一个敬虔的外邦人 A Righteous Foreigner

路得开始以神预留给穷人的食物来补足拿俄米的缺乏，这位来自摩押的外邦人，仿效敬虔以色列女子所作的，使拿俄米不致挨饿。就这样，路得敬虔的行为带给拿俄米活命的粮食。

“路得就去了，来到田间，在收割的人身后拾取麦穗。” - 得 2:3

　　路得对拿俄米的忠心，令人敬佩，但是其中的代价实在不菲。她远离家园，与拿俄米相依为命，甚至表示甘心客死他乡（路得记 1:16-17）。和拿俄米在一起，生活会非常艰辛，饥寒交迫，背井离乡。而更糟的，则是她的家乡摩押，常常与以色列为敌。试问她这个“外地人”，能给拿俄米带来怎样的帮助呢？她做的第一件事，就是在田里拾取留给穷人的麦穗。

　　神要求以色列人在收割时要记念穷人的需要：“在你们的地收割庄稼，不可割尽田角，…… 要留给穷人和寄居的”（利未记 19:9-10）。路得开始拾取神命令以色列人预留给穷人的食物，来填补拿俄米的缺乏。这位来自摩押的外邦人，仿效以色列女子所作的，使拿俄米免受饥饿的折磨。

　　这正是出于无伪的爱带来的义，这种义就是爱神超过一切，并且爱邻舍如同爱自己。就这样，路得的义也为拿俄米带来生命的食粮。

　　当路得解释她是在什么地方拾取麦穗时，拿俄米非常高兴，因为那些麦穗是来自一位近亲的麦场，这位近亲后来更为拿俄米买赎田地存留后代。

　　今日，我们也当高兴赞美神，因为衪差遣救主耶稣基督，拯救我们脱离罪恶的捆绑！

祷告

主啊，我们为耶稣基督感谢祢，衪的义拯救我们脱离罪恶，又满足我们一切的欠缺。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。

路得记 2:1-3, 17-20 Ruth 2:1-3, 17-20

1 拿俄米的丈夫以利米勒的亲族中，有一个人名叫波阿斯，是个大财主。
2摩押女子路得对拿俄米说：“容我往田间去，我蒙谁的恩，就在谁的身后拾取麦穗。”拿俄米说：“女儿啊，你只管去。”
3路得就去了，来到田间，在收割的人身后拾取麦穗。她恰巧到了以利米勒本族的人波阿斯那块田里。
17这样，路得在田间拾取麦穗，直到晚上，将所拾取的打了，约有一伊法大麦。
18她就把所拾取的带进城去给婆婆看，又把她吃饱了所剩的给了婆婆。
19婆婆问她说：“你今日在哪里拾取麦穗，在哪里做工呢？愿那顾恤你的得福。”路得就告诉婆婆说：“我今日在一个名叫波阿斯的人那里做工。”
20拿俄米对儿妇说：“愿那人蒙耶和华赐福，因为他不断地恩待活人死人。”拿俄米又说：“那是我们本族的人，是一个至近的亲属。”

A Righteous Foreigner

"She went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters." — Ruth 2:3

英语音频 English audio

Ruth’s commitment to Naomi was both admirable and costly. She left her family home to live with Naomi in a strange land, even saying she would die there (Ruth 1:16-17). Joining herself to Naomi’s future promised only a shared emptiness: no food and no family. What’s more, her homeland, Moab, was a country often at odds with Israel. How could this “outsider” help Naomi? Well, Ruth began by gleaning grain that was left for the poor.

God’s Word to Israel included an instruction to support the poor at harvest time: “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field. ...Leave them for the poor and the foreigner” (Leviticus 19:9-10). Ruth began to fill Naomi’s emptiness with the food God reserved for the poor. By behaving like a righteous Israelite woman, this Moabite Gentile saved Naomi from starvation.

This was an example of the righteousness of true mercy, showing that you love God above all and your neighbor as yourself. Ruth’s righteousness brought life-giving food to Naomi.

When Ruth explained where she’d gleaned the grain, Naomi rejoiced, for this gift had come from the field of a close relative, who would become her guardian-redeemer.

We too can praise God—for sending our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, as our Savior from sin!

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for the righteousness of Christ, which saves us from sin and fills all our needs. In his name, Amen.

诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳