(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Alright, so in Ruth chapter 1, we're going to read about here what happened in the days when the judges ruled. That's the setting of this story. And the title of my sermon is The Life of Ruth. The Life of Ruth. What I want to do every once in a while is just take a look at a Bible character and look at some of the highlights of their life and also look at pictures or figures of Jesus Christ as well. And there are many different pictures of Jesus in the life of Ruth. Now look at verse number 1 there in Ruth 1. It says, Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Malon and Killian, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah, and they came into the country of Moab and continued there. So the nation of Israel was suffering a famine at this particular time, and so consequently Elimelech brings his family to the nation of Moab. Now the word sojourn, it means a temporary stay. If you're wondering why Elimelech brought his family to this nation, the Moabites, it's because he was trying to escape this famine. If you're wondering who the Moabites are, the Bible tells us in Genesis 19, you don't have to turn there, but it says in verse 36, Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. Now that sounds disgusting to me, and that's what happened here in verse 37. It says, This nation was the result of incest. It's gross. Moab was the offspring of a filthy act done by Lot's daughters. First Kings 11, it says, Then did Solomon build in high place for Shemosh the abomination of Moab. So not only was this a people that came as a result of this incest done by Lot's daughters, but they also worshiped a false god, Shemosh. These were the people of Shemosh, the Bible says. When Solomon went crazy, when he was trying to appease his many wives and concubines, he ended up worshiping Shemosh, and the Bible says that is the abomination of Moab there in First Kings, chapter number 11. Elimelech brings his family to this nation that had a perverse false religion, but while he was there, his sons married, his sons Malon and Killian, they married Ruth, who was the wife of Malon, and Orpah, who was the wife of Killian. It says in Deuteronomy chapter 23, An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord, even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever, because they met you not with bread and with water in the way when you came forth out of Egypt. And because they hired against the Balaam, the son of Beor, the Pithor of Mesopotamia to curse thee. So God makes a partition between Israel and Moab, and one of the reasons he gives is that the king of Moab, he wanted to curse Israel, not bless them, his intention was to curse Israel through Balaam, Balaam ended up doing so, and he did it by enticing the Israelites with Midianitish women. They committed fornication with them and also went after their false god. Look down at verse number three in Ruth chapter one. The Bible says there, And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left and her two sons, and they took them wives of the women of Moab. The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth, and they dwelled there about ten years, and Malon and Killian died also both of them, and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. So first Ruth loses her father-in-law, Elimelech dies, then Ruth and her sister both lose their husbands. After Elimelech immigrates to Moab, he dies, his two sons die, all that's left is Naomi and Ruth and Orpah, all three of them widows. My first point is that Ruth endured adversity, Ruth endured adversity. All that's left are widows, like I just said, Ruth, Naomi, Orpah, they lost their spouse. I can't even imagine the pain from an emotional standpoint that somebody must go through when they lose a spouse. I can't even imagine how depressing that must be, and I can't even imagine what Ruth went through and Naomi and Orpah. They had to basically start all over again, their lives turned upside down. It says in verse six there, Ruth chapter one verse six, it says, then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. Now I find that point to be interesting there because had they remained in Israel, they would have gotten the bread. They would have been, the results of that famine would have been staved from them because of the fact that God ended up giving bread to Israel, so they didn't have to leave it. But of course, God used this particular situation for good. Ruth lost her husband, Malon, she lost her father-in-law, her life turned upside down. The same thing with Naomi, her life turned upside down. The same thing with Orpah, her life turned upside down. But God used this situation to orchestrate a beautiful union between Ruth and Boaz. And it's this union where we see a figure of Jesus Christ, which I'll show you a little bit later on in the sermon. It's this beautiful union that eventually leads to Ruth being named among the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chapter one verse five. So she's actually a very important person, and I'll get to that a little later. Look at verse number seven. Wherefore, she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. Naomi says, there's nothing for me here anymore, I'm going back to Israel. Look at verse eight. And Naomi said, actually it's Naomi, is the correct pronunciation, I'm gonna have to switch that for the rest of the sermon now. Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go return each to her mother's house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice and wept. And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. So Naomi wants to depart back to Judah. She tells her daughters-in-law to just stick around in Moab. They want to go with her. She tells them, Stay here. Look at verse 11. And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters, why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? She says, I don't have any more sons for you to marry. Your two husbands, no law, they don't have any brothers for you. There's no one for you to marry. You might as well stay here. This is where we depart. Naomi wanted to depart from them and head back to Judah. One of her two daughters-in-law does that. She stays in Moab. The other one doesn't take what Naomi says to her for an answer, and she follows her. And that one, of course, is Ruth. Now my first point was that Ruth endured adversity. My second point is that Ruth was steadfastly minded to go. Like I just said, she didn't take what Naomi told her for an answer. She didn't want to stay in Moab. She wanted to go be a part of the people of God. Look what it says in verse 16 in Ruth chapter 1. Look down to verse number 16. And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go. And where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. So Orpah gave up. She stuck around in Moab, but Ruth said, thy people shall be my people. Ruth said, thy God my God. She wanted to follow Naomi back to the chosen nation in the Old Testament, which was Israel. Ruth wanted to dwell in that chosen nation. Ruth wanted to be a part of God's family. Ruth wanted to be saved. She wanted to be a part of this nation that God was using at the time to be a light to the Gentiles. So she left her people. She said, I'm out of here. I'm done. I don't want to worship Shemosh anymore. I don't want to be a part of this, this weird religious cult here in Moab. She left the people of Shemosh to be among the people of God. It's a fork in the road moment for her. She either had to decide to stay in Moab or follow Naomi, even though Naomi had asked her to stay in Moab. That fork in the moment. Which decision was she going to make, and she chose the right one. Each and every one of us, we had that fork in a moment, or I should say fork in the road moment, from a spiritual standpoint, where the gospel was presented to us, and we had to decide, do we want to accept that and be counted as part of the spiritual nation of Israel, or do we want to reject that? We accepted that. Look at verse 17. Bible says there, Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, it ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left, speaking unto her. So Naomi relents. She allows Ruth to go with her back to Judah. Ruth made a huge decision here to immigrate to God's chosen nation, and similarly, salvation was a huge decision for us. We could have stayed in the world. We could have stayed at being, you know, sons of Adam, sons of the world, and if we hadn't gotten saved prior to death, we would have gone straight to hell to pay the penalty for our sins. But you all made the decision to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, just as Ruth immigrated to that physical nation of Israel, you spiritually immigrated to the Israel of God. Look at Ruth 2, verse 1. Ruth 2, verse 1, as we continue through this journey here, the life of Ruth. Look what it says in verse 1, and Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a mighty man of wealth of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz. 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 she said unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech. So gleaning is how God wanted people to take care of the poor, by leaving them in the field, some barley or wheat to take, some leftovers for them to take. So Ruth gleans in the field. She's basically getting her life back together here. She moves to Israel with Naomi. She sees this field and starting to rebuild a little bit after losing her husband. I can't imagine that happening. And especially for a woman who relies on the husband for protection, who relies on the husband to be fed, who relies on the husband for him to put a roof over her head. For a woman to lose her husband, that's a restart moment for her. That's a moment where she's just got to start from the bottom and build her life back up again. So my first point was that Ruth endured adversity. My second point was that Ruth was steadfastly minded to go. She wanted to go back with Naomi to Judah. My third point is that Ruth exhibited humility and kindness. And those are two attributes that I believe fall under what it really means to be a woman, what it really means to be feminine. Because the world has redefined what it means to be a woman today. The world says that women should be running around in pants, acting and talking like men, cursing like a sailor. The idea of acting like a lady is old school. It's old fashioned. It's not in style anymore. But I think that the women of today would be in a lot better place if they opened up the book of Ruth and looked at the character of Ruth and tried to be like her rather than these Hollywood whore celebrities out there telling them to act the complete opposite way than what we see in the Bible. Telling them to act like a bunch of loudmouth, stuck up Jezebels. Look at verse eight, Ruth chapter two, verse eight. It says, Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from thence, but abide here fast by my maidens. 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 are to thirst, go unto the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn. Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger. So Boaz offers permission for Ruth to glean in the field. And notice what Ruth says to Boaz. She says, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? She also fell on her face. Think of the humility that she's exhibiting here. She didn't tell him, Hey, you know, I lost my husband, but I'm a strong independent woman who don't need no man. So I'm good. I'll be fine by myself. No, she didn't say that. She showed respect to Boaz. She showed humility, but she also showed reverence. She respected him. She revered him. Look at verse 11. And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband, and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother in the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. So Boaz says, I've heard of you. I know who you are. I heard you left everything to come here. I heard you left father. I heard you left mother. I heard you left everything you've ever known to immigrate to the chosen nation of God. I know who you are. I heard you've come to trust God. Sounds like she got saved. And again, Ruth doesn't respond to this by saying, You're dang right, you know me. I got a reputation. No. She was, you know, not one of these hood rats, okay? I mean, she was humble, and again, the respect that she showed for Boaz is incredible. Flip over to Ruth chapter three. Now Boaz integrated Ruth with the other maidens. And basically what he was trying to do is offer her an opportunity to assimilate. That was what he was doing for her. Now, the rest of the chapter here in chapter two, you're gonna go to chapter three for sake of time. I'm just gonna give you a quick recap. Ruth goes back to Naomi in the city and tells her about Boaz, tells her about how kind he was to her, and Naomi encourages Ruth and tells her that this is a kinsman under you and could potentially replace your dead husband. And the reason why Naomi has marriage on her mind is because it's good to be married. Naomi didn't want Ruth to live out the rest of her life as a widow. She wanted Ruth, Naomi did, to marry a good, godly man so he can provide for her and protect her. Because again, it's good for women to be married. It's good for ladies to rely on a man for support, for protection, for guidance, for leadership, because they need that guidance, they need that leadership. That's why the Bible says that women should leave father and mother. Women should be under the authority of their parents and then after they get married, be under the authority of a husband. They should always be under the authority of a man. And I know that triggers people in 2019. I know people don't like to hear that, but it's the truth. And look, I'm not going to stop preaching that. I don't care who it offends. That's why we have a tissue box back there. Anybody gets offended, tears start strolling, you know, coming down your face, go wipe them off with the tissue box. But we're not going to hold back from what the Bible teaches. And that's a biblical concept. So Ruth endured adversity, losing her husband. Ruth was steadfastly minded to go. Ruth exhibited humility and meekness, bowing her face to Boaz and showing her that respect. Ruth, my fourth point is that Ruth asked for a redeemer. Ruth asked for a redeemer. She needed a kinsman redeemer. We see Jesus in Ruth's life. The actions of Boaz serve as an Old Testament figure of Jesus Christ. He was that kinsman redeemer unto her, just as Jesus was our redeemer. Ruth 3 verse 1, look what it 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. So Naomi recognizes Boaz is interested in Naomi because of his kindness. So she senses that there might be a match there. She's kind of playing matchmaker here a little bit. Ruth was too timid though, and I think Naomi understood this as well, that Ruth was too timid to make an open advance toward Boaz, and so she gives her a tip. She's giving her some instruction on what she can do to get the attention of Boaz and let Boaz know that Ruth would like to be married. Ruth wants a new husband. Ruth 3 verse 1, I want to go back there one more time and read it. It 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? The immediate application there would be marriage, obviously. Naomi is trying to find a new husband for Ruth. She's giving her instruction on how she can get the attention of Boaz and eventually be married, but there's another application I want to get at as well. I will in a little bit. First of all, I just want to make this point because it's an important point. Why is it that Ruth could remarry? She already had a husband, but why could she get married again? That's because her husband died, and the only reason anybody should ever get remarried is if your husband dies or if your wife dies if you're a male. Now, if you are divorced and remarried, you should remain in that covenant. Nobody hates you. I love you. We all have a past. We've all made mistakes. But the Bible does teach that the only reason for remarriage or to get married again would be that if your spouse dies. Matthew chapter 19, it says, and I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication and shall marry another, commiteth adultery. The fornication there is if you expect your wife to be a virgin, but then you find out that wasn't really the case, then you can pretty much get, the marriage just basically dissolves at that point. But anyway, it says there in Matthew 19, and shall marry another, commiteth adultery. So you marry somebody else, you're committing adultery. Whoso marrieth her, which is put away, doth commit adultery. So when can you be remarried? Your spouse dies till death do us part. But there are men today who don't respect that. And they'll go off and they'll marry the secretary. They'll divorce their wife for no reason other than that secretary at work is flattering them. The secretary at work is a homewrecker and is basically beguiled the guy into divorcing his wife, leaving his kids behind, and having an affair with her. We see that all the time. It's the same thing with women. Women have a propensity to leave their husbands for no reason whatsoever, other than the fact that I've seen this with my own eyes, I've seen it happen, where a woman who's married to a man, they have kids together, everything's going great, but she just decides to divorce him and go marry, or I should say just go on the carousel and act like a total whore, because she realizes, she just wakes up out of bed one morning and realizes she doesn't want to be a mother anymore. Well that's despicable. I think that's heinous, I think that's rotten, but you know what else I think? I think it's the result of the brainwashing of the media today, the brainwashing of Hollywood today, and the reality is this, if we valued marriage the way they did back in the biblical times, perhaps the social fabric of our country wouldn't be in such a pathetic state as it is today. You say why would a woman just up and leave her husband simply because she decided she doesn't want to be a mother anymore, or she doesn't want to be married anymore. How could that happen? Why would that happen? Feminism. You say, man, you've preached on feminism before, we're tired of it. Well get used to it, because I'm always going to preach against feminism, I will always hate feminism, and until the day that I've got a gray beard, and I'm the crazy old man with a cane, I will, I'll be preaching against feminism then too, because I hate feminism, it ruins women, it brainwashes women into being a whore, it brainwashes women into believing that the government is your husband, it brainwashes women into this lifestyle, into this mentality of thinking that you can just leave your husband for no other reason than hey, I don't want to be a wife anymore, I don't want to be a mother anymore, basically ruining the guy's life. That's what it brainwashes women into doing, and they also have, this is incredible to me, is that they encourage women to act like complete and utter whores, they have entire parades designed to promote this filth. They're proud of it, they love it, they love that they sleep around, they love that they abuse themselves with mankind, they love the whoredom, they love it. That's why it's cancer, that's why it hurts women, and that's why it's inherently anti-female. Feminism is inherently anti-female. Here's a New York Times article, the headline reads, liberated and unhappy. Liberated and unhappy, here's a quote, American women are wealthier, healthier, and better educated than they were 30 years ago, they're more likely to work outside the home, as if that's a positive thing, and more likely to earn salaries comparable to men's when they do. They can leave abusive marriages and sue sexist employers. They enjoy unprecedented control over their own fertility. On some fronts, graduation rates, like life expectancy and even job security, men look increasingly like the second sex. But all the achievements of the feminist era may have delivered women to greater unhappiness. Well, gee, I wonder why. How is it that we've got feminism permeating the culture? How is it that we're bombarded with this messaging that women are just like men and they should go out and get jobs just like men, and they should go out and get a college degree just like men, and that they're the exact same thing as men, and yet women are still unhappy, and in fact they were happier before this filth was promoted in the media. How is that the case? Well, maybe it's because no matter how hard you try to subvert the natural order, which by the way was established by God, you will fail every single time. Put that in your sexist pipe and smoke it. I'm tired of these innocuous little buzzwords they attach on us. Oh, you're sexist. No, I just believe the Bible. Women are more unhappy despite 40 years of feminism. Here's another one. A study titled The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness found that women were less happy even after 40 years of feminism. Women have had more opportunities than ever before. They've been liberated from their roles as housewives. Yeah, that's liberating. See, it's liberating to leave your role as a housewife and go sit in a cubicle for 10 hours a day. It's liberating according to these mentally ill weirdos. It's so liberating. It says they've been liberated from their roles as housewives and yet they have a lower sense of well-being and life satisfaction. So women, they're not happier despite the fact they have more rights today. Because maybe they want to be housewives. Maybe that's inherent in the female nature to want to be a nurturer, to want to raise children and guide the house. Titus chapter 2, it says, the aged women likewise, that they may be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things, that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Blasphemed. So this you go girlism, right, this Mary Sue culture we've got going on today, it blasphemes the word of God. That's what it says there in Titus chapter 2. It's blasphemy. But here's the thing, the ladies of our church, to me when I read Titus 2.5, I think of the ladies of our church. And thank God for that. The ladies of our church are Titus 2.5 women. All of them here. They wear skirts, they actually dress like women, they actually act like women, they actually embrace the feminine role, the feminine nature, and ladies, that's why feminists hate you. They despise you. They see you got long hair, you didn't dye it pink, you don't look like a cancer patient, and they hate you for that. Because you've rejected them. Because you've rejected their message. You've decided you want to be normal. Look at Ruth 3 verse 4. Ruth 3 verse 4, it says, 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. And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her. Naomi tells Ruth, Meet Boaz, uncover his feet, and I'll explain why. Look at verse 7. 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 lay her down. Why would Naomi instruct Ruth to uncover this guy's feet? That might sound a little weird, but the reason why Naomi told her to do this is because Ruth wanted to communicate to Boaz that she wants him to fulfill the role of a near kinsman unto her. In, go to Deuteronomy chapter 25, if you would, Deuteronomy chapter 25, you can keep a finger or a bookmark or something in Ruth 3, but go to Deuteronomy 25. Let's look at the law concerning a man who would refuse to take his brother's wife, after the brother dies, of course, who would refuse to take this widow. What does the Bible says should be done to this person? What is the law concerning this particular situation? Once we look at this passage, a couple of verses here in Deuteronomy 25, it'll tell us why Naomi instructed Ruth to uncover Boaz's feet. Look at verse number 7 there in Deuteronomy 25. It says, And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother. Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak unto him, and if he stand to it and say, I like not to take her, then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders and loose his shoe from off his foot and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house, and his name shall be called in Israel, the house of him that hath his shoe loosed. So here it says, If the kinsman refuses to marry the widow, that his shoe should be removed from his foot, and he should be spat on, basically. And this is why Ruth, not basically, I mean that's what it says, but this is why Ruth uncovers the feet of Boaz in case this Deuteronomy 25 situation comes into play. She just wanted to be ready. And Naomi knew that. She's a godly woman. Go back to Ruth chapter 3. It says in verse 8, when you get back to Ruth chapter 3, that's why she uncovered the feet of Boaz. Look at verse 8, when you get back to Ruth 3, it says, And it came to pass at midnight that the man was afraid and turned himself, and behold, a woman laid at his feet. And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid, spread thy skirt over thine handmaid, for thou art a near kinsman. Now some people look at this verse and say, Oh, Boaz wore a skirt. See? We've got proof. Here's my proof text that men can wear skirts, too. Stupid. That's dumb. That's gross. What kind of man would advocate for wanting to wear women's clothing anyway? An abomination and a weirdo and a fag. Thanks for your help. So Ruth requests marriage. That's what's going on here. Okay, that's why she says, Spread thy skirt, therefore, upon thine handmaid. She's asking for marriage, Boaz isn't wearing a literal skirt, because he's not gross, because he's not a cross-dressing weirdo. He's not a sicko. Spread thy skirt upon thine handmaid is figurative language pertaining to marriage, and this exact same language is used by God himself. Go to Ezekiel 16 real quick, and I'll show you Ezekiel chapter number 16. Boaz isn't literally wearing a skirt. This is language pertaining to marriage. Ruth is asking, requesting that Boaz would marry her. She wants him to fulfill the role of a kinsman redeemer unto her. Look at Ezekiel 16, Ezekiel chapter 16 and verse 8. When you get there, Ezekiel chapter 16 and verse 8. Notice what the Bible says. Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love. Listen to this. And I spread thy skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness, yea, I swear unto thee and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou became mine. So God says he spread his skirt over Jerusalem, because in a spiritual sense, Jerusalem was his wife. It was his bride. Notice how Ruth asks to be redeemed there in Ruth chapter 3. Ruth is requesting for a redeemer. Ruth didn't just acquiesce to the knowledge that Boaz was her kinsman redeemer. She asks him. She opens her mouth and asked for him to spread his skirt on her. Just like salvation, it's not just acquiescing to a certain fact. It's not just acquiescing to the idea that Jesus exists. It's not just believing Jesus exists. Salvation is fully trusting on the Lord Jesus Christ. And yes, salvation is asking Jesus to be saved. The Bible says whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Beware of those who try and muddy the waters on this doctrine. You must call on Jesus. You must ask Jesus. Ruth asked Boaz, her kinsman redeemer, she opened her mouth and she made a request just as sure as we have done that. We opened our mouth and we made a request to God. We made a request to Jesus Christ to be our redeemer, to save us. Romans 10, it says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. And the inevitable argument is, well, what if somebody can't talk? Well, then they do it in their head, all right, folks? Verse 10, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation for the scriptures saith whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed for there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon them. And like I said earlier, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's crystal clear, if this isn't the milk of the word, I don't know what is. That's easy to understand. You opened your mouth and you asked for salvation, just as Ruth asked Boaz to be her redeemer. Now another thing that I found interesting about the life of Ruth, the Moabitess, remember she was from Moab, she was a stranger unto Israel. And in fact, the scripture I read to you earlier said that the Moabites had to be cut off from the land and that there should be no fellowship with them. So there was that partition made between Israel and Moab. She was a stranger and she was a foreigner unto Israel. Just like we at one point were a stranger, we at one point were a foreigner with regard to the spiritual nation of Israel. But through Jesus Christ, we have become fellow citizens with the saints. Go to Ephesians 1, Ephesians chapter 1. While you do that, I'll read from Ephesians 2, but if you would go to Ephesians 1 where the Bible says there in verse number 3, I'm going to read from Ephesians 2 real quick, that at that time you were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world. You were without Christ until you believed the gospel. You were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel until you believed the gospel. That spiritual nation, here's your replacement theology, that spiritual nation has replaced the physical one just as the spiritual priesthood has replaced the physical priesthood. Just as all these different meats and drinks and diverse ordinances have been fulfilled by Jesus Christ, the old covenant was a shadow of things to come and it was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was a shadow of things to come and it was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. The old covenant was fulfilled by Christ. Think about it. This is what the Sabbath pointed to. But also when you believe on Jesus, the Bible says you are now resting. You are resting on him. Hebrews 4 says, For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from his. Boaz the Redeemer would have given Ruth rest just as Jesus Christ has given us rest. We no longer rely on our works to try to get us to heaven. We rely on him. We're resting on him and those who enter into God's rest. The Bible says they've ceased from their works. They're saved. We're resting on the righteousness of Christ, not ourselves. Boaz redeemed Ruth from her status as a widow just as Jesus Christ. He's going to redeem us from this body one day. And he is our Redeemer right now. He is your savior right now. Go to Ruth chapter 4. It's one chapter over. Ruth chapter 4. Boaz ends up responding to Ruth and he gives her some kind of bad news. He says there's a kinsman that's actually nearer unto her than himself. And he wants to check with that guy first and then get back to Ruth. Now I'm thinking Ruth, she's probably praying, please, I hope that guy says no. Please say no. I want to be with Boaz. I don't want anything with that other guy. Please. Obviously the Bible doesn't say that literally, but I think that's probably what she was doing. So my first point is that Ruth endured adversity, losing her husband and all the rest of it. Ruth was steadfastly minded to go, leaves the nation of Moab, leaves everything she ever knew behind. Ruth exhibited humility and meekness and she reverenced Boaz. Ruth asked for a Redeemer. And my final point, point number 5, Ruth was redeemed by Boaz through marriage. Now for sake of time, I'm not going to go through it in detail, but essentially what happens is this other guy Boaz had in mind didn't want to do it. Didn't want to marry Ruth. And so Boaz is in the clear now to do so himself. Look at verse number 13, Ruth chapter 4 and verse number 13. The Bible says there, So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife, and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. So Ruth and Boaz end up getting married. Ruth finds the husband she was looking for. Naomi finds the husband she was looking for, for Ruth, and they have a child. Earlier I said that we see Jesus in the story of Ruth. We see Jesus in the life of Ruth. I believe Ruth pictures the individual who's looking for a Redeemer. I believe Ruth pictures the individual who's looking for salvation. And think about this, Ruth was also the bride of Boaz. And the saints are the bride of Christ. Go to Hosea chapter 2. Hosea chapter 2, we'll be back in Ruth 4. Hosea is, you got Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel. I'm trying to remember that song that Dustin sang. Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea. Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea. Jeremiah, look at chapter 2. While you go there, I'm going to read Revelation 21 where the Bible says, And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. The Lamb's wife is not the city itself. The Lamb's wife are the saints who dwell in that city. Just as the Bible says, For God so loved the world. He's not talking about the literal planet. He's talking about the people on the planet. The bride of Christ are the saints. The Lamb's wife are the saints. We see that in Hosea 2, verse 18. Look what it says there in verse 18. And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground. And I will break the bow, and the sword, and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. And I will betroth thee unto me forever. Yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth, and the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and they shall hear Jezreel, and I will sow her unto me in the earth, and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy, and I will say to them which were not my people, thou art my people, and they shall say, thou art my God. One day when we inhabit the millennial reign of Christ, we'll see the fulfillment of what this is talking about here. I think the immediate application is the millennium. God will look on a people who were not his people at one point in history, and say that these are his people. Ruth was not named amongst the people of God. She was a Moabitess, but she immigrated to Israel. She got saved. She was not the people of God, but now she is named among the people of God. She was, when she got saved and moved to Israel to marry Boaz, where she eventually found Boaz, she went from somebody who was not God's people to somebody who was named among God's people, just as we have figuratively immigrated to that spiritual nation of Israel. Go back to Ruth chapter 4. Boaz betrothed Ruth, just as Jesus Christ has spiritually betrothed the saints. They are the Lamb's wife. Now in Ruth chapter 4, verse number 15, notice what the Bible says there, Ruth 4.15. And he shall be, this is talking about Boaz, unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age, for thy daughter-in-law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women, her neighbors, gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi, and they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. That's why we have this story right here in the Bible. It's not just the picture of Christ we see in the life of Ruth, but it was her existence, her mere existence, and what she did, the decision she made to leave Moab, everything she ever knew, to leave it all behind, and go to the nation of Israel, and be betrothed to Boaz, and ask him to be her kinsman, redeemer. It was that very decision that led to the genealogy you see right there, the father of Jesse, the father of David. And in Matthew chapter 1, verse 5, this lady, Ruth, the humble woman, the woman who clothed herself with humility, she is named, she's mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord and Savior Jesus. And so think about that whenever you think about the book of Ruth. Think about that and understand just how underrated she is, the importance of Ruth, just how underrated that truly is. Ruth's son Obed eventually begat Jesse, who begat David. Boaz, Obed of Ruth, they appear in the genealogy of Christ in Matthew chapter 1, like I said already. So here's what we can learn about Ruth's life, just to summarize. She left everything behind to go to be among the people of God. She had the courage to immigrate to God's nation as a Moabite. And remember the law was that the people of Israel, the people of God, the people of Israel, that they weren't allowed to congregate with the Moabites. Ruth was humble, she was meek, she was a true feminine woman, the total antithesis of what these rabid psychopath freak feminists want women to be like today. She sought for a kinsman redeemer, she found one in Boaz, just as we sought for a redeemer when we got saved, and Jesus Christ is our redeemer. And beyond all else, Ruth was the example of a godly woman who realized she needed a husband, she realized she needed a leader, a spiritual leader and a physical leader, she realized she needed a man to rely on for her physical and spiritual well-being, and so she followed Naomi's instruction and she found that man, and his name was Boaz. Don't underestimate the importance of Ruth, the book of Ruth in your Bible. And one last message here to the ladies of our church, even though the world has shamed you, and the world will continue to shame you for the rest of your life, for the life you have chosen for yourself, that you have chosen to raise godly children to homeschool your children, that you have chosen to submit yourself under your own husband, that you've chosen to uphold the principles found in the word of God, the world hates you for that, the world despises you for that, but you made the decision to leave the world. You made the decision to leave all that behind no matter what they say, just as Ruth left Moab. And so think about yourself here as you read this and see how this pictures what you've done in your life. The world has shamed you for guiding the house. The world has shamed you because you want to submit to your husband, but you still do it with love, because like Ruth, you love God. The ladies of our church love God. That's why they're here. You left the world just like Ruth left Moab. So that's the story of Ruth. That's an overview of her life. Like I said, I think there's an application you can make when it comes to Jesus and figures and pictures of Jesus, but also she really is very important and somebody we shouldn't gloss over when we do our Bible reading. Let's pray. Father God, I thank you so much for this opportunity. I pray that you would help the women of our church to be filled with the Spirit and teach their children the right way and not to be discouraged by friends or family or anyone else trying to shame them or put them down because of the lifestyle that they have chosen, Lord. And I just thank you so much for my wife and for the other ladies here and all the great things they do. And we thank you for the book of Ruth and the stories, or I should say the lessons that we can take from it. And I just pray that you continue to bless this church. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. We're ready for our last song. Song number 39. How beautiful heaven must be. Last song.