黑夜中的一點光 A Gleam of Light in Darkness 路得記 1-4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Mosul

Ruth 1:1 1 當士師秉政的時候，國中遭遇饑荒。在猶大的伯利恆，有一個人帶著妻子和兩個兒子往摩押地去寄居。 1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.

Judges 21:25 25 那時，以色列中沒有王，各人任意而行。 25 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

1. 充滿矛盾的拿俄米 Naomi Who Lives in Contradictions Ruth 1:1–5 1 當士師秉政的時候，國中遭遇饑荒。在猶大的伯利恆，有一個人帶著妻子和兩個兒子往摩押地去寄居。2 這人名叫以利米勒，他的妻名叫拿俄米；他兩個兒子，一個名叫瑪倫，一個名叫基連…他們到了摩押地，就住在那裏。 1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion… And they went to Moab and lived there.

3 後來拿俄米的丈夫以利米勒死了，剩下婦人和她兩個兒子。4 這兩個兒子娶了摩押女子為妻，一個名叫俄珥巴，一個名叫路得，在那裏住了約有十年。5 瑪倫和基連二人也死了，剩下拿俄米，沒有丈夫，也沒有兒子。 3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

Ruth 1:8–13 拿俄米對兩個兒婦說：「你們各人回娘家去吧。… 9 願耶和華使你們各在新夫家中得平安！… 我年紀老邁，不能再有丈夫；即或說，我還有指望，今夜有丈夫可以生子，13 你們豈能等著他們長大呢？你們豈能等著他們不嫁別人呢？」 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back … to your mother’s home… 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” … I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons—13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them?

Ruth 1:19–21 19 於是二人同行，來到伯利恆。她們到了伯利恆，合城的人就都驚訝。婦女們說：「這是拿俄米嗎？」20 拿俄米對他們說：「不要叫我拿俄米[甜的意思]，要叫我瑪拉 [苦的意思]，因為全能者使我受了大苦。 19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” 20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.

21 我滿滿地出去，耶和華使我空空地回來。耶和華降禍與我；全能者使我受苦。既是這樣，你們為何還叫我拿俄米呢？」 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

Ruth 1:13 13 … 我女兒們哪，不要這樣。我為你們的緣故甚是愁苦，因為耶和華伸手攻擊我。」 13 … No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”

Ruth 1:6 6 她就與兩個兒婦起身，要從摩押地歸回；因為她在摩押地聽見耶和華眷顧自己的百姓，賜糧食與他們。 6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.

一個常見的錯誤 A Common Mistake 「根據我們的情況來解釋上帝，而不是根據上帝和他的品格來解釋我們的情況。」 “Interpreting God in light of our circumstances, rather than interpreting our circumstances in the light of God and His character.” Victor P. Hamilton

Hebrews 12:10–11 10 …惟有萬靈的父管教我們，是要我們得益處，使我們在他的聖潔上有分。11 凡管教的事，當時不覺得快樂，反覺得愁苦；後來卻為那經練過的人結出平安的果子，就是義。 10 … but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Ruth 1:8 8 拿俄米對兩個兒婦說：「你們各人回娘家去吧。 願 耶和華 恩待 你們， 像 你們 恩待 已死的人與我一樣！ 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me.

2. 守約施慈愛的路得 Ruth Who Keeps Her Steadfast Love Ruth 1:8 8 拿俄米對兩個兒婦說：「你們各人回娘家去吧。願耶和華恩待你們，像你們恩待已死的人與我一樣！ 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me.

恩待 Showing kindness [ḥeseḏ] 一種出於遵守盟約的愛 Love that is based on a covenantal relationship 是強大的立約者給弱小的受約者的憐憫 「忠愛」Steadfast love Nehemiah 1:5 「耶和華－天上的上帝，大而可畏的上帝啊，你向愛你、守你誡命的人守約施慈愛。 5 Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

捨不得 Clinging to Ruth 1:14 14 兩個兒婦又放聲而哭，俄珥巴與婆婆親嘴而別，只是路得捨不得拿俄米。 14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

捨不得 Clinging to Genesis 2:24 24 因此，人要離開父母，與妻子連合，二人成為一體。 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

不跟隨你 Not following you Ruth 1:16 路得說：「不要催我回去不跟隨你。你往哪裏去，我也往那裏去；你在哪裏住宿，我也在那裏住宿；你的國就是我的國，你的上帝就是我的上帝。 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 「不跟隨你」 = 「離棄你」 Not following you = Forsake you

Deuteronomy 7:7–9 7 「耶和華專愛你們，揀選你們，並非因你們的人數多於別民，原來你們的人數在萬民中是最少的。8 只因耶和華愛你們，又因要守他向你們列祖所起的誓，就用大能的手領你們出來，從為奴之家救贖你們脫離埃及王法老的手。 7 The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Romans 8:38–39 38 因為我深信無論是死，是生，… 都不能叫我們與上帝的愛隔絕；這愛是在我們的主基督耶穌裏的。 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, … will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3. 有買贖權的親屬波阿斯 Boaz Who Has the Right to Redeem

至近的親屬的責任 Duties of a kinsman-redeemer 他有權贖回一個親屬的賣掉的地業 He should reacquire sold property of his relatives（利Lev 25:25） 如果有人自賣為奴隸，「至近的親屬」有權買回他的自由（利Lev 25:47-49） He should redeem relatives who are slaves 如果一個兄弟死亡，沒有兒子。「至近的親屬」有責任娶其寡婦, 為死人立後 He should marry a childless widow of a deceased brother（申Deut 25：5-10;創Gen38：8-10）。

波阿斯救贖路得的條件 Conditions for Boaz to redeem Ruth 他要與以利米勒有血緣的關係 (至近的親屬) He is Elimelech’s relative (a kinsman-redeemer) 有能力付贖價 He has the means to pay 願意 He is willing

Ruth 3:12–13 12 我實在是你一個至近的親屬，只是還有一個人比我更近。13 …明早他若肯為你盡親屬的本分，就由他吧！倘若不肯，我指著永生的耶和華起誓，我必為你盡了本分…。」 12 Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. 13 … in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it...”

Ruth 4:3–6 3 波阿斯對那至近的親屬說：「從摩押地回來的拿俄米，現在要賣我們族兄以利米勒的那塊地；…你若肯贖就贖，若不肯贖就告訴我。」 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek… If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me”

那人回答說：「我肯贖。」 5 波阿斯說：「你從拿俄米手中買這地的時候，也當娶死人的妻摩押女子路得，使死人在產業上存留他的名。」6 那人說：「這樣我就不能贖了，恐怕於我的產業有礙。你可以贖我所當贖的，我不能贖了。」 “I will redeem it,” he said. 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.” 6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”

Romans 5:6–8 (CNVT) 6 當我們還軟弱的時候，基督就照所定的日期，為不敬虔的人死了。7 為義人死，是少有的；為好人死，或有敢作的；8 唯有基督在我們還作罪人的時候為我們死， 神對我們的愛就在此顯明了。 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Ruth 4:9–10 9 波阿斯對長老和眾民說：「你們今日作見證，凡屬以利米勒和基連、瑪倫的，我都從拿俄米手中置買了；10 又娶了瑪倫的妻摩押女子路得為妻，好在死人的產業上存留他的名，免得他的名在本族本鄉滅沒。你們今日可以作見證。」 9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”

Ruth 2:12 12 願耶和華照你所行的賞賜你。你來投靠耶和華－以色列上帝的翅膀下，願你滿得他的賞賜。」 12 May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”