Ruth Redeemed

Few weeks ago, I got a text and it was my son and he texted me this went on my first hospital visit today and my son and daughter-in-law trying to adopt a child. So my first thought was one of the things that might happen is they'll we will meet a prospective mom at the hospital before she gives birth. So, I'm assuming that when he says, went on my first hospital visit today. First, I texted him back some question marks and then hear back from him. Then I texted back to me to Mom and then, you know, those little dots that come when you're texting with somebody. So I got a bunch of little dots and then they go away and then I get some more dots and then they go away. And then I get this, this statement, No in pastoral residency, my son's and it passed or residency program. And they did a hospital visit with his mentor and that's what he was referring to. So, he said, when I get some more dots and then go away and some more. And then he says, I see now how that could have been a confusing texts. And I thought to myself, that that is key piece of dialogue for how to understand the Bible because everything in the scripture is context-driven. If we know the context, we know the big picture, if we see the big picture, we know the full theme in the story and Pastor Jim has done an awesome job over the past few weeks, leading us to chapter 4. But because it is my nature to just over do things, I'm going to just want to touch on some things from the first three chapters because I grew up in the Northeast. And if you ever been stuck in the snow, you know that if you want to go forward, sometimes you have to back up a little bit, right? You got to get a rock the car, a little bit to get going forward. So I'm going to just rock the car a little bit so that I can get my wheels under me and Ruth chapter 1. You will observe something interesting that happens in the in the very beginning of the book. In the days, when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, the men of Bethlehem in Judah who went to sojourn in the country of Mo He and his wife and his two sons, the name of the man was elimelech in the name of the wife, Naomi in the names of the two sons were male on and try long and they were a tights, Bethel. It from Bethlehem in Judea, they went to the country. Moab and remain there, Ballou Malik, the husband of Naomi died and she was left with her two sons. These took moabite wives, the name of one was orphan the name of the other roof they live there about ten years, there is so much built into the introduction of this text that drives us to the end of chapter 4. He starts out with, in the days the judge has ruled it reminds us of The Darkest Days. Inn is the time of the judges elimelech and Naomi are struggling to survive through a famine in search of food. They pack up and they moved to Moab Israel's ancient enemy. They leave the land of promise on this look for food. And before you move out really have to understand that there's two kinds of famines in the Old Testament. There's the Famine of Correction but there's also the fan End of Direction. So a famine of Direction, might be the famine that causes Joseph's. Brother's to come to Egypt to search for food. There's a famine, very little indication that it was a failure on the part of the nation. Although it might have been punishment for the treatment of Joseph, some time before that, but they go to Egypt where God is established Joseph as second-in-command and a storehouse full of food, that kind of drives the story. So that Jacob and the whole family moved to Egypt, that's a really a fan of Direction. God is moving his people from point, A to point B, and he's using those circumstances to do it here. It's more like First Kings chapter 17 World, Elijah prophesize, add route to a Hab for the Judgment over Israel's idolatry and it's really the based. What is the prophecies really based on Deuteronomy 28? Elijah doesn't wake up one morning and say, hey, I think I'm going to cause it not to rain. What do you wakes up and says to add this Deuteronomy. 28 says that if you were Idol worshiper, God will withhold the rain, Deuteronomy 28:15. But if I, if you will not obey the law, the voice of the Lord, your God or be careful, to do, all his Commandments and his statutes that I command, you, the heavens over your head shall be what like bronze the Earth under. You shall be like iron and the Lord will make the reign of your land like powder. So based on the link to the Book of Judges, we can certainly a tribute the famine in Israel to a famine and a period of Correction Judges 17-6 and 21. 21. 25 are exactly the same verse in those days. It was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes, so rather than a land of milk and honey, they find themselves in a state of Anarchy note. Also that, at this point, in the story, we have the names of every character that will appear in the Book of Ruth with the exception of one, every player in the story has now, been named Except for Boaz. Elimelech, in the two sons die. They leave Naomi and moabite daughter-in-law's to their own devices. And by the end of the chapter over disappears, and only Ruth and Naomi are left to return to Bethlehem in Chapter 2, we see the beginning of the barley Harvest, it's a a message to us at things are now different. The famine from chapter one, has been replaced with a Bountiful Harvest. We're introduced the bow as a man of noble character, and as we find out the family Redeemer, he notices Ruthie makes provision for roof to gather in his field. He doesn't just do that, cuz he's a nice guy again. Its fulfillment of the law. Leviticus 19. 9 says, when you reap the Harvest of the lane, you shall not reap the field right to at the edges. Neither shall you? Gather the gleaning after your Harvest? At the end of verse 10 it says you leave those for the poor and for the Sojourner Deuteronomy 24 years of similar command in at the end it says it shall be for the Sojourner, the fatherless and the Widow. So we see God's big plan for protection of his people. Protection of the poor built into the agricultural system of the day. But again, chapter one has its basis in the Law. Chapter 2 has its basis in the Law chapter 3. March the turn from grieving Widow to potential bride Ruth. Stop dressing like a widow and starts dressing like someone who's available for courtship, she changes her clothes. She goes with me to Boaz out in the field, Boaz, two players Rutha a woman of noble character. The second time, somebody in the story has been claimed as Noble in their character Boaz first roof second, he tells her that he will redeem her. The next day that brings us to the edge of Ruth chapter 4. And I will tell you that, when Jim and I very first talked about this Pastor, Jim called, I thought, of myself. I thought to myself, man. This is like you ever watched any old film Noir and Sherlock, Holmes, movies and whatnot. All those things. But all through the movie, The Empty introduced all the different characters who might have committed the crime, right? And then at the end, the detective stands in the Parlor and he collects up all of the characters he goes to the mall and then he points to the guilty party. And that's really what I get to do. Right? Is to collect to go through the characters now and two point, all of the, all of the things that God has done it all comes together. Noticed, how up till now, not just the narrowing focus on the primary players in the story. But also, the constant prominence that the law takes a little X. An illustration of the people who had gone their own way. Who done what was right in their own eyes could sort out their own Solutions. Boaz is a man who reveres the law and his character reflects his Delight. Presumably, there's been a Revival in Israel and now the fields the Barns and the hearts are full. You'll also notice as has been said, all through the Old Testament, that Boaz is becoming like who he worships. His character is starting to reveal God's character. Why is that? Because the wall refills God's character. His obedience to the law is revealing God's very heart and so he is beginning to be like what he worships just as elimelech was like What He worshipped his own wisdom, his own thoughts, and the things that made sense to him for the future. So we start the first few verses 1 through 6 with the unwilling Redeemer Boaz. It gone up to the gates at down there and behold the Redeemer of hubo as its spoken came by. So Bo I said turn aside friends, sit down here and he turned aside to him. Boaz is determined to put an end to this situation is going to settle this matter once and for all. So we gathered at the gate which was the place of the elders, it was the seat of government for the town and two terms come up. He says, behold the term really is suddenly or by surprise the Redeemer shows up. There's no question that Boaz knows. This guy. The relatives, they're related, they live in a relatively small town, but notice he does not use his name, know where does this guy's name a instead? What he says is true, decide friend and sit here and friends, not a sign of intimacy there, two words to Hebrew words, put together that normally men who ever such and such. It's it's, it's an odd term. But we went out for dinner Friday night in the waitress kept calling us friends. And when she first, did I thought to myself? I don't know you were friends but it's just a casual kind of greeting term and really you could have translated the verse that Boaz says, hey man. Come and sit over here. Again the primary character in the story has a name but the guy with the highest standing as a redeemer does not and his anonymity adds to the focus of the story, were forced to focus on Boaz is no question again that but was due his name. But this guy is not going to have any part in the moving ahead of the kingdom of God, his name will never be remembered. In fact, we will talk about him as a friend or so and so are. Hey, buddy. But he has no place in the story. And he took ten men of the Elders of the city and said, sit down here. And so they sat down, 10 men, 10 Jewish men were required to create a synagogue, if a town had less than 10 Jewish men. They had no synagogue, which is why when Paul and Philippians goes to Phillipi, he has to go to the river. To find some Jews who are praying cuz there's not enough guys to start a synagogue. Hear the 10 Elders come and they are going to hold Court. They're going to going to rule on the situation here, to Boaz calls them to conference first three. Then he said to the anonymous, Redeemer Naomi who has come back from the country of Moab selling a parcel of land that belonged to a relative elimelech. So I thought I would tell you about it and say buy it in the presence of those sitting here in the presence of the Elders of my people and if you will redeem it repayment. But if you will not tell me that, I may know for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you boaz's, tell him. You have the purse first, call on this Redemption. You're the, you are the one of highest standing. And so he says I will redeem it. And then Boaz says the day you buy the, the field from the hand of Naomi, you also get Ruth the moabite, the Widow of the Dead in order to perpetuate the name of the Dead In The Inheritance. So, the tension is building now, Boaz news that this man is standing between him and Ruth between him and where he Wants to beat. And so he lays out the case that elimelech sland has to be Redeemed by a family member, according to Leviticus, 25 Naomi is part of the package. And by the way, he'd also have to marry Ruth Ruth and raise the descendants of her marriage to him, for the name of the Dead, for the name of her dead. Husband to perpetuate the family line. As a result, all of his inheritance would have to be shared with the children. He has with Ruth. At this point, though, it's probably felt like I did watching those little bubbles on the text, right, so he says to the to the guy, here's what's going to happen. Now he's waiting. The bubbles are going by at the bottom of the text. What's going to be the answer for from the Redeemer first? Then, the Redeemer said, give her sex. Sorry, then the Redeemer said, I cannot redeem it for myself. Less. I a my own inheritance take by, right of redemption yourself or I cannot redeem it. I can only imagine it at this moment. Boaz is thrilled. That's what he's been hoping for and now the way is open for him to marry Ruth with a clear conscience. Three things have to be necessary in order for someone to qualify as the kinsman. Redeemer Redeemer, the go. Well, he has to be a member of the family because the restoration is the restoration of God's promise of the inheritance of the land. He has to be able to pay the price. He has to have the the cash to buy the farm. The kinsman-redeemer also has to be willing to redeem. And here, we see a man who is not, he's not willing to put his status, as well as his family and his own inheritance at risk. And so, this Anonymous Redeemer chose to do what was right in his own eyes, rather than to fulfill his duty in the matter of redemption under the law. We know that this is the driving Point here because of we really start to just observe the text we find them in chapter 1. The word redeemed is really not appear in Chapter 2 in a one-time in chapter 3 in a 6 x by chapter 4, it appears 12 times the author is causing us to focus Pastor. Jim it mentioned early in our study that the way they accentuate things in Hebrew, they left! And you can't type in all capital letters, like you send emails when you trying to get somebody's attention. And I hate those things. By the way, you can't type in capital letters. What you do is you repeat the word over and over again until 12 times in chapter 4, we see the idea of redemption appear until the author. Keeps reminding us that this story is not about a widow, it's not a matter of good man who helps out, ultimately it's a story about Redemption and on the heels of judges and reminds us that the wall alone can only identify sin and dry. I was to that Redeemer. Next thing we see is the the undeterred redeem? We saw the unwilling read a while. Now, the redeemers undeterred verse 7 now this was the custom in former times and Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging to confirm the transaction, the ones your office and all and gave it to the other. And this was the manner of a testing in Israel. So when the Redeemer said, the Boaz buy it for yourself, he drew off his sandal and for some reason, every time I read that I've always had this vision of my mind of the of the guy slapping Boaz with the sandal. I don't know why it's not in there. I don't think it's any part of the scripture and you should not ever repeat that anywhere outside this room but I can never get the idea out of my mind that he takes off his shoe and wax Boaz with it does. I don't know why Benbow asset to the elders into all the people with the sandals. You are witnessing this day that I bought from the hand of Naomi all the belong to elimelech and all that belong to Sierra Leone and metal on Andrew also Ruth. The moabite. Just a little bell on and I have bought to be my wife to perpetuate the name of the Dead in. Is inheritance that the name of the Dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the Gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day and every time I read that, I am reminded that God promised these people and enduring inheritance of the land. He promised them that their name would never be cut off from the land. He divided up the land by tribe so that everybody had their home, everybody had a piece of the promised land and exactly what is happening. Here is the Fulfillment of God's promise worked out through this story. Worked out through Ruth the moabite. Us through the hand of Boaz through God's, providential circumstance, engineering to get this all together, I used to have a friend that they called God's work in things like the circumstances engineering, and that's a term coined by Oswald. Chambers wrote a devotional, some years back called My Utmost For His Highest and he calls got a Circumstance. The engineer guy works behind the scenes to bring about what he'd bring about. And that's exactly what we see here. So, don't last calls the elders, and they witness the transaction, and he outlines his compliance with the details of the law. The redeeming of the land itself, the Redeeming, the names, the redeeming, The Inheritance, as part of the promise of the land verse 11, and all the people were at the Gate of the Elder said we Are Witnesses. They have cleared, the declare their agreements. What was going to happen here? And that reminds me of the time that the Jews were leave, going to the promised land and God has the half the tribes Cinema 8 ball have to try to stand on Mount gerizim with the Levites in the middle and they read Deuteronomy, 27 and 28, they read the curses in the blessings and they reply back, we'll do that amen. We agree with the curses, we agree with the blessings, same things happening here, the elders are saying we agreed. We have firm that this should happen. The people pronounce been a three-part blessing on Ruth and Boaz may. The Lord make the woman who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. First thing that they say, is that God would make them Ruth the marriage of Ruth and Boaz like the marriage of two, Rachel and Thalia to get Rachel and Leah. These two, along with their handmade gave birth, to the 12, sons of Jacob, and that's built up the house of Israel. May you be word lie but you act where the lie and Africa and be renowned in Bethlehem they called Boaz to acting weirdly again, sing to him to choose a Boaz & Ruth that his name would be remembered in Bethlehem. Notice that the blessing is that your name will be remembered in the midst of a story where the other redeemer is anonymous. Where everybody else in the story is Anonymous in context to the mini nameless character. So far, his notable name and character will be remembered and thirdly, that you met that, and your and may your house, be like the house with Perez, who Tamar board into two, because the offspring that the lord gave you by this young woman, Genesis chapter 38, outline system signal significant character flaws in the story. There people here that you look at and think how did, how did we get this stew? Why we getting this right away? We celebrating these guys. But then we'll reminder that God is working behind the scenes to bring about his Empty purposes. And so even though there are these significant character flaws and Judah and Tamar their offspring, Perez provides the blessing that God had promised to Judah. He said the conduit through which the promise to Judah will come to fruition the people of Bethlehem or from that tribe and they pray that the children of Ruth and Boaz would also continue in the line of Judah. And don't miss the fact that verse 11 verse 12 attribute the blessings to the Lord. In contrast to the fact that everybody else is working out, what's right? In their own eyes doing, what they think is right. Setting their own course here. They're asking a blessing according to God's will.

that it should be accomplished not in their strength or wisdom, but by the Divine hand of God,

Really jumps out of this. What we think about what happened to over by this time there's two moabite wives Ruth and Oprah one has gone off into the distance and and Faded from our memory and and probably most of us are most people who are familiar with the story of Ruth would have a hard time, remembering the other wife, Get Ruth take Centre stage again, there's a picture of Separation here. Some summer going their own way and some are going God's way. In the end of the book gives us the picture of the ultimate Redeemer. Bo ask took Ruth that she became his wife and he went into her in the lord, gave her conception and she bore a son, the story arrives, and it's High Point kind of the climax of the story. We go from Ruth the moabite to Ruth mr. Mrs. Boaz the woman introduce notice that the women in chapter 1 introduced. The events that are going to happen in Bethlehem. 1:19 in the woman said, is this Naomi? Now, the women are the bookends to the events that we've studied in Bethlehem when they arrived all through here. Now we're going to end with the same thing, a 14th, then the woman said to Naomi blessed, be the Lord, who is not let you this day without a redeemer and may his name be renowned and Israel. He shall be to you or restorer of life and nourish your four-year-old. A, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you. Who is more to you than seven sons has given birth to him. The very picture of this puts God at center, stage of the story from famine, to a son, who would carry on the family name and the inheritance. Then they only took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse and the women of the neighborhood. Gave him a name saying his son has been born to Naomi, they named him no bed and it was the father of Jesse, the father of David O. B means, literally, the one who serves, and he serves to preserve the line of elimelech and the family's land inheritance, Obed becomes the father of Jesse, the grandfather of David. So we start with a story that begins with. There is no king in Israel, to the lineage of the great King David. The greatest of the, the Israelite Kings and drives us to the big picture, the guy doesn't work establishing the Royal line of Israel by extension. The arrival of the king of kings. It's not just a story about David, it's not just a story about this family, it's a story about Jesus and how we get to Jesus. And how every generation from Genesis chapter one has pointed us to Jesus and that every generation from the gospel of Matthew through the Revelation that point us back to Jesus. Now these are the generations of Perez Perez father and his father and his grandfather g. G 5/2 minute ab minute that father Deshawn Deshawn, father Solomon Solomon father Boaz Boaz father do b o b father Jesse and Jesse father David I feel Vindicated when I read this because the author didn't pick up from where he was, he backed up a little bit and then we move forward as back a little. And then he comes for Genesis, 49 tells us why it's significant. the genealogy links, David back to Judah via Perez, Judah, your brother shall praise you. Your hand shall be in the neck of your enemies. Your Father's son shall bow down before you. The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler staff from between his feet until tribute comes to him and to him shall be The Obedience of the people. It was a promise of an enduring Dynasty and an enduring dominion over the land, they would always have a possession of the land and they would always have a king to sit on David's throne.

The list of ten descendants from president to David is almost the same as that. What appears in Matthew chapter 1, Matthew adds Tamar Rahab and roof but the genealogy Finds Its ultimate climax in the coming of Jesus. The final King. So by the time we get here, Naomi Boaz & Ruth have faded from sight. They're not the heroes in the story. The Coming of the Messiah is the focus and the hero of the Book of Ruth. And if we missed that point than Ruth becomes really, just a love story, really, just a story of some circumstances that worked out, and how awesome that was for their circumstances. Put in place from the first day of creation that the Arc of redemption, might be demonstrated through the Old Testament from the fall to the crushing of of the nation, to the birth of Jesus, to his substitutionary, atonement to his rising, from the dead to the eventual Reclamation of all of creation. The story ends with a total reversal from chapter 1. The deaths of sons and husbands are reversed. As Ruth is married again and gives birth to a son. And so the conclusion with a genealogy shows, how Boaz & Ruth Sun obit, was the grandfather of King David. Now, all of a sudden events are woven into God's Grand Story of redemption. The small Story of Ruth is taking up in the larger story of God's purpose. Notice the extravagance of redemption here. God brings restoration where they were sending Rebellion famine and death give way to abundance and life. The short story gives us a glimpse of the grand Plan of Redemption. God's Eternal Sovereign plan to save Humanity, from sin and death through Jesus spanning from creation to Eternity. It's a snapshot of the gospel and it's a shadow of the Fulfillment of the abrahamic. Covenant. You notice in Genesis chapter 12, the Lord said to Abram go from your country and your Kindred and your father's house to a land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and him who dishonors you, I will curse you and in you all the families of the Earth shall be blessed. It's a story of God's has said his Covenant final perfect love, but notice the promise to Abraham all the families of Earth shall be blessed. It's multi-generational multi-ethnic multinational, promise for God to redeem. All the people of the world. Through his son, gets a story that expands beyond the roof beyond the borders of Bethlehem Beyond, Moab beyond the Egypt, to all time to all places.

Our story of redemption is likewise in view, the fusions chapter 1 in him. We have Redemption through the blood, the Forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished Upon Us in all wisdom and all Insight. So Jesus becomes a man So he could be related to us. He becomes our kinsman redeemer as a human and because he's able to pay because he's human and stands in that place a kinsman redeemer, he's able to pay the price of his own blood and he's willing to do. So he voluntarily gives up his own life. Philippians chapter 2 is one of my favorite portions of scripture because it gives us the the the picture of exactly what's Happening Here. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. Who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God. A thing to be grasped but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men. He's our blood relative and being found in human form. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. He's willing to suffer on our behalf. Therefore God has highly exalted him, bestowed on him, the name above every name, so that the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth. Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the father. This morning do not leave this room without knowing for certain that you have a redeemer. Don't leave this room without knowing that she's a ready, willing and able to rescue you from the Famine of the Fallen World and provide for you a place at the marriage, supper of the Lamb Revelation 19, I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude. Like the Roar of many Waters, like the sound of Mighty peals of Thunder crying out. Hallelujah for the Lord, Our God Almighty Reigns. Let us rejoice and exalt and give him the glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come and the bride has made herself ready. The light in Christ, put your faith in him. Again, if you have questions or doubts, do not leave today without talking to Pastor Jim or the elders to me. But don't leave today thinking. The Boaz Ruth I want to be like Ruth. I want to be like Bo has no, we want to put our trust of Faith or Delight in Jesus himself, and none other Let me pray and then we'll go buy the, We Praise You for Your Majesty For Your Glory, for your Holiness, for your Perfection, by the. We thank you that from the very moment of creation. You had put in place the Arc of redemption and it runs straight through roof but it runs straight to us. So I pray that you call us as you called Ruth that you call us out of the land of famine and into the the rest that you provide for us and father, we thank you for your love and your care. For your Consul provision and for your headset over us. Father, I pray this morning that you bless our time as we we had think about these things. In this we sing your praise. We pray in Jesus name, amen.