The Road to Obed’s Birth

 The Road to Obed’s Birth

Once, when I returned to my home country, I met my mentor. We had a meal together and chatted over tea.
After talking for a while, our conversation turned to a missionary who had worked with me in China to preach the gospel.

“How is that missionary doing?”
“He’s doing well.”
“Do you communicate well as coworkers?”
“Not really.”
“Why not?”
“He’s not only introverted but also has some psychological trauma from his childhood.”
“What kind of trauma?”
“When he was in the first grade, he came home from school one day and found his father hanging in the room. That shock has followed him ever since. It became a habit—he avoids talking to people, which makes communication between us difficult.”
“Wait, is that missionary saved?”
“Yes, he is.”
“If he’s saved by the blood of Christ, how can he still be bound by the trauma of childhood? Can the blood of Christ not overcome a psychological shadow? Is that the extent of its power? When I was young, I too lost my mother. But look at me—am I bound by such things?”

Hearing my mentor’s thunderous voice, I was at a loss for words.
That day, I realized that the gospel within the servant’s heart was greater than anything in this world. Within the gospel dwell the righteousness and power of God.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16)

Whatever problem we face, once it is connected with the gospel, it ceases to be a problem. If we have received a clear promise from God, we can overcome any circumstance.

Let us look at Naomi, once the most unfortunate of women. Naomi followed her circumstances and went to Moab. There she lost her husband and two sons, and returned to Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law Ruth. Such a woman seemed to have no hope. Yet the Bible says she had hope—it even tells her to sing of the promise:

“Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 54:1)

What could a lonely woman like Naomi do? Nothing but sing.
She said, “Don’t call me Naomi; call me Mara.” Naomi means pleasant, while Mara means bitter. She had come to see her true self. Though she had lived in Bethlehem by God’s grace, she failed to regard that grace as grace, refusing God’s guidance and choosing Moab by her own will—never realizing how painful the cost would be.

If our hearts are not filled with God’s Word—if we do not follow the leading of His promise—we cease to be “Naomi (sweet)” and become “Mara (bitter).”
Now, all Naomi could do was sing.

One day, Ruth went out to glean in the fields and gathered an ephah of barley—a great amount, more like harvesting than gleaning.
“Where did you gather all this grain?”
“I gleaned in the field of a man named Boaz.”
“He is one of our kinsman-redeemers,” Naomi said, her face lighting up with hope.

Naomi then instructed Ruth not to glean in any other field. From that moment, Naomi began to focus on Boaz. She sought to bring Ruth and Boaz together, telling Ruth to lie at his feet. Eventually, Boaz took Ruth as his wife and redeemed her inheritance. Later, Ruth bore a son named Obed.

The name Obed means “Naomi has a son.” Obed became the father of Jesse, the father of David—thus Obed was David’s grandfather, honored to be included in the genealogy of Jesus.
Why does the Bible say “Naomi has a son”? Naomi had been the most unfortunate and miserable of women—a widow left utterly alone. Yet even in that state, God made her sing; He caused her to speak forth His promise.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for.
The promise is the substance of that hope—it means storing the Word of promise in our hearts.
The only power that can overcome circumstances is the Word.

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)

“More are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”
Just as this Word declares, Naomi bore Obed. She received a fruit beyond imagination.

Once connected with the gospel, any circumstance ceases to be a problem. What hope could a woman have after losing her husband and two sons? Her life seemed filled only with regret, condemnation, complaint, and bitterness. A heavy psychological shadow could have crushed her completely. Yet Naomi came to see herself—she realized that living by her own will only made her “Mara.” Turning back from her own path, she placed her hope in Boaz, the one who would redeem her inheritance, and from that moment her life began to flourish.

Our lives are the same.
If we place our hope in the promise and lift our voices in praise, no psychological shadow can bind us—for the gospel is truly the power of God.

“Wait, is that man saved? How can the gospel not even overcome a psychological shadow?”
My mentor’s piercing voice still echoes in my ears.

生俄备得的道路

 

一次，我归国和我的恩师见面，一起用餐、喝茶聊天。

我们聊了一会儿，后来聊到了在中国和我一起传福音的一位宣教士。

“那位宣教士过得还好吧？”

“是，他挺好的。”

“你们同工之间交流得还顺畅吗？”

“不够顺畅。”

“为什么呢？”

“这位宣教士不仅性格内向，小时候还有过心理阴影。”

“什么心理阴影？”

“他上小学一年级的时候，放学回到家里，发现爸爸在房间里上吊自杀了。那次受到的冲击一直伴随在他左右。这成了一种习惯，令他不愿和人说话，导致我们之间交流不畅。”

“等等，那位宣教士得没得救呢？”

“得救是得救了。”

“藉着基督的血得救的人，难道还没摆脱小时候的心理阴影吗？难道基督的血连个心理阴影都无法战胜吗？血的能力难道只有这一点吗？我小时候也失去了母亲。但看看我，我被那些东西捆绑了吗？”

听到恩师咆哮般的呐喊声，我顿时有些手足无措。

那天，我发现仆人心中的福音大过世上的一切。福音里蕴含着神的公义和大能。

“我不以福音为耻；这福音本是神的大能，要救一切相信的，先是犹太人，后是希腊人。”（罗1:16）

我们遇到的任何问题，只要和福音连接起来，就不成任何问题。我们若从神那里得到确切的应许，那么无论遇到什么样的环境，都能得胜。

我们来观察一下曾是最不幸女子的拿俄米的一生。拿俄米跟随环境，来到了摩押。她在那里失去了丈夫和两个儿子，只好领着儿媳路得，回到了伯利恒。这样的女子不可能有什么盼望。但圣经中却说她是有盼望的，还说要歌唱应许。

“你这不怀孕、不生养的，要歌唱；你这未曾经过产难的，要发声歌唱，扬声欢呼。因为没有丈夫的比有丈夫的儿女更多。”（赛54:1）

孤苦伶仃的女子拿俄米能做的是什么呢？除了歌唱，别无其他。她说，不要叫我拿俄米，要叫我玛拉。“拿俄米”是“甜”的意思，而“玛拉”是“苦”的意思。她发现了自己的面目。她藉着神的恩典一直住在伯利恒，却不把恩典当成恩典，不接受神的引导，按照自己的意愿选择了摩押。她从未想过这样的选择会让她付出如此惨痛的代价。

我们心里若没有神的话语，若不接受应许的引导，我们就不是“拿俄米（甜）”，而是“玛拉（苦）”。

如今，她所能做的只有歌唱而已。

一天，路得外出捡麦穗，捡到了一伊法大麦。她能弄来这么多大麦，与其说是去拾取麦穗，不如说是去收割麦穗。

“你在哪里拾取了这些麦穗？”

“我是到一个叫波阿斯的人的麦地里拾取的。”

“此人是将承受我们基业之人。”

拿俄米的脸上洋溢着希冀。

拿俄米随即吩咐路得，不要到其他人的麦地里拾取麦穗。从此，拿俄米开始关注波阿斯。她试图使波阿斯和路得结为伉俪，吩咐路得躺在波阿斯的脚那里。最终，波阿斯迎娶了路得，承受了她的基业。后来，路得从波阿斯那里生下了俄备得。

“俄备得”的意思是“拿俄米得孩子了”。俄备得生耶西，耶西生大卫，即俄备得是大卫的爷爷。他得到了录入耶稣家谱的荣耀。为什么说“拿俄米得孩子了”呢？拿俄米本是最为不幸、悲惨的女子，是失去丈夫的孤苦伶仃的女子。可即便身处这样的处境中，神也让她歌唱，即让她说出应许。

信心是所望之事的实底。应许，即为实底。意思是让我们心里存放应许的话语。能战胜环境的力量唯有话语。

“我将你的话藏在心里，免得我得罪你。”（诗119:11）

“没有丈夫的比有丈夫的儿女更多。”正如这话语所说，拿俄米生了俄备得。她得到了无法想象的果子。

只要和福音连接起来，任何环境都不成问题。失去丈夫和两个儿子的女子还能有什么指望呢？她的生活中只能充斥着悔恨、定罪、抱怨、不平。巨大的心理阴影将压制她的生活。然而，拿俄米发现了自己，知道若按照自己的意愿生活，就只能是“玛拉”。她从自己的道路上回转过来，寄希望于将承受产业的波阿斯身上，至此她的生活开始变得顺利起来。

我们的人生也是如此。我们只要寄希望于应许，高声歌唱，那么任何心理阴影都不成问题，因为福音本是神的大能。

“等等，此人得没得救呢？福音怎么可能连个心理阴影都战胜不了呢？”仆人振聋发聩的吼声，仿佛还在耳边回响。