书一5~6　　…我…必…与你同在；…你当刚强壮胆，因为你必使这百姓承受那地为业，就是我…起誓要赐给他们的。

　　得四9~10　　波阿斯…说，你们今日作见证，凡属…玛伦的，我都从拿俄米手中置买了；我又娶了…摩押女子路得为妻，好叫死人的名得以在他的产业上存立…。

　　波阿斯与路得…预表基督与召会。…在约书亚记至路得记这段以色列人历史的开始和结束，有两个显著的人物预表基督（书一1，得四21）。这两个人就是约书亚和波阿斯，他们表征一个人的两方面。

　　在开始时，约书亚预表基督，将神所拣选的人带进神命定的福分里（书一2~4，弗一3~14）。如约书亚所预表的，基督已经把我们带进美地，也为我们取得那地，并将那地分给我们作产业，给我们享受。基督已经为我们得着美地，至终祂就是美地，给我们享受。

　　在结束时，波阿斯预表基督的其他方面，特别预表基督是我们的丈夫，作了我们的满足。…波阿斯是富有且慷慨给与的人（得二1、14~16，三15），预表基督有追测不尽的神圣丰富，并且以祂全备的供应照顾神穷乏的子民（弗三8，路十33~35，腓一19下）（路得记生命读经，三六至三七页）。

　　Josh. 1:5-6 …I will be with you….Be strong and take courage, for you will cause this people to inherit the land which I swore…to give to them.

　　Ruth 4:9-10 And Boaz said…, You are witnesses today, that I buy from Naomi’s hand all that was…Mahlon’s. Furthermore Ruth the Moabitess…I acquire as my own wife so that I may raise up the dead man’s name upon his inheritance…

　　Boaz and Ruth typify Christ and the church…. At the beginning and at the end of the portion of Israel’s history from Joshua to Ruth are two prominent persons typifying Christ (Josh. 1:1; Ruth 4:21). These persons are Joshua and Boaz, who signify two aspects of one person.

　　At the beginning Joshua typifies Christ in bringing God’s chosen people into God’s ordained blessings (Josh. 1:2-4; Eph. 1:3-14). As typified by Joshua, Christ has brought us into the good land, has taken possession of the land for us, and has allotted the land to us as our inheritance for our enjoyment. Christ has gained the good land for us, and eventually He is the good land for us to enjoy.

　　At the end Boaz typifies Christ in other aspects. In particular, he typifies Christ as our Husband for our satisfaction. As a man, rich in wealth and generous in giving (Ruth 2:1, 14-16; 3:15), Boaz typifies Christ, whose divine riches are unsearchable and who takes care of God’s needy people with His bountiful supply (Eph. 3:8; 2 Cor. 12:9; Phil. 1:19b). (Life-study of Ruth, pp. 27-28)

　　路得记告诉我们，波阿斯赎回了路得，也为她赎回了长子的名分。这就是说，作我们真波阿斯的基督，赎回了我们和长子的名分。…波阿斯赎回他亲属的产业，并娶了那人的寡妇（得四1~17）；因此，他成了基督一位显著的先祖，基督伟大的同伙。你既是弟兄，是波阿斯，就该顾到别人的基督长子名分。…换句话说，你不仅该顾到自己对基督的享受，也该顾到别人对基督的享受。

　　路得和拿俄米已经失去了享受，就是长子的名分，但照着神的规定，有一条路可恢复长子的名分，将其赎回，但必须由别人赎回。今天在召会生活中，原则是一样的。…常常有些亲爱的圣徒失去对基督的享受。就一面说，他们成了拿俄米或路得。若是这样，你需要成为波阿斯，能赎回别人失去的长子名分，并与被赎回的人结合。

　　失去丈夫的意思就是失去对长子名分的享受。…因此，我需要你作我的弟兄，赎回我的长子名分。但你需要在基督里多少丰富一点。…然后你付代价，重新得回我的长子名分，并且你也与我结合。这就是说，你与我调和。这样的属灵调和会产生大卫的祖父俄备得。波阿斯成了基督一位伟大的先祖。就属灵的意义说，他享受了基督最大、最丰富的分。一位弟兄若成了我的波阿斯，他将成为对基督有最大享受的人。因为他赎回了我的长子名分，并且这样与我联结，我们在主里的联结，至终会生出对基督的完满享受。

　　今天在召会生活里，我们需要有许多波阿斯。…有些弟兄该顾到我这个可怜的路得，但他们在对基督的属灵享受上很自私。甚至在对基督的属灵享受上，我们也很可能是自私的。然而，波阿斯很慷慨，付了代价，赎回我的长子名分。这一切都指明我们不仅该顾到自己的长子名分，也该顾到别人的长子名分。一天过一天，我们该顾到别人对基督的享受。我们越这样作越好（马太福音生命读经，三七至三九页）。

　　参读：路得记生命读经，第六至七篇；马太福音生命读经，第三篇。

　　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…. In other words, you should not only take care of your own enjoyment of Christ, but also others’ enjoyment of Christ.

　　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….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.

　　To lose the husband means to lose 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….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…. 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. (Life-study of Matthew, pp. 32-33)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Ruth, msgs. 6-7; Life-study of Matthew, msg. 3