Ruth chapter 4. The time of message is the cross,
the change, and the charge. We'll be looking at the first
12 verses here. Now we've seen Christ, our kinsman, redeemer,
pictured in Boaz through this book. And at this point, we're
out here in chapter 4, Boaz has already entered a covenant betrothing
Ruth to himself. It's like they're engaged. He's
promised that He will redeem her if that near kinsman doesn't
redeem her. He's unable or unwilling to redeem
her. God chose a people in Christ
before the world was, and Christ entered into that covenant. He
betrothed us to himself to provide for us, to own us, to care for
us, to love us. And all that was done in that
love that he had for his people and that honor that he had for
his father. But for Boaz and Ruth, a near
kinsman still had claim on her. Someone was closer to Ruth than
Boaz was. Someone had first right of claim.
That was that law of God. His holy law had claim on us. And the Lord had to deal with
that. The law of God must be honored. It must be upheld by
Christ. He must redeem us from that curse
of the law. That he might marry us. He might
raise up children from us. and for His namesake and for
His inheritance, for His glory. So Boaz, it says there in verse
18 of chapter 3, is not going to rest until he's finished that
work, until he's dealt with this near kinsman. Christ was made
flesh and he would not rest until he hung on that cross and he
cried, it is finished. He completed that work for us.
Now on that cross, Christ redeemed His people from the curse of
the law so that now we belong to Him and He did it before many
witnesses. Many witnesses. Now let's look
here in Ruth chapter 4 and verse 1. 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, Ho, such a
one, turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside and sat down.
And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Set ye
down here. And they sat down. Now the gate
of the city was the public place that the Lord chose where His
law was to be honored. According to God's own commandment,
in the gate The judges were to publicly judge the people and
with that just judgment, according to God's holy, good, and just
law. That's where He met them. Let's
look over Deuteronomy chapter 16. Deuteronomy 16, we'll look in verse 18. Deuteronomy 16, 18. Judges and
officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord
thy God giveth thee throughout any thy tribes, and they shall
judge the people with just judgment. Thou shalt not rest judgment,
thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift, for a gift
doth blind the eyes of the wise and pervert the words of the
righteous. There's no bribery taking place
here. It's justice. Verse 20, that which is altogether
just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live and inherit
the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Now this gates a
picture of that cross at Calvary. God chose that cross to be the
most public place where His judgment was settled towards His people
in His Son. Boaz going up to that gate and
calling that near kinsman and those 10 elders is a picture
of Christ going up to the cross in that most public way, submitting
Himself under the law to be judged of God in just judgment. The reason 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. There was a lot of witnesses.
Everybody saw it. Everybody knew it. That's why
Paul was telling that king, he said, the king knoweth of these
things before whom I speak freely, for I am persuaded that none
of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done
in a corner. This wasn't hidden. This isn't
a quiet thing. This is a public thing that took
place. That which Boaz is doing is the most public way he could
do it and that's the way it had to be done. The Lord's Word commanded
it. He had to do it before all so
that Boaz could lawfully and honorably take Ruth to be his
bride. That's why Christ went to the
cross. He publicly addressed that law, honored God's law,
and He took us lawfully, honorably, and willingly as His bride. It
had to happen that way. When one was found guilty, if
you're still there in Deuteronomy, look over page Deuteronomy 17.
When one was found guilty, the gate is the place where God said
they were to be put to death so that justice of the law could
be upheld. Look here in Deuteronomy 17,
5. Then shalt thou 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. Many people, they like to, they
have the public gates In modern religion, they like to expose
everyone's sin and puff themselves up and put somebody else down.
Well, you're not doing the way you ought to be doing. You're
not living the way you ought to be living. If you honor God's word, you
got stoned to death. That don't happen in our culture,
does it? I guess they honor parts of the law. They always honor
the part of the law that's easiest. The Sabbath is what's popular in
our day and age. Well yeah, sit down and rest.
Don't do nothing. I can watch TV pretty. I don't see them out
doing all the other stuff. That's what the Lord required.
That's where the punishment took place was at this gate. And someone
that was condemned there had to die. Now the cross was a public
place for God and judgment poured out all of his judgment on Christ
who died to glorify God and redeem his people from the curse of
the law. There in Romans 3 it says, to declare I say at this
time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier
of him which believeth in Jesus. There in Isaiah 45 it says, there
is no God else beside me, a just God and a Savior. There is none
beside me. He won't be bribed. He won't
be turned. He's just. He's holy. Now I know
here in our text there's no bloodshed in this picture, but just look
in top that gospel of substitution and Boaz that he's doing for
Ruth and Naomi before the law and the judges. Ruth and Naomi
were supposed to go to the gate of judgment. Before the near
kinsmen and before those 10 elders, for those 10 commandments, what
Boaz did here going to this gate. Morally, that was the right thing
to do. Ceremonially, that's what we were told to do. And he had
10 witnesses. He had the mosaic law with him.
It was all fulfilled on behalf of his bride, on behalf of his
people. Now I've lost my place. Bear
with me. I've told you all before, each
of God's elect must bear just judgment before God, just as
those who perish in their sins, because the curse of the law
has a claim on us because of our fall in Adam. And we're either
going to stand before the Lord in judgment and bear it ourselves
or Christ bore it on that cross at Calvary for us as our substitute,
as our mediator in our place. He went alone when he went to
that cross in the place of his people. He alone laid himself
under the judgment of God in the room instead of his people
on our behalf. That's why we read so often there
in 2 Corinthians, 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. This is the picture in our text.
Boaz is answering and upholding the law that he might lawfully
redeem Naomi and Ruth and take Ruth to be his bride. There in
Galatians 3 it 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. So what we see here in our text,
in Ruth 4, the beginning of it, there is a picture of Christ
going to the cross. Boaz going to that gate, dealing
with the law, dealing with our near kinsmen, one that had claim
on us. But then there was an exchange there. Look here in
verse 3, Ruth chapter 4 verse 3, here's the change. And he
said unto the kinsman, Naomi that has 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 and before the elders of my people.
If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it. But if thou wilt not redeem
it, then tell me that I may know, for there is none to redeem it
besides thee, and I am after thee." And he said, I will redeem
it. Then said Boaz, he thought he
was buying a piece of land. Here's a poor widow woman, had
no defense, no advocate, No man to take care of her. No children
there to stick up for her. And she's destitute. And she's
got a piece of land she's going to sell. Now here's this rich
businessman. You've got 100 acres out here in Hamul. I'll give
you $10 an acre. I'll buy it. We'll get a good
deal. Look here in verse 5. Then said
Boaz, what day thou buy'st the field of the hand of Naomi, Thou
must buy also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise
up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the kinsman
said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance. Redeem thou my right to thyself,
for I cannot redeem it. The near kinsman had the first
right to redeem by the law. He had to be dealt with before
Boaz could lawfully redeem Ruth. And in this, the near kinsman's
a picture of the law. The law that had to be honored
because God's elect fell on Adam. That law had first claim on us
in the sense that justice had to be satisfied. God's holiness
had to be upheld. And when the near kinsman there
heard Naomi was selling it, He was willing to take it out of
Naomi's hands. He was willing to buy it at a good price. The
law of God is holy. It's just and it's good, but
we are carnal. We're sold under sin. All the
law can do to a sinner is take from us. If we think we've earned
a righteousness by the law, the law is going to take it from
us and declare us guilty. If we think we brought forth
fruit by works of the law, the law is going to take it from
us and declare us guilty. Worthless, sinful fruit. Paul
thought he had life by keeping this law. He said, I was under
that law and I had life. But the commandment came. He
understood that law. The Lord revealed what that law
required. Not just an outward show, not
just a form of religion. He touched him in the heart.
He said, inwardly is what I require. And Paul said, sin revived and
I died. He was made aware of that. And
the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death.
That law doesn't give life. It takes life. Also notice when
the kinsman heard that he must buy also of Ruth the Moabitess,
the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon
his inheritance, the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for
myself lest I mourn my own inheritance. The near kinsman demonstrates
the inability of the law to save a sinner. The law cannot produce
life in a sinner, nor forgive sin in a sinner, nor give mercy
without marring its own justice. Just like we saw there in Deuteronomy
16. There's no bribes can be taking place. No influence can
be had. It must be just. It must remain
holy and remain upheld. So Paul told us there in Galatians
3 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 should have
been by the law. That wasn't the purpose. That
law was a servant of Christ as a schoolmaster to bring us to
Him. That's its purpose. So the near kinsman said, I cannot
redeem. But he bore witness that Boaz
could redeem his right from him. And that's our gospel. What's
that law declare? I'm dead. It can't give me life. I can't give a righteousness
by that law. But it says he can't. There's
the one that's rightfully honored, rightfully able, rightfully willing
to redeem me, to satisfy that law. That law is completely satisfied
in him. Paul said in Romans 3, but now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. The law declares that he's just,
declares that he's the rightful redeemer. Even the righteousness
of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and
upon all that believe. So when Boaz redeemed Ruth himself,
lawfully, the law was upheld, and a confirmed change took place. Look here in verse 7, Ruth 4,
7. Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning
redeeming and concerning changing. For to confirm all things, a
man plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor. And
this was a testimony in Israel. Therefore, the kinsman said unto
Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe. According
to the law there in Deuteronomy 25, it was a sign of shame and
disgrace when the brother would not build up his dead brother's
house. His brother passed away and he
didn't take on his wife, on that widow, and raise children up
for him through her. It was a shame and disgrace.
So the woman was to come forth at the gate and loosed his shoe
and spit in his face. That was the punishment for him
that wouldn't redeem him. And he was to be called in there
in Israel, the house of him that hath his shoe loosed. That was
in Deuteronomy 25. And that was a great shame and
a great dishonor. But here, not only does Ruth...
Ruth doesn't come to that gate. Ruth doesn't spit in that near
kinsman's face, the nearer kinsman. The nearer kinsman took off his
own shoe. and gave it to Boaz and by this
he's confirming that that transaction was done and bore testimony that
Boaz had redeemed Ruth righteously and now she was his. And no shame
and no dishonor came on that near kinsman. Why was that? Christ
did not come to dishonor the law but to magnify the law. uphold
and fulfill it. That's why he came. The Lord
is well pleased for his righteousness sake. He will magnify the law
and make it honorable. Why did the near kinsman take
off his shoe before Boaz? He was confirming that he could
not redeem Boaz. He could not redeem, but Boaz
could and did redeem her. Now remember when Moses stood
before Christ in the burning bush, Moses typified the law.
Christ our kinsman redeemer. So Moses willingly took off his
shoe for Christ, recognizing that the law was a servant of
Christ and it was Christ who successfully redeemed his people.
God's holy law was given to be the servant of Christ like that
schoolmaster, to shut our mouths and declare us guilty before
God until Christ comes and reveals in our hearts that He was the
one that honored the law and redeemed His people from its
curse, that we might be justified by faith in Him. But after we're
given faith, we're no longer under that law, just as the near
kinsman no longer had any right to Ruth after Boaz bought her. In Galatians 3, 24 it says, Wherefore
the law is our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we
might be justified by faith. But after that faith has come,
we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus. There in Acts 13 it says, And
by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye
could not be justified by the law of Moses. Believers have
submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God, for Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth."
Now, the law is a witness to Christ. So, there's going to
be the charge. Let's look here in Ruth chapter
4, verse 9. We've seen the cross where He
met it, the exchange that took place. Here's the charge. Ruth
4.9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are
witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's,
and all that was Chileon's and Melon's of the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess,
wife of Melon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the
name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead will
not be cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of
his place, ye are witnesses this day. And all the people that
were in the gate and the elders said, we are witnesses. The Lord
make the woman that has come unto thine house like Rachel
and like Leah, which too did build the house of Israel, and
do thou worthily in Ephrata. and be famous in Bethlehem, and
let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar barren to
Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this
young woman." The ten elders were charged by Boaz to bear
witness that Boaz had redeemed Ruth like the Ten Commandments,
representing that whole law of God, all of it, bear witness
that Christ did redeem His people. It's finished. It's complete
in Him. All the people who saw the redemption
were charged to bear witness like as Christ causes all His
witnesses to declare Christ is a successful Redeemer of His
bride, of His church. Christ arose triumphant. God
bearing witness that Christ our Redeemer satisfied justice and
purchased His people for Himself. Now like Boaz, Christ charges
his witnesses and we all bear witness that he indeed accomplished
the redemption of his people. The law and the prophets bear
witness of Christ's faith declaring that Christ is the righteousness
of God who redeemed his people. 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.
And Christ sends His redeemed that good news. When He comes
to His people and He tells you in your heart, He purchased you.
He marries us to Himself. He creates life in us and He
puts His name upon us. We take His name so that His
name will never be cut off. And He gives us all that He purchased
for us. Like that prodigal son, he says,
bring forth the best robe and put it on him. Put on a ring
on his hand and shoes on his feet. But it will not be the
shoe of the law. That won't be put on us. Instead,
He'll shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel. We
wear the shoes of liberty and sonship in our great redeemer. John told us in John 8, 36, If
the Son, therefore, shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
If He does it, it's done forever, permanently. Now just imagine
Ruth. Here Boaz, you talk about a man,
here Boaz did everything right. He upheld the law to a T, went
boldly before many witnesses, claimed her, was able to claim
her, was willing to claim her. And he comes back and he says,
this is yours. You're mine and anything that's
mine is yours. Talk about a relief, I mean destitute.
There's a homeless girl out just picking scraps of corn out of
a field, picking barley out of a field, about to starve to death.
And the richest man in town, richest man in the country comes
and said, I've done it all for you. You're mine and everything
I have is yours and we're together forever. I pray that the Lord
would come to his Ruth Wherever she is in this area, in this
part of the world, He would come to His elect and say, I've done
everything for you. Show us we're homeless, we're
destitute, have no ability, and say, I've satisfied that law,
I've honored God, and you're mine. And in my name, me giving
you my name, you've done it too. That's what the Father says.
Amen. I hope that was a blessing to
you. Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, Lord, allow
us to see Your holiness. Allow us to see how just You
are and let us praise Christ that justified us. Lord, thank
You for sending Your Son. Forgive us our sin. Forgive us
for what we are, Lord. Allow us to cling to Him. Honor
Him in all things that He deserves glory in all. Lord, be with our
brethren that are suffering. Comfort them. Be with brother
Bob. Perform Your will in him and give him the grace to be
thankful in Your will. Be with our brother Mark as he
suffers and Gwen. Comfort them, Lord, as only You
can. It's a gross thing that we ask. Amen.