Sermon Tone Analysis

Christmas Eve Offering - IMB - People in SE Asia need to know the Gospel.

Ended 3 on a cliffhanger, would Ruth actually be Redeemed so she may find the rest Naomi is wanting for her?

Boaz goes to the gate.

Mr. so and so - a man without a name.

Elders of the town - time to do business.

Mr. so and so is in - I’ll redeem it, make some money off it, then in the year of jubilee, it’ll go back to the family.

This is how it worked:

• When an Israelite family became very poor and had to sell their land to survive, the nearest male relative (the kinsman-redeemer) had the responsibility of rescuing them from poverty by buying their land back and restoring it to the family.

This was called redemption of property (Leviticus 25:23–34).

• If they’d become so poor that they’d had to sell themselves into slavery, a rich relative had to rescue them by buying their freedom.

This, too, was redemption (Leviticus 25:47–55).

• Finally, if a man died leaving his widow without children (the situation Ruth and Naomi have found themselves in), their nearest male relative had to step in and marry his widow and enable her to have children, so they could inherit their father’s property and keep it in the family—a third kind of redemption.

Redemption was always part of God’s plan for his people.

So the covenantal faithfulness of God was shown throughout generations despite any circumstances that come their way.

But redemption always costs something.

Mr. so and so thought the cost would be minimal and ultimately beneficial so he said, he would do it but then Boaz drops the bomb on what the cost will actually be,

The cost is too high, it’ll effect me long term, I cannot do it.

So Boaz redeems it all by removing his sandal in the sight of the town elders and the members of the town.

Then the town blesses Boaz and prays that God will make Ruth like the original mothers of the covenant people and specifically the line of Judah.

Ruth is now recognized as the covenant people of God, she has come under the shadow of God’s wings, she will have rest.

1. Redemption is always needed for the helpless.

Ruth and Naomi were helpless just like you and I, both were in need of redemption.

Millions of golfers know the name of Harvey Penick.

His first book, Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book, became a surprising best-seller, selling more than 1 million copies in 1992, quickly earning the title of the best-selling sports book of all time.

But by the time Penick even showed his notes – the genesis for his book – to a local writer, he was nearly 90 years old.

Penick wanted to know if the book was worth publishing.

The writer read it, and told him he liked the book.

In fact, by the next evening, the same man left word with Penick’s wife that Simon & Schuster had agreed to an advance of $90,000.

When the writer saw Penick later, the old man seemed troubled.

Finally, Penick came clean.

With all his medical bills, he said, there was no way he could advance Simon & Schuster that much money.

It took a while, but finally the writer convinced Penick that the publisher would pay him the $90,000 . . .

not the other way around!

2. Redemption is always an act of grace.

Boaz was under no pressure to redeem.

He could have said no like mr. so and so, but he didn’t.

Jesus was under no obligation to redeem sinner, He chose to.

“Grace is God loving, God stooping, God coming to the rescue, God giving himself generously in and through Jesus Christ.” - John Stott

3. Redemption always costs the redeemer.

GOSPEL

4. Redemption always secures a future.