Goelism #7 – There is a Kinsman Nearer than I

I have found in my spiritual life that one’s spiritual power comes from what we focus on. When I speak of power I am speaking in terms of Naomi and Ruth’s experience. From a worldly perspective Naomi came home powerless. She had lost her husband, her two sons, and was left with only a foreign daughter-in-law and some property in Bethlehem. Her visible covering had been removed and she was left destitute except for one thing — the parcel of ground, and it was to this she came home to. The scripture has a promise which speaks to this situation and it also speaks to every person’s experience. The text is found in Romans 12:3 (RNKJV),

“For I say, through the favour given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as  (YHWH) hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

It is this measure  of faith that a person needs to respond to in order to connect with the spiritual current which flows from the throne of Heaven. Naomi was coming home based on the small spark of hope which was burning somewhere in her soul. Naomi, although discouraged, was grasping to that measure which she had. It was this burning ember of faith somewhere within Naomi’s heart which was going to burst into a flame of power before the Book of Ruth is finished. But notice carefully one critical point: This power was outside of herself and her focus had to come off of herself onto the living Kinsman.

When the hope of help and restoration had gone from just an ember to a little flame the word’s “There is a kinsman nearer than I” could have been an ice cold bucket of water to extinguish the flame of hope. But the words uttered by Naomi to Ruth give us an indication of how strong this flame had become.  Ruth 3:18 records Naomi’s statement,

“Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.”

Naomi’s faith had grasped hold of the living and was now off of the deceased. By now Naomi knew there was a nearer of kin than Boaz, but she was seeing the hand of providence working on her behalf. She was not going to step in and try and manipulate the situation, but allow the Almighty to work out the details.  When Naomi taped into the spirit which flows from the throne she allowed herself to be washed of doubt and fear.

Boaz had to get the rights to purchase the property. We have already discussed this and how it happened.  How did our Creator become our next of kin so there is no one closer to us than He? How could He gain the rights to marry the woman that goes with the land?  He had to become one of us. In order to redeem us from sin He had to have the rights to us. Now it is most interesting that this story of Ruth and Naomi shows how Ruth had to go and lift the garment of Boaz to indicate her desire. This opened the way for her redemption, likewise we have to come to Yahushua to deal with our sin problem. Many would have you believe that there is not a solution to the sin problem humanity has. You may have heard the statement, “no one can be perfect”. I would challenge this with a Bible passage which states,  “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Mt 5:48). Does our Master ask us to do the impossible? To be an over-comer is well within our reach if we focus on our Redeemer. The Son of YHWH left the throne and came to this world as a man in order to become our closest “next of kin” to empower us from on High.  We find this description in Philippians 2:1-13:

“If there be therefore any consolation in the Messiah, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in the Messiah : Who, being in the form of Elohim, thought it not robbery to be equal with : But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore  also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that the Messiah is Master, to the glory of  the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is  which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Before this event Yahushua was our Creator, but now he has taken upon Himself humanity. Lucifer/Satan is a created being but he is not a human. In order to become our nearest next of kin the Son of the Living Elohim took upon Himself flesh and blood that we might be redeemed! This enabled Him to shed His blood for the remission of my sin. O glorious thought that I could now become a partaker of His divine nature and espoused bride to Yahushua! Remember Peter who had not wanted to be washed? Consider what he says in 2 Peter 1:4,

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Without the incarnation we could not be partakers of the divine nature as we had given our headship/covering over to Satan. Now as Ruth, coming to Boaz at night, we can come to Yahushua and lift His robe and be covered by His righteousness, but greater than that we can become partakers of His divine nature. Life will spring forth from within us just as a new baby boy began to grow in Ruth  as a result of submitting to the order of Goalism. New life is imparted to each of us as we submit to Yahushua and His infinite wisdom.

So what happens to Satan our former nearest of kin? He goes limping home in disgrace, but to what home? In Revelation a description is given of his vacation home. Revelation 20:1, 3 states,

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”

A bottomless pit of evil with no one to tempt for 1000 years. We can come out of our pit of evil into life eternal today, but Satan will have this time to rethink what he has done by allowing his selfish desire to destroy his Creator on Golgotha. Who will be your Goel? This choice has to be made and I would like to add to your understanding of who this impostor is by way of having you understand his name. Revelation 9:11 specifically states who the angel of the bottomless pit is so that it cannot be missed, “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.” This angel’s name is “destruction or destroyer.” Do you want Abaddon or Yahushua to be your king?

You see my friend the little baby boy which was to begin to grow in Ruth was to be named Obed, which was King David’s Grandfather. And King David was whom Yahushua would come through in order to become your and my nearest of kin — Kinsman Redeemer. Who will sit on the throne of your heart? As you consider these things I would offer to you Yahushua and I quote Pilot, the Roman governor, “I find no fault in Him!”

Here are links to the previous Goelism studies:

Goelism

Goelism #2–Goel Pays the Price of Redemption

Goelism #3–Boaz, Naomi, and Ruth

Goelism #4–Satan, The Nearer of Kin

Goelism #5– Battle of the Goels

Goelism #6–The Sandal Must Come Off