Read: Ruth 4:13–17

阅读: 路得记章-节 

God gives us second chances.

上帝赐给我们许多重新开始的机会。

He has not stopped showing his kindness. Ruth 2:20

他不断地恩待活人死人。-路得记2章20节

“How can you be so kind if you don’t even know me!”

琳达惊讶地问：“你们都不认识我，怎么对我那么好？”

By making some wrong decisions, Linda had ended up in jail in a country not her own. For six years she remained in prison, and when she was set free she didn’t have anywhere to go. She thought her life was over! While her family gathered money to buy her ticket home, a kind couple offered her lodging, food, and a helping hand. Linda was so touched by their kindness that she willingly listened as they told her the good news of a God who loves her and wants to give her a second chance.

琳达曾误入歧途，结果在异乡入监服刑。她在监狱里待了六年，出狱时，却不知何去何从，她觉得自己的人生已经毫无指望。当她的家人正在为她筹措回家的旅费时，有一对好心的夫妇为她提供食宿与帮助。琳达因他们的爱心而深受感动，以至愿意聆听他们分享上帝的福音。他们告诉琳达，上帝不仅爱她，更愿意给她一个重新开始的机会。

Linda reminds me of Naomi, a widow in the Bible who lost her husband and two sons in a foreign land and thought her life was over (Ruth 1). However, the Lord hadn’t forgotten Naomi, and through the love of her daughter-in-law and the compassion of a godly man named Boaz, Naomi saw God’s love and was given a second chance (4:13–17).

琳达的经历，让我想起圣经里的拿俄米。她是一位寡妇，她的丈夫和两个儿子都客死他乡，她认为自己一生已毫无指望（路得记1章）。然而，上帝并未忘记拿俄米，藉着媳妇对她的爱，以及义人波阿斯的怜悯，拿俄米看见上帝的慈爱，并且有机会可以重新开始（4章13-17节）。

The same God cares for us today. Through the love of others we can be reminded of His presence. We can see God’s grace in the helping hand of people we may not even know well. But above all, God is willing to give us a fresh start. We just need, like Linda and Naomi, to see God’s hand in our everyday lives and realize He never stops showing us His kindness.

这一位上帝如今也眷顾着我们。他人的爱心可以提醒我们上帝的同在，即使是萍水相逢的人，我们也可以从他们的扶持和帮助中，看见上帝的恩典。但最重要的是，上帝乐意给我们重新开始的机会。我们只需要像琳达和拿俄米一样，看见上帝每日的扶持，就能明白祂的恩待永不间断。

      Dear Lord, thank You that You let us begin again and again.

亲爱的主，感谢祢，让我们能够一次又一次地重新开始。

INSIGHT

Placed in the same time period as the book of Judges, the book of Ruth complements the bleak tone of Judges with a hopeful focus on God’s unconditional faithfulness. The most central character in this book is Naomi, who receives renewed hope after her own resources are gone.

The concept of “redemption” in Ruth refers to the practice of a “guardian-redeemer.” The redeemer restores losses due to tragedy for a close relative. The guardian-redeemer’s role might involve some self-sacrifice, for restoring the relative’s inheritance or family line meant the possibility of not creating his own family line. In the book of Ruth, after the death of Naomi’s husband and sons, Boaz chooses to restore Elimelek and Naomi’s family line through marrying Ruth and considering her child as Naomi’s.

But “redemption” also had a deeper meaning for Israel, pointing them to their hope of God restoring them (often portrayed as redemption; see, for example, Ex. 6:6–8; Isa. 43:1). Ultimately, it was God, not Boaz, who restored Naomi (Ruth 4:14). And from Ruth’s family came David (v. 22) and eventually Jesus, who restores all believers into relationship with God.

When have you, like Naomi, experienced God’s restoration despite feelings of despair?

Monica Brands

灵粮透视

路得记虽与士师记有相同的时代背景，但路得记却弥补了士师记晦暗的语调，将盼望放在上帝无条件的信实上。这本书的核心人物拿俄米，在失去了一切的指望之后，得到全新的盼望。

在路得记中，“赎回”的概念是指近亲赎回产业的一贯做法，有买赎权的近亲帮助亲属赎回因不幸而失去的家业。买赎者要让亲属得回产业或得到子嗣，或许需要作出一些牺牲，因为这表示他或许会因此无法延续自己的家系。在路得记中，拿俄米的丈夫和两个儿子去世之后，波阿斯娶路得为妻，而路得所生的孩子则认拿俄米为养母，藉此以利米勒的家系得以延续。

不过，对以色列人来说，“赎回”还有更深层的意思，是让他们对上帝心存盼望，就是上帝要让他们得复兴（通常被描述为救赎，如出埃及记6章6-8节；以赛亚书43章1节）。毕竟，复兴拿俄米的是上帝，而不是波阿斯（路得记4章14节）。此后，大卫从路得的家系而出（22节），最终耶稣诞生，所有的信徒藉着祂与上帝恢复了关系。

你曾否像拿俄米一样，在绝望中经历上帝的复兴？

Ruth 4:13-17New International Version (NIV)

Naomi Gains a Son

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”

16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

路得记 4:13-17Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

生子俄备得为大卫之祖

13 于是，波阿斯娶了路得为妻，与她同房。耶和华使她怀孕生了一个儿子。 14 妇人们对拿俄米说：“耶和华是应当称颂的！因为今日没有撇下你，使你无至近的亲属。愿这孩子在以色列中得名声！ 15 他必提起你的精神，奉养你的老，因为是爱慕你的那儿妇所生的。有这儿妇比有七个儿子还好。” 16 拿俄米就把孩子抱在怀中，做他的养母。 17 邻舍的妇人说：“拿俄米得孩子了。”就给孩子起名叫俄备得。这俄备得是耶西的父，耶西是大卫的父。

整理：于姊妹