Gooding, David: 3 - Naomi’s Plan to Solve the Problem

For this session, I would like to concentrate on the decision that Naomi came to, and the device which she adopted for the solution of her problem. That will involve us in thinking about why she used not one institution, but two institutions. Not merely the law of the kinsman redeemer, but also the law relating to levirate marriage. Of course, a good deal depends on what view you take as to whether Elimelech had sold his field before he left Bethlehem and used the cash to finance his journey and his settlement in Moab. Which would mean that when Naomi came home with Ruth, they had no farm around them, no inheritance. And that what Naomi therefore needed was for the kinsman redeemer to buy back the farm and install her and Ruth in it. Or whether they had simply abandoned the farm when they left. So that when she came back, she was able to possess the farm, live in the house. But was completely unable to make a go of it. One, because she was old. And, uh, she and Ne- and Ruth were women. Or whether she hadn't the cash to use to make a go of the farm. Anyway, we come to the decision she made and the device she adopted was to appeal to both the institution of the kinsman redeemer, but also the institution of levirate marriage. She could have called upon Boaz as her near kinsman to redeem, buy back the farm, if it had originally been sold, but she was in it but couldn't work it, she could, of course, sell it to Boaz anyway and get the necessary cash to carry on living. But that would have left her deeper problem unsolved. It would have, seeing she was a widow, no hope of marriage, and Ruth was a widow with little prospect of marriage, it would still have meant that the name of her husband Elimelech would die out on that estate, as though he had never lived, the family tradition broken. No. No hope for the future. But as things went during the months of harvest, when Ruth was gleaning in the fields, Naomi thought she saw, uh, the way things were developing, you see. Old hands at this are middle-aged women, yes. As they watch from the sidelines. Mm. It is true that Boaz was middle-aged, you see. Mm. He seemed to have been a pretty confirmed bachelor. On the other hand, his treatment of Ruth right from the beginning could, uh, perhaps be seen as, uh, you never knew, but perhaps even he had fallen in love for the first time in life, and so forth and so on. And if that were so, could... well, that was a thought. Could he be prevailed upon, I mean, given a gentle dig in the ribs or a poke ba- from behind, uh, to launch out and propose marriage to Ruth, you see? Now, now if that happened, now there were possibilities, do you see? Because, uh, then she could appeal to the law of Levirate marriage and advise him to start with that if he married Ruth, then the first son to be born would have the field named after him, the farm named after him, and he and his children would inherit it, not Boaz and the other children, Boaz's other children, if he had any. Ah. And he could be warned of this before he took the step, you see. And so it was done. But first she had to discover what his intentions are, as mothers are liable to ask potential suitors of their daughters. What are your intentions? So she sent, uh, Ruth down to the threshing floor, as you see. It might have looked a very risky thing to do, of course. And Boaz wasn't unaware of how it could be misinterpreted. For he told Ruth eventually, you get home here before anybody, eh, while it's still dark and you can't see who's who. Let it not be said that a woman came to the threshing floor. But she went and lay down at his feet. And then when he woke and said, who is it? She, uh, announced herself. I am Ruth, thine handmaid, chapter three, verse nine. Spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid, for thou art a near kinsman. That spread your skirt over is interesting because the word skirt is the word that Boaz himself had used in chapter two verse twelve. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings, that's the word that's used for skirt in chapter three. He had come to shelter Hadruth under the wings of the God of Israel. Now she was asking that Boaz spread his skirt, that is a protection and welcome over her. It is a metaphor that our Lord himself used. Oh, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathereth her chicks under her wings? But she would not. Let's notice it's a little detail in the story. But who it was that put the proposal and the suggestion to Boaz? It wasn't Naomi. She left that to Ruth. It is Ruth that says, spread thy skirt over thy handmaid, for thou art a near kinsman. Because by marriage, of course, she'd married into the family, hadn't she? And therefore, Boaz was a near kinsman. Yes. And he replied, and we're back with history, what this middle-aged gentleman said on the occasion. Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter, thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followest not young men, whether poor or rich. And she was following him. He felt flattered, of course, that age particularly. Most girls would have gone for much younger gentlemen, more dashing, you see, not so portly. So he felt very complimented that she should, um, seek him. And put the beginnings of the pro- uh, the, the, um, uh, proposition to him. He then notices her character. She's a virtuous woman. And you will see he already perceives what the proposition is going to be. And now it is true that I am a near kinsman. Howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well, let him do the kinsman's part. But if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee. As the Lord liveth, lie down until the morning. Mm-hmm. The part of the kinsman. Which part? You'll notice the text leaves it uncertain. You'll see. But it becomes apparent from what Boaz says the next morning, that he had realized that there would be two parts to this. The kinsman for buying the land, the kinsman, the brother-in-law, to perform the duty of a leveret marriage. You see. And so it happened. Naomi was an old schemer, wasn't she, when all is said and done. She sold the farm and kept it. If you see it, I mean. Wasn't bad going. Cool, you have to watch them. So, so this, you know, solved the problem by selling the farm and yet keeping it. Yeah, well. Because selling it out to Boaz, the advertisement in the local paper read, a a very desirable farm, needing perhaps some development, but could has great potential, you see, could be bought for such and such a a price, on the condition, see the little print. So it read, you see, um, verse three of chapter four. He said unto the, uh, uh, uh, uh, unto the near kinsman, the other near kinsman. He sat down in the gate with the elders and the nearer kinsman who had the first refusal, the first right as to whether he would buy the field or not. He came by. And so in the presence of the elders, Boaz informed him that Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth the parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's. And I thought it to disclose it unto thee, saying, buy it before them that sit here 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 is none to redeem it beside thee, and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. And you'll notice the story indicates to us that Boaz didn't put both propositions at once. He put the redeeming of the land first, and the man said, yes, I'll buy it, he could afford to. Uh. But then Boaz puts the second condition. 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. That was the second part. Naomi was selling it on that condition. And the near kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance. Take thou my right of redemption on thee, for I cannot redeem it. Well, he said, I cannot. And if we say, why couldn't he? Well, he's afraid that he would mar his own inheritance, because if he redeemed it, if he bought it, then of course, uh, do you see, the first child of that marriage would be regarded as the rightful owner of that farm. And when he married, his children would be heirs. And not the Redeemer's heirs, so to speak, you see? Not the Redeemer's sons. And the money he invested in it will therefore go to Ruth's descendants. And on those terms, he wouldn't redeem it. That Boaz redeemed it on those terms meant that the name of Elimelech would be maintained on the inheritance. So Naomi's problem was solved. Any lesson for us therein? Well, gentlemen, here you must allow me in my old age to be fanciful. And whether what I'm about to say springs out of the actual story of Ruth, or whether it is completely different, I use my right as a British citizen to say it. Your inheritance, have you got one? Is you, yes? What a field you are. Full of potential. With your hereditary and your name and your abilities. Your name, be it Alfonso or Mordikei or whatever your name is, is not just a label, is it? It sums up a whole human being with all that that means. How are you getting on farming your particular bit of ground that is you? You're making a go of it? Is it going to last with your name on for all eternity? Or is it the fact that being descendants of Adam, we have not coped as we should with that bit of our inheritance that is ourselves. And the weeds have overgrown it. That at least is the verdict of God's law on our handling of the bit of inheritance that is us. How shall we make a go of it? Is it possible to redeem it? There's only one answer, gentlemen, that will redeem your inheritance and yet you'll keep your name on it. Still, Alfonso, even when you get to heaven, I suspect. That is to sell out to Christ, gentlemen. And redeeming it. He will let you keep your name on it. Though we become his. Isn't that the secret? We're redeemed. You're not your own, you know. Bought with a price. And yet, and yet. The redeemer who's you are, will not only let you retain your name, but he will develop that name and what it stands for, for God's good pleasure for all eternity. If you hear Paul talking about it, he will put it like this: I, through the law, died to the law. There was never a man better than Saul of Tarsus for trying to keep his farm and develop it as it should be developed for the glory of God. And he thought he had succeeded. According to the righteousness which is of the law, blameless. And then the law caught up with him. And he was aware that Jesus was the Son of God, and the figure on the cross was the Messiah. Why on earth did he have to die? There was no way of saving Saul of Tarsus for all his law keep- keeping, and for Christ to die and pay the penalty of his sin, cursed of God. And so our Lord died bearing the curse of the law for Saul. I, through the law, died to the law. The law convicted me. There was no way of escaping the penalty. I must die. I, through the law, died to the law. Executed me. Uh, but then Christ took his place, becoming a curse for him. Nevertheless, he says, I died, nevertheless I live. Yet, not I, but Christ liveth in me. There is in the wa- the wonder of it. It is not I, and yet it is I. Not I, but Christ lives in me, and yet I. For our Lord will not suppress our individuality nor our name. He'll write on us his new name. We are his. But it will maintain and develop our personalities for all eternity. My lot. And the psalmist said of, of, of God, thou maintainest my lot. And so will our great kinsman redeemer maintain my lot. Mm-hmm. And so we come to the happy story of the filling of Naomi, her complete restoration. Though now it is interesting. Let's read from verse, uh, 10. Moreover, Ruth the Moabites, the wife of Marlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead a- upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses this day. And all the people that were in the gates and the elders said, we are witnesses. The Lord make this woman that is come into thine house like La- Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel. And do thou worthily in Ephratha and be famous in Bethlehem. That was a very perceptive remark to make, wasn't it? For Jacob, you know, like his father Isaac before him. Married people that were Gentiles. Weren't they? Abram the Hebrew left his kin, Nahor and company, and came out into the land of Canaan and became a pilgrim and never went back to his place of origin. The rise of Abraham the Hebrew from the Gentile nations to begin this new, unique historical entity that was the Hebrew nation, later to become Israel. The rise of Abram, therefore, exceedingly significant move in history. The coming out of Abram, out of the Gentiles, under God to form a new nation. A very late comer among the nations, incidentally. The Hebrew nation, later to become Israel. But when Abram was old, and he felt it was time for Isaac, his son, to get married, he said to his servant, don't let, uh, my son take a wife out of these local Canaanites, and sent him back to his own kindred, but they were Gentiles. They weren't Hebrews, they weren't Israelites. And there came out the second move out of the Gentiles, in the person of Rebekah, to join Isaac and to become his wife. So it was with Jacob. He ran away from, uh, Esau. He had to run, of course, for fear of getting murdered. But he went back to his mother's people. They were Gentile. And he got these two wives, Leah and Rachel, plus their handmaids, from his mother's people. They eventually left, though in sad circumstances, and came back to Israel with Jacob. The Gentile constituency in the forming of the house of Israel. It was a perceptive remark, therefore, to say, let this woman, make this woman like Rachel and like Leah, which too did build the house of Israel. And do thou worthily in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Good. Good. But then, of course, the women, they have to join in, of course they do. Huh? And we heard them at the beginning in chapter one. we hear them now again. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman. Oh, sorry, I, I got the phrase. Uh, verse twelve, And let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bear unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman. And that will involve us, gentlemen, presently, in searching out what on earth they were talking about, and why they committed such a gaffe at the wedding breakfast. What, what, Tamar on that crowd? Wasn't it family tactics to cover up that part of ancient history? Anyway, because they mentioned it, we shall have to go back and study it. That comes in Genesis chapter thirty eight. But now, before, uh, we go to that, let's come back over some of the practical things that the lesson, that the book of Ruth may teach us. And come back now to the, uh, first ground floor of history. What was it that attracted Boaz's attention to Ruth. Well, he said when he first accosted her, verse eleven, It hath fully been showed me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband, and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother and the land of thy nativity, and come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge. A convert from the Gentiles. Boaz's attention called to her because, though she didn't realize he had been watching, of course, how could he do anything other in a small village like that? And the report of how this Gentile Moabites was so fervent, diligent in her kindness and loyalty and love for the Jewess Naomi, for the people of God. It's a very simple point, gentlemen. I nearly blushed to make it. But what will attract you to Christ? And what will Christ find attractive in you? And an evidence of your genuine conversion is your love and kindness and devotion to his people, be they Jew or Gentile. It has been an horrific blot on Christendom. That they have felt for many years that the church has replaced Judaism, and Jews ought to be persecuted, hounded, and destroyed. For the sake of Christ? What a fearful thing it has been. Our blessed Lord, humanly speaking, is a Jew, you know. He remarked the genuineness of this woman's conversion by her kindness to his Jewish family. We may extend it, of course. By this we know we have passed from death to life because we love the brotherhood. Then, of course, he valued her get up and go-ish. Go to work. Didn't sit at home. Came to glean in the fields. And at lunchtime, handed himself, handed her some food. And when, uh, he rose up and went, and she went back to work, he had a word with the, um, work reapers in his vineyard to tell her, to tell them not to, uh, rebuke her if she came too near the sheaves, you see. Uh, gleaners were not supposed to come too near the sheaves in case when their back was turned to the other workers, they pinched some out of the sheaf. That wasn't the game. But he said, don't rebuke her if she comes near the sheaves, and in fact, pull some out of the sheaves and leave it on purpose for her. That was a nice little gesture, wasn't it? So that she came home and, uh, had more than you ever could have got by gleaning herself, you see, in the field. Gentlemen, when she started gleaning, he began to take her seriously. If we want the Lord to take us seriously, you know, but he takes us all seriously in one sense. We want the Lord to take us seriously. We We too too. would be well advised to start gleaning systematically in the field of his wor- of his word, or in the field of his work. Yeah, the Lord leads us, I know that. Sometimes he looks for a little initiative on our part to seek him. Now then he had a word with the workman to encourage the dear lady, sometimes to leave a handful so that she found it, which isn't a bad hint to those who teach God's word, now and again, accidentally but on purpose. Mm-hmm. To drop a bundle of this, that, and the other, that people can later on discover, if you see what I mean, and begin to explore. I've known the Lord do that type of thing many times. But now let me come back to the remark that the wedding guests made. Verse twelve of chapter four. Let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bear unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman. The story is given us in Genesis chapter thirty eight. And on the surface, it seems like an unsavory story. But it happened when Judah and his other brothers, and Judah in the vanguard, engineered first the death, but then revised version, the selling of Joseph to the Midianites, and thus into Egypt. And when they had done that, and convinced the old man Jacob. So did they really convince him? Or did he see through it right from the start? As they handed him Joseph's coat of many colors, now stained with blood. It was the blood of an old goat that they had killed and and and put his blood on the coat. And they showed him the coat, and he said, we don't know what's become of Joseph, sir, but this is his, uh, this is his, uh, coat, isn't it? I mean, the the one you made him, didn't you? Yes, Joseph had made him a coat of many colors, and they hated Joseph, did his brothers, and in particular because he brought their father their evil report. Now look at this coat that you made him. It's all stained with blood, isn't it? Do you think it could be that a wild animal destroyed him? Well, it's a possibility anyway. And how much Joseph, uh, Jacob believed it, that story is another thing. But when they had convinced, if they could, that Joseph was dead, and Joseph was sold into Egypt anyway, then things started to disintegrate. And Judah went down among the Gentiles, did he not? It came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned into a certain Adullamite whose name was Hira. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shewa, and he took her and went into her, and she conceived and bare a son, and he called his name Er. So here is Judah, ancestor of the royal tribe in Judah, of whom Jacob eventually said, the scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh come, and to him shall the gathering of the people be. So Joseph gone to the Gentiles, huh, now Judah goes to the Canaanites. The thing begins to, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, divide up. That is significant, gentlemen, for this reason. Abram was chosen by God, and all the promises were made to Abram and to Sarah, amounting to this, kings shall come out of thy loins. Now Abram had two sons, the one was Ishmael and the other was Isaac. And God said, thank you, Abram, but I don't want Ishmael. He's a nice lad, but send him going. That's not what I meant. It's Isaac. In Isaac shall thy seed be called. Isaac eventually had two sons, that they were twins. One was Esau, and the other was Jacob. And God said, not Esau, but Jacob. So Esau sent away. Jacob had twelve sons. But now you notice the pattern changes. For now it's not a question of sending all eleven away and keeping one. The problem now is how to keep all the twelve together and make a nation of them. Well, this was going to be the nation of Israel. Hitherto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob hitherto were but, uh, families. Granted, they had more than one wife each, did the gentlemen, but they were families. How would you keep the twelve boys together, boys being what boys are, I mean, goodness me. How do you keep them together so that they begin to form an extended family and then a tribe and eventually become a nation that can be known as the nation of Israel? That's a far more difficult thing, gentlemen. How do you keep an assembly together? That's another problem, but that's beside the way. How do you keep these brothers together with all their jealousy and their evil doings? Now you see the whole thing beginning to disintegrate before your eyes. There is that, uh, the brothers have sold, uh, uh, Joseph down to Egypt, as far as they are concerned, he could be dead. Now Judah has gone down to the Canaanites. Dear, oh dear, oh dear, what will happen next? The story goes on until Jacob has lost a quarter of his sons. Joseph is gone. Simeon's gone. Now Benjamin has to go. And under great protest, Jacob lets him go. It's the only way they can survive. But Jacob, poor old boy, has lost three sons, a quarter of his sons gone. The problem, how do you keep the sons together so that you can begin to make a nation out of them? The nation of Israel, formed of twelve tribes. The problem that immediately confronts us here in chapter thirty eight is Judah. Josie goes down to the Canaanites, takes this Canaanite woman, has three sons. The first son was wicked, so the Lord slew him. And then the law of the levirate marriage came into play. And the second son... uh, uh, sorry, the first son was married to another Canaanite woman, you see, by the name of Tamar. He was wicked, and the Lord slew him, and they had no children. So the second son was called upon to marry his brother's widow. This is the principle of the levirate marriage. He too refused the responsibility, and for it the Lord slew him. And Judah began to get nervous for his next son, lest the Lord might slow him, sl- slay him as well, do you see? So instead of letting him be given to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, under the institution of the levirate marriage, he held the boy back, and he was now grown up and not given to her. And she, a Gentile woman, devised a means of maintaining the name of Judah's eldest son upon the family. More concerned than Judah was for the maintenance of the name of Judah's firstborn son. Yeah? And it was the Gentile woman, curious means he used, I, I say nothing about that, to raise up the name of her de- of the dead, that is Judah's firstborn son, upon the inheritance. Gentile then. And you can see what the people were thinking of at the wedding breakfast, so to speak, when they said, the Lord make this Gentile woman, Ruth, like Tamar, who did build the house. Because we have Jacob for him. The Gentile, yes. There is the added thing that when Tamar, uh, became pregnant, she was found to have twins. And so the simple story goes, I'm no gynecologist anyway, that the first lad put out his hand, and the midwife bound a scarlet thread thereon for some reason or other. So there was his hand coming to this world, and a scarlet thread, and then the the infant, who knows how, withdrew its hand, and his brother came out first when he should have been second. And after the second twin was born, then the first one was born. So did God alter the process, even in the birth? Who knows whether such a thing also was a prototype of bigger things. That in the course of history, Judah's children, the nation of Israel, born first, so to speak, to be those who should point the way to the coming of Messiah. And then... the nation rejecting him. The Jews set aside as the major witness to the Messiah, to the coming of Messiah, and that task be given to the Gentiles. But eventually, the Jews restored. Who knows, gentlemen? I just submit it to your better intelligence, you'll see. But while I'm at it, I can't refrain from the temptation to point out to you how the rest of that last part of Genesis runs. This is the question of how did you now keep the twelve sons together, that they might form a nation. The nation of Israel. As it began to disintegrate. Joseph in Egypt, sold by his brothers. Judah trying with their other brothers, trying to convince Father Israel that Joseph was dead and done for. Oh, dear me, the Jewish rabbis, since they handed over Christ to the Gentiles for execution, laboring to tell the nation qua nation, the personalization, personification of the nation, Jacob, that Joseph is dead, that Jesus is dead, and there was no resurrection. Has him finished? Though he's alive among the Gentiles, very much alive. Mm-hmm. Then there came a famine, you remember? And, uh, Jacob sent his sons down to Egypt to get bread so as to survive. And there indeed they did get bread. But there was this man down in Egypt who seemed to have a lot of power, and he said, I think you lot a lot of spies. And they said, no, no, no, we be true men. Sons of one father. Got any more brothers, he says, this chap? Yeah, we've got one, but he's a little boy. Father dotes on him, and we left him at home. I see. I think you're spies, actually. No, they said we're not. All right, he said. I'll give you the corn, but next time you come, you must bring your brother with you. So they went back and they told Jacob this. But as a guarantee, Joseph had said to them, you go back then, when you come next time, you'll bring your brother with you. Meantime, I'll keep one of you. And he chose Simeon. Oh. So back they went and told their dad, well, where is Simeon? Ah, he kept him just as a guarantee that we were genuine and not spies, and when we go next time, we've got to take Benjamin. Jacob said, you won't take Benjamin. That you certainly won't. Joseph's gone? Simeon's gone? Oh, I know you haven't. Oh, I wonder what he thought. Killed him as well as you killed Joseph. But he didn't say so. But you're not going to get, you're not going to get Benjamin. Not on my life will you get Benjamin. Ah, but they ate up the corn and the famine continued, and they were starving. And Jacob said, you better go down to Egypt to get food. They said, it's no good, Dad. There's no good going. We shan't get anything unless we take Benjamin. You fools, he said, why did you tell that man down in, uh, Egypt? Tell him that you had a brother. Well, he asked ours. I see. Oh. And at last, forced by famine, Jacob said, well, all right, take Benjamin. Reuben said, I'll be guaranteed. Oh, don't talk nonsense, says Jacob to Reuben, in view of what Reuben had done in the past, dear me. Then Judah stepped forward and said, look here, dad, I'll be surety for him. And Jacob said, all right, you take it. Now that man down in Egypt, says Jacob, we, we've got a few spices here, some nutmeg and things, you see. Dear, oh dear, that is poignant, isn't it? It was Joseph. And Jacob, always pulling the wires. Jacob always loved pulling wires, to say, take a little nutmeg. When this man in J- in Egypt had the key to every granary in the whole of Egypt, uh, take a little nutmeg as a bribe and please him under. Dear, dear, dear. Got to Egypt, well, you know the story. This man sent them all back, Simeon included. When they got, uh, half a little way along the road, the Egyptian guard overtook them and said, why have you stolen my Lord's silver chalice? They said, nobody here. They said, you have. They said voluntarily, well, if any man's sack is found to have that cup, he shall go back then. So they took the sacks down, and they opened the sacks, and they came at last to the final sack, which was Benjamin's sack, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. And the voice said, well, we come back to Egypt then to see this Joseph. Why didn't they go home? Can't do that. So they went back. And Joseph said, why have you done it? Look here, they said that, uh, uh, um, we're good men and true. We didn't steal it really. We don't know how it got into our sack. Well, it's okay, says Joseph. You agreed, the man in whose sack it was found, sh- I should keep him. Well, that was Benjamin. I'm gon- uh, I'm going to keep him. You can all go home. And then Judah stood forward. Said he, may I plead? I can't go back, says he. I can't go back without that boy. My father dotes on him. If I go back without that boy, I shall bring my father's gray hairs down to the grave in sorrow. I shall break his heart. I can't go back, he said. Let me stand in as a substitute for him. Yeah. Wonderful story, that. Do you see, how did you keep those lads together? Well, it was partly through Joseph, wasn't it? His innocent suffering. Joseph prepared to suffer at their hands and suffer at the Egint- Egyptians' hands without any thought of revenge. Innocent suffering. Ah, but now with Judah. Joseph has got him to the point where Judah will face the need to give himself as a substitute for Benjamin. That is substitutionary suffering. Judah. Oh, what a change in Judah. Go back to the story in chapter thirty eight. Judah. He's a wealthy man, you know. He has succeeded. Look the size of his hat. As big as any Texan ever wore. Beautiful big hat. And he's going down, and he's got his, uh, medal around his neck, and he's got his staff. You see, he's Judah, isn't he? He's a big man on town. And being Judah, what is the point of being Judah if it isn't jolly well enjoying yourself? Oh, I see. And he's a man on town of a Saturday night. And he sees Tamar. He says, what will you give me as a pledge? Well, what would you want? Give me your staff of office and your signet, will you please? Mm. This is Judah, man destined to be king. His staff of office and his signet with all his authority. So he gave the woman for the sake of a little pleasure. And it was the guarantee that when he got home, he would send her a whole calf. But when he sent his servant to take the calf, there wasn't any woman there. So that was it. And then when he was told that his daughter-in-law was pregnant, he said, I can't have this kind of behavior, she shall be burnt. And when she was, uh, taken out to be burnt, she said, please tell Judah it was I'm ch- with child by the man whose this, um, staff belongs to. Judah, I nearly said in his unconverted days, what does it mean to be king? To be the leading tribe. Simply to indulge yourself, as many monarchs all down history have often done. What does it mean to become Judah, the line of the tribe of, from which comes the line of the tribe of Judah. I see Joseph in his wisdom bringing him to the point where Judah will stand out to plead for Benjamin and for Jacob, his father, and for the whole family to be allowed to suffer in the place of Benjamin. Substitutionary suffering. And you think of the course of Israel's history. Our Lord is called the lion of the tribe of Judah, and not for nothing. For the role of his suffering, the Lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seals thereof, for he was slain. Excuse that sermon, gentlemen. But you see, it's surprising what after-dinner speeches at wedding breakfasts lead you to start thinking, isn't it? You can wander all over the place, particularly if you've enjoyed the meal. Uh-huh. This all arose out of what the guests said at the breakfast, the wedding breakfast for Ruth and Boaz. Let this woman be a Gentile woman. Be like Tamar, that other Gentile woman that was more concerned than Judah was with the maintenance of the name and family of Of Judah. Judah. It's a very curious thing, isn't it? If you ask modern Judaism and Jewry what they thought about Messiah and the fulfilling of the Old Testament prophecies, ha, the vast majority of them are atheists anyway. Don't think anything of it. A fellow student of mine in Cambridge in years gone by, now the rabbi in a big synagogue in London, he holds that everything has been fulfilled, there's nothing more to be fulfilled, there's no future in that sense for Israel as Israel. It's Gentiles, isn't it? That are more concerned about the fulfillment of the prophecies of the coming Messiah of the tribe of Judah than the Jews are. Curious, that isn't it? Well, ponder it, and perhaps you'll think I'm exaggerated and mistaken. There are more million Gentiles can, uh, uh, interested in the s- the the the coming fulfillment of the prophecies about the Messiah of the root of David, then there are Jews concerned about it. And perhaps the majority of Jews now hold there is no future for that kind of thing anyway. Ask Mr. Sharon and see what he thinks. What at a mercy it is and a grace of God that we Gentiles have somehow come into this big thing, and for the moment bear the biggest responsibility of witnessing to the Messiah among the Gentiles. Devoted nonetheless to his ancient people and looking for their full restoration. So I'm finished, gentlemen, and we are to have some moments of relief, I think, and then it is suggested that, uh, you- you- you might have some questions. I think you might have, but they might be inexpressible and unspeakable, even if full of glory, do you see? Also, some suggested to me that when I was last with you on the Epistles of the Romans, I left many things untied and unsettled. So I, I am in your hands, gentlemen, for what you wish to do in the next session after we've had some tea.