welcome to Sure Foundation Baptist Church everybody please find your seats
and pick up your hymn books first song we're gonna be singing today is song 351
tell it to Jesus this afternoon 351 tell it to Jesus 351 are you weary on the
first tell to Jesus tell it to Jesus are you rejoicing part tell it to Jesus so long to Jesus tell it to Jesus he a friend as well know such a friend or bro to Jesus so long as flow your cheeks on by it to Jesus to Jesus as long as well know a friend or bro to Jesus shall be tomorrow to
Jesus alone as well know a friend or bro are you saw to Jesus to Jesus a friend
well know a friend or bro the Christian keep these open us up with a word of
prayer amen all right next one we're gonna be singing this song 321 where he
leads I'll follow song 321 321 on the first sweet are the promises kind is the
word dearer far than any message man ever heard pure was the mind of Christ
sinless I see he the great example is a pattern for me way he leaves I'll follow
Jesus every day sweet the tender love Jesus has shown sweeter far than any
love that mortals have known kind to the airing one faithful is he he the great
example is the pattern for me way Jesus for the trust in his promises faithful
ensure lean upon the Savior and my soul is secure way amazing singing now we're
gonna have some announcements to Foundation Baptist Church Wednesday night
service and if you need a bulletin raise your hand and we'll get you a bulletin
the verse the week is John 2 19 Jesus answered and said unto them destroy this
temple and in three days I will raise it up it's a great verse about the
resurrection that Christ has power over death let's look at the inside page
we have Sunday morning service at 11 we have Sunday afternoon service at 4 and
then Wednesday night Bible study at 7 p.m. tonight I will be finishing up the
God not a gospel of Ruth the book of Ruth and then we'll move on to a new book
next Wednesday studying a book of the Bible verse by verse we have someone in
this Saturday at 1030 a.m. we'll be going to Butler University right yeah so
hopefully that that's gonna be a fun time and then we have Sunday afternoon
Sony at 1 30 p.m. upcoming events really the main events is the Gary Sony
marathon on April 25th and then the IU Bloomington Sony marathon on May 2nd we
keep having the back-to-back Sony marathon like so you know that's gonna
be fun I will give you more details later but you know most of the details
you they can find them on the godresource.com I also posted on the
Sony Group the Indy 500 is on May 23rd again more details to come on that and
then the April Sony afternoon schedule is for you to see and on the back you
can see the birthdays coming up for the month of April please let me know if
your information is not on there so I can keep you up to date so that's all
the announcement let's sing one more song and then we'll take up the offering
all right next song I'm gonna be singing a song 406 who is on the Lord's side 406
406 in your handbooks who is on the Lord's side on the first who's on the
side who sir came to who sure please come up we'll be finishing up the book
of Ruth this evening will be in Ruth chapter 4 Ruth chapter 4 with chapter
4 the Bible reads then went Boaz up to the gates and sat him down there and
behold the Kingsmen 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 unto the Kingsman Naomi that is come again out of the country of Moab
selleth a parcel of land which was our brother Elmolex and I thought to
advertise these saying buy it before the inhabitants and before the elders of my
people that thou wilt redeem it redeem it but that will not redeem it then tell
me that I may know for there is none to redeem it beside thee and I am after thee
and he said I will redeem it then said Boaz what day thou buyest the field of
the hand of Naomi thou must buy it also of the of Ruth the Moabitess the wife
of the dead to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance and the
kismet said I cannot redeem it for myself lest I mar my own inheritance
redeem thou my right to thyself for I cannot redeem it now this was the manner
and former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing for to
confirm all things a man plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor and
this was a testimony in Israel therefore the Kingsman said unto Boaz buy it for
thee so he drew off his shoe and Boaz said unto the elders and unto all the
people ye are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elmalex and
all that was Chileans and Malans in the hand of the hand of Naomi moreover Ruth
the Moabitess the wife of Malan 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 gates of his place ye are witnesses this
day and all the people that were in the gates and the elders said we are
witnesses the Lord make the Lord maketh the woman that is to come into
thine own house like Rachel and like Leah which too did build the house of
Israel and do thou worthily in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem and let the
house be like the house of Phares whom Tamar bear unto Judah of the seed which
the Lord shall give thee of this young woman so Boaz took Ruth and she was his
wife and when he went in unto her the Lord gave her conception and she bear a
son and the woman said unto Naomi blessed be the Lord which hath not left
thee this day without a Kingsman that his name may be famous in Israel and he
shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life and a nourisher of thine own age
for thy daughter in law which gloveth thee which is better to thee than seven
sons have borne him. And Naomi took the child and laid it in her bosom and became her son
to it. And the woman her neighbors gave it a name, saying, "There is a son borne to
Naomi, they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David."
Now these are the generations of Phares. Phares begat Hezron, and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram
begat Amenadab, and Amenadab begat Naishon, and Naishon begat Sammon, and Sammon begat
Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David. Brother, could
you pray us into the service? Amen. On Wednesday night we are going through
the book of the Bible, one chapter a week, and tonight we will be in the last chapter
in the book of Ruth, Ruth chapter number four. So just as a recap, back in chapter number
one, we have this guy whose name is Elimelech. He took his family to Moab because there was
a famine in Judah, and his two sons took two daughters from Moab to wife and him, and
his two sons died. And then Naomi, his wife, took Ruth back to Judah. In chapter two, talk
about Ruth happened to glean the field at Boaz's field, which was Elimelech's kinsman,
and Boaz showed Ruth protection, provision, as well as favor. And last week in chapter
five, number three, Ruth actually proposed to Boaz, but Boaz said that there was a man
nearer of king than he was, and if the nearer kinsman said no, then Boaz was going to take
Ruth to wife. So the title of the sermon tonight is "There Was a Redeemer." So look at verse
number one, verse number one. Point number one, the nearer kinsman, the nearer kinsman.
Ruth 4.1 says this, "Then went Boaz up to the gate and sat him down there, and behold,
the kinsman," that's the nearer kinsman, "the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by, and unto
whom he said, 'Ho, such a one.'" Now, Boaz was not calling him a "ho," okay? The word
"ho" was an interjection just to call someone's attention, okay? "Ho, such a one," so Boaz was
speaking to this nearer kinsman, "turned aside, sat down here, and he turned aside and sat
down, and he," Boaz, "took ten men of the elders of the city and sat down here, and they sat
down." Now, the first thing I wanted to notice is this was a public gathering, okay? Now, what's
about to take place is the transfer of property, the purchase of the land that belongs to Elimelech,
as well as the purchase of the person Ruth, okay? Now, last week we talked about that some things
are better to be said in private just to avoid rumors and gossips. The Bible says if you have
any trespass against your brethren, hey, tell him and his fault between me and him alone, right?
The Bible says in Proverbs 25 verse 9, "Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself and discover
not a secret to another." Some things need to be said in private to avoid rumors, gossips,
false accusations, but sometimes we need to make things public and just bring in the witnesses.
Especially when you buy a house and when you sign the final paperwork, usually there's a notary,
right? Witnessing you sign the papers. So in this case, it's kind of a similar comparison
because a legal transaction is about to take place and this needs to be publicly established.
And Boaz, he did not just bring two or three witnesses, Boaz brought ten. So this is an
important issue because it affects the family name, the land ownership, and the inheritance.
So that's a big deal. He needs the witnesses to avoid any, you know, gossips, to make sure
the transfer of ownership, you know, went well. Okay, look at verse number three. "And
he said unto the kinsmen, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth
a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelex." Okay, now this is a detail that we did not
know from the previous chapters. There was a land involved, okay, and Naomi was selling
a land that was Elimelex. Now, you know, the land is still considered part of the Elimelex
family inheritance, and the land does not really belong to Naomi, and she was just arranging
the sale, okay, because everything is tied to the family name. Now turn the Bible to
Leviticus 25. Keep replacing the book of Ruth, go to Leviticus chapter 25. Let me show you
the principle of redemption for the land. Leviticus 25, take a look at verse 23. Leviticus
25 verse 23, the Bible says this, "The land shall not be sold forever, for the land is
mine, for ye are strangers and sojourners with me, and in all the land of your possession
ye shall grant a redemption for the land, if thy brother be waxed and poor, and hath
sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he
redeem that which his brother sold." So the land is not supposed to be permanently leaving
the family. The land was supposed to be redeemed or bought back by the families or the relatives
of the poor, okay? So this may show me that Naomi may have chosen to sell the land out
of necessity, maybe because she was poor. Again, that was the assumption, maybe not.
But this also is not just about preserving the family inheritance, but also about preserving
the family name. Everything in the Old Testament, there's a big family bond even to the property
itself. That's why God said, "The land shall not be sold forever." Look at verse 26, "And
if the man have known to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it, then let him count the
years of the sales thereof, and restore the surplus unto the man to whom he sold it, that
he may return unto his possession." So the flow is, if a man becomes poor, he can sell
his land. And then a nearer Kingsman can buy it back. And if no Kingsman buys it back,
the man himself can buy back his land if he can afford it. So that's the order. And basically
God built a system where loss of property didn't have to be permanent. Because when
the land is assigned to you, that is yours. You can choose to sell it, but you can always
buy it back. You know, either yourself or your relative, your kinsman, your family.
But someone has to be willing to pay the price. Okay, now go back to Ruth chapter 4. Ruth
chapter 4. Ruth chapter 4. Look at verse number 4. Ruth chapter 4, verse number 4. To me that's
a pretty awesome system, you know, maybe contradicting the American concept, but that's, you know,
the system that God has set up. Ruth chapter 4, look at verse number 4. And I thought you
advertise thee, saying, "Buy it before the inhabitants and before the elders of my people.
If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it. But if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me that
I may know, for there's none to redeem it besides thee, and I am after thee." And he
said, "I will redeem it." Okay. Notice the nearer Kingsman said that he would redeem
the land. He's willing to pay for the land, but then there's a plot twist. Look at the
next verse, verse number five. Then said Boaz, "What day thou buyest the field of the hand
of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise
up the name of the dead upon his inheritance." So Boaz was saying that not only that you
have to buy the land, but you also have to buy Ruth for what purpose? To raise up the
name of the dead upon his inheritance. Back in the Old Testament Israel, inheritance was
not just property, you know? It was also tied to a man's name and his lineage. If a man
died without any children, without any seed, his name could be cut off, okay? So God essentially
built a system to prevent that, you know? Everything is about lineage, inheritance.
Keep replacing Ruth, go forward to Genesis 38. Genesis chapter 38. Genesis chapter 38.
Look at verse number 6. Genesis 38, verse number 6. The Bible says this, "And Judah
took a wife for Ur his firstborn, whose name was Tamar." So Ur married Tamar, and Ur,
Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord slew him. So the
Lord killed Tamar's husband. Now Tamar became a widow. Verse number 8, "And Judah said
unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife." So Onan was Ur's brother, and married her,
and raise up seed to thy brother. So again, that's a biblical concept. And Onan knew that
the seed should not be his, and he came to pass when he went unto his brother's wife,
that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the
thing which he did displease the Lord, wherefore he slew him also. So apparently, God took
family responsibility seriously, right? And God cares about preserving the name, and God
judges those people who refuse rightful responsibility. Because, you know, Onan refused to raise
up seed to his brother, therefore God killed him. So God took this family inheritance,
family name pretty seriously. So that's a biblical concept on it. Go back to Ruth, chapter
4, Ruth, chapter 4. So Boaz told this near kinsman, not only, you know, you have to buy
the land, but you also have to buy Ruth just to raise up the name of the dead, to raise
up, you know, Elimelech's lineage, okay? Look at verse number 6, Ruth, chapter 4, verse
number 6. And the kinsman said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mourn my own
inheritance. Redeem thou my right to thyself, for I cannot redeem it." The word mourn means
to injure by cutting off a port. So the near kinsman basically said that, you know, "I
cannot buy it back, because that's going to hurt my own inheritance." But it does sound
like that he could have purchased Ruth, but he chose not to, because he's worried about
hurting his own inheritance. Think about this. If he marries Ruth, and if they have a child,
the child will be counted as Marlon's heir, not his. Right? Because the whole purpose
was to raise up seed for his brother. Right? But he could also be concerned about the financial
costs and dividing his own inheritance between two different families. If this man already
has children and he's a widower, he may have to split inheritance with his own children
and with Ruth's child. Right? And if the near kinsman didn't have any child, then this will
make the situation even more costly because his son with Ruth will not carry his own name.
Okay? So again, there's some sacrifice going on. Someone has to pay the cost. Okay? That's why he's
concerned that's no more my own inheritance. There's a conflict of interest here. Okay?
So here's a comparison. The near kinsman, I think he's able. He is concerned about his own inheritance.
He's not willing, but Boaz is both able and willing. We can take a principle from this
story that some people will help. Some people are able to help until it costs them something.
Right? And some people will step up to serve at the church until it affects their own life.
The near kinsman, he wanted the benefit, but not at the expense of his own inheritance.
Because true redemption is never about protecting yourself. True redemption is
about willing to pay the price. Right? And people will say they love the church,
they love hard preaching until someone preach against his sin, until they are asked to serve.
Right? People are faithful until it costs them their time, money, or convenience.
People are always that way. They are not willing to pay the price.
Come back to Proverbs 23. Proverbs 23, people will say they care about lost souls,
but it never goes home with me. I mean, it's the same idea. A man may want the position,
recognition, influences, but they don't want the pressure. They don't want the accountability.
They don't want any sacrifice. Okay? And virtually everyone on the surface wants to be
used by God until it costs them something. And if you preach the Bible,
you know, be ready to face backlashes. Don't be a coward and back down when persecutions come.
If you are any preacher, you know, especially preachers in the new IFB,
you need to be ready to face lies, slanders, and false accusations. You know, someone said
that you have to have the dog in you to be a new IFB preacher. It's a high order, right?
And the typical Baptist preachers who only preach one or two verses every week, plus a bunch of
stories, they don't get much heat because that's just not enough verses to trigger people. But when
you preach every single verse, you will have to touch on things that actually offend people.
Okay, you are in Proverbs 23, look at verse 23. Proverbs 23, verse 23, the Bible says, "Buy the
truth and sell it not." This verse is awesome because it says that, you know, truth costs
something, right? Buy the truth and sell it not. Someone posted this online, "There to be a Daniel,
there to stand alone, there to have a purpose firm, there to make it known." Okay, when you want to
be used by God, hey, be willing to pay the price, be willing to sacrifice yourself, okay? Whether
a preacher, soul winner, just husband, average worker, wife, children, be willing to sacrifice,
okay? So you don't get a benefit without the burden. You don't get the inheritance without
the willingness to pay the responsibility, okay? Now go back to Ruth chapter 4. Ruth chapter 4,
I think Spider-Man says this, "With great power comes great responsibility." Is that his quote?
Maybe I got that mixed up. Anyway, that might be biblical. Anyway, so point number one,
the near Kingsman. Point number two, a ready redeemer. A ready redeemer. Ruth chapter 4,
verse number 7. "Now this was the manner in former times in Israel concerning redeeming
and concerning changing for to confirm all things. A man plucked up his shoe and gave it to his
neighbor and this was a testimony in Israel. Therefore the Kingsman said unto Boaz, "Buy
it for thee." So he drew off his shoe. Now the nearer Kingsman removed his own shoe and gave it
to Boaz and the nearer Kingsman had the first right to redeem it. So by taking off his shoes,
he's he's basically saying that you know I'm giving up my right now I can take my place.
And the reason they went through all that ritual taking off the shoe and passing it off is
because because this is a public transfer of of property that that's a public transfer of
of authority and you don't want to have any doubts or like questions that that that the New York
Kingsman refused to write. Okay basically that's a gesture basically it's a basically that's their
notary process right taking off the shoe and pass it on you know uh to enable to do not meet chapter
25 do not meet chapter 25. The Bible says in Ruth that you know this was a manner it was a custom
in Israel back in the days and the closest related law is found in Deuteronomy 25. Look at verse number
five Deuteronomy 25 verse number five although I do think you know uh Deuteronomy 25 is slightly
different uh but let's you know read it look at verse number five if brethren dwell together
that's important you know if brethren dwell together stay in one place and one of them die
and and have no child the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger her husband's
brother shall go unto her and take her to him to wife and and perform the duty of an husband's
brother unto her and it shall be that the firstborn which she birthed shall shall succeed in the name
of his brother which is dead that his name be not put out of israel so that's the purpose you know
the brother was supposed to go on to the widow to you know continue his brother's seed uh look at
look at verse number seven and if the man like not to take his brother's wife then let his brother's
wife go up to the to the gate under the elders and say my husband's brother refuses to raise up
uh onto his brother a name in israel he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother
then the elders of of his city shall call him and speak unto him and if he stand to it and say I
like not to to take her then shall his brother's wife that's important then eventually his brother's
wife come unto him in the presence of the elders and lose his shoe from off his foot and spit in his
face that's pretty graphic and shall enter 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
had his shoe loose so that's a disgraceful thing okay now now I do think this is a little bit
different from the story in ruth because based on this passage the widow is supposed to lose the shoe
from the brother and and uh spit on him we don't see that in ruth chapter number four because in
ruth chapter four the nearer kingsman gave his shoe to boaz ruth was not part of that transaction
okay notice there's a difference here and to me this passage focuses more on if brethren dwell
together okay so so if the brother uh refuses he is shamed publicly now the story of ruth is
about a kingsman not really a brother okay and the story of ruth involves the land redemption based on
leviticus 25 so i so i do think these two stories are slightly different and i believe that's a
different legal situation because in ruth because in ruth chapter four the bible says you know
there was a manner in former time not really pointing back to a to a specific law yet the
closest law is is this passage but you know i but you know i don't believe there's a slight
difference in how they are executed okay now go back to ruth chapter four ruth chapter number four
now the question is why didn't god kill the near kinsman like he did with onan right because god
you know dealt pretty harshly justly with onan by uh killing him because he refused to uh you know
continue the inheritance of his brother erp well the reason is that onan was being deceptive
onan spilled the seed on the ground onan took the benefit but he intentionally prevented
the result while the nearer kingsman was given the opportunity but he said no okay he did not
abuse the situation he just said no okay so these are two different scenarios uh young root chapter
four look at verse number nine root four nine says this and boy says said unto the elders
and unto all the people ye are witnesses this day that i have bought all that was elimelex
and all that was chileans and molans of the hand of naomi moreover ruth the moabitess the wife of
molan 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 now cut off from from from among his brethren and from the gate
of his place ye are witnesses this day so boys bought it all boys bought all the land everything
that belonged to you know element x his two sons as well as ruth okay so now i do want to address
this question because i think it's relevant based on this based on this uh passage and the question
is is a wife a property of her husband is a wife the property of her husband turn out to exodus
chapter 20 exodus chapter 20 first of all in ruth chapter 4 we do see the transaction language
ruth was purchased to be boy's wife okay don't miss the wording here ruth was bought ruth was
purchased you are in exodus 20 look at verse number 17 exodus 20 verse 17 the bible says this
here's one of the one of the ten commandments thou shall not covet thy neighbor's house
notice the house belongs to to the neighbor the house is part of the neighbor's property
thou shall not cover thy neighbor's wife so the wife belongs to the neighbor as well right nor
his men servants so his servants belong to uh the neighbors as well nor his main servants nor his
ox nor his ass nor anything that is thy neighbors so wife is a possession of the husband now now go
to Genesis chapter five Genesis chapter five so Ruth used transaction language Ruth was purchased
Ruth was bought and then in Exodus hey don't don't covet the things that belong to your neighbor
including your wife okay you are in Genesis five look at verse number one Genesis five verse one
the Bible says this this is the book of the of the generations of Adam in the day that God created
men in the likeness of God made in him male and female created he them and blessed them
and called don't miss this their name Adam in the day when they were created God not called his name
Adam God called their name Adam that's why women change their last name to the husbands it is
biblical right because you know it's a transfer of ownership right transfer from you know her
dad to to her husband okay notice you know not his name but their name now not now turn to first
corinthians chapter number seven first corinthians chapter seven so based on these passages you know
women are the husband's properties however husbands should not treat their wives as mere properties
because in efficient 525 the bible says husbands love your wives even as christ also loved the
church and gave himself for it i mean i mean you should not treat your wife the same way
that you treat an ox or an ass okay even though they are both you know they are all your properties
you know in first corinthians chapter seven look at verse number four first corinthians seven four
says this the wife had not power of her own body but the husband so the husband has you know
power over his wife and likewise also the husband had not power of he of his own body
but the wife so so this verse says that there's a mutual belonging aspect between a husband and a
wife your body does not belong to you it belongs to each other right that's why defrauding your
spouse is wicked but on a strict legal sense the wife does belong to the husband because the
husband is the is the authority and the and the husband has the authority over his wife so on a
legal sense on a transaction legal sense yeah wives are properties but the bible also gives
husbands instructions on on how they're supposed to treat their wife right just like christ loved
the church even be willing to die for it okay so have a proper balance okay go to first peter
chapter one first peter chapter one you know you know i don't want to shy away from saying wives are
properties but also there are so many verses you know that you can give a biblical balance to that
so unlike the near kinsman boaz is willing to pay the price willing a boaz is also able to pay the
price and uh but you know boaz is a picture of christ right and just like jesus paid a price to
save us from hell jesus paid the full price jesus did not just pay half price jesus never backed out
when he realized the full payment jesus did not back out in light of the agnes before and during
the crucifixion jesus christ did not back out even through the payment of hell jesus paid it all just
like boaz right and you are in first peter chapter one look at verse number 18 first peter 118 says
says this for as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and
gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious
blood of christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot so we are redeemed we are purchased
back we are ransomed we are rescued by the blood of christ so bless pictures jesus he is rolling
and he has paid the full price and the near kingsman may be picturing workspace salvation
okay because the near kingsman looked qualified but he could not complete the redemption he was
close but not willing to pay the full price that's you know how workspace salvation works
because it looks like it may be able to save you but when the full cost is required it falls short
it falls short amen so again you know i do think the near kingsman can picture the workspace
salvation or like any salvation but but a faith alone because it may look right to other people
but when the full cost is required they all fall short. Romans 3 20 says this therefore by the
deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of
sin. Go back to Ruth chapter 4. Ruth chapter 4 so point number one the near kingsman point number
two a ready redeemer point number three a blessed union a blessed union look at verse number 11
1st Corinthians uh no Ruth chapter 4 verse number 11 and all the people that were in the gate and
the elders said we are witnesses the lord make the woman that is come into my house like Rachel and
like Leah which too did build the house of Israel what came out of Rachel and Leah the 12 tribes
right so the blessing is basically blessing their lineage and do thou worthily in Ephrathah and be
famous in Bethlehem so the elders of the city bless Boaz and Ruth and obviously they bless their
lineage by saying hey you know we hope your house will be like the house of Rachel and Leah basically
blessing the lineage blessing the family line but then but then they said that hey do thou
worthily in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem so the elders wanted them to you know uh live
honorably because you know that's what the word that wordly mean and and just act righteously
and uh Ephrathah is in the region of Bethlehem you know if you know the prophecy that may you know
you might find that to be to be interesting but they also wanted them to be famous in Bethlehem
now I don't believe that the word famous here means popularity or the recognition of self because
famous has another definition and that's honored for achievement the same hebrew word is also
translated to the word name 832 times so I believe the elders simply wanted them to have a good good
reputation or a good name right be famous in Bethlehem have a good name in Bethlehem okay
now to Bible to Proverbs 22 Proverbs chapter 22 the Bible says in the Bible says in Ecclesiastes
chapter 7 verse number 1 a good name is better than precious ointment so so it doesn't matter
how much perfume cologne that you put on yourself you know if you have a stinky name you know that
that that is worse okay you know I don't care about how you know how much curry that you smell
like or whatever I mean good name is way more important you're in Proverbs 22 look at verse
Verse number one, "A good name is rather to be chosen
than great riches and loving favor rather than silver
and gold."
So the elders will bless him this newlywed, this union,
to be famous, to have a good reputation, to have a good name,
and to do worthily, to live righteously, right?
And to live honorably.
And go to Proverbs 31.
Proverbs 31.
I believe Boaz and Ruth, they already had a good reputation.
So the elders just encouraged them to continue in that.
And one thing to pay attention is
they did not bless them with wealth, but a name.
Because it's way better to be known for righteousness
than riches.
And you should want to raise your children with integrity
and simply instill godly characters in them.
And you should want your children to marry someone
with character, right?
And you shouldn't just want your children to marry someone
attractive or rich or successful.
You should want them to marry someone with character.
You're in Proverbs 30.
Look at verse number 30.
Proverbs 31, verse 30.
The Bible says favor is deceitful and beauty is vain.
But the woman that fear the Lord, she shall be praised.
So men should be looking for women like Ruth.
Ruth was called a virtuous woman while he was not even married.
Don't miss that.
Ruth was the only woman that was labeled a virtuous woman,
but she was not even married.
She was a hard worker.
She was godly.
And this proves that you don't have
to be married to be a virtuous woman.
Develop those characters right now when you're still single.
You can be a virtuous woman when you are a teenager,
when you are single, when you are a widow.
Doesn't have to be married.
Go back to Ruth 4, Ruth, chapter 4.
And women should look for men like Boaz.
Boaz was godly.
Boaz had integrity.
And Boaz was honorable.
So these are good spousal characteristics
for the single men and women to look for.
But that's not the only blessing that the elders
blessed them with.
Look at verse number 12, Ruth chapter 4, verse number 12.
"And let thy house be like the house of Phaeras,
whom Tamar bore unto Judah of the seed
which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman."
Now, this is a little bit odd, because if you
know the story of Phaeras and Tamar,
this may seem to be a little bit weird.
Why were they blessing them to be like the house of Phaeras?
Turn to Genesis 38 again.
Go to Genesis chapter 38.
Now, we already read earlier that Ur married Tamar,
and God killed Ur.
So Tamar became a widow.
And the Onan was supposed to go after her,
but then he was being deceptive.
So God killed him as well.
So Tamar was still a widow.
You are in Genesis 38.
Look at version 11.
Genesis 38, version 11.
Then said Judah to Tamar, his daughter-in-law,
remain a widow at thy father's house
till Sheila, my son, be grown.
So Judah basically tell him, hey, I have one more son.
When he is an adult, maybe you can marry him.
But then Judah didn't end up giving Tamar Sheila.
Then Tamar pretended to be a harlot.
And then Judah went in unto her,
and she conceived with a child from her father-in-law.
That's a messed up story, but look at Genesis 38, verse 29.
"And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand,
that, behold, his brother came out.
And she said, how hast thou broken forth?
This breach shall be upon thee.
Therefore his name was called Phares."
So Phares was born, Phares' mother was Tamar,
and Phares' father was Judah.
Judah was Tamar's father-in-law.
So that's the whole messed up story.
But the fascinating part of the story
is Phares was part of the genealogy of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
So let's actually go to Matthew chapter 1, Matthew chapter 1.
So why did the elders brought up this story?
Why did the elders bless them with this seemingly messed up
union because the child was from incest, technically, right?
So what's the point of the elders mentioning the story
and actually bless them with the story?
I believe Genesis 38 showed man's failure.
People messed up big time, but God still brought forth Phares.
So I think the point is that it doesn't matter
how messed up your past is, God can still bless you.
Think about Ruth.
Ruth was a Moabite, right?
She was an outsider,
but now she was part of a family in Bethlehem.
She may have a messed up past, worshiping, you know,
heathen God, but God still blessed her.
So if you know the rest of the story,
Ruth would eventually bear a son
who will become the grandfather of the famous King David.
So I believe the elders brought the story
just to make a point, hey, you may have a messed up past.
You may be coming from a heathen nation,
but God can still use you, right?
Just forget about your past
and just be allowed to be used by God.
I think that's why God brought this up.
But now let's look at the only four women
mentioned in Christ's genealogy.
And you know, you may find the pattern here.
You know, in Matthew chapter one,
look at verse number one, Matthew 1.1,
the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David,
the son of Abraham.
Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob,
and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren.
And Judas begat Phares and Zerah of Tamar.
And Phares begat Ashram, and Ashram begat Aaron.
So the first woman is Tamar.
Tamar acted like a harlot, and Tamar
went on to Judah, his father-in-law.
OK, so that's the first woman.
Let's look at version number four.
And Aaron begat Aminadab, and Aminadab begat Nason,
and Nason begat Selman, and Selman begat Booz of--
Booz is Boaz-- of Rehka, also known as Rahab.
And Booz begat Obed of Ruth, and Obed begat Jesse.
So we have Rehkab or Rahab.
Now, Rahab was literally a harlot, right?
Rahab was a Canaanite.
Now, this could mean that Selman and Rahab
had a son named Boaz.
Or Matthew could be compressing some lines.
But Boaz was still in the line of Rahab.
OK, that's pretty interesting, right?
So the first woman act like a harlot.
And then the second woman was literally a harlot.
But then the third woman was Ruth.
Ruth was a Moabite.
She joined Israel later.
Look at verse number 6.
And Jesse begat David the king.
And David the king begat Solomon of her
that had been the wife of Uriahs.
Who was the wife of Uriahs?
Bathsheba.
Who was Bathsheba?
She was an adulteress.
She was likely a--
she was likely a Hittite.
OK?
So what's the pattern?
Tamar was-- Tamar acted like a harlot.
Rahab was-- literally Rahab was a harlot.
Ruth was from Moab.
And then Bathsheba was an adulteress.
OK?
And why did God include those only four women?
Notice God did not include Sarah, right?
God did not include Rachel.
But God included those four, quote unquote,
"not so good women" or "have a bad past."
OK?
So I believe God intentionally included people
with broken past, people from outside of Israel,
just to make a point, right?
And God used those people and connect them
in the lineage of Christ.
That's why I think God is trying to make a point
that he can use people with a past to build his future.
Tell them about Philippians chapter 3.
Philippians chapter number 3.
But if you really think about this,
we all have a past before we got saved, right?
We all have a past.
But God redeemed us anyway through his son.
So it's not just Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba.
Hey, we all have a sinful past.
And God choose to redeem us anyway,
just like Boaz to Ruth, OK?
Again, that's a great picture.
That's why if you have some bad past,
or if you have made some bad choices in your life,
just move on and get right with God.
People may have a past.
But God will give you a future if you submit yourself to him.
You're in Philippians 3, look at verse number 13.
Philippians 3, 13 says this, "Brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended, but it's one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus."
Hey, we all messed up.
We all sinned.
And you may have done some terrible things in your life,
have watched things that you shouldn't have watched,
or have seen things that you haven't seen.
Hey, just forget about the past and reach forward, right?
Move forward.
Just look at those four women, Tamar and Rahab.
Ruth was probably the least bad woman out there.
But she was part of a country where--
the Bible says that up to four generations,
that she shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.
But God used her anyway.
Go back to Ruth, chapter 4.
Ruth, chapter number 4.
So that's point number one, the New York Kingsmen.
Point number two, a ready redeemer.
Point number three, a blessed union.
Lastly, point number four, a greater redemption.
Look at verse number 13.
Ruth 4.13 says this.
So blessed took Ruth, and she was his wife.
And when he went on to her, the Lord
gave her conception, and she bear a son.
And the women said unto Naomi, blessed
be the Lord, which had not left thee this day without a kinsman,
that his name may be famous in Israel.
So earlier, the elders said that they
will be famous in Bethlehem.
Now the women said that Boaz will be famous in the nation.
So I believe that's a prophecy that Boaz will
be part of the line for David.
Ultimately, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse number 15, Ruth 4, verse 15.
"And he," referring to Boaz, "shall be unto thee, Naomi,
a restorer of thy life and a nourisher of thine old age,
for thy daughter-in-law which loveth thee,
which is better to thee than seven sons hath borne him."
So OK, so he is actually talking about the baby born.
So basically, with this whole lineage, marriage,
it restores Naomi's life, because the family line
was redeemed, and the land has been redeemed,
and Ruth was no longer a widow, and a child will be born.
So Naomi went from empty to full.
She went from being bitter to being blessed.
You know, what a change.
And obviously, Boaz pictures God in the story,
but Naomi can also picture us.
We may feel bitter about life.
We may feel sad or down, but God can restore us.
God can do things that bring joy and blessings in our life.
But the women also said that her daughter-in-law,
talking about Ruth, is better than seven sons.
That is huge.
They are basically saying that a Gentile widow is better than seven sons.
Now, a son is important, right?
Because a son gives a family security, inheritance.
And seven sons, that pictures completions, blessings, right?
And the women said that Ruth is better than seven sons.
That's why the Bible is not a sexist book, right?
I mean, people always try to accuse the Bible for being misogynistic, sexist.
But the Bible is not a sexist book, because they literally said Ruth was better than seven
sons.
Why is Ruth better?
Because she is loyal.
Because she has character.
She is a hard worker, and she loves Naomi.
She is faithful.
She was not born into the right nation.
She did not have the right background, but she had the right heart, right?
That's why God values character more than your gender, status, ethnicity.
Naomi lost two sons, but she gained a daughter-in-law who was worth more than seven sons.
To me, that's a good deal.
You know you lost a -- I'm kidding.
So don't have a wicked mentality that a lost world often has, that a daughter is of less
value than a son.
Obviously the family name is passed down through sons, but we need more virtuous women in this
world.
Not less.
We have too many feminists in this world already, you know, let's just replace them with godly
women.
And a faithful and a godly woman is always better than a foolish and a rebellious man.
Okay?
Because the Bible is not a sexist book.
You know, in Ruth chapter 4, look at verse number 16, Ruth 4.16 says this, "And Naomi
took the child and laid it in her bosom and became a nurse unto it."
Now, biologically, it may be possible that Naomi nursed Obed in her old age, but the
word "nurse" can also mean "nurture" or "to bring up."
Okay?
So Naomi was helping, taking care of the child as a grandma.
Obviously, biologically, that's still possible, you know, I don't want to go into that.
I mean, that might be a separate sermon on like breastfeeding, but look at verse number
17.
"And the women, her neighbors gave it a name, saying, 'There is a son born to Naomi.'
And they called his name Obed, and he is the father of Jesse, the father of David."
Now, of course, this is not Naomi's direct son, because sometimes the word "son" in
the Bible simply means "descendants."
Okay?
That's why the Bible says that here was the son.
There's a son born to Naomi.
Look at verse number 18.
Now these are the generations of Phaeras.
Phaeras begat Hezron, and Hezron begat Rem,
and Rem begat Aminadab, and Aminadab begat Noshom,
and Noshom begat Selman, and Selman begat Boaz, and Boaz
begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Of course, everything was part of the prophecy.
"But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be little
among the tongues of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth
unto me," that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth
had been from a boat, from everlasting.
Because Obed was the grandfather of David.
And later, from the line of David,
we have the logius quest, right?
Fulfilling the prophecy.
And this was part of that prophecy.
Amazing book, and the book of Ruth, talks about a story of redemption.
Ruth was an outsider.
And Ruth was redeemed by Boaz.
But this is also a story of restoration.
Because think about how the story started.
God used a famine, right?
God used a loss in the family.
And God used a hardship and a Gentile woman
to bring about the line of Christ.
That's why if you suffer bad times, if you have a bad past in your life,
that you feel like it's letting you down, just let God restore your life.
Like how Boaz restored Ruth, like how God restored Naomi.
Let's close in with a prayer.
Thank you, Lord, for helping us study the book of Ruth.
What I pray that we'll be faithful, what I pray that we'll let go of our past,
we'll let go of our sin, and just moving forward with our life in victory.
And I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.
All right, amen.
Last song we're going to be singing is "Nothing Between," song 304, "Nothing Between."
304, 304, "Nothing Between," on the first.
Nothing between my soul and the Savior.
Not of this world, this is a dream.
I have renounced all sinful pleasure.
Jesus is mine, there's nothing between.
Nothing between my soul and the Savior.
So that His blessed face may be seen.
Nothing preventing of His favor.
Keep the way clear, there's nothing between.
Nothing between, word has nothing.