DIVINE APPOINTMENTS
Ruth 4:1-22
My Grandmother was born and raised in North Carolina, my Grandfather was from here in Talladega. One day I asked Grandma how the two of them met since they lived hundreds of miles apart. The story that followed absolutely fascinated me. It seems that Grandma was traveling home from a visit with her aunt and she boarded a bus that was completely full. A lady gave grandma her seat and next to her was the man would become her husband. Grandpa must have done something to impress her that day because he got her address. Not long after this he wrote her a letter asking her to marry him. She turned him down, he then wrote another letter and she turned him down again. When the third letter arrived (without her knowledge) Grandma's sister wrote him back and said yes. When Grandpa received the fraudulent reply, he immediately traveled to North Carolina to retrieve his bride. When he arrived someone said "who is that" and Grandma's reply was "I don't know but if the Lord doesn't know him any better than me, he is a lost soul!" Though she knew very little about him, she decided that since he had traveled so far, the polite thing to do would be to marry him, so she did and they remained married until the day he died.
I know that is a strange, almost unbelievable story but I sure am glad that it happened. You see, without that encounter their 8 children would not have been born. As a result I would not have been born, and my children would not have been born. In fact, our branch of the Jones family has over 50 people, none of which would have been born if Grandma had never gotten on that bus. But God had a plan, and I believe that what many would call a chance encounter was actually a divine appointment. Throughout our lives we will encounter many of these "divine appointments".
For the past couple of months we have been examining a love story that began with a divine appointment. I want to quickly review a few of the circumstances that led to the climax of Ruth and Boaz's story. Due to a famine in Israel, Elimelech left Bethlehem-Judah and moved his family to Moab. Elimelech and his wife Naomi had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. Maholon and Chilion both married Moabite women. Eventually Elimilech and his sons passed away leaving Naomi, Ruth and Orpah as widows. Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem poor and alone. In order to find food, Ruth sets out to find a landowner who would "show her grace" and allow her to glean barley in his field. Ruth found grace in a wealthy man named Boaz. Boaz immediately took an interest in her and did all that he could to provide more than enough food to sustain both Ruth and Naomi. Later, Naomi informed Ruth that Boaz was a near kinsman of her late husband. This meant that Boaz was qualified to act as Ruth's "kinsman redeemer". Ruth approached Boaz one night and asked him to do just that. Boaz was more than willing to take on the responsibility of caring for Ruth and Naomi but there was a problem, there was another man who was a closer relative than he was.
As we arrive at chapter 4 Boaz is going to confront this other kinsman and discuss the matter. The other man bows out and Boaz takes care of Ruth and Naomi's debt. Furthermore he takes Ruth as His wife and they have a son named Obed. This made them the great-grandparents of King David and ancestors of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All of this can be traced back to one divine appointment in the field of Boaz, when Ruth met her kinsman redeemer. History would have been much different if these two people had not come together. But through it all, God had a plan and He saw that His plan came to fruition.
- Today as we conclude our study of the Book of Ruth I would like to preach a message entitled "Divine Appointments".
- I am confident that there will be several "divine appointments" here today.
1. It may be that some of you have a divine appointment with salvation. This could be the day that the Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin and convinces you that you need a Savior.
2. There may be some people here who have a "divine appointment" with restoration. It could be that you have wandered away from the Lord and this will be the day that you return to a right relationship with your Father.
3. Some of you may have a "divine appointment" concerning God's call on your life. It may be that this is the day that God calls you into a specific area of ministry. Or for some, He may call you to return to a ministry that you have neglected.
- Regardless of the specifics, I pray that you respond accordingly to what God is doing in your life today. Look with me to verses 1-10, as we consider:
I. A DIVINE APPOINTMENT CONCERNING REDEMPTION
Before moving to Moab, Elimelech sold his land in Bethlehem. This transaction is similar to what we call a lease in our day. When the children of Israel went into Canaan, the land was divided among the 12 tribes. Within these allotments, the land was divided up by families. In the case of financial difficulty, a man might be forced to mortgage his land. In this case, he lost all rights to the land until it had been redeemed by paying off the mortgage, or until the Year of Jubilee, when the land would revert back to the original owner.
Because Elimelech and her sons were dead, Naomi would have retained possession of her dead husband's land, in which Ruth, as the widow of Mahlon, also had a share. When Boaz redeemed this land this transaction would give Naomi money for support. And when Boaz's married Ruth and they conceived a son, he would become the future heir to Elimelech's land. In order for this to take place, Boaz had to negotiate with a man who was a closer relative than he was.
- In verses 1-8 we see:
A. THE TRANSACTION THAT IS INVOLVED
v1 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. 3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's: 4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, 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. 5 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. 6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. 7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. 8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
Boaz met with the prospective family redeemer at the town gate. This was the place where many business transactions took place. 10 of the town's elders and many of the town's people were there as witnesses of this transaction. Boaz reminded this man that he had the right to redeem Elimelech's land, and at first he was very interested and willing to redeem the land. But when Boaz mentioned that the one who redeemed the land must also marry Ruth, this man declined the offer citing the fact that it would endanger his own estate. He then offered Boaz the estate and validated the transaction by giving him his sandal. Now all barriers have been removed and Boaz can fulfill his duty as Kinsman Redeemer.
In order for someone to be a Kinsman-Redeemer, he had to have three qualifications:
1) He had to be a near relative.
2) He had to be willing to redeem.
3) He had to be able to redeem.
Boaz fulfilled each of these requirements. In the very same way, Jesus fulfilled all that was required in order to redeem us. Over 2000 years ago Jesus left Heaven and came to earth as our Kinsman Redeemer. He was born in the same little town where these events took place. There in Bethlehem, God became man.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1) Jesus meets the first qualification of Kinsman Redeemer in the fact that He is a member of the human family, this makes Him our near relative.
2) Jesus meets the second qualification of Kinsman Redeemer in the fact that He was willing to redeem us. He came to earth willingly took our place on the cross.
Romans 5:8 ...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Boaz did not have to redeem Ruth, but because of his love for her he was more than willing to do so. Jesus did not have to redeem us, but because of His marvelous love He was more than willing to do so!
3) Jesus meets the third qualification of Kinsman Redeemer in the fact that He was able to redeem us. The Law demanded death for Sin, (Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death). Jesus went to the cross for us in order to discharge the Law of God. (Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree)
Jesus was the only one able to redeem us because He was the only One who could fulfill the requirements of the Law! He is our near Kinsman, He was willing to redeem us and He was able to redeem us. And because of this we can boldly proclaim... I am Redeemed!
- Those who are redeemed have been transformed as well. That was the case for Ruth. Notice in verses 9-13:
B. THE TRANSFORMATION THAT IS INVOLVED
v9 and Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. 10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. 11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: 12 And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman. 13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.
Ruth's whole life was about to change in a major way. There were many people gathered at the town's gate who witnessed this transaction. They rejoiced over what Boaz had done for Ruth. In verse 11 there is a noticeable change that has taken place. Ruth is no longer called "a stranger" or the "Moabitess". She is actually mentioned alongside Leah and Rachel. These were the wives of Jacob, who gave birth to his 12 twelve sons.At the moment of her redemption her standing was elevated.
At the moment of our redemption our standing is immediately elevated and our life forever changed! We are transformed from "sinners" into "saints". We are no longer strangers and outcasts. Now God calls us His "sons".
1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God...
There is no greater privilege than to be called a child of God. The only way this is possible is for us to be redeemed through the blood of Christ. When Jesus comes into our lives He removes our past, He forgives our sins, and He transforms our life!
Maybe you have never surrendered to Jesus. I want you to know that He has done all that is necessary to redeem your lost soul. I encourage you to put your faith in Him and trust in Him for your redemption. If you will, you will experience a wonderful transformation, just like Ruth did!
This may be the day that you have a Divine Appointment with Redemption.
For others, this may be the day that you have:
II. A DIVINE APPOINTMENT WITH RESTORATION
v13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. 14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. 15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. 16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. 17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
This Book of the Bible begins with Naomi and her family fleeing a famine in Bethlehem-Judah. They left the place of God and the people of God behind and moved to Moab. After 10 years in that wicked land Naomi returns to Bethlehem, without her husband, without her sons and she was backslidden and devastated. When the townspeople saw her they were excited and said "is that Naomi?" And she said unto them, "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?" (Ruth 1:20-21)
After such a long time away from God Naomi was now bitter and empty. Her heart was filled with regret and sorrow. But now there was hope for the future, her tears have been turned into joy, her sorrow has been replaced with gladness, and she has gone from a place of bitterness to blessing. In Chapter 1 Naomi was questioning God, in fact she went as far as to blame Him for her circumstances. But now it is apparent that God was not finished with her. He loved her and though she is the one who walked away from Him, He was willing to perform the work of restoration in her life. The love story of Boaz and Ruth never would have taken place without Naomi. She is the one who made the decision to return to her homeland. She had the desire to go back to the place of God and the people of God. She is the one who introduced Ruth to the one true living God. She is also the one who introduced Ruth to her redeemer and future husband Boaz. And because of Naomi's decision to go back to Bethlehem, all three of these people were greatly blessed.
In fact, because of that decision, all of the redeemed throughout the ages are greatly blessed. There is a brief genealogy that closes out this great book of the Bible. And is shows us that the members of this little family were the ancestors of the promised Son of God and the Savior of the world.
v18 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron, 19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, 20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, 21 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, 22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
I have no doubt that there are multiple people here today who need to be restored. You need to return to a right relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Like Naomi, somewhere along the way you took matters into your own hands. You left the place of God, you left the people of God, and you left the very presence of God. Today you find yourself backslidden and devastated. After such a long time away from God you are now bitter and empty. Your heart may be filled with regret and sorrow.
I want you to know that there is hope for the future. Your tears can be turned into joy, your sorrow can be replaced with gladness, you can go from a place of bitterness to a place of blessing. You may be questioning God or even blaming God for your circumstances. You must realize that God never left you, you walked away from Him. The good news is He is right where you left Him and He desires for you to return to Him today.
He has orchestrated the events of your life to bring you to this place today. He wanted you to hear the message from His word that restoration is possible. This may be the day that you have a divine appointment with restoration! I don't know your situation but I do know this... God has a plan for you. In fact, He may have a divine appointment planned for you.
If you have wandered far from Him, this could be the day that you have an appointment with restoration. If you have never met Him, this could be the day that you have an appointment with redemption. Whatever the case, there is no denying the fact that God cares for your. He has done what you could never do. Just as Boaz redeemed Ruth, Jesus has done what is necessary to redeem you.
In this story you will see that all Ruth could do was trust in Boaz for her redemption. That is all that you can to do, trust in Jesus for redemption. Humbly place yourself at His feet and look to Him to do the rest. If you will, you can spend the rest of your life rejoicing in this "Divine Appointment".
