From Tamar we go on to her son, Pharez (v. 3). Tamar conceived twins (Gen. 38:27-30). At the time of delivery, one boy, Zarah, tried to come out first, but he did not succeed. He put out his hand, and the midwife marked it with a scarlet thread, indicating that he would be the firstborn. However, Pharez preceded him to be the firstborn. Thus, the first became the last, and the last became the first. The midwife was surprised. This is a good illustration of how to gain the birthright. Pharez inherited the birthright. Man did not choose him, but God sent him. This proves that it is not up to man’s endeavoring; it is up to God’s choice. The mother’s story tells us one side: that we should be anxious for the birthright, trying our best to obtain it; the son’s story tells us the other side: that although we may strive to obtain the birthright, it is actually a matter of God’s choice, not our efforts (see Rom. 9:11).
I remember a story concerning D. L. Moody. One day a student at his Bible institute said to him, “Mr. Moody, by reading the New Testament I have learned that all the saved ones are the chosen ones, predestinated by God before the foundation of the world. Now I have a problem. If I preach the gospel and convince people to believe, I may do something wrong and persuade someone whom God has not chosen. What shall I do?” Moody replied, “My son, just go ahead to do your best. As people enter the door, they will see written on the outside, ‘Whosoever will may come.’ But once they have entered the door, they will look back and see written on the inside, ‘Chosen before the foundation of the world.’” Tamar’s story means, “Whosoever will may come.” Tamar willed and Tamar came. But her son’s story means, “Chosen before the foundation of the world.” Perhaps you are today’s Tamar, striving and laboring to obtain the birthright. But once you gain it, you will look back and see that you were chosen before the foundation of the world. The birthright does not depend on us; it depends on His choice.
We proceed to Rahab (v. 5). Rahab was a harlot in Jericho (Josh. 2:1), a place cursed by God for eternity. Although she was a harlot in such a place, she became a grandmother of Christ. How could a harlot become a grandmother of Christ? In order to answer this question, we need to find the principles. The entire population of Jericho was destroyed except Rahab, her family, and her possessions. She was saved because she turned to God and God’s people (Josh. 6:22-23, 25; Heb. 11:31). After she turned to God and His people, she married Salmon, a leader in the army of the leading tribe of Judah and one of the men sent by Joshua to spy out Jericho. At that time, Salmon became acquainted with Rahab and, in a sense, saved her. Eventually, Rahab married him, and they brought forth a godly man named Boaz.
Now we must pay our full attention to the principles governing our association with Christ. The first principle is that, no matter what our background is, we must turn to God and to God’s people. Second, we must marry the proper person, not in a physical sense, but in a spiritual sense. After we have turned to God and to God’s people, we must be joined, built up, and involved with the proper person. Third, we must bring forth the proper fruit. Then we will be fully in the portion of the birthright of Christ.
It seems that many Christians today have lost their birthright. They do not have Salmon and Boaz. If you would have a Salmon and a Boaz, you must become involved with the proper believers, with the proper leading ones in the leading tribes. Then you need to bring forth the proper fruit, Boaz, who will be a forefather of David. We must turn to the Lord, and we must turn to the Lord’s people; we must also take care of how we become involved with others. If we become involved with the proper persons, surely we shall bring forth the proper fruit. This will keep us in the full enjoyment of the birthright of Christ.
If we are to know the story of Boaz, we must read the book of Ruth. It is a good story. Boaz is a type of Christ, and Ruth is a type of the church. The book of Ruth tells us that Boaz redeemed Ruth; he also redeemed the birthright for her. This means that Christ, as our real Boaz, has redeemed both us and the birthright.
Boaz redeemed his kinsman’s inheritance and married the man’s widow (Ruth 4:1-17); hence, he became a notable forefather of Christ, a great associate of Christ. As a brother and a Boaz, you should take care of others’ birthright of Christ, not only your own birthright. In other words, you should not only take care of your own enjoyment of Christ, but also others’ enjoyment of Christ.
Ruth was the daughter-in-law of Naomi. As we read this story, we see that Ruth and Naomi had lost the enjoyment, the birthright, but according to God’s regulation there was a way to restore the birthright, to redeem it. But it had to be redeemed by someone else. The principle is the same in the church life today. If I lose the birthright, the brothers have a way to redeem it for me. Quite often, some dear ones lose their enjoyment of Christ. In a sense, they become Naomi or Ruth. If so, you need to be a Boaz, able to redeem the lost birthright and marry the redeemed one.
Suppose I am a real Ruth who has lost her husband. To lose the husband means to lose the enjoyment of the birthright. I have the birthright, but I have lost the enjoyment of the birthright. Thus, I need you, as my brother, to redeem my birthright. But you need to be somewhat richer in Christ. You need to have some riches with which to redeem my birthright. Then you pay the price to regain my birthright, and you also marry me. This means that you become involved with me. This kind of spiritual involvement will produce Obed, the grandfather of David. Boaz became one of the great forefathers of Christ. In a spiritual sense, he was the one who enjoyed the largest and richest portion of Christ. If a brother becomes a Boaz to me, he will be the one with the greatest enjoyment of Christ. Because he redeemed my birthright and became so involved with me, our involvement in the Lord will eventually bring forth the full enjoyment of Christ.
In the church life today we need to have a number of Boazes. The book of Ruth tells us that there was another kinsman who was even closer to Ruth than Boaz was. But that man was selfish; he only took care of his own birthright. He was afraid that taking care of another’s might mar his own. This is exactly today’s situation. Some brothers should take care of me, the poor Ruth, but they are selfish in the spiritual enjoyment of Christ. Even in the spiritual enjoyment of Christ it is quite possible to be selfish. However, a Boaz will be generous and pay the price to redeem my birthright. All this indicates that we should take care of not only our own birthright, but also others’ birthright. Day by day we should take care of others’ enjoyment of Christ. The more we do this, the better.