God's Dream Team

Ruth 4:1–22 NIV

1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. 2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” “I will redeem it,” he said. 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.” 6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.” 7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) 8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!” 11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” 13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” 16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, 19 Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 21 Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, 22 Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.

Introduction

If you were to create God’s team, what type of players would you put on His team?

When Jesus chose his 12 closest disciples he chose men that might not all have made the ESPN highlight reel. He chose 4 fisherman working in the family business. 4 men who did not pass the test to become Rabbi’s and so went back to fishing. A tax collector, not a friend to many and tolerated by the Roman authorities. He chose the man that would betray him in the end. So you can see that the make of the 12 disciples is certainly from a broad array of family dynamics, cultural backgrounds, economic status. But used by Jesus for His mission none the less.

Every professional sports team in any sport played goes through a season of change. These changes could range from ownership and coaching staff changes to player and personnel changes. Sometimes these changes are drastic and long lasting and other times they are simple and easy.

Usually these changes are made after the season ends and based on how the team did in their respective sport dictates a lot of what the changes look like.

The Lions for example are certain to be looking at changes. If you have kept up at all with the Lions in the last few weeks or month you know that two very prominent coaches are expected to leave. Its not because they did a bad job or don not like the Lions but its because they did a great job and are looking to advance their career to the next level.

There are sure to be some player changes as well as the season comes to a close and the coaching staff sit down and evaluate the players and determine the direction of the team.

God has a team that he is building as well. See this team that God is building is going to play in the championship game and is going to win. We know those things already but the question remains who is on the team. The thing about God’s team though is that God uses anyone and everyone willing. You dont need to be the star quarterback or the fastest running back, you dont need to be the best defensive line man either.

See God’s team is developed by taking the ordinary people and transforming them. God takes the common person and he does the extraordinary things in our lives. Jesus is our coach and he wants us to be on His team. He has set the perfect example of the team players He is calling and its not what you think. Jesus is ready to draft and develop you, are you ready to be on the team?

Drafted & Developed

I think the book of Ruth is a perfect testimony to the fact that God’s chosen people are not always the ones we would expect. They are not always the stars of the show or the ones on the ESPN highlight reels.

Just like in professional sports teams today a team starts by drafting some players fresh out of college. Maybe with some book smarts and a degree but mostly with a high level of playing time. As the new team member becomes acclimated to the new team he is developed over the off season in hopes of paying back to the owners by performing at a high level and succeeding in wins.

Ruth was a Moabite and Boaz was a descendant of Rahab a former prostitute from Jericho. Never the less God chose to use them all in His story and they were drafted to be on God’s Dream Team. The book is telling us the story of how three people remained strong in character even in the midst of a society around them that was corrupt and falling apart.

Ruth the daughter-in-law of Naomi was simply trying to be loyal to Naomi. She perhaps feared for her own life as a now recently widowed women in an era that was not kind to widows. Without a male provider a widow would be vulnerable to exploitation of all kinds. If she was not able to find a family that could support her she would be reduced to begging, prostitution and often times death by starvation.

Our passage this morning beings with “Meanwhile Boaz went up”. When a chapter starts like that it often is pointing back to the previous chapter. Ruth has been working on the farm of a relative from her mother-in-laws husbands relative. She has been picking up the scraps of grain trying to earn some food. This relative is Boaz and he finds out that this Ruth lady is in the fields and so they are introduced. Boaz is kind to her and allows her to follow behind the workers.

Ruth later at the direction of Naomi is found sleeping on the end of the bed that Boaz is sleeping in. In the middle of the night he finds her there and she tells him he is a guardian-redeemer of their family. Boaz agrees but says he is second in line but he tells her to stay the night and in the morning he will find out if the first family member in line wants to redeem her or not.

And so that brings us to verse 1

Ruth 4:1 NIV

1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

Boaz would be Naomi’s first choice for a husband for Ruth but in those days there were rules and regulations concerning marriage and redeeming the family name and property.

Boaz is going about this in the proper fashion. He goes and sits down at the town gate. Most likely the town gate would be a place where business was conducted. A place where court cases could be handled and certainly a great place for this subject to play out.

Its almost like Boaz is stalking this other relative. A relative that we are not given his name. Not important so Boaz says to the relative have a seat over there. And the stalking sort of continues because Boaz just happens to have 10 elders of the town there and asks them to sit down at which they do.

Boaz goes into the details about why he has called this little court case to session. About how Naomi is back from Moab and is selling a piece of land that belonged to their relative Elimelek. How Boaz would be willing to buy it but that this unnamed redeemer is first in line to refuse. If he wants it then great but if he doesn’t then Boaz is next in line.

The redeemer is quick to say yes, I will buy it. See this would have restored the land back to the family and provided Naomi with a little bit of capital to live on.

Had the narrative of the story ended there the message would have been missing its full intent. It wasn’t just the redemption of property but also the redemption of people.

That is when Boaz adds the second part to the purchase agreement and he invokes whats called the levirate regulations.

Deuteronomy 25:5–10 NIV

5 If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. 6 The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. 7 However, if a man does not want to marry his brother’s wife, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to carry on his brother’s name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me.” 8 Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, “I do not want to marry her,” 9 his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.” 10 That man’s line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.

that with the purchase of the land came the Moabite widow Ruth. That way she could have children and carry on her husbands name.

Right away the redeemer says no, then I can not redeem it. Wait a minute, he wants the property but when people are involved then no thanks? My first read was like wow, thats pretty rude right.

See most likely the redeemer was not married yet or certainly doesnt have a son and so he doesnt want to marry Ruth and take the chance that Ruth has a son because the first son she has would be considered the son of Elimelek and thereby entitled to his property and forever altering the family’s relations.

So, he exercises his first right of refusal and allows Boaz to purchase the land and redeem Ruth. In those days it was a custom signal for someone to take off their sandal as a sign that they are giving something up and so the redeemer says “Buy it yourself”, and he removes his sandal.

Boaz makes the announcement to everyone listening that today they are witnesses to the deal that Boaz bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. He also aquired Ruth the Moabite as his wife.

Blessed in a New Environment

Another way that a sports team builds its winning team is by signing players from other teams. They see that a player is doing well for another team and so they decide to trade for that player and bring him/her over to play on their team.

This certainly has its risks associated with the transaction. Sometimes the player just doesnt get along with the coaching staff or doesnt grasp the playbook of the new team. However other times the players can catch on quick and they can build a relationship with the rest of the team and they can excel in their performance. They can be a great blessing to the new team and the new environment around them.

So, the crowds around this redemption of the land and Ruth and Naomi gives their blessings.

Ruth 4:11–12 NIV

11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

The original readers of Ruth would have associated the house of Jacob, built by Rachel and Leah with the house of Israel which was rebuilt by David who was a descendant of Ruth and Boaz.

May your family be like that of Perez is an acknowledgement that the levirate regulations were not followed and fulfilled in the case of Tamar and Judah but that now Boaz is entering into a legitimate marriage, approved by the witnesses gathered at the gate. All in hopes that Boaz will become more notable that Perez.

Ruth then gives birth to a son and this player trade if you will is complete and a success. It is blessed by God as part of his plan

Transformed Into Greatness

In the sporting world after all the drafting is done and the player trades most players are actually forgotten about. A very low percentage of players are remembered for their skills but occasionally we get a G.O.A.T. - Greatest Of All Time. Someone that really stands out for what they did both on the playing field and off.

But you see on God’s team is less about what we each do. Its more about the transformation that God has done in our life and then the its about the great things that God can and will do through us.

Ruth was on a life path that she never would have chosen for herself. Without a husband to take care of her needs and without a child she was on the verge of no value in those days. But through her determination and staying strong she was able to overcome challenges. She was redeemed by God and blessed by God with a son. Traded from the Moabite team to God’s team, through the transformation God did in her and the son she was blessed with she was able to continue the line to David and then ultimately to Jesus.

Naomi was on a life path that she also would not have chosen by herself. Also a widow but in addition her two sons died before their wives could have children. Naomi is blessed with a grandson. She is restored to a life filled with joy. A contrast to the words she spoke in

Ruth 1:20–21 NIV

20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

They name the baby Obed. Obed is the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. We never read anything more about Obed and his name only appears three times in scripture and all three remaining times its during a genealogy recording.

The Moabite woman Ruth becomes part of world history through the gracious plan of God of her life and serves as a model for all time of obedience and fidelity to the Lord of the covenant. As the mother of Obed, Ruth was privileged to be included in the house of David, and this was an ancestor of Jesus Christ, the great Son of David, the Messiah of Israel and the Redeemer of the world.

Application

This week I was challenged in my devotions about being on God’s team. See we all have goals in our life. We have plans in our lives of who we want to become and what we want to do. Perhaps where we want to live, who we want to marry and how many children we want. All really good things to think about and dreams to have. The problem is what are God’s plans for your life?

Proverbs 19:21 NIV

21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Plans are good but if we dont align them with God’s plans then we fall short of the blessings that He has in store for us. We miss out His calling in our life. Jesus is calling us to be on His team. He is calling us to live the life he has planned.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

We need to give up our own plans and let God give back to us the plans he has. Jesus modeled that when he gave up His own life on the cross for you and for me. Are you willing to give your plans to God this morning? Are you willing to open up yourself to the plans that God has for you?

Video - Redeemed

Closing

Are you willing to accept the call of Jesus on your life? Are you ready to be drafted onto God’s Dream Team?

In order for you to know the plans that Jesus has for you, you need to give up your plans to Jesus and receive from Him the plans he has for you. In order to reach out and take the hand of Jesus you need to let go of everything else in your hand.

Maybe you want to start a new career or make a career change. Maybe you want to start a family. Maybe you want to pay of your student debt or other debts that you have. Maybe you want to buy a house or move to a different city. Maybe you want to retire and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Maybe you simply want to see your family more.

What ever your desires and dreams give them up to God. Let him direct your path. When we let Him direct us, when we let Him control our lives we see the transformation in our lives that only Jesus can do. Its then that we begin to see how each one of us from all different walks of life are working together, how we are all a part of God’s Dream Team.

Amen