A story within a story.
A love story within a love story.
Essential Impact: God is love and from His love He redeems His people.
Recap the account of Ruth
The facts: The time of the judges [Ruth 1:1]
The Family of Elimelech
Ruth and Naomi
Heading home
Ruth works
Boaz meets Ruth
Boaz protects Ruth
Boaz provides for Ruth
Naomi instructs Ruth
The threshing floor
The opportunity for Boaz
The righteousness of Boaz
The love story of Ruth and Boaz
The family begins
The full effect of Boaz [Ruth 4.17]
THE KINS_MAN REDEEMER
This phrase is used throughout this book. It’s a key and critical concept
The words kinsman and/or redeemer are used approximately 30 times throughout the book. [Hebrew goel 13 times]. The simplest meaning of the word is ‘to buy back’ something that has been lost. How that thing got lost was not the issue. It can be property that is redeemed or people. In the account of Ruth and Naomi the person who is the redeemer is Boaz. He redeems, buys back, Naomi’s land and he redeems Ruth. [later he marries her and they have a son]
Our kins-man redeemer is Jesus Christ who fulfills the qualities/conditions that a redeemer must meet in order to redeem. First, they must be ‘related.’ That is to say Boaz must have been a blood relative in order to redeem what he did. Jesus Christ, who is fully God, took on Himself humanity, thereby being like us. Secondly, the kinsman redeemer must be able to redeem. Boaz had enough wealth to cover the cost of redeeming what he did. Jesus Christ must have been the sinless sacrifice in order to redeem us from our sin and the penalty that it brings. He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf. Finally, the redeemer must want to redeem. Boaz had the desire to redeem. For example the closer relative to Naomi and Ruth needed to be dealt with according to the ‘laws’ of redemption. Boaz had the desire and he redeemed. Jesus Christ is spoken of in many places in the New Testament as loving us and wanting His Father’s will for redemption. John 3:16-17 is a base line for this redemptive desire.
Application: we are in week one of the advent season. The theme is Hope…we have a hope of salvation in our kinsman redeemer, Jesus Christ. Will you today stop trusting in your own merits for your salvation and turn to God. Trusting Jesus Christ as the only one who can redeem you?
ORDINARY PEOPLE WITH ORDINARY PRAYERS
Deep and meaningful theology happens in the ordinary lives of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. To be certain the death, famine and movement of God is supernatural in character but looking from the inside out. These people are doing what all people do everyday. They are living their lives as best they can. The conditions might be a bit extreme but they are not Kings and Queens, or Priests or Prophets. No one in this book has been called on by God to lead or judge or deliver the nation of Israel. We are, in many ways, just like them.
1.8-9 Naomi prays for God’s compassion; 1.20-21 The lament of coming home empty; 2.11-12 Boaz blesses and prays; 2.19-20 Naomi blesses Boaz; 3.10-11 Boaz blesses Ruth; 4.11-12 The elders pray for faithfulness; 4.14-15 The women bless Naomi and Ruth.
APPLICATION:
1. Advent theme of Hope = God who answers pray…ordinary people with ordinary prayers.
2. God is working in our everyday lives. In Jesus Christ we live and breath and have our being. By the presence of the Holy Spirit we are able to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord.
INCLUSION IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD
This component of the book is simple and amazing. Simply amazing.
1.1 the times of the Judges were often dark, terrible and a downward spiral into deeper apostasy. Two Israelites, Elimelech and Naomi take there family elsewhere for survival. Their sons marry foreign women. This was prohibited by God in the Mosaic Law. And yet because of Ruth’s turning to God, her commitment to Him exhibited through her confession of allegiance to Naomi she is brought into God’s kingdom. She is an outsider and yet God provides for her, He protects her and He goes so far as to see to it that she is grafted into the Messianic ‘blood’ line.
APPLICATION: The story of Boaz and Ruth is a love story of extraordinary worth. Up until this point we have seen a Holy [completely other] God, Creator, Ruler, King, sustainer, deliverer, Covenant maker, Covenant keeper demonstrate and bring a people unto Himself…He is the Law giver and the bondage breaker but here we see Him in a new light…He is a God who loves…Oh how He love you and me.
And we see this most strikingly in the book of Ruth through the lens of our kinsman redeemer.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
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