Monday, December 3, 2018

Spiritual Formation (Spiritual Friendship part 2)

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… Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you… (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Gen. 12:1)

Boaz replied to [Ruth], “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. (Ibid. Ruth 2:11)

           In the last blog, we began to look at the relationship between Naomi and Ruth, and because of what we find in the Ruth narrative, we can see how one person can help to affect  another person’s spiritual formation.  With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that this relationship led to Ruth becoming a progenitor in the Davidic line (Ruth 4:13-17); i.e., leaving her pagan origins and joining with Naomi was the catalyst that put her in the matriarchal line of the Messiah (Matt. 1:5).
            
          Although their period in the history of Israel is quite different, there are striking similarities between the Abraham story and Ruth’s story.  Both were pagans in their homelands (Josh. 24:2).  Abraham lived as an alien in a foreign land as did Ruth.  Interestingly, where Abraham has direct encounters with God to give him instructions and guidance (Gen. 17), Ruth has Naomi to guide and direct her (Ruth 2:22, 3:1-5).  Keep in mind, the Ruth narrative has for its backdrop the period of the Judges.  A time when people did what was right in their own eyes.  This period in Israel's history sounds very similar to our modern experience.

           Therefore, the spiritual friendship between Naomi and Ruth has great value to modern readers.  Imagine how strange the pre-monarchy structure of Israel would have been to an outsider, like Ruth.  This same sense of strangeness can exist when someone with no background in the Bible attempts to understand Christianity.
            
           As has been previously mentioned, the Ruth story happens during the period of the Judges.  The book of Judges is often misrepresented in our modern day because people have failed to understand its descriptive nature and mistook it for prescriptive.  If a person misunderstands the book in such a way, it is difficult to see its value and purpose.  That is where spiritual friendships are incredibly valuable.  Someone with a biblical background can guide and direct someone new in the scriptures.
            
           This is, of course, only one example of the value of spiritual friendships. Next week, we’ll continue our exploration of this topic. (Click here for Part 3)


Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Works Cited

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

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