Ruth chapter two, beginning at verse one. Now we've seen how Ruth, from Moab, brought up in idolatry, sin, just like we all are by nature. Even us in the United States, Ruth, she was the Moabitess. And it keeps reminding us of that, like in verse two of chapter two, in Ruth the Moabitess.

As she'd already been under the power of God to bring her to see the true and living God, the God of Israel, and the kinsman redeemer that we've talked about here, and we're gonna really be introduced to the kinsman redeemer through a man named Boaz, who married Ruth, we'll see that. Ruth had been brought to faith in the promised Messiah of the God of Israel. And she left her home. She left Moab, that country of idolatry, and went with Naomi back to Bethlehem in Israel.

Now, understand now, there was idolatry and sin in Israel. In fact, one of the indictments that God brings to that nation throughout their history is that they failed to keep the covenant of the law, which that covenant, all of us would have failed there. You understand that. You know, people, people who look back on the Old Testament and they look down on Israel for their idolatry and their sin, don't realize that that's us by nature.

And the reason the law was given was not as a way of salvation. God knew they wouldn't keep the law. Why did he give it? He gave it to show them their sinfulness and the impossibility of salvation by their works of the law. And to drive them to his promise of salvation by grace through the promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And that's why, you remember, I think we cited this passage last week where Christ standing before the Pharisees who claimed to be keepers of the law, they claimed to be righteous by their works. They weren't. He told them, he says, you do indeed appear righteous unto men, but inwardly you're not. That's, again, that's an indictment against all of us by nature based on our works. You understand? But he told him, he says, you search the scriptures, for indeed you think you find eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. He said Moses wrote of me.

Moses, the lawgiver, the mediator of that covenant, that old covenant, Moses did not seek salvation by his works of the law. He looked to Christ. And Christ was revealed in that covenant through mainly the ceremonial law, the sacrifices, the priesthood, the lambs that were slain, the blood, the atonement, that kind of thing, the mercy seat, the tabernacle. So that law was never given to be a way of salvation.

So understand that now. One of the things, I think it's in the book of Ezekiel, but it might've been, it's either Jeremiah or Ezekiel or both, but God's indictment through the prophets to Israel is that when you witnessed your state and your religion to other countries, you failed to honor God. You sought to honor yourselves. And that's the problem with false religion, even false Christianity. It's more about honoring men and women than it is about honoring Christ.

But when Naomi went back to Israel, She was returning back to the promised land. And that's what she should have done. Her and Elimelech should have never left there, but they did. And that was all within God's providence because God had a sheep down there named Ruth. And he brought her back.

So here she came back with Naomi. And Naomi had lost all, her and Elimelech, they left in riches as a landowner, but they lost everything they had. They were totally destitute now. And so they came back and you remember her friends that remembered Naomi. Remember they looked at her and they said, is this Naomi?

Is this really her? Because she had gone so downhill in her depravity and her age and the trouble that she had gone through. that she didn't really look like herself. And remember what she said? She said, don't call me Naomi. The word, the name Naomi means pleasant. She said, call me Mara. That means bitter. And she said, cause the Lord had dealt with her bitterly. So her and Ruth returned to Israel. She returned to Israel. Ruth went with her. And it was the beginning of the barley harvest. It was springtime. And that's the time of life. So that's all indicative of the blessings that God is about to give them freely, not conditionally. So look at verse one of chapter two.

It says, and Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth. That's what I titled this lesson. And it said, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz. You might have in your concordance, if you have one, that the name Boaz means called, called of God. So Naomi had a kinsman. Now you remember this is the whole theme of the book of Ruth, that in order to be redeemed, in order to be brought back to the wealth that she lost because of her husband Elimelech taking them to Moab, that land of idolatry, they had to find a kinsman redeemer.

And Boaz is that kinsman redeemer. Now there are other kinsmen we're gonna see later on, but right now just concerned with Boaz. And what you'll see is Boaz here is a type, a picture, even a prophecy of Christ, who is our kinsman redeemer in salvation. That's what he is. And it describes him as a mighty man of wealth.

Now in order for Naomi to be brought back out of her poverty and her depravity and all of her destitute state, You had to find a kinsman redeemer. So there's three qualifications here that Boaz had to have. He had to be a kinsman, and he was through Elimelech, through that family. So Naomi was kin to him.

Secondly, he had to be able to pay the redemption price to bring them back to wealth. Get their land back and their wealth back and all that. So he had to be a kinsman. He had to be wealthy. And then thirdly, he had to be willing to do it. That's the three qualifications of a kinsman redeemer. And what we're going to find is that Boaz was all three.

He was a kinsman in the flesh with Naomi and he had the money, he had the property, he had the wealth, the power to redeem Naomi and Ruth, who was a kinsman of his by marriage, and he was willing to do so. We find that he fell in love with Ruth, and he was willing to do so. And isn't that the way with our kinsman redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ?

First of all, he was appointed by God the Father before the foundation of the world to be the kinsman of his elect. All whom God chose were given to him, and he had to be the kinsman. He actually was the kinsman, first of all, by election and by adoption.

Look over at Ephesians chapter one. And this all took place, and you think about it, it's no time issue at all here. This all was in place in the mind of God forever. Look at verse three of chapter one of Ephesians one. He says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Now listen to this, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children, God's children, by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved in Christ, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." That's the kinsman redeemer. And then Christ became the kinsman redeemer in time when he was conceived in the womb of the virgin by the Holy Spirit and born and united to his humanity.

And let me show you this. Turn to Hebrews chapter two. Hebrews chapter two. You know the Bible says, that there's one mediator between God and men. There's one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. So he was perfect man and he became so in the incarnation, the word made flesh and dwelt among us, but he was more than man. He's God man, God manifest in the flesh.

And look at verse 14 of Hebrews chapter two. It says here, for as much then as the children, remember those children who were the reality in God's mind, the Father's mind before the world began, whose names were written in the Lamb's book of life, who's the burden of their salvation, the conditions for their salvation, laid upon Christ, the second person of the Trinity, the kinsman redeemer. And it says, for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, which we are, he, Christ, also himself, likewise took part of the same, flesh and blood.

Now we were born in sin. We fell in Adam. We were born spiritually dead and depraved. But Christ was born of a virgin. He was conceived of the spirit and born of the virgin. And his human nature, human body and human soul was sinlessly perfect. He had no sin, he knew no sin.

But he had to take part of flesh and blood because the ones whom he was sent to save were flesh and blood. And he had to be our kinsman in that sense. So it says, so he also took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, that is he might destroy the devil and his accusations of condemnation. And it says, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, he didn't come to save angels, he came to save human beings, the elect. But he took on him the seed of Abraham. Now who's the seed of Abraham? The seed of Abraham, we're told in Galatians chapter three, are all who come to faith in Christ. That's the sheep, that's the church, that's the elect.

And he says in verse 17, wherefore in all things it behooved him, he was indebted, what's that mean? To be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

There's the kinsman redeemer. So back here in Ruth chapter two, Boaz comes on the scene here as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. who is the near kinsman of all of God's children. And I've got in your lesson here, Christ is our near kinsman by election, adoption, and then by incarnation, all of these things. Now, his person, being both God and man in one person, and that's mind-boggling, I know it, but that's the uniqueness, and that's the power of Jesus Christ to save us through his death, his life, death, burial, and resurrection. His person makes him the one and only mighty man of wealth. But he's more than man, he's God-man, so understand that.

Our kinsman redeemer. He provided everything necessary. He did everything necessary. He put away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself, our sins having been imputed to Him. And He died to pay the penalty. He brought forth an everlasting righteousness which the Father has imputed to all of His people so that we're justified in Him.

And all the infinite value and power and worth of salvation lies solely within the work, the person and work of our kinsman redeemer. And that's not overstating it. In fact, that's probably not saying enough about it. But that's what happened. In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him.

All right, let's go back to Ruth chapter two. Now I'll go a little faster through these others, Look at verse two. It says, and Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, let me now go to the field and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And Naomi said unto her, go my daughter. Now, I know we use that word grace loosely sometimes. And I said last week, I said everybody and their mother sings Amazing Grace and you wonder, do they really know what grace means?

Romans 5.21 is a verse that I like awful lot. I like them all, I know that, but there's some verses, you know, just kind of hit you and you say, man, I want to remember that one.

And what it says, it says that as sin hath reigned unto death, sin deserves death. In other words, if you're a sinner, if you've ever committed any sin, which you have, we fell in Adam, that's enough. All sinned in Adam. We've all sinned personally. That sin deserves death. So even as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

That's what grace is. Grace is salvation all conditioned on Christ who by himself as our kinsman redeemer fulfilled all those conditions and secured the salvation and eternal glory of all of his kinsmen, all of his people. And God says, I'll be gracious to whom I will, I'll be merciful to whom I will. It's not of him that runneth, nor of him that willeth, but of God that showeth mercy. But think about that. God has sovereignly determined the means by which he saves his children, and it's on the ground of the obedience unto death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

His blood, his righteousness, all of it, And when He arose from the dead, now this is what people miss today. It's not just showing His power to give life. He showed that when He created the world. He showed that when He made Adam and Eve and put them on the earth. God can bring life out of death. He can create life.

But the resurrection of Christ was meant to show that he can conquer sin all the way. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. And he is the only, the only atoning work, atonement for sin. And there's nobody else who can put away sin. You remember when Cain rejected the gospel, and rejected God's way of salvation through the substitutionary work of a redeemer, indicated in the slaying of a lamb and making coats of skin. When Cain rejected that, what did the Lord tell him?

Basically, you're on your own, buddy. There's nothing else you can do. You have sin, sin is like a roaring lion at your door ready to devour you and you've got it to deal with now. And you can't do anything about it. God's way is the only way. And it's grace. And man's work has nothing to do with the putting away of sin. Now man's works in the gospel, in grace, are the fruit of the power and goodness and grace of God. That's what they are. For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, not because of, unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

But when it comes to the ground of salvation, the putting away of sin, the accomplishment of righteousness which we must have, It is all Jesus Christ, our kinsman redeemer. So here's Ruth. She says, let me now go to the field and glean ears, after him in whose sight I shall find grace. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, didn't he? Ruth found it too. That's what it's about. And that's why Christ says, as our savior, as our redeemer, as our kinsman redeemer, as our mediator, he says, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Look at verse three. It says, and Ruth went and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers, And her hap, notice this, her hap, that's just a Shakespearean way of talking about happenstance or luck. But we don't believe in luck, do we? I don't, you don't either, not if you believe the Bible. But this is the uncanny way of seeing the glory and power of God.

It says, her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz. Now apparently Ruth didn't know exactly where Boaz's field was. It was a big field and there were other gleaners there. And it said, she happened to land on that field of Boaz who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

The thing about it is, you know, there's an illustration about how man looks at things and how God looks at things. And it's like a tapestry. You've seen tapestries that have these beautiful colors and scenes and everything fits together like a plan. Well, if you turn that over and look at the bottom of the tapestry, all you see is just a mess of colors and all of that. You think, well, there's no pattern. Well, looking at the bottom of the tapestry, that's the way we see things. Looking at the top of the tapestry, that's the way God organized it.

So Ruth, she didn't know exactly where to go on the barley field here. But this was no accident. And I've got in your lesson, this was no accident or act of luck. This was God's divine providence. He purposed and determined before the foundation of the world to bring this woman here. and bring her where she needed to be.

Remember now, Ruth, always remember this, Ruth was in the human line of Jesus Christ. You read it in Matthew chapter one. And there's a lot of significance to that. First of all, it's a testimony that God God uses sinful people to accomplish his purpose. If you don't believe that, then go back to your Bible in Romans 8, 28 and mark that verse out, because you don't believe that.

I believe it. All things work together for good to them that love God, who are the called according to his purpose. Why do all things work together? Not because we're working them. It's because God's working them. This is what's happening here. This is all going according to plan. This is the God as Ephesians 1 11 says, worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

That's why Elimelech and Naomi went down to Moab. That's why they found Ruth. That's why Ruth was brought back. Ruth found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And look at verse four, it says, and behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said unto the reapers, the Lord be with you. And they answered him, the Lord bless thee. And then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, whose damsel is this? Who is this woman?

He caught Ruth in his eye. He noticed her. He didn't know she was gonna be there. But now, you know, whenever you deal with types and pictures, you know there are points in that relationship that don't fit, that break down. Christ, he knew his sheep. He knew where they were, he knows who we are. He said that in John chapter 10. I know my sheep, my sheep hear my voice. But what we're seeing here is the work of God coming together to accomplish his sovereign will. to bring Ruth into this family by the kinsman-redeemer Boaz, and out of that union is going to come the lineage, the flesh, the human lineage of Jesus Christ to bring the Messiah into the world. So he said, whose damsel is this? Well, aren't you glad that Christ knows your name?

He said that, oh he knows the heathen too, but he doesn't know them in electing, saving, redeeming love. That's how he knows his people. Remember he told the false preachers in Matthew 7, depart from me ye that work iniquity, I never knew you. He knew their names, he knew their hearts. He knew who they were. But He didn't know them like He knows His chosen people, His sheep.

You know, a lot of times the word know, when it is describing the saving relationship between God and His people, it's describing it like a marriage. And I know you ladies here, but I don't know you like I know my wife, because we're in a marriage relationship.

And that's what Christ is saying about all this. It's a knowledge of love that binds them together, and it can never be broken. And he cares for us. He's the bride, the church is the bride, and he's the bridegroom. He's the husband, we're the wife. We'll look at verse six.

It says, and the servant that was sent over the reapers answered and said, it is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab. Applied to us, it's like saying, oh, he's just an old sinner. He doesn't deserve your time. He doesn't deserve your notice. Well, verse seven. And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came and hath continued even from morning until now. And she tarried a little in the house. And then said Boaz unto Ruth, hearest thou not my daughter?

Go not to glean in another field. Neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. Now what's he telling? Don't go anywhere else. You stay with me. And that's the way Christ is with his sheep when he finds them and brings them under the gospel. Don't go listen to a false gospel. Don't go to a church where they're not preaching real grace. You stay with me. That's what the kinsman redeemer does.

That's what he does. So in verse 9, he says, let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them. Have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? And when thou art thirst, go unto the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn. You stay with me. I'll protect you. And I'll give you water when you're thirsty. I'll feed you. I'll take care of you. And that's what Christ does with his people.