Open back to Ruth chapter three. I need to have one more word of
prayer. Dear Heavenly Father. Lord, we come before you in fear.
We open this word in fear. Dear Lord, would you please?
Bless your word. And dear Lord, as we open this
and as we look into what you've written, Lord, we come in fear. We come in fear. We come lowly,
we come humbly, and we pray that we see your glory in this. You
said your glory is that you would show mercy. As we look at your
mercy, Lord, please have mercy on us. We come in fear. We ask
all these things in Christ's name. Amen. Ruth 3 verse 1 says, 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? And now is not Boaz of our kindred
with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley tonight
in the threshing floor. Wash thyself therefore and anoint
thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the
floor. But make not thyself known unto
the man until he shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall
be when he lieth down that thou shalt mark the place where he
shall lie, and thou shalt go in and uncover his feet, and
lay thee down, and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. and
she said unto her, all that thou sayest unto me, I will do. This sinner has been called by
grace, brought to the field of Boaz, who represents Christ,
gleaned from his word, received the fruit and the blessing
of his favor, And now this center says in verse five, all that
thou sayest unto me, I will do. I will obey your word. I will obey it. That's the heart
that God gives to each of his own. He says, come, we come. He says, bow, we bow. He says, confess, we confess. God's people obey His word. Verse
6. And when she went down unto the
floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law obeyed
her, and when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was
merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn,
and she came softly and uncovered his feet, and laid her down,
And it came to pass at midnight that the man was afraid, and
turned himself, and behold, a woman lay at his feet, and he said,
Who art thou? Who art thou? Christ meets his
people in their darkness. She came at night. He meets them
where they are, in their darkness, And He makes them admit who and
what they are. Verse 9 says, He said, Who art
thou? And she answered, I am Ruth,
thine handmaid. Spread therefore thy skirt over
thine handmaid, for thou art a near kinsman. I'm just a handmaid. My name is Ruth. I'm the one
who's from the land of Moab, the land of sin. Our Lord met with Jacob, and
he said, What is your name? And he said, It's Jacob. I'm
a sinner, a trickster, a supplanter. But he said, Lord, bless me. Bless me. By God's grace, he won't allow
me to let you go until you bless me. until you bless me. Verse 9 says, He said, Who art
thou? And she answered, I am Ruth,
thine handmaid. Spread therefore thy skirt over
thine handmaid, for thou art a near kinsman. And he said,
Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter, for thou has showed
more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning. Inasmuch
as thou followest not young men, whether poor or rich, And now,
my daughter, fear not, I will do to thee all that thou requirest,
for all the city of my people 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. When sinners learn something
about Christ their Redeemer, They learn something about God's
holy law. That's what they learn. When
God opens a sinner's eyes, and when that sinner finally sees
Jesus Christ crucified, and he understands what that
means, and he understands what was accomplished
in it, and he understands what is the result of it, When a sinner
finally understands that, he'll finally understand something
about God's holy law. Do you know why Jesus Christ
died? Do you know why Jesus Christ died?
God's holy law said he had to. That's why Jesus Christ died.
He had to. Before I could be redeemed, my
sin against God's holy law had to be paid. It had to be. Do you know what was accomplished
when Christ died? My sins were paid. They were
paid. Do you know what the result is
of His death? I'm now a free man. I'm a free
man. Free from the law, O happy condition. Free from my sin, free to approach
the throne of grace. Verse 12 says, And now it is
true that I am thy near kinsman, howbeit there is a kinsman nearer
than I. That's God's law. Verse 13 says,
tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he
will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well, let him do
the kinsman's part. But if he will not do the part
of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to
thee. As the Lord liveth, lie down until the morning." Here's
what he's saying. Let the books be opened. All
right, let your book be opened. Everything you've done that's
been recorded in heaven, let it be opened. And let's see if
the law says you're justified in all your works. All your deeds are pleasing to
God. All the thoughts of your mind
are pleasing to God, every single one of them. All the feelings
of your heart are pleasing to God. There's no hate. Never been found there. No lust
was ever found there. No pride. Let's see if the law
says, this is my kinsman. This is a faithful brother or
sister of the perfect and holy law of God. Ken to the law's
perfection. Verse 13 says, Terry, this night
and it shall be in the morning that if he will perform unto
thee the part of a kinsman, well, let him do the kinsman's part.
But if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will
I do the part of a kinsman to thee. As the Lord liveth, lie
down until the morning. And she lay down at his feet
until the morning, and she rose up before one could know another,
and he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.
Also he said, Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and
hold it. And when she held it, he measured
six measures of barley, and laid it on her, and she went into
the city. And when she came to her mother-in-law,
she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the
man had done to her, and she said, These six measures of barley
gave he me, for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law. David said, Show me a token for
good, that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed, because
thou, Lord, hast helped me and comforted me. Show me a token. Every time a sinner comes to
Christ truly begging for help, every time the Lord will give
them a token. Every single time. A token to just help them lie
down and rest. Lie down and wait. Verse 18 says,
Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how
the matter will fall. For the man will not be in rest
until he have finished the thing this day. He will not be in rest until
he have finished the thing. Now we're about to look at something
that is so holy I fear preaching it. I'm not
afraid to preach it. But it gives me great fear. It
gives me extreme fear. Lord help us. In the next chapter,
the last chapter, a great transaction is going to take place. And everything that we just read
about in chapter 3 is the heart of what happened leading up to
the great transaction. And so that we can understand
this all, I'm going to tell you what happened right before the
great transaction. Substitution. substitution. And it is holy. I have thrown
that word around before. It is holy. Now if I was a teacher at the
high school, and for whatever reason I couldn't make it in
one day, what I would do is call for a sub, a substitute. I need somebody to take my place. I need somebody to represent
me, to stand there for me, as me. On my behalf, I need a substitute. Well, on a particular day, 2,000
years ago, I was called to be tried and convicted and punished
for my sins. And I couldn't stand. I couldn't stand. So Christ became
my substitute. And this is holy. He stood there
to represent me. He did not stand there to represent
himself. If he had, he wouldn't have died. He stood there for me. He stood
there as me. He stood there on my behalf. Now here's what I want to show
you this morning. I want to show you the heart of our substitute. I want to show you a small, small,
small, small, small glimpse of something that can never be described. Never be described the personal
suffering and pain that he endured for us. We're about to look at his heart.
You know how holy this is? Our God has a heart. He said,
David is a man after my own heart. We have scriptures in the Old
Testament where it says things like, It repented the Lord that
He made man. Things like, The anger of the
Lord was kindled. Right? We have verses in the New Testament
that say, He was moved with compassion. John 1133 says he groaned in
the spirit. John 1135 says Jesus wept. Can you imagine what it must
have been like to watch God cry? How holy is that? I cannot understand that. I can't
understand that. Not at all. Do I believe he cried? Yes, I do. Look at verse 8. Ruth 3 verse
8. And it came to pass at midnight
that the man was afraid. Why would it say that? Boaz represents Jesus Christ,
right? In him is strength. Is there
any doubt that Boaz represents Jesus Christ, the God-man, the
Redeemer? Is there any doubt? Then why
would it say that the man was afraid? You want me to tell you the answer?
Substitution. Substitution. Look at Luke 22. Luke 22 verse 39. And he came out and went as he
was want to the Mount of Olives. And his disciples also followed
him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, pray that
you enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them
about a stone's cast and kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father,
if thou be willing. Now every vile, wretched sinner
that came to Him saying, Lord, if thou wilt, if you will, that's
what that leper said, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. Christ said, I will. He asked
two blind men one time, what will ye that I should do unto
you? What do you want me to do to you? They said, Lord, that
our eyes may be opened. And He touched them, and they
received sight. Every putrefying, wicked sinner
who came to Christ saying, If you will, Christ did, every one. Now the spotless, holy, pure
Son of God comes to His own Father, and says, Father, if thou be
willing, but his father wouldn't do it. Why? Substitution. He was crying that representing
me. He was crying that as me. You know what I deserve? To die. I deserve to die with all my
sin. Verse 41 says, And he was withdrawn
from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down and prayed,
saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto
him from heaven, strengthening him, and being in an agony, The word agony means great anxiety. And the word anxiety means worried
about what's going to happen next. Can you imagine that? Verse 44 says, in being in an
agony, he prayed more earnestly. That means intent without ceasing,
without ceasing. He prayed more earnestly and
his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to
the ground. He prayed about this, then he
prayed about it again, then he prayed about it again without
ceasing. Why would he pray again? Shouldn't he have known the end
from the beginning? Why would he beg for this? Isn't that the whole reason he
came? Didn't he just have a conversation
with Moses and Elijah about it? Why would he ask this of the
Father and then ask it again more earnestly than he did before? Why substitution? He gave his people his strength
and he took their weaknesses. He gave his people his faith. And he took their doubts and
their fears. God became a man for one glorious purpose only. Substitution. Turn with me over to Matthew
26. Matthew 26 verse 36 says, Then cometh Jesus with them unto
a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit
ye here while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and
the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful. That word means
distressed and sad. He began to be sorrowful and
very heavy. That means distressed of mind. Verse 38 says, Then said He unto
them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful. That means completely grieved,
intensely sad. My soul is exceeding sorrowful,
even unto death, tarry ye here and watch with me. And he went
a little further and fell on his face and prayed, saying,
Oh, my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will,
but as I will. Hebrews 12 says He did this for
the joy that was set before Him. Why was He so sad? Substitution. He was touched with the feeling
of our infirmities. And that word touched doesn't
mean, well, I'm touched. It means He was touched with
the feeling. of our infirmities. He was touched
by my sin. He did not just die on the behalf
of my sin. My sin touched Him. My sin touched Him. My sin really was nailed to the
cross. It was pressed into Him. Turn
to Mark 14. This thought is so holy, I can
hardly imagine it in my mind. Mark 14 verse 32 says, And they came to a place which
was named Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, Sit ye
here while I shall pray. And he taketh with him Peter
and James and John, and began to be sore amazed." That means
utterly astonished, filled with sudden surprise. It's unholy to even do that. Filled with sudden surprise. Verse 33, He taketh with him
Peter and James and John and began to be sore amazed and to
be very heavy and said unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful
unto death. according to the definitions
of the words that God put right here. This is what our God, Jesus
Christ, the man, is saying. I am so sad. I am so distressed. There is enough fear in me over
this to kill me right now. What caused all of this? What caused all of this? A sinner came to Him and said,
Will you cover my sins? Would you spread your skirt over
thine handmaid? If the law won't do it, yes I
will. Verse 34 says, And saith unto them, My soul
is exceeding sorrowful unto death, tarry ye here and watch. And
he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed
that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all
things are possible unto thee. Take away this cup from me. Take it away. Oh, if there's
anybody else, if there's any other way, let this not happen. Father, let this not happen. Oh, God. And Lord, I say this
fearfully. I'm afraid. I'm distressed. Let this not
happen. That is exactly what I would
have said. That is exactly what I would have
said right then and there. Lord, I'm afraid. Let this not
happen. If he had been any other way
during that hour, he wouldn't have been me. You know that? Moses said, show
me your glory. And he said, I will be merciful. It's my glory. How high he is,
is how glorious he is. How low he went, is how glorious
he is. Go with me now to Hebrews 5. Hebrews 5, look at verse 7, "...who in the days of his flesh,
when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong
crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death,
and was heard in that he feared, though he were a son Yet learned
he obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect,
he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him, called of God and high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Naomi told Ruth, Sit still, my
daughter. For the man will not be in rest
until he have finished the thing this day. He will not rest until
the cry goes forth, tis done, the great transaction's done. I am my Lord's and He is mine. He will not rest until it's done. You just sit and wait. I want to sing that song. It's
207. Let's stand together.