Boaz Redeems Ruth

BRING YOUR BIBLE!

A physical copy of your Bible is something you should always have with you… treasure it, become familiar with it, and love being with it reading it and understanding what it has to say…

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

If you were with us last week you would have walked through Ruth Chapter 2 verse(s) 8 - 13… Within that passage and text we learned two important teachings which include:

Ruth is LOYAL to the GOD of ISRAEL

We saw that Ruth left behind her hometown and other gods to because she was Loyal to the God of Israel and to Naomi

We learned that Loyalty can be described as this immovable faithfulness and devotion to someone or something despite the trials, temptations, or circumstances

God will REWARD those are LOYAL

God will reward us by allowing us to be with him in heaven for eternity if we remain Loyal to him and have faith in Jesus Christ for a lifetime…

A loyalty that is not established in love will not last… In other words if we are just trying to follow God because we are obligated to then it will not last a lifetime… a loyalty to God that lasts a lifetime and does not fade is a loyalty that is established in love for what God has done for us through his Son Jesus

This week however we are focusing our attention to Ruth Chapter 4:13-17… but before we do we always ask two questions that help us understand the text:

What is God Teaching us Through this Text?

How Does that Teaching Apply to Our Lives Today?

With those two questions in mind, please follow along with me as I read Ruth 4:13-17

Ruth 4:13–17 (ESV)

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Context is Key

If you were to look back Ruth Chapter 4:9-12 you would see that Boaz purchases or buys from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to her deceased husband & two sons… Boaz also purchases Ruth… and he makes this purchase of land of Ruth in a public setting…

In other words… Boaz was using his right of Kinsman-Redeemer

Kinsman-Redeemer = “a relative that had the right of redemption over a deceased relative’s household”

In other words, because Boaz was a relative to Naomi’s dead husband… he had the right to purchase back and redeem their land, Naomi, and Ruth…

My goal today is help you understand exactly what it means and looks like to be redeemed and have a redeemer… brings me to point number 1…

POINT #1.) We ALL need to be REDEEMED

The Word Redeem in Hebrew means = “to buy back”

The law in Leviticus chapter 25 tells us that if someone become so poor to the point where they sold themselves as a slave to another family, they would have an opportunity to be redeemed or bought back by a family member… In other words, they had a chance and opportunity to be purchased back from a close relative and not actually become a slave…

I can remember when I was in college and working at Larosas Pizzeria in Taylor Mill… I was working at Larosas while looking for my big boy professional job and trying to safe as much money as I possibly could to buy a wedding ring for my now wife… one day while I was on my way to work… a car backs out onto the main road and pulls out right in front of me… I was driving at least 45 Miles per hour and was unable to dodge to the car that backed out and pulled in front of me… I slammed into the car and the other car did a complete 360 spin into the other lane… the front end of my car was completely crushed… the air bag had gone off and the car was smoking on the front end… my beautiful… just cleaned 2005 Ford Escape had just went through the a war… and lost…

If I wanted to repair or replace that my Ford Escape so that I could i have a car to drive around… I could not do it on my own… I was a broke young kid who was working at Larosas, living in his parents basement, and still trying to wear skinny jeans in the heat of summer… I had no money or hope of fixing or buying a car… I was completely dependent upon another to redeem and buy back something of mine that was broken… I was dependent upon my family to help me out and bail me out when I needed help the most…

And guys you are and I are no different when it comes to needing a redeemer and savior…

I do not know about you… but I can remember sinking in my sea of sin… each day just slowly sinking further and further down into the depths of my shame, regret, guilt, and fears… I can remember thinking I am not good enough to be a Christian… there is nothing I can do on my own to right with God because every time I try to do the right thing I ended up messing up over time… And I would just sink further down in my sin, unable to make any progress or bring my head above the sin filled waters… I needed someone to step into the waters with me… reach down into the depths of my sin and pull me out… and that person who did that for me was Jesus…

Jesus knew that we could never be good enough to place ourselves in right standing before God… Jesus knew that he would have to step down into our mess, reach down into the depths of our darkness, and pull us out into his marvelous light if we ever had a chance or hope of being saved… and he did…

And friends you need him to step into your sin filled waters and pull you out of the darkness and into his light too… we all need a redeemer… we all need a savior…

Romans 3:23 (ESV)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

I want to be very clear… I think some of us do not realize all that Jesus gave up to be our redeemer… some of us truly do not understand that our redemption came at a cost…

Remember, the word Redeemed means = “bought back”

This leads me to point number 2….

POINT #2: The REDEEMER paid a PRICE for YOU…

It cost Boaz something to redeem Naomi and Ruth… We can see this happen in the life of Naomi and Ruth… she was purchased back and redeemed… meaning that they would not longer be poor, alone, and left without help or support… When Boaz married Ruth and purchased the rights of Naomi’s deceased husband and sons… he redeemed them… he bought them back and provided them something they could have never accomplished or done on their own… But Boaz still had to step up and redeem them… Not only does he redeem them but he provides Naomi with a grandchild… for Ruth becomes pregnant and Naomi is blessed beyond measure for at one point in her life had nothing… yet now she has everything because Boaz stepped up and redeemed her…

We Often do not realize that it truly cost Jesus Christ his life to redeem us to purchase us… to pay the sin debt that none of us could ever pay on our own…

To purchase us and buy us back cost Jesus a high price… and the price that had to be paid was his blood - his very life…

You did not become a child of God… you were not saved because you had anything to do it with it… you were unable to dig yourself out of your sinful whole… rather you are saved… you are redeemed… you have been bought back and purchased into the family of God because of the blood of Jesus Christ…

If someone asked me to give up my sons life in order that other people that I know and care about could live… I do not think I could do it…

If someone asked me to give up my sons life for an ordinary not so bad person in order that they would live… I would not do it

If someone asked me to give up my sons life for an a criminal guilty of horrible and unspeakable acts… I definitely would not do it

Yet God gave the life of his precious, loved, and perfect Son - Jesus for the worst sinners like you and me… He gave up his Son so that people who had hated him, walked away from him, turned their back on him, and did not love him, would have a chance of being redeemed, bought back, and saved…

Isaiah 53:5–6 (LEB)

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

crushed because of our iniquities;

the chastisement for our peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we were healed.

All of us have wandered about like sheep;

we each have turned to his own way;

and Yahweh let fall on him

the iniquity of us all.

The word CRUSHED is a verb (action) and in its original language means = to be kept down by unjust use of another’s authority or power…

in other words, Jesus was kept down, pushed down, and experienced the wrath of God because of your sin… which he did not deserve or have to endure…

In words, one large stone after another was thrown upon Jesus and weight of our sin and the wrath of God crushed and pummeled him…

People like you and me struggle to forgive, love, and take care of people who are close to us… while Jesus the great redeemer sheds his blood for those who hate and absolutely despised him… WHY? because he loves you…

And it had to be jesus because he was without sin - he was perfect… and he had to shed his blood because he the wages or the reward of sin is death…

Therefore, in order for you to experience life he Jesus had to die…

In order for you to be purchased… Jesus had to be the one to pay…

In order for you to be without sim… Jesus had to become sin…

In order for you to know what it is like to be redeemed… Jesus experience the wrath of God for rampage of reckless sin…

But not only did Jesus redeem us… he gives us far more than we ever deserved or could have hoped for…

POINT #3: We do not DESERVE the REWARDS of our REDEMPTION…

God does not only save us… but he gives us far more than just salvation…

Now do not get me wrong… salvation from our sin is a huge gift and joy that we should be excited about!

But he also gives us:

A home in heaven

No more pain

No more tears

A place where we never grow weary

No more sin or imperfection

No more sickness

Brand New Bodies that do not fade or become fatigued

A brand new world

Brand new colors and sights that you can not even dream of

Beauty and Awe that never ceases to amaze you

And a face to face relationship with the one and only Living God and our savior Jesus Christ

No no longer seeing him dimly through a reflection… but rather a personal - close relationship with our Savior

Jesus does not simply save and send you on your way… Jesus saves and spoils us with everything we do not deserve in heaven…

I do not know about you but sometimes it is hard for me to wrap my hands around what heaven will be like… But Brad gave a pretty good example that I want to share with you… He said picture yourselve driving up or climbing a beautiful mountain… and at every turn the sccenior gets a little more beauiful and amazing… every time you turn a corner or make another turn, you see a new lanscape that blows yoru mind and leaves you breathless… that is waht heaven will be like… you will never stop being amazed… you will never stop being left speechless… you will never think to yourself… what are we going to do now? Rather… you will continue to be blown away and looking forward to every second and moment in heaven for an eternity…

When Jesus Redeemed you he did far more than just save you and send you on your way… He has prepared a place for you to be fully satisfied for an eternity…

Think of it like this… when Brooke and I got married so much preparation was put in place for a single day… from the venue to the clothes we would wear, to the friends and family we would invite, to the color theme of the wedding, to the cake, to the DJ, all these things were heavenly planned out for a single evening to ensure that the Bride experienced an unforgettable moment in time… her wedding day…

guys God has been preparing a home and place for you in even… where he has thought through every single detail to ensure that it is perfect and that those who dwell with him will be fully satisfied for an eternity… not just a single day or moment in time… rather for the rest of time… the is how good or God is… that is how wonderful our redeemer! He does not just purchase us or buy us back… but he also prepares a home and a place for us for an eternity…