Pictures of Christ in Ruth
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Adam- introduce the perfect Adam
Noah- Christ is our savior, He is our ship
Abraham- God calls us to step out in faith
Joseph- bad things happen to good people but we can still be content because of Christ
Moses- Through Christ we can control our emotions and glorify Him
Joshua- We can cling to Christ’s promises and make right choices
Deborah- was a leader when no one else would be, we can be too through Christ
Gideon- God gives us strength to lead
Who are we going to talk about next?
Ruth!
Context of Genesis to ruth now
Fun facts about ruth:
Takes place during the time of the judges
She was a Moabite, which was Israel’s enemy
Ruth chose to stay with Naomi during her time of need
Boaz did not pursue ruth at first
Boaz was not first in line to marry Ruth
Ruth had a son named obed, who had a son named jessie, who had a son named david. So she is an ancestor of Christ
Her name means “friend”
Creation, flood, God’s promise to abraham, moses and egypt, moses and wandering, Joshua leads, time of judges, last judge gideon, then this story takes place during the times of the judges.
And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
Context:
There was a man named Elimilech, and his wife Naomi. They had two sons and they had wives, Ruth and Orpah. Elimilech and his sons die, Orpah leaves, Naomi goes back to their home town of Bethlehem and Ruth goes with her.
So they go back to Bethlehem and most everybody is struggling. So Ruth would go and glean from the barley fields.
**talk about plots of land were square and their shears were round so there was always some left over in the corners.
Ruth ends up gleaning in the fields of a man named Boaz who happened to be a relative of her late husband, thats an important fact so remember that.
1. Ruth followed (1:16)
1. Ruth followed (1:16)
**sheep follow, have to be led illustration; talk about herding deer in deer chute vs sheep
So Ruth here was willing to forsake her old life and leave behind the world and culture she was used to in order to be with Naomi.
Ruth was a moabite, she could have stayed and gone back to her own family, her old culture, her old food, her old gods. Ruth knew that following Naomi, meant sacrificing everything else.
preach it
Naomi actually told Ruth and Orpah to leave her and to not stay with her. Orpah left but Ruth followed her. So since Naomi basically told them to leave her alone, we can assume she wasn’t one of the nicest or most personable people in the world. Here’s the thing, Ruth did not stay with her because of what she had done, right? Ruth didn’t stay with Naomi because Naomi was nice to her or provided for her or wanted her. Ruth didn’t stay because of what Naomi did, Ruth stayed because of who Naomi was. Naomi was her mother in law, her authority.
explain
we dont love God for what hes done, but for who he is
explain.
So Ruth left her old world behind, to follow the new life that was before her.
The Bible has a lot to say about leaving your old self behind and focusing on Christ
And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Remember ye not the former things,
Neither consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing;
Now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness,
And rivers in the desert.
The beast of the field shall honour me,
The dragons and the owls:
Because I give waters in the wilderness,
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to my people, my chosen.
This people have I formed for myself;
They shall shew forth my praise.
If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
So from Ephesians 4 basically through the end of the book, it gives this long list of things to do. Basically stop sinning against God and start serving Him. But how?
In the previous chapter before it gives the list of things to do, it gives us the how
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
It is by faith, that Christ works in me and lives through me that I am able to forget my old life and reach forth to my new life. It is belief. Belief that Christ can and will work in me and through me.
Did I leave my old life behind when I decided to follow Christ?
Do I ever return to my old life?
explain
Do I follow Christ because of what He can do for me, or simply because of who He is?
2. Boaz blessed (2:8-9)
2. Boaz blessed (2:8-9)
Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.
And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.
So Boaz tells Ruth stay in my fields take as much barley as you want, if you get thirsty ask some of my guys for water, and he tells his workers to let extra barley fall of their wagon so she can gather even more. And so she had plenty of barley for her and Naomi.
Because of Ruth’s faithfulness to her mother in law, she was blessed with more than enough food for the both of them.
Not only was she blessed with plenty of food, but she was blessed with a husband. We all know the rest of the story right. Ruth and Boaz end up spending more time together, they realize that he is related to her late husband, so by jewish law he actually can marry her. So because of her faithfulness, she was blessed with a wonderful man of God to marry.
Differences between a christian guy and a man of God:
A christian guy might say that he loves you and loves God, but a man of God will love God more than you.
A christian guy might text you bible verses, but a man of god will live out those bible verses and have them written on his heart.
A christian guy might wear a cross around his neck, but a man of God picks up and carries his cross daily.
A christian guy might accidentally compromise your purity, but a man of God will never put you in a situation with that possibility.
A christian guy might have beauty on the outside but a man of God will have spiritual beauty in his heart.
Girls: Am I faithful in my responsibilities like Naomi, to where I will be blessed with a S/O like Boaz?
Guys, are you living up to the Boaz standard.
3. They were united (4:13)
3. They were united (4:13)
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife:
Finally after all the heartache that Ruth had gone through in her life, she was able to marry the man of her dreams.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
The church is the bride of Christ, and one day we will be united with our groom.
There are two stages in a jewish marriage. There is first the betrothal period. This is when the man pays for his bride and then goes and builds a home for her. While he is away for a period of time, she prepares herself and takes a cermonial bath that cleanses her. There is not a set date of when the groom will return to get his bride, so she has to be ready constantly. Taking a bath everyday just in case today was the day, and getting ready for her wedding everyday just in case today was the day he’d come back. Finally, when the groom would return for her, he would announce his arrival with a trumpet and ride in on a donkey to pick up his wife, hoping she would be ready.
The second stage is the actual ceremony and they would then have the marriage ceremony that day.
Christ payed the debt for our sins and bought us, just like the jewish groom. We belong to Him.
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
When Jesus ascended he told us he was going to prepare a home for us, just like the jewish groom.
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Christians, as the bride, need to constantly be ready for his return, cleansing ourselves by repenting from sin.
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Christ will announce his coming with a trumpet sound.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
He will arrive on a noble steed
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
And finally then we will be united with our groom
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
Am I living like a bride should, prepared to be united with my groom?
Am I living like a Christian should, prepared to be united with Christ?