The God who redeems his people

Intro: Thank you for having me, its a honor and privilege to be to here

For those that don't know.. lost Ava

thankful for ones who were with us during that and loved us.

due date same day as ava died- God who redeems .

The book of Ruth is a Love story of Ruth and Boaz but also a love story between God and those whom God redeems

In order to appreciate the redemption you have to understand what it means to be lost and in need of redemption

This first chapter is the darkness where we are then able to see the redemption

Read Ruth 1:1-5

Darkness upon darkness upon darkness

The driving force of the redemption here is Gods providence over all things.

Providence has often times been misunderstood as the christian version of luck. If I am driving and something comes out in front of me and if Im able to serve and miss we say oh whew that was Gods providence. Providence covers swerving and missing bit it also is swerving and hitting. Providence is the doctrine of Gods good governance of all things in order to fulfill his purposes

God cooperates with all things so that they fulfill his purposes weather good or bad.

example: Breathe of Grace

Who needs to be Redeemed in the book of Ruth:

1. First part of vs 1 Isreal. The days when the judges ruled were the darkest days in the history of Israel.

There is a phrase in the book of judges that every man did what was right in his own eyes. It was a time filled with sin,misery, oppression and wickedness of all kind.

Does that sound true to our world today? Everyone following their fleshly desire and coming up with their own “truth” and not following THE TRUTH?

Here in the book of Ruth We are in the middle of having gone from the administration of moses , to Joshua, to judges, and then to the kings of the monarchs.

The book of Ruth begins with the darkest time and ends with the illusion to the coming of king David which is the greatest time in Israels history.

The book of Ruth is about God redeeming Israel out of their darkest days because God loves his people.

vs 2 We notice in the days of the judges ruling there was a famen in the land. Famen was a sign of Gods judgement.

This is judgement on top of judgement. Israels darkest hour.

We see that Israel is in need of redemption.

2. A family that needs to be redeemed vs 2

This family is having to leave the land of the promise because of the famen.

not only are they having to leave the land of the promise but they are having to go into the land of oppression.

Why would that be a bad thing that they moved?

Judges 3:12–14 “And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms. So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.” “And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord.”

The nation of Moab is one of the oppressors of Israel during the time of the judges. So now we have Israel in darkness because of the famen in time of the judges.

Now we have a family who has to leave Israel, and go in live in one of the countries that oppressed Israel during the time of the judges.

So its dark and its getting darker. vs 3. Naomi husband dies

things just got worse..

verse 4. just got darker Her 2 sons marry women from Moab

Not only does she loose her husband but in this foreign land, this land of oppression her sons take Moabite wives. Women from outside of the covenant community.

Throughout redemptive history we know that one of the charges that God brings to Israel repeatedly is the sin of marrying wives from outside of the covenant community.

So this is a problem.... but wait there is more.

vs 5 Now both her sons die.

3. Need of Redemption for this women who is left alone (Naomi)

Often times we think when the famen was over you just got back and attend to regular life.

Widows in ancient near east had lost all social status and generally were also without political and economical status. They would equate to the homeless in our modern society. Typically they had no male protector, and therefore economically depended on society at large. They couldn't own property. They were dependent on their husbands and on their male children. Which is why there was a need for a kinsman redeemer.

This pic here explains how and why Naomi responded to the circumstance.

To the way that she said call me bitter, my name is bitter. Because the Lord has dealt so bitterly with me. Skip ahead to vs 13 the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.

She sees that God is judging Israel not just cause they are under the judges but she sees that they are in the midst of a famen, and now she sees judgment cause shes outside the land of promise.

In the midst of all this now she personally experiences loss. Her husband is gone .

She probably thought OK at least I have my sons so that when the famen is over we have the land to go back to and they will take care of me.

But now her sons die and she has nothing and no one and cant even go back home.

Can you imagine how she must of felt?

In this story Naomi is heart broken. Feeling alone and that God was against her.

If we don't understand this desperation then we wont understand the beauty of the redemption that is to come.

I want to just pause here for a moment.

Every single one of us women here today as believers will find ourselves or have found ourselves in the midst of these moments where if we are actually honest and transparent we have been in places where we can say JUST CALL ME BITTER.

God hates me. Either God is not there and hes not paying attention or God is there and he isn't helping me cause he is against me.

what did I do to deserve this? Where are you God? … have you been there ladies? Are you there now?

We see friends that go through:

loss of loved ones.

We ourselves go through unbelievable losses

we go through the pain of waiting, waiting for a child,

waiting for a spouse

we go through illnesses

maybe you've been betrayed by a spouse or close friend.

whatever it is You name it we all go through something in our lives that makes us question where is God.

I know I have when I went through my abusive childhood. Why didnt you prevent it? . Where were you God? And most recently when I lost my daughter Ava after 9 hours in nicu.

2 reasons we find ourselves in this place:

we think too highly of ourselves- we think when terrible things come our way we think we deserve better then this. When the reality of it is all we deserve is death, hell and the grave. But instead we actually believe that God owes us something. That weve been so good and so wonderful that if God just took the time to notice he would do a better job then what hes doing.... anyone ever felt that way? no just me ?

I felt this way when I lost Ava… why is so and so having a healthy baby( lady from jail having a baby) and im serving you and my baby is dying? I don't deserve this.

We think too little of God- we dont understand or believe that he is in control and is working all things in accordance with his will.

When Ruth looks back at her redemption she is having to acknowledge that God sent judges who are often wicked men to judge Israel during their darkest days. God sent a famen so that Elemanech and his family would be cast out of the land of promise and into Moab. That God would basically end the lives of Naomi's husbands and sons which also meant that he ended the life of Ruth's husband all in working out his providential care for her and to bring her to himself.

The hard times will bring us closer to God… We can see God in a way that we never would have had we not gone through what we went through.

Hard times can either make you better ( more christ like) or they can make you bitter.

vs 6 outworking of redmemption

What does that look like Ruth 1:6–10 “Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread. Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.””

Here Namoi is about to go back to her people and her land and before she goes she said to her daughter in laws said thank you , you were good to me and my sons. Dont go back with me . Stay here in Moab so you can find husbands and be taken care of.

Ironic- in vs 6 we see that God has provided for his people in the land of the promise. That Naomi is on her way back.. land of promise: the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The land that God said would be flowing with milk and honey. The land where Gods presence dwells with his people. Most significant and blessed place and Naomi looks at her daughter in laws and says there is something better then that for you… why?

when we aren't thinking right we allow hardship to effect our theology.

Difficult times can give you bad theology and that's whats happening to Naomi. Shes saying there is something better then being in the land of promise. GO back to your moms house and find a husband cause its better to have a husband then to have God.

Thats bad theoloy. Thats the wrong answer. We see that as we contiune to read. vs 11 Ruth 1:11–14 “But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!” Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.”

Naomi is referring to the law in Deuteronomy 25:5–6 ““If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.”

When Naomi said turn back, even if i got married and got pregnant tonight by the time I had a son and he would be old enough to fulfil the law of leveright marriage we would all be to old.

In other words Gods provision that hes made for us is not significant or sufficient for this circumstance.

Again hard times creating bad theology. This situation is so bad that we cant even count on God. Just go back home.

But even in the midst of her hardship and even in the midst of her wrong thinking about the providence of God we have Ruth 1:15–18 “And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.”

Ruth understood her need for redemption. Naomi in her darkness was temporary efllected with bad theology. But God in his providence allows Ruth to be the cooler head that prevails.

why was this significant? This is the last pic here in talking about the need for redemption.

4. Ruth is about to be redeemed

Ruth is a mobite woman whose family came from insest ( its the story of Lot and his 2 daughters sleeping with their father) Genesis: The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day.”

absolutely UN thinkable. That is where Ruths people came from. The mobites come from the insest of Lot and his daughters.

Ruth is a foreign woman who ends up in the lineage of king David and king jesus through levitate marriage

Chapter 4 we see the redmeption.

Ruth 4:17–18 “Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron;”

Ruth is a foreigner but clearly a woman of faith. Shes gained faith in God . shes a woman of loyalty and she had character, character beyond what was expected of her.

Ruth was a woman of love and devotion to Naomi and to God

Ruth lost he husband and didnt have any children either. Ruth was a woman that many people would of looked over and counted out.. She wasn't apart of Gods chosen people and came from a country that oppressed them so often

Yet we see a woman with intense conviction, loyalty and love. There is so much to learn from Ruth.

God redeems Israel from darkest days of judges, God redeems Israel from this famen.

God redeems Naomi even though her husband and sons are dead. God does so by redeeming a moabite woman whose entire leneage is connected to one of the most sinful and wicked moments ever recorded in scripture.

How is God going to Redeem Ruth’s story?How is he going to redeem this tragedy?

In chapter 2 they get back to Bethlehem and they need food. So Ruth goes to find food in the field.

She comes upon Boaz , tuns out that Boaz was one of her families kinsmen redeemer

What is a kinsmen redeemer? A redeemer is someone who is charged with the duty of restoring the rights of another and avenging his wrongs.

In this situation boaz was one of the people that culturally could take on what Naomi families needed.

Women couldn't acquire property so he could aquire property on behlaf of the family.

the family line could continue through Boaz as a kinsmen redeemer

When Boaz finds out about their story he is moved by it. Hes a man of character and integrity. He goes and tries to redeem their lives.

ruth 4 we see it all works

THIS STORY MOVES ME

HEre is why… a redeemer, boaz is known as what scholars call a type and what that means is that he is a type for christ.

he is a pre type for christ if you will. He redeemed a foreigner just like jesus did.

we were all far away from god and jesus redeemed us

Thats what boaz did for this woman. just like boaz gave this family a second chance jesus gave us a second chance and a new beginning

God has a plan to redeem a stroy that these seesm irredeemable. that seems like its got nothing , no future , nothing to offer us.

God still provided these two women with a future that they couldnt had planned for and that they couldnt have imagned.

his isnt the end. I think sometimes when we go through tragic things we can think that this is the end of our story.

Cant imagine what Naomi and ruth went through. Namoi not only loosing her husabnd but 2 children. the loss of a furutre life of even grandchildren. This was beyonmd hearttbreaking.

when we see Boaz as kinsmen redeemer, we need to recognize that is a beautiful love story of redemption between a man and a woman but dont reduce it to that.

dont think Naomi ever stopped mourning for her two sons, just like I havent stopped greving the loss of my daugther.

And yet there was still beauty that remained in her life, there was still hope there was still a future. even though she was convinced in chapter 1 that her hope and future were gone. that there were no good things left to be had. She thought her life was over. but yet God had a purpose and a plan to redeem her pain and to redeem her story. He gave her a second chance and a new beginning.

I love the bible cause in the bible we see average people doing their best , you see average people going through real challenges and real hard things.

but we also see a GOD WHO Continues to weave a story through average people. through heartbroken people. through people that have experienced tragedy.

This is God saying His redemption knows no bounds.

Is there darkness in your life? God can redeem out of darkness.

Is there sin and wickedness in your life? God can redeem out of sin and wickedness.

This is what he says through the redemption of Ruth and Naomi and Elimaleck through the redemption all of Gods people. Through the offspring of Boaz.

The book of Ruth says to Israel you need a redeemer. Moses was not enough, Joshua was not enough, the judges were not enough. King David is coming and he will not be enough. But eventually king David will be promised a son who will sit on his throne forever and that son will enough and we wont have to ever wait for another Redeemer again.

ultimately the sin and wickedness of lots daughters was not enough because the righteousness of the redeemer is greater then the wickedness of lot and his daughters.

The sin and wickedness of Israel was not enough to keep them from the love of God. Because the righteousness of christ, the ultimate kinsmen redeemer was more then enough to cover the sin of Israel for generations and its more then enough to cover the sin and wickedness of your life. Regardless of how deep and how dark that sin and wickedness is. Jesus saves to the uttermost.

Christ died for sin. Once for all, the just for the unjust. In order that he might bring us back to GOD.

As Isaiah puts it all we like sheep have gone astray, all have turned to his own way bit God has laid upon the iniquity of us all.

In the book of Ruth we are reminded that it doesn't matter how deep OR how dark the iniquity is God has made provision and he saves and redeems.

All THOSE WHO FLEE FROM THEIR SIN AND WILL FLEE TO THEM. He IS POWERFUL ADN FAITHFUL TO SAVE.

flEE TO CHRIST

CAUSE IN HIM THERE IS HOPE

are you living the life of the redeemed?

Are you serving the redeemer? or are you bitter?

God gave himself for you, paid the penalty of your sin and redeemed you.

Are you serving him? Are you witnessing to others? That they can be redeemed? from their darkness? Are we offering hope to the broken in this world.

God redeems your past, present and future.