Redeemed
Ruth 2:20-23
-we know the story Elimelech & Naomi moved to Moab with his family because of the famine in Bethlehem.
-Elimelech died, his two sons married Moabitite women, Ruth and Orpah. Then his two sons died. This all happened in a ten year period of time. Naomi begin traveling back home Ruth went with her and committed herself to Naomi. Naomi grew bitter about everything that happened in her life. God sent a harvest to Bethlehem and Ruth went out to glean in the field so they could eat.
She just happened to glean in the field of Boaz who just happened to see her and treat her well.
-The last time we looked at this we saw how God was involved in all these events. They weren't just happen chance or luck. God had a plan and Ruth had found favor with God since she committed her life to the true and living God and forsook the gods of the moabitites.
Today I want to draw your attention to a statement that Naomi makes in this passage today
In verse 20- Ruth has come back from gleaning and tells Naomi that the man's name that she worked with with Boaz. And listen to what Naomi says- “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”
Remember I told you that we would see from this book the message of the gospel. Boaz is what we call a type of Christ in the Old Testament, Just like Joseph was a type of Christ. In other words through the life and actions of Boaz God is preparing us for the life and ministry of Jesus.
An understanding of redemption, and being redeemed is necessary in order for us to know our identity in Christ and what we should be striving for today
-In Old Testament times under the law, There was what was called a kinsman redeemer. To understand this passage and the message of the book it is important for us to know what a kinsman redeemer was
Lev 25:47 "If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger's clan,
Lev 25:48 then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him,
Lev 25:49 or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he grows rich he may redeem himself.
-When you were poor you could sell yourself to another person and work as their servant, just like we use to have indentured servants in the colonies, and like we still do when people borrow money from the bank. (I owe I owe so off to work I go)
Here's the thing though in order to be a redeemer you had to be a close relative, have the means to pay the price, you had to be willing, and the redemption wasn't complete until the price was paid in full
Naomi has returned to Bethlehem and she is poor, and Boaz is a close relative of theirs and he is rich, and it just happens this is the field that Ruth was gleaning in. Not by chance, but by Gods predestined will. God is showing Ruth His favor
Its a good thing to be the favor of God
So Naomi tells Ruth to go back to the field of Boaz and not to go to any other field and it says
“So she kept close to the young women of Boaz gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests.” (Vs 22)
Today I want to talk to you about being redeemed
Boaz being their kinsman redeemer was a type of Christ- Today Christ is our redeemer
Fanny Crosy wrote those words that we still sing in the church today- Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the lamb! Redeemed thro his infinite mercy his child and forever I am.
But what does it mean to be redeemed and what are we redeemed from?
The word “redeem” means to save, to rescue or to purchase from the power of another
I want to share with you four things that were necessary to be a redeemer that Christ fulfilled in order to redeem us a Paul said
1Cr 6:20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Before Ruth met Boaz, their redeemer her and Naomi were poor and destitute, Ruth was gleaning in the fields they were owned and trapped by their circumstance. Before Christ came all of humanity was lost in sin and trapped by the law, and because of the law mankind was facing death, which the Bible calls the curse of the law.
Yet Paul wrote to the church in Galtia and said,
Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us?for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"?
Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law
Gal 4:5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
First, Christ is our closest relative
Naomi tells Ruth, “This man is a close relative us ours, one of our redeemers” The law required a redeemer to be a close relative do Naomi was saying He fulfills the requirement of the law to redeem us.
Listen to what Paul said about Christ in the book of Romans
Rom 8:3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
This is what we call the incarnation- God becoming man in Christ Jesus. Why didn't God just come in the clouds with power and glory to save all of humanity? The answer is found in the law- The law had requirements that had to be fulfilled, now God knew all of this before he created the world and before He made the law. Which is why Jesus said
Mat 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Ruth and Naomi were in a hopeless, helpless state and they only way that was going to change for them was if they were redeemed, and the only way for the them to be redeemed was by a close relative.
Before Christ came we were in a hopeless helpless situation because no matter how hard people tried we were unable in the flesh to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law. There is nothing that we could do to save ourselves. No amount of education could do it, no amount of ritual or religion could do it, we were living under a curse of death and the only hope was to be redeemed.
Theologian Jonathan Edwards wrote, “The redeemed are dependent of God for all. All that we have-- wisdom, the pardon of sin, deliverance, acceptance in God's favor, grace, holiness, true comfort and happiness, eternal life and glory--we have from God”
What sets Christianity apart from all other religions in the world is the personal relationship that we have with God. He is not a far off distant God but he is very near to us. This is why Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
John said, “he came into his own and his own received him not” showing the relationship between Christ and humanity
now that we are saved we are heirs to God and joint heirs with Christ which entitles us to a full redemption at the time of Christ coming in the clouds with power and Glory to receive His church
Rom 8:17 and if children, then heirs?heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
As proof of this relationship God has given to us the Holy Spirit that has us sealed until the perfect day of our complete redemption not only from the law and the curse of the law but from this world when we are transformed to be like him.
Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
I've been to the park before as I'm sure you have when you have seen a family reunion or birthday party going on in one of the shelter houses. There are times when the aroma of the food is so appealing that I have wondered what it would be like to go over an pretend to be part of the family and glean from the table, but the fear of being found out keeps me out of the reunion because I know I don't belong to the family. The food and enjoyment are for those who belong.
The same is true in relationship to God and in the book of Ruth, the redemption is for family, for those who belong.
You ask who belongs? Those who are called by God in his sovereign grace and mercy to be saved. Salvation is a work of God calling to himself those whom he has chosen, and the chosen responding in faith to Him.
I know as well as you do that there are people who can spout out the date when they were baptized or when they joined the church, but what about the day when you were called by God to be saved. What about the day when you were transformed from the world of darkness to the joy of the Gospel, What about the day when you were redeemed, rescued from the curse of the law and brought from death unto life.
Boaz was their redeemer because he was their closest relative. Christ is our closest relative redeemer today.
Second, He had the means to Redeem us
A redeemer had to have the ability to redeem their relative. Boaz was a very wealthy man he had servants working for him in the field, and God had blessed him with a great harvest.
You know that old song, “I owed a debt I could not pay, he paid a debt he did not owe, I needed someone to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song: “Amazing Grace.” All day long.
Boaz was not poor but he reached down to bring Ruth and Noami up to his level. He paid their way for them, because they were hopeless and helpless.
That's what Paul explained to the church in Corinth
2Cr 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Christ was rich, yet he assumed our debt for us. That is what he did on the cross of calvary. He took the debt of our sin on himself that by his poverty we might become rich.
You couldn't be redeemed unless the debt was paid in full. When Jesus on the cross he made that proclamation, “It is Finished” literally he was saying “Paid in full” the debt is canceled!
Many of you are familiar with Dave Ramsey, he has a radio program and a system to help people get out of debt. One of the neat things about his radio program is that when people make their last payment and they are debt free they call in and shout “I'm Debt Free!” The freedom that comes from being out of bondage brings new life into their marriage and home.
This is exactly what Jesus said he came to do
Luk 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
Jesus also said You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
The price has been paid in full because Christ had the means as our redeemer to meet the demands of the lender. Mankind was living on borrowed time. Making animal sacrifices throughout the old testament was just rolling the debt forward but the debt kept growing. The only way to satisfy the debt completely was through the shed blood of Christ.
Hbr 10:4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
It is so important for us understand this today because Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
This message today is the truth that can set you free, understanding the message of redemption. The reason that some people in the church aren't walking in liberty is not because God is not good, but its because they don't know the true message of redemption.
So here is what they do: they think if I try harder this week maybe God will bless me
If I give more maybe then God will notice me.
If I pray harder.......What does that even mean?
And they are caught up in this cycle of bondage. It is bondage to the law and ritual and traditions of men. In order to be free you have to know that the debt is canceled. When a debt is canceled there is no more need to make a payment on it.
When we bought our house since we didn't have a large down payment we took out two loans. We had a larger loan and then one a smaller one for 25,000. We so hated making two house payments that for two years we put every extra penny we had on that smaller loan making double and triple payments and we paid off a 30 year loan in two years. When the bank sent us the original loan paperwork after it was paid it was stamped across the top Paid in Full. And guess what, we never tried to send them another payment.
When we understand that we are redeemed we quit the man made effort of trying to earn merit with God and we relax, we rest and walk in freedom and liberty knowing that we are the chosen people of God in Christ Jesus.
Third, He was Willing
Personally I find this third point the most fascinating of all. Boaz being the redeemer had it in his power to say no to Ruth, instead he gave her the very best he had. Boaz was willing to be the her redeemer.
A kinsman redeemer had to be willing. Even though they had the right by the law, they also had the power to refuse.
This is what makes our salvation so great. Jesus was more than willing to be our redeemer. Paul said
Tts 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Notice the emphasis on gave himself.
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
When they guards came to arrest Christ in the garden, he asked them the question, “Whom seek ye.” and they said they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth he didn't run or flee he simply said I am he and they whole guard fell flat on their backs
Jesus had power over the guard but he chose to go willing and give his life for us.
When Jesus was on the cross the Roman Guard came and he broke the legs of the men on each side of Christ, but when he came to Christ he was already dead because he was in control of his life up to the very end.
The very last words that Jesus spoke on the cross demonstrated that he was in control of his life up to the very end. He said
Luk 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last.
In closing,
Look back at our text this morning. After Naomi finds out who it is that owns the fields where Ruth has been gleaning she gives her some instructions
she says, “It is good my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.”
She is telling Ruth- You stay close by Boaz, there is no need to go anywhere else. Boaz has everything they need in order to survive
I am sure today that you can already see the application of this in our lives. Since Christ has redeemed us, since he is our closest relative, had the means to redeem and did it willing.
Where can I go but to the Lord, seeking a refuge for my soul.
This is the way the Bible puts it
Rom 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
If you woke up in the morning and found out that a rich relative of yours paid all your debt and that you are now free from that bondage it would be reason to rejoice and you would live your life different.
It would change the way you held your head, it would change your family tree
In reality Christ has done so much more than that for us. Failure to realize this truth causes us to hold our heads down and live like we are still in bondage. Failure to realize this causes us to keep trying to make payments on a debt that has already been forgiven.
When you come to an understanding of the truth you can truly have abundant life, you can live and walk in rest. It changes the way you hold your head, it changes the way you walk and it surely will change your family tree.
Let me ask you today...Are you redeemed? Have you been called and chosen by God and responded to that call for salvation?
If you are here today and you are wondering what it means to come to the knowledge of the truth, what you have to do to be redeemed I'm glad you asked because its really quite simple
first you have to hear the Gospel and be called by God
1Cr 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Then you have to believe and act upon that believe
Act 16:30 Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
Act 16:31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."
Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Rom 10:11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."
