John Mark Hicks

Hebrews 9:1-10

Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. For a tent was constructed, the first one, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the Presence; this is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a tent called the Holy of Holies. In it stood the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which there were a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot speak now in detail.

Such preparations having been made, the priests go continually into the first tent to carry out their ritual duties; but only the high priest goes into the second, and he but once a year, and not without taking the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins committed unintentionally by the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary has not yet been disclosed as long as the first tent is still standing. This is a symbol of the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various baptisms, regulations for the body imposed until the time comes to set things right.

The “first covenant” had an earthly sanctuary that imitated the heavenly sanctuary. The architecture and furniture of the earthly sanctuary reflect the meaning and significance of the heavenly sanctuary. Its space, practices, and symbols—its liturgy—bear witness to the heavenly reality. It was built according to what Moses saw in his vision of God’s holy space. Consequently, it is important to understand what “the Holy Spirit indicates” by arranging the earthly sanctuary in this way. This is important because it prepares us to understand the climactic event in the heavenly sanctuary when the Messiah offered himself before the face of God and continues at the right hand of God to make intercession for us.

The assembly of renewed Israel (through the new covenant) is not patterned after the earthly sanctuary. On the contrary, the assembly of renewed Israel upon the earth participates in the reality of the heavenly sanctuary. The worship (liturgy or service, latreias) of the assembled believers in Jesus is patterned after the heavenly sanctuary, and the gathered people (the assembly of Jesus the Messiah) worship with the angels, the saints who have gone before, and the whole assembly of God spread throughout the earth. If the worship of the “church” (the ekklesia of Hebrews 2:12 and Hebrews 12:23) has a pattern for its liturgy (latreias), it is the liturgy of heaven itself around the throne of God.

Jesus himself is the liturgist (leitourgos) in the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 8:2). He leads the assembled people of God in the heavenly sanctuary and performs the high priestly duties of offering and intercession. He serves in a sanctuary with seven lights (torches) that burn before the throne of God, which represents the Holy Spirit (Revelation 4:5). The saints, who are also priests, offer prayers upon the altar of incense (Revelation 5:7; 8:3). Both Israel (the twelve tribes) and the church (the twelve apostles) offer praise before the throne of God (Revelation 4:4, 10) as they cast down their crowns (Revelation 4:10; 5:8) and fall down before God (Revelation 5:14) as the redeemed people and the whole creation sing hymns of praise (Revelation 5:8-14; 14:1; 15:3) and the Sanctus (holy, holy, holy) in Revelation 4:8. They pray and praise, even with instruments like Israel in their liturgy (Revelation 5:8; 14:2; 15:2; cf. Psalms 22:1; 32:3; 71:22; 144:9; 150:3). We might even see a liturgy of the Word in the light of the book in the right hand of God and through the proclamations of God throughout the heavenly realm (Revelation 5:1-5). Indeed, when we eat at the table of the Lord in the kingdom of God (gathering around the Lord’s Supper), we participate in the heavenly liturgy that includes table fellowship at the Messianic banquet where Jesus eats with us in the kingdom (cf. Matthew 26:29; Luke 22:30). This is also pictured, ultimately, as the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6). There is a table in the church because there is a Messianic banquet celebrated in the heavenly sanctuary where the redeemed people of God hunger or thirst no more (Revelation 7:16).

The gathering of Christ-followers (the new covenant assembly of renewed Israel) is patterned after the heavenly sanctuary, just as the earthly sanctuary of Israel was also patterned after it. The synagogue was not the pattern for assemblies among early believers in Jesus the Messiah. Rather, it was the temple, the heavenly temple which was imitated (or copied) by the earthly sanctuary found in Israel’s Tabernacle and Temple. Today, when Jesus-followers gather, we participate in the heavenly temple, the real and original sanctuary.

The earthly sanctuary, or tent, was constructed by Moses (a tent made with human hands, Hebrews 9:24). Its regulations for liturgy (service, latreias) and its furniture belong to this age, this earthy creation (cosmikon). At the same time, its liturgy and furniture are not meaningless or insignificant. They carry the weight of God’s glory upon the earth and testify to the significance of the heavenly sanctuary. Consequently, it is important to pay close attention to its liturgy, space, and furniture in order to hear the point the preacher is making. He did not need to detail its function for his audience because they were well-aware of the tabernacle’s liturgy and furniture (“of these things we cannot speak now in detail”), but perhaps we need to fill in the blanks of our own understanding so that we don’t miss the preacher’s point.

Holy Place (the “first tent”), which one enters with the offerings of the altar of sacrifice.

• The lampstand or menorah with seven lamps (Exodus 25:31-40; 37:17-24), which burns endlessly in God’s presence and gives light to the Holy Place. It is the light of God blessing Israel as well as giving light to a dark space that has no windows.
• The table with the bread of presence (Exodus 25:23-30), which the priests ate and replaced weekly. The twelve loaves represented the twelve tribes of Israel. It symbolized a thanksgiving meal between God and the people as there was a vessel for drink offering on the table as well (Numbers 4:7).

Holy of Holies (after the “second curtain”), which one enters with the censer from the altar of incense (Leviticus 16:12-13).

• Golden altar of incense (Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 16:16-16), with the censer from this altar the high priest enters the Holy of Holies; thus, functionally, the Holy of Holies “has” the incense altar in its space. Or, the altar was inside the Holy of Holies in the temple of Solomon (1 Kings 6:20, 22), and there was a tradition among some second Temple Jewish believers that suggested this as well (2 Apocalypse of Baruch 6:7; cf. Revelation 8:3; 9:13). Some think the preacher is drawing on a reading in the Samaritan Pentateuch, which is a third textual tradition (in addition to the traditional Hebrew text and the Septuagint). Or, some suggest the altar of incense was moved into the Holy of Holies for the Day of Atonement.
• Golden Ark of the Covenant, containing (or placed before the ark).
  • Golden urn or jar of manna (Exodus 16:32-34)
  • Aaron’s rod that budded (Numbers 17:10-11)
  • Tablets of the covenant (Exodus 25:16; Deuteronomy 10:1-5)
  • The cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat (Exodus 25:10-22; 37:1-9), which is the earthly throne of God (Psalms 80:2; 99:1), and the mercy seat is the place where the blood is sprinkled on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:1-19).

Several points are particularly significant as they prepare us for the preacher’s argument in the rest of Hebrews 9.

First, the separation of and movement between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies is of paramount importance. The liturgy teaches us about the separation of God and the people for the sake of holiness. It is a separation of degrees:  people in the courtyard of the tabernacle, priests in the Holy Place, and only the high priest in the Holy of Holies. The movement from courtyard to Holy Place is happens only through the altar of sacrifice, where the blood of an animal is poured out. The movement from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place occurs through the altar of incense, where the high priest takes the blood of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) into the Holy of Holies. The distance between God and the people is represented by these spatial movements. Moreover, priests do not enter with nothing; they bring an offering. Jesus, of course, will enter the heavenly Holy of Holies with his own offering, which is the point of the rest of the preacher’s argument in Hebrews 9-10.

Second, the furniture has often been interpreted typologically, that is, what it might signify about practices in the church (e.g, the table of bread is analogous to or a type of the Lord’s Supper). Whether those typological readings are correct or not, it is not the point of the preacher (though I think they have some merit). He is not concerned about how each piece of furniture relates to ecclesial practices in new covenant assemblies. Rather, he is focused on the movement and its climax. As the high priest moves through the Holy Place with its furniture, he ultimately arrives in the Holy of Holies with its furniture. The goal is the ark of the covenant with all its glory (gold) and its “mercy seat.” His concern is not typological but spatial movement toward the goal. The analogy is not between the tabernacle and the church but between the liturgical movement of the earthly high priest and the liturgical movement of the Messiah in the heavenly sanctuary. Perhaps he mentions the furniture only to highlight the sanctuary and meaning of the space.

The previous point is clarified by Hebrews 9:6-7 from which the preacher draws the teaching of the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 9:8. While priests go continually into the Holy Place (“first tent”) to perform their liturgical rituals, “only the high priest goes into the second.” He does so “once a year” to offer blood for his own sins and the sins of the people. For the preacher, the movement is the point rather than the typological meaning of the furniture. Indeed, it is the teaching of the Holy Spirit, which God taught through the Levitical system serving in an earthly sanctuary. The tabernacle is God’s witness to God’s desire and goal for the people of God.

The “first tent” (the Holy Place in Israel’s tabernacle) imitates a heavenly sanctuary (it a parable or “symbol”); it projects beyond itself to something both original (from the beginning) and climactic (the work of Jesus as high priest). It is the heavenly space that perfects the people of God, not the earthly sanctuary. Priests regularly serve in the “first tent” on a daily basis, but this daily liturgy (service) could not perfect anyone’s conscience (it could not perfect humans for eternal glory and dwelling with God). Further along in Hebrews 9, the preacher will focus on the “second tent” (the Holiest of Holies in Israel’s tabernacle) in his exposition of the meaning of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). The entrance of the high priest into the most inner sanctum of the earthly sanctuary is an annual exception to the daily work of priests in the “first tent.” The Levitical system could not give Israel access, as a people, to the Holy of Holies.

The barrier between the first and second tents, which is also a barrier between the people and God, was only crossed on one day per year. It symbolized the distance and the ineffectual nature of the Levitical service, particularly its sacrifices, for the perfection of God’s people. The regular service of the priests was a reminder of sin and a moment of forgiveness, but it did not effectively remove sin in an eschatological or final way. This is what the “new covenant” does. In this sense the Levitical system was a parable (parabole) or “symbol” (or illustration) of what is to come though the present reality separates Israel from the most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies. The Levitical system was effective for its purposes, and part of its purpose was to imitate, anticipate, and typologically participate in the work of the Messiah in the heavenly sanctuary.

It is important to remember the Levitical system is good, valuable, and effective for its purposes. Its regulations of food and drink, its various baptisms (immersion rituals and washings), and rules regarding the body (flesh) were profitable for teaching and training. They were neither bad nor inherently legalistic. On contrary, they served to consecrate the people of God to God and set them apart as the people of God. And, they indicated something more to come because they imitated the heavenly sanctuary.

Because they were provisional and anticipatory, something was lacking. Due to the sin of Israel, these sacrifices could not perfect the conscience of the worshipper and ensure their obedience to the law. Something more was needed and necessary; something needed correcting because Israel had broken their covenant with God. Thus, a change was needed (Hebrews 7:11, 18) that could ground the salvation of Israel in something heavenly and eternal rather than in something earthly and temporal. The resurrected Messiah became the heavenly high priest who offered a once for all sacrifice while the Levitical high priest annually went into the earthly sanctuary and ultimately died. The correction is the story of the heavenly high priest, Jesus the Messiah, who accomplish eternal redemption in the heavenly sanctuary as part of a heavenly Yom Kippur. That is the story of the rest of Hebrews 9.

“Toda la tierra de Canaán, en la que ahora eres extranjero, te la daré a ti y a tu descendencia después de ti en posesión perpetua; y yo seré su Dios” (Génesis 17:7-8).

“[Yahweh] nos trajo a este lugar y nos dio esta tierra, tierra que mana leche y miel” (Deuteronomio 26:9).

Cuando la tierra fue contaminada por la maldad humana, Dios la limpió con agua. Cuando la tierra fue contaminada nuevamente por la arrogancia humana que crearon ídolos, Dios eligió a Abraham y a sus descendientes para ser herederos del cosmos (Romanos 4:13). Dios les proporciono tierra, y allí Dios habito entre ellos como su Dios y ellos serian su pueblo.

Al darle a Abraham la tierra de Canaán, Dios tenía la intención de que a través de Abraham todas las naciones de la tierra fueran bendecidas y que toda la tierra quedara bajo el reinado de Dios. No había ninguna intención de dejar a el resto del cosmos bajo el dominio del mal. En cambio, Dios redimiría toda la tierra –todas las naciones y el cosmos mismo– a través de la simiente de Abraham.

Como promesa del futuro y experiencia de la nueva creación misma, Dios le dio a Israel una tierra fértil “que fluye leche y miel”. La tierra misma era un anticipo de los cielos y la tierra nuevos, un anticipo de una creación renovada.

Israel, en su tierra fértil, era el reino de Dios en un mundo quebrantado. Dios invirtió su amor y sus dones en ellos para que pudieran ser testigos a las naciones con el fin de llamarlas a la comunión con Yahweh, el rey de la tierra. Debían cuidar la tierra y sus animales con amor mayordomo, amarse unos a otros y amar a Dios con todo su corazón, alma y mente. Dios les dio la Torá para guiarlos, sacerdotes para mediar en su redención, profetas para exhortarlos y jueces para proteger a los débiles.

Israel era, en efecto, una nueva creación; un nuevo comienzo del intento creativo de Dios; una luz en la oscuridad. Había un sacerdocio real redentor a través del cual Dios obraría para promover su reinado en la tierra “maldita”.

Pero….

“Yo los traje a una tierra fértil, para que comieran de sus buenos frutos. Pero ustedes vinieron y contaminaron mi tierra; hicieron de mi heredad algo abominable” (Jeremías 2:7).

“Miré a la tierra, y estaba desordenada y vacía; y a los cielos, y su luz se había ido… Miré, y no había pueblo… Miré, y la tierra fructífera era un desierto…” (Jeremías 4:23, 25a, 26a).

Por desgracia, Israel profanó la tierra y se volvió hacia otros dioses. Como sus antepasados, como Adán y Eva en el huerto. Ellos eligieron su propia autonomía por encima de la invitación divina a participar en el reino de Dios. Se escogieron como gobernantes de la tierra –o al menos de su parcela de tierra– en lugar de reinar con Dios y servir sus objetivos para el bien de las naciones y la creación.

Con esta contaminación, Dios devolvió la tierra –lo que fue diseñado como un nuevo Jardín (Edén, Joel 2:3) sobre la tierra– al caos, la oscuridad y la muerte. El lenguaje de Jeremías es bastante sorprendente. Las únicas dos veces que la Biblia hebrea usa los términos “sin forma y vacío” son en Génesis 1:2, que describe el cosmos antes del orden creado por Dios, y Jeremías 4:23, que describe la tierra prometida después de la contaminación de Israel. La herencia divina ya no era “fructífera” sino un “desierto”.

Esta es una reversión de la creación. Ésta es la naturaleza de la “maldición”. Es un regreso al caos, la oscuridad y la muerte. Dios prometió que maldeciría sus rebaños, su tierra y su prosperidad si contaminaban su tierra, rechazaban la misión que les había asignado y se rebelaban contra la justicia de Dios (Deuteronomio 28:15-68).

Israel, llamado a revertir la maldición y vivir una nueva vida dentro de un mundo quebrantado, eligió el caos sobre la creación, el mal sobre el bien y la oscuridad sobre la luz. Como resultado, experimentaron lo que experimentó la pareja original: su existencia en el Jardín se convirtió en un desierto lleno de quebrantamiento, una realidad maldita.

Mientras tanto, la maldición continuó consumiendo la tierra (Isaías 24:6). El mundo yace bajo el poder del mal, vive en la oscuridad y está lleno de caos.

Pero la esperanza no murió porque Dios anhela a su pueblo, lo ama y no renuncia a su creación.

“‘He aquí, yo crearé cielos y tierra nuevo’… Me alegraré en Jerusalén y me deleitaré en mi pueblo; no se oirá más en ella sonido de llanto ni de clamor… El lobo y el cordero pacerán juntos, el león comerá paja como el buey, pero el polvo será el alimento de la serpiente. ” (Isaías 65:1a, 3, 25a).

“El Señor será rey sobre toda la tierra. En aquel día habrá un Señor, y su nombre será el único nombre” (Zacarías 14:9).

Dios tiene la intención de renovar los cielos y la tierra que creó; para crearlos de nuevo. Aún revertirá completamente la maldición. Su intención es eliminar el llanto y la violencia, incluso la violencia entre animales. Él revertirá lo que la serpiente inauguró con sus tentaciones y derrotará a la serpiente misma. Shalom reinará en toda la tierra; el reino de Dios llenará toda la tierra.

Israel no era la última ni la mejor esperanza de la creación. Fue un proyecto divino; una renovación de la misión divina para los humanos como representadores de la imagen de Dios para cogobernar la creación y cocrear el futuro con Dios. Era una manera de que Dios efectuara la renovación de la tierra mediante la participación humana. Tuvo sus éxitos, pero también sus lamentables fracasos, ya que la humanidad siguió buscando su propio interés en lugar de participar en la vida de Dios.

Israel no era la última ni la mejor esperanza de la creación. Dios es la esperanza del cosmos. Dios actuará. Dios redimirá. Dios creará. Y Dios cumplirá sus promesas a Israel.

Dios encarnado, la simiente de Abraham, traerá luz a las tinieblas e iluminará al mundo. Dios encarnado, Jesús de Nazaret, es la última, mejor y única esperanza de la creación.

[Translated by David Silva]

“Dios vio todo lo que había hecho y era muy bueno” (Génesis 1:31a).

“…Maldita serás entre todos los animales…Maldita la tierra…” (Génesis 3:14a, 17b).

Dios creó el orden, la vida y la luz de una tierra caótica, inanimada y oscura. Por acto divino, la vida surgió de la nada, la luz apareció en la oscuridad y el orden reformó el caos. La oscuridad vacía y sin forma se convirtió en una realidad ordenada, empapada de luz y llena de vida.

Dios creó un jardín en esta tierra (Edén) donde reinaban la vida, la comunidad y la paz. Lo que creó fue “muy bueno”. Y Dios descansó en la creación, disfrutando de su mundo y deleitándose en su pueblo. La creación estuvo llena de paz o shalom (en Hebreo).

La historia del Génesis, sin embargo, pasa de la paz a la violencia, de la comunidad a la sospecha, de la vida a la muerte. El caos entra en la experiencia humana, el mal crece en el seno de la libertad y la muerte humana se convierte en una realidad en la tierra buena que Dios creo.

La transición del shalom al caos, iniciada por el deseo humano de autonomía, es a lo que me refiero con “maldición”. Dios usa este lenguaje cuando se dirige a la serpiente y al hombre en Génesis 3. La serpiente está maldita (3:14b) y la tierra está maldita (3:17b).

Este no es lenguaje científico. Es una metáfora de la expansión del caos en la buena creación de Dios. Es una metáfora del quebrantamiento, del vandalismo del shalom (como lo llama Cornelius Plantinga). Es un desvío del propósito divino de vida, paz y comunidad hacia la muerte, la violencia y la tiranía. La maldición de Génesis 3 anticipa la espiral humana hacia la inhumanidad en los capítulos 3-11. La humanidad, diseñada para ser la imagen (representar) de Dios en el mundo como gobernantes en su buena creación. Por el contrario, la humanidad por sus ojos crearon ídolos  que podían alcanzar los cielos y crear un nombre para ser famosos ellos mismos. (Génesis 11:4). La humanidad se convirtió en su propia maldición mientras vivía en un mundo roto.

La maldición, o el quebrantamiento, se representa una y otra vez en el drama humano. Es una historia de muerte, destrucción y deshumanización. En lugar de ser la imagen de Dios, la humanidad creo sus propias imágenes para adorar. Sus imágenes no son meros ídolos de madera y piedra, sino superestructuras de codicia, poder y genocidio. Derramaron sangre inocente. Construyeron palacios a costa de los pobres. Tomaron el poder para el beneficio de ellos mismo. La humanidad alcanzaría el poder y la riqueza a través de la violencia y la codicia.

Esta es la condición humana. Se ha vuelto natural para los seres humanos, prácticamente su “segunda naturaleza”. Aunque los humanos están diseñados para el bien: la paz, la comunidad y la alegría, están deformados hacia el mal: la violencia, la tiranía y la angustia.

Pero la gracia de Dios no nos deja en nuestro dolor y esclavitud. Más bien, Dios actúa para redimir, restaurar y renovar. Lo vemos en Génesis. Adán y Eva tienen hijos, Dios llama a Abraham para que bendiga a todas las familias de la tierra, y Dios guarda para sí un pueblo que bendecirá a toda la tierra. Dios renueva la faz de la tierra con su gracia.

Mi escena favorita en La Pasión de Cristo de Mel Gibson es cuando Jesús, cargando la cruz, cae de rodillas debido a el peso. Su madre corre hacia él y sus ojos se cruzan. Con sangre corriendo por sus mejillas y sosteniendo el símbolo del poder y la violencia romana, Jesús dice: “He aquí, Madre, yo hago nuevas todas las cosas”.

Esta es la promesa de Dios. Será el acto escatológico de Dios en la nueva creación, en los nuevos cielos y la nueva tierra. Allí el viejo orden habrá pasado y la voz de Dios declarará: “Yo hago nuevas todas las cosas” (Apocalipsis 21:5a).

Se acerca el día en que “no habrá más maldición” (Apocalipsis 22:3). No habrá más oscuridad. La gloria de Dios llenará de luz la tierra. No habrá más violencia. Las naciones recibirán sanidad y caminarán a la luz de Dios. No habrá más muerte, ni luto ni lágrimas. El Árbol de la Vida y el Agua de la Vida nutrirán al pueblo de Dios para siempre.

Se acerca un día en que la maldición será revertida, revocada y rescindida.

“Ya no habrá muerte, ni llanto, ni llanto, ni dolor” (Apocalipsis 21:4b)

“Ya no habrá más maldición” (Apocalipsis 22:3a).

[Translated by David Garcia]

Moses and Jesus Compared

Moses prophesied that one like him would come after him (Deuteronomy 18:15), and the preacher identifies Jesus, the Messiah, as that one. To be sure, Moses was a faithful servant among God’s people in the wilderness, but Jesus is the faithful Son over God’s people whose glory far exceeds the glory that reflected off Moses’ face. Consequently, let those who have ears to hear pay close attention to the identity of Jesus and hold on to the confidence and hope Jesus has brought us.

Hebrews 3:1, to some degree, summarizes the substance of the sermon. It opens with a thesis (1:1-4), moves to a transitional exhortation (4:14-16), and concludes with the final transitional exhortation (10:19-26). The parts of the sermon are illustrated and anticipated by Hebrews 3:1.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, holy partners in a heavenly calling, consider that Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses also “was faithful in all God’s house.” Yet Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later. 6 Christ, however, was faithful over God’s house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope.

Moses prophesied that one like him would come after him (Deuteronomy 18:15), and the preacher identifies Jesus, the Messiah, as that one. To be sure, Moses was a faithful servant among God’s people in the wilderness, but Jesus is the faithful Son over God’s people whose glory far exceeds the glory that reflected off Moses’ face. Consequently, let those who have ears to hear pay close attention to the identity of Jesus and hold on to the confidence and hope Jesus has brought us.

Hebrews 3:1, to some degree, summarizes the substance of the sermon. It opens with a thesis (1:1-4), moves to a transitional exhortation (4:14-16), and concludes with the final transitional exhortation (10:19-26). The parts of the sermon are illustrated and anticipated by Hebrews 3:1.[1]

Hebrews 3:1	The Structure of Hebrews
Jesus as Apostle (Sent Messenger)	Listen to the Son’s Speech (1:1-4:13)
Jesus as Heavenly High Priest	Embrace Jesus as Our High Priest (4:14-10:18)
Partners in the Heavenly Calling	Live as Participants in the Drama (10:19-12:29)

Naming Jesus as an apostle highlights that he was sent as a messenger to God’s people. God has spoken through the prophets (Hebrews 1:1), the angels (Hebrews 2:2), and Moses (Hebrews 3:5), and now speaks through the Son, who is God’s apostle. He is superior to the prophets, angels, and even Moses who was God’s servant (therapon) in Israel (the only one so named in the Torah).

Naming Jesus as a high priest anticipates the main theme of the second section of the sermon which emphasizes the nature of his priesthood and how Jesus offered himself to God in the heavenly sanctuary.

Identifying his readers as partners or participants in what God is doing in the world, the preacher reminds them that God has graced them and welcomed them into God’s story so that they might share in the benefits, glory, and mission of the Son. The preacher says we are (participants, sharers):

• Partakers in a heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1)
• Partakers in Christ (Hebrews 3:14)
• Partakers of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 6:4)
• Partakers of the discipline of suffering (Hebrews 12:8).

The preacher uses this word to highlight the high nature of our calling and in what sort of world believers participate. It is a heavenly calling, that is, our calling is characterized by the heavenly work of Christ and our own entrance into heavenly spaces. We participate in Christ, and we participate in the Spirit. As we journey through the wilderness on our way to enter the promised rest, we also share in suffering, just as Jesus did, even though he was Son.

This is the Christian profession. We confess Jesus as our apostle and high priest. This may reflect some kind of formal confession, whether at baptism, in the assembly, or some summary of the faith. The focus is the identity and work of Jesus, and this the center of the Christian Faith itself and its central confession.

Moses was the lawgiver, the liberator of Israel from Egyptian slavery, and a prophet who foreshadowed the coming of the Messiah. Yet, the Messiah is worthy of more glory than Moses. Hebrews 3:2-6 compares Moses and the Messiah.

Faithful Moses	Faithful Jesus
Faithful Servant (ὡς θεράπων)	Faithful Son (ὡς υἱὸς), the Messiah
In (ἐν) the house	Over (ἐπὶ) the house
Glory (of face to face with God)	Worthy of more glory (radiance of God)
Israel as God’s House	Divine Builder of God’s House

This comparison is grounded in Numbers 12:7. Both Moses and Jesus are faithful. Moses is called a “servant,” and, in the Greek translation, uses a word that primarily describes Moses in the Torah (Exodus 4:10, 11; 14:31; Numbers 11:11; 12:7; Deuteronomy 3:24; Joshua 1:2; 8:31, 33). He is the servant, not merely a servant (as some translations might leave the impression in Hebrews 3:5). Yet, at every point, the Messiah is superior to Moses. This does not diminish Moses but recognizes that Jesus the Messiah is God’s goal and the savior of the world as well as the one who shares the divine nature (Hebrews 1:1-3).

While Moses is a servant in the house, Jesus is a son over the house. The house refers to the people of God rather than a concrete building. The house is the assembly of the Lord in Israel and ultimately the whole assembly gathered around God’s throne (Hebrews 12:23). God in Jesus has built this house, and Jesus is the heir of God’s house. Moreover, Jesus participated in the building of this house; the Son is the instrument of creation (Hebrews 1:2).

Therefore, Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses. This was part of the point in Numbers 12 where Moses is the who had seen God’s glory “face to face.” Miriam and Aaron resented the role Moses had, but Moses is called God’s servant and the one who had experienced the glory of God. The face of Moses shone with glory whenever he met with God. Yet, the glory of the Son is not derived or a mirror but the radiance of God’s own glory (Hebrews 1:2). The glory of the Son is a not only different in degree from the glory of Moses but different in kind.

The preacher is saying, “Listen to Moses, yes! More importantly, listen to the Son!” This is the profession of our faith, that is, Jesus, the Son of God, is God’s faithful anointed whom God sent as an apostle and high priest for our sake. The Son is unique. He is the Son over the house of God. Therefore, hold on to this confession because it is our confidence and hope!

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[1] The chart is adapted from Cynthia Long Westfall, “A Discourse Analysis of Hebrews,” available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhsuwwtXwSk at the forty-three-minute mark.

The Son became Human For Humanity’s Sake

Now [because] God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But [and] someone has testified somewhere,

            “What are human beings that you are mindful of them,

                        or mortals, that you care for them?

            You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;

                        you have crowned them with glory and honor,

                        subjecting all things under their feet.”

Now [because] in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is [but now], we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

[Because] It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For [because] the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying,

            “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,

                        in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”

And again,

            “I will put my trust in him.”

And again,

            “Here am I and the children whom God has given me.”

Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For [because] it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

God did not subject the world to come to angels but humans. Now, however, chaos reigns and death enslaves. But God made the Son a little lower than the angels, a human being named Jesus. As the appointed heir of all things, the Son of God who is Jesus will bring “sons” (his siblings) into God’s glorious presence as a new humanity. Consequently, it was necessary for this Son to execute a new Passover/Exodus by sharing the flesh and blood of Abraham’s descendants in order to defeat death, liberate those enslaved by death, and free them from the fear of death. For this reason, the Son became a heavenly high priest of Jewish descent to liberate the people of God so that all “sons” (siblings) might inherit what God has promised from the beginning.

The Son Becomes Lower than the Angels (2:5-9)

There is a trajectory within the Old Testament that angels were set over nations to govern them (Deuteronomy 32:8 [see footnotes]; Daniel 10:20-21; 12:1). So, one might surmise that God intended to rule the coming world by angels or, as Job 1 calls them, “sons of God.”

Our preacher, however, identifies humanity as God’s intended ruler over creation, including the coming world. That world is, in the language of Isaiah 65 and Revelation 21, the new heaven and new earth. Both creation and new creation were not the inheritance of angels, but the inheritance of humanity.

Psalm 8:4-6 testifies to God’s intent in creation. God crowned humanity with glory and honor, even though they were created less than (“lower”) the angels. Remember angels serve the heirs; they are not themselves the heirs (Hebrews 1:14). Humanity was given royal dignity from the beginning, and they were intended to rule over the whole creation.

The present reality, however, is otherwise. Now the creation is unruly, and everything is not subject to human rule. Specifically, and ultimately, death reigns rather than humanity. Chaos infects the creation in such a way that humanity is enslaved to death and fears death (Hebrews 2:14).

But God responded to this chaos through the Son who became human. We see Jesus. This is the one who was made, for a time, a little lower than the angels, but is now exalted above the angels as the royal Son who sits at the right hand of God (Hebrews 1:3, 13; the latter quoting Psalm 110). He was exalted because he suffered death for everyone and having suffered as a human being amidst the chaos of the world, he was enthroned at the right of God. Now, because of his death, he has been crowned with glory and honor as the heir of the world to come and present king over creation.

Moreover, remembering the previous section (Hebrews 1:5-14), the one who was higher than the angels now became lower than the angels and suffer death in order to be crowned the royal son who is greater than the angels. The divine Son humbled himself to become a human being (lower than the angels) so that he might lead other human beings (“sons”) into the glory of God’s presence.

The Son has defeated the reign of death by sharing our human weakness in death, but then restored human honor by his enthronement as the royal Son. This is the great reversal! The Son becomes human to reverse what had been lost, to restore human dignity and honor to their royal priesthood upon the earth. The Son, as royal priest, restores humanity as royal priests through dying and rising—rising from the grave and rising to the right hand of the Father.

The Son Speaks to the Father with Other “Sons” Present (2:10-13)

God the Father, for whom and through whom all tings exist (cf. 1 Corinthian 8:6), purposed to bring, as the NRSV says it, “many children to glory.” The NRSV, while seeking to be gender inclusive (often a healthy impulse), obscures the connection between the Son (ton huion; Hebrews 1:8) and these “many sons” (huios). It is important to highlight the sense of sonship because inheritance belongs to sons. This, of course, does not exclude women because women are also heirs; they, too, are “sons” in this sense (cf. Galatians 3:26-29). The point here is that God purposed to bring many heirs (sons) into the family through the one whom God appointed heir over all things (the Son).

How did God do this? He made “the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” What made the Son perfect? We might think of this as a process of sanctification whereby the Son learned and grew into moral perfection. In this sense, then, some suggest the Son became a morally perfect and unblemished sacrifice for sins.

However, it may be that the Son was perfected in his sufferings, specifically his dying. He became perfect when he suffered death (Hebrews 5:7-10). His obedience to the will of the Father through death perfected him and enabled him to become a merciful and faithful high priest. He was perfected in the sense that he completed his race; he stayed the course. He persevered to death in full obedience to the Father.

This enabled Jesus to be the “pioneer” (archegon) of our salvation. There are several options for the translation of this term: trailblazer, author, source, champion (like Hercules). However we translate it, it is a word that describes one who goes before others to forge a path. Here the point is that Jesus goes before us and blazes a trail so that other “sons” may follow him. Interestingly, the spies Moses sent into the land were called archegoi (plural of archegon; Numbers 13:2-3) in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. They were supposed to forge a path but failed (at least 10 of them did). Jesus is our archegon!

The one who became human is the one who sanctifies those who are being sanctified, but they are both, literally, “out of one.” [Some translations supply “Father” or “family.”] To whom or what does the word “one” refer? It may refer to the fact that they are both related to the one God who sent the Son and makes others sons. Or, it may refer to the fact that both the sanctifier and those being sanctified are of the same nature, one humanity. It is a present ongoing activity that is both sourced by God the Father and shared through their common humanity. Translators must interpret the meaning here, but both translations are theologically legitimate. I lean toward the latter: a common humanity, and primarily because it is the main topic of this section of the sermon.

Because the Son was made a litter lower than the angels as Jesus, because the Son came to share our humanity, we are the “brothers” (adelphous) of Jesus, which includes male and female (“brothers and sisters”).

Turning to Psalm 22:22, the preacher quotes his Bible. He places the words in the mouth of Jesus so that the Son now speaks to the Father whereas in Hebrews 1:5ff, the Father spoke to the Son. The Son is present in the “assembly” or “congregation” (ekklesias, the church), praising God and announcing God’s name. Ekklesias is a common word for the assembly of Israel throughout the Hebrew Bible in its Greek translation. The Son joins the assembly of God’s people as one of God’s “sons” to worship God and bless God’s name. In other words, we may envision our assemblies as spaces where Jesus the Messiah is present with us to join the praise of God the Father. It was the Father who made the Son a little lower than the angels so that God the Father might bring many “sons” into the divine presence, into the assembly of the people of God. The Son assembles with and worships with the “sons.”

To further his point, the preacher quotes the Prophet Isaiah (8:17-18). The larger context of Isaiah 8 is the stress of Judah’s future war with Israel (the northern kingdom) and Syria due to their aggression against Judah. Ultimately, this will entail the fall and exile of the northern kingdom. Isaiah 8:17 affirms trust in God, and Isaiah 8:18 rests in God’s promises to God’s faithful servants.

Jesus affirms his trust in the God who sent him, and he claims the children (not “sons” here but paidia, children) God has given him. In other words, our archegon faithfully trusted in God through his obedience and thus made a path for others to enjoy God’s presence and glory. These are the children God gave him. This emphasizes the familial nature of the relationship between Jesus and his siblings. He is our brother—one who shares our human nature and one who leads us into glory.

The Son Serves the Descendants of Abraham (2:14-18).

The Son became a Jew, a descendent of Abraham. Jesus shared the “flesh and blood” of the children (particularly Israel, though not necessarily excluding Gentiles). The word “share” is the term communion, that is, Jesus participated in” flesh and blood.” He became truly human so that he shared the same human condition as others, particularly living under the reign of death and with the weaknesses humanity experiences as “flesh and blood.”

But God purposed that through sharing this human condition and suffering death Jesus would (1) destroy the destroyer who had the power of death, and (2) liberate the children from their enslavement to the fear of death. These points remind us of the Exodus story. There was the destroyer of death, and there was liberation. The Passover protected Israel from the destroyer and liberated them from slavery. The Exodus is also recalled by the language of a “merciful and faithful” high priest in Hebrews 2:17 because this language describes God in Exodus 34:6 where the Lord passed before Moses proclaiming God’s presence. Moreover, Jesus serves as high priest for the “people” of God in Hebrews 2:17. This recalls the Exodus and Mt. Sinai, the institution of the law, and God’s relationship with Israel. God promised to help Abraham’s descendent, not angels. This is about God’s relationship to Israel. Whether it is the angels who mediated the law to Israel, the Passover that liberated Israel, or Moses who led them in the wilderness (see Hebrews 3), God honors the people of Israel and now seeks to fully redeem them through the Son who became a Jew, died for them, and was raised to serve as their high priest.

At the same time, as Psalm 8 reminds us, God intends to bring many “sons” to glory from all of humanity. Jesus will be a high priest for his people Israel, but he will also serve all humanity through his priestly order, which is the order of Melchizedek (more about that in chapters 5-7).

The middle part of the sermon will explore the meaning of the high priestly work of Jesus, and I’ll save comment until we begin to explore that in more detail there. But here the preacher anticipates his point: Jesus, both faithful and merciful, made purification for sin as our high priest and then sat down at the right hand of God (remembering Hebrews 1:3). With this status and function, Jesus brings many “sons” to glory through forgiveness and intercession.

The emphasis in Hebrews 2:5-18 is the radical nature of the Son’s incarnational act by which the Son became human and served humanity, particularly in his empathy for their condition. This included temptation or testing. That ultimate test was whether Jesus would obey God by suffering death. As the preacher’s audience faces trials and temptations—including the temptation to abandon their faith or the testing of potential martyrdom, Jesus understands their journey. He has run the race (Hebrews 12:1-3), and Jesus, as a merciful and faithful high priest, can help them finish their race because he knows the trials believers face.

Theological Take-a-Aways

1. The incarnation lies at the heart of the Christian faith because this is how God brings many “sons” to glory.
2. The incarnation was authentic and real; Jesus became truly human in every respect, evening suffering trials, temptations, and death.
3. The obedience of the Son through dying resulted in his exaltation to the right hand of God to serve as a merciful and faithful high priest.
4. This obedience enabled him share family life with those whom he sanctified, to be siblings who together praise God the Father in the assembly of God’s people.
5. Jesus, because he was tested and was in every respect like his by sharing our flesh and blood, is not only a model for perseverance but also blazed a trail for us as our champion.
6. Because Jesus shared our human condition, he is able to help us persevere and run the race to the finish line.

Boaz at the City Gate (Ruth 4:1-12)

No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin, of whom Boaz had spoken, came passing by. So Boaz said, “Come over, friend; sit down here.” And he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here”; so they sat down. He then said to the next-of-kin, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. So I thought I would tell you of it, and say: Buy it in the presence of those sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you.” So he said, “I will redeem it.” Then Boaz said, “The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth^a the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.” At this, the next-of-kin said, “I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one took off a sandal and gave it to the other; this was the manner of attesting in Israel. So when the next-of-kin said to Boaz, “Acquire it for yourself,” he took off his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his kindred and from the gate of his native place; today you are witnesses.” Then all the people who were at the gate, along with the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you produce children in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem; and, through the children that the LORD will give you by this young woman, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

On the previous night, Ruth courageously and boldly proposed marriage to Boaz for the sake of Naomi and the house of Elimelech. Boaz accepted the proposal and vowed to honor his role as kinsman-redeemer. But another has the first right of refusal, and, consequently, Boaz immediately goes to the city gate to settle the matter. Who will redeem the house of Elimelech by purchasing the land, caring for Naomi, marrying Ruth, and providing that house with a heritage of children? The two kinsmen will negotiate a resolution before the city elders at the gate.

Boaz Honors First-Right of Refusal

The city gate is communal space. At many gates, benches were carved into or attached to the walls. There the city elders would sit, bear witness to transactions, hear disputes, and adjudicate cases as needed. Ten elders, in later Jewish tradition, was a necessary number to establish a quorum for synagogue meetings or starting a synagogue. This number apparently legitimated the action, and this is probably why Boaz gathers ten elders to witness what he is about to do.

Arriving at the gate, Boaz sees the other potential kinsman-redeemer and gathers the elders together. Interestingly but significantly, the other kinsman-redeemer remains unnamed. In fact, though translations often represent Boaz as calling him a “friend” (NRSV; 4:1), the Hebrew is indefinite and literally means “a certain one.” The narrator deliberately omits his name. It is the name of Boaz that will be remembered, and not this “certain” kinsmen-redeemer.

When they sat down at the gate with the elders, Boaz names what most probably was already rather well-known to the community. The town is well-aware of Naomi’s situation, and they knew about Elimelech; his kinsmen especially knew. But no one had acted to help Naomi as a kinsman-redeemer, or perhaps were unaware of her desire to sell Elimelech’s land. Boaz is now going to force the issue. How will the community respond to Naomi? More particularly, will a kinsman-redeemer step up and take responsibility.

The first issue Boaz raises is land. In Israel, Yahweh owned all the land. It was distributed to clans and families as an inheritance to steward and use, but it belonged to Yahweh. At the same time, so that there would be no poor in the land, the land would belong to the clans and families in perpetuity. Due to famine or dire circumstances (like Naomi’s), the land could be sold. A kinsman-redeemer could buy the land to keep it in the clan, but ultimately if it were sold outside the clan, it would return to the clan in the Year of Jubilee (which is every 50 years).

In essence, this land belongs to Elimelech, not Naomi. Widows did not inherit in Israel (or in most nations until the last couple of centuries). Selling the land would provide some security for Naomi, but without land there is no lasting security in ancient Israel. Perhaps the land was unfallowed and unkept due to the absence of the family who went to Moab. But land is valuable, and it is more valuable when it is worked to produce crops. Apparently, the land was barren and unkept.

Boaz says, the land is available for purchase. And the primary kinsman-redeemer has the right of first refusal.

Our no-name kinsman-redeemer is excited to purchase the land. It would enlarge his holdings and increase his profit. Moreover, there is no obligation to marry Naomi because she is beyond child-birthing years. In essence, the no-name kinsman-redeemer could enrich himself without the danger of the land disappearing into the hands of Naomi’s heir since both of her sons were dead. While the land would remain in the clan (a kinsman), Elimelech’s name would disappear even as the no-name kinsman-redeemer grew wealthier by the acquisition of more land.

But there is a catch!

When one buys the land, one assumes responsibility for the house of Elimelech, which includes Ruth the Moabitess. [The grammar of the Hebrew has the possibility of Boaz saying, “I have decided to marry Ruth,” which is also problematic if Ruth bears a son in the marriage.] This is a problem. If he marries Ruth, and she bears a son, then the inheritance of the land he just purchased would go to the son. In other words, he would lose money on this deal since he will have expended the funds to buy the land but only to give the land to the son. It would spoil his own inheritance. Moreover, marrying another woman and bearing children with her might create some trouble in his own house. It is better, he concludes, to refuse the offer and let Boaz redeem the land (along with Naomi and Ruth). He is not condemned for this action; it might have been the most prudent thing to do given his circumstances. And the clan responsibility would be fulfilled by Boaz.

Boaz Redeems Elimelech’s House

Boaz is willing to redeem Elimelech’s land and family.

The transaction between the no-name relative and Boaz is symbolized by one taking off his sandal and giving it to the other. This seems like a strange custom for modern Westerners. But feet and shoes are highly symbolic in ancient Near East and still are in much of the present Middle East. To remove the shoe, some suggest, is to acknowledge ownership.

There is evidence in the ancient Nuzi texts that when one transferred property to a new owner that the seller would lift his foot off the land and place the buyer’s foot on the land. “To set foot” on the land is an ownership claim (cf. Deuteronomy 11:24; Joshua 14:9). In Psalm 60:8, Yahweh says he will “cast my shoe” upon Edom, that is, he will take ownership. For example, Moses took off his shoes as did Joshua in the presence of Yahweh which recognized they were standing of ground God owned. Whatever the exact meaning of the symbolism, clearly the right of redemption transferred from the one who is not named to Boaz. This concrete, public act ratified the transaction.

By this transaction, Boaz acquired “from the hand of Naomi” everything that belong to Elimelech and his two sons. This included not only their land and all the inheritance that pertained to it, but also the right to marry Ruth as a kinsman-redeemer.  While the kinsman-redeemer law was specifically aimed at brothers (like in the story of Tamar and the sons of Judah), the spirit of the law is that relatives redeem the widows in their clans or families. This is Boaz’s intent since he specifically names Mahlon, the dead husband of Ruth, as the one whose inheritance he will maintain. Boaz will preserve the name of Ruth’s first husband, the son of Elimelech and Naomi.

The City Blesses Boaz

The whole city—“all the people who were at the gate”—witnessed this, honored it, and blessed the arrangement.

The city offers three blessings.

• May Yahweh make Ruth like Rachel and Leah who built up the house of Israel through their birthing of children.
• May Yahweh bless Boaz with children and bestow a name in Bethlehem.
• May Yahweh bless the house of Boaz as he did Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.

These blessings connect the story of Ruth and Boaz with the history of Israel, particularly in Genesis. Rachel and Leah (along with their maidservants) are the mothers of the twelve sons of Jacob. The “name” attached to Bethlehem of Ephrathah will link Abraham to David whose own birth prefigures the birth of the Messiah (cf. Micah 5:2-4); Boaz will have a name, but the other kinsman-redeemer remains unamed. Naming Tamar reminds us that Ruth is not the only non-Israelite in this heritage. Her son Perez was born to Judah after his two sons failed to give Tamar a child. In other words, the people bless Boaz to be more like Judah than his two sons as he takes a Moabite bride just as Judah fathered a child from a Canaanite woman.

Through these blessings, Ruth is fully integrated into the story of Israel. She is no longer and outsider but included, blessed, and honored. Boaz has redeemed the family.

Remember, however, it was Naomi’s initiative and Ruth’s boldness along with Boaz’s hesed (loyalty) that brought this moment to fruition. And, yet it was God’s hidden footsteps that guided this from Moab to the fields of Boaz to the city gates. Yahweh’s blessing had never forsaken the family of Elimelech, his wife, and his daughter-in-law.

Ruth Seeks Naomi’s Security (Ruth 3:6-16)

So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had instructed her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and he was in a contented mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came stealthily and uncovered his feet, and lay down. At midnight the man was startled, and turned over, and there, lying at his feet, was a woman! He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant; spread your cloak over your servant, for you are next-of-kin.” He said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter; this last instance of your loyalty is better than the first; you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not be afraid, I will do for you all that you ask, for all the assembly of my people know that you are a worthy woman. But now, though it is true that I am a near kinsman, there is another kinsman more closely related than I. Remain this night, and in the morning, if he will act as next-of-kin for you, good; let him do it. If he is not willing to act as next-of-kin for you, then, as the LORD lives, I will act as next-of-kin for you. Lie down until the morning.”

So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before one person could recognize another; for he said, “It must not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” Then he said, “Bring the cloak you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley, and put it on her back; then he went into the city. She came to her mother-in-law, who said, “How did things go with you,^a my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, saying, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, ‘Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today.”

On Boaz’s threshing floor in the dead of the night, Ruth brazenly (and selflessly) proposed marriage and reminded Boaz of his kinsman-redeemer obligation. Boaz recognized her devout loyalty and her valiant strength which bolstered his opinion of her. With integrity, Boaz committed to discover her availability, protected her from gossip, and supplied her with a generous gift of barley for her and Naomi. Though once “empty,” now Ruth brings abundance to Naomi, and we anticipate more abundance to come.

Ruth Approaches Boaz

Ruth did exactly what Naomi told her to do.

She bathed, perfumed, and changed her clothing. Ruth was no longer in mourning; she is now available for marriage. Naomi wants Ruth to find “rest.” In other words, Ruth needs to find a husband as she has no means of support and no future in Bethlehem in its patriarchal and patrilineal culture.

She went to the threshing floor under the cover of darkness to secure a future by proposing marriage to its owner, Boaz. This was audacious, brazen, courageous, and risky. She exposed herself to potential humiliation, abuse, and rejection. But both Ruth and Naomi know the sort of man Boaz is. They know he is a “worthy” man, and he has demonstrated kindness (hesed) toward them both. He has protected Ruth from abuse and provided for her needs during the harvest.

Yet, Ruth does not approach Boaz directly in public view at the end of a workday. Rather, she waits till he is refreshed with food and drink and contented, beginning his rest with a night’s sleep on the threshing floor. It is the end of the harvest; Boaz stays with his grain. Ruth approaches him in quiet or “stealthily” to uncover his feet (see previous lesson for its meaning). She does not want to awaken anyone or raise an alarm. She only wants to interact with Boaz. While he still sleeps, Ruth lays down at his feet to await his response.

Bathed, perfumed, and dressed in her best, she uncovers his feet and lies down at them as a marriage proposal. This is not an invitation to a one-night stand, and neither is necessarily an invitation for a sexual liaison in the middle of the night. However, it might be an invitation to consummate a marriage on that threshing floor as Boaz is a kinsman-redeemer for the family. That is possible. At the same time, Boaz’s response tells us that there was no sexual consummation. But why not?

Ruth Proposes Marriage

Around midnight, Boaz is startled, turned over, and saw a woman lying at his feet. No doubt this was surprising. His question indicates he had not anticipated this moment, “Who are you?”

Ruth responded with four key points: (1) her name; (2) her work in the field (“your servant”); (3) her intent (“spread your cloak over your servant”); and (4) her relation (kinsman-redeemer). Since it was dark, Boaz did not immediately recognize Ruth, but he knew her from his relationship with her in the fields. She had harvested with his workers for perhaps seven weeks, shared his table, and was generously supplied with food and resources by Boaz.

She identified herself as one of his “servants” (one of his workers, according to Boaz’s kindness). But she had come to the threshing floor to extend her relationship with Boaz—no longer a boss but a partner in marriage.

Literally, her request that Boaz “spread [his] cloak over” her is “spread [his] wing over” her. “Wing” is exactly the word Boaz used when he had earlier blessed Ruth (2:12, Yahweh, “the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” This is clearly a marriage proposal, and it is deeply theological. Boaz asked Yahweh to bless Ruth and find security (a refuge) under Yahweh’s wings. Ruth now turns the language toward Boaz with a question: “Will you be Yahweh’s wings to me?” For Boaz to cover Ruth with his wings is to participate in the blessing of Yahweh toward Ruth (and Naomi as well). Will Boaz show hesed (kindness) to Naomi through Ruth?

Ruth’s response was succinct but powerful, and Boaz caught the point immediately. Boaz did not see this as an invitation to a sexual affair but to marriage. He responds accordingly.

Boaz Responds to Ruth

Boaz’s response highlights Ruth’s character as he blesses her once again. He is not upset that she is at his feet; he does not belittle or scold her. Instead, he blesses her, just as he had done when they first met weeks previously. His blessing is rooted in the fact that Ruth is loyal to Naomi and a worthy woman.

Ruth acts out of hesed (kindness, loyalty). Ruth did not seek what was best for her personally. She did not manipulate the situation out of self-interest. If that were the case, she would have pursued a younger man. Rather, by raising the point of about the kinsman-redeemer, she was seeking security not only for herself but, and perhaps primarily, for Naomi. This is her hesed, her loyal kindness, her loving kindness, toward Naomi for which Boaz blesses her. 

In the second movement of his response, Boaz calls Ruth a “worthy” woman and reveals that the Ruth is known as such at the “assembly of my people” (literally, at the gate). Ruth has gained a reputation in town, particularly among the town elders or leaders. Consequently, Ruth should have no fear since she is respected, and Boaz intends to do as she asks.

“Worthy” is the same word that the narrator of the book of Ruth used to describe Boaz himself in Ruth 2:1. Both Ruth and Boaz are “worthy”. While this may have overtones of wealth and power when it comes to Boaz, that is not true of a barren, widowed, Moabite alien in the land. “Worthy” refers more to character than status, it seems to me. Her hesed toward Naomi is well-known. Her industry in providing for Naomi is also well-known. She has revealed her colors as a devout, self-less woman whose generosity and commitment is exemplary.

That there was no sexual consummation that night at the threshing floor is clear from Boaz’s integrity regarding his role as kinsman-redeemer. He did not presume to take liberties with Ruth as a kinsman when there was another who had the right of first choice (or first refusal). It was not his place. He did not have the right, and he honored that. This is something that must be adjudicated at the gate (or in the assembly of the people). Boaz wants to honor Ruth by acting honorably, and he wants to provide security for her that was untainted by scandal.

Yet, if Ruth is available, Boaz will honor her request. He swears an oath before Yahweh.

Ruth Returns to Naomi.

With Boaz’s reassurance and commitment, she lies down in peace to sleep on the threshing floor. One way or the other (either Boaz or the other kinsman), Ruth will have secured Naomi’s as well as her own “rest.”

Appropriately, Ruth slips out before dawn to protect her reputation. She is known as a “worthy” woman, and Boaz wants to keep it that way. This is not an escape from a sexual tryst but a prudent action to preserve both of their reputations until the matter is resolved publicly at the gate.

Before she leaves, however, Boaz gifts her a further supply of barley. Six measures of barley is probably something like half of an ephah, or probably about 15 or so pounds. Ruth carries the gift with her cloak (a different word than “wing” in 3:9). She does not return to Naomi “empty” (Ruth 1:21).

This is a gracious reversal within the narrative. Remember Naomi complained that Yahweh had brought her back “empty” to Bethlehem, but now from the threshing floor of Bethlehem, Ruth fills Naomi’s hands with abundance. She is no longer “empty.”

When Ruth returns, Naomi’s question for Ruth, in Hebrew, is the same as Boaz’s question, “Who are you?” English translations try to make sense of this; so, they typically provide a paraphrastic meaning for the phrase. Perhaps it is something like, “What’s up” or “What happened” along the lines of “how have your returned [empty or full]?” (or, “what are you doing here”? in the case of Boaz earlier).

Ruth has returned full—not only with barley but also with Boaz’s oath. Their security is firm because a kinsman-redeemer will act: if not the closest one, then Boaz certainly will as the next in line. Boaz will settle the matter one way or another.

Naomi and Ruth, however, must patiently wait for the outcome.

Season 1, Episode 5.

Available on Podcast here.

Available on Vimeo here.

Stan Wilson, Haley Villacorta, David Villacorta, and I have begun a series of podcasts/videos about “The Chosen” produced and directed by Dallas Jenkins.

These conversations seek to explore one dimension of “The Chosen” per episode. This week we focus on Mary, the Wedding in Cana, and first movements of opposition in the first season.

The first public miracle–turning water into wine at the Cana Wedding–revealed the presence of the Messiah in Israel. It inaugurated the public ministry of Jesus in the Gospel of John. As his ministry became more public, opposition also grew.

Join us for the conversation!

This brief homily is based on the the lectionary readings from Genesis 1-2:4a, Psalm 8, Matthew 28:16-20, and 2 Corinthians 13:13.

The love of God is expressed in creation and in the story of redemption (including the sending of the Son and the sending of the Spirit).

The grace of Jesus Christ is the gift of himself as the one through whom we receive the grace that saves.

The communion of the Holy Spirit is a participation in the dynamic of love that is the intimacy of the Triune God.

2 Corinthians 13:13 summarizes the gospel story.

Season 1, Episode 4.

Available on Podcast here.

Available on Vimeo here.

Stan Wilson, Haley Villacorta, David Villacorta, and I have begun a series of podcasts/videos about “The Chosen” produced and directed by Dallas Jenkins.

These conversations seek to explore one dimension of “The Chosen” per episode. This week we focus on Matthew in the first season.

Matthew, a rejected and marginalized person in the Jewish community, is a wealthy tax collector within the Roman system. How does the Chosen uniquely but helpfully portray the story of Matthew’s job, curiosity, and ultimately faith as he decides to follow Jesus when Jesus invites him.

Join us for the conversation!