This evening we're going to look
at a portion of Ruth chapter 3. And I'm taking a title from
the confession of Ruth in verse 9. Ruth chapter 3, verse 9. Her
confession, when Boaz was startled at midnight and wakes up and
finds this woman at his feet, and he said, who are you? And she answered, I'm Ruth. Oh,
by the way, I'm your handmaid. I'm thy handmaid. Spread, therefore,
thy skirt over thy handmaid, for thou art a near kinsman unto
thee. Thou art a near kinsman unto
thee. So here's Ruth's confession.
And this is our confession. Thou art my redeemer. The Lord Jesus Christ redeemed
us. He bought us with his own blood. And we gladly, we're not ashamed
to own him as our Redeemer, are we? He's my Redeemer. He's my
near-kin Redeemer, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. The Word of God is a declaration
of the love and mercy and grace of God that's revealed unto us
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul writes about that in Romans
8. He said, nothing can separate us from the love of God, which
is in the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel is a wonderful love
story between Christ and his bride. He's the bridegroom. We are his bride, chosen and
bought and loved by him. Throughout the word of God, we've
seen types and pictures of God's love and redemption to his elect. all through the Old Testament.
We see types and pictures, and even in the New Testament, too.
We see types and pictures, an example of God's electing love,
God's redeeming love to his people. Now, think about this. God's
love and God's mercy in the days of Noah. God showed his love,
where was it manifested? In the ark. Outside of that ark,
There wasn't a bumper sticker on the back of that ark that
said, smile, God loves you. The love of God was in the ark,
and that ark is Christ. You remember in Genesis 6, let
me read it to you. God saw that the wickedness of
man was greater than the earth, and every imagination of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Did that include
Noah? Yes, it did. Every imagination,
evil, Continually, I will destroy man for whom I created, for it
grieved him at his heart. But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love wherewith he loved us." That's a picture
of God's sovereign mercy, God's sovereign love, isn't it? He
called Noah, his wife, and their families. Eight souls saved inside
that ark. That's where the love of God
was revealed. Outside of that ark was the wrath of God revealed. Another example of God's sovereign
love, God's deliverance of his people in Egypt. Egyptian bondage,
400 years. And God told them to take a lamb,
put it up and observe it, and then kill it. Take the blood
and put it on the lintel on the doorpost, and God said, when
I see the blood, I'll pass over you. I'll pass over you. That's God's sovereign redeeming
love, isn't it? And we've considered several
times David showing mercy to Mephibosheth. He did so because
of that covenant of love made with his friend Jonathan. And
then we've also studied, you remember Ezekiel chapter 16,
when that infant, that story of that infant that was cast
out, that newborn infant, It was cast out in the open field. His navel wasn't cut or swaddled,
they just discarded that baby out in the open field. And God
said, when I passed by thee and looked upon thee, behold, thy
time was a time of love. I spread my skirt over thee,
and covered your nakedness, and entered into a covenant with
thee, and you became mine." That's what God does to us, and that's
what's happening in this love story here of Ruth and Boaz. One of the most beautiful and
instructive pictures of the redemption and love of God toward sinners,
toward his people, is found in this book of Ruth. I'm going
to start calling it the gospel according to Ruth, found in the
book of Ruth. Ruth must have Boaz, and Boaz
must have Ruth. This is a picture of the love
story between Christ and his bride. They must have him, And
he must have them. They're in love with each other.
They're in love with each other. We love him only because he first
loved us. And this is a love story between
Ruth and Boaz, but it's a love story between Christ and his
church. Now, everybody likes a love story, don't they? Everybody
likes to read a love story with a happy ending. Well, this story
is a gospel story, and it's a glorious story. It has a joyful ending. We read in chapter 4, in chapter
4, verse 13, that Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife. And when
he went in unto her, the Lord gave conception, and she bare
a son. It was a special son. Boaz and
Ruth are married, and they have a son given of God. His name
was Obed. Obed was the great grandfather.
Obed beget Jesse, who beget David. Obed was the great grandfather
of King David, from whom was born the God-man mediator, the
Lord Jesus Christ, who redeemed all his people from their sin.
Christ, we know, was the greater David, made after the seed of
David according to the flesh, but declared to be the Son of
God with power according to the spirit of holiness. Now, in our
lesson today, we see Ruth seeking out Boaz. She's seeking out Boaz. She's just not sitting home and
waiting. She's actively seeking mercy where mercy is found. Ruth is seeking out Boaz by following
the instruction of her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi typically represents
in the story the church, a believer. Like a good, good mother, Naomi
gives wise, good, and godly instruction under Ruth. And the Church of
the Lord Jesus Christ gives all good biblical wisdom and godly
instruction to seek the Lord where He's found. Seek mercy
where it's revealed in Christ Jesus. You remember in Revelation
22, the Spirit and the Bride say, Come, and let him that heareth
say, Come, and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will,
Let him take of the water of life freely. I'm a whosoever
will, made willing in the day of his power to seek mercy where
it's found in our blessed Savior. Now, verses 1 and 2, Naomi sought
Ruth's welfare. In Ruth chapter 3, verse 1 and
2, then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said unto her, my daughter, shall
I not seek rest for thee? that it may be well with thee.
She wants the best for Ruth. And now is not Boaz our kindred? Now Naomi knows who this man
is, who has the right to redeem. You remember over here in chapter
2 verse 1, and Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a mighty man
of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz. Boaz means
one who was mighty. And we have a mighty Savior,
don't we? Is not Boaz our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he's thrashing barley,
winterwood barley, tonight down on the rushing floor. Wash thyself,
therefore, and anoint thee, and put a raiment upon thee. Get
thee down to the floor, and make not thyself known as a man, till
he have done eating and drinking, and when it shall be, When he
layeth down, thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie,
and thou shalt go in and uncover his feet, and lay thee down,
and he'll tell you what to do." That's good instruction. Lay
down at the master's feet. Even so, likewise, the Church
of the Lord Jesus Christ is concerned for the welfare of God's people,
concerned for lost sinners, Like the Apostle Paul, you know, he
was severely persecuted of those Jews, wasn't he, when the Lord
made him a new creature in Christ? But you know what he did? He
preached to them and he prayed for them. You remember Romans
10? Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel.
that they might be saved. They have a zeal, but they're
ignorant of God. They're going about to establish
their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto
the righteousness of God. But Paul prayed for them. He
preached to them. We should do the same. Preach
to sinners. and pray for them. Naomi knew
who Boaz was and where he was and what he was doing and that
he was able to redeem Ruth and all that Elimelech had lost,
the whole inheritance of Elimelech. These are the things that Naomi
told Ruth. And this is our message about
our Redeemer. We declare who he is Who He is? God, our Savior. I love that
statement. God, our Savior. We read it at
least four times in the New Testament. Paul uses that in 1st and 2nd
Timothy. And then several times he uses
it in the book of Titus. God, our Savior. Who is the Lord Jesus Christ?
He's God, our Savior. He's mighty to say that's who
He is, the incarnate God. What has He done? Well, he established
righteousness for us by his faithful obedience unto every precept
of God's law. What has he done, the Lord Jesus
Christ? In the fullness of time, sent
of God, he put away our sin by the sacrifice of himself. We're
going to study that Sunday morning in Hebrews 9, 26. He appeared
once in the end of the age to do what? He's going to try to
save somebody. He's going to put us in a savable
state. He's going to make salvation
a possibility if we do certain things. No, sir. He put away our sin by the sacrifice
of himself. Who he is? God our Savior. What
has he done? Honored the law of God. Established
righteousness. Put away our sin. Where is he
now? He ever lived to intercede for
us. When he by himself purged our sin, he sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God as our mediator between God and
man, the mediator of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he's able to
save, isn't he? He's able to save to the uttermost
all that comes to God by him. Now, verse three and four, Naomi
told Ruth exactly what she must do. If Ruth wanted to be married
to Boaz, and she did, they fell in love. When Boaz saw that Moabitess
woman out in the field, he said to the servant, who is that woman?
Who is that woman? He had an eye for her. He said
his heart, he said his affection upon her. But if Ruth wanted
to be married to Boaz, and she did, the decision was altogether
his. his decision, but Ruth also must
also seek him and use all the means at her disposal to obtain
his favor. She must seek him as one who
was unworthy of his notice and one who is totally dependent
upon his mercy, upon his goodness. Ruth was to wash herself and
to go down where Boaz was and lay at his feet in total submission,
total surrender. Those who seek the blessed Savior,
those who seek, those who are blessed to seek salvation in
whom it is found, must do so with a sincere, earnest desire
to be found at the Lord's feet in submission. Faith and repentance
are the gifts of God. but a sincere repentance, a sincere
faith. We read in Isaiah 55, seek ye
the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.
And here in Isaiah, he says that, and then in Jeremiah, he said,
you shall seek me and find me when you search for me with all
your heart. Sinners are to seek the Lord.
Ah, we believe in election, God predestinated the people. Sinners
are to seek the Lord. That's all part of God's means.
If we truly desire to find salvation in Christ, we must put ourselves
in a place where he's found. He said, we're two or three together
or gathered together in my name. That's where I'm at. If Ruth
was to find mercy of Boaz, she must go down there to the fencing
floor and submit unto him where he's at. If we truly desire to
find salvation in Christ, we must put ourselves in a place
where he's found. Where is that? Under the preaching
of the gospel. Under the preaching of the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. It pleased God, through the foolishness
of preaching, to save them that belief. Faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of the Lord. Mark the place where Boaz
was at rest. Did you see that? And it shall
be, it shall be, verse 4, that thou shalt mark the place. You
see that? You take notice of the place
where Boaz is found. And where is the Lord found among
his people? Where the gospel is preached.
Go there and sit and listen and ask God for mercy. Taking note
of the place where Boaz was at rest, And that is taking note
of the promises of God to believing sinners in the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, our Lord said he's
pleased to hide these things from the wise and prudent and
reveal them undebated, even so, Father, for it seemed good in
your sight. And he said, no man knoweth the
Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
And then he said, come unto me, all ye that labor heavy laden.
I'll give you rest. I'll give you rest. We read just
a moment ago the woman who had the daughter that was grievously
vexed with the devil, and the Lord, she asked for mercy and
the Lord just ignored her. And then he said, I'm not sent
but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. She wasn't deterred. She came and worshipped him.
And he said, well, it's not right to take the children's bread
and cast it to, you're a Gentile dog. And she said, you're right,
but I'm your dog. I'm your dog. I'm going to sit
at your feet. The dogs eat the crumbs which
fall from the master's table. And the Lord said, oh, woman,
great is thy faith. I'm your dog. I'm a dog, but
I'm your dog. And I'm bowing at thy feet. Or like a woman who came to the
Lord, remember? sitting at his feet like a woman
who washed the Lord's feet with her tears, remember? Wiped them
with her hair and kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment. She says, and she says in her
heart, I'm yours. I'm yours. You're my Lord. Ruth,
go and lay down at his feet and just wait there and he'll tell
you what to do. I like that, don't you? Just
go there and lift up his covers there and just kind of snuggle
up to his feet. Oh, and he'll tell you what to
do. He'll tell you what's required. Now look at verse 5. And Ruth
said, well, maybe I don't want to do that. Maybe some of the
other women in town might think that maybe that I'm doing something
that's not right. But she said, look at verse 5,
she said unto her, all that thou sayest unto me, that's what I'm
going to do. That's faith. Faith obedient
to God's word. And she went down to the floor,
to the threshing floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law
told her to do. And it came out well, didn't
it? And when Boaz had eaten, they had a big party. Harvest
was over. And his heart was merry. He'd
eaten and drunk all he wanted to drink. And his heart was happy. His heart was rejoicing. And he went to lay down at the
end of a heap of corn. And she came softly, uncovered
his feet, and laid her down. Isn't that sweet? And he came
to pass. That just so happened. It came
to pass because the Lord brought it to pass. This is no unusual
happening, not in God's eyes, because He decreed this from
eternity. It came to pass at midnight that
the man was afraid. He was shocked, and he woke up
and turned himself, and behold, a woman! There's a woman at my
feet! And he said, Who are you? And she answered, I'm Bruce.
I'm your handmaid. Spread therefore thy skirt over
thy handmaid, for thou art my dear kinsman. Thou art my dear
kinsman. Ruth, with childlike faith and
obedience, she says all that Naomi has said to me, that's
what I'm going to do. Ruth was a grown woman. She'd
been married before, but she was eager and willing to follow
the instruction like an obedient child. She ventured everything
on the goodness and mercy of Boaz, didn't she? And she did so only upon the
word of Naomi. And that's the same way it is
with believers seeking salvation in Christ. Faith is the gift
of God. for faith like that of Rahab
to believe, oh, for faith like that of Rahab to believe all
that God has promised in his word, for sinners to trust and
believe the Lord Jesus Christ. Without faith, it's impossible
to please God, right? Those that come to him must believe
that he is, and he rewards those who diligently seek him. I'm gonna seek the Lord. Well,
I'm gonna seek him where mercy's found. in our blessed Savior. All the promises of God in him
are yes and in him amen. Under the glory of God. Like
Abraham of old, Abraham believed God and was counted to him for
righteousness. Abraham did what? He believed
God. He acted upon the word of God. And God counted to him for righteousness. Blessed is the man whom the Lord
imputes righteousness without works. Now, verse 8 and 9, Ruth's
humble but bold request. Ruth had said before into Boaz,
earlier in the harvest, Boaz, let me find favor in thy sight. But here she offers herself completely
unto Boaz as to say, take me, I'm yours. I'm yours. Take me. In the Song of Solomon, I think
it's in there two or three times where it says, my beloved is
mine and I'm his. Take me, I'm yours. Boaz says,
who are you? Remember, it's dark. It's midnight. And he doesn't recognize who
this person is. And she says, I'm Ruth. Oh, I
remember you. I'm Ruth. A stranger from Moab,
with no merit to deserve your attention, or no merit to deserve
your love, but I'm your handmaid. I'm your servant. I'm your servant,
willing to serve you. Spread your cover over me, for
you have the right to redeem me. She knew, as she said there
in the last part of verse 9, for thou art a near kinsman. She knew that Boaz had the right
to redeem her and to marry her. Sinners, seeking sinners, humbly
confessed unto the Lord, and they take their place before
him like a worm. Lord, I'm your worm. Like a dog,
I'm your dog. I like what Mephibosheth said
when he came before King David. when they sent and fetched him
and brought him before the king. And he said, what is thy servant
that thou shouldest look upon me such a dead dog as I am? David said, I love you for Jonathan's
sake. We had a covenant of love and
God loves us for Christ's sake. We are a stranger and alien to
salvation by nature without God, without hope and without Christ,
but made a willing bondservant unto the Lord Jesus Christ by
his power. By his power. He makes us willing
in the day of his power. Sinners, a sinner seeking a savior
who is able to redeem, who has the right to redeem. He came
to seek and to save the lost, didn't He? As sinners who need
a covering of righteousness, for the Lord spread His garments
of salvation upon us. He clothed us with the robe of
salvation, with the garments of salvation, like that cast
out infinite Infant in Ezekiel 16, the time of love, spread
your skirt over me and cover me. All who come to Christ truly
seeking mercy. Think about this. Every sinner
we read about in the Word of God, who sincerely came to the
Lord Jesus Christ seeking mercy, found Him to be merciful. He never turned the mercy beggar
away, not one time. I've never read one time. He
had some very harsh and sharp words toward those Pharisees. He called them vipers and snakes. But he never turned a beggar
away. That leper we studied in Matthew
chapter 8. All who come to the Lord Jesus
Christ truly seeking mercy will never be turned away. Remember
that beggar, that leper came to the Lord and worshipped him
and said, Lord, if you will, You can make me clean if you
will. What did the Lord say? I will
be thou clean. That's the way it is. Our Lord
said, let us therefore come boldly under the throne of grace that
we may obtain mercy, find grace to help in time of need. And
this verse I quote all the time because it's such a precious
promise. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation
that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I'm the chief one. I'm the chief
one. Just think about this for a moment. If the Lord only intended to
redeem one sinner, he'd still have to come, he'd still have
to be obedient to satisfy the law of God, he would still have
to die, wouldn't he? If it was just one. But we know
from reading the word of God that he has a multitude of chosen
sinners out of every tribe, kindred, nation, tongue under heaven.
Ten thousand times, and thousands and thousands, redeemed with
the precious blood of Christ. In closing, verse 10, down to
verse 13, Boaz gives the gracious promise, and he said, verse 10,
Blessed be thou of the Lord. This is of the Lord. This is
salvation of the Lord, my daughter, for thou hast showed more kindness
in the latter end, at the end of the harvest and at the beginning
of the harvest, insomuch as thou followest not young men, whether
they poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not."
God said many times in the book of Isaiah, fear not. We just
read one of them, fear not thou worm, Jacob, fear not. I'll never
leave thee, I'll never forsake thee. And now, my daughter, fear
not. I will. Do to thee all that thou
requirest as a kinsman-redeemer, for all in the city of my people
know, doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. And now it
is true that I am thy near kinsman, howbeit there is a kinsman nearer
than I. Now that's an interesting statement,
and we're going to look at that next time. There's no hesitation
in unwillingness in the heart of Boaz, no reluctance to perform
the part of the kinsman-redeemer." He's willing to do so, isn't
he? He said, I will perform the part of the kinsman-redeemer.
Boaz promised to do all that Ruth requested, and he declared
to her that she was a virtuous woman. She was not by nature. By nature, she was an idolater
from Moab. like her sister-in-law Orpha.
But grace had made her so. Grace brought a change in her,
and grace always does. You remember what Ruth said unto
Naomi? Where you go, I'll go. Your God
will be my God. Where you die, I'll die. That's
the commitment of faith. Grace made a change in her. This
certainly speaks to us of the willing, able Redeemer, right? There's no reluctance on His
part to be our surety. He's the surety of that better
covenant. He's the surety of the everlasting
covenant. There's no reluctance on the
part of our Savior to sacrifice Himself for our sin. He said,
no man takes my life from me. I have power to lay it down.
I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my Father. There's no reluctance on the
part of the Lord Jesus trying to save his people by his grace,
for he always had purpose to do so, hadn't he? As a lamb slain
from the foundation of the world, he came for that purpose, to
perform all things for us. He came to seek and save the
lost. He came to call sinners. to repentance,
didn't he? Aren't you glad we have a Boaz?
Aren't you glad we have a Kingdom Redeemer? Aren't you glad that
God gave us faith to seek salvation in Him? And aren't you glad that
He revealed Himself as Boaz said to Ruth, yeah, I'm your Kingdom
and Redeemer and I will do for you all that is required.