Boaz Marries Ruth Ruth part 4

Transcription

1 Boaz Marries Ruth Ruth part 4 Last time, we saw how Ruth presented herself to Boaz and declared to him that she wanted to be his wife. The spiritual lesson we saw is that the church must present itself as a pure woman to our Lord to be acceptable as His spiritual bride. To be acceptable to God, we must first and foremost look at what s happening inside us. If we see anything that is against the teachings in the Bible, then we must repent and renew our life. Lam 3:40 (ESV) Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD! Jas 4:8 (ESV) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. How are we double-minded? When we can t decide whom we will serve. Are we going to serve our flesh, or are we going to serve God? As we learned in an earlier part of this study, both the spirit of Orpah who went back to her own people and her own gods and the spirit of Ruth who is now serving God and His people are within us. We are doubleminded when we go back and forth on serving our selfish desires and serving our Lord. The apostle James have more bad news to a double-minded person: Jas 1:6 (CEV) But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. Jas 1:7 8 If you are that kind of person, you can't make up your mind, and you surely can't be trusted. So don't expect the Lord to give you anything at all. Ruth had the single mind to serve Naomi and Naomi s God and people. She didn t return to Moab, as she stayed with Naomi the whole time. Boaz is very pleased at Ruth because she has been taking care of Naomi. In the same way, our Lord will be pleased at us if we are faithful to Him and we take care of each other. Let s read the last part of Ruth s story and then we will later look at some verses more closely: Rth 4:1 (GW) Boaz went to the city gate and sat there. Just then, the relative about whom he had spoken was passing by. Boaz said, "Please come over here and sit, my friend." So the man came over and sat down. Rth 4:2 Then Boaz chose ten men who were leaders of that city and said, "Sit here." So they also sat down. Rth 4:3 Boaz said to the man, "Naomi, who has come back from the country

2 of Moab, is selling the field that belonged to our relative Elimelech. Rth 4:4 So I said that I would inform you. Buy it in the presence of these men sitting here and in the presence of the leaders of our people. If you wish to buy back the property, you can buy back the property. But if you do not wish to buy back the property, tell me. Then I will know that I am next in line because there is no other relative except me." The man said, "I'll buy back the property." Rth 4:5 (CEV) "If you do buy it from Naomi," Boaz told him, "you must also marry Ruth. Then if you have a son by her, the property will stay in the family of Ruth's first husband." Rth 4:6 The man answered, "If that's the case, I don't want to buy it! That would make problems with the property I already own. You may buy it yourself, because I cannot." Rth 4:7 To make a sale legal in those days, one person would take off a sandal and give it to the other. Rth 4:8 So after the man had agreed to let Boaz buy the property, he took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz. Rth 4:9 Boaz told the town leaders and everyone else: All of you are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi the property that belonged to Elimelech and his two sons, Chilion and Mahlon. Rth 4:10 You are also witnesses that I have agreed to marry Mahlon's widow Ruth, the Moabite woman. This will keep the property in his family's name, and he will be remembered in this town. Rth 4:11 (GW) All the people who were at the gate, including the leaders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make this wife, who is coming into your home, like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built our family of Israel. So show your strength of character in Ephrathah and make a name for yourself in Bethlehem. Rth 4:12 Also, from the descendant whom the LORD will give you from this young woman, may your family become like the family of Perez, the son whom Tamar gave birth to for Judah." Rth 4:13 Then Boaz took Ruth home, and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the LORD gave her the ability to become pregnant. So she gave birth to a son. Rth 4:14 The women said to Naomi, "Praise the LORD, who has remembered today to give you someone who will take care of you. The child's name will be

3 famous in Israel. Rth 4:15 He will bring you a new life and support you in your old age. Your daughter-in-law who loves you is better to you than seven sons, because she has given birth." Rth 4:16 Naomi took the child, held him on her lap, and became his guardian. Rth 4:17 The women in the neighborhood said, "Naomi has a son." So they gave him the name Obed. He became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David. Rth 4:18 This is the account of Perez and his family. Perez was the father of Hezron. Rth 4:19 Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. Rth 4:20 Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. Rth 4:21 Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. Rth 4:22 Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David. Now let s look at some verses more closely: Rth 4:5 (CEV) "If you do buy it from Naomi," Boaz told him, "you must also marry Ruth. Then if you have a son by her, the property will stay in the family of Ruth's first husband." Rth 4:6 The man answered, "If that's the case, I don't want to buy it! That would make problems with the property I already own. You may buy it yourself, because I cannot." What a selfish guy! When he found out that when Ruth gives birth to a son, the property will stay in the family of Ruth s first husband, which is Naomi, he quickly backed out of the deal. What we don t realize though is we all have that man s spirit to begin with. Land is a symbol of our body and we all use our body for selfish reasons in the beginning before we learn to use it to glorify God. 1Co 6:19 (CEV) You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. 1Co 6:20 God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God. In contrast, Boaz is willing to marry Ruth and keep the property in Naomi s name.

4 Rth 4:9 (CEV) Boaz told the town leaders and everyone else: All of you are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi the property that belonged to Elimelech and his two sons, Chilion and Mahlon. Rth 4:10 You are also witnesses that I have agreed to marry Mahlon's widow Ruth, the Moabite woman. This will keep the property in his family's name, and he will be remembered in this town. In this scene, we are being shown how our Lord is willing to lay down His life for His spiritual family, which is the church. It is the same love that we must show to each other that will show the world that we are indeed the children of God. 1Jn 3:16 (CEV) We know what love is because Jesus gave his life for us. That's why we must give our lives for each other. 1Jn 3:17 If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God. 1Jn 3:18 Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it. We cannot say we love God if all we do is talk and not do anything to really help others. When you see that your brother or sister need something, help them. It could be something physical like helping them with a school homework or it could be something emotional. If we see that our brother or sister is sad about something, we should encourage them and not tease them. One of the most caring thing you can ask is How can I help?. Share your blessings to others as Boaz is doing here, and God will surely bless you and reward you. Let s look at this parable to see what God thinks of selfish and greedy people. Luk 12:13 (ISV) Then someone in the crowd told him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." Luk 12:14 But Jesus asked him, "Mister, who appointed me to be a judge or arbitrator over you people?" Luk 12:15 Then he told them, "Be careful to guard yourselves against every kind of greed, because a person's life doesn't consist of the amount of possessions he has." Luk 12:16 Then he told them a parable. He said, "The land of a certain rich man produced good crops. Luk 12:17 So he began to think to himself, 'What should I do, since I have no place to store my crops?'

5 Luk 12:18 Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and I'll store all my grain and goods in them. Luk 12:19 Then I'll say to myself, "You've stored up plenty of good things for many years. Take it easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself."' Luk 12:20 But God told him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you. Now who will get the things you've accumulated?' Luk 12:21 That's how it is with the person who stores up treasures for himself rather than with God." Again, we must remember that we are dealing with a parable here, so we need to realize that He is talking about the kingdom of God within us. The kingdom of God within us is growing as our old way of life is decreasing. So our Lord is really talking about us when He gave that story. It is us who think we are spiritually rich and tells our self Take it easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself, when in fact, our heart is filled with evil desires that needs to be cleaned. Greed is a form of idolatry and when we think we are rich and are better than others, one day, God will expose us and say to us: You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you. Rth 4:11 (GW) All the people who were at the gate, including the leaders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make this wife, who is coming into your home, like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built our family of Israel. So show your strength of character in Ephrathah and make a name for yourself in Bethlehem. The verse we just read is very significant as far as showing us that God will indeed save all of mankind, and not only His chosen ones from every generation. You will notice that both Rachel and Leah are recognized as both of whom built our family of Israel. Rachel is the favored wife of Jacob who was renamed Israel. Rachel is the symbol of the elect. Leah on the other hand is the rejected wife and is the symbol of the rest of humanity. The fact that the people of Judah are praying that the Lord may make Ruth like Rachel and Leah tells us that God indeed plans to save all of His creation and dwell with all of them as His people. Ruth is a symbol of God s people who are willing to lose their own life to follow Christ. This is what Ruth did when she left her family and her gods in Moab to serve Naomi and God s people. Look at how God is now blessing her through Boaz. Rth 4:13 (GW) Then Boaz took Ruth home, and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the LORD gave her the ability to become pregnant. So she gave birth to a son. Childbirth is a symbol of the fruits we produce to glorify God. What fruits are we talking about here?

6 Jer 17:8 (KJV) For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. So our spiritual fruits are the things that we do, our works. Besides our works, we also glorify God through our words: Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But then we are told Who makes us produce those fruits. Joh 15:5 (ESV) I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who abides in me while I abide in him produces much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Joh 15:6 Unless a person abides in me, he is thrown away like a pruned branch and dries up. People gather such branches, throw them into a fire, and they are burned up. Apart from me you can do nothing. That s a big statement, and it should keep us from boasting when we do good works. Without our Lord, we cannot do any good works. We all naturally want to claim that we are the branches that produces much fruit, and we are not the ones which are cut off and dried up and are thrown into the fire. But the truth is, we are made clean through His words in our hearts, which is burning up all our filthy thoughts and all our unclean desires. Only after our old ways are burned up that we produce good fruit. Rth 4:14 (GW) The women said to Naomi, "Praise the LORD, who has remembered today to give you someone who will take care of you. The child's name will be famous in Israel. Rth 4:15 He will bring you a new life and support you in your old age. Your daughter-in-law who loves you is better to you than seven sons, because she has given birth." Ruth s faith was given to her through Naomi. That is also how the Lord works in spreading His gospel, the good news of eternal life. He is giving the faith to a few people now, but this faith will spread to all people when God dwells in all of His creation.