Redemption is the central theme of Ruth chapter four, illustrating God's plan through Boaz acting as the kinsman-redeemer. The chapter details the legal process at the city gate where Boaz fulfills the requirements of relationship, legal demands, and marriage to Ruth, thereby restoring Naomi's inheritance and family line. This Old Testament account foreshadows Christ's redemptive work, who, as the ultimate kinsman-redeemer, paid the price for our sins, satisfied the law, and restored our relationship with God. The sermon concludes by emphasizing that believers are no longer defined by their past sins but are redeemed, sanctified, and made perfect in Christ, called to live lives of worship and service as proof of this redemption.
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The Book of Ruth, chapter four, please. The Book of Ruth, chapter four, verse one. Then went both up to the gate. He set him down there. Behold, a kind man of whom both speak came by, unto whom he said, O such a one, turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and set dine. He took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye dine here, and they set dine.
And he said unto the kinsmen, Naomi, that has come again out of the country's mold, sell us a parcel of land, which was our brother Elenite. Verse five, Then said Boeth, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buyest also of Ruth the Moabite, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. The kindling said, I cannot redeem it. For myself, let thy mar my own inheritance. Redeem thou my right to thyself, for I cannot redeem it.
This was a matter in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing. For to confirm all things a man plucked off his shoes and give it to his neighbor. This was a testimony in Israel. Therefore the kinsman said unto Boeth, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoes. God said unto the elders, and unto all the people, ye are witnesses this day, that have brought all, said Wazi Limonax, all that was Chilean, Malon, of the hand of Naomi.
Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Malon, I have purchased to be my wife. Verse fourteen. The women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day, without a kinsman. And his name shall be famous in Israel. Verse sixteen. Naomi took the child and made her inner bosom, and became nurse-on. And the women her neighbors, give it the name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi, and they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of of David.
I trust God will bless this chapter to all our souls. We have been going through the little book of Ruth. We noticed in chapter one it was the thought of restoration. Dear family getting away from God. Not only the parents getting away from the God and the house of God, but they dragged their family with them. You see, No man liveth unto himself. No man dieth unto himself. We affect someone. If we're going on for God, we affect the people that we meet for good.
If we're away from God, we affect them for evil. Just as this dear man, this wife, got away from God, they dragged their family. into the land of moan chapter two we notice the thought of service dear young ruth had that threefold request let me go let me glean and let me find favor in whose sight in the field of who should be gleaned chapter three the thought of fellowship we have to be clean Wash thyself, anoint thyself, change thy garments, and get thee done.
Now when we come to chapter four, in chapter three it was a private scene. In chapter four it is a public scene. In chapter three it is the midnight scene. of darkness. In chapter four you've got the morning of redemption. The main thought in chapter four is redemption. And Ruth is out of the picture. She takes the second place. Boas is everything in this chapter.
It's all Boas. The same thought is found in Leviticus chapter sixteen. the high priest, he went in alone. Israel with it outside. And when it comes to the redemption of your soul and mine, we have nothing to do with it. It's all our heavenly boys. So we stand back and watch him perform and fulfill every obligation satisfy every legal demand. I think when you come to chapters four, you've got to know a little of the source of Kingsman Redeemer.
In Leviticus chapter twenty five, Deuteronomy chapter twenty five, you've got the law of the Kingsman brought before us. And I think if the younger folks would grasp this teaching. You'll find it is in every part of our Bible. Number one, the kinsman had a fourfold requirement. He had to meet it. And the first thing, the first requirement, he must be related. A stranger was not allowed to perform this work.
He had to be related. Do you remember when in chapter three Boeth said there is a nearer kinsman and I? And then you have again Boeth give this other kinsman the opportunity. He refused and then Boeth was the near kinsman. Number two. What should I say? Every requirement of the law had to be met. All legal demands had to be settled.
If there were any demands that they state had to meet, that near of kin had to perform the job. Thirdly, All debt had to be paid up, liquidated, forthright. The widow, the kinsman had to marry her. Those are the four requirements. Relationship had to be legally established. The demands of the law had to be met.
The redemptive price had to be paid, and the widow had a rightful claim to marry her kinsman redeemer. Now when you come to the New Testament, in the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord Jesus there proves his right as a kinsman, proves his relationship. for you'll find his genealogy is traced right back to Abraham. Mark's gospel, he vindicates the Lord.
He comes to the estate and he removes all obstacles. And when you come to Luke's gospel, the death is liquidated. Did he not say up come It gives sight to the blind. I've come to set the captives free. And in John's gospel, you see the Lord Jesus as the bridegroom. Now, getting back to our chapter, verse one. Then went forth up to the gate, and set him down there. Number one, you have the place of redemption.
The place of redemption. The gate in our Bible could be termed the same as our courtrooms today. The gate in the Bible speaks of the place where decisions were made. It speaks of the place where judgment was needed us. The gate in the Bible is the place where business actions were transformed. Do you remember Lot set in the gate? He was a judge. And the gate in the Bible speaks of authority.
Remember reading in the Gospel, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And it just means the authority of hell. will not prevail against God's church. And so we have the place of redemption, the gift. Hebrews chapter thirteen, verse twelve. That he might sanctify the people with his own blood. He suffered without the gift. The same thought. We read that Boaz went up. He went up willingly, voluntarily. No one has to push Boas up to that gate.
He wrote again, don't we read? Chapter one, verse three. Then he by himself purged our sins, set down. And Boas went up to the gate, and he set down. Look up the mean of the words, set down. And you will find it carries a sort of satisfaction. When was the Lord Jesus completely satisfied? Only at the cross. When he lifted up those eyes and he said, Finish! The work was complete. Father, I have glorified thee in the earth.
I have finished the work which thou givest me to do. And the Lord Jesus was absolutely finished. Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despiteing the shame? And it sat down. And it carries the thought of complete satisfaction. And Boas went up, and he sat down. He went up to the place of judgment. He went up to the place where punishment would meet at us. And there on the cross, God renew my sins, laid them on Jesus. And he bore them in his own body on the tree. It was a public redemption.
Verses one and two. In verse one, the other kinsman was there. In verse two, the ten elders witnessed this action. Verses one and two bore themselves with their. And in verse eleven, all the people witnessed this action. The other kinsmen. Who is he? Let me suggest that the other kinsmen represent the old eye.
The eye of Romans chapter seven. The old Adam, this other kinsman, he was willing to buy a property, but he had no desire to help the earth, no love. He wanted to see him in fortune, yet. He wanted to develop in the land business, but then it came to the salvation and the help. Dear Ruth, he wasn't even interested. He speaks of the natural man, and the natural man had no ability, no desire, to redeem his brother.
The ten elders, who are they? I think the ten elders would represent the law, the ten commandments. Those men went up with both See that everything was done legally. What do we read in the book of the Acts? This thing was not done in a corner. When the Lord Jesus died, all heaven witnesses, all earth witnesses, and all hell witnesses. And when Boas went up to purchase this, it was a public redemption.
Ten elders would represent the law. I love to look at both in verse two. They took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Sit ye down here, and they sat down. When was the law satisfied? And the cross. The law was completely fulfilled when the Lord Jesus paid the debt. The law was satisfied. The Lord set all off to die. What authority. He fulfilled it.
Look please further down the chapter. Verses four to eight. In verse four to verse eight. You've got the power of redemption, Dr. Warren. This redemption was powerful enough to remove the other kindness. This redemption was powerful enough to satisfy the ten elders. This redemption was powerful enough to buy back roots. What happened at the cross? My old man was crucified.
Reckon yourselves dead, Paul said. What happened at the cross? The law was justified. Couldn't ask anymore. What happened at the cross? I was redeemed. This is a part of redemption. It can remove the... of their kinsmen. It can remove and satisfy the law eternally. The Lord could say, I have bought all. We repeat.
Verse nine and ten. There you have the thought of a personal redemption. Look at verse nine, please. Board said unto the elders and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses. This day I have bought all. What does Paul say in First Corinthians? This we should glorify God in our body, soul, and spirit. Why? You're not your own.
You've been bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your soul. Dear Christians, these hands of ours don't belong to us. There is. And these minds of ours, they do not belong to us. There is. The whole body, the whole soul, Isn't that the language of Romans twelve? I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your body. Living sacrifice is wholly acceptable unto God, which is as reasonable as that.
Dear ones, go home tonight. Unbended me, offer that body here, is this God, a bond. The long I have said before when you go into a store and you purchase an article, you don't walk outside. You got it wrapped up. You take it home with you. God has bought you. Christ has redeemed you. In your head, your body so and so. How can we give time to other things and neglect the Word of God?
How can we waste time that belongs to him? Naomi, ten years, never could be recalled. Ten years, a slice out of her life, could never be recalled. Young believers, you belong to God, every part of your being. Lord said, I bought all. The book of Genesis wraps itself around seven married men.
Seven men, they were all married. I want to look briefly and just throw it out, that's four of these men. suffered for his bride. Adam suffered in the capacity of a king, for he was in charge of everything. He was head. Jacob, he suffered in the capacity of a servant. Do you remember he served seven years, and his old father not cheated him out of the one he wanted.
He served another seven. He didn't complete. Isaac, he suffered in the capacity of a son. He waited for his bride, Rebecca. And Joseph suffered in the capacity of a blameless man. These men suffered before they got their wives. But to our husbands we suffer after we get them. But when you bring this into the New Testament, the Lord Jesus suffered in the capacity of a king in Matthew's Gospel.
The Lord Jesus suffered in the capacity of a servant in Mark's Gospel. And the Lord Jesus suffered in the capacity of a son in John's gospel. And he suffered in the capacity of a blameless man and looked soft. And so here we have Booth. He paid the price. He could say, I have bought home. Verse ten Booth said, I have bought root. In verse ten, you've got the purpose of redemption brought before it.
Moreover, Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mallon, I have purchased to be my wife. That's the purpose. You see in Adam, we lost three things. We lost our inheritance. We lost our freedom. And we lost our relationship. That's what we lost in Adam. But Boas here he restored the lost inheritance.
Boas here recovered the lost freedom. And both in this verse end were renewed a right relationship. This is the purpose of redemption. See, in Adam we lost. But in Christ we came. Romans chapter five, isn't it? Read it. And you'll find a little expression much more. Much more, much more, X number of times, surely lost a thousand atoms of his in, far more in Christ. So in verse one we have the place of redemption.
The gates of judgment would meet us. Those elders were there to see that the last penny was paid. verses of the public, the public redemption, the power of redemption. But when you come to verse thirteen, it was a perfect redemption. Every hindrance was removed. There was nothing between them. Every hindrance was gone.
Every claim was settled. Boeth had the shoes, and the other kinsmen's mouth was stopped forever. And every desire was fulfilled. Ruth, that poor girl from the land of Moe, Every desire for heart was satisfied. Most of them. Isn't that what happened at the cross? Every hindrance was removed.
And God saved you and I. We could approach God and say, Father, for the first time. Every claim was empty. Sometimes... At night, I'm a poor believer. I'm famous for the benefit of a young, God's contentious mind. This two hymns in the Believer's hymn book, I Love, number thirty-two, and I think number ninety-three. You feel sometimes unworthy, unclear.
In hymn number thirty-two, and the Believer's hymn book reads, there's a verse reads like this, Reach my blessed Savior first. Take him from God's esteem. Prove Jesus' birthed one spot of sin. Men tell me, but I'm unclean. Nay, for his precious blood has washed away all sin. Every hindrance was Then the other hymn is, I hear the accuser roar of ill that I have done. I know them well, and thousands more.
Jehovah, find us now. Oh, it's thrilling to realize the greatness, the power of God's salvation. Your sins, your iniquity, gone. And the Satan's plague you. with evil thoughts. Reach my blessed Savior heart. Pick him from God's feet. Through Jesus' urge one spot of men, then kill me. I'm all from you. Thou art all fair, my love. There is no spot in me. That's how he came up.
What happened when you come to Hebrews chapter ten? Three lovely thoughts. In verse two, we're purged forever. In verse ten, we are sanctified forever. And in verse fourteen, we're perfect in forever. This is a powerful one. This work that the Lord Jesus accomplished is perfect. The proof of redemption. In verse thirteen, you've got the proof of redemption.
So Boas took right, took Ruth. He was his wife. No son was born. Notice something missing in verse thirteen. So Boas took Ruth. The old label is gone. He's no longer Ruth the Moabite. It's dropped forever. It is now, Ruth. And when God saves you and I, our sins are gone, our past is wiped clean.
Ruth, it seems that the old label gone. It's just Ruth. With this second proof of redemption, a little boy was born from that union. You remember, Elibelech and Naomi, and from that union two boys were born, tining, sickness. But forth and root through, from that union, a little boy was born, knows me and me. Worship. Worship. That's how I know I'm saved.
When I hear my Lord exalted, when I hear him being lifted up, exalted mid-high, something in here cried us. Amen. Agreed with that exaltation. It's not because I'm in the assembly. Not because I carry a big Bible. But when I hear my Lord, well, focus on something in here, a Greek worship. That doesn't mean Obed has a second. It means it's service.
Dear one, if you and I were at length of Christ, what is this? Trying to do a little bit more. He's a better man. Worship, do it. From that union between creation, I look, he looks, we were one for that. And from that union, should be worship.
It should be there. Is he getting it from my life? At the best time. Is he getting it from your life? On vended knees at your bedside Do you pour your heart out in adoration, praise, thanksgiving? Sometimes words fail in the presence of God and only the tears and express the little that we do worship.
That's the proof of redemption. I guess it was a pleasing redemption. Dear Naomi, was well pleased what he did. He was like Simeon in the New Testament. He took that little babe into her arms. And old Simeon said, I didn't die now. And my eyes are obscene. It's nice, lovely. And Naomi took that little step. I think she was foolish. Bathie and Jim. Bruce was satisfied with me. Bruce was blessed.
Ah, she was brought from the far country. Never dream that one day she'd be in the hearts and the home of God. Bruce was pleased. So God is faithful. Not only to escape hell, Frank, but he won. create. He wants to. May we get it done. Let us pray. Our gracious Father, close of another Sunday evening, we bow our heads.
We acknowledge freely that we have been brought with us. Therefore glorify God in your body. you're not your own father whatever is the last of this life savior is my name take it glorify thyself poor god may some young soul offer them now lord it's yours take my all in consecration to commend ourselves for these blessings.
Oh, God-makers, in some little measure, more appreciative of the work of the cross. We lost our freedom. We lost our energy. We lost our religion. They didn't crave. We had much more. No Old Testament team could call God His Father. Still the feeblest, the weakest, child of God. And they are Father, Abba Father, blessed by people here.