Part 12: Mr. Such-A-One, the Great Loser
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Last week, we looked at the first four verses of chapter 4.
We found out that Boaz is ready to redeem Ruth, but there’s a major problem, there was a kinsman nearer than Boaz,
12 And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
So Boaz being the man of character as he was, talked to the nearer kinsman,
1 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
After Boaz explains the situation to Mr. Such-A-One, the nearer kinsman tells Boaz in verse 4, “…I will redeem it.”
Remember that I mentioned last week that Mr. Such-A-One is a type of the Law.
The Law has never saved anyone, it cannot save anyone. The Law serves to point us to Jesus Christ.
And that right there is what we see in our text tonight.
Whoever does the redeeming is going to get two things:
The redeemer will get the Land and the Lady - Ruth!
I want to focus tonight on Mr. Such-A-One, the Great Loser…Let’s begin by looking at:
The Small Details
The Small Details
Look at:
5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
The nearer kinsman obviously had money and was willing to pay the payment for the land, but but now informs Mr. such a one that there was a bit more to the proposal.
It’s like Boaz is saying, “ I forgot to tell you that there is in connection with this property, a little hurdle that you’ll have to get over. You see, there is now a woman by the name of Ruth. She’s a Moabitess, and she’s connected with the property because she happened to marry a son of Elimelech. And now that both he and Elimelech are dead, she’ll be the one to inherit this land. So the day that you redeem this property, you’ve also got to redeem this woman; that is, you’ll have to step in and marry Ruth, because she’s tied to this property.”
Boaz was very keen in telling the near Kinsman that not only was he in line to redeem the property and the person, but he informed Mr. such a one that Ruth was not merely a widow, but that she was a Moabite.
This is very interesting because this very tiny bit of information was enough to make the near Kinsman cringe.
Right here is the application in all of this. There is one tiny detail that stands in every man's way, and that small detail is simply this. We are all sinners. Ever since the day of Adam and Eve sinned, every man and woman that has been born is a sinner. We are sinners by birth and there's not one thing any of us can do about it.
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
This one minor detail is what stands between us and the Lord. Ruth could not help that she had been born in Moab, but because of her being born in Moab and because of her being married to Mahlon, she was in line for redemption.
In the same way, you and I had no choice and being sinners, we were born sinners, but because we are kin to Adam, that places us in line to be redeemed. We don't deserve to be redeemed, but because of the love of God for sinful man, we have been placed in line to be redeemed.
Here's something to think about, Boaz is simply laying out the plain truth about Ruth and her Moabitess heritage. One of the things that mankind has to do before being redeemed, or saved, is to realize that we need redemption, or need saving. It's often been said by many preachers that a man's got to get lost before he can get found.
Now that we’ve looked at the small details, let’s look at:
THE SUDDEN DENIAL
THE SUDDEN DENIAL
6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.
The second that Mr. such a one realizes that there is more to this than just redeeming a piece of property, he quickly tells Boaz that it is not possible for him to make this transaction.
The lesson right here is that Mr. such a one wanted the property but he did not want the responsibility.
To marry a gentle girl could be a problem.
Mr. such a one says in verse number six that it would mire his own inheritance.
He wanted the land, but he didn't want the lady.
He wanted the property, but not the person.
He wanted the field, but not the female.
Simply put, he was not willing to share his own inheritance with her.
This was more than merely not redeeming the land or redeeming the person though: he did not love Ruth and he was not willing to marry her.
Ultimately he said these four words very clearly and firmly, "I cannot redeem it!”
We are all products of Adam, he is ultimately our father, he was a sinner and we were born as sinners.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
The Old Testament law was merely a revealer of sin, but Jesus was a redeemer of sinners!
The near Kinsman was a symbol of the law and the law was not able to redeem us.
The law could never save us; it was only given to point out our "Moabitess heritage.”
The Moabites were banned from the house of God and because of our sin; we were separated from God and for bidden into his presence.
The law could only clarify that we are sinners and when it came time to redeem us, its answer was this, "I cannot redeem them!”
Aren't you thankful tonight to God that there is one that loved us and was willing to redeem us!
We know from the book of Matthew that marrying Ruth would have put the redeemer in line with the genealogy of Christ.
Boaz got the blessing and Mr. such a one didn’t.
Mr. such a one sold out, and he sold out real cheap.
It's the same thing that Esau did when he sold his birthright. It knocked him out of line with Christ.
Esau should have been the ancestor of Christ, instead we find him being the ancestor of King Herod, the man who murdered all the boys two years and under in an attempt to kill Christ.
This right here reveals the selfishness of Mr. such a one.
Here's the thing. Because of pride, and because of selfishness, it's the same way in the day that you and I live in.
Jesus is being sold out mighty cheap, and those who sell him out, just like Mr. such a one, just like Esau, become great losers.
So my question to you is are you selling him out? If so, what for?
I wanna mention four things tonight that people sell him out for:
Some sell Him out for people
Some sell Him out for people
Mr. such a one wanted this piece of land, but Ruth and Naomi stood in his way.
A lot of people don't get saved because they allow other people to stand in their way.
Some people are more concerned about what people will say instead of what God will say.
What person is it in your life that is hindering you from coming to Christ?
Some sell Him out for prosperity
Some sell Him out for prosperity
Mr. such a one was more interested in his inheritance and his riches than he was a bride.
Don't allow riches, or other material things to keep you from Christ.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Some sell Him out for pleasure
Some sell Him out for pleasure
Mr. such a one had anything he wanted, he was a rich man. He was just seeing an opportunity here to add on to his wealth.
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
The Bible tells us that sin has a short season, you will have made a very bad deal if you sell out for pleasure.
Some sell Him out for pride
Some sell Him out for pride
I see a lot of pride in Mr. such a one in verses five and six.
To redeem a little gentle Moabitess girl would go against his pride, and he would not do it.
Ruth was a heathen from Moab, to redeem someone like this would certainly go against his pride.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
What kind of pride is it in your life that is keeping you from the heavenly Boaz tonight?
Hell is full of people that would not swallow their pride.
Solomon said that pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.