Ruth Chapter Three

Chartridge Mission Church

#Ruth #ChapterThree #salvation #Miracle #Jesus #lineage #faithfulness #Boaz #lovestory #bibleteaching #history #christianity #christian #ColmFagan #God #doctrine #ChartridgeMissionChurch #chesham #thefriendliestfellowship #OxfordBaptistChapel  The book of Ruth is many people's favourite in the Bible. It tells the story of a young widow who decides to leave her famine-stricken pagan country of Moab and follow her Mother-in-Law into the promised land in search of food. It is a tale of bereavement, love, and new beginnings. Colm Fagan from  ⁨@oxfordbaptistchapel9892  presents the third in our four-part series with chapter three, where Boaz and Ruth plan to marry, but someone stands in their way.     Chartridge Mission Church was founded in 1844 and remains in the village of Chartridge, just outside Chesham, in the picturesque Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire, England, UK.  We are a friendly fellowship and would love you to visit us in person. Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm, followed by refreshments.   Our Church is wheelchair friendly, with an accessible toilet.     Chartridge Mission Church, Chapel Lane, Chartridge, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2TH  Support our work at Chartridge Mission Church:  Donations via Stewardship.org.uk:    https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/20005300    Cheques can be made payable to Chartridge Mission Church and sent to the above address for the attention of Pastor Barry Kempson.   Filmed on Sunday, 18th May 2025.     Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm.  www.Chartridge.UK   The Friendliest Fellowship.

Transcript

00:00:00Song of praises, song of praises, I will ever give to Thee, I will ever give to Thee.

00:00:20Amen. You may be seated. Please make yourselves comfortable. I love that hymn.

00:00:25He's only reading more of the scriptures. You see certain hymns come to life as well, if that makes sense.

00:00:32And you're like, I've seen that in the scriptures here and there and I love verse three for that.

00:00:38The hymn writer, William Williams, that is definitely a Welsh name, isn't it? Of course, William Williams.

00:00:44Verse three, wonderful. When I tread the verge of Jordan, as if you've kind of got to the very edge of the bank of the River Jordan,

00:00:52which is a picture of crossing over into the promised land is crossing that River Jordan.

00:00:56It's also a picture of going through the veil of death, as it were, when we leave this world to the next.

00:01:01And the hymn writer knew that from the scriptures. Also, John Bunyan knew of that as well.

00:01:06He wrote that in his book Pilgrim's Progress. And then he says, Be it my anxious fears subside.

00:01:12Lord, please help me not to be anxious about leaving this world. Help me not to be fearful of death.

00:01:17Because it says death of death. In the scriptures, it says death, where is thy sting?

00:01:23Because Christ, through his death and resurrection, has abolished death for all of them that are saved and believe.

00:01:31It continues to say and hell's destruction. Why? Because the saviour now has the keys of death and of hell.

00:01:40And he says, land me safe on Canaan's side. Amen.

00:01:45Songs of praises, songs of praises I will ever give to thee. And that's how it shall be in heaven.

00:01:51Us, the ones who have already gone, the ones who are yet to go in eternity.

00:01:56We shall forever praise the Lord. And I love this version as well.

00:01:59I noticed it in the first verse. Sorry for me to go on. I love this one.

00:02:02Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me now and evermore.

00:02:06Some versions of the hymn says feed me till I want no more.

00:02:10There will never come a time where we don't want any more bread and substance from God.

00:02:15Will there? Feed me now and evermore. And he will. Praise the Lord.

00:02:19Thank you for coming this evening. For those of you who might not know me, this isn't about me this evening.

00:02:25But I'm just a sinner saved by the grace of God.

00:02:30My name is Colm Fagan. I'm from Aylesbury, not far from here.

00:02:35And the Lord saved me 12 years ago now, just about 12 years ago nearly.

00:02:42And I was lost in the world. I knew nothing of the scriptures.

00:02:47I didn't know anything of God or the Saviour. The most I knew of the Lord Jesus.

00:02:51I knew he was crucified. I didn't know why. I never actually heard that he was buried and rose again.

00:02:56So I never watched a biblical film. I thought all religious people were kind of crazy.

00:03:03It's a little bit true to a degree, isn't it? But I didn't understand the gospel.

00:03:09I didn't know who Jesus was or why he came. I didn't know that he died for my sins, that he died in my place.

00:03:16I didn't know anything of that regard until I was 21 years old.

00:03:20I turned 33 recently, last month. But when I was 21 years old, I thought I'd kind of summed up life.

00:03:27I thought I'm experienced enough. I've kind of been around the block a little bit, as it were.

00:03:32And these two women shared the gospel with me. On the inside, I could kind of see I didn't really know what life was about.

00:03:39I didn't know where I was going. I didn't really have a tradition to fall back on, as it were.

00:03:44Especially I just had a son that I was raising. I was thinking, how am I going to raise this?

00:03:48So I'm starting to think more about life and the depths of it. I knew life wasn't an accident.

00:03:53And I'm curious and I realise how I'm done and lost I really was on the inside.

00:03:58And it was the longer I lived, the more apparent that was becoming.

00:04:01And then I heard the gospel from these two women in my town centre that went out to evangelise that day.

00:04:07And they were going out fishing for men. And then they got me.

00:04:11I just wanted to be polite and listen to what they had to say.

00:04:14So I listened. And what they said made sense.

00:04:18They wasn't crazy people. They wasn't people that needed something to cling to.

00:04:23They didn't need a crutch.

00:04:25And I could tell because of how genuine they were. And believe me, they were very genuine.

00:04:30And I remember one of the ladies. I remember one of the names of one of them.

00:04:33Her name was Alice. And she said, you know, can we pray for you?

00:04:37And I said, no, no, no, I'm good. Other people, if you see, they definitely need praying for me.

00:04:42You see the state of the world. And this was 12 years ago.

00:04:45And then they said, what do you mean you don't need praying for?

00:04:48As if to say you don't need God or you don't need to talk to God.

00:04:51Me and her are best friends. We've been best friends for 25 years.

00:04:54We talk every day. You know, even if she's in a different country, we talk all the time.

00:04:58How much more do you need to talk to God? And I was scratching my head thinking.

00:05:02There's kind of some sense to that. That makes a lot of sense.

00:05:05Yeah. You know, so I thought coming from someone who'd never prayed,

00:05:09never wanted to speak to God or thought he needed to.

00:05:12I did think, yeah, but I wonder if how would I pray to God?

00:05:15I wonder if God would even listen. You know, I don't know who he is or his name or anything about him.

00:05:20But they gave me these gospel leaflets and explained Christ to me very clearly about salvation,

00:05:27biblical salvation, about the new birth, about being born again, saved from my sins,

00:05:31not trying to be good or be religious or go to church or turn over a new leaf, anything like that.

00:05:37It told me where I stood with God and how Christ came to save me.

00:05:43And only through him I can have hope, only by him I can come to God

00:05:49because I can't do it by myself. And later on that day, I read through them

00:05:53and I didn't like what I read because it frightened me. It made me feel very uneasy.

00:05:58And then later on that day, I cried out because I knew I needed Christ.

00:06:02He was my only hope. I thought I was a good person. I really wasn't.

00:06:05And it was only clearly when it was presented to me, I realised how much of a wretch I was.

00:06:09And I cried out for the Lord to save me. And I didn't fully understand what it meant,

00:06:14being saved or born again that day. But believe me, I was on my sofa.

00:06:19I looked at my bookshelf at the side of my living room. It had no books on there

00:06:22because I never used to read books. It was just full of DVDs and films and TV series,

00:06:27a bunch of nonsense. And I looked at them and I thought, I can't be watching that.

00:06:32I realised I was very aware of my sin after that day. I had a fear of God that,

00:06:37believe me, that didn't come from me. It came to me. I didn't change my life.

00:06:43God changed my life. And then thanks be to God for it.

00:06:46And thank God that he's changed your life if you've been saved.

00:06:49So he still saves. Is he going to change? No, because his name is the Saviour, isn't it?

00:06:57So, of course, his actions would follow who he is, surely.

00:07:02And he still saves today and he uses his people to get his message of salvation out.

00:07:07He uses us. And thanks be to God for it. And I haven't spoken to them two women

00:07:12or seen them. They have no idea I even got saved. So thanks be to God for the gospel

00:07:17that goes out and it doesn't return void. If you believe that, then you will take it out there.

00:07:23Of course, we might not see immediate fruit or results. Those two women didn't.

00:07:27I probably haven't. You probably haven't. But in eternity, when we sing those praises

00:07:31now and evermore, we will know what the Lord had done and praise be to him for it.

00:07:36That sounds crazy, right? But thanks be to God for it.

00:07:40Let me read some of the word of God to you now. You'd rather hear from this than me, for sure.

00:07:44It says Psalm 49. Hear this, all ye people. Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world,

00:07:53both low and high, rich and poor together. My mouth shall speak of wisdom

00:07:59and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

00:08:04I will incline my ear to a parable. I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

00:08:11Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

00:08:19They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches,

00:08:24none of them can by any means redeem his brother nor give to God a ransom for him.

00:08:32For the redemption of their soul is precious and it ceaseth forever.

00:08:38We're reading Ruth chapter 3, starting verse 1.

00:08:41Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said unto her,

00:08:46My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

00:08:52And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast?

00:08:58Behold, he winneth barley to-night in the threshing-floor.

00:09:02Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee,

00:09:07and get thee down to the floor, but make not thyself known unto the man

00:09:11until he shall have done eating and drinking.

00:09:14And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie,

00:09:20and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down,

00:09:25and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.

00:09:28And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me, I will do.

00:09:33And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her.

00:09:38And when Boaz had eaten, and drunk, and his heart was merry,

00:09:42he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn,

00:09:45and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and lay her down.

00:09:50And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself,

00:09:54and behold, a woman lay at his feet.

00:09:57And he said, Who art thou?

00:09:59And she answered, I am Ruth, thine handmaid.

00:10:03Spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid, for thou art a near kinsman.

00:10:09And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter,

00:10:14for thou hast shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning,

00:10:19inasmuch as thou followest not young men, whether poor or rich.

00:10:24And now, my daughter, fear not, I will do to thee all that thou requirest,

00:10:29for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

00:10:35And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman,

00:10:39howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I,

00:10:42tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning,

00:10:45that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman,

00:10:49well, let him do the kinsman's part,

00:10:52but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee,

00:10:56then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth.

00:11:01Lie down until the morning.

00:11:03And she lay at his feet until the morning,

00:11:06and she rose up before one could know another.

00:11:08And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.

00:11:12Also he said, Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and hold it.

00:11:17And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her,

00:11:22and she went into the city.

00:11:24And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said,

00:11:27Who art thou, my daughter?

00:11:29And she told her all that the man had done unto her.

00:11:33And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me,

00:11:36for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law.

00:11:40Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know the matter will fall.

00:11:46For the man will not be in rest until he have finished the thing this day.

00:11:52Amen.

00:11:53May God bless us as we look at his word today.

00:11:57But also we should be very, very thankful that we have his word.

00:12:01Could you imagine trying to live by our own opinion or experience

00:12:06or, God forbid, someone else's or someone's culture

00:12:09that we see rise and fall generation to generation.

00:12:13Thank God we have the word of God, that rock, the truth,

00:12:17the pure gold that we have in his word.

00:12:19So thanks be to God for his word and that you don't have to listen to me

00:12:22make some sort of political or cultural speech.

00:12:24Are you glad for that?

00:12:26I love the book of Ruth, wonderful book.

00:12:29And even if it was just a case of light reading,

00:12:33you could get through the book of Ruth very quickly

00:12:35and it would still be a blessing for you.

00:12:37And the lot fell on me to read and expand Ruth chapter three tonight.

00:12:42And I've been praying that the Lord will help me because I thought,

00:12:45I know I shouldn't think of it this way,

00:12:49but I had more confidence going into another chapter, perhaps.

00:12:51So this has been good and challenging for me to look at Ruth chapter three.

00:12:55And I'm going to do my best not to jump back or forward

00:12:58and leave that for next week's preacher.

00:13:01And also, if you've been here the last few weeks,

00:13:04you would have gone through one and two.

00:13:07So I'm going to try not to, as best I can, go through those.

00:13:10Just for sake of context, if you're not too familiar with it

00:13:13or you haven't been here the last few weeks.

00:13:15Book of Ruth.

00:13:17We come to a point in the scriptures, as I said,

00:13:20you have the first five canonical books of the Bible.

00:13:23It's referred to as the law.

00:13:25In total, that follows Genesis, as it were.

00:13:27So Genesis is your first book of the Bible, which means beginnings.

00:13:31That's why we get the word Genesis.

00:13:33And then you have Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.

00:13:36That is when the Israelites are taken out of Egypt in the book of Exodus.

00:13:39I'm sure you've heard of the great story where they cross the Red Sea.

00:13:42The Exodus means like a great exit.

00:13:45Multi-million personnel, a nation leaves Egypt,

00:13:49through a strong arm that the scriptures say,

00:13:52where God led them and done miraculous works of judgment and of blessing.

00:13:56And he's going to give them a new land.

00:13:58But he also gives them just righteous commandments to live by.

00:14:02This isn't just the law, as it were, for those people at the time.

00:14:07It was ceremonial laws, how they would observe things in the way they dress,

00:14:12the way that they'd be clean.

00:14:14These were laws such as in keeping the camp clean, as it were,

00:14:17from diseases, leprosy or mold even spreading in the house.

00:14:21But also civil laws.

00:14:23If there were disputes amongst people, there would be civil laws,

00:14:26how they govern themselves with judges enforcing the laws.

00:14:29But also criminal laws, of course, society will not last very,

00:14:34very long at all if there is not laws to be adhered to,

00:14:37especially in regards to criminality.

00:14:39So how they would deal with criminals.

00:14:42And also a deterrency to stop or to be a deterrent to limit people

00:14:47stealing, killing, etc., etc.

00:14:50So God gives these righteous laws and then they enter the promised land

00:14:53in the book of Joshua.

00:14:55Joshua leads them. He is a picture of Christ.

00:14:58It's actually the same root name, Joshua and Jesus.

00:15:01In fact, even if you're making notes, you can take a side note later on.

00:15:05In the book of Acts chapter 17, it says that Jesus led the Israelites

00:15:10into the promised land.

00:15:12We know the Lord Jesus did lead them, but it's actually referred to Joshua the man.

00:15:16It's the same name transliterated in the New Testament as Jesus.

00:15:19It was actually a very common name.

00:15:21And then you get Joshua, judges.

00:15:24This is a period of approximately 400 years of different judges.

00:15:28It's actually a very, very good picture of human nature

00:15:33and humanity in general.

00:15:35What we do is we do something, realise our wrongdoing,

00:15:40and then go back, but also make the same mistakes and go back.

00:15:43And we tend not to learn from our predecessors,

00:15:46or we tend not to learn from history very well, do we?

00:15:48And even in such a close period, in a limited location,

00:15:52the Israelites, they would do wrong, go back to the Lord.

00:15:56They realised their need for him when judgment came.

00:15:58And then they do wrong and go back.

00:16:00And God would provide judges to deliver them

00:16:03and also put them back on the right track.

00:16:05And in the days of those judges, before there is ever a king,

00:16:09so just before the time of King David and the first king Saul,

00:16:13Ruth is toward the latter end, as it were, of this time.

00:16:18So the Book of Ruth is set in this historical period,

00:16:22chronologically, along with the Book of Judges, just for context.

00:16:25Ruth is from a nation called the Moabites.

00:16:29She doesn't actually come from one of these...

00:16:32There's actually technically 13 tribes of the Israelites.

00:16:36The Levites would be that extra tribe, and Joseph was split into two.

00:16:40So you do have 12 tribes distributed into different pieces of land.

00:16:43And the Levites, they did not have an inheritance of land, as it were.

00:16:47So technically, at the time, 13.

00:16:49Ruth didn't come from one of these tribes.

00:16:52She's from Moab.

00:16:54She's a descendant of Moab, which is across the River Jordan,

00:16:58as in they're foreigners and strangers unto the Israelites.

00:17:02Now, there's a man called Abimelech.

00:17:04He is key to understanding the threads

00:17:09behind what ties the Book of Ruth together, as it were.

00:17:12Now, the Lord Jesus is central in all things in the text, I believe.

00:17:16But if we understand Abimelech, then we kind of understand how the rest unfolds.

00:17:20Abimelech was a man from Bethlehem.

00:17:23Him and his wife Naomi, you're familiar with her, I'm sure, over the last few weeks.

00:17:27They go into Moab because there's a famine in the land of Israel.

00:17:33They go because there's no food.

00:17:35Again, there's a lot of types and shadows and pictures.

00:17:38If we can understand these biblical pictures,

00:17:40then we can see a spiritual painting start to come to life, as it were.

00:17:44Now, a famine in those days where there's a lack of food

00:17:48and then people tend to starve, they tend to flee, they tend to be desperate.

00:17:52So they will go wherever there's food, of course.

00:17:54And we would no doubt do the same in the day we live in.

00:17:57So they go to Moab because of a lack of food.

00:18:00They heard there's an abundance of food there.

00:18:02Naomi's husband dies, her two sons die.

00:18:05And then you have the two Moabite wives that they met,

00:18:09one of them being Ruth, which is our central character here.

00:18:12So Ruth is now a widow in the land of Moab.

00:18:15And so is her mother-in-law.

00:18:17But she clings to her mother-in-law, Naomi,

00:18:20and she knows that she needs to be with her.

00:18:23Now, believe me, I think that's a very wise decision.

00:18:26We see unwise decisions in the scriptures,

00:18:28very wise decision by her thinking,

00:18:31should I stay in Moab, the land I'm familiar with, my homeland, as it were,

00:18:37or I go back to the land of my husband, his father and his mother, my mother-in-law?

00:18:43Because I believe just by default,

00:18:46it is better to cling to someone who's godly

00:18:49and to have that fellowship than none at all.

00:18:52Wouldn't you agree?

00:18:53We look at, even go a few books back to the story of Abraham and Lot.

00:18:57Lot followed his uncle Abraham into the land of Canaan.

00:19:02He wasn't actually supposed to go with him, but he went nonetheless.

00:19:05And then their personnel, the people working for them,

00:19:10the herdsmen, as it were, started to grow and increase.

00:19:13They start to fight with each other.

00:19:14Abraham's men start to fight with Lot's men.

00:19:16There's not enough land for all of their cattle, all of their sheep.

00:19:19So they start to disagree.

00:19:21And to solve the disagreement, they say,

00:19:23well, why don't you go this way and I'll go this way?

00:19:26And his uncle Abraham says, look, if you want to take this, I'll go elsewhere.

00:19:31No problem.

00:19:32If I was Lot, to make a good godly decision, I'd say, you know what?

00:19:35I'd rather not have any of my herdsmen, all my sheep, all my cattle, all my riches.

00:19:39I'd rather cling alongside you, Abraham,

00:19:41because I know that you're a man who fears God and walks with him.

00:19:44I'd rather walk with you than have a well-watered land

00:19:47that overlooks Sodom and have loads of money.

00:19:50So Ruth makes a very, very godly decision in clinging to her mother-in-law.

00:19:55Now, it reminds me of a passage in Philippians 2.

00:20:00The more I learn it, the more I know I need to live by it.

00:20:04And we all know that the rule in life as Christians that we should live by is

00:20:08thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

00:20:11If you understand that, then you won't put yourself first.

00:20:15You won't be self-centred.

00:20:16But the passage in Philippians 2, verse 4 says,

00:20:20Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

00:20:26Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

00:20:29So if we have this perspective in mind, we would no doubt make godly decisions.

00:20:35No doubt. And Ruth does this.

00:20:38She's considerate and compassionate.

00:20:40She doesn't just think of herself.

00:20:42And toward the end of the message, toward the end of the chapter,

00:20:45Boaz recognises that. We'll get to that shortly.

00:20:48So she was someone who didn't just think about herself,

00:20:51which is a good trait to have.

00:20:53And may we reflect that.

00:20:55Look down in verse 1.

00:20:57Now that we've got a bit of context, sorry to go on.

00:20:59We've got a bit of context. Verse 1 of chapter 3.

00:21:02Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said unto her,

00:21:08My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee?

00:21:12And by the way, in the previous chapter, she meets Boaz.

00:21:16So now this is what Naomi is referring to.

00:21:19My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee,

00:21:25that it may be good with you.

00:21:27That's what the word well means.

00:21:28Whenever you see the word well in this chapter, it refers to being good or a blessing.

00:21:32So Naomi has a bit of a scheme lined up here.

00:21:36So she says, OK, there is someone we're familiar with, OK,

00:21:41from the land that we're from, Boaz.

00:21:44And she says, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee?

00:21:48Now this doesn't just refer to rest as in she's at ease and comfort, as it were.

00:21:54It's referring to security at the same time, OK, in regards to marrying Boaz.

00:22:00So Naomi has this idea, puts it to Ruth, that it may be well with thee.

00:22:06And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast?

00:22:13Behold, he winneth barley tonight in the threshing floor.

00:22:16So this is the instruction that Naomi gives to Ruth.

00:22:19We'll get to the part at the threshing floor very shortly.

00:22:23I don't know if I'm sure how greatly it's been expanded over the last few weeks,

00:22:28but I don't want to trip up past beforehand or, again, I don't want to run ahead too much.

00:22:33So, again, I said it's been challenging for me just to stick to the text itself.

00:22:38But again, for context, Boaz is of the same kindred, not as Ruth, because, again, Ruth is from Moab.

00:22:45She's different people altogether, right? She's from a different nation.

00:22:48Not actually the same as Naomi, but he is of the same kindred.

00:22:52He's of the same relation, as it were, the same ancestry as Abimelech,

00:22:57that you'd read about at the very beginning of Ruth.

00:22:59So Boaz is of a near kindred.

00:23:02They're not like brothers or uncles or cousins, but they're of near kindred to Abimelech.

00:23:08OK, so that's the link.

00:23:09Naomi's husband Abimelech and Boaz.

00:23:14So, first of all, don't get your wires crossed and think Ruth married a close relative.

00:23:19No, no, no. They're not actually related.

00:23:21So Boaz is a kinsman to Abimelech, which would have been her father-in-law, technically.

00:23:26So look at the category here in verse two.

00:23:30Look what Naomi says to Ruth.

00:23:31And now is not Boaz of our kindred with whose maidens thou wast.

00:23:37So she's already met Boaz. Now, just to give you some context for Boaz.

00:23:40I know I don't want to run over too much. You probably heard that already.

00:23:43But Boaz, he's a landowner. He's a landlord, as it were.

00:23:47OK, so he has land where he grows barley.

00:23:51OK, he grows barley, threshes it, sells it.

00:23:54They make bread, etc. and more out of the barley.

00:23:56But also he's of the same kindred.

00:23:59Remember that. OK, he's a landlord.

00:24:02He owns land. He's of the same kindred.

00:24:06OK, but also he's a very godly man.

00:24:10And later on, you'll see that he will do that which is right later on in the message.

00:24:15Because if we'll go to a bit of context, if we'll go to Deuteronomy, please, chapter 25,

00:24:22then we'll understand what's going on here.

00:24:24Because if you just read this out of context or just the book on its own, you think,

00:24:28what on earth has that got to do? Why is she bringing up the fact that he's of kindred?

00:24:32It makes no sense. But go to Deuteronomy, chapter 25.

00:24:36You'll read something here. If you've never read it before, it might seem peculiar.

00:24:40But this is a commandment from God to the Israelites.

00:24:44It's as much the word of God as anything else in the Bible that you'd read.

00:24:47Deuteronomy 25, verse 6 onwards. I'll read it clearly.

00:24:51Even if you're making notes, no problem. I'll read it now.

00:24:53Deuteronomy 25, verse 6. It says here,

00:24:56And it shall be that the firstborn, which she beareth.

00:24:59So a woman in this nation, this new nation that the laws have been given to.

00:25:04It shall be that the firstborn, which she beareth, shall succeed in the name of his brother.

00:25:08That's after, obviously, one of them die.

00:25:12Oh, sorry. Let me give you this context in verse 5.

00:25:14If Brethren do draw together and one of them die and have no child,

00:25:17the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger.

00:25:21Her husband's brother shall go into unto her and take her to him to wife

00:25:26and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her.

00:25:28It shall be that the firstborn, which she beareth,

00:25:31shall succeed in the name of his brother, which is dead,

00:25:36that his name be not put out of Israel.

00:25:39And if the man like not to take his brother's wife,

00:25:44then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders and say,

00:25:48my husband's brother refuses to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel

00:25:53and he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.

00:25:56Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak unto him.

00:26:00And if he sorry, if he stand to do it and say, I like not to take her again,

00:26:06look at that word. I like not. It means he has no desire to.

00:26:12Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders

00:26:16and loose his shoe from off his foot and listen carefully and spit in his face

00:26:21and shall answer and say, so shall it be done unto the man that will not build up his brother's house

00:26:26and his name shall be called in Israel the house of him that hath his shoe loosed.

00:26:31Now, if any of you read that passage, you thought, what on earth?

00:26:34I don't get that. I've never actually heard it preached expounded for.

00:26:38So we couldn't actually go to any other preacher and rob their sermon to give to you.

00:26:42So we look at this. Now, what are your shoes for?

00:26:46Now, we're not wearing sandals today. Some people might because of the weather.

00:26:49Most people aren't wearing sandals. Typically, women tend to wear more sandals.

00:26:52Men tend to wear more robust footwear, as it were.

00:26:55But you think, what is your footwear for? It's to protect your feet, right?

00:26:59OK. It also represents where you walk, where you tread in life.

00:27:04Now, this here, this act of redemption, as it were, isn't just to raise up a new generation, as it says,

00:27:12because there's a few other passages, we won't be able to go there.

00:27:15But also that the land that the individual owned won't just be lost.

00:27:22And it's important to God that if something's lost, that it would not be again redeemed.

00:27:30Now, we look at the likeness and the typology of that, but he doesn't want something that belonged to him to just be lost to whoever,

00:27:38so that it would go back into the family, not just the individuals or the wife or the future generation, but also the land.

00:27:45But it also says here, if there was a man who's of the near kindred, in this case, the brother, if he likes not to do it, he refuses.

00:27:53He's like, because in the scriptures they had the choice to marry who they wanted to.

00:27:57If you look at the example of Rebecca, when Abraham sends his servant to go and get a wife for his son Isaac,

00:28:04Rebecca's father says, will you go with this man? And she says, I will.

00:28:09And then she willingly goes. And that's important in this, if they're willing.

00:28:14And then it says here that if the man refuses to marry the woman and says, well,

00:28:18I don't want my first son to inherit my brother's property and raise up a name for my brother, he can refuse to do it.

00:28:25But if he does do it, he has to loose off one of his shoes as a testimony to the elders in that city.

00:28:31And she would spit at him. Now, we might think, what a disgusting, ungodly thing to do.

00:28:36Now, if you look at what would spitting represent? It represents someone expressing their disgust, doesn't it?

00:28:43You hear of people like that would spit on the ground to express their disgust and things like that.

00:28:47Or a person, it's like it's like a deeply disrespectful thing to express contempt or disgust, isn't it?

00:28:54And that's what this woman would do. But the part about the shoe being loosed,

00:28:57we read about it later in the next chapter of Ruth that I don't want to just piece off too much.

00:29:03But again, this represents like where you walk or what you have dominion over, as in like the sandal being taken off of his foot.

00:29:12So it would represent him as in where he would tread, him being the owner of that land.

00:29:18Now, if he didn't want to accept that, then the land would just end up being lost or taken over by someone else because it weren't redeemed.

00:29:26Now, go back to the book of Ruth, chapter three, please. This is the reason why they would find someone of near kindred to them.

00:29:35As in, look at the word there. It says in verse two, the word kindred is referring to the same kind.

00:29:43OK, look at verse three. So again, Naomi has this plan for Ruth and Ruth will obey the plan.

00:29:50Wash thyself, therefore, and anoint thee and put thy raiment upon thee and get thee down to the floor.

00:29:57But make not thyself known unto the man until he have done eating and drinking.

00:30:02And it shall be when he lieth down that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie.

00:30:07Now, that doesn't mean like she'd put marking on the floor or anything like that.

00:30:10It means like she's supposed to recognise it. OK, and watch as it were.

00:30:15Like in the New Testament, it says if anyone's causing discord or spreading heresy through the church, you're supposed to mark them and avoid them.

00:30:22It doesn't mean like, you know, you put a badge on their side or something like that.

00:30:26It just means, right, we've made a mark on him. We recognise he's doing this. Does that make sense?

00:30:31You're aware you've put notice on it. Does that make sense? So that's what she's supposed to do.

00:30:36And then she says in verse five, and she said unto her, all that thou sayest unto me, I will do.

00:30:43Now we're going to get into this part of it. Verse six onwards, read with me.

00:30:47And she went down onto the floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her.

00:30:52And when Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn.

00:31:00We'll pause there and then get into what Ruth does. But again, I think the context is important.

00:31:05At this time, there's a harvest. And at the beginning of the chapter, it tells us what Boaz is doing.

00:31:12We know he's a landowner. He owns barley fields. And that has been harvested.

00:31:19That's how Ruth met Boaz. She was a poor widow lady.

00:31:23So how would the poor, how would the widows, how would the people most in need in the society, how would they be able to find sustenance?

00:31:33God gives a very godly plan for the poor, the needy, the widows, as it were, to be able to be sustained.

00:31:41And by the way, it's not welfare. It's not just we'll just give, give, give, give with nothing in return.

00:31:47The widows or the poor, they would have to go to the field and then they could gather in as much as they wanted.

00:31:54And they didn't pay for it. They didn't chop down harvest. They didn't water it.

00:31:58No, no, no, no, no. They could go and clean the fields, the very edges.

00:32:01The Israelites weren't allowed to cut down them. They had to leave them for the poor, for the widows, as it were, for the needy.

00:32:08So Ruth would go there on a daily basis. That's how she met Boaz.

00:32:13And then that's their introduction. But this is a time of harvest.

00:32:16Now, we know if you want to understand God's calendar, it's always it always revolves around the harvest.

00:32:22Does that make sense? So you look at you look at the feasts in God's calendar.

00:32:25We have the Passover unleavened bread during that week of Passover unleavened bread.

00:32:30You have the Feast of Firstfruits where they would. I mean, we're talking springtime.

00:32:35There is no harvest in spring. We're not cutting down crops and eating them. No, no, no, no.

00:32:38They would cut down firstfruits of the crops, offer them to the Lord that the rest of it might be blessed.

00:32:44Does that make sense? Get on 50 days later. We have the Feast of Pentecost again, where that would be a type of firstfruits given.

00:32:53And then later on at the very end, we have the harvest. And this is tied in with the Feast of the Day of Atonement and Tabernacles,

00:33:02where we greatly rejoicing and spending time together, eating, drinking, being merry, things like that.

00:33:08And that's what Boaz is doing. Now, I did think I haven't seen this taught in the scriptures.

00:33:14I did think to myself, why would Boaz? Because, again, they're celebrating this harvest.

00:33:19They eat, they drink. He's done this. He goes to the threshing floor. So he winnoweth the barley, as it were.

00:33:25So what that means is usually it's very hard to run a farm.

00:33:29I've noticed that speaking to farmers and spending time with farmers or on farms.

00:33:33I don't know if anyone's a farmer here or familiar with the laboring in the country or growing anything.

00:33:37But it's hard labor, daily hard labor. And to get labor in, especially if you didn't have machinery,

00:33:44to winnow the crops is you have to separate the grain from the sheaves.

00:33:49So to separate the barley or the wheat from the sheaves, what they would do is they'd crush it all down.

00:33:55Usually with cattle, they'd crush it all down and then they'd flick it in the air.

00:33:59Now, usually if you could have your threshing floor in a good point that has a breeze, normally in a good valley that's escalated,

00:34:07then you have free labor because the wind will just blow and you don't have to pay for the wind. Does that make sense?

00:34:12So it's clever how they did it all, but they would get it and then tip it in the air and then the light chaff would drift away.

00:34:20But that which is of substance, as it were, the barley, the corn or the grain or the wheat would fall close by so that they can gather in easier.

00:34:28So that's what he was doing. He was working and then he eats and he drinks and he goes to stay where the corn is, where the grain is, sorry.

00:34:36Now, I always thought, why would he stay there? Does it make sense? He's a wealthy enough man.

00:34:40I'm sure he had a nice house. My thought is, I mean, why would a farmer stay at his barn?

00:34:45Why would he do that? To keep watch likely? To stop robbers? Maybe, who knows?

00:34:49I haven't found a biblical reason for it. It would just be me giving an opinion.

00:34:53So I don't want you to hold fast on that. But he's gone there for whatever reason he has.

00:34:58Naomi and Ruth knew he'd be there. So she goes there to speak with him and see him.

00:35:04Look at verse. Here we go. In verse seven, Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry.

00:35:10He went down to lie down at the end of the heap of corn and she came softly and uncovered his feet and laid her down.

00:35:20Now, I just want to give context because there's almost the appearance of something.

00:35:25And we're thinking, is this the cake? What's going on here? There's a woman alone at night with a man in the barn.

00:35:32She takes the cover off of his feet and lays down there. They're not married. You're thinking, what is going on here?

00:35:38Some people have incorrectly interpreted this to think that Ruth was going to go with him to lie with him that night.

00:35:47And that way either trap him or they'd be married by default. There are some people that teach that.

00:35:53It's not biblical teaching because therefore, if two people lie together and know each other, as it were,

00:35:58then would you be married to everyone that you know and lie with? But the two are supposed to become one in marriage, though, not in fornication.

00:36:07So we have here. But the context is, is Ruth doing that? Because later on, she's referred to in verse 11 as a virtuous woman.

00:36:16So was that her intention? Was it just a sexual intention that she had? No, no, not if we keep reading for context.

00:36:24Look down at verse 8. It come to pass at midnight, which would be the darkest time of the night, that the man was afraid and turned himself.

00:36:33And behold, a woman lay at his feet. He has no idea who this is.

00:36:37He's actually shocked that this has happened. But a real life scenario, you know, like I think the Lord gives us pieces and bits here and there that actually happen.

00:36:48You know, it's not all plain sailing, as it were. And he said, who are thou?

00:36:54And she answered, I am Ruth, thine handmaid. Look at what she says here. Spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid, for thou art a near kinsman.

00:37:05So the skirt, nowadays we call a skirt like a women's piece of clothing, usually from the waist down to wherever it finishes.

00:37:13But the skirt doesn't actually refer to just that piece of a woman's garment.

00:37:17It actually refers to the end of a garment, usually for a robe slash a cape or whatever the case.

00:37:23But also, if you just looked at the back of my jacket here, the very edge of it, like the last few inches, technically would have been classed as the skirt of it.

00:37:31Does that make sense? Now, this is very important because in a way, that was how they showed who they were.

00:37:40Especially the Pharisees knew how important this was, so they would extend the hem of their garments as much as they can to be noticed and seen of men.

00:37:48You know, things like that. At the very hem of the garments of the priests and the Levites, they were supposed to have the tassels coming off of it.

00:37:55And it would be lined with a color of blue, which represented the commandments of God and obeying those commandments, of course.

00:38:03But if we see here, she says this wording, it's a euphemism for something and it's not a carnal euphemism to lie together.

00:38:11So we need to get that correct. It says here, spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid.

00:38:16So literally, it would be the sheet that is covering him or maybe he just has a robe over him.

00:38:22But she goes to his feet. She doesn't do anything untoward, does she?

00:38:26She doesn't go to where his head is or lie next to him. She goes to his feet.

00:38:31So she's not got a presumptuous thing happening here to lure him or tempt him.

00:38:38No, no, because she goes to his feet. Now, think of that.

00:38:42We know of an event in the scriptures where there was a woman who didn't have a good reputation.

00:38:48This woman has a very virtuous reputation. By the way, in the scriptures, it says a virtuous woman like who can find a very rare.

00:38:57And Ruth was a virtuous woman by the testimony of other people.

00:39:00She didn't make that name up for herself. It was the testimony of other people, especially in the eyes of Boaz,

00:39:05because of how she cared for her mother-in-law, how selfless and compassionate she was,

00:39:10but also how humble and hardworking she was in the fields.

00:39:15But we also have an event in the scriptures in the New Testament.

00:39:18A woman that doesn't have a good reputation who went to the feet of a man in the New Testament.

00:39:24Anyone think of that event where you have a woman of, say, a terrible reputation, as it were,

00:39:32goes to the feet of a man in the New Testament, knowing that she needs what he has.

00:39:39And this is a beautiful picture of that would come in the future.

00:39:43But so look at the intention here. Did that woman have some sort of seedy, carnal intention toward Lord Jesus?

00:39:50Of course not. She knew that she needed redemption, that she needed rest.

00:39:54Not just rest, as in what's referred to here as in protection, security and marriage, as in to rest from her labours,

00:40:00but no, rest for her soul. That's what she needed.

00:40:03But the terminology here, spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid.

00:40:07So literally, she said, if you just put the skirt or the edge of the blanket over me or the robe,

00:40:13whatever is covering him, spread that over me. It's a euphemism for something.

00:40:17Go to Ezekiel 16 if you want to, or if you're making notes, Ezekiel 16, please.

00:40:25When I looked into this because I knew there must be something to do with this.

00:40:30If you look at how important the hem of a garment was or the skirt of the garment on someone back then,

00:40:37it not just represented their status, as it were, for a priest, but also in society in general.

00:40:45When David caught Saul in the cave, I'm sure many of you know that situation in the scriptures,

00:40:50David caught Saul in the cave. He didn't kill him.

00:40:54He wouldn't touch the laws anointed. His men said, now's the time to slay him, get him.

00:40:59So he has to find relief, as it were. He goes into the cave for privacy and then David's there.

00:41:06So he cuts off the very end of his garment. He cuts off the skirt of his garment.

00:41:12It represented his status, as it were, saying, look, hey, look, I could have killed you, but I just got that.

00:41:18And then the woman that touches the hem of the garment in the New Testament, the Lord Jesus.

00:41:23So it adds great importance of this. But in Ezekiel, we find this same phraseology, this same wording.

00:41:29So look with me. I'm just going to read a passage from verse one up to verse nine, if you can, please.

00:41:34Read along with me if you're there. If not, listen carefully. I'll read it as clearly as I can.

00:41:38Ezekiel 16. Again, the word of the Lord came unto me, the prophet Ezekiel, saying,

00:41:43son of man, calls Jerusalem to know her abominations and say, thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem,

00:41:49thy birth and thy nativity is in the land of Canaan.

00:41:54That's referring to Jacob, because the Israelites are the nation of Jacob, the nation of Israel.

00:41:59That's why they called that name. So their birth was in Canaan from Jacob.

00:42:04And it continues, says thy father was an Amorite and thy mother a Hittite.

00:42:08And as for thy nativity in the day that thou was born, thy navel was not cut.

00:42:12That would refer to the umbilical cord. Neither was thou washed in water to supple thee.

00:42:17And thou was not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

00:42:20What they would do with babies is they'd rub salt on their skin just, you know, in case it gives it gives a barrier of protection,

00:42:27but also cleansing and soothing. And it's also like has exfoliating properties, of course.

00:42:33But they'd swaddle the babies and wrap the babies. And it says this in verse five.

00:42:37Look what the Lord says. None I pity thee. So it's like you have this helpless individual here, this needy individual.

00:42:45This is the picture. None I pity thee to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee.

00:42:51But thou was cut out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou was born.

00:43:00And when I passed by thee. So just think a helpless, poor individual that's dying.

00:43:06No one cares. No one pities. If anyone sees they walk as far away as they can and tries to forget it.

00:43:12But God says, I walked past you and saw thee polluted in thine own blood.

00:43:19I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, live. Yea, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, live.

00:43:27I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field. And thou hast increased in wax and grey.

00:43:32And thou art come to an excellent, come to excellent ornaments.

00:43:36Thy breasts are fashioned and thy hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare.

00:43:40Now, when I passed by thee and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love.

00:43:48And I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness.

00:43:52Yea, I swear unto thee and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou became as mine.

00:44:01I hope that puts a bit more context and a bit more revelation on the event that's happening with Boaz and Ruth.

00:44:06This is not just two people. You know, some people have given a perspective.

00:44:11Oh, Boaz is merry with wine and Ruth is just trying to trap him and she needs a man.

00:44:18No, no, no. God forbid. You see the intention of Ruth and now the intention of Boaz.

00:44:23It weren't just they're going to have a secret night together and by default they're married. That's secure.

00:44:28No, no, no, no, no, no. Everything is actually upright.

00:44:31Everything is trying to abstain from all appearance of evil, as it were.

00:44:35But look at the terminology here. God sees this woman, as it were, which represents his people.

00:44:41A woman is a representation of the people of God in the Scriptures many times, like the bride of Christ, as it were.

00:44:48He is the husband when we are the bride. It's likened in the Old Testament exactly the same way.

00:44:53And now look in verse 8 of Ezekiel 16 still. Look at the terminology here.

00:44:58Now when I pass by thee, who is it that passes by? God himself.

00:45:03Does God have any ill intention? Is there any evil or darkness that lurks with God?

00:45:09No, no, no. I was teaching the teenagers at our church. We're going through the Ten Commandments.

00:45:14Last week we went through Thou Shalt Not Steal, which was number eight. Number nine today, Thou Shalt Not Lie.

00:45:19And then how the spirit behind the commandments practically and also how we can learn from them today

00:45:27and implement them in our own lives and see the intent of what God wants for his people.

00:45:32But if you just look at it in a basic way, is God a thief? No.

00:45:37In fact, we are lost. We were under the power of darkness of the God of this world at one time.

00:45:45Were we not blinded? Did God steal us back? Is that how he got us back to his fold?

00:45:49No, he didn't steal us. He gave everything he had and bought us back.

00:45:53God is no thief, is he? Who is the thief? The one who comes to steal and to kill and to destroy.

00:45:59So God forbid that we should steal because we would reflect the God of this world, wouldn't we?

00:46:04We wouldn't reflect the God of heaven who saved us. Why should we lie?

00:46:08God forbid that we should lie. Is God a liar? No, no, no, no. He is the truth.

00:46:13Is there any dishonesty with God and deception? No, no, no, no, no.

00:46:16But Satan, Jesus said, is the father of lies. He was a liar from the beginning.

00:46:20So when we lie, we'd reflect him and not God, right?

00:46:24So there is no ill will or deceit with God.

00:46:27So God sees this helpless woman knowing that only he can help her.

00:46:33Now, look here, there is no ill will in this. It says here, behold, thy time was the time of love.

00:46:41So God looked and he says, I loved you. The time came.

00:46:45This was a time of love, not the man taking advantage of the helpless woman.

00:46:50No, God forbid. This represents the greatest love of all.

00:46:53And as Jesus says, greater love have no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

00:46:59That is love, that which is sacrificial. Love, seek if not his own.

00:47:04That isn't love, is it? Most likely lust.

00:47:08So when he says it was a time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness.

00:47:15Picture the man. The man represents God himself.

00:47:18The woman represents the Israelites, the people of God, as it were, his people.

00:47:22He says you were destitute. You were you were in your own blood.

00:47:25You were dying. And I covered you with my skirt as in like under his robe.

00:47:29Now you're safe. Now you're mine. Now you're covered.

00:47:32It wasn't just yet. You're mine now, like some people do in certain areas of the world, of course.

00:47:37But he says this. I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness.

00:47:43Look here. Yea, I swear unto thee. What does it mean to swear?

00:47:47Doesn't mean to use filthy language. That's the term we use today.

00:47:49If someone swears, right? That doesn't mean swearing in the Bible.

00:47:52To swear means to make a promise or an oath.

00:47:55So he says, I spread my skirt over you and I took you to be mine.

00:48:00And I swear unto you, I made an oath to you to be faithful, that you would be mine.

00:48:06And that wouldn't ever end. And he says this.

00:48:09And entered into a covenant with thee. What's a covenant?

00:48:14A covenant isn't just a contract. It is the highest agreement that we could probably ever have.

00:48:22So if you look at the Old Testament, the covenant that God had with his people, it was never to be broken.

00:48:27Even when they broke it, God said, I should give you a bill of divorcement and rid you from the earth.

00:48:33But he didn't because he loved them.

00:48:36So look here, this is the terminology, what it means to cover the woman with the skirt.

00:48:41Go back to Ruth chapter three, please. Sorry to have you turn in here, there and everywhere.

00:48:45It's probably good for your Bible to maneuver in such a way.

00:48:49Get rid of that dust from those pages, please.

00:48:52Look down, Ruth chapter three, back there if you can.

00:48:55In verse nine, he says, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth, thine handmaid.

00:49:00Spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid.

00:49:03With that context, we understand a little bit more now.

00:49:07It's a little bit clearer to us, isn't it?

00:49:08It wasn't just Ruth trying to get as close as she can or entrap him or lie with him carnally as quick as she could.

00:49:14No, no, no, no, no, no. With God covering the woman with his skirt or the edge of his robe, as it were, it represented that, no, you will be mine.

00:49:24I will do this part for you because I can.

00:49:27No one else can. I can.

00:49:29And I'll swear to you an oath that I will never break and make a covenant with you.

00:49:35And that's what we have here. For thou art a near kinsman.

00:49:38So she says, look, look, look, look. Put your skirt over me, Boaz.

00:49:42As in, take me to be your wife. That's the euphemism.

00:49:46Yes, he would literally put that skirt over her.

00:49:48But it's a euphemism to say, please, I'd want to be married to you.

00:49:53It is strange because normally the man pursues the woman.

00:49:55But obviously, in the background, later on in the chapter, in this chapter and the next chapter, we'll get into that.

00:50:03But she says, for thou art a near kinsman.

00:50:06So the reason why she went to Boaz, number one, it was in private.

00:50:11Boaz was, you know, a man of some status. He was a landowner, like we said, he was wealthy.

00:50:16He had many workers working for him.

00:50:18And we have a mower bike woman, a foreigner, a stranger that most people wouldn't want to marry.

00:50:23She's already been married. She's a widow.

00:50:26And not only is she just a widow, she's probably a beautiful young woman.

00:50:30We're not told her age, but she has a mother-in-law attached to her.

00:50:36That sounds like baggage to some people, right?

00:50:39So just think of that. So she goes to Boaz in private and says about this.

00:50:44Again, that is a euphemism for being married, not a euphemism for lying calmly together and fornicating.

00:50:50So she says, put your skirt over me for thou art a near kinsman.

00:50:54And look at Boaz's response. He said in verse 10, bless be thou of the Lord.

00:51:00Now, if these are just two carnal people, does God tend to come to mind when people are up to no good?

00:51:06Bless be thou of the Lord, my daughter.

00:51:09Now, he refers to Ruth as the term daughter several times in the book of Ruth.

00:51:15Now, we understand just from this verse. Let's keep reading the verse and then I'll explain my apologies.

00:51:20Bless be thou of the Lord, my daughter, for thou has shown more kindness.

00:51:24She's already shown much kindness. But he says just this event in this night,

00:51:30you've shown more kindness in the latter end, as in toward the end, than at the beginning.

00:51:36In so much as thou followest not young men, whether poor or rich.

00:51:41So we get the impression here, Ruth could have gone and married someone else, likely a lot younger.

00:51:49But he says you've shown more kindness now than at the latter end.

00:51:53As in she'd done the honourable part and then went about to see a kinsman of Abimelech, Naomi's wife.

00:52:00No, she didn't go just to get anyone else. She didn't stay in Moab.

00:52:03She would have found a husband in Moab, no doubt. No problem.

00:52:06There would have been no mother-in-law. There wouldn't have been any other issues or ties.

00:52:09Her husband's dead. She's free to marry again.

00:52:11No, no. She went with her mother-in-law because she loved her,

00:52:15went into this new land because it was of the kindred of Abimelech.

00:52:19And as she finds a near kinsman, Naomi says, I want to seek rest for you,

00:52:23that you would find comfort and security and a husband.

00:52:27And then Boaz is the man. It's almost like Boaz is the ideal man.

00:52:31I hope this is unfolding now. It is a very strange, peculiar story.

00:52:34The more I looked into this chapter, the more I realised it is a beautiful chapter of love.

00:52:39It really is. Nothing in this world is perfect.

00:52:43And all the pictures we have in parables and stuff, they're not perfect pictures,

00:52:46but it's beautiful, the story behind it and how God gives it to us.

00:52:50So she finds that near kinsman in Boaz and he recognises this of her.

00:52:54Now, Boaz would have no doubt been older than Ruth,

00:52:57just because of how he addresses her daughter continuously.

00:53:00But also he says, you could have married a younger man.

00:53:05Look now with me in verse 11.

00:53:08And now again, my daughter, I'm sure when some of you were courting, as it were,

00:53:14or some people, I knew a lady, she said, back in my day,

00:53:18we used to call it when you're walking out with someone or stepping out with someone.

00:53:21Anyone heard that terminology before? Maybe it was just her.

00:53:24But if you were courting, if you saw a young lady that you liked or before you were married, I'm sure.

00:53:30Imagine your husband referred to you as daughter.

00:53:33That might be a bit of a cringe, right?

00:53:36And he refers to his daughter because he's obviously older.

00:53:39He says, fear not, I will do to thee all that thou requirest,

00:53:44for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

00:53:51Just for sake of time, I was going to go to Proverbs 31,

00:53:54but Proverbs 31, most of the chapter, it speaks about a virtuous woman,

00:53:59a godly, God-fearing, complete woman, as it were.

00:54:04So you have this woman who cares for her husband.

00:54:06She sees that her handmaidens are always fed.

00:54:09Now, these are the people that work for her.

00:54:11She's their boss, but she cares for them.

00:54:14And she works day and night.

00:54:16She labours before the sun rises up.

00:54:18She makes sure in the snow that all of her children are clothed in red so that she doesn't lose them in the snow.

00:54:24Very considerate woman, a virtuous woman, a hardworking woman.

00:54:28But it also says, her husband doth safely trust in her.

00:54:33Trustworthy, faithful, an honest woman.

00:54:36Virtuous woman, who can find?

00:54:39So he says, all the people of my city know that you're a virtuous woman, Ruth.

00:54:44Why would Boaz not want to marry her?

00:54:46But look at the next verse.

00:54:48And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman.

00:54:51I am of close kindred.

00:54:53I can do this, not just to marry Ruth, because they would have been free to marry each other.

00:54:58Why all the drama? Why the near kinsman stuff and attachment to it?

00:55:01It doesn't make sense, right?

00:55:03Because he can redeem the land for them as well.

00:55:08Carry on.

00:55:09Howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.

00:55:12There is someone closer in relation to Abimelech than me.

00:55:16So Boaz could have thought, no, I want to get married to you.

00:55:19You want to get married to me. We could just do it.

00:55:21Boaz is a God-fearing man. He's an honourable man.

00:55:23He says this.

00:55:24Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman well.

00:55:30As in well, it means good.

00:55:32Let him do the kinsman's part.

00:55:34But if he will not do to thee the part of a kinsman to thee,

00:55:37then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth, lie down until the morning.

00:55:44And she lay at his feet until the morning, and she rose up before one could know another.

00:55:49And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.

00:55:52And he said, Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and hold it.

00:55:56And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her, and she went into the city.

00:56:01And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter?

00:56:06And she told all that the man had done unto her.

00:56:09So Naomi, the next morning, sees Ruth and says, Who are you?

00:56:13You know, is there something different about you?

00:56:16As in, are you married now?

00:56:18Is there an agreement put in place in whatever the case?

00:56:21Because it wasn't just one night they're married.

00:56:24Because of course, that has the appearance of evil and, you know, other troubles with that.

00:56:29No, no, no.

00:56:30But if you look at the situation with Joseph and Mary, the mother of Jesus,

00:56:35that they were betrothed one to another.

00:56:38They were betrothed, but they hadn't known each other yet.

00:56:41They hadn't fully consummated their marriage yet.

00:56:43But it said that they were betrothed.

00:56:45And then it refers to Mary as the wife of Joseph.

00:56:48And then the angel says, Your husband.

00:56:51And so they're referred to as husband and wife.

00:56:54But they haven't fully consummated or completed the marriage yet.

00:56:57So this is how they would do it.

00:56:59It wouldn't just be like, right, default, one hitch wedding, one night.

00:57:02No, it wasn't like that.

00:57:04So that's why she says, as in, has an agreement been made?

00:57:08Has he promised himself to you?

00:57:10Has he made that oath and said that, you know, there will be a covenant of marriage to you?

00:57:14But then she says this to Naomi.

00:57:16When she came to her mother-in-law, who art thou, verse 17 says,

00:57:19And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me.

00:57:23For he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law.

00:57:26Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall.

00:57:32For the man will not be in rest until he hath finished the thing this day.

00:57:38So now we have a very, very more complete picture of the man, the new bride, as it were,

00:57:45and the goings on around this.

00:57:47This wasn't just a silly carnival story.

00:57:49There's a lot behind this.

00:57:51And I've had to humble myself and I've learned new things from this chapter.

00:57:56And no doubt there's much more and much more skilled people in the world.

00:58:00But that could expound more.

00:58:01Of course, I saw loads of things in it.

00:58:03But even when she goes to see bars, she never leaves empty.

00:58:07And it's the same case with us.

00:58:09Whenever we spend time with the Lord Jesus, we never leave empty.

00:58:13And in fact, we never leave with any kind of bitterness.

00:58:16Never.

00:58:17Have you ever regretted time that you spent in prayer?

00:58:21I haven't.

00:58:22Many times I thought, not tonight.

00:58:25Many times I thought, I don't think God will hear.

00:58:27My heart's not right.

00:58:28You know, innumerable excuses not to pray.

00:58:32But I've never come off my knees and regretted time in prayer.

00:58:36Never.

00:58:37We always receive something from the Lord Jesus.

00:58:40And that's a picture we have here.

00:58:41When she visits bars, she never leaves empty.

00:58:44But Boaz is a picture of our Lord Jesus.

00:58:47Godly man again.

00:58:48What was he when we first started the sermon?

00:58:50He was a landowner.

00:58:52That is a picture of the world, because in the New Testament,

00:58:55the Lord Jesus says the field is the world in the power when Matthew 13 of the

00:59:00sower.

00:59:01Who owns the world?

00:59:03The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.

00:59:06He is the Lord of the harvest, as it were.

00:59:08And what is the harvest?

00:59:10What does the harvest represent?

00:59:11The end of time when all souls are brought into the kingdom, into his barn,

00:59:15as it were, into his dwelling place.

00:59:17And the chaff is discarded with.

00:59:19The woman, again, is a picture of God's people.

00:59:22And that uniting at the end, especially at time of harvest.

00:59:26But it also says that the crops and the barley,

00:59:30they're the souls of people.

00:59:32But this is a wonderful story.

00:59:33I'd love to just chop out the first five verses of the next chapter,

00:59:37but I don't want to eat into next week's sermon, of course.

00:59:40But it's a wonderful story of Ruth and Boaz.

00:59:43And then later on, you can see the near kinsmen,

00:59:47the one that was near up.

00:59:48We all know the story.

00:59:49He refuses because it was his right to refuse.

00:59:52He if he wanted to, he could.

00:59:55If he didn't want to, he didn't have to.

00:59:57Again, he'd have to lose his shoe.

00:59:59But this landowner, the owner of the land, a godly man, wealthy man,

01:00:04he has much, but also he was willing.

01:00:08He wanted to take her.

01:00:10There was another one who didn't or couldn't.

01:00:14What a wonderful picture of Jesus that he wants us.

01:00:19Now, if you said to a young man, I've got, you know, there's a woman.

01:00:22She'd been married before.

01:00:23She's from a distant land.

01:00:25Yeah, I know that ungodly land.

01:00:26Of course, they worship idols.

01:00:28Her mother-in-law lives with her.

01:00:29She's very poor.

01:00:30She's always out in the fields at nighttime.

01:00:32You know, she's on her hands and knees gathering grain.

01:00:34She'd be a good wife for you.

01:00:36It's not too appealing to most people, is it?

01:00:39But what Boaz saw is that she was a virtuous woman.

01:00:41She'd come to know the Lord herself.

01:00:44She became a virtuous woman and that she is a wonderful picture of us,

01:00:48the people of God.

01:00:50So, for sake of time and going into the next chapter, I must leave it there.

01:00:55But a beautiful, beautiful picture.

01:00:57He was willing.

01:00:58He was able to.

01:01:00Just like that picture of the Lord in Ezekiel passing over the woman there.

01:01:04He was able.

01:01:05He was willing.

01:01:07And he made a promise that he would not break.

01:01:09The same for Boaz, to Ruth.

01:01:11So all Ruth could do was wait for him to return.

01:01:15That's all she could do.

01:01:17It says here, I love the word in here, when Naomi said,

01:01:19Sit still, my daughter, at the very end of Ruth,

01:01:21until thou know the matter will fall, for the man will not be in rest

01:01:26until he hath finished the thing this day.

01:01:29Believe me, don't get worried about Boaz.

01:01:31He's doing what he needs to do.

01:01:33Don't worry or concern yourself with what God is or what he's not doing.

01:01:37He's at work doing what he needs to do.

01:01:39And only he can do it.

01:01:41Could you imagine if Ruth went out and said to that kingsman redeemer,

01:01:44No, no, no, no, no, me and Boaz, we're going to get married and do this, isn't it?

01:01:47She would have interrupted the whole process and ruined it, right?

01:01:50All she had to do was rest.

01:01:52Boaz does the work.

01:01:54And it's the same for the people of God.

01:01:56Salvation is not of works that we do.

01:01:58The works of Christ and his righteousness, only God will accept that.

01:02:03And it's a picture of rest.

01:02:05We rest from our works in Christ.

01:02:08And thanks be to God.

01:02:14Oh,

01:02:45yeah.

01:02:46Yeah.

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