T. Austin-Sparks · 1 of 3

The Tragedy and the Remedy

Today, as the Lord shall lead and enable, the message is going to issue from a consideration of the book of Ruth which you will have before you. And let me say here that the outline which is here presented, has only the relationship to what we are going to say of either informing or reminding you of its contents. That is, we do not propose to study that outline as it is. Many of you will not need to be acquainted with the content of that little book; others may have such a need, but your need is to be refreshed in our memory of what is there.

This book is in a peculiar way, largely because of the comprehensiveness of it concentrated into so small an area of words, is the peculiar setting forth of what is brought before us at the beginning of this conference: faith through adversity unto enlargement, establishment, and Life. That would be so apparent if only just now you could read the little book right through at a sitting. We are not going to take it up in that particular way, although that will be always governing and lying behind what we have to say.

If I were to take any particular fragment from this book which I consider to be the key to it, I think I should take from chapter 4, in verse 5, the last clause: "to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance". You could add to that if you like, what is in the 15th verse, first clause, "He shall be unto thee a restorer of life. I think everything in the book circles around and finds its focal point in that fragment in verse 5: "raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance".

By universal consent and accord, this book goes by the name of "Ruth". But why not Boaz? Why is it not the book of Boaz? He was a man, to begin with, and without the slightest suggestion or shadow of invidious comparison, he was not a woman. He was a wealthy man, he was a religious and highly respected man, a man of outstanding personality; an honoured and distinguished citizen. And he seems to have been the chief and most responsible actor in this drama - and he was of Israel! Why was his name not put to the book?

Who was Ruth, after all? What was Ruth? She was a widow - nothing discreditable or dishonourable about that. She was a Moabitess, and there was a good deal discreditable and dishonourable about that, as we shall see. She was a stranger, an alien in the land. Why should the book go down in history under her name?

Well, you see, the answer to that question is, firstly, the message of the book. But more than that, it is the sum of the whole Bible. For the whole plan of redemption, in all its principles, in all its glories, is gathered into this little book you can read in ten minutes.

There is no more comprehensive book in the Bible in relation to the principles of God's way of redemption. This book needs to be rescued from the backseat. I trust that today something of that will be done.

I have said that the whole great plan of redemption is here in principle. And oh, how very much there is here of help, the message for the life of the Lord's people. I confess to you that although I have read it many times and have known it for many years, in some early morning hours recently, in the far west of America, it brought a new thrill to my own heart as I meditated in this book. I felt the Lord was speaking to me in relation to this conference.

Well, let us come to it, and begin to extract, or take note of, some of the beautiful and wonderful things that it has to say to us. That's this: the book is so simple, isn't it? There's nothing profound here. We're not dealing with mysteries. It's the easiest book of all to read. And so these wonderful things about the Lord, and His people - you and me - are brought to us without any strain, without any effort, in the very simplest way. And we must not stumble at the simplicity.

This book then, unfolds itself for its message along certain quite clearly discernible lines which run right through it, but we note its historic setting, to what place in the history of the Old Testament it belongs. That is stated for us in the very first sentence: "Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled." In the days when the judges ruled - although it must have been written long after those days, its own internal evidence shows that. Yet it was when - not after - the judges ruled. This is not a sequel to the book of Judges. This is something that actually took place in the days of the Judges.

Now of course, you need to be refreshed as to the content of the book of Judges. All that we can say at the moment, again, is that the book of Judges is one of the most terrible books in the whole Bible. Indeed, the most shocking things in the Bible are found in that book. There are those things there that you don't like to read; you'd like to pass over. When you come on them, you just want to shut your eyes, and take no notice. Yes, a dark and terrible, and at times a very evil situation obtained, showing capabilities of people of God which are altogether beyond imagination: the depths of iniquity in the human heart; the remote position from the thoughts of God to which His people can come.

It is difficult to speak in exaggerated terms of some things in that book. Indeed, I think that more than once, as we have read through that book of Judges we have been amazed at the patience of God; the willingness of God to come back to His people. Well, right in that book, while that condition in general obtained, you set this, this contrast, this beautiful picture is given to us in the book of Ruth. And so we are brought to see God acting, with the long view, in the midst of such conditions, and at such a time.

Look at the last words of the book of Judges: "In those days, there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes." And the last words of the book of Ruth: "and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David." God, acting, with the long view, in such conditions, and at such a time. It's wonderful to contemplate. Everything seems to be a contradiction of God, indeed, it is. Everything seems to say that the situation is spiritually hopeless - this is spiritual calamity in its last stages. And right in the midst of that, God is acting, with a long view and He's acting toward that day, bringing in David and the glorious kingdom, and through David another greater than David, and a still more glorious kingdom!

I think that very first thought is a tremendously inspiring one, a tremendously reassuring one, a tremendously comforting and encouraging one. We are sometimes inclined to think that the situation is spiritually very desperate, and very difficult, and the thoughts of God are far from being represented and expressed amongst His people, things have gone far from that. I say, it's reassuring to recollect that in worse days than these, God acted secretly and sovereignly with the long view, to have it as He ever intended it to be. It's then that He did it.

Well, if we said no more, that's a help, isn't it? And that's the message here, right at the very beginning. But let us break this up and take up these leading lines, along which the message is unfolded.

The first line, of course, is a dark line. It's the line of:

Tragedy.