Thy great salvation perfectly
restored in Thee, Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven
we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost
in wonder, love, and praise. Go back to the book of Ruth now
with me. Truly this is my favorite Old
Testament story. The type of Christ's redeeming
love and grace. For those of you who know this
story, you know that Ruth is not the principal character in
the story. The translators are the ones
who put that title at the top of this page, the book of Ruth. It should rightly be named the
book of Boaz. Boaz is the principal character
in this story. Ruth was just a poor, heathen
widow, like so many others, whom a great man named Boaz, in and
love, looked upon her, found her, called her, and redeemed
her out of all her troubles. Boaz. This is the story of the
kinsman-redeemer of Ruth and Naomi. He is the principal character,
Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer, and he represents, this man named
Boaz, represents the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the great kinsman. the great Redeemer of his people. This is a love story. I changed
the title, Brother Sam. It's not a great love story. It's the great love story. The
greatest love story ever told. A poor woman. This is a rags-to-riches
story. This is my story. This is my song. The story begins with a man named
Elimelech. You read it with me, chapter
1. A man named Elimelech, a Jew, who in the time of famine took
his wife Naomi, this man was somewhat wealthy, took his wife
Naomi and two sons into the country of Moab, because Bethlehem Judah,
where he was from, was in a time of famine. Well, these two, the
man died, Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died. And the two sons
of Elimelech and Naomi, they married two Moabite women. Moab
is a place, heathen people, they didn't know the God of Israel,
the God of the Bible. Heathen, they worshipped idols.
But these two young men married these two Moabite girls, Orpah
and Ruth. Well, they died. Those two sons
died, Marlon and Shalion. And now it's just Ruth and Naomi
and Orpah. Naomi and her two daughters-in-law. They're poor and destitute. Women
back then were nothing. They had nothing. Naomi heard that there was bread
in Bethlehem, her old home place. She heard that the Lord had blessed
her people with food there. She decided to go back to Bethlehem,
Judah, to her people and her country. Well, the two daughters-in-law
said, We'll go too. Both said, We'll go too. on the ways, decided not to.
Orpah. She left. Verse 15 says that
she went back to her people and her gods, back to her idols. It looked like she was going
with her, but she didn't. She went back to her old ways,
her gods. Naomi's god wasn't her god. Why did Ruth decide to go? God,
in sovereign mercy and grace, according to his purpose concerning
Ruth, made her willing in the day of his power, made her willing
to go back. She wouldn't have had not God
made her willing. And those blessed verses, verse
16 and 17, While they are wonderful, that
is not the theme of this book. But it is wonderful. Verse 16,
Ruth said, And treat me not to leave thee, or return from following
after thee. Whither thou go, I will go. Where
thou lodge, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people,
thy God my God. And where thou die, I will die.
There I will be buried, and the Lord do so to me. If anything
but death separates us. That's a wonderful testimony,
yes it is. But it gets better, the whole
story. All right, these two poor ridders
left. They're coming into Bethlehem, Naomi and Ruth. They're coming
into Bethlehem. Now Naomi left a rich woman,
a well-to-do woman. She said, I was four when I left
here. Nice clothing, a wagonload of all her household possessions. A husband in good shape, smiling,
leaving, but she's coming back different. She's coming back
on foot and in rags. She's got somebody with her,
Ruth. That's all that's left for her. She comes back into town, poor,
on foot, alone, sorrowful, sad, a beggar. Now, she's now a beggar. She left four, she came home
empty. She left somebody, she's coming
back nobody. And it says the whole town, verse
19, the whole city of Bethlehem was moved. They were grieved. They couldn't believe. They recognized her, faintly
recognized her. And they said, is this Naomi? Is this Naomi? And it was the beginning. Verse
22 says it was the beginning of the barley harvest. Well,
this represents, this whole first chapter represents the fall of
mankind. Adam created in the image of
God. Adam, holy, in the image of God,
had everything. Did he not? But Adam sinned against
God, rebelled against God. Adam fell. All of mankind fell in Adam.
All died in Adam. And now man by nature is a beggar. Man by nature is in rags. Man by nature has nothing. He lost the way to God. He lost
communion with God. He lost the character of God.
He's a nothing and a nobody now. He used to be called a prince
with God, son of God. Mankind. And you have to look
at mankind now. Look all around you at mankind
and you will say, is this man the way God created him? Go into a nursing home. You want to see what mankind
comes to. Every one of us, if we live long
enough, will reach this point. Go into a nursing home and look
at people. Once strong and robust, clear
eyes, mind, bowed down literally, curled up, drooling, you'd see. And you have to say, is this
man, is this the way God purposed man to be? Man fell in the beginning, Adam,
all that. We did too. We did that. But this is just the beginning. Just the beginning. It seemed
real bad, didn't it? Oh, it seemed awful, this whole
story. Naomi said, God's been against me. Everything's gone
against me. Now I'm bitter. Naomi, it's all
for you. It's all working God's purpose.
Now look at chapter 2, verse 1. At the end of this horrible,
this sad picture, here are these two beggars come walking into
town. Two poor, widowed women, nothings
and nobodies, don't even faintly resemble what they once were,
come into town on foot, lonely, destitute beggars. Verse 1 of
chapter 2 says, But Naomi had a kinsman. It looks real bad for Naomi,
doesn't it? Ah, but Naomi has a kinsman, a relative. He's a man of her husband's kindred. Look at verse 1. A mighty man
of wealth, of the family of a limble egg. His name was, now remember
his name, Boaz. Boaz. Now, back in these days, if a
person became debt-ridden, if they got deep in debt, if they
became poor, if they lost all their earthly possessions some
way or another, lost everything they had, if they had a close
relative, a kinsman, that's where southerners get that old saying,
kin. He's my kin. Well, that's not
mountain, that's Bible. Kinsman. You tell Yankees that. If you know your Bible, it's
not slang, it's Bible. Kin. Back then, if they had a
kinsman, a near relative, who was able to buy back everything
they lost, and willing. He had to be willing. He didn't
have to buy back everything. He had to have the means, the
ability to do so. He had to be a mighty man of
wealth to buy back everything, to get you out of debt. But he
had to be willing to do it, too. He didn't have to. It would be
of his mercy and his grace and his goodness if he would get
you out of debt. Well, if you had somebody like
that, wouldn't it be wonderful? Now, he could redeem, he could
buy back all that was lost. That's the kinsman, the one who
had the right to redeem, the scripture said, the right to
redeem. Well, Naomi had a kinsman, the
Lamelech's relative. As I told you, in Adam all died,
all was lost. Character of God, holiness, righteousness,
fellowship, the way to God. God took Adam out of the garden
and said, know the way until I reveal it to you. Fellowship
with God was lost, but some of the sons of Adam, some, yes,
some, not all, but some, few, are chosen by God's sovereign
mercy and grace, thank God. There are some of these sons
of Adam who have a kinsman, a relative, a close relative. The second
Adam, The Lord from heaven became a man, took not on himself the
nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham. He became a man. So in that sense, he's our relative.
Became flesh, the Word was made flesh, made of a woman, made
under the law to do what? To redeem them that were under
the law. Not all of them, though, but
his chosen ones. Chapter 2 verse 1 says that Boaz
was a mighty man of wealth. Stay with me now. Come on. Come
on. Are you with me? He was a mighty
man of wealth. Boaz was able to redeem Naomi
and Ruth. Or however many he decided. But is he willing? Is Boaz willing? What's he need with Naomi? What's
he need with Ruth? This man can have anybody he
wants to. He's got all he needs. What's
he need with them? Well, these two poor widows,
two poor hungry widows, he doesn't need them, but they
sure need him, don't they? Well, Naomi now, realizing the
strait they're in, says to Ruth, look at it, verse 2. Ruth the
Moabitess, she decided, said unto Naomi, she said, let me
now go to the field and glean ears of corn with whomever I
find grace. Whoever will let me glean ears,
or that is, Now back then, they didn't have welfare like we have.
You could sit and everybody would give you everything there was
to give you, and you didn't have to do anything for it. No. God's
means of welfare was that people could have all they needed, but
they'd have to go and pick it up. They'd have to do some work
for it. And in this case, it was you'd
go out in the field and you'd glean whatever was left in the
field. By law, the people were supposed
to leave something in the field. Whatever's left, the destitute
could pick it up and have it. It's God's law. Well, Ruth said,
let me go gleam wherever I, whoever will let me gleam in their fields.
So she went. Now, there are many fields in
Bethlehem. Do you know how many barley fields
are in Bethlehem? Do you know how many barley fields
are in Bethlehem? How many so-called church houses
are there all over this planet? There are fields in Bethlehem. She said, Let me go and try to
find a place where I can find something to eat. And Naomi said,
Go. Verse 3 says, She went and came
and gleaned in the field after the reapers. She came to a field
and didn't know whose field it was. Didn't know where she was. She started picking up corn in
her hat. Well, it just so happened that
she was in the field that belonged to Boris. Of all the fields in
Bethlehem she could have gone to blaze. She just happened.
Wasn't she lucky? No, this is God's sovereign purpose
and grace who ordered all things concerning Ruth to land in that
field that belonged to Boaz. And just wait till the end of
this story. She just so happened to lie in
that field, of all fields, the only place where she could find
redemption. The only place. Oh, and is it not so with every
one of God's people? God in his sovereign purpose
causes all of his people who were Moabites by nature, who
were heathen, not knowing God, not caring, but somehow or another
they become restless or whatever, or hungry, not knowing what they
need, where they want to go. And God Almighty in sovereign
purpose and power directs their steps, their path, the to the
only place where they can find true redemption. I mean a true-seeking
beggar, not self-righteous. The self-righteous have no interest
in this gospel, the gospel of Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer. But
beggars, those who realize they have nothing, are nothing, sinners,
helpless, poor and needy, David said. God Almighty is their help. They just happen to light on
the field, in the place, in the church, where God Almighty in
sovereign mercy and grace reveals unto them their blessed Boaz,
their only hope, the only one who has the right to redeem. Was it not so with you? Well,
here it comes. Verse 4, Behold, Boaz came. Here he comes. I can see him
now, Stephen. I believe he's riding a big white Charger. Or
a big noble steed. This noble man riding this noble
steed. Can't you see him now? Huh? Can
you see his bearing? His courage? Huh? Great man. A mighty man. Everybody knew
him. And oh, he was a good man, a
great man. Verse 4, he said to his reefers,
he blessed his reefers, he said, the Lord be with you. Oh, everybody
who was known by Boaz was blessed by Boaz. Everyone that served
Boaz was blessed by Boaz. Oh, God blessed those people
who made Boaz their master. And they said, oh, they loved
Boaz. They loved Boaz. And they said, the Lord bless
you, Boaz. This is our beloved Boaz. We
love him. We esteem him so highly. A great
man, a mighty man, a noble man. Oh, but there's a greater than
Boaz. Oh yeah, there's been a greater than Boaz. Have you seen him
coming? Behold, a greater than he. The
greatest, the mightiest, the noblest man, the God-man came
to this earth. The altogether lovely Son of
God, in whom are all the blessings of God. And if you're known by
Him, if you're known by the Lord Jesus Christ, you'll be blessed.
He'll bless you. He'll say, The Lord bless you.
And if you realize who He is, you know who He is, and you're
in His blessing, you'll say, The Lord bless you. You'll love
Him. You'll esteem Him highly. I think
the reapers there could be, well, not only the preachers, but the
angels of God, who announced his coming. Behold, here he is! The Lord is with y'all. God's
with you. Call his name Emmanuel, the great
Redeemer. Here he is. The Lord is with
you. Here he comes. Now, I told you
this is a love story. Greatest love story ever told.
I hope I can tell it. Greatest love story. You ladies
like a love story? Oh, this is the greatest one,
the greatest one ever written, because it's of the story of
stories, the story of Christ's love to his people, beggars though
they be. Well, verse 5 and 6, Boaz came,
and Boaz now has a conversation with his servant. Verse 5, Boaz
said unto his servant that was set over the reapers, he talks
to the man he put in charge of everything. And he says, now he looks. Now,
Nancy, you know how many beggars were in that field? A lot of
beggars. Women, young people, men, black
men. There were a lot of beggars.
And they all looked like beggars. There was nothing about any beggar
down there. There was nothing about Ruth
that would cause my ass to look on her and say, well that, now
that's a beggar I can use. Well what a beautiful beggar!
Oh, there's a beggar I can get something out of. Oh, there's
a beggar, I sure need to marry her. No sir. But Boaz, in kindness, in mercy,
in grace, in goodness, looked on Rome, in the sovereign purpose
of God Almighty, looked on that one beggar named Ruth. Well, she's getting lucky all
the time, isn't she? Oh no, the left is not so. Everything is according to purpose.
And he said to his reaper, the man in charge of his reaper,
the manager, the foreman, the boss, field boss, he said, who's
that? And the man said, there's six.
The servant said, it's the Moabitish damsel. He said, he's a woman. Come back, that beggar that wed
a woman. and heathen widow woman. Now, as I said, there were many
widows, but the great Boaz took note of her. Now, she, Ruth,
had asked—back then, people, they knew their place. A beggar
knew they were a beggar. They knew they had nothing coming
to that they were trespassers if they were caught on that property.
They had to ask permission. Would you forgive me my trespassing? Can I pick up a few crumbs to
eat? And if the man was kind, the
manager, he'd say, well, that's fine. Go ahead. I'll forgive
you your trespassing. Pick up all you need to eat.
And Ruth had said that. She'd been taught, now you're
going to have to ask to receive. And she asked, can I glean here
in this field? You came to the right field,
honey. Yeah, I'll let you glean all right. Verse 7, the field
boss is telling Boaz, she asked me, I pray you let me glean and
gather after the reapers among the sheaves. And so she came. And she's been here from morning
till night. She won't leave. Mr. Boaz, she's been here all day
long. She won't leave. She's hanging
around the house right now. That's who will find a Redeemer. He said, you seek me, you find
me when you search for me with all your heart. Ask like that importunate widow.
Keep asking. So she said, can I hang around? Oh, I've heard you hear a story,
some of you. I've heard you say, everyone
that comes to where the gospel is preached comes to hear this
message. They feel unworthy to be there.
I've had people actually ask me, is it okay if I come? Okay. I'm a beggar too. That's how
I was a beggar, too. Oh, you know what the gospel
is? You know what I'm doing? It's
one beggar telling other beggars where you can find food. So Boaz looks upon her, and the
field boss tells him all about her. Well, verse 8 and 9, then
Boaz personally, look at this, Boaz personally approached Ruth. gets off his horse, I believe,
and comes walking up. Ruth's hanging around the house.
She doesn't want to leave. It's a good place to be. Boaz
said to Ruth, verse 8, Listen to me, my daughter. Listen now. He said, Now go and don't go
to another field. You reckon, though, Boaz, Does he know what he's doing
here? Do you think he knows what he's
going to do when this whole thing started? Oh, yeah. He knows all the backroom. She
doesn't know him. Hannah, she doesn't know him.
He knows her. He came walking up to her. He
knew what he was going to do when this whole thing started.
He knew he was going to redeem her. She doesn't know him. She
doesn't know it. She doesn't know him. She doesn't
know him. She's in his field and doesn't
know it. The only one that can help her and doesn't know it.
But he comes to her and says, now don't you leave here. You
stay right here. You stay right here. Don't go to
another place. You abide fast. Except you abide right here.
You'll not find what you're looking for. You abide fat. Verse 9, he says, let your eyes
be on the field that they do eat. Go after them. Follow these others that are
eating here, or gleaning here. I've charged a young man. I've
charged everybody concerning you. Nobody's going to touch
you. You stay right here. Everything's going to be just
fine. When you're thirsty, look at this. When you're thirsty,
drink. If you're hungry, pick it up.
If you're thirsty, drink. Need some place to lie? Go to
the house. You're not going to find that
anywhere else. You stay right here. And she fell on her face. What's her reaction? Verse 10.
She fell on her face, bowed herself to the ground. She didn't think
she belonged there. She knew she didn't have any
business there. She knew she didn't have any rights there,
Kelly. She knew she was there on his grace. And she said there, why have
I found grace? Why me? She said. Why ain't you talking
to me? Why ain't you telling these other
babies? Why ain't you telling all this
to me? Do you know, sir? He foreknew her. Foreknew her. Are you getting
the start of it? Huh? Are you reading between
the lines? This is not about Ruth and Boaz, really. It's about
Christ and his people. a great redeemer of his people,
who he in sovereign mercy and grace brings to where the gospel
is. I'm not saying this is the only field. There are other fields
that belong to Boaz. This man Boaz had other fields.
Yes, he did, all over the place. Not every field was a field of
Boaz, but he did have other fields. And Christ has his church everywhere. We live there, too, in Father
King, mind you. But if God in mercy and grace
has sent his love upon you, purposed all things to serve you, it'll
be your hat, the land where Christ is preached. And he'll come to
you in the preaching of the gospel and call you by his name, and
tell you, this is where you're going to find food, this is where
you're going to find drink, this is where you're going to find
rest. You follow after my people. And your reaction will be, to
the goodness and grace and mercy of God, your reaction will be
the same as Ruth. Why me? I'm not worthy to be
here. Just let me sit on the back row. It wasn't her, it's him. But
look at verse 13. Go down to verse 13. She said,
I have found favor in your sight. That's what she's really saying.
My Lord, you've comforted me. What she's saying is, this is
good news to me. You've spoken friendly. The margin
says, to my heart. What you're saying is meeting
my needs. She said, though I be not like one of your handmaids.
I'm not as poor as the women around this house. I've seen
them," she said. Are you listening to this? I've heard them all. I've heard
all of you say this. I'm not as good as these people
that are here. I'm not as good as... I'm an
old tenor here. I'm sure glad to be here. I'm
not worthy. I'm not like these nice Christian
folk. Ask all of them how they got
there. They'll tell you. They came like beggars. But Ruth
said, I'm not as good as your handmaids. Oh, Ruth. You just don't know Boaz. This
is the only kind who takes in. Verse 15 and 16. Oh, I love this. When she was risen up to gleam,
she went to gleam. She went back out, as Boaz told
her. Verse 15, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Now you
let her glean among the sheaves. Don't make her pick up scraps.
You let her go straight to the stack of wheat and just dig in
there and get all she can. Yes, don't rebuke her. So verse
16, he said, You let fall some handfuls of purpose for her. That would be a good title of
this message, wouldn't it? Handfuls of Purpose. There's this poor beggar woman
out there trying to get some food, and Boaz gave orders concerning
her and said, You drop food by the handfuls. She's not only
going to go home not empty, she's going to go home full. And I
see one of them now and say, is this enough? Oh, no, that's
not enough. Give her some more. Give her some more. Give her
a washing turn. Verse 17, she glammed in the
field until evening, and beat up, that is, she threshed out
that barley into grain, and when it was over, she had a leave
for a barley. That's about, I used to know,
but it's several bushels. It was all she could carry. She was a beggar. Did well back
then to get a little sack and go home. Did pretty well with
that. Scratch. She came home. It was all she
could do to carry it. Her cup hadn't run over. Well, now, Look at this. I love this. I told you there's
a love story. And in every love story, there's
a courting. You know what courting is, young
people? You do it. Don't know it. Courting. Sparking. Now I'm talking the real old
ones here, Nancy. Sparking. Do you and Joe do a
little sparking? That means sparks are flying, you know. Courting.
Where'd that come from? Were you sitting in the parlor? I don't know. Courting. Well,
tell me. Damn, look that up. Where'd courting come from? Courting
and sparking and wooing. In every love story, there's
a flirting going on there, wooing, that causes you to fall in love
with somebody. Okay? Verse 14, Boaz, it was mealtime. Before she went home, that is,
he invited her to dinner. He said, you come eat. Come and
dine. Verse 14. Mealtime, come up, eat the bread,
dip with vinegar. There it is, Hannah. We have
some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You dip all the bread you want.
And she sat beside the reapers. She sat there with all the rest
of those people, and it says Boaz came walking by. He's around, and all his people
are sitting at his table. He has his eye on one girl that
He comes by, and he reaches by her, and I think he just brushes
her shoulder a little bit. Oh, excuse me, want some cornbread? You see, he just touches her,
just brushes by her. Smells like a man, looks like
a man, a mighty man, wonderful man, everybody loves, she's falling
in love. She doesn't even know who this
is. She doesn't know who this is. But she's calling for him. What about this gospel? There
are people that come and sit and listen. That sounds good.
I like that. A little more interest. A little
more interested. A little more interested. I tell
you what it's going to take. You're going to have to eventually
hear him say to you. And they're falling in love with
him. You're going to have to hear it from his mouth. until
it's full-blown love. Well, come and dine. So she went
home with all this corn, and verse 19, Naomi, she came in,
and Naomi saw that big sack of barley corn she was carrying
and said, Where, honey, where have you been today? Oh, the
Lord has blessed you. Where did you go? Now, Naomi,
she knows who Boaz And she said, Ruth, honey, where'd you get
all that barley wheat? Where'd you go? And Ruth said,
well, I went to the nicest place and met the nicest man. He was
so good to me, so kind to me, letting me glean all I wanted.
Everybody there was so kind to me and gracious to me. He told
me to come back. I ain't better with it. His name
was Boaz. Naomi. Naomi jumped six feet
off the ground. What? What was his name again? Boaz. Why, you know it? Oh, honey.
Honey! Look at this. Look at it. Verse
20. Naomi said, And her daughter
is all blessed be he. He's the blessed one of the Lord.
He's not left off his kindness to the living, to the dead. Naomi
said, That's her kinsman. He's our next kin. That's her
kinsman, Redeemer. Honey, you just haven't allowed
his He's the only one who has a right
to redeem. He's the only one who can help
us out of this mess we're in, huh? You, oh, mercy! You've found the right place.
God in mercy has brought you to the right place. You've come
to a place where the only one who can get us out of this mess
we're in. You've met the Redeemer and didn't
know it. Blessed be God Almighty, for
His mercy is great. That's my hat, the light, right
there. Well, but Ruth doesn't know him.
Naomi's beside herself. She's happy, Naomi is. But Ruth doesn't know him yet. Doesn't know Boaz. Naomi wants
Ruth to know Boaz. Naomi wants rest for Ruth. Wants
Ruth to find a good man. Wants Ruth to marry a good man.
She's already been married. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
no. No, she ain't seen nothing yet.
She hasn't been really married. Her true husband. God saved her
true husband, her last. The one that's going to be with
her from then on. Well, Naomi told Ruth, here's what you do,
honey. Chapter 3, verse 1, Naomi, her mother-in-law, said, Daughter,
I seek rest for you. I want to do well with you. You've
got to, you've got to, you've got to know Boaz. You've
got to be found amongst his maidens. You've got to be one of his own.
Honey, I want you to know Boaz. I want you to become intimately
acquainted with Boaz. Behold, here's what you do. Verse
2. Boaz, he's wintering barley tonight.
Tonight. Tonight. We can't put this off. Today is the day, honey. Today
is the day. Don't put this off. There may
be no tomorrow. Tonight. Doesn't the Scripture say, today
is the day of salvation? I'll put this, you must not be
hungry. He put it off. Must not be desperate. Must not be a beggar. Must not
be a widow in need of a good husband. Ruth and Naomi were. And Naomi said, here's what you
do. He's wearing barley tonight on
the threshing floor. You wash yourself. And don't
you set, get down there, find where he is. Verse 4, And it
shall be when he lies down. When he lies down, mark the place
where he is. You find where he is. He's not everywhere. But you
find where he is, and you lie down at his feet, and you wait
for him to tell you something. You don't belong there, you're
not ready to be there, he doesn't need you, but you meet him, he's
your only hope. Here's what you do. This is the
only thing to do. Don't go settling in there, he'll
kick you out. Go in there, you find where he
is. He's not everywhere, but he's in certain places. You find
where he is, and you get down at his feet like a beggar. Yes, like a dog at his master's
feet. And you wait and see what he
says. See what he said. So she did. Oh, you say, I'll do it, verse
5. That's what I do. Whatever you say. Well, she did. She went down, laid at the feet
of Boaz. And Boaz awoke, verse 9. Boaz awoke. He said, Who are
you? Who is that laying at my feet? And she said, I'm Ruth, thine
handmaid. I'm just a beggar. I'm just a
handmaid. I'm just a servant. I'm a nobody. It's just me, Ruth.
Would you spread your skirt over your handmaid? Would you cover
me? You're my near kinsman. You're
the only one that can help me. I'm a poor beggar. I've lost
everything. And now I'm lying at your feet.
Would you cover me up? And would you—you're the only
one that can help me. The only one. Well, that's the
way it is to come to Christ, people. That's the only way to
come to Christ. That's the only way. And he said, well, what's
he going to do? What do you think? Now, he's
able. He has the means, Sammy, doesn't he? He's a mighty man.
Is he willing? Nobody come begging to go where
he didn't help them. Verse 11, Daughter, I will be
to thee all that thou requirest. Verse 12, It is true. I'm your
kinsman. It is true. I'm the one. I've
got the right to redeem. But there's a newer kinsman than
me. Are you still with me? Boaz says, look, I'll do it. I'll do it. I am. I'm your kinsman
redeemer. But there's somebody else more
closely related than me, and he'll have to be dealt with. Well, who's that? Who's that? Well, chapter 4, verse 1, Boaz
found this fellow. He went up to the gate and sat
down in the gate until this fellow came by, until he confronted
this fellow. The fellow came walking by, the
kinsman of whom Boaz fighted. He said, Turn aside. Hold on. Stand right
here. Sit right here. I've got something
to talk to you about. We've got to deal with something
here. We've got somebody to deal with. We've got an issue to face
here. Just sit down there and let me
tell you what it is. And he took ten men. He took
ten witnesses with him of what he's going to do here. He's got
the transactions. He's doing something on behalf
of Ruth and Naomi. It's between him and this mirror
tinsman. He's got all his witnesses. You know what this is. He said,
Now, man, Naomi, you heard about Naomi, she's come, verse 3, she's
come out of the country of Moab, sold a portion of the land, our
brother in Imalek, to leave. I've got to tell you about it.
But you would buy it before the inhabitants, before the elders
of my people. If you'll redeem it, if you'll buy this thing
back for, you're related to Naomi, if you'll buy it, if you'll redeem
it, give it back to her, then do it. If not, I'll do it. Tell
me, I've got to know. There's none to redeem it besides
me. And after you, it's me. Will you do it? Will you buy
this back for Naomi?" And the fellow said, Yeah, I'll do it.
I'm able. I'm willing. He's willing, Dan.
He's willing to do it. You see? He said, yeah, I'm willing
to do that. And Boaz said, no, wait a minute,
there's someone else. Ruth. Whatever you buy of Naomi,
verse 5, you'll have to buy Ruth also. You'll have to buy her,
she'll have to be your wife. And the fellow said, Now the
kinsman there, verse 6, said, I can't do that. I can't. I cannot
redeem her. It will mar my inheritance. You
do it. I can't do it. You redeem her. I can't redeem her. The brother says, You're willing,
but you're not able. And the fellow said, Yeah, that's
right. I can't do it. It will mar my
inheritance. It will take away from my inheritance. You do it. who's this kinsman? That's the
law of God Almighty. Jesus Christ confronted the law
of God, a narrative law. What sort of things does the
law say if it says to us Ruths, us Naomi's, we're under the law? The law has a claim on us. You
haven't glorified God. We're in debt to the law. The
law of God. Now, it may be willing. The law of God may be willing.
to redeem us, willing to do all for us. But John, it's not able. It would mar the law of God to
just say, well, forget it. For God Almighty just said, up
and forgive and forget. Without the payment made would
mar the holiness and justice and the law of God. It would
So the law says to Christ, who confronted that law on behalf
of everyone he's redeemed, the law says to Christ, I can't do
it. You can. You do it. He said,
I'll do it. It won't mar me. It'll add to
my glory. I'll get glory out of this, our
great Boaz and Christ said. You do it. I'll redeem it. Now,
here's the end of the story. I believe everybody was observing
this. He took these ten men as legal
witnesses. The transaction that happened
between God, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the law
of God was on behalf of his people. It was witnessed by angels, perhaps. But you and I, when we hear the
gospel, we see We watch when we behold Christ going up Calvary's
hill. We're beholding that great transaction
between Christ and the law. It's going to bruise his heel,
take off his shoes. We observe that Christ did this
transaction on our behalf. Naomi and Ruth, I believe Naomi
and Ruth are standing over the side here. They know. They found out who the other
kinsman was. And Dan, they're hoping it's
going to go well with him. But Boaz has got to face this
fellow. Ruth's in love with him. But she doesn't know if she's
going to be redeemed. She's hoping. So she's standing
over the side. I believe she's standing over
the side, her and Naomi both. And it says in Verse 6, the kinsman said, I
can't redeem it, I'll borrow my inheritance. Now this was
the manner in former times, after someone did this, they would
pluck off their shoe and give it to his neighbor. And therefore
the kinsman said unto Boaz, you buy it. So the fellow, and I
don't know why they did this, the fellow took off his shoe
and said, here, I can't do it. you do it. Unless that has something to
do with Christ being able to wear that shoe. I don't know. Christ is the only one that can
fit in that shoe. In other words, the other kinsmen said that's
what they did. If a fellow couldn't do it, he'd
take his shoe off and give it to the fellow who was going to
do it. I don't know. Does that sound good to you?
Christ is the only one able to put that shoe on that fit the
law. He's the only one able to keep
the law, to walk in perfect holiness and righteousness in order to
redeem us. Sounds good to me. But that's what they did. And
Boaz, verse 9, Boaz, and all the people witnessing this, he
said unto the elders and unto all the people, and there's two
people in particular standing on the side who are real interested
in this. Everybody else would have been
nominally interested in this, what's going on between Burroughs
and this Neal Kidman. But those two old beggar women,
standing over the side, hoping against hope, wishing and hoping
and praying and hoping, oh, I hope it goes well. I hope he gets
this done. I hope it turns out all right. Reckoning well? Hang on. Naomi
said, I reckon it will. Ruth said, Oh, but I love him. He said, You'll redeem us both,
me and you? Noah said, Hey, just listen. And Boaz said unto all the people,
You're witnesses this day. I've bought it all. I've bought it all. Jesus paid
it all. Oh, but then, oh, sin has left
the crimson stain. Did he make a down payment? No,
sir. That's blasphemy. Did he attempt
to buy it? Did he make a payment and you
made him pay the rest with your two-bit faith? No, sir. Boy,
I said, everybody's witness. I've done it all. Ain't nothing
more, Stephen. All. Let them laugh at it. Roots
don't do anything. They're always not doing anything.
It's all the same. Who's done it all? John? Who's doing this work of redemption?
Her. What's Roots' hope? Is it her great faith? Her hope's
in the boys who've done it all. And he said that to them instead.
It is finished. I've bought more than mine, furthermore. That's not it. That's not all.
Verse, look at it. Verse 9, verse 10. Moreover, verse 10, Ruth, Ruth,
The Moabitess, the wife of Mylon, is now my wife. I purchased her to be my wife. I want everybody to know it.
Everybody understand? She's in love with this man.
Now she hears, understand? Now she hears Boaz Pershla say,
I've bought this woman. She's going to be my wife. The greatest love story ever
told. She'd fallen in love with him.
She didn't even know him. She knew he was a great man,
mighty man, able man, didn't know if he was willing. She knew
he could if he would. She knew she was unworthy, just
an heathen woman, a beggar. He didn't need her. Oh, she needed
him. She didn't think she was very
pretty. Ha! Berez did. Set his love on her. She knew him as a great and mighty
lord and master over all the fields, the one at the right
to redeem us. She didn't know if she was one
of his redeemed. But now she does. He said unto
her, Honey, you're mine. You're mine. Isn't that what
the psalm says about us? Say unto my soul. This is what
a real seeker will say. Lord, say unto my soul. You've
said it to others, and I don't deserve it. Would you tell me?
Tell me. I want to hear it from your mouth. I want to hear it from your word.
I want to know. Have you redeemed me? Am I yours? And Boaz says, You're mine. You're
mine. Well, he took her. He took her. Boaz, verse 13, took Ruth. It
doesn't say Ruth chose Boaz. Oh, mercy. Wouldn't admire this
story. Boaz said, now, honey, do you
want to be my wife? Now, honey, would you choose
me as your personal husband? I'm hoping you will. Wouldn't
admire this story. Wouldn't that take away from
the glory of Boaz? That's not the way it is, boy.
Anybody sees their unworthiness of Christ, they won't accept
him as their personal Savior. They'll beg him to accept them
as his personal servant and maiden. God's people don't accept him. They're asking him to do the
accepting. And that's what Ephesians 1,
verse 6 says. We are accepted. He hath made
us accepted in the beloved. We're beggars. Oh, but the great
Boaz, he marries beggars. And he found her, he looked on
her in mercy, he loved her, he called her, he wooed her, he
bought her, brought her, took her home with him. Took her all
the way home with him. And she conceived and bear a
son. Oh, the purpose of God. She had
a baby. Well, there were a bunch of babies
born, Becca, there were a bunch of babies born all over the place
about that time, weren't there? A bunch of women having babies
just like they have now, everywhere. Oh, wait a minute. This all,
you see, is in the purpose of God Almighty. Everything concerning
His people is in the purpose of God, redounded under the glory
of His Son, points to His Son. Everything concerning His people
is pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ and His glory. Ruth had
a baby by Boaz. Boaz was the son of Rahab. Whatever. Son of Rahab. She had a baby by Boaz whose
name was Obed. Who's Obed? King David's grandfather. It's a mohawk woman, all the
way over there, nowhere. God almighty. Kills her husband. Brings this woman from Bethlehem
all the way over there, kills her husband. Sends a famine in
the land, a lot of people die. Sends this one woman all the
way over there for 10, 15, 20 years. Miserable sorrow, trouble,
tribulations. It all looks real bad, doesn't
it? The real sad picture, isn't it? That's what Naomi thought. She'd
come crawling back. Oh, God dealt bitterly with me.
He's against me. No! No, a thousand times no. No, in the purpose of God Almighty,
He did all that to bring you right over here to stand there.
So his son will be born someday out of King David's lines. This
has got to happen. Isn't he great? Isn't his purpose
glorious? Isn't it wonderful? Well, greatest
love story ever told. Eternal love. Oh God, if God be for us. If God be for us. And that purpose,
Nancy, is in Christ. Who can be against that? Nothing.
No, He hasn't dealt bitterly with us. He's dealt wonderfully
with us. He's married us. Everybody that
belongs to us is married to us. I'm having fun, but I've got
to quit. All right, I've got to tie my shoe. Stan, come up. Gabe, I'm calling
everybody Stan. Come up and lead us while I tie
my shoe. Turn to hymn number 441, and
Stan, please. This is Love Lifted Me. And when
we get to the chorus, instead of love, we'll sing Christ. I was sinking deep in sin, far
from the peaceful shore. Very deeply sank within, seeking
to rise no more. But the Master of the Seas heard
my despairing cry. From the waters lifted me now
safe am I. Christ lifted me, Christ lifted
me.