it ends with redemption. The book of Ruth chronicles a story that took place during the period of the Judges when everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes. The story has constant highs and lows. It seems that every good thing brings a corresponding difficulty. Naomi, the wife of Elimelech, first loses her husband and then both of her sons. She and her two daughters-in-law are in a very difficult and vulnerable situation. I won’t retell the whole story, but you probably remember the turning point when one daughter-in-law, Ruth, pledges her allegiance to Naomi and chooses to leave her native soil and travel back to her homeland of Judah where she knows of distant relatives where she might find hope and help.
The story crescendos when Ruth meets Boaz who is of the clan of Elimelech. He agrees to be her kinsman redeemer by purchasing Elimelech’s land and marrying Ruth and providing for Naomi. Boaz is also a savvy businessman who manages to secure his relatives’ possessions even when there was a closer relative who had first rights to the property.
The book is just four chapters but gives us a beautiful reminder of God’s great plan and desire for his children to experience redemption and overcome, even end, the horrors that often season our life on earth. Reading the story of Naomi and Ruth helps us consider what some may consider coincidence, others might say was a lucky break, and yet some may even say was conniving or manipulation. But if we zoom out to a long view of history, I would suggest the story of Ruth is a story of divine intervention and providence.
Our faithful God, in his master plan of redemption, blessed Naomi with a kind and loving daughter-in-law whose faith, obedience, and loyalty resulted in a marriage that in just three generations would bring to earth King David and 14 generations later, our Savior and King, Jesus.
Our stories can also lead to redemption
Our stories will not produce a new Savior. God has already sent his Son who went to the cross to redeem all things and all people. But our stories are pregnant with possibilities, conversations, and kind interactions that can literally bring redemption to someone who is drowning in despair and whose life appears stuck in horror. When we surrender our hearts, minds, and will to Jesus, he will use our faith in him to change the course of history.
One day someone might just tell a story of how something you did or said brought them hope and even salvation.
Read the book of Ruth and imagine that God is still weaving a beautiful tapestry and you just might be holding a piece of thread that completes a garment of praise and offers warmth to someone in need.
Your time with God’s Word
Ruth 4:13-17 ESV
Photo by Georgi Kalaydzhiev on Unsplash
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