OUR BLESSED REDEEMER - Part I
Ruth 3:11-18
A story is told of a certain man who was near a slave market and noticed the anguish on the face of a young slave girl. She was terrified at the thought of being purchased by a cruel slave master and this man knew that he must do something to help her. This gentleman: approached the slave trader, paid the price for the young slave girl, placed the bill of sale into her hands, and told her that she was now free.
The slave girl was amazed by this act of kindness. She ran after her redeemer crying "he has redeemed me... he has redeemed me!!!" After this, she fell at his feet and said "Please sir, let me remain with you and be your servant"! This young girl who had just been set free, had an intense desire to serve the one who delivered her from the bondage she had experienced throughout her entire life.
What a great picture of the redemption that Jesus has provided for us! Redemption is defined as - the process of buying back someone from bondage by the payment of a price; it is to set free by paying a ransom. Jesus paid a great price to free us from the bondage of sin
Romans 3:24 says (we are) "justified freely by God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus"
Because of what Jesus has done for us we should have a desire to follow Him, abide with Him and serve Him all the days of our lives. One of the greatest examples of redemption in the Bible, is the story of Ruth and Boaz. Ruth was a young widow from Moab who had traveled with her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem. Other than Naomi, Ruth was all alone in this world. She was poor, she had no one to care for her, no one to provide for her and no one to protect her. But all of that was about to change. She encountered a man who would soon change her life in many ways.
Ruth did not know it but Boaz was a "near kinsman'. He was a relative of her late husband who was qualified to be her redeemer. There are several truths that we can glean from this passage concerning our relationship with our own Redeemer. I would like to walk through these verses today and preach on the subject of "Our Blessed Redeemer".
I am thankful that I can say that Jesus Christ is my blessed Redeemer. I hope you can say that as well.
In recent days Ruth had been gleaning barley in the field of Boaz. As soon as Boaz saw Ruth he was smitten with her. He took a personal interest in her life. He instructed his harvesters to leave behind an abundant portion of barley for Ruth to gather and take home to sustain herself and Naomi. When Naomi saw this bountiful harvest she said “Where did you gather all this grain today?”
Ruth informed Naomi that she had been gleaning in Boaz's field. Naomi then revealed that Boaz was a close relative of theirs and he was a family redeemer. At this point, Naomi takes on the role of matchmaker; she begins to prepare Ruth for her next encounter with her redeemer. Ruth follows Naomi's advice and in verses 6-11 she begins to draw closer to the man who would redeem her.
We who are saved were once slaves in bondage to sin, but Jesus came and paid the price to redeem us and set us free. Because of this we have a personal relationship with our Redeemer. It should be our desire to grow closer and closer to Him every day of our lives.
- There are certain truths found in this passage that show us how to do just that. Verses 1-3 show us that:
I. WE SHOULD ASSESS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE REDEEMER
v1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? 2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? 2 Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.
Ruth had a connection with Boaz that she did not know about. She has just learned that he was qualified to be her "kinsman redeemer". The role of kinsman-redeemer is described in Leviticus 25. When and Israelite man died and did not have a male heir, his brother was commanded to take his widow as his own wife. Furthermore, he was to redeem the land and provide a son to carry on the deceased father's name.
- There were certain requirements concerning the "kinsman redeemer":
1. A redeemer had to be a near relative. - Boaz fulfilled this requirement. (Ruth 2:1;20)
2. A redeemer had to have the ability to buy back what had been lost. Boaz fulfilled this requirement as well. Ruth 2:1 says that he was "a mighty man of wealth".
3. A redeemer had to be willing to redeem. Later in this chapter we will see that Boaz was more than willing to redeem Ruth. (Ruth 3:11)
When Ruth learns of this connection with Boaz, she begins to assess her situation. Boaz was clearly interested in her, by this time he has already made great strides toward winning her over. Naomi begins to plant the seeds of matrimony in Ruth's mind. She instructs her as to the best way for this budding relationship to progress.
It is the goal of this message for each of us to understand the importance of drawing nearer to our redeemer. In order for that to take place, we must assess our relationship with the Redeemer.
- First of all, you must:
A. CONSIDER WHERE YOU WERE
It is important for us to remember where we were before we met Jesus. Before Christ we were "dead in trespasses and sins". (Ephesians 2:1)
We were in bondage... we were slaves to sin. Scripture says that we were "foolish, disobedient and deceived." (Titus 3)
In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul describes the "works of the flesh". These works give us a clear description of our lives before salvation. He says "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are:
dultery,
fornication,
uncleanness,
lewdness,
idolatry,
sorcery,
hatred,
contentions,
jealousies,
outbursts of wrath,
selfish ambitions,
dissensions,
heresies,
envy,
murders,
drunkenness,
revelries, and the like
These actions describe a miserable life. Life without Jesus is a life with no hope, no peace and no joy! For those who reject Christ and die in their sins, they will face eternal condemnation. Paul said that those who practice such things "will not inherit the Kingdom of God".
I Corinthians 6:9-10 (says) Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Do you remember life before Jesus? Do you remember what it was like being dead in your sins and destined for Hell? What a hopeless existence we would endure without Our Blessed Redeemer! Let us never forget where we were before Jesus came into our lives!
- Not only should you consider where you were, I encourage you to take a moment and:
B. CONSIDER WHERE YOU ARE
If you have been saved then you are "in Christ". And if you are "in Christ" I can assure you that there is no greater place to be! We have been purchased, we have been set free, we have been forgiven, we are REDEEMED!
I like the way Phil Cross put it in his song "I Am Redeemed", He said:
I was a slave, in a foreign land
So very far from the Father's loving hand,
He rescued me, one glorious day,
He brought me out, and paid a debt I could not pay.
I am redeemed, I am redeemed,
Jesus loosed the chains of sin and set me free,
We who were once blind, now can see! We who were lost, are now found! We who were dead, now can live eternally! As Paul said"we are washed, we are sanctified, we are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (I Corinthians 6:11)
The Bible makes it clear that apart from Christ we were in a mess. We were in desperate need of a Redeemer! Though we could never deserve it, God provided us with a Redeemer in the person of His only Son Jesus Christ!
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
God knows all there is to know about us, and He still loved us enough to send His Son to make a way for us to be with Him eternally!
Ephesians 2:4 God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
As a result of His finished work at Calvary our sins have been forgiven, and our souls are safe and secure. We have been delivered from Hell. Our lives have been transformed, and we now possess life eternal. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and He has promised that He will return for us one day!
Oh how we should praise God for "Our Blessed Redeemer".
- As you assess your relationship with the Redeemer you should consider where you were, you should consider where you are and you should:
C. CONSIDER WHERE YOU COULD BE
It has been said that "there are no plateaus in the Christians life." You are either moving forward or going backwards. You are either growing in grace or you are backsliding. God's Word makes it clear that He wants us to constantly grow closer to Him.
- Here are just a few scriptures that state this fact:
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...
2 Peter 1:5-8 ...make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:10 So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Business leaders are constantly assessing their operations. It is their goal to identify where they are so that they can take the proper steps to take their business to the next level. In the same way, we need to assess where we are in our relationship with Jesus. We need to remember where He has brought us from, evaluate where were are, and do what is necessary to grow closer to Him.
I may not know exactly where you are in your walk, but I am certain that you have yet to reach the finish line! Paul said in Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
We must continue to move forward in our relationship with Jesus! Ruth took some time and considered the information that Naomi shared with her. The next few verses clearly show us that it was her desire to draw closer to her redeemer. No matter how long you have been walking with Jesus, it should be your desire to grow closer to Him each and every day!
- That leads us to the second thing I would like to consider about Our Blessed Redeemer. Verses 3-7 show us that:
II. WE SHOULD ADVANCE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE REDEEMER
Naomi tells Ruth what she needs to do in order to convince Boaz to propose marriage. From what we have seen in the previous chapter, I don't think Boaz needed a whole lot of prompting.
Listen to Naomi's advice to Ruth - v3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. 4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
Upon hearing this, Ruth agreed to follow Naomi's advice v5 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do. 6 And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. 7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.
Ruth had been out working in the fields for some time. So before going to the threshing floor she washed herself, changed her clothes and put on a sweet smelling perfume. Ruth then went to where her redeemer was. We are told that Boaz was at the "threshing floor". The threshing floor was the place where the grain was processed. Often, men would sleep near the heaps of grain in order to prevent theft. When she arrived at the threshing floor she went to Boaz and bowed down at his feet. Ruth then waited there at the feet of Boaz until he woke up. Everything that she did that night was in order to advance her relationship with her redeemer. She wanted to grow closer to him.
No matter where we are in our relationship to Christ....no matter how long we have been walking with Him, it should be our desire to grow closer to Him. If we really want to draw closer to Him, we must do exactly what Ruth did. We must have a desire to be with Him, then we must go to where He is, we must humble ourselves at His feet, and we must patiently wait upon Him. We are about to see that when Boaz was delighted when he woke up and found Ruth waiting at his feet. I can assure you, our Redeemer will be delighted when we humble ourselves and bow at His feet. What should we do when we are at the feet of the Redeemer? It is simple, we should worship Him!
- When it comes to our relationship with Our Blessed Redeemer we should asses that relationship, we should advance that relationship and finally we will see that:
III. WE SHOULD APPRECIATE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE REDEEMER
It is such a great honor to have a relationship with Our Blessed Redeemer. This is not a relationship that we should ever take for granted. Every chance we get we should bow at His feet and worship Him. We should love, praise and adore Him daily. We should worship Him for Who He is and for all that He has done.
- Notice:
A. WE SHOULD APPRECIATE HIS POSITION - v8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. 9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
As near kinsman, Boaz was Ruth's only hope of redemption. We will find that there was a relative who was closer in relation to her, but he was unwilling to take on that responsibility. Boaz was the only one who had the opportunity, the ability and the desire to redeem her. If Boaz had not had these attributes Ruth would have been wasting her time.
- The Lord Jesus is the only One who could have redeemed us! Thankfully He had the ability to redeem us, and He had the desire to redeem us! That leads us to the second thing we should appreciate about our redeemer. Notice:
B. WE SHOULD APPRECIATE HIS PASSION - v10 And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.
Boaz took an interest in Ruth the first time he laid eyes on her. He invited her to eat at his table and he sent her home with a bountiful supply of grain. He saw her need and he had an intense desire to protect and provide for her. Ruth greatly appreciated the grace that Boaz had shown her. In fact, she was amazed by his many acts of kindness.
In the previous chapter we are told that Ruth "fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?" (Ruth 2:10)
Once again we see Ruth humbled and bowing herself at the feet of Boaz. Her actions make it clear that she appreciated the relationship she had with her redeemer.
Jesus was the only One who could have provided us with redemption. He had the ability, and He had the desire to redeem us. He saw our need for salvation. He knew that there was nothing that we could do for ourselves. As a result, He left His place in Heaven, came to earth to suffer and die, He rose again on the third day, He has ascended back to Heaven and there He makes intercession on our behalf.
He promised that He was going to prepare a place for us and along with this He promised that one day He would return for us. Because of His work of Redemption we have been forgiven of our sins and granted eternal life and a home in Heaven. For these and many other reasons, we should appreciate our relationship with the Redeemer.
Do you know Him today?
There was a time when Ruth knew about Boaz but she did not know him personally. In the same way, you may know about Jesus but you do not know Him personally. I am here to tell you that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is available to you today. Believe on Him and trust Him as your Lord and Savior.
If you do know Jesus, how is your relationship with Him? Are you willing to perform an honest assessment of that relationship? Are you ready to take the proper steps to advance your relationship with Him? Are you truly appreciative of Who He is and all that He has done for you?
May we do what is necessary to draw closer to "Our Blessed Redeemer".
