So, turn with me to Ruth. Turn
with me to Ruth. I always like to think that I
come up with some of these on my own, but really, truth be
told, I have to thank Mr. Hawker, I have to thank Mr. Whitfield, I have to thank Mr. Philpott, I have to thank Mr. Ryle, Mr. Spurgeon, because I
read so many daily exercises and I get so much from them.
It's like, wow, and this is one of those. Ruth chapter 3. Ruth
chapter 3. Now, I'm sure we're familiar with
Ruth, the story of Ruth. It begins obviously in chapter
1. There's this man called Elimelech
and his wife Naomi. And they have two sons. They
leave their home, Bethlehem, and go to Moab. So they're going
outside. They're going to a strange land.
Moabites. That's Gentiles. And the two
sons marry two Moabite women. One of them's name is Ruth, and
the other is found in verse 4, Orpah. Naomi's husband dies when they're
in Moab. Then her two sons die. And she
says, basically, I left full and now I'm empty. The Lord has
dealt bitterly. She uses the word bitter. The
Lord has dealt bitterly with me. She says, I'm going to go
back home. I'm going back to Bethlehem.
And Oprah, or Opa, And Ruth, they go with her for a little
ways, and she turns and says, stay here amongst your people.
Find other husbands. Well, I don't have anything for
you. And Orpah kisses her and goes back to Moab. But Ruth,
this is who we're going to look at. Ruth, listen to what she
says. In verse 15, Naomi says, Behold,
your sister-in-law has gone back unto her people and unto her
gods. Return thou after thy sister-in-law. Now Ruth said, Entreat me, or
don't be against me. Do not leave me, or to return
from following after thee. For whither you go, I will go. And where you lodge, I will lodge.
Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where you
die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to
me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." And
when Naomi saw that she was steadfast, steadfastly minded to go with
her, she left off speaking. So now you've got Naomi going
back to Bethlehem and you've got Ruth. She comes back to Bethlehem and
they said, oh, this is Naomi. And she says in verse 20 of chapter
1, don't call me Naomi, which is pleasant, but call me Myra,
that is bitter, for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with
me. So there's the setting, there's
the backdrop. Ruth is with Naomi. She says,
I'm going to go out in the fields and see if I can't get some corn
that when they glean they leave some extra stuff and I'm going
to go pick it up and that will come back and we'll have food. So she goes and then she's introduced
to one path crossed with one boas. He's our Redeemer. He's called in this book the
near kinsman. He's a kinsman Redeemer. So he
pictures Christ. So Ruth tells him, Naomi says,
what's the name of that man? He says, Boaz. She says, oh,
he's a kinsman. So she tells Ruth what to do. Go back and do these certain
things. We're going to pick this up in
chapter 3. In Ruth 3, verse 16. And when Ruth came to Naomi,
her mother-in-law, she said, Who art thou my daughter? And
she told her all that the man had done to her. He showed her
kindness. He told his servants, don't molest her, leave her alone. And don't glean quite as good
as you normally do. Leave some extra handfuls of
purpose is what it's called. So he's dealing kindly with her.
So the mother-in-law, Naomi says, in Boaz says, don't go empty
to your mother-in-law. So we pick up in verse 18. This
is Naomi speaking to Ruth. This is the church speaking to
every individual believer. Sit still, my daughter, until
thou know how the matter will fall. Providence is going on
here. It goes on all the time. The wisdom of God in us allows
us to see His providential care for us. Naomi, she knows something
is going to happen. She says, sit still until you know how the matter
will fall. And then she says this, for the
man will not be in rest until he has finished the thing this
day. The man, Boaz, he will not rest
until he has finished the work. Let's look at this for our use
in edification. If we have been given grace to
seek the face of God as Ruth was, she says, I'm not going
back to my people. I'm going to be with you, I'm
going to serve you, I'm going to serve your God." Oh, what to God, our children would
say that. They said, Mom, Dad, I'm following
you and I want to know your God. And that's when you sit down
anyway, but you sit down. Oh, to hear that from our children's
lips. To hear that from our neighbor's lips. To hear that perhaps from
our parents' lips. our brothers and sisters according
to the flesh. But if God has given you grace
to seek the face of God as Ruth was in her seeking Boaz, and
if it is so, it's all by God's free and sovereign electing grace
to usward, then I'll tell you we are assured of a fruitful
and profitable result such as our sister Ruth was. Now we're
not there yet, but we know the end of the story. We know the
marriage union, Boaz and Ruth, and he takes her in. Our end
will be as Ruth's end was, which we find in another place described
in a sense in Proverbs chapter 3. It says in verse 13, happy
is the man, happy is the woman that finds wisdom. That's Christ. In this case it's Boaz and the
man that gets understanding. And in verse 17 it says, her
ways, Boaz's ways, wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness and
all her paths are peace. Wouldn't you say that's Ruth's
end? Jumping forward, we know the story because it's written
by inspiration. Wasn't all of Ruth's ways, because
she sought after wisdom, she sought after Christ, the Gospel,
not many Gospels, the Gospel, pleasantness and peace. You want
peace? Well, in all the epistles, it
says grace and peace. You've got to have grace before
you can have peace. This is what's going on. We're seeing grace
played out before our eyes. If we have found Him to be gracious,
if His taste is most sweet to our lips, if His charm is undeniably
set forth in His propitiatory accomplishments at Calvary, we
will find Him, says Song of Solomon, altogether lovely. Altogether
lovely. But let's do what Ruth does,
and let's take Naomi's advice as well. Look with me at verse
18. This is the first thing we need to do.
Naomi said to Ruth, sit still. Now, doesn't this sound like
Israel? at the Red Sea before their great
deliverance. What was it said there? Moses
said, stand still. Stop. Stop. Quit your working for salvation. Quit your own righteousness.
Quit thinking that you're something special. Your mom and dad tell
you you are. That's not what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about spiritually, in the eyes of a thrice holy
God. We are nothing. We are less than
nothing. She says, sit still, my daughter. Sit still, my daughter. The command is to her and the
command is to us. Sit still. Stand still. That's
one thing about this world with all the social media nonsense,
all this other stuff. It's busy, busy. I remember Maurice
made a comment. He was involved. He understood the social media.
It was there before he passed away. And he said, I've never
seen a time where these devices were to save us time. He says,
but everybody's too busy to do anything all the time. TV's always on. The computer
is always on. The phones are always up. And he was right. These things
were supposed to save time. And nobody's got any time. Nobody's
got any time. Sit still. That's the command.
She's almost saying, the matter of full and free pardon shall
be made known to you. And it's being made known to
us. Every time we gather together, this book is open. The gospel
of God's grace is preached. There's pardon. There's forgiveness
of sins. But she says, sit still, my daughter. We who are as Ruth, empty, having
nothing, but coming with our Naomi in barrenness, in destitution,
and as beggars, before our God. We saw that in chapter 1. She's
like, my husband's dead. I've got nothing. There's nothing
here. Naomi says, yes, that's right. Ruth says, I'm just like
you. God's dealt bitterly with me. But perhaps today, perhaps
this morning, at almost 11 o'clock, providence will smile upon us
this day to view either for the first time unto salvation or
a renewed gaze upon our kinsman Redeemer, the blessed and lovely
Lord Jesus Christ, with whom we have to do." Maybe today is
the day of salvation. Maybe today is the day where
you're like, you know what? I learned a little bit more about
Christ in this passage in Ruth. Look at what she did. Now she's
sitting still, but she's not doing nothing. She's praying. She's received instruction, a
prayer placed upon her heart by God, rich in faith, founded
upon grace and the sure covenantal foundation of Christ and Him
crucified. Until you know, sit still my
daughter, until you know how the matter will fall. And waiting
is probably one of the hardest things. Waiting. Now I was in
the hospital. It wasn't really any enjoyable.
I wouldn't, you know, hey, take that saw and just rip me open.
But my wife sat through the whole thing. And visitors who are sitting
and waiting for the news, good or bad, that's... I remember
we visited, Scott Richardson came down here and there was
a guy in the hospital and Scott, you know, he went in there with
me to visit and he said, He said, waiting is, he said, I'm not
saying what this person is going through is easy, but waiting,
waiting, waiting, but that's what we're to do. We can't force
this thing of salvation. We can't force it upon our children.
We pray for our children, we read the scriptures to our children,
we teach our children. When they're old, they will not
depart from it. But let us constantly be at the Savior's feet petitioning. Like that irritating person that
kept on bothering that importunity. My friend's here. I need help.
I need help. Go away. Go away. No. No. Like Jacob. I'm not going to leave you until
you bless me. So she's praying. Sit still,
my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall. Providence
has crossed your path. Perhaps today you're here hearing
the Gospel. Perhaps for the first time the things begin to make
sense. Perhaps it's renewed, refreshing. But then let's focus on this
last phrase in verse 18. This is answered prayer. Let's
focus on this. For the man, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Boaz,
will not rest until He has finished the work this day. Viewing, as I said before, Boaz
as a type of Christ, we will never behold such love in the
bosom of our Redeemer as we find in this text. Robert Hawker was
saying. This is almost an obscure passage,
right here before our eyes. He said, never was there love
written like this passage. I'm going to re-read it because
it just boggles my mind. For the man, to the believer,
to me Naomi, to you Ruth, destitute, barren, For the man will not rest until
he has finished the thing this day. For the man will not rest. A. This is a sure promise to
all the seed. This is a sure promise to all
the seed. Christ has a work to finish in righteousness and he
will not rest. He said he had a baptism where
he went to be baptized. He's in a strait until he gets
it done. On our behalf. On our behalf. On our behalf. Who's the are? Barren, unfruitful,
destitute beggars. Claim it, my brethren. You know
how I am with the promises. Claim it. Seize it. Lay hold
of it. And ask God to apply it to you
and to me personally. Claim it. You said the Son will
not rest until He has finished His work this day. Is that for
me? Claim that. It's like Nathan
back in there. How do we feel about it? Do we
want to share God's glory? The Gospel challenges every time
we're hurt. It challenges the flesh and comforts
the spirit. This is a promise. Claim it. Claiming that Christ Jesus will
not, has not, cannot cease to rest until all for whom He suffered,
bled and died shall be with Him in glory. What does he say in
John 6.37? All that the Father gives to
me shall come to me. His priestly office secures it. His prophetic office claims it.
His kingly office demands it. John 6.39. I will lose nothing. Lose nothing. but will raise
it up, lose nothing. Who can say that? What gospel
can say that? Only Christ can say it through
His Word. Only the gospel declares it. He's not a wishful Savior. I wish somebody would accept
the things that I've done. No. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
10. How complete is this? finished work that He was on
a straight to finish and would not rest until He had finished
the thing today. There's a sense of urgency in
those words, is there not? A sense of urgency. Hebrews 10
and verse 14, For by one offering He, our Boaz,
hath perfected forever Them that are sanctified. Perfected. It's
past tense. By one offering. By one offering. Boaz was not going to rest until
he finished the work. That amazes me. And in what Bruce
has read a couple Sundays ago, this is the record which God
hath given of His Son. Do we believe this record here
in Ruth? that He, our man, the man Christ
Jesus, never a man spake like this man, He will not be in rest
until He's finished the thing, or finished the work. Brethren,
see Him dying upon the cursed tree. See Him despising the shame. Led away as a sheep before Shearer's
dome. See Him smitten, afflicted, and
wounded. See this spectacle for you. See this spectacle for me, for
our sins, for us, for our iniquities, our transgressions. But there's
one more thing, and I don't know if I can get over this. And I
had to re-read it, and re-read it, and re-read it, and re-read
it. And I thought, you know what? It's one of those things, when
you say you're as holy as Christ, you almost feel timid saying
that. This right here, I feel a little
timid. But it's the truth. Lay hold on it. Lay hold on it. One more remarkable, astounding
view. I'm going to re-read it. will not be in rest until he
has finished the thing this day. He will not be in rest, one,
because the law must be honored and satisfied, we know that.
Two, grace must reign through righteousness unto eternal life
by Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 5.21, but, but, but, Christ will
not rest until this redeeming, redemptive work is complete.
I want you to think about this. Christ is more desirous to save
us than we are to be saved. That just broke, that just broke.
Every time I read it, I just, I'm like this, I just can't,
I can't, my mind can't fathom it. My heart reacts. with humility,
with love, gratitude. Christ is more desirous to save
us than we are to be saved. The man will not rest. There's
a sense of urgency in this text until he's finished the work. Long before we were born, Christ's
delights were with the sons of men. I love this passage, Proverbs
chapter 8. long before we were born. Christ's
delights were with the sons of men. Proverbs 8. This is a conversation
between the Son and the Father. We'll start in verse 22. The Lord possessed Me, the Son,
in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I, Christ,
was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, wherever
the earth was, This serves the eternality and the deity of Christ
and the relationship between the Father and the Son. When there was no depths, I was
brought forth. When there were no fountains
abounding with water, before the mountains were settled, before
the hills was I brought forth. While as yet He had not made
the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest parts of the dust
of the world, when He prepared the heavens, I was there. when
He set up a compass upon the face of the depths, when He established
the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when
He gave to the sea His decree that the water should not pass
His commandment, when He appointed the foundations of the earth,
then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him, and I was daily
His delight. The Father and the Son delighted
in the Son, rejoicing always before Him. Look at this, rejoicing in the
habitable part of his earth, and my delight, says the Son,
were with the sons of men. Were with the sons of men. That
song that we sang, Hallelujah, that was one of Maurice Montgomery's
favorites. He'd always, in some word of
sermon, he'd say, Hallelujah! What a Savior! I could still
hear him saying that. When we sang that song, I think
back of good times. but Christ's delights were with
the sons of men." My oh my! In this, and as in all things
grace, Christ must have the preeminence. So yes, He loved us before we
loved Him. And He was desirous to save us
before we even knew anything about salvation. Or written in
the Lamb's Book of Life, Colossians 1.18, Christ will have the preeminence. So I ask us to this, may we muse
and meditate and study these unchangeable truths and be at peace. rejoicing always
before Him. Zephaniah chapter 3. Zephaniah chapter 3. Here's another
one of these. This is on the front of the bulletin. It's been on there for years.
I love this passage. Zephaniah chapter 3 and verse
17. You don't really understand that
Christ's desire to save us was more than our desire to be saved?
Look at this. Zephaniah 3, verse 17, Sit still. See how the matter
will work. Let's just stand back and just
smile at God's providence. And while we're smiling, let's
pray and be in meditation and ask the Lord to give us wisdom
that we can see these things are right. Thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty. He will save. He will rejoice
over thee with joy. I thought we were supposed to
rejoice and have joy in Him. We are. Him? Rejoices? I'm nothing. Yes, you're nothing. I'm nothing.
We're nothing. But like we looked at last week,
things that are not, to bring the things that are. He will
rejoice over thee with joy. He will rest in His love. He
will joy over thee with singing. God singing about... Well, what
does it say about when one sinner is saved in heaven? They're rejoicing. Let us not doubt these things.
Let us not doubt this passage in Ruth, that the man, the man
Christ Jesus, will not rest until he's finished the work. Let us
not doubt. I ask you, what did Ruth get
from Boaz? Here's just four things that
I could come up top my head. She got his last name. The brethren were called Christians
first at Antioch. That used to mean something.
Now, I don't care about social meaning, but in the Bible, to
be a Christian means everything to us. It means something. She
got his last name. She got his substance. Before
she got a handful of purpose, that met a need then. But now,
she's like Mephibosheth. She's sitting at the king's table
continually. Lame on both feet, but the spread's
there. Thirdly, she got his protection. Never underestimate this. She
got His never-dying love. If a person knows you love them,
they'll do a whole lot for you. They know you love them. They
know you protect them. They know that what you got,
they get. Because I got His last name. Now I know it's not popular.
I know we've got to have You know, boom, our maiden name,
and then, I don't even like that, to be honest with you. I don't
even like that. You know, on Facebook. So people
will recognize you. Recognize self. It was not about
self. You fully committed to one to
another. Amen and amen. Let me close.
This is what it's like, and I love this hymn. This is what we were
like. We have no problems with this.
I was a wandering sheep. I did not love the fold. I did
not love my shepherd's voice. I would not be controlled. I
was a wayward child. I did not love my home. I did
not love my father's voice. I loved afar to roam. The shepherd
sought his sheep. The father sought his child.
They followed me over vale and hill, over deserts, waste, and
wild. They found me, nigh to death,
famished, faint, and lone. They bound me with the bands
of love. They saved the wandering one. Jesus my shepherd is. T'was he
that loved my soul. T'was he that washed me in his
blood. T'was he that made me whole.
T'was he that sought the lost, that found the wandering sheep.
T'was he that brought me to the fold. T'is he that still doth
keep. I was a wandering sheep. I would not be controlled. But
now, now I love my shepherd's voice. I love, I love the fold. I was a wayward child. I once
preferred to roam. But now I love my father's voice.
I love, I love his home. He will not rest. He will not quit rejoicing. And
you and I, if we're His sheep, are His joy. And all that that
means. Hallelujah. What a Savior. Brian, would you close this?