...our Bibles to Ruth chapter
4. Ruth chapter 4. And we have the
beautiful picture here of Christ, our kinsman redeemer, pictured
in Boaz. Now, at this point, Boaz has
entered a covenant betrothing Ruth to himself. Now, God chose
His people. before the world was made, and
He gave them to Christ to be His bride. And when He did that,
God in Christ betrothed His people to Christ. He covenanted to redeem
them and marry them and bring forth life and children through
them. But a nearer kinsman had first
claim on Ruth. A nearer kinsman. And so the
law of God had to be honored. This nearer kinsman had to be
dealt with first so that the law would be upheld and magnified
and Boaz could lawfully redeem Ruth and marry her. And that's true with us. The
law of God had a claim on us. That kinsman, that nearer kinsman
pictures the law in the sense that he had a first claim on
Ruth. and on Naomi. The law had first
claim on us because we fell in Adam. We fell in Adam. And that law had to be honored. That law had to be upheld by
Christ. Justice had to be satisfied. And so He must redeem us from
the curse of the law. In order to save us, if He's
going to marry His bride and raise up children and give life
in His bride, He's got to redeem us from that curse, from that
law. So now when we look at Boaz, he won't rest until he's finished
this work. And that was true of Christ.
He came into this world and he would not rest. He said, I must
be about my father's business. And he would not rest until he
could cry out from the cross and say, it is finished. Now on the cross, this is what
I want you to see. On the cross, Christ redeemed
his people from the curse of the law. So that now we belong
to Christ. We're His purchased possession.
And this is true before many witnesses. Those are my three
points. First, we'll see the cross. Then
we'll see the change. And then we'll see the charge.
First of all, the cross. Now in verse 1, Ruth 4 verse
1, it says, Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down
there. And behold, the kinsmen of whom
Boaz spake came by, unto whom he said, Hold such a one, turn
aside and sit down here. And he turned aside and sat down.
And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Sit ye
down here. And they sat down. Now first
we see, then went Boaz up to the gate. The gate of the city,
the gate of the city was God's chosen place where judgment would
be publicly exercised. That was the public place of
judgment was in the gate. According to God's own command,
in the gate the judges were to publicly judge the people and
they were to exercise just judgment according to God's holy, good,
and just law. It says in Deuteronomy 16, 18,
God said, Judges and officers, shalt thou make thee in all thy
gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee throughout thy tribes,
and they shall judge the people with just judgment. Thou shalt
not rest judgment, Thou shalt not respect persons or take a
bribe, because that will blind the eyes of the wise and pervert
the words of righteousness. That which is altogether just
shalt thou follow. That which is altogether just,
that thou mayest live and inherit the land which the Lord thy God
giveth thee. The gate is a picture here of
the cross of Calvary. The cross is where God chose
to publicly settle the judgment for His people forever. That's
the place where He would exercise just judgment. He wouldn't rest
judgment. He wouldn't take a bribe. He
wouldn't respect persons. That was the place where God
would exercise just judgment. And when we see Boaz going up
to that gate and calling the near kinsmen and calling those
ten elders, we see Christ going up to the cross in the most public
way. The most public way. And He submitted
Himself under the law. That's what Boaz was doing here.
That near kinsmen and those ten elders represent the law. And
he's going there and submitting himself under that law. You notice
when he went up to that place, he said, he told the near kinsmen,
sit down here. And he sat down. And he said
to the elders, sit here. And they sat down. Boaz apparently
himself was a judge. Most all the writers agree he
himself was a judge. And he most likely was. He was
a very powerful man. But He's coming there to submit
Himself to the judge and submit Himself to the law. And that's
Christ. Christ is equal with God. He
is the judge of the whole earth. When He came into this world
and He took flesh and He represented His people, He submitted Himself
to the law. He was made under the law. And
He submitted Himself to the law, to the scrutiny of the law. And
the reason that God chose that gate of the city for His law
to be upheld illustrates why God chose the cross. Judgment
at that place was public record so that everybody knew it. It
was public record. God would have this thing be
known publicly. And that's why Christ was crucified
before the whole world on a cross. Speaking of that cross the Apostle
Paul said to King Agrippa He said the king knoweth of these
things before whom I also I speak freely for I'm persuaded that
none of these things are hidden from him For the thing was not
done in a corner. This thing was not done in a
corner Everybody everywhere throughout this world Knows about the crucifixion
of Christ Jesus. They know it this thing was not
done in a corner And that which Boaz was doing here in this most
public way had to be done to uphold God's law before everybody. It had to be done so that he
could lawfully and honorably take Ruth to be his bride, to
redeem her and take her to be his bride. Now that's why Christ
went to the cross. There was no other way. Absolutely
no other way. The only way justice could be
meted out so that God's holy character is honored and His
holy law is magnified, and at the same time God be a Savior,
was for God to do it in the person of His Son. And make His Son
to bear that justice, and at the same time satisfy justice
for His people. It's the only way. When one was
found guilty, You know where they were put to death? When
a man was found guilty, worthy of death, you know where he was
put to death? At the gate. At the gate. The Lord said, You
shall bring forth that man or that woman which have committed
that wicked thing unto thy gates, even that man or that woman,
and shalt stone them with stones till they die. The cross was
the public place where God poured out just judgment. You want to
see God's holy, righteous character? You want to see His righteousness?
How just God is? When He made His Son sin for
His people, He would not spare His Son. He will not respect
persons. He will not. Where sin is found,
God said, you shall judge the guilty. let the guilty go free. And where sin is found, just
judgment must be poured out. It must be poured out. Why is
that? Because he was declaring the
righteousness of God. Everything God is and everything
God manifests to his people is seen in Christ. He was manifesting
the righteousness of God. How God can be just and the justifier
of those that believe on Christ. He did it because He is the Rock
and His work is perfect. For all His ways are judgment. That means there's no such thing
as God just loving everybody and yet allowing some to perish
in their sins. His love is just. It's in judgment. When He loves, He's going to
save you by according to His love for you. because it's in
Christ. He's a God of truth and without
iniquity, just and right is He. The Lord's well pleased for our
righteousness sake, no, for His righteousness sake. He will magnify
the law and make it honorable. There's God on Calvary's cross
magnifying His law and making it honorable. Only God could
do it. Only God could do it. There's
no God else besides me, he said. A just God and a Savior. There
is none beside me. Now brethren, I know that when
we look at this picture, there's no blood being shed in the text. I realize that. But you look
at this in type and you see the gospel of substitution and what
Boaz is doing for Ruth and for Naomi before the law and before
the judge. Ruth and Naomi The law stated
they were to go to the gate and they were to go before the judges
and before the near kinsmen and ask to be redeemed. They were
to do that. But you see here, instead Boaz
is wittingly alone going in their place and he's taking care of
this matter for them because this matter of the law had to
be settled. That's what Christ was doing
at Calvary. Don't ever think, don't ever think that salvation
in any way, remotely, depends upon something that you do. Don't ever think that. Salvation
is of the Lord. He had to redeem His people,
because He had to fulfill His law, that He might be a just
God. And He had to save His people
by that, that He might be the Savior. He did it. And when He
comes, He's going to give life and faith so that He draws you
to believe on Him. So you can't even boast in your
faith. Salvation's of the Lord. That's what we're seeing here.
Boaz went to that gate alone. Ruth and Naomi didn't go. He
went alone. Now, let me repeat this. Each of God's elect has to bear
the just judgment of God. Every one of God's elect has
to bear the just judgment of God. Just like all those who
die without Christ will have to bear the just judgment of
God. The soul that sinneth must die because the wages of sin
is death. But Christ was made under the
law and went alone to the cross and alone laid himself under
the law of God. He took the sins of His people
And he laid himself under the judge and under the law, and
he himself suffered in the stead of his people. For he hath made
him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him." Now that's the picture in our
text. Boaz is answering and upholding the law so that he can lawfully
redeem Naomi and Ruth and take Ruth to be his bride. Did Christ
accomplish it? Did he accomplish it? Scripture
says, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being
made a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is
everyone that hangeth on a tree. That means, brethren, everybody
Christ died for is redeemed. They are Christ's purchased possession
and He will have His purchased possession with Him in glory
for eternity and not one shall perish. Because the very same
judgment of God that demanded Christ die in their room instead,
now demands Christ give them life and bring them the glory
with Him. Because God will not judge them a second time. They've
been judged. The judgment is settled. He said,
when the spirits come, He's going to convince you of sin, because
you believe not on Me, of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and
of judgment, because the Prince of this world is cast out. That's
what He accomplished on Calvary's cross. Now secondly, the change. There's a change in ownership
made here now. There's a change in right made.
by what Christ accomplished at Calvary. We see it pictured here.
Verse 3 says, And Boaz, the near kinsman redeemer, he said unto
the nearer kinsman, Naomi that is come again out of the country
of Moab selleth a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's. And I thought to advertise thee,
saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, that is before these witnesses
and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem
it. But if thou will not redeem it, then tell me that I may know.
For there's none to redeem it besides thee, and I'm after thee."
Now the picture there is simply this, that the law had first
right to us. The law had a right to us first. So that law had to be dealt with.
But now look what this near kinsman said, I will redeem it. Then
said Boaz, what day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi?
What day thou take that field from Naomi's hand, thou must
buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead." Remember,
he's a near kinsman because he was related to Ruth's husband
and she's dead now. And so the law said he has to
marry her and raise up children. so that the name of the dead
will be upon his inheritance. He would marry her and have a
child by her, and that firstborn son, the brother was to marry
the dead brother's widow. And the firstborn son they had
would have the name of the dead brother on it. So that his name
wouldn't be cut off, his name would go on throughout his inheritance. But when he did that, all that
land and all that substance that he had redeemed would go to that
firstborn son. And the kinsman heard that and
he said this in verse 6, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I
borrow mine own inheritance. Redeem thou my right to thyself,
for I cannot redeem it. Now the near kinsman had first
right by law, and he has to be dealt with by Boaz so he can
lawfully redeem. Now notice when the kinsman heard
Naomi was selling a piece of land, of her hand, she had a piece
of land. He said, I'll take that. The
nearer kinsman said, yes, I'll take that. And the picture I
think we have here is that you and I The law is holy, just,
and good, but you and I are sold under sin. We're sold under sin,
just like Naomi is selling out. Selling out here. And all the
law can do to a sinner is take. All it can do is take. When it
was just about taking from Naomi, he said, I'll do that. I can
take. If you think you have life by
the law, The law is going to take that from you. You think
you have righteousness by your works under the law? The law
is going to take that from you. Remember what Paul said? I was
blameless. As touching the law, I was blameless.
Outwardly, it looked like I had obeyed the law perfectly. But when the commandment came,
when the law came, when it came into my heart, that spirituality
of the law struck my new man, my new heart. It took everything
I had worked and built. It took my land. It took all. Sin revived and I died. I died. The law can take and that's all
it can do. But when that kinsman heard that he had to buy a person
and give life in that person and raise up children of that
person, the law said, I can't do that. I can't do that. I cannot do that. Eric Kinsman
said, if I do that, I'll mar my own inheritance. That's the
inability of the law to save, brethren. The law cannot give
life inwardly. And the law cannot produce a
righteousness of a man who is only a sinner. And the law can't
put an honorable name on you and give you an inheritance. The law cannot do any of that
stuff. Paul said in Galatians 3.21, is the law then against
the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had
been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness
would have been by the law. He's saying that law wasn't given
to give you life. That's not why it was given.
The near kinsman heard that about life and giving fruit and all
that. He said, I can't redeem it. But
he bore witness that Boaz could. He said, you redeem it. You redeem
it. He said, I cannot, and that's
our gospel, for what the law could not do, and that it was
weak through the flesh. God, sending His own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the
flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
That's what was happening in type in what Boaz was doing before
the law. The law couldn't redeem it. But
the law bore witness. You can. You can. So Boaz redeemed
Ruth to himself lawfully so that that law was upheld. And thus
he confirmed, a confirmed change took place. Now here's the change. Look here in verse 7. Now this
was the manner. This was a custom. This was a
custom. Kind of like washing feet. Kind
of like a holy kiss. Kind of like a woman wearing
a burka. This was a custom in former time
in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing. Redeeming
and changing of hands. Redeeming and changing of ownership.
For to confirm all things, to settle this matter as a confirmed,
finished work, A man plucked off his shoe and gave it to his
neighbor. And this was a testimony in Israel. This was a testimony. Therefore
the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. And so he drew off
his shoe. He drew off his shoe. Now according
to the law in Deuteronomy 25, It was a sign of shame and it
was a sign of disgrace when a brother would not build up his dead brother's
house by marrying his widow and raising up children. It was considered
shame and disgrace. And so the woman, the bride,
the woman, the widow, she was to come forth, the law said.
And she was to loose the shoe off his foot. And then she was
to spit in his face. And from then on in Israel, he
was known in a shameful way as the house of him that hath his
shoe loosed. That's what the law said. It
was a great dishonor. But here, not only does Ruth
not come forth, not only does Ruth not spit in the near kinsman's
face, but here, the near kinsman takes his own shoe off and gives
it to Boaz. What's being pictured here? What's
being pictured here? He confirmed the transaction
by this. He bore testimony by this that
Boaz had redeemed Ruth righteously and now she was his. Now what's
that picture? Christ didn't come to dishonor
the law. Christ came to honor the law. The law came before
as a servant to Christ. And Christ came forth to honor
the law. Do you remember when Moses stood before Christ in
the burning bush? And Christ said, Moses, take
your shoes off. Moses is a picture of the law. And the law took his shoe off
and gave it to Christ. In our text, the law took his
shoe off and gave it to Christ. And Christ filled those shoes. Christ filled those shoes. And
he did it honorably. God's holy law was given as a
servant of Christ, as a schoolmaster, to shut our mouths and declare
us guilty before God until Christ came. And when Christ came, he
honored the law and he redeemed his people from the law's curse
that we might be justified by faith. That's what Paul said
when he said, if there could have been life given by the law,
it would have come by the law. Well, why was the law given then?
He said, the law was a schoolmaster. The law was the schoolmaster
until Christ came. But after that faith has come,
what happens? We're no longer under the schoolmaster.
The schoolmaster takes his shoe off and bears testimony, Christ
has redeemed. Christ has redeemed. The law
takes its shoe off and bears witness, Christ has redeemed. He's filled my shoes and done
what I couldn't do for my people. He's redeemed them from the curse
of the law. That's what he's done. And by
him, all that believe are justified from all things from which you
could not be justified by the law of Moses. And so it's written,
Christ is the end of the law to everyone that believes. Now
do you think Ruth's going to go to that nearer kinsman anymore? Do you think she's going to go
to that nearer kinsman and treat him like he's her husband? He's
not her husband. He's not our Redeemer. Boaz is. She's going to cling to Boaz.
And that's why we don't go back to the law looking to be redeemed
and looking for works to help us to be accepted of God. We
cling to Christ because He's redeemed us. The shoe's been
taken off and put on Christ and He's fulfilled it. And now the
law is a witness to this. Now we come to the charge. The
last thing. The charge. Verse 9. And Boaz
said, see here's a charge. Boaz gives a charge. He can lawfully
give this charge because he just fulfilled the right of redemption
and it's confirmed. So he gives this charge unto
the elders and to all the people. You are witnesses this day. that
I have bought all that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilean's and
Malon's. Those were the Elimelech's two
boys. One of these boys, Malon, I believe
it was, was Ruth's husband. Whichever one was the firstborn
was Ruth's husband. I've bought it all, he said,
of the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess,
the wife of Malon, I've purchased to be my wife. I've bought her.
To raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the
name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren and from
the gate of his place. You are witnesses this day. There's
the charge. He said, you're witnesses of
this. And now watch. And all the people that were
in the gate, and the elders, all that was standing around
bearing witness and all the elders, they said, we are witnesses.
They answered the charge, We are witnesses. The Lord make
the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah,
which too did build the house of Israel. And do thou worthily
in Ephratah. They say to Boaz, Do thou worthily
in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem. And let thy house
be like the house of Phares whom Tamar bare unto Judah of the
seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman. Christ
arose triumphant and God bore witness, God the just judge bore
witness that Christ our Redeemer satisfied justice and purchased
His people for Himself. The law bears witness. The law
bears witness. Christ charges all His witnesses
that bear witness of Him, that they all bear witness that He
indeed accomplished the redemption of His people. Now let me ask
you something. Was Boaz there redeeming everybody
in the city? He was there redeeming Naomi
and Ruth. He knew who he went to redeem.
And he redeemed them. And he said, your witnesses today,
I redeemed her. I purchased her to be my wife. Christ came and And He accomplished
the redemption of a particular people who is His bride. And
we bear witness of that. That's our witness. That's our
testimony. Christ accomplished it. That's
our gospel. He accomplished it. And not only
do we bear witness, see those elders there? They bore witness.
That nearer kinsman, when he took his shoe off and gave it
to Boaz, he bore witness. And all those that were standing
around there witnessing it, they bore witness. Listen to what
the Scripture says. The righteousness of God without
the law is manifested. You could say the righteousness
of Boaz without that near kinsman is manifested. But it's witnessed. That righteousness
is witnessed by the law and the prophets. Just like that nearer
kinsman, and those judges, and God, and everybody bore witness
that Boaz bought Naomi and Ruth, God and His law and all the prophets
bear witness Christ purchased His bride. He purchased His bride. And that righteousness of God
is by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Just like we see Boaz
going there. He wouldn't sweep that law under
the rug. He wouldn't just take Ruth and say, I'm going to make
you my wife. I don't care what that man says. No, he went and
said, that man's got to be dealt with. This thing's got to be
done lawfully. He was faithful. That's a picture
of Christ who faithfully knew the law's got to be dealt with.
It's got to be settled so that I can redeem my bride lawfully. This is lawful redemption. Lawful
redemption. We're saved by lawful redemption. And there in Christ is where
you behold the righteousness of God without the law. When
Christ sends His redeemed the good news that He's purchased
us, He does what He did to Ruth. We're going to see this next
time. He marries us to Himself. And He creates life in us. He
created a child in Ruth. And He puts His name upon us
so that His name will never be cut off. And He gives us all
that He purchased for us. Now you think about this. That
prodigal son came and what did the father say? Bring forth the
best robe. Bring forth the best robe and
put it on him. And put a ring on his finger,
on his hand, and shoes on his feet. But it's not the shoe of
the law. Christ doesn't take that shoe
from the law and fulfill those shoes and then bring it to you
and say, now here, you've got to put that shoe on and fill
it. He doesn't do that. He shods our feet with the preparation
of the gospel. He makes us to walk through this
world knowing Christ has redeemed us so that we'll be constrained
by a law that is so much better than the law given at Sinai. It's the law of liberty. It's
the law of redemption. It's the law of righteousness.
It's the law of faith. It's the law of love. It's the
law of God. We are moved and constrained by Christ Himself.
That's the shoes He puts on us. So if the Son sets you free now,
Ruth was free now. She was free. She was free. That Mary Kinsman had no right
to her anymore. She belonged to Boaz, a loving
husband. And if the Son shall set you
free, you shall be free indeed. Just like Ruth. Now you just
imagine this. I had to include this. Imagine
Ruth's delight. The day before this, she was
out there, a stranger, a Gentile dog, in the field, gleaning,
without a penny to her name. Absolutely dependent on a handout. Today, she owns everything that
Boaz owns. And it's hers to freely use as
she will according to His will. It's free. Free. And that's what
we find out. We're heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ. Isn't that lawful redemption
good? That's what we're celebrating today. That lawful redemption.
Alright, let's pray together. Father, we thank You for Your
Word. Thank You for the picture that You've shown us. What a
great redemption we have accomplished so lawfully and righteously.
Lord, remind us constantly that because you would not pour out
judgment on Christ until you made Him sin, because you poured
out judgment on Him satisfy justice. We see your righteousness, Lord,
and that righteousness tells us that you will not condemn
the innocent and you will not let the guilty go free. And that
righteousness tells us, Lord, you will never again charge one
of your people with sin because Christ put it away. We have redemption. We've been purged of all the
laws right to us. Lord, thank you for this lawful
redemption by Christ our Lord. Thank you for his precious body
and his precious blood. In his name we pray, amen.