← ArchiveRuthRuth: The Story of Two Redeemers (Ruth 4)DateMay 22, 2022SpeakerDr Josh BurnhamTextRuth 4Passages in this sermonRuth 45:51Ruth 39:23Ruth 211:25Galatians 419:43Exodus 1026:23John 1:2926:37Philippians 228:09TranscriptMachine transcribed. Click any line to jump there.0:00Let's pray. Okay, welcome to the church that meets at Bethel Baptist.0:30If you are new here, I think Easton in his prayer said it best, that our heart is that if someone here today does not know Jesus Christ as personal Savior, that today would be the day that you would give your life to Him. That's why we gather. We gather because many in this room, many listening online, have understood the call0:54of Jesus that He died on the cross for our sins, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. And for the Christian, everlasting life does not begin when you die. It begins the moment you die to self and you give your life to Jesus as Redeemer and as King. That's why we gather. So if you're new here, we just simply want to say thank you for joining us in worship.1:23We believe that when we gather, where two or more are gathered, this is what our Messiah tells us, that the presence of the Lord is here also. So we want to welcome you to the presence of Christ today. We say Christians don't fight fair, we fight with the Holy Spirit. So whether you know it or not, God has already been working in your life that you would know Him because He's made a way. So we're journeying through the book of Ruth.1:53I think this is our fourth or fifth week. We're on the fourth chapter, so I believe that's the fourth week, but I don't know. Blame it on COVID. I don't know what today is, but let me catch you up. If you're like me, if you're just now tuning in mentally, Ruth begins with a man named Elimelech living in the times of Judges. And you might say, well, how would you describe the period of the Judges in history? Well, it's described this way, the last verse in the book of Judges. There was no king and everyone did what was right in his own eyes.2:24That's not describing DC. That's describing Israel. And as much as things change, they stay the same. We still live in a society where there is no king. Everyone thinks they can do what is right in their own eyes. That leads to moral failure. It leads to societal collapse, which is what we're seeing. But Elimelech and his family also experienced a physical issue.2:53They had a drought. They lived in Bethlehem, the land of bread, and there was no bread in the land of bread. So Elimelech took his family and they traveled east over the Jordan River to a land called Moab. While they were in Moab, they left the promised land. Elimelech dies. So his wife, Naomi, is left by herself. But there's hope because she still has her two sons.3:21In the process of their journey in Moab and their dwelling place there, both sons pass away. So now we have not only one widow, we have three widows. So Naomi hears that the drought and the famine is over. They go back to Bethlehem. They reach a crossroads on the way back to Bethlehem. And she tells her daughter-in-law, listen, go back.3:48There is nothing for you in Bethlehem. Go back to your family. Go back to your gods. Leave me alone. And Orpah takes her up on the offer. She says, it would be better for me to go back home to Moab, to a place where I feel secure and safe. And she leaves. But there is another daughter-in-law, stubborn daughter-in-law, named Ruth. And Ruth says, I will not leave you. I will not forsake you. Where you go, I will go.4:19Your gods will be my gods. So Ruth and Naomi go back to Bethlehem. They get back to Bethlehem and the whole city is abuzz. They said, this is Naomi. She's returned. But there's no Elimelech and there's no sons. And Naomi says to the community, she says, do not call me Naomi, which means pleasant. Call me Marah, which means bitter. Call me bitter because I left full and God has brought me back empty.4:46In the meantime, her daughter-in-law, Ruth, meets a man named Boaz, who is a very prominent man. He's a relative at the threshing floor. Super awkward encounter. Most women don't send their daughter to the threshing floor. Like, that's the place you don't go. But she meets a man of character. She's a woman of character. And behind the scenes, they realize God is orchestrating their lives, providential care, even when they can't see.5:14And we've learned every day in the book of Judges, even when you can't see God working in your life, he is. Even when you can't feel God working, he is. Because our Lord is bigger than a feeling. He is bigger than a rumbling in your stomach. He is bigger than the things that you can see. He is providentially working for your care, for his glory, and for your good.5:41We're caught up. Now, in Ruth 4, we have Boaz telling Ruth, I would love to help, but there's someone else that needs to help first. Or they at least had the opportunity. And so today's message is simply titled, A Story of Two Redeemers. A Story of Two Redeemers. Now, some of you who have heard Ruth, you're saying, well, Boaz was the kinsman redeemer.6:11There's only one redeemer. Hold on. It'll be okay. There's another redeemer. And we need to see how this person reacts or acts or doesn't to see what Jesus does in our life. So let's read Ruth 4, 1 through 4, and then we'll pray. And then we'll jump into the word of God for our lives. Boaz, that's the kinsman redeemer, right?6:40Threshing floor, awkward encounter, hiding behind a barley grain, you know, the whole uncover your foot thing. Yeah, that's the guy. Boaz went to the gate of the town to start down, to sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz, who had spoken about, came by. And Boaz said to him, come over here and sit down. Let me pause there.7:12This man is unnamed. You will not find his name out, ever. The Hebrew actually says, so-and-so. They call him so-and-so. So-and-so came by. So he went over and he sat down. Verse 2, Boaz took 10 men of the town's elders and he said, sit here. And they sat down. So he said to the redeemer, right? So Boaz is saying to the redeemer. Boaz in this moment is not the redeemer. He is saying to the redeemer, Naomi, who has returned from the territory of Moab,7:42is selling the portion of the field that belonged to our brother Elimelech. I thought I should inform you. Buy it back in the presence of all those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do it. But if you do not want to redeem it, tell me so that I will know because there is there isn't anyone other than you to redeem it.8:12And I am next after you. So he answered, I want to redeem it. Let's pray. Father, as we come to your word, we acknowledge that, Lord, how can we finite people with finite minds and hearts, how can we know anything about a holy, infinite God unless it is your Holy Spirit that8:39illuminates our hearts and our minds? Lord, we ask that you would meet us in this place. You promise that where your people gather in your name, you dwell. So, Lord, we believe you inhabit the praises of your people. We believe that you dwell among us. And, Lord, we ask that you meet us right here in this moment. Lord, thank you for being the great Redeemer that we all need.9:07Lord, we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. And amen. So the story of two Redeemers. Ruth chapter 3 concludes with Naomi, right, hopefully predicting. In verse 18 of chapter 3, Naomi says, So we open today, Ruth 4, with exactly where we expect things to happen.9:31Boaz is going to work. He is making things happen. He will not rest until the situation is resolved. So they're at the city gate. Every civilized city had a gate. It's the place where protection occurred.10:00It's a place where community and the world met, right? The world from the outside would meet the community on the inside. Symbolically, though, the gate was a place where people who mattered met. Now, you're still looking at me curiously. Let me put it in your language. The gate was the jacks of the early 800 B.C.-ish area.10:29Actually, it would be right around 1250 B.C. This was the place, if you were important, this is where you went to drink your coffee, to get your biscuit and gravy, and to do business. This was the room where it happens. And so they're in this location, and those who are meeting are understanding that something important was going on.10:55And you might not see it in English, but it says in the Hebrew here that while they were seated there, behold, the man who was the next in line happened to venture by. Now, for those of you who are astute and have been with us several weeks, you immediately go to Ruth chapter 2 and 3 where Ruth happened to venture to the field of Boaz.11:25And remember, we said even in that passage that there are no happenings in Scripture. For people who live by faith, you don't live by luck or chance. You live by choice because God is not a lucky God. He is a providential God. And so what we see here is that your life is not determined by luck, but by God's daily concern and care.11:53We are not people of luck or chance. We are people of providence and care. So the unknown, unnamed redeemer did not happen by. It was God's design that he came to the gate. So Boaz meets with so-and-so who remains nameless along with the elders.12:19And Boaz says to him, hey, there's a field for sale. Do you want it? Now, if this was such a great business proposition, why did Boaz not redeem it himself? Did he not have the collateral, maybe? Did he not have the necessary capital?12:47Did he not get pre-approved? I mean, what's the issue here? Well, we're going to find out very soon that by law, Boaz had to offer the field to the next of kin. And Boaz was not that person. You see, before all this happened, God had already made a way for Ruth and Naomi. It was called the kinsman redeemer. And it went along like this. If you were in a struggle in your life,13:17you could sell your property. You could sell that. You could lease it. That way you would be able to provide for your family. But this wasn't like modern day deeds. This was the promised land. So no one in Israel owned mineral rights to the land. This was Yahweh's mineral rights. So in Israel, every 50 years, even if you sold your land, every 50 years,13:46that land would revert back to the original owners because God gave the tribes their land So let's say you filed bankruptcy, you had to lease your land, someone would raise the crops, they would give you a portion of it, you would provide for your family. Every 50 years, that land would reset. But there's a problem. Elimelech's not here. He's dead. And so in the world's mind, this is a great bargain.14:13Because when the land resets back to Elimelech's family, Elimelech has passed on. And not only that, his son died. Not only that, his other son died. And not only that, there are no grandchildren at all in the family. So church, hear me when I say this. When the land converts back to the original owner, whoever owns the land in that moment, receives it.14:44receives it. And so hearing this, the closest redeemer says, I'm in. I will buy this land. And Boaz was not the closest. So you might be thinking, okay, my grandmother told me that if something's too good to be true, it's probably not true. There's more to the story.15:14So the redeemer says, I'll buy it. And Boaz says, okay, that's a great deal. There's a catch. So let's read verse five. Boaz said to him, on the day, like the day, that you go to the law firm and you sign your life away over and over and over and over and over15:43and over and over and over and over, on that day, you, by the field from Naomi, you will acquire Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man's name on his property. So the redeemer replied, I can't buy it. No, not for me. That's not the contingency16:14I was prepared for. It will ruin my own inheritance. Boaz, you take my right of redemption because I can't redeem it. At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave it to the other party. In order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel. So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, buy back the property for yourself.16:43Now even scholars are not in agreement why they did this. Most likely, they would give the sandal to say, this will now be your property. You can walk on this land freely because it is yours. Verse 9, Boaz said to the elders and all the people, you are witnesses today. I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, to Chileon, and Mahlon. I will also acquire17:12Ruth the Moabitess, Malon's widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man's name on his property so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his hometown. You are witnesses today. So what seemed like a proposition with minimal risk, right? You buy the land back for this family, but there's no heir. You'll receive the land.17:41Now has a major contingency. So if the kinsman redeemer could purchase back the land for the family, that way it would never be lost. There was another law in scripture in Leviticus called the the leverite marriage. Levere in Latin or even now French and some, the ancient French, means brother-in-law. So it was God's way of saying, and it's still practiced18:12in some parts of Africa and India, that the brother-in-law was responsible for marrying the deceased man's wife and providing an heir for that family. Doing so, though, would mean it is not your child. Physically, yes, but inheritance, no. This was providing a name for your brother-in-law. Some of you are thinking, there is no way I would ever do that. This was God's way of preparing18:41of preparing for the family. You know, the goal was of this holy institution was to keep the widow in the family. Ruth was not born into the family. She was a Moabitess and Boaz wanted her to be included. So if you find this radically different than where you live, some of you are thinking, there is no way I'm marrying my sister-in-law, that will never happen. One,19:12One, you don't live in the time of judges, so you are no longer under this law. But let me remind you, this law was given so that those on the fringe would be included and that their name would not be forgotten. And because of your sin and my sin, each and every one of us begins outside of the family. And God in His holy providence made a way for us. If sin makes you19:42an outsider, listen to Galatians 4. But God sent His Son to redeem, have you heard that word before? To redeem those under the law that we might receive verse 5, the full right of sons. Kinsmen, redeemer language, lever right marriage, right? Jesus made a way for those who would be forgotten to be part of the family. Church, this is what the gospel does.20:11The gospel of Jesus Christ brings those who are far from the family home again. This is good news for those who are in sin. You can be part of the family. So we see here a beautiful picture of God's mercy and loving kindness. Were either of these men brother-in-laws? Let me help you out.20:41Were either of these men brother-in-laws? no. No. This is the beautiful picture of grace in this passage. Neither of these men are bound by the law to fulfill what Boaz asked for. This first redeemer could have said, I'm not the brother-in-law. This doesn't apply to me. Give me the land. And so we see a picture of two21:11different redeemers, don't we? The first redeemer was motivated by profit rather than a heart of concern. In the 16th century, Richard Bernard wrote this about the first redeemer. He said, the kinsman, after so long of a famine, had ready money to purchase the land, but not a penny to give to poor Naomi or Ruth. Think about that. This first kinsman, he had money to buy the lands,21:40but he had no concern for the needs of Ruth or Naomi. And as I hear that, I think in our life so often, we, like this first redeemer, come to Jesus and we are only concerned with what we can get. And if we're not careful, we share the gospel this way. Well, if you want, if you want heaven, if you want a mansion, if you want crowns,22:10if you want comfort, give your life to Jesus and then you will get a lot of really good stuff. And let me be the first to say that heaven's going to be beyond our wildest imaginations. You've never seen a house built like the house that our heavenly carpenter is building right now. Can you imagine what the master artisan22:39is building for those that know him and are called by his name? But church, we must always remember this. We should not desire eternal life without having to surrender our lives. We should not desire mansions without letting Christ dwell in our homes here on earth. We cannot desire forgiveness of sins and yet neglect repentance. We cannot desire abundant life without true faith23:07in the cross of Calvary. Listen, the gospel message is not come and get. The gospel is come and see. Come and believe. And then give your life to Jesus because he gave his life for you. How many of us come to God and we are only concerned with God, what do you have for me? I'll buy that land. I'll raise my hand.23:36I'll walk an aisle. You just give me what I ask for, God. I'll do whatever I need to do. But there's obligations to eternal life. The second redeemer was different, wasn't he? Boaz. In verse 5, when the first redeemer tapped out, Boaz says that he will redeem24:06redeem not only the lands. Did you hear what Boaz said? He will redeem in verse 9 the lands. I am buying everything from Naomi, from Elimelech, Chilihon, Malon. I have also required Ruth, the Moabitess, Malon's widow as my wife to perpetuate the deceased man's name on the property. The story24:37The story of two redeemers. The first redeemer walked away when he saw the obligations. The second redeemer walked towards the need. You see, redemption is a thread that runs through the whole of the Old Testament. I think Boaz understood the heart of God in this moment. Maybe you remember God's people in Egypt many years prior and there was25:05plague after plague after plague and after every plague the oppressor Pharaoh and the Egyptians would not release the people of God and so finally God says I'm going to give a final tenth plague and this plague is going to be worse than any other plague. the firstborn male of every family will perish. On this night this night will be unlike any other but there's one way that you can find life. If you25:35If you kill a lamb and if you put the blood of that lamb on the door frame of your home the angel of death will pass over your house but don't choose any lamb don't choose the speckled lamb or the injured lamb or the lamb that's the crazy lamb the lamb that you don't like this lamb26:01this lamb is different right? Choose the lamb without blemish and kill the lamb put it on the door frame of your house and when you do the lamb's blood will redeem your family that's Exodus 10, 11 and 12 Boaz understood the redemption in the New Testament26:30John the Baptist when he sees Jesus I don't know if you remember what he says in John 1 29 but the gospel is the story of continued redemption John the Baptist looks at Jesus and he says look behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world that's John's way of saying look the redeemer has come you remember the lamb's26:59the lamb's blood that gives us life this lamb the perfect lamb he is here church when all you knew was death and brokenness and pain Jesus died to take your place and offer you abundant life he is the perfect redeemer he is the perfect redeemer but redemption does not come without sacrifice27:29without sacrifice do you remember what happened to the first redeemer here in Ruth he jumped at the chance to buy the lands this is a no risk guarantee he buys land from a poor widow who doesn't have any means and he gets to keep the land because there's no heir I want it but when the obligations were given he walked away but not so27:57not so Jesus Christ you see your salvation did not come without great sacrifice for the son of man Philippians 2 says this about our redeemer that Jesus emptied himself in the form of a servant there were obligations they were sacrifice for Jesus on your behalf and my behalf he took the likeness28:27the likeness of humanity when he came as a man he humbled himself by being obedient to the point of death even death on a cross how many of us when we hear the obligations what it really takes for following Jesus Christ we walk away but when Jesus understood the cost of your salvation he walked to the cross not away from it this is28:56is our redeemer Jesus emptied himself that you and I might be filled with the Holy Spirit the first redeemer in Ruth walked away but Jesus our great redeemer walked to the cross that we might have everlasting life your redemption not only comes with sacrifice but it comes with a price29:25a price again the first redeemer who has no name in scripture his name in Hebrew is so and so when he weighed the price he said I can't I can't do that look at verse 6 the first redeemer said I can't redeem it myself why I will ruin my own inheritance take my29:55take my right of redemption because I cannot redeem it that's not true he used the wrong language he could redeem it he chose not to he weighed the cost and found the cost too great for redemption church you have a great redeemer who weighed the cost for you and found30:24and found you worth it he found you worth it it's a story I shared months ago about a young boy and his dad and the young boy had a fascination for boats so the dad spent months with this young boy making and molding and building the perfect model boat and as any young boy would do when you have a boat30:54a boat you need to see if the boat floats so the young boy put the boat in the water and again as any young boy would do he let the boat venture out more than he should have and the boat ventured into the horizon he never saw it again and the boy was devastated because this boat that he loved and cared for this boat that he made was not a part of his life anymore several weeks later walking in the same town this little31:24this little village he saw at the local second hand store his boat and so he walks into the store and he says shop owner this is my boat and the shop owner says oh no you don't understand I purchased a boat from a local fisherman this is my boat but if you want your boat back you can redeem it you can buy it so the young boy went and he worked hard he mowed31:53he mowed lawns and he went on his paper route I don't know how old the story is he made Facebook pages for people whatever he did to make money and finally after day after day after day of hard work he goes to the shop owner and he gives him the money and he purchases the boat back and this one phrase in the story has always captivated me he holds his precious32:23his precious boat and he says with great joy you are twice mine now because I made you and now I've bought you that's exactly what Jesus did for you on the cross he made you in his image and because of sin you wandered away you wandered away from the family really sin is a rejection of God's image saying God32:53God I know better than you for my life I don't want your love I don't want your image God leave me alone and Jesus died on the cross to bring you back into relationship to make you his twice you see redemption comes with a cost and your redemption costs the son of man his life because sin necessitates the price of someone's life the wages33:22the wages the wages of sin is death and so Jesus said for you and for me he says father I will die that they might live again when the first redeemer backed away when the price was too high the great redeemer said father I will carry the cross I will bear the weight Lord I will walk the road that is difficult and church listen33:52listen when by faith you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior you are his again twice he made you and he bought you and the Bible says he bought you with a price the price was his on blood praise the Lord for a redeemer like this this is who we have today if you've never34:22never given your life to Jesus Christ as your Savior would you do so right now I'm not going to ask you to raise your hand or walk an aisle I'm not going to ask you to join the church I'm going to ask you to weigh what Jesus did for you that in your sin he died on the cross that in the economy of heaven when sin brought death in your life Jesus said34:52said I will die that way you might have life again Jesus gave it all that you might live in abundance and if you're thinking well that's not fair why would he do that it's called grace it's called mercy did Boaz have to purchase the field he was under no legal obligation church Jesus was no under legal obligation35:22obligation to die on the cross for our sins and he died freely that you and I might be brought back into the family as revelation says that you might be given a name that no one knows except you and Jesus Christ think about that one day because of faith you're going to get to heaven and you're going to learn the name that only Jesus knows can you imagine how beautiful that moment is35:51is and maybe that's the name that when Jesus purchased our redemption he called you his in that moment this is the redeemer that we have and if today you desire to give your life to Jesus you can pray a prayer of faith that sounds something like this father my life is broken and Lord today I will own my sin it's my fault36:21fault Lord forgive me I repent which means I turn from my current life and I turn to you but I believe that Jesus lived a sinless life I believe he died on the cross for my sin and I believe he rose again as a reminder that he is the perfect redemption lamb Lord by faith I believe36:51believe I will follow you I will weigh the cost and I will find you worth it scripture says this about a prayer of faith for everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved you don't have to wonder or guess this is our great redeemer but church37:21church let me remind you redemption comes with sacrifice there will be some today that find the cost of following Jesus too much you say I have to deny myself I can't choose my own way it's not about me anymore it's not my preference listen there's nothing that you would lay down that compares to what is37:51is given Jesus is worth it and maybe you hear about these two redeemers and you find yourself even as a Christian not living the life that you should be living would you again come to the cross and say father forgive me help me walk past the righteousness because you're worth it lord let me count the cost let me take up my cross and father may38:21may I never walk away there are two redeemers in Ruth but there's only one great redeemer and his name is Jesus Christ and he is worth more than anything you could ever imagine in a moment we're going to have a song of response I'll be down front if you want a pastor to pray with you if you want to come down and pray if you just need to spend some time with the Lord but do not miss a chance to commune38:51commune with the Father through His Son by His Spirit face to face today He's worth it You were bought with a price because the gospel brings us home Father we give you glory Lord Thank you, Lord.← Previous in RuthRuth: Take Me Under Your Wing (Ruth 3)Next in Ruth →Ruth – Names, Stories, and Promises (Ruth 4:18-22)More sermons on Ruth →
