Page 434 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

TN_04_MacArthur_Bible_April.qxd 8/8/03 15:05 Page 415

APRIL 28
30
sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the
village opposite you, where as you enter you
will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever
sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone 19:40 the stones would immediately cry out.
31
asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you This was a strong claim of Deity and perhaps a
shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need reference to the words of Habakkuk 2:11.
of it.’ ” Scripture often speaks of inanimate nature
32 praising God. (See Pss. 96:11; 98:7–9; 114:7; Is.
So those who were sent went their way and
33
found it just as He had said to them. But as 55:12.) See also the words of John the Baptist
they were loosing the colt, the owners of it in Matthew 3:9; note the fulfillment of Jesus’
said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” words in Matthew 27:51.
34
And they said, “The Lord has need of
35
him.” Then they brought him to Jesus. And 19:41,42 Only Luke recorded the weeping of
they threw their own clothes on the colt, and Jesus over the city of Jerusalem.Christ grieved
they set Jesus on him. And as He went, many over Jerusalem on at least two other occasions
36
spread their clothes on the road. (13:34; Matt. 23:37). The timing of this lament
Then, as He was now drawing near the
37 may seem incongruous with the Triumphal
descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole mul- Entry, but it reveals that Jesus knew the true
superficiality of the peoples’ hearts, and His
titude of the disciples began to rejoice and mood was anything but giddy as He rode into
praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty the city. The same crowd would soon cry for
38
works they had seen, saying: His death (23:21).
“‘Blessed is the King who comes in the
name of the LORD!’
Peace in heaven and glory in the around you, surround you and close you in on
44
highest!” every side, and level you, and your children
within you, to the ground; and they will not
39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him leave in you one stone upon another, because
from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disci- you did not know the time of your visitation.”
ples.” 45 Then He went into the temple and began
But He answered and said to them, “I tell to drive out those who bought and sold in it,
40
you that if these should keep silent, the stones 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a
would immediately cry out.” house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den
41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and of thieves.’ ”
42
wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even 47 And He was teaching daily in the temple.
you, especially in this your day, the things that But the chief priests, the scribes, and the
make for your peace! But now they are hidden leaders of the people sought to destroy Him,
from your eyes. For days will come upon you 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the
43
when your enemies will build an embankment people were very attentive to hear Him.
DAY 28:Why is the “kinsman-redeemer”a prominent part in the story of Ruth?
In Ruth 2:20,the great kinsman-redeemer theme of Ruth begins (cf.3:9,12;4:1,3,6,8,14).A close
relative could redeem 1) a family member sold into slavery (Lev.25:47–49),2) land which needed to
be sold under economic hardship (Lev. 25:23–28), and/or 3) the family name by virtue of a levirate
marriage (Deut. 25:5–10). This earthly custom pictures the reality of God the Redeemer doing a
greater work (Pss. 19:14; 78:35; Is. 41:14; 43:14) by reclaiming those who needed to be spiritually
redeemed out of slavery to sin (Ps.107:2; Is.62:12).Thus,Boaz pictures Christ,who as a Brother (Heb.
2:17) redeemed those who 1) were slaves to sin (Rom. 6:15–18), 2) had lost all earthly
possessions/privilege in the Fall (Gen. 3:17–19), and 3) had been alienated by sin from God (2 Cor.
5:18–21). Boaz stands in the direct line of Christ (Matt. 1:5; Luke 3:32).This turn of events marks the
point where Naomi’s human emptiness (1:21) begins to be refilled by the Lord. Her night of earthly
doubt has been broken by the dawning of new hope (cf. Rom. 8:28–39).
When Boaz negotiated with another relative about the settlement of Elimelech and Naomi’s
estate in Ruth 4:1–12, he referred to a law established by Moses in Deuteronomy 25:5–10.That law
set out specific actions to be taken by the surviving family if a married son were to die without a
son to inherit or carry on his name. Another (presumably unmarried) man in the family was to
marry the widow.The first resulting child would inherit the estate of the man who had died.

415