John Mark Hicks

Hebrews 11:1-22

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and “he was not found, because God had taken him.” For it was attested before he was taken away that “he had pleased God.” And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”

All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.

By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.” He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, “bowing in worship over the top of his staff.” By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.

Faith is a certain assurance for what we hope though we cannot see that for which we hope. Faith is no mere subjective feeling, but a conviction based on the objective nature of heavenly realities. It is the objective reality that gives rise to faith and empowers faith to persevere.

Lived faith, seen through examples, bears witness to the power of faith itself. The preacher encourages persevering in faith by remembering the stories of faith within the Torah and beyond. These heroes of faith were attested by God as they pursued faith even though they could not see what God had promised. Faith affirms the capacity of God to create new realities from what is now unseen. Faith, in this context, is future-oriented as it yearns for the realization of the promised future on the basis of God’s identity, mighty acts, and covenant love.

Appealing to the history of heroes is not unusual among writers of the Second Temple period. One of the most famous is the speech by Mattathias who encourages Israel to remain faithful despite the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes (167-163 BCE) in 4 Maccabees. For example, in 4 Maccabees 16:16-23, he recalls Abraham, Daniel, and the three young men sent into the fiery furnace among others throughout the book.

The intent of naming these heroes is encouragement as the sermon moves to its climactic conclusion. Hearers are encouraged to participate in the journey of faith like these heroes did and follow their example. The circumstances of these heroes were often more dire than what the current believers experienced. These heroes faced their own hostility and social pressure. Yet, they acted out of faith rather than fear. Seven heroes are named.

• By faith Abel (11:4) – Abel was attested by God as righteous through faith because his sacrifice was received by God, and that faith still speaks. Abel suffered martyrdom despite his approval.
• By faith Enoch (11:5-6) – Enoch pleased God through his faith. Thus, he triumphed over death through God’s gracious deliverance.
  • Faith is necessary—we cannot draw near to God if we don’t believe God exists and seek God who rewards the faithful with what is promised.
• By faith Noah (11:7) – Noah trusted God’s warning of what he could not see and thus obeyed God despite the hostile nature of the world in which he lived. In this way, Noah became an heir of righteousness through faith.
• By faith Abraham (11:8-12)
  • By faith, Abraham obeyed the call to leave his home in search of a new inheritance (11:8).
• • By faith, Abraham sojourned as an alien in a land he did not possess in search of a new home (city) whose builder is God (11:9-10)
• • By faith, Abraham became a progenitor though his body and the womb of Sarah were both dead. And Abraham received this promise, and its reality is now evident: the children of Abraham are now innumerable (11:11-12).

Hebrews 11:13-16 functions like an editorial comment. The preacher interrupts his list, dissecting it into two equal parts of four, to note the status of these faithful. They persevered in faith even though they did not receive the promises. A major characteristic is that neither group of four had a permanent home. Abel had a short life, Enoch was received into heaven, Noah had his home wiped out, and Abraham left his home in search of another. The list continues with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—none of whom had an inheritance in the land. They all lived as “strangers and foreigners on the earth” (Hebrews 13:13).

Faith claims there is a better country, a heavenly one. It sees the future where heavenly realities will be seen though they are presently unseen. God is preparing an inheritance for the faithful, and God will be their God and they will be God’s people. This is the point of the new covenant which is a renewal of relationship.

• By faith Abraham (11:17-19) – Abraham offered Isaac, the son of promise, because he believed in what he could not see, that is, the resurrection of the dead.
• By faith Isaac (11:20) – Isaac blessed his sons as he was assured by faith of an unseen future for his progeny.
• By faith Jacob (11:21) – Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph because he was assured by faith of their unseen future.
• By faith Joseph (11:22) – Joseph instructed them to bury him in the land of inheritance because he expected an unseen future (that is, an exodus from Egypt).

The persistent theme is faith in what is unseen, and what is unseen was so certain to these witnesses to faith that they acted in ways that seemed out of sync with what was expected of normal human beings. They stepped out in faith, and they acted because they trusted the promise of God.

In this lesson, I discuss Titus 2:11-14 and Titus 3:3-8. What does one teach or stress in order to form a community of believers into a people zealous for good works?

This was delivered at the Homewood Church of Christ in Birmingham, AL on May 19, 2024.

Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks discuss the meaning and significance of Psalm 150 as the conclusion to the Psalter.

Hebrews 10:26-39

For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy “on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting. Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

            For yet “in a very little while,

                        the one who is coming will come and will not delay;

            but my righteous one will live by faith.

                        My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.”

But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.

The journey of faith is a long road fraught with both danger and hope. The preacher reminds those on the journey that to abandon it is to fall into God’s judgment but to persevere is to experience deliverance. Faith is a serious undertaking filled with great difficulties both within our own souls and in relation to the surrounding culture. At times, we endure it gladly, but at other times we are fatigued, troubled, and ready to give up. The preacher recognizes this and encourages believers to persevere as the Day approaches.

Hebrews 10:26-39 falls into two sections, and both are grounded in the quotations from the Hebrew Bible. The first section, focused on judgment and consequences, grounds its theology in Deuteronomy 32:35-36. The second section, focused on perseverance, grounds its theology in Habakkuk 2:3-4. The first highlights judgment but the second highlights hope. The Hebrew texts shape the significance of the preacher’s point. Because we have confidence (Hebrews 10:19, 35)—the confidence to enter the sanctuary because we have a great high priest—let us persevere in faith rather than experience the negative consequences of abandoning that confidence.

The Consequences of Abandonment (Hebrews 10:26-31)

What kind of consequences are involved?

It is the sort of consequence to which the ultimate statement of divine justice in the law of Moses applies. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” comes from Deuteronomy 32:35 which is from the “song of Moses.” It is near the end of the song (besides the blessings for each tribe in Deuteronomy 33) that describes God’s judgment upon Israel should they sin, including exile. The preacher also quotes Deuteronomy 32:36, “The Lord will judge his people.”

The divine judgment (Hebrews 10:30) is called “punishment” (Hebrews 10:29) and “vengeance” (Hebrews 10:30).  It is a “fury of fire” (or zealous fire) that will “consume” (or eat up) God’s “adversaries” or God’s opponents.  “To fall into the hands of the living God” is a terrifying prospect (Hebrews 10:31). Fear is a prominent theme as one contemplates this judgment (Hebrews 10:27, 31).

The preacher appeals to the sort of punishment executed under the “law of Moses” in Hebrews 10:28. It was “without mercy” in the light of the testimony of “two or three witnesses.” The latter phrase comes from Deuteronomy 17:6 within the larger context of Deuteronomy 17:2-7 that describes the punishment meted out to those who are found “doing evil,” or violating the covenant, or worshiping “other gods,” which is a “detestable” and “evil” thing. The law demands execution, a death penalty. Importantly, the great evil in the context of Deuteronomy of 17 is idolatry, “bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars in the sky” (Deuteronomy 17:3). In others, it is a rejection of Yahweh’s divine sovereignty, that Yahweh alone is the God of Israel.

If idolatry received the death penalty under the law of Moses, “how much worse punishment” belongs to those who abandon their faith in the Messiah (Hebrews 10:29). What sin generates this sort of divine response? What is the potential sin that exiles God’s people and brings down this kind of divine vengeance?

The preacher characterizes this sin as willful. Willful sinning describes those who already know the truth but reject it. What is the truth they know? Since no sacrifice remains for those who sin willfully, we might surmise that the “truth” envision here is the truth of what God has accomplished in Jesus, our High Priest. This is the truth that the whole prior section of the sermon sought to demonstrate (from Hebrews 4:14 to Hebrews 10:18). If one knows the truth of Jesus as high priest before God, but continues to sin willfully, there is no other sacrifice for sin.

But what does it mean to sin “willfully”? Some might suggest this refers to momentary lapses, but the emphasis on “willfully” stresses the deliberate nature of these sins. It is a sustained, continuous, and determined volition to sin, that is, to continue in their course of action. The intentional abandonment of Jesus the Messiah is stressed by the following three phrases. The one who sins willfully is the one who:

• Spurns the Son of God
• Profanes the blood of the covenant
• Outrages the Spirit of grace

The Son of God is Jesus the Messiah, who is God’s heavenly High Priest (Hebrews 4:14). The rebellious spurn or show disdain for the Son of God. They, literally, trample him under foot. They trample the one whom God has exalted. This is complete and full rejection. It is deliberate and rebellious.

The blood of the covenant is what the Messiah has offered for the sins of the people. It inaugurates the new covenant, the renewal of God’s covenant with Israel (which also had a “blood of the covenant” in Exodus 24:8). To treat the blood of Jesus as profane is to treat it as ineffectual, worthless, or mundane. It is no better than any other blood. It is to say that it is no real sacrifice for sin.

When one spurns the Son of God or treats the blood of Jesus as worthless, this is also a rejection of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, it mocks or insults the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, through Scripture, anticipated the high priesthood and sacrifice of the Messiah. The Holy Spirit, as a participant in the saving work of God, invited Israel to share in the age to come. To insult the Spirit is to reject the Spirit’s saving work and the promises of the age to come.

In effect, the apostate rejects the Triune offer of grace and mercy. The living God of Israel, the priestly Son of God, and the Holy Spirit of grace invite Israel to renewal, and to reject this is to reject God’s sacrifice through the Messiah. And there is no other sacrifice for sin.

This is the description of an apostate, not one who is struggling in their weakness. This is the language of rebellion and dismissal. They have abandoned the faith, including meeting together with the saints. Their abandonment is total, and they treat God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit with disgust and revulsion.

This does not apply to people who sin in their weakness or inadvertently or even make choices they soon regret, that is, people who seek God and yearn to follow Jesus but struggle in their hearts and actions to fully live out their desire. It applies to those who have totally rejected what God has offered in Jesus and refuse to participate in the age of the Spirit.

The Call to Perseverance

For the only time in Hebrews, the preacher explicitly invites his hearers to “remember” or “recall” something. In this case, he wants them to remember their faithful past. It was a difficult time, but they persevered.  It was in the early days of their life in renewed Israel under the leadership of Jesus, their high priest. It was in their earliest post-conversion days, the days of their enlightenment.

But those days were filled with public abuse and persecution, including the loss of possessions and the imprisonment of some. We don’t know the details of this oppression or even exactly where it happened (whether in Jerusalem, Rome, or elsewhere). We don’t know the exact when and where except it was early in their faith journey. Perhaps it was at the time of the introduction of Christianity in Rome that caused conflicts among the Jewish faithful, or perhaps it was in Jerusalem as disciples of Jesus and followers of other rabbis lived in conflict. We don’t know.

Yet, what we do know is that these disciples of Jesus persevered in faith amidst these troubles and sufferings with compassion and joy. They “cheerfully accepted” their loses because they knew they possessed “something better and more lasting.” They persevered because they were confident about what that something better was.

Throughout his sermon, the preacher has explained what was “better” and why it was “better.” They believed this from the beginning, but what the preacher has provided is more depth, more explanation, more grounding. He has tried to deepen their faith in order to withstand this new wave of persecution and hostility.

Their own previous example provides encouragement to persevere now. “Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours.”  Don’t abandon the confidence of “something better and more lasting,” which the preacher has explained. Indeed, it is—in the immediate context—the confidence to enter the sanctuary of God. Don’t throw away that for which you endured so much in the past and for which you now suffer.  Hang on! Endure! Stay in the struggle! Don’t give up!

While remembering their own past struggles early in their faith, the preacher also calls to mind the past struggle of Judah in Habakkuk 2:3-4. It is important to remember the context of Habakkuk. The prophet complained to Yahweh about the violence and injustice in Judah, and God responded that an end is coming to Judah through the sword of Babylon. The empire will ravage Judah and destroy its cities and prosperity. While the prophet questioned this approach, God also promised Babylon will receive their due recompense as well. Consequently, the prophet and the people will have to wait on the deliverance of the Lord and live through the dark days of Babylon’s imperial occupation.

As Hebrews 10:25 indicated, there is a “Day” approaching. It is an eschatological Day, a day of judgment but also salvation; a day when God will deliver the cosmos from its enslavement to death, when God will save both humans and animals (cf. Psalm 36:6). It is the day when God will release the people from oppression and destroy their enemies (Isaish 26:20-21). The people of God wait for that day, and we must wait in faith. We must persevere until the “Day” comes, and God is the one who is coming (Hebrews 9:28—our high priest will appear to save us).

Habakkuk 2:4, “the just shall live by faith,” is an important text among New Testament writers. Paul cites it at the beginning of Romans (1:17; see also Galatians 3:11). The righteous live by faith. It may mean that people are justified by faith, but in Habakkuk and in Hebrews it means more like, “the righteous will persevere through faith” or persevere in faith. We wait in faith for the coming of the “Day” when the promises of God are fully realized.

Those who live by faith don’t “shrink back.” In Habakkuk there are two classes of people: the arrogant and the righteous. The arrogant have no need for God and thus shrink back from the life of faith. But the righteous live by faith. The choice is clear: shrink back (abandon the Messiah) or faith (trust in and allegiance to the Messiah). The preacher is confident that his audience is not among those who shrink back and are thus lost, but among those who have faith and are thus saved. He is confident that they will follow the example of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 rather than example of the wilderness generation that did not enter God’s rest due to their unbelief (lack of faith).

In this episode, Dr. Jeanie Shaw joins us to discuss one of her favorite Psalms, Psalm 36. Listen to her beautiful story of meditating and reciting this Psalm on her walks along the river as she encounters God with her beloved dog. Psalm 36:5-9 extols the character of Yahweh while recognizing the character of the wicked in Psalm 36:1-4, 10-12. It is the steadfast love of the Lord that prevails in both creation and in God’s temple rule of the earth.

Hebrews 10:19-25

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Because we have a great high priest, we confidently enter God’s heavenly sanctuary through Jesus the Messiah. Therefore, let us (1) draw near to God, (2) hold fast our confession of hope, and (3) stir each other up to love and good works as we meet together more frequently for mutual encouragement.

The preacher has just finished a detailed exposition of Israel’s Day of Atonement where the high priest entered the Holy of Holies every year for his own sins and the sins of the people. He would then exit the Holy of Holies where the waiting congregation celebrated his reappearance and the accomplishment of his ministry. In the same way, our high priest has passed through the heavens and entered God’s most holy place to offer himself for the people. Our high priest remains at the right hand of God to intercede for us, and we wait for his reappearance. As we wait, we live confidently through faith in Jesus the Messiah, and we gather regularly to enter the sanctuary and for mutual encouragement.

Perhaps it is important to remember that our Messianic high priest entered God’s sanctuary to present himself in God’s heavenly assembly as part of the great congregation. The preacher quotes Psalm 40:6-8 in Hebrews 10:5-7, and the Psalm describes how the presentation of the obedient believer happens in “the great congregation” (Hebrew, qahal; Greek ekklesia in Psalm 40:9 and sunagoges in Psalm 40:10). Jesus, in other words, entered the great assembly around the throne of God to present himself as an offering before God for the salvation of the people of God.

The basic structure and message of the text is something like this:

            Since we have access to the heavenly sanctuary through our high priest (19-21),

                        let us draw near to God (22)—enter his presence,

                        let us hold fast our profession of hope (23)—eschatological promise

                        let us care for another (24)—mutual encouragement,

                                    not discontinuing meeting together but encouraging each other (25)

Hebrews 10:19-25, in Greek, is one sentence. We have a gift from God, and therefore, we draw near to God, hold fast to our hope, and care for each other. Hebrews 10:25—not abandoning our assembling together—modifies the whole sentence. In other words, entering the sanctuary, drawing near to God in faith, professing our hope, and caring for each other in love is something the preacher envisions as happening in an assembly of believers. The preacher is describing what happens when believers assemble.

The “therefore” reminds us that what the preacher says here is based upon and grounded in the work of Jesus described in his lengthy didactic section in Hebrews 5:1-10 and Hebrews 7:1-10:19. What he is about to say is the fruit of that lengthy argument about the nature and work of the Messianic high priest. As a consequence, we have two wonderful blessings: (1) we have confidence to enter the heavenly sanctuary, and (2) we have a great high priest over the house of God.

We have confidence. Despite the dire struggle to persevere in faith, we claim the promise through faith that we enter the heavenly sanctuary when we gather together. To what does the sanctuary (ton agion, the holies) refer in Hebrews 10:19? Earlier Hebrews 9:1-2 makes a distinction between the agia (holy place) and the agia agion (holy of holies). At the same time, Hebrews 9:24-25 describes the place Jesus entered upon his resurrection as ta agia (the holies). One might suggest that we may enter the holy place (the outer tent) by the blood of Jesus, but we are waiting for the one who has entered the holy of holies (the inner tent) to reappear for the deliverance of the people (as in Hebrews 9:28). Perhaps we, by the Spirit, enter the most holy place even though we are not yet permanently there. Perhaps when we gather, we enter that space as a community, but we leave it to bear witness to the glory of God in the world where we struggle to persevere in faith. Whichever is the case, there is a sense in which we enter God’s heavenly sanctuary when we assemble, and there is a sense in which we are yet waiting for the full experience of that entrance.

We also have a great high priest over the house of God. This is the point of the middle section of the preacher’s sermon (Hebrews 8:1). The house of God refers to Israel, the people of God, as Hebrews 3:1-6 tells us. The high priestly Messiah is “over” God’s house (Hebrews 3:6; 10:21). He has been exalted above the heavens to the right hand of God as both king and priest. Christ reigns over the same house of God in which Moses himself served faithfully. This highlights the continuity between the people of God in Israel and the renewal of Israel under the Messianic reign of our high priest.

Because of these two great blessings (entrance into the sanctuary and a great high priest in God’s heavenly temple), the preacher invites his hearers to participate. We have, he says, and therefore, we participate. The preacher exhorts the congregation to (1) draw near to God in faith, (2) hold fast to the hope they profess, and (3) care for each other in love. The preacher urges them to continue the habit of assembling together for these purposes as the present tense of the subjunctives (“let us”) indicates. The participle “not discontinuing our meeting together” modifies all three of the subjunctives and thus identifies the purposes of assembling—to draw near to God, to profess our hope,and to care for each other.

The first exhortation is, “let us approach (draw near).” Drawing near to God means to enter his sanctuary. It is liturgical language in Hebrews (4:16; 7:25; 10:1, 22; 11:6; 12:18, 22). It describes a believer’s approach to the throne of God in prayer and worship. Consequently, when the gathered people of God draw near to God, they enter the heavenly sanctuary to worship and become a worshipping assembly.

Those who come near have already had their hearts cleansed from an evil conscience by the sprinkled blood of Jesus (which the Levitical order could not accomplish), and they have already had their bodies washed (bathed like the high priest on the Day of Atonement) with pure water. In other words, they enter (draw near) with clean consciences and bodies; they enter as embodied persons sanctified in soul and body. They are baptized people whose consciences have been sanctified by the blood of Jesus. As baptized and cleansed people, we approach in “full assurance of faith” with a “true heart.” In other words, it is through faith that we enter God’s sanctuary. The fullness of the promise is yet to come, but through faith there is an authentic encounter with God when we assemble together.

The second exhortation is, “let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.” We hang on because God is faithful. This is the function of faith—we persevere in our pilgrimage because we believe God’s promises. That promise is the hope of our perfection when we will be fully and finally liberated from our enslavement to death. When we gather we bear witness to this hope, cling to it together, and stand together without wavering upon that hope.

The third exhortation is, “let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds.” When we gather, we stir each other up or provoke each other to agape and good works. In other words, the assembly ought to be the place where we generate an energy for ministry, for service through love and good works. We do not assemble only for ourselves but for others whom we might serve. We participate in the assembly of the heavenlies, and we re-enter the world to serve as God’s witnesses.

These exhortations are specifically located in the context of the assembly (literally, “the assembly of themselves”). The actual term used for assembling is significant. The normal word for gathering is synagoge and is used in early Christianity to describe the Christian assembly (cf. James 2:2; Ignatius, Trallians, 3 and Polycarp 4:2). But the term here is episynagoge—the combination of epi (upon, at a place) and synagoge (assembly, synagogue). The use of this term is important (Koester, Hebrews, 446). First, epi denotes a specific location—a gathering in a particular place. If Hebrews is addressed to the Roman church, this church certainly met in several different homes in the city (Romans 16:5, 23). These gatherings would not have been very large—perhaps 40 to 60 in a wealthy Roman home. Second, the noun and verb forms of episynagoge are used to describe “the eschatological ingathering of Israel” (cf. 2 Mac 2:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:1; Matthew 27:37; 24:31; Mark 13:27; Luke 13:34). Since the “Day of the Lord” is mentioned and the preacher has already declared that believers participate in the age to come (Hebrews 6:5), he “understood their gathering to anticipate the final ingathering of God’s people. The assembly is the earthly counterpart to the heavenly ‘congregation’ (ekklesia) of God’s people” (Hebrews 12:23; cf. Hebrews 2:12). Third, the term carries the “social connotations” of “continuity with Israel’s heritage.” They are the newly gathered eschatological community that enters the heavenly sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—they are renewed Israel.

This assembly is not specifically any particular day, though many have assumed it is Sunday or the first day the week. The point is not the timing but the reality—it is an eschatological reality. It is “the assembling.” The preacher encourages his people to assemble more frequently, that is, to participate in “the assembly” more often. The preacher expects an intensifying urgency for assembling as “the Day” approaches. Most likely this refers to the eschatological shaking that the preacher will describe in Hebrews 12:26-29, the day when all God’s people will “be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:40).

The problem among his readers was not an occasional missing of an assembly, or even a banal neglect of the assembly, but it is the abandonment of the assembling itself. The problem is the habit or custom of forsaking or rejecting the assembly. He warns his readers to not become people who give up assembling together altogether. In other words, don’t reject this assembly, the eschatological assembly of the people of God. If one rejects this assembly–which is an entrance into the sanctuary of God, there is no other assembly where this is possible. There is no other access to the sanctuary except through Jesus the Messiah whose disciples gather to draw near to God, confess their hope, and stir each up in love.

When we assemble, we participate in the eschatological assembly gathered around the throne of God. We participate through the Spirit, and, in the Spirit, we are actually and authentically present (Hebrews 12:22-24). Yet, we are not yet fully present since we have not yet been fully perfected. We assemble to encourage each other to persevere, and we are encouraged through participation in the eschatological assembly. We assemble in faith (10:22), hope (10:23), and love (10:24), and we wait for the reappearance of our high priest to fully deliver us from death.

In this video, Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks discuss the context, meaning, and significance of Psalm 2.

For more on Psalm 2, see this link.

(English version available here.)

Así que recogió en el campo hasta el anochecer. Luego desgranó lo que había recogido, y fue como un efa de cebada. Ella lo recogió y llegó al pueblo, y su suegra vio cuánto había recogido. Luego sacó y le dio lo que sobró después de que ella misma se hubo saciado. Su suegra le dijo: “¿Dónde espigaste hoy? ¿Y dónde has trabajado? Bendito sea el hombre que se fijó en ti”. Entonces ella le contó a su suegra con quién había trabajado, y dijo: El nombre del hombre con quien trabajé hoy es Booz. Entonces Noemí dijo a su nuera: ¡Bendito sea de Jehová aquel cuya bondad no abandona ni a los vivos ni a los muertos! Noemí también le dijo: “Ese hombre es pariente nuestro, uno de nuestros parientes más cercanos”.a Entonces Rut la moabita dijo: “Él incluso me dijo: ‘Quédate cerca de mis siervos hasta que hayan terminado toda mi cosecha. .’” Noemí le dijo a Rut, su nuera: “Es mejor, hija mía, que salgas con sus doncellas, no sea que te molesten en otro campo”. Así que permaneció cerca de las jóvenes de Booz, espigando hasta el fin de la cosecha de cebada y trigo; y ella vivía con su suegra.

Noemí, su suegra, le dijo: “Hija mía, necesito buscarte alguna seguridad para que te vaya bien. Aquí está nuestro pariente Booz, con cuyas jóvenes has estado trabajando. Mira, esta noche está aventando cebada en la era. Ahora lávate y úngete, y ponte tus mejores vestidos y baja a la era; pero no te des a conocer al hombre hasta que haya terminado de comer y de beber. Cuando se acueste, observa el lugar donde se acuesta; luego, ve y descúbrele los pies y acuéstate; y él os dirá qué hacer”. Ella le dijo: “Todo lo que me digas lo haré”.

Rut, una viuda sin hijos y moabita, valiente y valientemente entró en un campo para recoger algo de la cosecha. Por suerte (providencialmente), el campo pertenecía a Booz quien, llena de la bondad de Yahvé, mostró su bondad. La invitó a recoger espigas con las mujeres a su servicio, a comer en su mesa y la protegió de quienes pudieran abusar de ella. Booz, por la gracia de Yahvé, bendijo a Rut. Si bien Rut no conocía a Booz y no sabía que era su campo, Booz conocía a Rut porque había oído hablar de la bondad de Rut hacia Noemí y Noemí era pariente de Booz. Sin embargo, hasta el momento Noemí no sabía nada de esto hasta la primera noche en que Rut regresó de espigar en el campo de Booz.

Noemí se entera de que es el campo de Booz

Rut regresó con una comida cocinada (las sobras de su comida con Booz y sus trabajadores) y apenas suficiente para varios meses. Un efa es aproximadamente un bushel de cebada, que probablemente pesaba alrededor de treinta libras. Este fue un botín enorme para un solo día y representa una cosecha abundante y bendecida para estas dos mujeres. Es seguridad alimentaria para las dos viudas, ya que pueden hacer pan y realizar trueques para otras necesidades.

Noemí debió haberse quedado impactada por la producción de Rut. Fue, francamente, increíble. Entonces, su pregunta es natural: “¿Dónde se recoge?” ¿Quién te dejaría reunir tanto? Luego bendice al hombre que le dio permiso para llevarse gran parte de su producción sin saber quién es la persona. Ella, por supuesto, supone que un hombre es dueño del campo, y para ella es evidente que el dueño mostró a Rut una gran amabilidad.

Esta generosidad y la bendición de Noemí es un giro sorprendente de los acontecimientos. En este punto, Noemí se encuentra en el centro de la historia. La que quería llamarse Mara (amargada) porque Yahveh la había abandonado, ahora está siendo bendecida en el nombre de Yahveh al hombre que tuvo bondad con Rut. Si bien las circunstancias trágicas aún persisten (ella es viuda), la amargura va remitiendo y la bendición está en sus labios.

Y luego se entera de que es Booz, su pariente. Entonces otra bendición surge de sus labios. Booz representa la esperanza, una esperanza proporcionada por Yahvé quien providencialmente dirigió a Rut al campo de Booz. Noemí lo reconoce mediante su bendición. No fue casualidad ni suerte sino obra de Yahvé que no ha abandonado a Noemí ni a su familia.

El significado teológico de su bendición es importante. (1) Noemí bendice a Booz por la presencia de Yahveh. (2) Booz refleja la hesed (bondad) de la propia vida de Yahveh. (3) Yahveh no ha abandonado a “los vivos ni a los muertos”; Yahveh todavía honra a sus maridos y a ellas mismas a través de esta generosidad. (4) Booz es un pariente cercano que tiene la oportunidad de brindarle a Rut (y a ella) descanso y seguridad. Eso es un bocado.

Rut añade que Booz también la invitó a espigar en su campo con sus trabajadores hasta el final de la cosecha. Noemí acepta esta gentileza. El campo de Booz es seguro para Rut, mientras que otro podría ser peligroso. En consecuencia, con seguridad y prosperidad, Rut trabajó en los campos de Booz con sus espigadoras hasta el final de la cosecha, que normalmente dura unas siete semanas.

La teología aquí es rica. Una vez exiliada (podríamos decir), Noemí ha regresado con Rut la moabita para encontrar descanso y seguridad en los campos de Booz. Esta es la obra de Yahveh, quien ha mostrado el propio hesed de Dios a través del hesed de uno de los siervos de Yahveh, Booz. Noemí experimenta el paso de la amargura al gozo, del abandono a la bienaventuranza, a través de la fidelidad de Booz a Yahvé. Me pregunto si Noemi está ahora a punto de decir: “ya no me llames Mara”. Ella tiene esperanza. Este es un punto de inflexión en el libro a medida que pasamos de la desesperación a la esperanza en anticipación del descanso y la seguridad.

Sin embargo, ese descanso (agradabilidad, el significado del nombre de Noemí) aún no está asegurado de manera permanente. Con el fin de la cosecha, ¿qué harán ahora Noemí y Rut? ¿Cómo pueden asegurar un futuro en Belén?

Noemí aconseja a Rut

A pesar del hesed de Booz y del arduo trabajo de Rut que produjo tanta recompensa para las dos viudas, la cosecha está llegando a su fin. Las dos viudas carecen de seguridad a largo plazo. Todavía no tienen “descanso”, que es una palabra que describe seguridad y tal vez incluso prosperidad en este contexto. Noemí reconoce que debe ser proactiva para asegurar ese descanso, un descanso por el cual oró para que Yahveh proveyera a sus nueras en Rut 1:9.

Booz es esa seguridad potencial porque es un pariente que tiene derecho a casarse con Rut y asegurar el linaje y la herencia de su primer marido (ver Deuteronomio 25:5-10). Tiene la capacidad de redimir a la familia de Noemí. Un pariente redentor es aquel que actúa en nombre de otro miembro de la familia, ya sea hermano o primo, para asegurar la herencia de la familia o recuperar tierras y propiedades perdidas. Este arreglo es importante para la continuidad del linaje familiar a través de herederos varones. En este caso, Noemí reconoce que Booz puede casarse con Rut y, por eso, enfatiza que él es “nuestro pariente”.

El plan de Noemi es proactivo y audaz. Rut debe bañarse, ungirse (con perfume) y ponerse sus mejores ropas. Algunos describen estas acciones como un preludio a la prostitución de Rut, preparándola para un encuentro sexual. Rut, entonces, debe seducir a Booz y asegurar términos con su pariente redentor. Sin embargo, es mejor considerar esto como un cambio en el estatus de Rut como mujer. Estas acciones dejaron a un lado la ropa lúgubre; ya no está de luto. El tiempo de su dolor ha terminado y ahora está disponible para casarse (ver Ezequiel 16:9-10). Podríamos imaginarnos que Rut todavía se vestía como una viuda, incluso mientras espigaba en los campos de Booz. Sin embargo, una vez que ella se presente ante Booz con ropa cambiada, él la verá con otros ojos, como alguien disponible para casarse.

Y este es el siguiente paso del plan de Noemí. Una vez que Booz y los hombres terminaron de comer y beber en la era, Rut debía acercarse a él en silencio y “descubrirle los pies y acostarse”.

Esta es probablemente la declaración más controvertida de todo el libro de Rut. ¿Qué significa “descubrirse los pies”? No es tan inocente como despertarlo de su sueño porque se le enfriaron los pies. Más bien, “descubrir los pies” puede ser un eufemismo para descubrir la desnudez de los genitales (como “descubrir la falda” en traducción literal Deuteronomio 27:20). En otras palabras, es posible que haya expuesto sus genitales. O podría ser que descubrir literalmente sus pies (quizás el área de la pantorrilla o el muslo) y acostarse junto a ellos fuera una invitación al matrimonio. De cualquier manera, este es un movimiento audaz y tiene connotaciones sexuales (así como todas las mujeres en la genealogía de Jesús de Mateo en Mateo capitulo, 1 también tienen algún tipo de trasfondo sexual: Tamar, Rahab, Rut, Betsabé y, probablemente, la rumores que debieron rodear a María).

Esto no significa necesariamente que fuera una invitación a un encuentro sexual esa noche o que ella lo estuviera seduciendo para tener sexo esa noche. Dado el carácter de Booz y Rut en la historia donde el honor es un tema importante, la metáfora probablemente solo signifique que este acto fue una forma de proponer matrimonio (pero hablaremos más sobre esto en la próxima publicación). Vestida como una mujer disponible, se puso a disposición para casarse con Booz. No hubo relaciones sexuales esa noche como veremos en el siguiente movimiento del libro de Rut.

Lo hizo en secreto (por la noche, mientras Booz y otros dormían) para no humillar a Booz como pariente (ver Deuteronomio 25:9). Ella le recuerda que tiene una obligación de redentor que debe cumplir. Ella no hizo esto públicamente sino en privado, y su enfoque es abierto y directo. En efecto, ella está diciendo “¿quieres casarte conmigo y cumplir con tu obligación para con tus parientes?”

Al menos ese es el plan de Noemi. Y Rut se comprometió a seguir el plan. En la siguiente sección de Rut veremos cómo se desarrolló esto y si el plan tuvo éxito o no.

[Translated by David Silva.]

(English version is available here.)

Y tenía Noemí un pariente de su marido, un hombre de mucha riqueza, de la familia de Elimelec, el cual se llamaba Booz. Y Rut la moabita dijo a Noemí: Te ruego que me dejes ir al campo a recoger espigas en pos de aquel a cuyos ojos halle gracia. Y ella le respondió: Ve, hija mía. Partió, pues, y fue y espigó en el campo en pos de los segadores; y aconteció que fue a^[c] la parte del campo que pertenecía a Booz, que era de la familia de Elimelec. Y he aquí que vino Booz de Belén, y dijo a los segadores: El Señor sea con vosotros. Y ellos le respondieron: Que el Señor te bendiga. Entonces Booz dijo a su siervo que estaba a cargo de los segadores: ¿De quién es esta joven? Y el siervo a cargo de los segadores respondió y dijo: Es la joven moabita que volvió con Noemí de la tierra de Moab. Y ella dijo: «Te ruego que me dejes espigar y recoger tras los segadores entre las gavillas». Y vino y ha permanecido desde la mañana hasta ahora; solo se ha sentado en la casa por un momento.

 Entonces Booz dijo a Rut: Oye, hija mía. No vayas a espigar a otro campo; tampoco pases de aquí, sino quédate con mis criadas.Fíjate en el campo donde ellas siegan y síguelas, pues he ordenado a los siervos que no te molesten. Cuando tengas sed, ve a las vasijas y bebe del agua que sacan los siervos. Ella bajó su rostro, se postró en tierra y le dijo: ¿Por qué he hallado gracia ante tus ojos para que te fijes en mí, siendo yo extranjera?Y Booz le respondió, y dijo: Todo lo que has hecho por tu suegra después de la muerte de tu esposo me ha sido informado en detalle, y cómo dejaste a tu padre, a tu madre y tu tierra natal, y viniste a un pueblo que antes no conocías.Que el Señor recompense tu obra y que tu remuneración sea completa de parte del Señor, Dios de Israel, bajo cuyas alas has venido a refugiarte. Entonces ella dijo: Señor mío, he hallado gracia ante tus ojos, porque me has consolado y en verdad has hablado con bondad a tu sierva, aunque yo no soy como una de tus siervas.

 Y a la hora de comer Booz le dijo: Ven acá para que comas del pan y mojes tu pedazo de pan en el vinagre. Así pues ella se sentó junto a los segadores; y él le sirvió grano tostado, y ella comió hasta saciarse y aún le sobró. Cuando ella se levantó para espigar, Booz ordenó a sus siervos, diciendo: Dejadla espigar aun entre las gavillas y no la avergoncéis. También sacaréis a propósito para ella un poco de grano de los manojos y lo dejaréis para que ella lo recoja, y no la reprendáis.

Rut, a pesar de su condición de extranjera, viuda y estéril, toma la iniciativa, corre el riesgo de sufrir abusos y trabaja incesantemente por el bien de su suegra Noemí. Y Booz se da cuenta. Él la protege, la coloca entre sus propios segadores y espigadores, y la alimenta. Le devuelve a Rut la bondad que ella le ha mostrado a Noemí.

La iniciativa de Rut

Noemí y Rut están empobrecidas. No tienen campos. No tienen comida. No tienen seguridad.

Rut toma la iniciativa para mejorar su situación. Es una medida audaz y arriesgada por su parte. Como viuda moabita, desprotegida por un hombre (ella, en este momento, no “pertenece” a nadie), se propone audazmente entrar en los campos para obtener algo de grano, lo que se le permite. Sin embargo, como mujer, corre el riesgo de sufrir abusos por parte de los segadores y potencialmente de otros espigadores. Este es un acto valiente que implicó un trabajo duro por el bien de su suegra, quien tal vez no pudo soportar ese trabajo. Rut lo compensó trabajando desde primera hora de la mañana hasta el día sin descansar. Ella era audaz y trabajadora.

Este no era un plan secreto e ilegal. A los pobres se les permitía espigar en los bordes del campo (Levítico 19:9; 23:22). Además, Deuteronomio 24:19 también dice a los propietarios: “Cuando seguéis vuestra mies en el campo y olvidéis una gavilla en el campo, no volveréis a recogerla; quedará para el extranjero, el huérfano y la viuda”. Sin embargo, parece que ella fue más audaz. No se quedó en los bordes del campo, sino que siguió a los propios segadores, probablemente junto con los demás espigadores. Esto también fue audaz y arriesgado. Ella se abrió a sufrir abusos importantes, pero ninguno se menciona en el texto. Esto contrasta fuertemente con la forma en que se trataba a las mujeres al final del libro de Jueces. Los segadores le permitieron recoger lo que habían cosechado.

“Como sucedió”, dice la NRSV, o “como resultó”, dice la NVI (2011), ella terminó en un campo propiedad de Booz, quien empleaba a los segadores y espigadores en su campo. La palabra hebrea tiene el sentido de “oportunidad”. Parece bastante afortunado que ella terminara en el campo de Booz, y puede parecerlo así a los ojos seculares. Pero la narrativa es muy consciente de que Dios está obrando de manera oculta. Lo que parece ser “casualidad” es en realidad el movimiento de Dios.

Booz es pariente del mismo clan que Noemí. Era un hombre de “estatura” (NVI) o de gran “riqueza” (NVI). Pero la afirmación del texto no se refiere simplemente a la riqueza o el estatus, aunque los incluye; también se trata de carácter. Esta misma palabra describirá a Rut en 3:11, donde Booz la llama una “mujer digna”. Su valor era su carácter que exhibía por su amorosa bondad hacia su suegra.

El narrador nos da pistas sobre el carácter de Booz. Saluda a sus trabajadores con una bendición: “El Señor esté con vosotros”. Este no es un mero intercambio ritual, sino una expresión de fe en la obra de Dios y una oración de deseo para sus trabajadores. Mientras Noemí teme que Yahvé esté en su contra (y quizás también Rut, ya que comparte la terrible condición de Noemí), Booz ora por la bendición de Yahvé para sus trabajadores. Y ésta es la bendición que también busca para Rut.

Booz conversa con Rut

Booz inmediatamente la bendice y le ofrece su protección. Debería quedarse en su campo, sus trabajadores no la molestarán y también tiene acceso a agua para saciar su sed. Esto es bondad amorosa en acción hacia una viuda extranjera empobrecida y estéril. Booz tiene el poder, la riqueza y la posición, y Rut no tiene nada. Booz muestra a Rut la bondad de Yahveh; él le muestra su “gracia” (o favor).

La respuesta de Rut es gratitud mientras cae sobre el adulto en agradecimiento por su amabilidad. Ella sabe que esto es gracia. Pero Booz ve esta bendición como una respuesta apropiada a la bondad amorosa de Rut hacia Noemí. Él sabe lo que ella ha hecho; él conoce su historia. Debe haber preguntado.

Así como Booz bendijo a sus trabajadores, también bendice a Rut con una oración de deseo: “Que el Señor te recompense por tus obras”, ya que ella ha buscado refugio bajo las alas de Yahvé, “el Dios de Israel”. Booz honra su decisión de buscar la protección de Yahveh (esconderse bajo las alas de Yahveh para protección, Salmo 57:1) cuando podría haber dejado sola a Noemí y regresar a Moab.

En respuesta, Rut pide humildemente gracia continua hacia ella (y hacia Noemí) y agradece el consuelo que le ha brindado y las amables palabras que ha pronunciado. Ella sabe que no lo merece porque no es uno de sus sirvientes, pero está dispuesta a servirle como sirviente. Existe cierta discusión sobre el significado de hablar “amablemente”. ¿Es el tipo de amabilidad que muestra hacia sus propios trabajadores, o ella ve aquí el comienzo de una posibilidad romántica?

Rut come con los segadores

Podemos suponer que este es el almuerzo, ya que ella trabajará hasta la noche para llevar grano y comida a casa de Noemí.

Booz redobla su gracia hacia Rut. La invitan a comer con los segadores, él le reparte algo de grano y ordena a sus trabajadores que le den pleno acceso al campo sin ninguna hostilidad; tanto es así que puede recoger de las gavillas en pie. Ese tipo de recolección requiere mucho menos trabajo. A los trabajadores se les dice dos veces que se abstengan de cualquier acción negativa y de hablar, e incluso que dejen parte de su trabajo específicamente para ella.

Booz le muestra a Rut una gran hospitalidad: la invita al campo, come con los segadores, la alivia en las partes más difíciles de su trabajo y la bendice en el nombre de Yahvé. La extensión de esta gracia contrasta absolutamente con la forma en que se trataba a las mujeres en los últimos cuatro capítulos de Jueces, que precede inmediatamente a Rut en el Antiguo Testamento en español.

Es difícil imaginar cuán abrumador podría ser esto para Rut. El gesto manganoso de Booz, lleno de gracia y bendición, debe haber parecido de otro mundo. Y en cierto sentido lo fue. Fue la gracia y bendición de Yahveh en un representante del Dios de Israel. Es, en última instancia, un testimonio del carácter de Yahveh y de lo que se supone que debe ser el pueblo de Yahveh.

Como sugirió uno de los miembros de mi clase, cuando Booz proporciona un campo, protección, provisión (una cosecha) y afecto (“mi hija”), representa a Yahveh, quien ha provisto lo mismo para Israel en su tierra. La respuesta de Rut es el tipo de respuesta apropiada para Israel, que era un extranjero en una tierra y luego amado por Dios al regalarle a Israel un nuevo Edén.

¿Se mantendrá esta relación donde está, o les espera más a Rut y Booz? Como veremos, nuevamente es Rut quien toma la iniciativa, no Booz. Rut actuará y una vez más Booz responderá.

[Translated by David Silva]

(English version is available here.)

Entonces Booz tomó a Rut y ella fue su esposa. Cuando se juntaron, el Señor la hizo concebir y ella dio a luz un hijo. Entonces las mujeres dijeron a Noemí: Bendito sea el SEÑOR, que no te ha dejado hoy sin parientes; ¡Y que su nombre sea renombrado en Israel! Él será para vosotros restaurador de vida y sustentador de vuestra vejez; porque lo ha dado a luz tu nuera, la que te ama y que es para ti más que siete hijos. Entonces Noemí tomó al niño, lo puso en su seno y fue su nodriza. Las mujeres de la vecindad le pusieron un nombre, diciendo: «A Noemí le ha nacido un hijo». Le pusieron por nombre Obed; y engendró a Jesé, el padre de David.

Estos son los descendientes de Fares: Fares engendró a Hezrón, Hezrón de Ram, Ram de Aminadab, Aminadab de Najsón, Najsón de Salmón, Salmón de Booz, Booz de Obed, Obed de Jesé y Jesé de David.

La narración del libro de Rut comienza con las tragedias que le sucedieron a Noemí y termina con su bienaventuranza.

Las trágicas circunstancias de la vida de Noemí la dejaron amargada (1:20-21). Ella quería que la llamaran “Amarga” (mara) en lugar de “Agradable” (Noemí). Yahvé la había tratado “amargamente” y la había devuelto a Belén “vacía”. Ella experimentó su tragedia como un trato severo de Yahvé, y nombró a Dios como quien “trajo calamidad sobre ella”.

¿Cómo podríamos describir sus sentimientos y su situación? ¿Avergonzada? ¿Decepcionada? ¿Frustrada? ¿Herida? ¿Desesperanzada?

Sin embargo, a través de la hesed (misericordia, lealtad) de Rut y Booz, así como de las huellas ocultas de Dios a lo largo de la narración, el libro de Rut termina con bendición en lugar de maldición, esperanza en lugar de desesperación y plenitud en lugar de vacío.

Rut y Booz se casan, y Booz “vino a ella” (consumando el matrimonio, podríamos decir), y Rut concibió. De hecho, Yahveh “la hizo concebir” (literalmente, Yahveh le dio el embarazo o la concepción), y el resultado fue un hijo. Lo que Rut nunca había conocido en su esterilidad y lo que Noemí había perdido al morir se renovó en la familia de Elimelec: un hijo que llevaría el nombre, heredaría la tierra y sustentaría a la familia.

Es importante señalar que Noemí es bendecida por las mujeres y no Rut como la bendecida. Noemi siempre ha sido central en la historia; se trata del honor y la continuidad de su familia, particularmente del nombre de su marido. ¡Nace un niño! De hecho, “¡le ha nacido un hijo a Noemí!” De hecho, ella se convirtió en su enfermera.

Las mujeres bendicen al recién nacido: (1) un nombre renombrado; (2) un restaurador de la vida para la anciana Noemí; y (3) su madre, que es más para Noemí que siete hijos. Lo más probable es que el “nombre” no sea Booz, pero el niño tendrá un nombre, es decir, una reputación que traerá honor a la familia. Este “nombre” incluirá en última instancia a David, el segundo rey de Israel. Este hijo sustentará y sustentará a Noemí en su vejez. Y Rut seguirá allí como alguien cuyo amor por Noemí no tiene medida.

La genealogía proporciona una pista de por qué tenemos esta historia. Detalla el linaje de David, quizás afirmando su reinado.

Pero la genealogía no se trata simplemente de David, aunque llega a su clímax allí. Comenzando con Pérez (en lugar de Judá), nos recuerda que Pérez es el hijo de Tamar (ya nombrada en 4:12). Aunque sin nombre, Rahab también se encuentra en el fondo. Ella le dio un hijo a Salmón, de quien descendía Booz (quizás incluso el hijo de Salmón). Estas mujeres no israelitas (ambas eran cananeas) son parte del linaje de David, y recuerde que Rut es moabita.

Rut, de carácter digno y llena de hesed, es la agente de la redención de Noemí, así como Rahab redimió a su familia y Tamar continuó el linaje de Judá. En un grado u otro, el escándalo sexual estuvo asociado con estas mujeres y, sin embargo, son ellas quienes cuya iniciativa aseguró el linaje.

Quizás además de la genealogía que asegura la posición de David en la historia de Israel/Judá, otro punto importante tiene que ver con las mujeres en Israel/Judá. Mientras Jueces 19-21 destaca las narrativas violentas contra las mujeres como testimonio de la condición caótica e inmoral de Israel, la historia de Noemí, Rut y Booz afirman la honra a las mujeres. Esto es, en parte, un antídoto a la violencia presente en Jueces.

¡Este antídoto se encuentra en hesed, que es una característica inherente de Yahvé, el Dios de Israel!

[Translated by David Silva]