Redeemed Series

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.