Are You Covered?
Notes
Transcript
Insurance companies provide “coverage.” It mean they will provide for you in a time of need.
In this passage, we see Naomi’s plan to get “coverage” for Ruth, and like Ruth, we will all need “coverage” one day when God judges all of humankind.
Good coverage works at…
The Right Moment
The Right Moment
“Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight. “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. “It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.”
How did Naomi know it was the right time?
How did Naomi know it was the right time?
Time was running out.
Time was running out.
Ruth would not be provided for after the harvest since there would be no more grain in the fields for her to collect. Naomi had a plan to help Ruth survive when the work ended.
When the grain was ready, Boaz had to harvest it quickly. Like Boaz, Jesus will return one day to collect His people, and He will do it quickly.
And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. “But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Provision was available.
Provision was available.
Boaz was cheerful because the harvest was good that year as opposed to the previous years of famine.
Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.” Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” So they said to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’ ” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
Good coverage requires…
The Right Man
The Right Man
Boaz spoke a blessing over Ruth in Chapter 2 that he would now become in Chapter 3.
“May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.”
Boaz was the only man who was willing and able to become the Kinsman-Redeemer.
Boaz was the only man who was willing and able to become the Kinsman-Redeemer.
He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.”
“Covering” here can be translated “wings.” She is asking for protection from Boaz in the same way she sought protection from the LORD.
Every Christian should relate to this experience. There was a time where we had to humbly lay ourselves before Jesus and ask Him to cover us with garment of His grace.
Like Boaz, Jesus was the only man who was willing and able to become Adam’s Kinsman-Redeemer.
Like Boaz, Jesus was the only man who was willing and able to become Adam’s Kinsman-Redeemer.
No one else was qualified!
For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.
Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
CONCLUSION
One day the harvest of God’s people will come to an end, and the opportunity to have what we need to survive God’s judgement, the covering of Christ’s righteousness, will be gone. We must go to the Kinsman-Redeemer, Jesus Christ, before it’s too late and ask Him to cover us with His garment of protection.
If Jesus returns this afternoon to gather His people, will He be looking for you? Will you be like the widow without protection whose family story ends when the harvest is over, or will you be like Naomi and Ruth whose family had a future because they came under the protection of a Redeemer?
