God’s Man Steps Forward

Transcript

GRS 85
2/24/1991

Ruth 4
Gil Rugh

Ruth and the fourth chapter, a book that gives you a much greater appreciation of the faithfulness and godliness of some of those saints of the Old Testament who stood firm and strong during the days of apostasy of Israel. It is important to keep in mind that Ruth is set against the backdrop of the days of the judges, days of apostasy, days of spiritual darkness by and large for the nation of Israel. But during that time there were people who walked faithfully with the Lord and Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi were two key godly individuals who along with the man Boaz form the key people in the book of Ruth.

Now in many ways Chapter 3 was the climax of the book because in chapter 3 we were confronted with God's gracious provision for Ruth and through Ruth for her mother-in-law Naomi by providing a kinsman redeemer. Now we are not sure by the time we are done chapter 3, who the kinsman redeemer will be. It will either be Boaz or another relative who is a closer relative to Naomi than Boaz is. But one thing is settled in chapter 3 and that is there will be a redemption of Ruth. In verse 13 of Chapter 3 Boaz had said to Ruth, "Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he (the closer kinsman) will redeem you, good; let him redeem you, but if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives.”

So by an oath Boaz assures Ruth that her redemption will take place. That is why I say in many ways chapter 3 forms a climax, but it is a climax that doesn’t have a conclusion yet. Because all of a sudden we have another party introduced, another kinsman redeemer and he has first rights if he will, the first option to perform the redemption of Ruth and meet the biblical obligation. So we have to come into chapter 4 to find out how that will be resolved and chapter 3 ended on that note of waiting for Naomi and Ruth. Years of difficulty, years of pain, years of hardship, and you come to the very brink, it seems that the resolution of the problem in its wait and I am impressed with the godliness of Naomi through all of this. Her counsel again to Ruth is good in verse 18 of chapter 3, “Then she said, ‘Wait my daughter until you know how the matter turns out.’” We just have to wait. We have done what we can do. Now Boaz will have to act and behind it all is the recognition of the sovereign hand of God and He will accomplish what is right and best and correct.

Chapter 4 could be titled the marriage of Ruth and Boaz, but the larger portion of the chapter is not about the marriage, it is about the resolution of the kinsman relationship and the settling of that issue and that covers really the first twelve verses. Then in verses 13 to 17 of chapter 4, you will have the marriage and the birth of a son to Ruth and Boaz and the chapter will conclude in verses 18 to 22 with a brief genealogy showing the connection of David to Judah through the child born to Ruth and Boaz. Now let us look into chapter 4. The first 6 verses talk about Boaz and the kinsman redeemer that closer kinsman who had the first rights of redemption because he was a closer relative than Boaz was. It is really a relative of Elimelech and related to Ruth and Naomi in that relationship and Elimelech being Naomi’s husband who is deceased.

Well, chapter 3 verse 18 ended with Naomi’s assurance Boaz will act on this issue today and sure enough the chapter 4 opens up, “Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by.” Again, sometimes our attention is drawn to the sovereignty of God directly in the book and other times in it is indirect, but you can’t help but be impressed. Here Boaz goes and sits down at the gate and here come the nearer relative. Now, this wouldn’t be so out of the ordinary as it might strike us at first. The gate was the focal point of activity. It is the business center of the city and Boaz may well have been familiar with the pattern of this particular man and knew that he would be passing by at any rate. Very early on in the day, the contact is established and Boaz invites him to stop, sit down and have a visit.

Then verse 2, “He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, ‘Sit down here.’ So they sat down.” It was obvious by this time to the closer kinsman that there was a business issue that was at hand and what Boaz is doing is invite him to sit down and transact some business and there are ten elders that are invited to sit down and witness the business transaction. This is the way it would have been handled in Biblical times. In our days, you get an attorney and draw up a document and have it signed and notarized and so on. In Biblical times, you simply transacted your business at the gate in the presence of witnesses. There will be no record here of any official signing of documents and so on, but the presence of the witnesses will guarantee that the transaction is legally binding on all the parties.

So ten elders are selected, there is no indication of why ten, quite a number and this will a very official kind of transaction that takes place. “Then Boaz said to the closest relative, ‘Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land, which belonged to our brother Elimelech.’” Now here is another piece of information that is new in the Book of Ruth. Elimelech owned land at Bethlehem and that is not a surprise. The surprise is we didn’t know that he owned land and, it is a surprise to know that there were any resources that Naomi and Ruth may have had, but keep in mind Naomi had been gone at least 10 years. During that time, someone else would have been using the land, farming the land and so her rights would have been in abeyance until this resolution takes place. Now because of her poverty, she has to sell the land.

Now, he says in verse 3, “Naomi has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.” Now this is where the near kinsman comes in. The closest relative has the right of redemption in a situation like this. Leviticus, chapter 25, verses 24 and 25, we have read that in previous studies in Ruth. We won’t go back there, basically says if a person has to sell their land because of poverty, the near kinsman has the right to redeem it and purchase it. That kept it in the family so to speak. If there was no near relative, in the year of Jubilee (they could sell it to anyone) but in the year of Jubilee, then it reverted back to that person so that the family inheritance and family land did not get lost.

You might just want to jot down Jeremiah, chapter 32, verse 6 to 12, because there is another example of kinsman redeemer. Jeremiah is told to exercise his right to redeem a piece of property that is up for sale in his own family and so he functions as a kinsman redeemer for the land in his own family in Jeremiah chapter 32. Well, the response in verse 4, Boaz says, “So I thought to inform you saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here.’” Now, that is the legal transaction before the elder of the people. So there are two sets of witnesses here that will come out as you move through this chapter. There are the ten elders, if you will, they form the official set of witnesses. But then there are the other people that are at the gate, the general people present there who witness the transaction. You would have really more than ten witnesses, but the ten elders are the legal representatives, if you will, in the city and then you have the general people of the city who will also be able to testify to the validity of the transaction. “If you will redeem it, redeem it. If not, tell me that I may know, for there is no one but you to redeem it and I am after you.”

Boaz says you have the first right, so I want to know if you want to redeem it, redeem it. It is important we settle this because if you don’t redeem it, I am next in line and I will redeem it if you don’t. Without hesitation, the nearer kinsman says I will redeem it, the end of verse 4. Now, so far so good or so bad if you are rooting for Boaz and Ruth, but Boaz is not done. You get the idea that Boaz, he is not a sneaky or deceitful person, but he is a very wise and insightful person and have the feeling as I read through this that he has a good idea where it is all going to end up and probably had a good idea back when he told Ruth in chapter 3 that there is a nearer kinsman. If he will redeem you, good, if not I will, but Boaz evidently has some insight into the situation. So the kinsman redeemer commits himself. No indication that he knew about the land.

Again keep in mind it has been ten years. These fields you remember, we talked about they would be like one large field, but if you went through the field, there were certain markers or boundary stones. So that the individuals knew where their land was, but when someone had been gone as long as Elimelech had been gone, others would be farming that area even though it officially still belongs to Elimelech. That is why Ruth and Naomi for example would not have been getting any benefit or any crops from the land to help support themselves. Now Boaz adds the next step, fine you want to buy the property; there is something else you have to understand.

Verse 5, then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance." It is not only buy the land, it is buy the land and marry the Moabitess and when you marry the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, and keep in mind Elimelech land would have passed to his sons, and son Mahlon is the one in view here who was the husband of Ruth. So now that is how Ruth gets into the picture to marry Boaz. When you marry Ruth, you will raise up an inheritor, an heir, if you will, to the line of Elimelech. Now this is the levirate marriage within the broader framework and we have read about this in Deuteronomy 25, verses 5 to 10.

We also read in Genesis 38, verse 8, which we will refer to later and basically it is the new relative that will marry the wife of the deceased relative. The first son born to that relationship is viewed as the son of the dead relative and all the inheritance of the dead man passes to that son just as though it was his physical son. That guaranteed again that the property would stay in the family line.

It is a little hard for us to identify with this and our western kind of thinking, but that was the pattern that Israel followed. Now this creates a difficulty, verse 6, “The closest relative said, ‘I cannot redeem it for myself lest I jeopardize (or ruin) my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, I cannot redeem it.’” So he is clear here. Twice in this verse, he emphasizes I cannot redeem it. It is not just a matter of I am not willing to. From his perspective, he is unable to because if he exercises his right of redemption, he will ruin his own inheritance. What is he talking about here.

Well, I think there are several things that would be involved that would make this a very costly endeavor. Number one, he would have had to pay the price for the land. He would have to pay we call the market value of that land. Perhaps that would have been part of what the ten elders would have been here for, to be sure that the price paid for the land is a fair price. You know Naomi is not involved in these negotiations. This is a legal matter being carried out by Boaz as a representative. But the ten elders are there, they will guarantee that the price paid for this field is a fair price so that a kinsman redeemer has to come up with the money for the field.

Well, he had been willing to do that, but now there is a problem. He has to marry Ruth. I will take it she was attractive, that may not have been so there, but the child, the first son born in that relationship would be viewed as the son of Ruth’s deceased husband and he would become the heir of the land. So now you see what happens. The kinsman redeemer is going to pay the money to buy this land, but the land will not ultimately belong to him, it will belong to the son that is born to Ruth and will pass through that line of inheritance. So this man will invest his money, purchase the piece of land, then effect will be given away. Then you tie to that he will assume the responsibilities for the support of Ruth, any children they have, and also for Naomi.

So it is a rather costly commitment here and this near kinsman does not see himself as able to do it. In fact, the way he puts it, he had ruined his own inheritance, he feels this would prove so costly that might put him in the position of poverty where he would have to sell some of his possessions and so his own inheritance, what he would have to pass on to his children, would be put into jeopardy and basically he is saying I can’t afford it. Just to purchase the land when that would be added to his own possessions is one thing, but the purchased piece of land is going to belong to someone else and then take on their support of that other family as well.

He says I cannot do it and that is stressed twice in verse 6, “I cannot redeem for myself” and then at the end of the verse, “I cannot redeem it.” So it is settled, Boaz will act. But there is a transaction that takes place and verse 7 tells us “Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter.” And the way that this is expressed here gives you indication that by the time the person who wrote the book of Ruth writes it down this practice wasn’t being followed. “Now this was the custom in former times in Israel.” So this person is writing much later and as we mentioned when began the study of the book of Ruth, Samuel is sometimes suggested as the writer and he may have been a couple of hundred years after the time of Ruth.

So by that time they are not following the same practice. That is why the explanation here that this was the custom in former times when you are going to exchange land or make a purchase, make a redemption, “a man removed his sandal, gave it to another and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. So the closest relative said to Boaz, buy it for yourself, he removed his sandal.” So there was the passing of the sandal. Now, Deuteronomy 25 and maybe you got to turn back there now. Deuteronomy 25 gives a similar picture with some negative implications.

In Deuteronomy 25 verse 5 and following, we will read all these verses. The responsibility of the brother-in-law to marry his sister-in-law if his brother dies. If the brother dies, he has a responsibility to his sister-in-law. The brother-in-law and sister-in-law relationship here, that is the levirate marriage. If he is unwilling to take his sister-in-law as his wife and raise up children to his dead brother, verse 7, “If the man does not desire to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband's brother refuses to establish a name for his brother in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.’ Then the elders of the city shall summon him and speak to him.” And if he still won’t pay attention to the elders, “then,” verse 9, “his brothers wife shall come to him in the sight of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face (you got right down to the point) and declare, ‘Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.’”

Now you note some things are little different here. Number 1, the sister-in-law comes and takes the sandal off and then spits in his face. It is a form of humiliation to this man for being unwilling to perform his responsibility. Now in the book of Ruth, we have the transfer of the sandal, but Ruth doesn’t come and take the sandal off and there is no spitting in the face. Now, we don’t have a brother-in-law relationship here, number one. Number 2, it may be that there is not an unwillingness here, there is an inability, but the transferring of the sandal does, but you ought to take note of that difference and one of the main reasons may be that is not a brother-in-law evidently that is involved here and his inability within the context of discussing with Boaz which of us are going to do this even though he has the first right. Boaz used it as one a right he can forego in the discussion. But, there is the transfer of the sandal and the transfer of the sandal would seem to come from the passages through the Old Testament where it talks about where you place your foot on the land that will become your land.

We won’t turn there, but Deuteronomy, chapter 1 and verse 36, chapter 11 and verse 24, Joshua, chapter 1 and verse 3 refers the places everywhere your sandal shall step, that belongs to you. So here taking the sandal off and passing it to someone else in effect of saying the land that I would have walked on and taken possession of, you can have my right to that land. So he is passing his right to take possession of that land by the passing of the sandals. Back in Ruth chapter 4, Boaz then speaks up, “then said to the elders and all the people, ‘You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and all that belong to Mahlon.’” So you note here was a package since all free are deceased.

He has really purchased all that belonged to Elimelech that would have passed to his two sons, and they are both deceased and so Boaz is saying, I have purchased it all. Now Chilion is not in view here because his wife, a non-Jew, had gone back to Moab. So it is only Ruth who has in effect converted to Judaism and with her mother Naomi is in the picture here now. “Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon.” First time in the book we are told which of these two sons of Elimelech Ruth was married to. She was married to Mahlon. “…to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased may not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today."

We appreciate the character of Boaz here. There are no selfish motives here. There is no personal gain. I am marrying the Moabitess Ruth. I am not ashamed of who she is or of her background. In this marriage, he acknowledges before the witnesses, the purpose of it is to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance. The land that I am buying with my money ultimately will not belong to me, it belongs to any children that are born to Ruth and me and will be viewed as belonging to Mahlon and Elimelech and his name will be passed on. So the very unselfish act that is carried out by Boaz here adds significant cause to himself, but he is willing to take his responsibility and see that the matter is cared for.

Verse 11, there is a prayer offered by the witnesses. “All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said…” See all the witnesses and the elders. The elders are there as the official legal group, if you will, but the other witnesses can attest to this as well. "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.” It is prayer here for Boaz and Ruth and their descendants. They mentioned Rachel and Leah. Rachel and Leah were the wives of Jacob. The twelve tribes of Israel descend from Rachel and Leah. Genesis Chapters 29 and 30 record the children of Jacob. There was two wives, Rachel and Leah, and it is from Rachel and Leah, you have the twelve tribes. So in effect they are saying may you be like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel.

May you have prosperous and healthy offspring and “may you achieve wealth.” There is our word we saw in Chapter 2 verse 1, Chapter 3 verse 11, was used to Boaz in Chapter 2, Ruth in Chapter 3, denotes valor, character, reputation. “…and become famous in Bethlehem.” So it is a prayer for God's blessing on them and on the children that are born into their relationship. You know there is nothing said about whether Boaz has another wife, any other children, just not in the picture here. We just don’t know anything about that at all. Implications seem to be that Boaz was a much older man as we have seen perhaps he is a widower. Whatever any other family, if there are other family, are not in view and not an issue in this situation.

Verse 12, “Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the Lord shall give you by this young woman.” Again, an indication that there seem to be some age disparity. I was reading one of the Puritans and he got married, his wife had died and he got married in old age and his comment on it was I was winter old and she was spring young. That may have described something of Boaz’s situation, the children you have by this young woman. Perez is mentioned here. Now the background for Perez is not very pretty because he comes out a relationship of a father with his daughter-in-law.

Why don’t you turn back to Genesis 38. Everybody likes a soap opera. Genesis 38, situation in Genesis 38 is you have Judah here and that becomes key because remember ultimately the Messiah will be of the tribe of Judah. David was of the tribe of Judah. Well, you know Chapter 38 of Genesis opens up, “it came about at that time, that Judah departed from his brothers” and then it goes on to talk about Judah taking a wife and then of this wife he has some sons. The sons turn out to be not of very good character. The first one name Er and then Onan. Judah took a wife for his son Er, her name was Tamar, but verse 7, Er, Judah’s firstborn, he was wicked, godless man, God killed him. Then Onan was to go in and perform the responsibilities of the brother-in-law, he wouldn’t do it, so God killed him.

Now Judah had a third son. He said to Tamar, “I tell you what, wait till my third son is a little older and then you can marry him and have children,” but verse 11 tells us “Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, ‘Remain a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up’; for he thought, ‘I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.’” So he was really being honest here. Just wait till my son Shelah is a little older or what he is really thinking boy Er got killed, Onan got killed, this Tamar may not be too good for my third son either. Well, when Tamar realizes the situation, she develops a plan. Judah’s wife dies. He goes off to tend to his sheep at shearing time. Tamar disguises herself as a prostitute covering her face when Judah comes by, he asks her, pays her to have sex with him and that is where Perez comes from, that incestuous relationship between Judah and his daughter-in-law.

So down at the end of Chapter 38 and verse 28, there are twins going to be born here and you note the end of verse 29, he was named Perez, then his brother Zerah was born. So that’s where Perez comes from. Out of that may be one of the reasons why Perez is mentioned. He in effect comes out of a form of levirate marriage. Levirate marriage gone bad if you will, but the kind of issues in Chapter 38 of Genesis with the kind of issues we have in the book of Ruth. Only Judah didn’t follow through as he should have and his sons didn’t do what they should have. Also the descendants of Perez settled in Bethlehem. So the people of Bethlehem are the descendants of Perez and so the people of Bethlehem will naturally say we want him to be blessed like Perez was because here we are the descendants of Perez and Perez is an ancestor of Boaz. So it would be fitting here talking about his own ancestor.

We will come back to Ruth, chapter 4, verses 13 to 17, you have the birth of a son to Ruth and Boaz. Verse 13, “So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.” You ought to mark verse 13, put a star by it or however you mark it in your Bible. That is the central verse, that tells you that God has done it all for Ruth. Now, he not only provided a redeemer for her in a form of husband Boaz, but he has also given her a son, an heir. Everything that had been taken away is now given back to her. Her husband has gone, now she has a husband. She had no children, now she has a son. She had no one to care for her and protect her and now she does.

So God has provided for Ruth and now enables her to conceive and you will note how it is put in verse 13, “Boaz took Ruth, she became his wife, and he went in to her and (the Lord gave her conception) the Lord enabled her to conceive. You see again through the book of Ruth, there is a constant reminder of the sovereignty of God. Through all of this that it is the Lord’s doing. Perhaps Ruth had proved barren in her first marriage. We don’t know how long she was married to Mahlon, but no children came out of that relationship, but here God by His grace enables her to conceive and she gives birth to a son. Verses 14 to 17 center on Naomi and I think it is fitting that the Book of Ruth closed with a focus on Naomi. Because as I study the Book of Ruth it seems to me that the key character is Naomi. She is the human motivator, if you will, throughout the book. She is the one who gives Ruth directions and guidance. She is the one who instructs her. It is her plan, again humanly speaking. It is her faithfulness and you appreciate the stability and rock stability that characterize Naomi through this entire book.

Verse 14, “the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today. May his name become famous in Israel. May he also be to you a restorer of life, a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you and is better to you than seven sons has given birth to him.” Quite a testimony to Ruth, isn’t it, of her faithfulness. Having a daughter-in-law like Ruth is better than having seven sons Naomi and now God through her has provided you with a son. It is viewed as a son of Naomi because of the relationship with Ruth and it is a provision of God for Naomi as well as for Ruth.

“Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap, and became his nurse,” and I take it what is being said here very simply is she is a doting grandmother and she is taking care of the child, not physical nursing taking place here, but caring for the child and that is a common use of this word. Though “neighbor women gave him a name, saying, ‘A son has been born to Naomi.’” Again you see the close association here. Naomi didn’t bear the son, but for the people of Bethlehem, this is God's provision for Naomi as well and it is good as a son to Naomi being given to Ruth.

In fact, if Naomi had been younger and of childbearing age, the pattern would have been for Boaz to take Naomi and raise up children to Elimelech, but evidently since Naomi is past childbearing age, then the responsibility is to take Ruth because the purpose in this marriage is to raise up children to be the heirs of the family, but this heir viewed as being as Naomi’s as much as Ruth. We are told here that child’s name is Obed and very important connection. He is father of Jesse, the father of David, remarkable isn’t it. All of a sudden, here we are at the man David, Israel’s greatest king until we come to the Messiah Himself. Ruth the Moabitess is the mother of Obed who is the father of Jesse who is father of David and that enables us now to have the genealogy to close out the book.

“Now these are the generations of Perez,” and we have already gone to back to Perez. Perez is the child of Judah and then we come down then, that is why we got to get back to Judah. Because the kingly line has to come through Judah, ultimately the Messiah has to come through Judah and this is the only place in all the Bible that will be able to make that connection in the Old Testament and nowhere else wouldn’t able us to make that connection between David and Judah. The little book of Ruth, and so you have Perez, the son of Judah, and it brings you on down. Verse 21 mentions Boaz, Obed, and Obed, Jesse, and Jesse, David and there may be some gaps in this genealogy, which is not uncommon in the Old Testament.

But the line is established and you will note even though Obed the child of Boaz and Ruth would be legally viewed in one sense the child of Elimelech and Mahlon, when you come to the genealogy it is a connection to Boaz, which is significant. So the physical line comes through Boaz even though for the inheritance of the line, this child would connect back to Elimelech. The actual physical line, it connects back through Boaz and you get a picture of the sovereign hand of God. What seemed like random events, sometimes of a tragic and frustrating kind of character and nature, were in reality the work of a sovereign and gracious God in accomplishing His program.

There were no mistakes, there were no errors. It was all part of His plan to bring about the continuation of the line of David and when you come then to book of Matthew in the New Testament, you find Ruth one of the three woman named in the genealogical line of the Messiah. She couldn’t appreciate and understand even the greatness of the plan of God, even with the joy that would have been hers as she comes to the conclusion that we have in Ruth 4. She still could not have appreciated it how significant the events of her life had really been. We draw some things to a conclusion here from the book of Ruth that will say something about the kinsman redeemer relationship is a type of Christ and just to make an observation of this. I think that Boaz functioning as a kinsman redeemer does function as a valid picture or type of Jesus Christ in several areas.

Number 1, the kinsman redeemer had to be related, he is a kinsman redeemer, he is the relative and the New Testament tells us the Jesus Christ became a man, became a human being so that he could be our redeemer. Hebrews Chapter 2 is crucial on this, remember. Since the children partake of flesh and blood, He Himself also partook of the same that He might redeem us. He gives no help to angels because He is not a kinsman of the angels. He did not become an angel, he became a man. So He can function as our kinsman redeemer, but Jesus Christ cannot function as kinsman redeemer for fallen angels. He would have to become an angel and die in the place of angels, but He became our kinsman redeemer.

Number 2, kinsman redeemer had to be able to pay the price of the redemption. He had to be able to pay the price of redemption and Jesus Christ could. He was without sin and that is crucial. 2 Corinthians, Chapter 5 and verse 21, “God made Him who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Hebrews 4:15, also says He was without sin. If he was not without sin, He would not have been able and qualify to pay the redemption price. Kinsman redeemer couldn’t be in debt himself. He had to be in a position to pay and we saw the other redeemer here was not a possibility. Thirdly, he had to be willing to pay the price. We read in the Deuteronomy about a kinsman redeemer who would have to be willing to pay the price. Jesus Christ was willing to pay the price.

Passages like John, Chapter 10 and verse 15, verses 17 to 18 talk about Him willingly giving His life for His sheep. I think there is a parallel there in the Old Testament. We won’t take time to look at several passages where God identifies himself as Israel’s redeemer. So though the picture of the redeemer and the kinsman redeemer is another picture through the Old Testament of the redemption that would ultimately be provided in the one whom God would provide is the kinsman redeemer for fallen humanity and to rescue us from our sin-stricken poverty by paying the price of our redemption and assuming our responsibility for Himself.

Well, let us summarize some of the lessons from not just the last chapter of Ruth, but from Ruth itself. I have noted six things; there are many that could be mentioned. Number 1, this is a reminder back to chapter 1. Sometimes God's plan for His children includes pain that seems to be overwhelming us and without purpose and I think those two things are recognized in chapter 1. Sometimes the plan of God for His children includes pain that seems to overwhelming and it is compounded by the fact it seems to be without purpose. I cannot imagine that Naomi or Ruth would have been able to see any good or any purpose in the tragedies that mounted up upon them in chapter 1. I mean it is almost overwhelming, to lose a husband, to lose two sons, to be left destitute in a foreign land. Can it be of any purpose and me being called upon by God to bear such an overwhelming pain and suffering?

Number 2, I think this comes out throughout the book of Ruth. God is in control of nature, people, events. We see this in Ruth, there is famine, there is death, there is suffering, there are personal activities. There is chance occurrences, Ruth happened to go gleaning in the field of Boaz for example. Decisions that are made, results that happen, all of that under the control of a sovereign God. There are no chance happenings in the book of Ruth. The famine in chapter 1, part of God's plan. The deaths, part of God's plan. The sufferings, part of God's plan. The poverty, part of God's plan. Just goes on. All of these things were essential for the accomplishing of God's purposes. That leaves me to point three, everything that God does is with purpose and is for our good. Everything that God does is with purpose and for our good.

You have to remind yourself without chapter 1, chapter 4 of Ruth would not have been possible. Without the pain and suffering of chapter 1 of Ruth, you could not have had the blessings of chapter 4. That helps you appreciate the pain and suffering of chapter 1. Why would they have to lose three husbands? Why would they have to be reduced to abject poverty? So you could have the greatness and fullness of God's blessing that is not seen until you get to chapter 4. They had to experience the wrenching pain of death, they had to experience the overwhelming burden and suffering of abject poverty because it is out of that that comes the blessings of chapter 4. We have to remind ourselves that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes. That is a walk of faith, as we have noted several times.

Ruth and Naomi living in chapter 1 couldn’t see chapter 4, they just had to take it one painful step at a time and trust that the sovereign God was doing right, was doing what was best for them and then when they get to chapter 4, a long time later, they could appreciate something of the greatness of God's blessings. So number 4, very simply, God is faithful. God is faithful. We don’t need to ever waver or wonder about that. Number 5, we must trust Him. We must trust Him, that almost sounds trite, doesn’t it? But it is these things that I need reminded of, I must trust Him. When the pain seems overwhelming, when it seems without purpose, when the difficulties and trials I can see no good reason for, that is when I am really driven to just walk by blind faith, if you will. All I have to go on is God says He works all things for good to those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose. He is faithful. I must trust Him. Number 6, obedience brings blessing. Obedience brings blessing. You note Ruth, in somewhere it seems to be like a squeezed down book of Job.

Obedience brings blessing and you know something, Ruth and Naomi as great is the blessings are and all the people of Bethlehem are proclaiming the greatness of their blessings, they didn’t even understand how great those blessings were because you realize Ruth and Naomi didn’t know who David would be. Remember they stop at Ruth 4, David is born after they are dead and gone, and the Messiah, He is centuries down yet. So as great is the blessings that they are privileged to realize and experience in chapter 4, that doesn’t even begin to give them a full picture of what God was really doing in their lives and through their suffering. It would have been impossible for them to concede that thousands of years later people would be gathering around studying about their suffering, their obedience, and faithfulness and suffering and God would be using it to encourage and strengthen His people, a reminder to us of faithfulness, reminder to us that God is doing what is good and best.

I was reminded of Psalm 30, verse 5, “Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Reminder from the book of Ruth, “Weeping lasts for the night for us as God's children, the suffering, the trials, the pain is always temporary.” You say, “You don’t know the pain and suffering of my life is going on in term and I believe for years.” That is alright, “Joy comes in the morning,” that is the promise of God. We are destined for glory. We are destined for the fullness of His blessing. I can explain why you are suffering like you are. I may not understand what the purpose in it all is, but I can take it by faith that God is faithful. He is in control. He is working His plan for our good and someday we will understand something of the purpose and the blessing. I imagine when Ruth and Naomi and Boaz got to glory, got some picture of God was really doing, all of the sudden the suffering of Chapter 1 doesn’t get smaller as you move through the Book of Ruth.

Of all you had chapter 1 and it would just seem to be nothing but suffering, but as you move through the book of Ruth all of a sudden chapter 1 seems to get squeezed down and that suffering and that pain, it is not the total picture anymore, so will be with the sufferings of this life. There comes a time when it will all be squeezed down to perceptive and what does Paul say. I am convinced that the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory. The suffering compared with the glory puts it all in perspective. Praise God for faithful saints like Naomi and Ruth who were willing to walk with God in the dark days of the judges.

Let us pray together. Thank you Father for Your faithfulness, for Your goodness, for Your love, for Your sovereign control. How blessed and privileged we are to be a people who have experienced Your redemption. We are a people who have a kinsman, who is our redeemer, One who Himself took upon Himself humanity that He might be the Savior of fallen lost human beings. Lord, our redemption is a testimony to the greatness of Your grace and mercy. Lord, how encouraged and comforted we are to know that even in times of great pain, great suffering, great sorrow, we walk under the control of our God. We live in Your care and under Your life. Lord, there is no such thing for us as Your children as pain without purpose and a randomness coming into disrupt our lives, but there is only the plan of our loving God, a gracious heavenly Father. Lord, may we learn from Naomi, from Ruth to walk by faith to accept adversity as from Your hand for Your purpose and thank you Lord, for the promises of Your word that assure us that the suffering is temporary, that there is coming a time of great joy and overwhelming blessing. Lord, all that is happening is preparing us for that event. May we live by day by day in light of the hope of glory. We pray in Christ’s name, amen.