得一16　　路得说，…你往哪里去，我也往哪里去；你在哪里住宿，我也在哪里住宿；你的民就是我的民，你的神就是我的神。

　　太一18　　耶稣基督的由来，乃是这样：祂母亲马利亚已经许配了约瑟，他们还没有同居，马利亚就被看出怀了孕，就是她从圣灵所怀的。

　　以利米勒在去摩押地之前，卖了他所有的产业，因此没有留下一分土地给作寡妇的拿俄米同两个守寡的儿媳，而使她们双手空空。拿俄米这敬虔的妇人回到圣地，就是回到神经纶中的安息，再次有分于神应许之地的享受，而联于基督的家谱。虽然她的归回是一件大事，却不是借能力完成的。拿俄米相信神、敬畏神并尊重神，但她就像是个乞丐。为这缘故，她的儿媳路得去拾取麦穗；…路得是个穷乞丐，仰赖他人的怜悯。实在说来，这里没有一点能力。虽然如此，路得却是非常在生命的线上（李文集一九九三年第二册，九八页）。

　　Ruth 1:16 But Ruth said,…Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you dwell, I will dwell; and your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

　　Matt. 1:18 Now the origin of Jesus Christ was in this way: His mother, Mary, after she had been engaged to Joseph, before they came together, was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit.

　　Before going to Moab, Elimelech sold all his property. This left Naomi, a widow with two widowed daughters-in-law, empty-handed, not having any portion of land. As a godly woman, she returned to the Holy Land, that is, to the rest in God’s economy, to participate again in the enjoyment of the God-promised land and to become related to Christ’s genealogy. Although her returning was a great matter, it was not accomplished by power. Naomi believed in God, feared God, and regarded God, but she was simply like a beggar. For this reason Ruth, her daughter-in-law, went gleaning…. Ruth was a poor beggar, depending upon others’ mercy. To be sure, there was no power in this. Nevertheless, Ruth was very much in the line of life. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 2, p. 73)

　　拿俄米告诉路得，她没有能力再为路得生出一个丈夫来赎回路得，好生出以利米勒的后代；于是她劝路得回娘家去。路得的回应满了生命；她告诉拿俄米，她愿意跟拿俄米在贫困中回去（参得一16）。…路得所作的乃是符合新约信徒的灵。主耶稣嘱咐祂的门徒要撇下父母、儿女、亲戚、房屋和一切，空手到祂那里（太十九29，路十四26）。

　　路得记除了拿俄米和路得，还有波阿斯。两名寡妇贫穷，波阿斯富有；但这三位都是充分在生命里的人。波阿斯完全节制、约束、并控制自己的情欲。拿俄米指示路得：“你要沐浴抹膏，换上衣服，下到禾场上，却不要使那人认出你来，直等他吃喝完了。到他躺下的时候，你看准他躺卧的地方，就进去掀开他脚上的被，躺卧在那里；他必告诉你所当作的事”（三3~4）。若无适当的节制和控制，没有人能受得了这样的试诱。波阿斯半夜醒来时，发现一名女子躺在他的脚边（8）。路得对他说，“我是你的婢女路得。请你展开你的衣边遮盖你的婢女，因为你是我的亲人”（9）。波阿斯没有动情欲，反而称她为“女儿”（10~11）；他知道自己是她的亲人，照神的命定，他不只有权利，也有责任，要赎回她公公和丈夫的产业。此外，他同意娶她为妻。这人有生命最高的标准。

　　今天在主的恢复中，我们不走士师有能力并作大工的路。…没有一位士师成了基督的先祖。…反倒是由一对夫妇—路得和波阿斯—作成这事（太一5）。这对夫妇没有打仗，也没有施展权能。波阿斯虽然富有，还是个农夫，在收割期间睡在田间的麦堆中。甚至当一名年轻女子将自己献给他时，他还告诉女子：“女儿啊，…还有一个亲人比我更近。你今夜在这里住宿，明早他若肯为你尽亲人的本分，就由他尽好了。倘若不肯，我指着永活的耶和华起誓，我必为你尽亲人的本分，你只管躺到黎明”（得三11~13）。波阿斯知道他若不顾到那位更近的亲人，神圣别的会就要定罪路得逾越分际。这表明波阿斯多么遵行律法。这无关乎能力，全然是基于生命（李文集一九九三年第二册，九八至一○○页）。

　　参读：路得记生命读经，第二、五、八篇；生命的认识，第一至二、五篇。

　　Naomi told Ruth that she had no more capacity to produce a husband to redeem her and bring forth a descendant of Elimelech, and she advised Ruth to return to her own parents. Ruth’s reply was full of life. She told Naomi that she would return with her in poverty [cf. Ruth 1:16]….What Ruth did was in the spirit of the New Testament believers. The Lord Jesus commanded His disciples to forsake parents, children, relatives, houses, and all things and come to Him empty-handed (Matt. 19:29; Luke 14:26).

　　Besides Naomi and Ruth, the book of Ruth also has Boaz. The two widows were poor, and Boaz was rich, but all three were persons fully in life. Boaz altogether restrained, constrained, and controlled his lust. Naomi instructed Ruth, “Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes; and go down to the threshing floor. But do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. And when he lies down, notice the place where he lies, and go and uncover his feet, and lie down. And he will tell you what you should do” (3:3-4). Without the proper restriction and control, no man could endure such a temptation. Upon waking up at midnight, Boaz found a woman lying at his feet (v. 8). Ruth said to him, “I am Ruth, your female servant. Spread your cloak over your female servant, for you are a kinsman” (v. 9). Boaz was not moved in his lust but instead addressed her as “daughter” (vv. 10-11), and he acknowledged that as her kinsman, and according to God’s ordinance, he had not only the right but also the responsibility to redeem the possession that was her father-in-law’s and her husband’s. Moreover, he agreed to marry her. This man had the highest standard of life.

　　Today in the Lord’s recovery we do not take the way of the judges to be powerful and to do a great work….None of the judges became a forefather of Christ…. Rather, it was one couple, Ruth and Boaz, who did this (Matt. 1:5). They did not fight a war or exercise power. Although Boaz was rich, he was still a farmer who slept with the sheaves of grain in the field during harvest. Even when a young woman offered herself to him, he told her, “My daughter,…there is a kinsman closer than I. Stay for the night; and in the morning if he will do the kinsman’s duty, fine; let him do it. But if he is not willing to do the kinsman’s duty for you, I will do it for you, as Jehovah lives. Lie down until morning” (Ruth 3:11-13). Boaz knew that if he did not care for the closer kinsman, the holy society of God would condemn Ruth for overstepping. This shows how lawful Boaz was. This was not related to power; it was altogether based on life. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 2, pp. 73-74)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Ruth, msgs. 2,5,8; CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Knowledge of Life,” chs. 1-2, 5