The Blessings of the Redeemed

Ruth 4:13-17

The title of the message this morning is; The Blessings of the Redeemed, and we are going to talk about how God’s blessings come to us through Christ.

Have you ever tried to count the stars in the sky on a clear night, or stood next to the ocean and counted the waves as they rolled in? Have you ever considered how many grains of sand make up the sea shore?

It would be impossible to do any of those things and any attempt to try would be frustrating. In the same way it is impossible to count the blessings of God in the life of a believer.

They are unending, and it was that very thought that led King David to write in Psalm 40:5 “Many, O Lord my God, are the blessings which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.”

We may not be able to count all of God’s blessings, but we know through whom the blessings of God come; Jesus Christ.

And in our story this morning we are going to see how God used Boaz, our Old Testament example of Christ, to channel His blessings of redemption to Ruth and Naomi. In the same way God blesses us through Christ Jesus. We are the blessed, and the redeemed.

Ruth 4:13–17 NASB95

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. “May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

In our passage this morning we have the conclusion of the story of Ruth. And truly it is a story with a fairy tale ending. We are all familiar with fairy tales from when we were kids. They begin with “Once upon a time, and they end with happily ever after.

Only this is no fairy tale. This is a historical book of the Bible. This takes place at a moment in time with a purpose. The purpose of connecting the period of the Judges with the era of the Kings of Israel.

This is a story about God pouring His grace out into the lives of two desperate women, the nation of Israel, and the world.

Can you imagine the anxiety that Ruth must have felt as she waited for Boaz to return that day? He had gone to the city gate to legally secure her redemption and make her his wife. I can picture her standing in the doorway waiting for him to arrive, not knowing what to expect.

Ruth’s life had been a difficult journey yet she was blessed by God. In chapter one she became a desperate widow in Moab. In chapter two she became a determined worker in Bethlehem. In chapter three we saw her as a dignified woman at the threshing floor. In chapter four she becomes the delighted wife and mother of Israel.

In these final verses we find Ruth and Naomi living happily ever after because of the grace of God in their life. They are an example for us of God’s blessings in the life of the redeemed.

The first thing I want you to see in this passage is;

The Blessings of Ruth, Vs. 13. Here we learn that the greatest blessings in life come from God.

The blessings of a husband.

Ruth 4:13 (NASB95)

“So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife.”

One of the highest goals for a woman in the ancient world was to be married. An unmarried woman in the ancient world was looked down. She was unprotected and in danger in a male dominated society.

When Ruth came to Bethlehem she was a poor widow. A foreigner, a refugee who could expect to be rejected and despised, even viewed as a threat to the other women.

But instead she finds Boaz, a wealthy respected business man of Israel. And He loves her, protects her, provides for her and makes her his wife.

Ruth is now exalted before the women of Bethlehem. They cannot look down on her anymore because she has been accepted. She has been given a position of honor.

God met her every physical need. She went from the poor house to the penthouse. She went from gleaning the leftovers to marrying the owner of the field.

And I have no doubt that she wondered if she would spend the rest of her life alone, but God provided a companion. I trust that God has met every physical need in your life as well, and you are blessed beyond measure.

God also met all of Ruth’s spiritual needs. She was a Gentile woman from Moab. She was a stranger to Israel, who didn’t know anything about God. Yet, she comes to Bethlehem and she finds acceptance and grace.

In the same way the Lord Jesus Christ finds us when we are broken and poor, rejected by the world, disappointed with life and He exalts us to a position of honor.

Ephesians 2:6 We have been raised up and seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Not because of anything special about us but because of His love, mercy and grace. He takes us from a place of emptiness and He makes us His bride.

We are now apart of the family of God forever and we are to be respected and exalted among the other family members because of our position in Christ.

Not only did Ruth have the blessings of a husband but she had The blessings of a son.

Ruth 4:13 (NASB95)

“And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.” Vs, 13b

Ruth was married to Mahlon for ten years in Moab. She had no children. Children were regarded as the future. So, she was incomplete. Something significant was missing from her life. Notice it was God who enabled her to conceive.

We see that same theme throughout the bible. It was God who enabled Sarah to give birth To Isaac in her old age. Isaac represents the beginning of the promises of God in the Bible.

We see it again in the life of Rachel.

Genesis 30:22 NASB95

Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb.

We see it again in the life of Leah.

Genesis 29:31 NASB95

Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

Children were regarded as a blessing from God and Ruth was blessed to have a son. And the same thing is true in our lives God has blessed us with His Son.

Isaiah would write, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And His name shall be called, “Wonderful Councilor, Prince of Peace and Mighty God.”

When Mary Gave birth to God’s Son, the angel of the Lord told her to name Him Jesus because He would save His people from their sins. ( No greater blessing). He is the blessings of God in the life of a believer.

Sometimes God’s blessings can be painful. Ruth lost a husband she loved, she left her family and her homeland, but she came to Bethlehem and was redeemed. God restored her life and gave her so much more than she left behind. She has a new husband, a new family, and a new future.

(Job)

The same thing is true in our lives when we come to know Christ. He fills our lives with meaning and purpose. He makes our lives new.

So many people struggle to give their heart to Christ because they don’t want to let go of their past or their afraid to let go of some sin in their life. But I can promise you this, God will give you so much more than you leave behind.

He gives you a new husband in Christ, a new family in the church and a new future in heaven.

The next thing I want you to see in this passage is,

The Blessings of Naomi Vs. 14-15 God is the restorer of life and gives peace and rest to His people.

Naomi had lost her husband and two sons. No one was left from the family of Elimelech. That was incredible problem for Naomi and Ruth. They desperately needed a son to carry on the family name and God provided that blessing through Boaz.

Naomi was blessed with a redeemer.

Ruth 4:14 NASB95

Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel.

Not only was Boaz a redeemer for Naomi but his son was a redeemer as well. He would provide for Naomi a future. Someone to love and care for who, in her old age would love and care for her.

Note; how the women of Bethlehem coveted Naomi being a grandmother. The word blessed here in vs. 14 is “baruk” and it means more than just happiness.

It means to filled with strength and gives us the idea she was praised and adored. That the women wished this blessing on themselves.

It is significant that the women call Naomi blessed, because if you remember from chapter one, when Naomi returned to Bethlehem, She said, “I went away full but God has brought me back empty.” “Don’t call me Naomi, call me Mara which means bitter.” She felt abandoned by God.

Naomi means pleasant and that is who she is again because God has blessed her with a grandchild and a future.

In the same way we don’t have to live life in bitterness, and anger. We don’t have to become frustrated with the people around us because we are not happy with ourselves. We can choose to live life in the grace of God because God has not left us without a redeemer.

Jesus said, “I come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” I trust that you are living an abundant life in Christ.

The Apostle John would say, “Greater is He who is within me than he who is within the world,” because John knew that no matter what was going on in the world around him, Christ was in control.

Not only was Naomi blessed with a redeemer but she was blessed with a restorer.

Ruth 4:15 NASB95

“May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

This grandchild would carry on the family name, giving Naomi peace and rest.

Family heritage was an important part of life in the ancient world. That’s why you see so many genealogies traced in the bible. It was important for a person to leave a legacy and show they came from an honorable family.

We see it in Vs. 18-22 which I am not going to comment on today other than to say, Family history and legacy was very important in the ancient world and that has been lost today.

Notice in Vs. 15 we are told, Ruth is better to Naomi than seven sons. Seven is God’s number of perfection and completion. Seven sons was considered the perfect family well Ruth had accomplished that all by herself. Naomi had lost two sons but she gained the perfect son from God through her daughter-in-law Ruth.

The idea here is that God is the restorer of life and even though you may suffer loss in this world, faith in God completes you. It makes you whole.

I have told the story before. I grew up going to church. I was surrounded by people who were telling me about Jesus Christ, how He came into the world and died for my sins, but it didn’t mean anything to me.

It wasn’t until my daughter was born and I was responsible for another life that I realized something was missing. I needed Jesus and it was then that God began to fill my life with meaning and purpose.

It was in that moment that I was restored and made new. 2 Cor. 5:17 says, if any man is in Christ he is a new creature. The old is gone and the new has come, and I pray that has taken place in your life. I pray you have been restored and made NEW in Christ Jesus.

The final thing I want to show you in this passage is.

The Blessings of Israel Vs. 16-17

God in His providence is accomplishing His will in the lives of His people, providing for a future we are not aware of. We learn from this passage the birth of Obed was significant in the lives of his family and all the following generations.

Notice the blessings of his name. Ruth 4:17

Ruth 4:17 NASB95

The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

This is the only place in the OT where a child is named by someone other than the family. A persons name in the ancient world was more than what they were called throughout their life. A name represented their character and the nature of their being.

The name Obed means to “worshipper.” And truly that was what Israel needed as a nation, because Israel had long sense turned their back on God.

Obed was the father of Jessie and the father of King David who would unite and serve the nation well. David was a true worshipper. He would write most of the Psalms and turn the hearts of the people back to God.

He would become the greatest King in history of Israel. And a man after God’s own heart.

Remember this story takes place during the time of the Judges when there was no leadership in the nation. but this teaches us that God was at work providing for the future of His people.

God knew the bigger picture. When they named this child Obed, they were not even aware of the impact he would have on the nation, but God was.

And the same thing is true in your life and mine. God has a purpose and a plan for your life. There are things He wants to accomplish in you and through you.

Ephesians 2:10 NASB95

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Become a part of His plan for your life, go out and share what God has done for you, live your life on mission for Him.

We are blessed so that we can bless. We are given grace so that we can give grace to others. We are loved so that we can embody love to someone who truly needs it. We are forgiven so that we can learn and practice the joy of forgiving others.

We need to be reminded of where our blessings come from. My fear is that we are blessed in so many ways that we forget to take the time to be thankful for them.

James 1:17 (NASB95)

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.

God is the source of all of our blessings and they come to us through Jesus Christ.

Notice the blessings of a Savior, It is important to understand that God was not only providing for the future of Israel, but He was providing a Savior of the world.

It was through king David and the tribe of Judah that Jesus Christ would come. God was providing redemption to Israel, But He was redeeming all of mankind through Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

It is unlikely Ruth ever realized the significance of the birth of her son, but God used her to prepare the way for the birth of His Son.

And in the same way you may be going through something today that doesn’t make any sense at all, but I can promise you, if you know the Lord Jesus Christ, you will look back on it one day and realize God was at work in your life.

He may even be using you to prepare the way for things you never could have imagined.

But it all begins with Jesus Christ and if you have never come to know Him as your personal Savior you are missing out on the greatest blessing of all, and the only way to eternal life. I pray you will make that commitment today. We are the blessed and the redeemed!!