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Jesse begat David father God Lord. Thank you for the book of Ruth Thank you for everything that we've been able to learn from this book I prayed now that you feel pastor Shelley with the Holy Spirit and help them to impart unto us Wisdom and knowledge in Jesus name we pray. Amen Amen, so we've been going through the book of Ruth and just to get a reminder exactly where we're at Look back at chapter 3 verse 9 The Bible says in chapter 3 verse 9 and he said who art thou and she answered I am Ruth thine handmade spread Therefore they skirt over thine handmade for thou art a near kinsman So in the book of chapter 3 in the book of Ruth in chapter 3, we have Ruth asking Boaz to marry her and that's basically what the euphemism of the skirt is in reference to the fact that she would become his wife I proved this in chapter number 3 the Bible teaches that the skirt is a picture of a husband's wife And we see in verse number 12. It says and now it is true that I am thine ear kinsmen How be it there is a kinsman nearer than I so Boaz wasn't sure if there was another man that would want her to become his wife in place of him because he was technically closer of kin and in chapter number four we actually deal with the subject because Boaz said that he was going to go and Ask this man if he would marry her first before Boaz would potentially take her on to be his wife Now looking back at chapter 4 and look at verse 1 Then went up Boaz Then went Boaz up to the gate and sat him down there and behold the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by unto whom he said Ho such a one turn aside sit down here and he turned aside and sat down and he took ten men of the elders of the City and said sit ye down here and they sat down and he said another kinsman Naomi that has come again out of the country of Moab sell the parcel of land which was our brother in limilex and I thought to advertise these saying buy it before the Inhabitants and before the elders of my people if thou wilt redeem it redeem it But if thou will not redeem it then tell me that I may know But there is none to redeem it beside thee and I am after thee and he said I will redeem it So Boaz comes unto this man He says Naomi who is Ruth's mother-in-law who was married to a limilex She is the widow and he's saying you have to buy this land of Naomi and he says hey, I'll buy it I'll redeem it. I'll make sure and take care of this land now It says in verse number five then said Boaz what day thou bias the field of the hand of Naomi thou must buy it Also of roof the Moab itis the wife of the dead to raise up the name of the dead upon his Inheritance says in verse 6 and the kinsman said I cannot redeem it for myself lest I mar mine own inheritance Redeemed thou my right to myself for I cannot redeem it So at first he was all for he was gonna buy the land He was gonna take it on but then when he finds out that Ruth the Moab itis is attached to the deal He begins to reject the offer. He says I cannot redeem it now Let's keep our finger here and go back to Deuteronomy 25 and realize that they're referencing the law here And I think we believe I believe I looked at this in chapter number three as well But I want us to look at it again for a couple reasons It's actually quoted here in the book of Ruth the portion of the law that we're gonna be reading but it says in Deuteronomy look at chapter 25 verse number 5 the Bible reads if brethren dwell together and One of them died and have no child the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger her husband's brother shall go in unto her and take her to him to wife and perform the duty of a Husband's brother unto her and it shall be that the firstborn which he beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother Which is dead that his name be not put out of Israel and if the man like not to take his brother's wife Then let the brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders and say my husband's brother refuses 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 a 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 and the presence of the elders and lose his shoe from off his foot and Spit in his face and she'll 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 loose now, that's some hard preaching right there She's spitting mad. She's gonna rip off his shoes. She's gonna call him out in front of the elders now according to the law It was the woman that was supposed to come under the man and she was supposed to confront him and if he was not Willing to marry her in the presence of the elders. She was the one to take the shoe off She was the one to spit in his face and she's the one to pronounce this judgment against him So when we look at the book of Ruth There is a slight variation in that in the fact that Boaz goes ahead and does it for Ruth? But Ruth obviously in chapter number three taking off of Boaz's shoe Signifies the fact that she's willing to perform such an action. That's basically what she's asking and a sense She's saying hey, this is what the law commands. I'm trying to follow God's commandments, but notice what it says here in verse number Five it says the if brethren dwell together and one of them die and have no child It says the wife of the dead so it's describing this person as the wife of the dead Keep your finger and go back to Ruth chapter number four and look what it says also in verse five It says then Boaz What day thou buys the field of the hand of Naomi thou must buy it also the of Ruth the mobitis The wife of the dead so it's referencing that same person It's the exact same scenario, but notice this kinsman does not want to marry Ruth for whatever reason we don't know why Specifically this person didn't want to marry Ruth, but he does not want to raise up seed on his brethren We see other people in the Bible do something very similar Onan does not want to raise up seed unto his brethren. He spills the seed on the ground God calls him wicked and destroys him and kills him. Okay, so for whatever reason this guy doesn't want his To raise up seed unto somebody else and really I think when we look at that is probably just out of selfish You know means you know, they don't want to do something selfless They don't want to do all the work and somebody else get the credit But that's the Christian life. The Christian life is one where we shouldn't be in it for vainglory We shouldn't be in it just to put our name on the front of things You know when you go to a church and you serve a church a lot of times maybe only the leadership gets recognition You know, maybe only the pastor the deacon or the employees or someone that does the song leading But we all know that a lot of people do a lot of work when it comes to the church There's people that clean the building. There's people that do all kinds of works. They organize things. They tidy things They give up their money. They give up their time. I mean when we look at that soul winning number in the bulletin That's not one person's effort there That's a whole body of believers doing a lot of work to serve the Lord And in fact, you know one of the positions in the Bible a deacon a deacon is a servant and by nature The deacon is not going to get very much recognition The deacon is not going to be the one who everybody thinks of and gets a lot of honor and glory in this life But God is going to greatly reward that person a position of a deacon is one of great value It's one of great admiration the Bible says if you want to be great in the Bible You're supposed to be a servant of all it's not about getting vainglory And so if you want to be a pastor just because you want your name on a business card You you shouldn't be a pastor. Yeah. Yeah the reason in fact, it's not worth it either, you know If that was what I was really aiming for I would quit tomorrow because look it's not worth it You know having that name on the business card Look, you can just go start a business and put your name on a business card. I know a guy He's a single guy He can't even hold down a job and he has business cards with his name on it and it's like what are you doing? You know, that's a different story but the reality is that one of a Christian life is not all about vainglory It's not all about getting your name attached to it. How many thousands and Hundreds of great Christians have existed in the last two thousand years and we have no idea who they are You know what? I bet they're shining bright in heaven and when it comes to the Judgment seat of Christ when we're gonna be rewarded according to our works. It's not gonna be all the titles that you had It's not gonna be all the business cards with your name on it It's not gonna be all the vainglory that men saw it's gonna be the works that you did and The person that's going to be rewarded is not the person whose name this child was in honor of Rather it's gonna be the person that did the works. That's the one that's gonna get the recognition That's the one who's gonna get the honor now notice though. We're following the law He wants to raise up, you know a seed in the name of the dead and so that's the point of Ruth chapter number three reason for it, it's really it's really a Fulfillment of those Commandments and in fact if it wasn't a fulfillment here when you read the Old Testament law You're like what that story made no sense. That's why would you rip off the shoe? Why are you calling it? You know his house? Shoes loose, but there's also a lot of spiritual significance that we can draw from a lot of these Stories and things that we're reading here and and I want to do that But let's read a few more verses and then we're gonna get in some deeper Meanings that we have here written in this story, but it says in verse 7 now this was the manner and former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing for to confirm all things a man plucked off a shoe and gave it to his neighbor and this was a testimony in Israel says in verse 8 therefore the kinsmen said unto Boaz buy it for thee so he drew off a shoe So the kinsmen ends up deciding he doesn't want it. He takes off issue voluntarily and says unto Boaz you can buy it Okay. Now I believe that there's a lot of great symbolism here that I want to look at when we're talking about this But we're talking about redemption. What is redemption? What is something that is redeemed if you look at the root word redeem? It means to gain or to regain something by purchase unto yourself So I'm gaining something or I'm regaining something by buying it unto myself. That's what it would mean to redeem something Obviously we think of a token or a coupon being redeemed you're using it You're spending it and redeeming it unto yourself and in this context We have the land of Elimelech and we have most the mobitis Ruth being redeemed unto whom Boaz he's buying it unto himself Now go to Luke chapter number one go to Luke chapter one. This is one of the first places. I want to look to but consistently throughout the book of Ruth Boaz is picturing God. He's picturing the Lord Jesus Christ He is that constant symbol and Ruth is often symbolizing us as unbelievers or specifically the Gentiles There's a lot of different analogies that we have there but in this case We have both just the unsaved being redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ and we have the Gentiles Being redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ of which Ruth pictures both But we have in Luke chapter number one We have the significance that the Lord Jesus Christ redeems us now. It says in Luke chapter 1 look at verse 63 Let's read a portion of this Says in Luke chapter 1 verse 63 and he asked for a writing table and wrote saying his name is John and they marveled all and his mouth was open immediately and His tongue loose and he spake and praise God. So this is Zacharias He is the father of John the Baptist and he couldn't speak because he didn't believe the angel at first but he's now able to speak because his son is gonna be born and his name is John and It's John the Baptist and it says in verse 65 This is him preaching and fear came on all that dwelt round about them and all these sayings were noise abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea and all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts saying what man or child shall this be and the hand of Lord was with him and his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and Prophesied saying blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David as He spake by the mouth of his holy prophets Which have been since the world began that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us To perform the mercy of her promise to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath which he sware to our father Abraham that he would grant unto us that we've been delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear and Holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life So Zacharias prophesies about the Lord Jesus Christ that he is going to redeem His people that the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ the one in whom John the Baptist is going to be pointing to the guy that he's going to be Building up to that. He's teaching people about this Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ is going to redeem his people Now some people would take this phrasing they say all see, you know, he's just the Savior of physical Israel He's just the Savior of the Jews But we're gonna keep comparing spiritual spiritual and realize that his people is those that believe in him That's the the ones that are his people Okay Now go to the end of Luke go to the end of Luke because it starts by telling us that Jesus Christ is going to redeem What does that mean? He's going to gain or regain a possession by purchasing it unto himself Isn't he and that's exactly what he did He bought and paid for all of our sins so that he can rightly have us unto himself Look at Luke chapter number 24 and look at verse 17 The Bible says in verse 17 and he said unto them what manner of communications are these that you have said? That you have one to another as you walk and are sad so this is Jesus on the walk to Emmaus He's asking two guys Why are you guys sad and one of them whose name was Cleopas answered said on him? Aren't thou only a stranger in Jerusalem and has not known the things which are come to pass there in these days And he said in him what things and they he's like trolling them. It's kind of funny They said concerning Jesus of Nazareth which was a prophet mighty indeed and word before God and all the people and now the chief priests and our rulers delivered him To be condemned to death and have crucified him but we trusted that it had been he which should have Redeemed Israel and beside all this today is the third day since these things were done So notice they were thinking that Jesus Christ was going to do what redeem? Israel redeem Israel now Here's their their thinking though. They thought that the redemption was physical They thought that the Lord Jesus Christ was gonna somehow redeem them from the Romans He was going to purchase or regain them from the Romans and set up an earthly kingdom Right then and there and they were gonna rule and reign and from then on Jesus Christ is gonna be their king on a physical Reign then but they're like he got crucified I thought I thought this guy was gonna redeem us and then see what does Jesus say in verse 25? Then he said unto them Oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken Ought not Christ have suffered these things and to enter into his glory. So he's saying look you're missing out It's both now notice the way he words this he doesn't say that they're wrong. He says Believe all that the prophets is book. So is Jesus Christ going to physically rule and reign. Is he really going to redeem them? Yeah, he's gonna do both but you have to believe all of the scripture You have to understand that he must needs first have suffered. He must first have died on the cross Why in order to redeem our souls in order for us to be able to be purchased in order to go unto heaven? Go if you would to Romans chapter number eight, we're gonna turn in the right in our Bibles Romans chapter number eight So we see that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer just like Boaz is the one to redeem Ruth Jesus Christ is the one to redeem us now. It says in Romans chapter number eight. Look at verse number three Romans chapter number eight Look at verse number three the Bible reads for what the law could not do and that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own son and the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin Condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh But after the spirit now, what does it say in verse number three it says for what the law could not Do could the law redeem us unto the Lord Jesus Christ? No, it could not now keep your finger back to Ruth go back to Ruth The Bible makes it crystal clear that the law Nobody could be redeemed that that was no way for us in order to be saved That it was not possible that we could go to heaven based on the law I mean, there's there's mountains of scriptures that say this but it's interesting how it's worded in Ruth Look at what it says in verse number six again, and the kinsmen said I cannot redeem it for myself Lest I mar my own inheritance redeem thou my right to thyself for I cannot redeem it that first kinsmen According to the law, right? Isn't he a picture of the law? I mean they're going on to him They're gonna have Ruth redeemed by this law, but he cannot redeem them He needs somebody else to redeem him. That's like the law We cannot be redeemed by that first kinsmen the law. We need a second Savior We need Boaz to come in and redeem us. The law is never going to be able to get us saved It is Boaz the Lord Jesus Christ that's going to be the one to come and redeem us Okay, go back if you would to Romans chapter number seven now and think about this though when we read in the law After the guy that had his shoe loose Did it say anybody else had to come and redeem that wife of the dead? No, so Boaz is showing kindness under Ruth Above the law. He's going beyond what the commandments of the law are to redeem Ruth Just like the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord Jesus Christ is just in sending us all to hell if I got what I deserved I would go to hell and if Ruth got what she deserved She would have been rejected by the first kinsmen and moved on with her life She would have not been able to have the inheritance She would have been left as a stranger of the children of Israel There would have been no man in order to have redeemed them But Boaz is coming and redeeming Ruth just like us just like the Gentiles the Lord Jesus Christ didn't want to let us just go without forever. No, he wants to redeem us back unto himself now Look at Romans chapter 7 verse 1 No, you're not brethren for I speak to them that know the law How that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth for the woman which hath an husband Is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth But if the husband be dead she is loosed from the law of her husband So then if while her husband liveth she be married to another man She shall be called an adulteress But if her husband be dead she is free from that law so that she is no adulteress though She'd be married to another man Wherefore my brethren ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another Even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God So the Bible is also giving us another strong analogy here saying that Salvation us being redeemed by God is a picture of marriage. How is that picture of marriage? Well, if a woman is married to a husband She would be an adulteress to be married to another husband while that first husband is alive so in order for her to be married to another the first husband has died and Now she's no longer under the bondage of that first husband She can now be married unto whomsoever she wants and she's gonna then be married into another we were Technically in a sense married to the law. We're married to God's commandments in the sense that hey No matter what person you are if you believe in Jesus Christ or not. You started out being under the law We're all under the law the people there without Jesus Christ. They will be punished according to the law I don't care if you're Jew Gentile Hindu Buddhist I don't care what you are at the end of the day You would stand before God unless you die to that husband and you marry another husband Which is Jesus Christ and the moment that you're dead from the law and you're married unto Jesus Christ Now you're saved is what the Bible's teaching just like Ruth who is a widow. She is dead now She's gonna marry another whom is that Boaz Boaz is gonna be her new husband Another picture of the marriage that we have unto the Lord Jesus Christ Now go view would to Galatians chapter number three Galatians 7 3. So we're building on the idea of what being redeemed Being redeemed being purchased on yourself and the bridegroom is one who purchases the bride It's in fact when you study the Old Testament law The husband has to give a dowry in order to buy that bride. He's buying the bride It's his to be purchased and the Lord Jesus Christ He bought and paid for us and the earnest payment that we receive is the Holy Ghost Look at Ephesians. I'm sorry Galatians. We're gonna go to Ephesians moment. Look at Galatians chapter 3 verse number 11 And he I'm sorry. I'm an Ephesians Galatians chapter 3 verse 11 But that no man is justified by the law and the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith And the law is not a faith but the man that doeth them shall live in them Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us For it is written cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles Through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. So we see very clearly in Galatians chapter 3 that when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you receive the promise that was given unto Abraham and Specifically it's to the Gentiles. Isn't that isn't it emphasizing the Gentiles here now who is wrote Ruth Ruth is a Moabitess She's a Gentile. She received that blessing and she was redeemed by Boaz just like we are redeemed by Christ what so that we can receive that blessing of Abraham So we have the same picture here. Look at chapter 4 and look at verse 4 Chapter 4 verse 4 But when the fullness of the time was come God sent for this son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law That we might receive the the adoption of sons So notice he's redeeming us from what he's redeeming us from being under the law We're dead to the law once we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we're married unto another we're married under the Lord Jesus Christ We're no longer under the bondage of the law, which is what that we'd be cursed Now some people get confused in this when it means that you're not under the law It specifically means you're not under the curse of the law. It does not mean that God's laws just somehow no longer apply Obviously and I've taught a whole sermon on this It's entitled married to another in the fact that no matter what husband you're married to They're gonna probably have a lot of the very similar commandments in the sense that hey don't commit adultery on me make sandwiches You know, okay just things that are very similar right just things that just apply to every marriage Okay, and the same applies with the Lord Jesus Christ. Hey thou should not kill that's Old Testament That's New Testament, you know thou should not steal thou should not bear false witness. There's virtually no change Okay, but I guess in the Old Testament they had a kosher diet He had the first wife, you know, the first husband's kosher and then the second he likes all creatures. He's great He's like come on bring on that bacon, you know, I'm not I'm not allergic to this stuff You know, come on bring on the sausage and the bacon and the ham and all, you know So we see there could be a little bit of difference there and the New Testament explains those differences But specifically to not be under the law means you're not under the curse of the law. That's what Christ had redeemed us From okay, go to Ephesians chapter 1 go to Ephesians chapter 1 just flip the page So we're building on this fact that God Redeemed us through his son the Lord Jesus Christ. We were purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ He purchased us unto himself is what the Bible says now look at Ephesians chapter 1 verse 12 The Bible says that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ and whom he also Trusted after that you hear the word of truth the gospel of salvation and whom also after that you believe you're sealed With that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchase possession Under the praise of his glory so the Bible even defines for us what redemption is it's what it's that purchased Possession is exactly the definition that I gave you from the dictionary. What's a possession? It's something that you own What's the purchase the fact that you bought it? So you either gained or regained a possession unto yourself through purchasing it the Lord Jesus Christ Purchased us through his blood he bought and paid for us fully so that he could redeem us now the Earnest that's what you put down is just a promise that you will buy it So technically the transaction hasn't been fully exercised in a sense because we still have the old man We still have that old body So we haven't technically been fully purchased only the earnest payment has been put down that earnest payment is the Holy Ghost The moment you believe you receive that earnest which is the Holy Ghost But one day our bodies will be fully redeemed It'll be the fully purchased possession our incorruptible bodies, which were put I'm sorry Our corruptible bodies which were put into the ground will come up out Incorruptible and forever will be with the Lord. Okay, so that's basically what the Bible is teaching in these portions Look at go back to Ruth for a moment, and I want to look at a few more things Look at Ruth Chapter number four. So while we have this really cool story and it looks at different aspects of the law It really has a lot of prophetic Significance it really teaches us a lot of different things that happened In in the Bible and we're gonna look at a few more here, but look at verse number nine again, okay It says in verse nine and Boaz said in the elders and in all the people your witnesses this day That I have bought all that was a limilex and all that was chileans and Malons of the hand of Naomi Moreover Ruth the mobite is the wife of Malon have I purchased to be my wife to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren and From the gate of his place. You're witnesses this day So notice that Boaz is wanting to what he's wanting to make it clear I bought and paid for Ruth But notice what he then he's telling them you guys are witnesses makes me just think of what soul winning the gospel Right. In fact in the New Testament at the Lord Jesus Christ buys our Salvation, let's go to Acts chapter 1 go to Acts chapter 1, right? Isn't what happened? He just now bought and paid for it. What happens right after Jesus Christ buys all of our sins He went down to hell he's come back out. It's the resurrection of Jesus Christ What is he gonna say unto all the people that saw him being resurrected? What does it say in Acts chapter number one? Let's get a little bit of a context here It says in verse number four and being assembled together with them Commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem But wait for the promise of the Father which saith he have heard of me for John truly baptized with water But ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence when they therefore were come together They asked of him saying Lord wilt out this time restore again the kingdom of Israel and he said unto them It is not for you to know the times of the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power but ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be Witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and all Judea and in Samaria and to the uttermost part of the earth So just like Boaz the moment that he buys and pays for Ruth He's telling all them you guys are witnesses the same the Lord Jesus Christ after he's bought and paid for us all he's telling his disciples you guys are witnesses and they're supposed to go out into all the world and what preach the gospel Preach that what Jesus Christ has already bought and paid for us So just like they would go out and preach that hey Ruth's been bought by Boaz that's signifying What the Gentiles have been bought by Jesus Christ or specifically? Hey, just any unbeliever you've been bought and paid for by Jesus Christ We just trust and what he already bought and paid for go back to Ruth chapter number four go back to Ruth chapter number four So just like Boaz bought and paid for Ruth Jesus Christ bought and paid for all of our sins It was nothing that had to do with what Ruth Ruth didn't chip in a few bucks Ruth, you know Isn't you know doing some extra works here Ruth? In fact has no say really it's just but we do notice this Why did Boaz marry Ruth didn't she come and ask him Didn't she go unto him and ask him spread therefore thy skirt upon thine handmaid If you seek me, he shall find me for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord Shall be saved, right? So she came unto Boaz. She asked him and what do you do? He bought and paid for because as soon as you call upon the name of the Lord in faith Believing he's gonna save you and so it's just another picture of how the gospel works. It's in every single page That's why I always think though the walk to Emmaus and like that He just read the whole Bible to her because I'm just like I don't know what story is not about Jesus Christ They're all about Jesus Christ every single verse every single line. It seems like But look at verse number 13 Or I back up I think verse 12, I don't think we read this one 11 I'm just all over the place All right, forgive me and all the people that were in the gate and the elders said we are witnesses That's a soul wing attitude right there The Lord make the woman that is coming to thine house like Rachel and like Leah which to did build the house of Israel and do thou worthily and Ephrata and be famous and Bethlehem so we see Rachel and Leah were the wives of Jacob the wives of Israel who's later named Israel and they built the twelve tribes essentially now technically even their handmaids had a part in that but it was under their name In a sense. So these are the two women that build the the children of Israel and obviously through the children of Israel We have many different kings. We have all kinds of different people groups that are mentioned throughout the Bible and they're very famous Okay, look at verse 12 and Let thy house be like to the house of Phares whom Tamar bear unto Judah of the seed Which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman now, it's interesting They start out by just kind of giving honor and praise unto both women of all the children of Israel But then they highlight one tribe, don't they they highlight the tribe of Judah and specifically His child that's born of Tamar now when you read the story It's it's it's weird. Okay It's it's a it's basically his daughter-in-law who pretends to be a harlot and he fathers a child through her Which just tells me that no matter what your past is. God can still use you I mean when you think about that historical line and notice that he's highlighting this line Why because we know that that lineage is gonna bring us a very special person the Lord Jesus Christ It's not a coincidence that Boaz just happens to be one of the greatest pictures of Jesus Christ He's the exact lineage of Jesus Christ. And if you look at the lineage of Jesus Christ, you know It's constantly great pictures of Jesus Christ. Those are the lineage David Boaz Abraham I mean, it's just all the archetypes are leading up to who the Lord Jesus Christ Okay, so we have good symbols and pictures now. None of these guys were perfect None of these were that promised seed but their pictures shadows and types and God's highlighting them for a very specific reason look at verse 14 Or 13, I'm not gonna get it right All right So Boaz took Ruth and she was his wife and she went and he went in under the Lord gave her conception And she bears son now again. Also if you study the Bible, it's very interesting like when it talks about Sarah It'll say the Lord gave her conception and then it's talking about Ruth It's like the Lord Gave her conception and I think that's just a little bit of a hint of The virgin birth of the fact that the Lord's gonna overshadow Mary and she's gonna be born also it pictures the carnal truth That God is the one who opens and closes the womb. The Lord is the one that gives us conception Obviously without a man and woman doing their part. You're never gonna have conception But at the end of the day, it's the Lord as he wills who opens and closes that womb It says in verse number 14 and the woman said in Naomi Blessed be the Lord which have not left thee this day without a kinsman that his name May be famous in Israel now again, sometimes it's using the kinsmen several times in this chapter Who is this kinsman that it's referencing? It's referencing the child that's been born It's saying this is the kinsman that she's going to have and it says very specifically that it's gonna have what its name Would be famous in Israel now What is that name that name is Obed and obviously Obed has some level of significance But what is it doubly signifying the Lord Jesus Christ his name the name which is above every name the name of Jesus That's how we're saved. That's the real name that you know, we Emphasize it says in verse 15 and he shall be unto thee restore 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 born him So it's mentioning him as being restorer of thy life being a nourisher of thine old age And again, he is in a carnal sense, but it's also a picture of what Jesus Christ does unto us now Go if you would back to Ephesians 1 keep your finger here and go back to Ephesians chapter 1 and The cool thing about the Bible is God constantly When he's writing the Word of God it means something in that direct context but then it also many times signifies something of a spiritual significance and the fact that Obed was a restorer of Naomi's life, but Jesus Christ is gonna restore of all of our lives Okay and in Ephesians chapter 1 look at verse 15 the Bible says Wherefore I also after I heard of your faith in Lord Jesus and love and all the Saints cease not to give thanks for you Making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know What is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints? And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us were to believe according to the working of his mighty power? Which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and Dominion and notice this and every name that is named not only in this world But also in that which is to come and has put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church Which is his body the fullness of him that filleth all in all so we notice that the name of Jesus is not just significant Now it's significant period it says hey not just named only in this world, but also in that which is to come You know Sam Gipp should read this verse a couple times over and over He claimed that the name of Jesus was secondary to the name of Manuel, which is ridiculous Obviously a manual is a description of God with us and amen. Jesus Christ is God with us He is Emmanuel, but the name which God gave him is Jesus and that's the name above every name Why is it that I've never heard a single person ever? blaspheme the name of Manuel Yet they take Jesus name in vain all the time, that's pretty weird I guess you just believe nobody takes the Lord's name in vain then Sam Gipp But obviously the Bible is telling us that that name above every name is Jesus Christ And I don't care if you're saying it in Spanish English Hebrew Greek It doesn't matter but it is the name of Jesus and for English speaking people It's the name of Jesus that you call upon in order to be saved Now look what it says in verse number 1 of chapter 2 So we noticed that it was that name that's famous in Israel the name of Jesus Christ And in fact on the walk to Emmaus when he's asking about the situation. They're kind of like, where are you from? Everybody knows about Jesus. Everybody knows about the guy that was crucified, you know, everybody thought he was gonna be the Redeemer So he's like just kind of like I don't know what you're talking about and then he's calling him the fools for not believing the whole Bible right vision chapter 2 look at verse 1 and You have the quick in talking about who Jesus Christ who were dead in trespasses and sins So what does it mean to be quickened and means to be made alive? So just like Obed is gonna be restorer of the life of Naomi Jesus Christ is the restorer of our true life because our true life is hid with Christ is what the Bible says Christ who is our life. We have no life apart from Christ If you don't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you have no life The Bible says he that believeth on the Son hath Life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life Right. So the Bible is making it clear that we get life through Jesus Christ. Our only life is in Jesus Christ So if you live for the flesh if you live for your physical life today You're doing yourself a great disservice because that's not your real life It's a facade today, it's it's deception today we ought to live for our real life, which is hid in Christ That's why it also it notice its head. We don't know how God is going to reward us exactly It's it's more about our heart than it is all the outward actions Don't get so wrapped up on what everybody sees and oh, I bet this guy's getting all these words Well, we don't know what's going on in the heart No, I use this reference a lot, but I think it really captures this essence When the rich people were casting in all this money into the Treasury and then the poor widow woman She comes and cast ends the two mites. Jesus said she cast in more than they all and they're thinking like no Putting in two nickels when this person ten thousand bucks or whatever and he's like well they cast in out of their abundance But she's cast in all of her living and notice according to God She's gonna be more rewarded Than the people who cast in a lot more money physically And so we ought not look at what you and I do from a physical sense We ought to just be worried about our hearts and we ought to be worried about our motives and we ought about worried about if we have charity in our heart because the Bible says if you bestow all your goods to feed the poor and You have your body to be burned, but you have not charity the property do nothing. That's what the Bible says I wouldn't want to give all of my money Okay, and it rewards me nothing that sounds terrible So honestly the Christian life is one of getting your heart right having the right motives the right intentions not to get vainglory Not to be seen of men, but rather just doing things because you love God and you want to help others and serve others Okay, look what it says in chapter number three now and look at verse number two Ephesians chapter 3 verse 2 if you had heard of the dispensation of the grace of God Which is given to me given me to you word how that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery as I wrote a four in few words Whereby when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ Which in other ages was not made known under the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and Partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel Whereof I was made a minister According to gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power unto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and it make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery? Which from the beginning of the world has been hidden God who created all things by Jesus Christ Now this is what I think's interesting about this is it's saying the Spirit did not make manifest the bringing in of the Gentiles in other ages So that means when prophets would read Ruth and they would read some of these Old Testament Prophecies the Holy Ghost wasn't enlightening them and letting them realize that that's a picture of the Gentiles coming in They didn't quite understand it They saw through a glass Darkly, but when Christ had come now more revelation is given more understanding is given More knowledge is given and now they see all these Prophecies coming off the page of them like never before and the Holy Ghost is revealing things unto them Which had not been revealed before and now they see oh, wow The Gentiles are fellow heirs with the believers and that's what it just covered in chapter number two I mean chapter two just hammers at home that the Gentiles are now made fellow heirs with the Saints They're of the same household. They're built upon the same foundation It's them being brought in they're being grafted in we have to understand that when they read the book of Ruth They may not have understand what we understand. We understand through Christ We understand through the Spirit giving us these great revelations in this great knowledge and we are not take that for granted We had not take the fact that we live in a day and a time when God has revealed us so much more of his Word than they had in the past We have so much of God's Word and it seems like the day people are more apathetic than ever before. I Mean we're given everything and you know, it's gonna be a sad day if when we're given everything we reject it because God definitely warns us take you know, take heed how you hear and To whom much is given of them shall much be required So if we're given the whole Bible if we're given a free nation where we can go out and preach the gospel We can preach all the riches of God's glory We can preach the doctrines of replacement theology and we can replace the doctrines of salvation by faith and we can preach the reprobate doctrine We ought to actually utilize that today If we can take mission strips to other countries into other nations and other lands We ought to take full advantage of what God has given unto us because when we just reject it because when we're so apathetic And we're just living for ourselves. God might take that away from us God might just say well, I'm gonna have somebody else come in here and take advantage of these opportunities I'm giving unto them. So we need to take full advantage of the opportunities We have we have not bury our talent into the ground Because God could just take our town away from us and give it to the guy that's got ten like that's not fair He's already doing great with it It's like well, you know what because he's doing great with it God's gonna reward him even more So we ought to just press towards the mark We ought to just give it our all and do as much for the Lord as we possibly can but I like this It's the mystery of the Gentiles Right the Gentiles are the ones that are being redeemed and in fact the New Testament takes a major shift Because we notice the Gentiles are the only ones really receiving the gospel. They're the ones with all the churches I don't remember reading in Revelation about the church at you know, hot phlegm And it she best mission, you know, it was you know in Asia It was all the churches in Asia with all the Gentiles and you know what it is today It's the Gentiles that are the one serving God. It's the Gentiles that are doing all the works for God and you say why? Well, first of all because we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ That's that's the main reason but another reason is the fact that we love God You know the Bible says if you love me keep my commandments and when we go back to Ruth we notice something important that said about Ruth and I think this is very interesting in talking about Naomi and Ruth's relationship. Well, look what it said in verse 15 and He shall be unto the restore of thy life. So this talking about Oh bed picturing Jesus Christ and a nourisher of thine old age But look at this for thy daughter-in-law Talking about Ruth notice this which loveth thee Which is better to thee than seven sons hath born him It doesn't matter how many gents it doesn't matter how many Jews you had as sons that rejected Jesus, you know It's better than that one Daughter-in-law who's not even of your seed, but you know what she loves you The Gentiles are much better than the Jews because they accepted the Lord and because they loved the Lord That's why they're going to be greatly used and in fact, they're better They're better why because they love the Lord because they're gonna do his works and that's the same way It is in the New Testament those that believe on Lord Jesus Christ and those that love the Lord are gonna be greatly used by God look what it says in verse number 16. Now. This is interesting And Naomi took the child and laid in her bosom and became nurse unto it Now I've pointed this out to people like just verbally and they don't even believe me But the Bible teaches that Ruth the grandmother is a nurse unto her grandson now That's pretty cool because I didn't even know that was possible, but I even looked it up I did some research and I went to websites called Kelly mom It's kind of a popular blog or website talks about all kinds of different things But there's a process known as relaxation and this is what they said This is this is not a Bible believing website necessarily. This isn't like a fundamental Baptist. This isn't like based on Ruth or anything This is just based on medical science. Okay, it says if your baby is four months old or younger It will generally be easier to relactate It will also be easier if your milk supply was well established Frequent and effective nursing in her pumping during the first four to six weeks postpartum So they're saying the most likely time for a woman to be able to lactate very well And to be able to breastfeed very well is in that crucial early moments the first four to six weeks after giving birth That's going to be the most important time for them to have established their breastfeeding and if they have done that in the past Then if they want to pick up breastfeeding in the future, it's gonna be even easier for them to be able to do that Relaxation is where there's been a long period of time where they have not been breastfeeding and they pick it back up It's saying a woman that had done that in the first four to six weeks It's gonna be very easy for them, but I'm gonna keep reading it says however moms with older babies moms who did not establish a good milk supply in the beginning and Adoptive moms who have never breastfed can also get good results So it says not only women who did a really good job at the beginning You know getting the milk supply built up with their child in the first four to six weeks But even a woman that's never breastfed a woman that didn't establish a good milk supply at the beginning Sometime in the future. She can still build up her milk supply the relaxation process even an Adoptive mother who has never breastfed now that's I didn't even know that's possible But obviously our society is has really demonized breastfeeding in a lot of ways and has got away from breastfeeding and it's inconvenient you know the working mom can't really be the customer service rep and can't be the secretary and Be breastfeeding and always so it's just been kind of gone by the wayside But it still exists that God created it that a woman can be a nurse pretty much period that her body will respond To breastfeeding even if she's never given birth Isn't that crazy it I looked at this article It says keep in mind that breastfeeding is not just about the milk Your child will get numerous benefits from breastfeeding even if you do not have a full milk supply So it's saying that There's a lot of benefits for the child and your body is built by God to just respond You're in fact if women that struggle in this area, you know If they just get really consistent a lot of times they can build back their milk supply They can still have good results It's saying even if you completely stop for a long period of time you could still get all the way back its recommendation if you're trying to build it back is that every two to three hours You would just try to nurse with your child whether they're feeding or not just to get your body to start Reacting to that but isn't it interesting that Naomi who hasn't had a child for a long time is now the nurse unto her Ransom, that's pretty unique. That's pretty crazy. I'm not saying try this at home. I'm just giving you some information Okay, I'm just trying to tell you what the Bible says, but you know, maybe in a case of emergency or other Situations maybe would apply maybe it's beneficial You know, the Bible is true whether science believes it or not and it's interesting when you read that kind of a story well, look at verse 17 and The women her neighbors gave it a name Saying there is a son born in Naomi and they called his name Obed He is the father of Jesse the father of David now These are the generations of Phares. Phares begot Hezron and Hezron begot Ram and Ram begot Amenadab and Amenadab begot Naishon and Naishon begot Salomon and Salomon begot Boaz and Boaz begot Obed and Obed begot Jesse and Jesse Beget David. So this genealogy has a lot of reasons why it's here First of all, we're transitioning from what the book of Judges into what the book of first Samuel and while first Samuel has a little Bit of backstory. It's pretty much highlighting David at chapter 17 We're introduced to David and Goliath then for the rest of the portion of first Samuel It's all about David and then leading into second Samuel It's all about David and Ruth the transitionary story that gives us a lot of information Where did David come from and it gives us that foundation then we kind of learn about Samuel and we learn about him who anoints David and we learn about the first King King Saul, but the Bible if you study it, it's it's a pretty much in chronological order now there is Overlapping sections and the fact that the Bible a lot of times when it moves on to a new Portion of the Bible it'll go back in time just to kind of overlap and then it'll push it out a little bit further It always pushes the timeline out though a little bit further when you're going through these historical sections When you're going from Genesis all the way up into the book of Esther It's pretty much just a chronology of the history of the Bible and then when you get to the latter sections You know Job Psalms and all the latter the minor prophets. It's gonna be the major and minor prophets It's gonna have overlap with those different sections So that's one reason another reason is the fact that if you look in Matthew chapter number one you get the exact same Genealogy and that is of the Lord Jesus Christ now in Matthew chapter one. It starts a little bit further before Thérèse it goes to Abraham it goes from Abraham unto David and then it goes from Dave and the carrying of Babylon and it goes And carrying of Babylon unto Jesus Christ, so we get that same genealogy also in Second Chronicles It brings us genealogy and the Bible just out of the mouth of two or three witnesses is establishing every word But the Bible is highlighting one thing Jesus Christ, that's why we have this genealogy. It's constantly highlighting Jesus Christ. That's what it's pointing to It's giving us that lineage. It's not just a random bunch of people It's not just hey, here's a bunch of guys that produced each other No, this is the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ and notice that God wants to tell us certain things about some of this lineage we don't know that much about Amenadab and Aram and Nahshon, you know and these guys might have lived a long life We don't even know exactly all the information about them But it's interesting that it highlights people like Raycab the harlot that it mentions people like Ruth the Moabitess Both not the children of Israel both women who were not of the chosen seed of Israel But rather they're the lineage of Jesus Christ Again highlighting the fact that I don't care where you come from what you did once you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ You know what? God can do great things through you And even women who had a shaded past I mean Raycab was a harlot Now Ruth she has she's a really pretty good person at least when we start learning about her We don't know what she was like in Moab. She might have been worshipping false gods She might doing a lot of things and I don't care if you're Catholic I don't care if you were raised atheist I don't care what you were doing you have your whole life ahead of you and you can do great things for God Now I want to have three last conclusions before we finish the sermon just conclusions about the book of Ruth okay, we've been going through the book of Ezra and I we're gonna go back to Ezra and we're gonna we're gonna kind of finish that chapter but I wanted to go to Ruth because I think it helps us with a few things the first one that I Conclusions of Ruth is this the Gentiles were obviously reconciled by Christ And that is foreshadowed by Ruth. That's foreshadowed by a lot of different people in the Old Testament We see God was not a respecter of persons in the Old Testament just like he's not in the New Testament. He doesn't change He didn't like become less a respecter of persons in the New Testament or anything like that It's just in the Old Testament the heathen by and large just rejected God. They just rejected the Lord Jesus Christ They didn't want anything to do with them a lot of very wicked and ungodly nations think of nations today like North Korea think of nations today like the People in China think about people that live in India There's huge pockets of people today where none of them believe in Jesus Christ They want nothing to do with the Bible think about Muslim nations There's whole Muslim nations where you know, Jesus Christ is an anathema They don't you know, they don't believe in him as a the son of God They might call him a prophet, but they don't believe in him. Think about huge Catholic population There's huge populations in this world that hate God and they hate the Bible and they hate the Lord Jesus Christ Just like in the Old Testament and hey, there's still remnants in those places Just like there was remnants in the Old Testament But the Bible is foreshadowing and picturing the fact that there's gonna be a shift the Gentiles are gonna be the ones that receive You know, basically the Savior and they're the ones they're gonna do great exploits for Jesus Christ number two conclusion that we have of Ruth Ruth What was Boaz's attitude towards Ruth in this in this book? Was it one of judgment? Was it one of rejection? Was it one of mercy and grace is one of mercy and grace wasn't and when you read the Old Testament law There is no mercy and grace Towards the mobites none. It says that they're never allowed to be entered into the into the congregation of the Lord Under the tenth generation forever, I mean, it's just like there's no grace there There's not any mercy there. But notice the law is not there to just explain all the intricacies of mercy and grace it's to explain you what's just and God is both just but God is also merciful and In fact, the mercy triumphs over justice if I got what I deserved I would go to hell You would go to hell we all deserve hell all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire Which burneth the fire mist on the second death? I mean, it's not giving any you know exceptions there Okay, but why do I get to go to heaven then if that's what's just if that's what's righteous according to law Because God also has mercy because God is also gracious and we see the gracious Aspects of Boaz. He's gracious under Ruth. He's loving under Ruth. Now you'd say why? Is it just because I should be nice to this person or was it because Ruth came to trust in the Lord Ruth is one who wanted to come into the shadow of the wings of the Almighty of God and Because she believed in the Lord. That's when she gets the grace. That's when she gets the mercy Why do we get grace and mercy from the Lord because we believe in Jesus Christ. That's why we get the grace That's why we get the mercy but notice that we need to show compassion and grace To the stranger to the loss to people we ought not be one that's full of judgment We had a balanced judgment with mercy today, and we don't want to go to either extreme here We don't want to be so merciful that we come Joel Osteen But we don't want to become so full of judgment that we become the Pharisees We want to have a good healthy balance and show compassion and mercy on the right people not the pedophile You know, but the stranger the foreigner, you know I'm not just gonna damn every single Muslim That would be a wicked attitude. There's people that want to do that. I'm not gonna damn every single person that lives in Mexico I'm not gonna just damn whole nations today But you know what? There are selective people that I'm not going to show mercy and grace upon and we have to use the discretion of the Bible to Tell us who what when where? My third conclusion of the book of Ruth is this that salvation and blessing are to those who seek the Lord Notice that Ruth receives great salvation and Blessing but why because she seek the Lord she sought the Lord diligently and she found him even in a very difficult Timing of her life. She lost her husband And honestly, that's I mean, I don't know how much of a worse of a situation you can be in losing her husband really rough She loses her husband. She leaves her whole family. She leaves her whole upbringing She's in a completely foreign nation with different customs different laws a completely different God Even and she's only there with her mother-in-law and frankly when we read the story Naomi's not a beacon of joy She's literally called bitter she's I mean when they're coming back she's pretty bitter She's pretty upset but Ruth constantly has a good attitude. She's seeking the Lord. She works very hard She's very diligent and at the end she ends up receiving what great blessing She has Boaz come and redeemer now She's gonna be married in the Boaz who's a man of wealth who's gonna be able to provide for Who's gonna be able to love her and she's gonna be in the lineage of Jesus Christ This tells me that there's great reward for serving God There's great reward for seeking him for receiving his salvation and trusting him even in the darkest moments of your life You never know what's around the corner. You never know what blessings around the corner and we all realize at the end of her life There's a huge blessing around the corner. And so no matter what you're going through no matter what difficulties no matter what struggles We need to have the attitude of Ruth and say, you know what though he slay me Yet will I trust in him? Let's close in prayer. Thank you father so much for your word Thank you for this great chapter and this great book of Ruth. Thank you for being one who wanted to