Shavuot – Freedom to Worship the Lord
By Charles Chaim Hopkin, Winnipeg Ministry Representative, Chosen People Ministries (Canada)
By Charles Chaim Hopkin, Winnipeg Ministry Representative, Chosen People Ministries (Canada)
When we celebrate the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost or Weeks) in a couple of weeks, the Book of Ruth will be included in the Biblical passages that will be read in Jewish and Messianic congregations around the world.
I’m sure you remember the story of Ruth. Elimelech and Naomi, together with their two sons, Machlon and Kilyon, moved from their home in Bethlehem to the land of Moab because of famine in Judea. While in Moab, Elimelech died and his sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Later, Machlon and Kilyon also died, leaving their widows with Naomi.
After 10 years in Moab, Naomi decided to go back to Judea. Although she instructed her daughters-in-law to return to their own mothers’ houses, Ruth did not want to leave Naomi. This is where we read about Ruth’s great loyalty to her mother-in-law: “Don’t press me to leave you, and stop following you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Adonai bring terrible curses on me, and worse ones as well, if anything but death, separates you and me.”
The story goes on to describe what happened when Naomi and Ruth reached Bethlehem – Naomi influenced Ruth to be married to Boaz and, ultimately, Ruth – a foreigner and former idol-worshipper who now followed the God of Israel – became the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of the Messiah, Yeshua.
During this season of Shavuot/Pentecost, what importance does this story of Ruth and Naomi hold for us?
An interesting thing to note here is that Moab was an enemy of Israel; it was Moab’s King Balak who hired Balaam to curse Israel (Numbers 22:1ff). Although God turned their curses into a blessing to Israel, Balaam gave bad counsel to Balak and enticed the children of Israel to sin by worshipping the Moabite god, Baal Peor with moral depravity, sensual indulgence and eating food offered to the idols. For this reason the wrath of God fell upon Israel and 24,000 people died of the plague. Pinchas, the son of Aaron, appeased the wrath of God by his righteous act. Then Adonai instructed the people to come against the Moabites.
Coming back to the Book of Ruth, we see the redemptive act of God by using Naomi, a delightful, humble daughter of Abraham, as the light to the nations. And we see her friendship with Ruth, a woman from the nations, making enemies friends.
It says in Proverbs 16:7, “When a man’s ways please the Lord (Adonai) He makes even his (the man’s) enemies to be at peace with him.” The friendship and commitment of Naomi and Ruth to each other delivered the children of Israel, and eventually the nations, to be saved and to worship God in spirit and truth.
Traditionally, Shavuot is also the time when Moses received the Torah from God. In John 1:1-3, it is written that “the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us…” Pentecost is also the day when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon all flesh (Joel 2; Acts 2). Hallelujah!
So, through the Messiah, the beloved son of David and descendant of Ruth, we have access to worship God, both Jews and the nations, without any wall of separation.
The Book of Ruth encapsulates this truth. That is the message of Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks. Baruch HaShem! Praise the Lord!
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