The True Redeemer Ruth 4:1-22

-Our hope is found in a Redeemer!

I. A False Redeemer vv. 1-6

As the story of Ruth and Naomi comes to a close, we are confronted with one final dilemma; there is another potential redeemer who is closer to the situation than Boaz

Interestingly, he goes unnamed in the story

However, we will see a huge contrast between the noble character of Boaz and the character of the unnamed redeemer

Boaz calls on the other redeemer and makes the situation clear:

There is an opportunity to redeem the land that is being used by someone else and the redeemer is happy to do this

However, there is another obligation: to take Ruth as a wife

This is the breakdown:

You can have the land, but you must take the lady

You can have the riches, but you must own the responsibility

The false redeemer is willing to pursue his own enrichment, but is not willing to pursue the good of a Moabite woman and her mother-in-law

He does not want to raise up a son in the name of another

He does not want to risk caring for a wife at the potential cost of his own financial well-being

This ought to serve as a warning for us:

We must take care of the kind of redeemers we trust in

We must take care of the kind of redeemers we emulate!

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Deceit

A humorist told the story of a driver who put a note under the windshield wiper of a parked car. It read: “I have just smashed into your car. The people who saw the accident are watching me. They think I’m writing down my name and address. I’m not. Good luck.”

II. A True Redeemer vv. 7-12

This is where the contrast between Boaz and the false redeemer is so critical:

We identify the true redeemer by the sacrifice that he makes

Boaz is not just interested in self-enrichment; he will sacrifice his own progeny and his own inheritance for the sake of Ruth!

The entire circumstance gives us clarity about Boaz, the worthy man:

His intention is clear: He will be the goel that redeems the land, but he will also be the levir that redeems the lady

His responsibilities are clear: He will not shirk his duty but will restore the line of Elimelech; there is no falsehood here

His blessings are clear: He hears the acclimation of the gathered people and their blessings on Boaz and Ruth-

That she, a Moabite, would be like Rachel and Leah who were fruitful and established the nation through the birth of sons

That he would be a man of renown and continued character

That their son, like Perez, will be fruitful and powerful as the product of a Levirate coupling

The image of Boaz causes us to look ahead to the sacrificial love of Christ

He laid down His life for us

He does not only seek His glory, but He also pursues our good

Yet, in pursuing our good, He receives even greater glory!

Philippians 2:5–11

[5] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (ESV)

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Instant Sacrifice

Alistair Anthony of Glasgow, Scotland, while visiting his parents in Blackpool, England, dived into the stormy sea to rescue his Jack Russell terrier, Henry, and was lost. The dog, chasing a ball along the promenade, was swept away by vicious twenty-foot waves. Three members of the police force who participated in the rescue attempt also lost their lives. An editor for The Daily Mail, one of Britain’s national newspapers, wrote: “Often and glibly, we talk of duty and of service and of the human bonds that hold our society together. In the face of courage and sacrifices such as this, we can only fall silent.”

III. A Future Redeemer vv. 13-22

The story closes with a beautiful ending: a child is born to Boaz and Ruth

Three things that we need to remember about this child, Obed:

He is a gift from the Lord- He allowed her to conceive and the child is a gift from Him

He is a gift for Naomi- Ruth could have had a child with any man, but by virtue of the standing and actions of Boaz, this son is her grandson.

Obed is the grandson that circumstance would have never allowed her to have but she now enjoys.

She may have returned to Bethlehem empty, but now her lap and her life are filled with the love of a child, a daughter-in-law who is more than 7 sons, and a redeemer!

He is a gift to all of us- he points us forward

In a few generations, Obed will have a grandson named David who will be king

From the chaos of the judges to the blessed reign of David, Israel will be transformed

Further, out of the line of David a new king will rise and He will redeem us all

We all find ourselves in the emptiness of Naomi, yet we can share in the fullness as well, because there is one who will redeem us!

The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott Great Sinner, Great Savior

John Newton (in old age): “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great saviour.”