Turn with me, if you will, to
Ruth. This is going to be a bit of
a summation of everything that I've been teaching in the book
of Ruth. I titled the study, Filling in the Blanks. And that's
what I hope to do this morning. As we study the scriptures, there's
always lingering questions. You see a portion of Scripture,
and what's been told you, you receive that. You receive what
God's been pleased to give you. But then you look at it, and
there's some questions. There's some lingering questions.
And at best, the Scripture says we see through a glass dimly. There was a blind man over in
Mark chapter 8, And our Lord led him out of town. And in an
unusual fashion, he spit in his eyes. And then he touched him. And he said, how do you see now? You reckon the Lord didn't know
how he saw? He knew exactly how he saw. And
he said, I see men as trees. I see, you know, he was blind,
he didn't see anything. He said, I see, but I see me
in his trees. I just see the outline. I just
see, I don't see clearly. And then the Lord touched him
again. And then he saw things more clearly. Our Lord was not limited in his
healing power. healed the blind. He told blind
Bartimaeus that he granted him what he wanted, that he wanted
his sight, and he said, you have it. He didn't touch him, he didn't
do anything. He's not hindered in his power
to heal. He'd often give sight to the
blind, sometimes without touching them at all, and sometimes he'd
use some dirt salve, I call it. He'd just spit in the dirt and
take that softened dirt and anoint their eyes with it. But in every case, they all received
their sight upon his command. But his touching this man twice
indicates the Lord's hand in the believer giving to him a
progressive revelation of these things, of his gospel, of his
word, of these types and figures in the Old Testament. We grow
in grace, the scripture said, and knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ. We grow in that. I see a lot
of things now I didn't see in the beginning. Paul said, Now we have received
not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God,
that we might know the things freely given to us of God, which
things also we speak not in words which man's wisdom teacheth,
but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with
spiritual. We see more and more the harmony
of the Scriptures and the depth of these things that are preserved
for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures
might have hope. We see these things more and
more. The Holy Spirit compares spiritual things with spiritual
things and through the gospel we grow in grace and knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I've touched on some of these
things in our study of the book of Ruth, but as always there
are lingering questions, lingering questions. And when dealing with
Old Testament types, there's always the question of who typifies
what, and how such things find a place in the gospel of Christ. What do these things mean? Well,
we're given four prominent figures. There's a lot of people involved
in the Book of Ruth, but four prominent figures. in this story
of Ruth and the Kinsmen Redeemer. And I want us today to look at
each one and let me point out what I believe the Lord has shown
me concerning these typical men and women. Let me begin with
Boaz. Boaz is, without controversy,
he's a picture of Christ our Redeemer. You can't make anything
else out of Boaz. That's what he is. This whole
book is about the kinsman redeemer. You read about Boaz, Boaz Cain,
Boaz Redeemer, Boaz. He's the preeminent figure in
this book, Boaz. He's a picture of Christ in his
kinship. Redemption can only be made by
a near kinsman, and Christ is our near kinsman. as we were
chosen in Him and in time by His incarnation as a man, and
by the promise of God who made provision for redemption in Him,
and made all of these types, and even under the law, these
figures, to show Him, to show His work of redemption. That's
what it's all about. So Boaz is a picture of Christ
in His kinship, and secondly, he's a picture of Christ in His
name. Boaz's name means in him is strength. In him is strength. I can't do it. No, but with God
all things are possible. And Christ is God. And then thirdly,
he's a picture of Christ and his faithfulness. Boaz would
not, now listen to me, even for love, Boaz would not compromise
the law of God. And in that, he's a vivid picture
of the Lord Jesus Christ. With that great love, he loved
us, but he would not compromise God's justice and would not compromise
the law. I see also a man here who's faithful
with what is given to him of God. You remember there was a
rich man and he said, I know what I'm going to do. I'm going
to tear down my barns and build bigger barns. And I'm going to
fill them up. Because I've got the wisdom and
I've got the know-how. And I'm going to fill up the
barns and when I get them all full, I'm going to say, my soul,
be at ease. What does scripture say? Thou
fool. Thou fool. This man was faithful with all
that was given to him of God. He was a very wealthy man, tells
you that in the very beginning. And I see also this picture of
Christ in Boaz's riches. Everything that God did for us
by way of our union with Christ, he did, it says, that in the
ages to come he might show the exceeding riches riches of His
grace and His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. He's
God who's rich in mercy. He's going to show us something
of His riches. All the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge are hidden in Christ. He's going to show that to us.
So his kinship is typical of Christ. His name is typical of
Christ. His faithfulness is typical of
Christ. And his riches are typical of
Christ. And then fifthly, his authority is typical of Christ.
Let me tell you something about Boaz. He run the farm. Huh? He run the farm. Nobody else
run the farm. He run the farm. When he come
out, he didn't say, well, I guess this woman is from, no. He went
straight to his servant and he said, whose damsel is this? He run a farm, didn't he? Christ said all power is
given to me in heaven and earth, now you go preach my gospel.
And then sixthly, he's typical of Christ and his love for his
bride. This world fantasizes about God
loving the world and they put signs up saying that. But you
can't show me a single example of it anywhere in Scripture.
It ain't there. It comes to his high priestly
prayer. He's about to give himself, his life, a ransom. He's about
to accomplish redemption. And as our high priest, he comes
up before God and he said, I pray not for the world. Does that
sound to somebody like that loves the world? I pray not for the
world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine.
If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in
him. Does that sound like somebody who loves every man, woman, and
child in the world? The world passeth away in the
lust there. That's what the Lord said. Nothing
that God loves is going to pass away. Nothing. Boaz loved Ruth, and he'd have
her to be his bride. And because she was a Moabite
was no indication that he loved her nation or approved of her
nation's ways. See, that's what happens. That's
what happens when a natural man starts trying to contemplate
the wisdom of God. He gets all twisted up. He loved Ruth and redeemed Naomi's
whole house to have Ruth. He redeemed the whole church
that he might redeem me. And Boaz, he's typical Christ
in his accomplished redemption. He paid it all before witnesses,
and there could never be anything brought against the redeemed
again. And then the second figure in
the book of Ruth that I want us to look at this morning is
Naomi. Naomi is a picture of the church
extant. I hope I'm pronouncing that right. I'm not an English professor. Well, what does that mean? That
means the church surviving, remaining, undestroyed, the church extant. God's church is His elect in
Christ, and Adam is as much the bride of Christ as Peter, Paul,
or John, or you, or me. I don't recall what church I
was in. I used to play my guitar and go from church to church
and sing and thought I was really doing something for the Lord.
And I don't recall what church I was in, but a man was talking
about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob coming to wait on tables for
the New Testament church, not being actually a part of it.
They were saved, but they weren't the bride. Huh? That's nuts. That's nuts. That's some intellectual man
trying to sit and look at the Scriptures
and the power of this flesh and understand them. That's what
that is. God's church is made up of His
elect from the beginning of creation to the end of it. But in the
Old Testament age, Christ had not yet come. He was only known
in type. He's known in figure. He's known
in promise and prophecy. The whole economy of the priesthood,
Hebrews 9.9, was a figure for the time then present. It was
all figurative. The priest, the sacrifice, the
tabernacle, it was all figurative of Christ. It's called in Hebrews
9, 23, patterns of things in the heavens, and in chapter 10,
shadows of good things to come. The Jews which were known both
then and now by the world as the elect of God, but both then
and now symbolic as the profession church. Naomi to me is a picture of the
Old Testament church whose religion was a family or a nation or however
you want to look at it, often called the house of Abraham or
the house of Jacob. So if you want to look at it
as a family you can. Abraham is our father. That's
what the Pharisees brag. So if you want to look at it
as a family or if you want to look at them as a nation. And they've been revealed for
what they are. The Lord did that when Christ
appeared. There is within that Israel,
though, a true Israel. In Romans chapter 9, Paul talks
about the Jews. And here's what he says, Romans
9, 6. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect,
for they are not all Israel which are of Israel, or which are of
Jacob. Neither because they are the
seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall
thy seed be called. The Lord told Abraham, he said,
I'm going to come, and in that day Sarah is going to have a
child. So he waited and waited and waited
and pretty soon he's getting old. Pretty soon he's about 15,
20 years older than I am right now. And they'd already worked it
out how they were going to have this child and fulfill that promise
and that wasn't it. But when the time came, around
100 years old, he went in to Sarah and she had a child. And
that child was the son of promise. No doubt about it. And he said,
that's the true Israel, is the son of promise. From those who
could not possibly produce a child, a child will be born. Well, what's all that mean? Well, watch
this. Verse 8, Romans 9. They which
are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of
God. But the children of the promise
are counted for the seed. So in the book of Ruth, Naomi
being the wife of a professing believer is left penniless because
of her disobedient husband. Her whole family turned out to
be diseased. Cursed of God! A Limelech, her
husband died, and then her son died, and then her other son
died. You see what I'm saying? Israel is being revealed for
what it is, in the Old Testament. But within that nation, there
is God's elect, and that's Naomi. Her husband, Limelech, his name
means God is my king. He had God's name in his mouth
and in his profession but not in his heart. That's old Israel.
And I'm looking at the Jews as a professing body of believers
and one by one they begin to die. It's waxing old and the
Lord said he's getting ready to set it aside. And that type,
as it were, began to fade away, and at the same time Christ was
being manifested, and that as a man redeeming his church and
entering into a union with a Gentile bride. That's what Peter preached on
the day of Pentecost, and 3,000 souls said, I get it! I see it! That's what was going on here.
Naomi's a picture of the church at the manifestation of redemption. And she has nothing, yet gains
everything. She experiences both her and
Ruth's redemption together. Jew and Gentile, Debbie. God
said, I've concluded all unto sin. All done. And she becomes
nurse. to the offspring of her Redeemer.
The Old Testament prophecies are the foundation of the New
Testament hope. We're built on the foundation
of the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief cornerstone. Now let me read you a few verses
from Romans chapter 16. Romans 16 beginning with verse
23. This is Paul preaching. And he
said, Now to him that is of power to establish you according to
my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to
the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the
world began, but now is made manifest and by the scriptures
of the prophets, Huh? He's talking about the Old
Testament prophets again. According to the commandment
of the everlasting God made known to all nations for the obedience
of faith. What I'm preaching in Ruth is
commanded of God to be believed. That's what Paul says. What I'm
telling you about these types and figures, about the Old Testament
prophecies concerning faith, You're commanded of God to believe. And now as Zion prevails, sons
and daughters are born. We see the Old Testament church
embracing the Gentile bride and becoming nurse to those produced
by our Redeemer. The third character in the book
of Ruth is Ruth herself. Ruth is clearly a picture of
the heathen being brought to Christ and taken into an eternal
union with Him. She was brought up in idolatry.
She was raised worshiping. She knew not what. You remember
our Lord told that Samaritan woman. She had a little religion
under her belt. Been married four times, but
she was religious. Living in adultery, but she was
religious. And she was telling Christ. She
said, how is it that you being a Jew asked me for a drink of
water? He said, if you'd asked me, I'd have given you water
that you'd never thirst again. It'd be in you a well of water,
springing up into everlasting life. And she began to talk to
him a little bit. And she said, let me tell you
something. She said, you worship in Jerusalem. We worship out
here in these mountains. What did our Lord tell her? You
worship you know not what. Huh? Boy, that's my story. That's my story. That's exactly
how I was spitting out religious lingo from one end to the other.
I had no idea what I was talking about. And that's what the Lord
revealed to me. You worship you know not what.
You don't even know who God is. You don't know what the gospel
is. You don't know anything. You're just a religious nut.
Banging on a guitar trying to make an impression on men. Our Lord said to that woman,
you worship, you know not what. Anything goes. That's the heart
of false religion. Whatever man's imagination can
conceive, the people are willing to embrace it. The more ridiculous
it is, the more followers seem to go. And the most advanced
civilization in the ancient world, Egypt, people are still looking
at it, fascinated by their by what they had and what they were
able to do and their engineering and even they had sewer systems
and running water and they had all this stuff. The most advanced
civilization in the ancient world worshipped a dung beetle. One of the most powerful, influential
nations in history made an image out of iron built a fire inside
of it and laid their children in its red hard arms. My friend, you and I are pictured
in Ruth the Moabite, a people whose nation shall one day be
removed from history altogether. That's the story of Moab. But God, Paul said, who is rich
in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace
ye are saved, saved by that eternal union, saved by that election
of God, and hath raised us up together with Christ, and made
us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. that in the ages to come, he might show us the exceeding
riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
That's what was going on with Ruth. When I see Ruth, I see
a person overwhelmed with the love and mercy of God in her
redeemer. And she'd never again need anything
but his love to motivate her, and her gratitude would cause
her for the rest of her life to brag on her husband. Let me
tell you what Boaz did. Let me tell you where we met.
Let me tell you what he did for me. I was a beggar, and he made
me a princess. All right, so far we've looked
at Boaz, the type of Christ. We've looked at Naomi, the church
at the manifestation of accomplished redemption. We've looked at Ruth,
a sinner saved by grace, a Gentile heathen bearing the name of Boaz. That's Mrs. Boaz. Huh? Boaz sounds a lot better than
Ruth. I know it did to Ruth. And then the last picture we're
given is Naomi embracing Obed. Obed, his name means to serve
for one that serves. Obed is the offspring of the
Redeemer. And so he's pictured in the Word
of God being embraced in love and expectation by both Ruth
and Naomi, his whole church. What about this Obed? Obed is
the evidence of a future hope. Isn't that what they said? They understood what it meant.
Oh, they said, May this woman be unto you like Tamar was to
Judah. Judah had lost his seed forever
and he wasn't willing to sacrifice his only son to have it. Let thy house be like that of
Phares, whom Tamar bore unto Judah of the seed which the Lord
shall give thee of this young woman. Were it not for the seed
of Judah that came by way of Tamar, there would never have
been a Boaz. If it had not been for the seed
which the Lord gave by Boaz to Ruth, there would have been no
Obed, no Jesse, no David. No Joseph, no Mary, no Redeemer. Obed is the evidence of God's
hand in his church, paving the way for the coming Redeemer. But I think without stretching
the type too far, I see his existence being a figure of all those born
of God. all those born of God. So long
as there's one child of God to be embraced and become nursed
to, it's great evidence that God has another one on the way. Is it not? Religion needs a multitude to
rejoice. They only just needed one. Religion
requires buses and buildings to minister. Naomi just used
her arms. Oh, may the Lord teach this poor
excuse for a preacher to embrace and become nurse to the seed
of our Redeemer. Oh, what a privilege.