The Book of Ruth cont. Ch 4 Sept. 2016

Transcription

1 The Book of Ruth cont. Ch 4 Sept Final Session Review: The Law of Redemption Lev 25:23-28; The Law of Levirate Marriage Deut 25:5-10 Study Ruth Chapter 4 Also review the strange episode in Gen 38. Why is this in the Bible? (There s a surprise hidden there) Discussion Questions 1) Contrast the viewpoints of Naomi and Ruth and how they differed. 2) What are the lessons which emerge from this classic narrative? How do we apply this session to ourselves? 3) What are principal characteristics of Boaz in this narrative? 4) In what ways is this narrative a prerequisite to a study of the Book of Revelation? 5) Who are candidates for the role of the nearer kinsman? Ruth 4 The Book of Ruth In the days the judges ruled The Ultimate Love Story At the literary level But also at the prophetic, personal level. One of the most significant books for the Church It captures so beautifully The Role of our Kinsman-Redeemer It is also an essential pre-requisite to the Book of Revelation We have also seen how the 10 th man in a genealogy seems to be significant Noah Abraham and Boaz. The left pillar of the Temple of Solomon was named after Boaz. One of the important things is to understand the laws of ancient Israel. Laws of Ancient Israel Law of Gleaning in ch 2 is found in Lev 19:9, 10; Deut 24:19, 21 Law of Levirate Marriage Chapter 3 - Deut 25:5-10 Law of Redemption Chapter 4 - Lev 25:

2 Outline of the Book Love s Resolve Chapter 1 - Ruth cleaving to Naomi Love s Response Chapter 2 Ruth gleaning Love s Request Chapter 3 The Threshing Floor Scene Love s Reward Chapter 4 The Redemption of both the Land and the Bride Ruth Chapter 4:1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, Come over here, my friend, and sit down. So he went over and sat down. The city gate was where transactions and legal business was carried out (Deut 15:7 8). The Elders of the City The gate of the city is similar to what you and I would consider City or Town Hall. In the ancient tribal traditions, the city was protected and the people that came and went would go through the gate. The people in authority over the city would check credentials at the gate. If there was a matter of issue one would meet the elders at the gate of the city (Gen 19:1). When Boaz asks this man to sit down, he does so without question. Boaz is someone who is obeyed. Boaz was obviously a wealthy landowner, but he also sits at the city gate, which implies that he could have been mayor of the city or a person of significant importance. The City Gate Abraham purchased a burial place for Sarah at the city gate (Gen 23). Absalom won converts by offering to settle their disputes in their favour at the city gate (2 Sam 15:2). Kings would sit at the city gate for legal business (2 Sam 19:8; Jer 38:7). The city gate was the place for judging the man-slayer (Joshua 20:4). Criminal acts were judged at the city gate (Deut 21:18 21, 22:15, 24). The city gate was a place for social interaction (Ps 127:5). It was considered tragic when the elders ceased from the city gate (Lamentations 5:14). Probably this other man was a brother of Elimelech, Naomi s husband, which made him an uncle of Ruth s first husband. 2

3 2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, Sit here, and they did so. 3 Then he said to the Kinsman-Redeemer, Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Ten elders: the rabbinical basis for the minyan, the ten men required by Jewish law to be present before a Jewish synagogue service could be conducted. V 3 Here Boaz is calling the attention of this man to the fact that Naomi is in need of a kinsman redeemer to step up and redeem the land for her now that she is back in town (Jer 32:6 12). This is central to the gospel Four requirements and every one is critical of a Kinsman-Redeemer (Goel) 1) He must be a near kinsman; 2) He must be able to perform the duties of a kinsman; 3) He has to be willing to perform them; 4) He must assume all the obligations involved. Every one of these pertains to Boaz s situation and every one of them also to ourselves and our Redemption. It applies to our Kinsman Redeemer. In Rev ch 5 we see the ultimate title Deed and it had to be a Kinsman Redeemer who could open it. No-one else could do it. It had to be a kinsman of Adam. It had to be a man. Ruth V 4 & 5 The kinsman redeemer says yes he will redeem it. (Did Boaz s heart drop into his boots ) But in v5 this man discovers he has to take Ruth and give her, her rights. 5 Then Boaz said, On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the [c] dead man s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.. (Boaz doesn t withhold his punches ) An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord. Deuteronomy 23:3 The Law of Redemption: Leviticus 25: 23] The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for you are strangers and my tenants. 3

4 Lev 25:24-28: Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land. 25 If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold. 26 If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them but later on they prosper and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, 27 they are to determine the value for the years since they sold it and refund the balance to the one to whom they sold it; they can then go back to their own property. 28 But if they do not acquire the means to repay, what was sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned in the Jubilee, and they can then go back to their property. Also Lev 25:47 If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner s clan, 48 they retain the right of redemption after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives may redeem them: 49 an uncle or a cousin or any blood-relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper, they may redeem themselves. 50 They and their buyer are to count the time from the year they sold themselves up to the Year of Jubilee. The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker for that number of years. 51 If many years remain, they must pay for their redemption a larger share of the price paid for them. 52 If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they are to compute that and pay for their redemption accordingly. 53 They are to be treated as workers hired from year to year; you must see to it that those to whom they owe service do not rule over them ruthlessly. 54 Even if someone is not redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, So all this deals with a deadline date called the Year of Jubilee. At which time ALL land reverts to its original owners, all slaves go free. Peter in Acts 3:21 speaks of when Jesus comes in the year of restitution of all things. It refers to a Jubilee year. We tend to link this prophetically that Jesus will return in a jubilee year. It could be that the end of the 7 years of tribulation will fall on a Jubilee year. Law of Redemption (Lev 25:23-28; 47-54) Israel belongs to God. When Joshua entered the land, it was granted to the 12 tribes. And it was supposed to stay within each of these tribes. 4

5 You could sell your land, which was really more of what we would consider a lease (you sold the rights to use the land for awhile. In the year of Jubilee the land would return to the original owners. When you sold your land, the title deed would also include the rules for title redemption. That s what we see unfolding in Revelation ch 5. The law required a procedure so that if your next of kin would show up there was some procedure where he could purchase back the unused years (called redeeming the land ). Jeremiah was instructed to buy land right before going into captivity a strange thing for God to ask him to do. (Jer 25). It s going to be of no use to him because he s going into captivity and he s old and dies in captivity. After captivity: Jeremiah s descendants will come back and claim the land. It s there to teach us - it s a fore-shadowing of the seven sealed book. The title deed would be a scroll, on the back of which would detail the procedure for redemption. Law of Redemption: Jeremiah 32:6-14: God is indicating that they would return to the land. Babylonians took them into captivity for 70 years. All of this is to help us understand the procedure of Redemption. Our Kinsman-Redeemer - Goel Jesus 1) Had to be a kinsman of Adam 2) Had to be able 3) Had to be willing 4) Had to assume all the obligations of the beneficiary (He was also the avenger of blood ) Ruth 4:6 At this, the kinsman-redeemer said, Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it. So when this man finds out that Ruth is part of the package he doesn t want it any more. We are not told what the reasons were but there is something in his own background and family that prevents him taking it as it will mess up his own plans. It is his choice so he makes that decision. 5

6 So he was willing, able, to redeem the land; but unable to redeem the bride. The Nearer Kinsman Passes the opportunity back to Boaz. He would have to invest his own money to redeem the land; however, having to marry Ruth and produce a son through her meant that son would legally be the son of Mahlon and the one to inherit the property. The kinsman would thus end up losing both the property and the investment. Moreover, not only would the son inherit the property the kinsman redeemed, he would also inherit part of the kinsman s own property; and since he would lose his investment, the redeemed property, and part of his own land, the kinsman would be depriving his own heirs. The Nearer Kinsman? Metaphorically, he represents the Mosaic Law. To begin with, he s nameless. The Law could not redeem us. It was impossible for the Law to redeem us. That s made very clear in the New Testament: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Rom 3:20). The Law was never given to be a redeemer. The Law has no power to save. Book of Romans very clear on this. The nearer Kinsman represents the Law. The Law was never a Saviour. The Law was given to reveal man s true condition. Paul calls it a ministration of condemnation (2 Cor 3:9) and a ministration of death (2 Cor. 3:7). I am as good as the next guy I am trying the best I can I try to live by the Sermon on the Mount and the Ten Commandments You do or you do not. There is no try! Ruth 4:7 7 Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalising transactions in Israel. 8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, Buy it yourself. And he removed his sandal....shoe : to the giver: a declaration of deferral; to Boaz: a marriage license! 8) So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, Buy it yourself. And he removed his sandal. Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, Today you are 6

7 witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. To the nearer kinsman it was a symbol of shame but to Boaz it was a marriage license. The custom itself arose from the fact that fixed property was taken possession of by treading upon the soil, as Abraham did in Genesis 13:17 and as Joshua was told to do in Joshua 1:3. Hence, taking off the shoe and handing it to another was a symbol of the transfer of a possession or the right of ownership. We have looked at hems in ch 3. you could look at the concept of shoes and look up all references to shoes in the Bible and see what happens. Shoes Removed At the Burning Bush (Ex 3:5; Acts 7:33); At Joshua s confrontation (Josh 5:15); Joshua is confronted by The Lord Jesus Christ before the battle of Jericho. Take off your shoes..who fought the battle of Jericho? When you study ch 6 in Joshua you will discover almost every rule of the law is violated. The seventh day they were supposed to rest and they went round the walls 7 times. It was hard work and took a long time. They keep silence during those 6 days until the 7 th time on the 7 th day when they shout. And that goes right into Rev 8:1 and you begin to discover that the book of Joshua is a structural model of the Book of Revelation. The shoes had Durability during 40 years of wilderness wanderings (Deut 29:5); have you ever had a pair of shoes that lasted that long?. John the Baptist: Shoe latches unworthy to unloose... (Mt 3:11; Acts 13:25). What is happening here is the principle of Expositional Constancy. What that means is that there s a tendency of the Holy Spirit to use the same words or phrases throughout the 66 Books of the Bible written over thousands of years. 7

8 The Bible uses idioms a lot and they are mostly in Hebrew or Greek which then have to be translated to the nearest equivalent phrase. The words and phrases used in the Bible are consistant It s an evidence of a single authorship. Once you discover that the Bible has every detail deliberately placed there it changes your entire perspective. You have to discover that for yourself. Back to Ruth the nearer kinsman has stepped aside and all that is gone. Ruth 4:9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. To Review The Redemption: Chapter 4 Boaz confronts the Nearer Kinsman The nearer kinsman is willing to redeem the property; yet He is not willing to take Ruth as bride He yields his shoe to defer the obligation Boaz steps in He purchases the land for Naomi AND He purchases Ruth as his bride Ruth 4:10 I have also purchased Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his home town. Today you are witnesses! Purchased... Acts 20:28. We re purchased. It cost Him. He was eligible, able, willing and could fulfil all the conditions. It can be seen throughout scripture. He did it for each one of us individually. Ruth 4:11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Without this story there would be no link between the house of David and Bethlehem. Bethlehem is famous all over the world. 8

9 Famous in Bethlehem : Micah 5:2. House of Bread (of life!) Shepherds in the field in Bethlehem: Boaz s field? Ruth 4:12 Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah. If we are familiar with the account of Tamar and Judah and their illegitimate son we might think this a very strange thing to say. But actually this is a prophecy. It s a very, very profound prophecy. Perez was born as the result of a levirate marriage just like this one of Boaz and Ruth. (Gen 38:6-29). He was the son of Judah from whom Boaz descended. So this is all part of Boaz s family tree. So what was said is not irrelevant but a central piece of the picture. Boaz was of the Clan of Perez, a clan that had settled in Bethlehem (1 Chr 2:5, 2:18, and 2:50 54). Ruth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he went in to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. Ruth s Social Progression Initially she s a Nochriyah Foreigner Ruth 2:10 next time she s mentioned she s a Shipah - Beneath a lower servant Ruth 2:13 Then in Ruth 3:9 she s referred to as an Amah Maidservant- eligible for marriage and now in ch 4:13 she s referred to as hv ai Iishah Wife 4 Hebrew words show her progression. Ruth 4:14-17 The women said to Naomi: Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-inlaw, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth. 16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, Naomi has a son! And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David 9

10 Ruth 4:18 This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, 19 Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, [a] 21 Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, 22 Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David. Hezron : Immigrated to or was born in Egypt (Gen. 46:12). He was the head of the Hezron Clan (Num 26:21). Ram : Mentioned in 1 Chr 2:9. Amminadab : He was the father-in-law of Aaron, who married his daughter Elisheba (Ex 6:23). Nahshon : He was the prince of the Tribe of Judah at the time of Moses (Ex 6:23; Num 1:7, 2:3, 7:12, 7:17, 10:14). Salmon : Also, spelled as Salman and Salma in 1 Chr 2:10 11, 2:51,54). He is the one who married Rahab (Mt 1:5) and thus he participated in the conquest of the Land and settled in Bethlehem. However we need to have a look at the strange prophecy regarding Perez in the Book of Ruth ch 4:12 There is a law we need to look at in order to really understand what s going on here. In Deuteronomy 23:2 there s a law that most people don t pay attention to. No-one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, even down to the tenth generation. So if there is an illegitimate child (and Perez was illegitimate) we re going to have a 10 generation gap in between something and something else. Hiatus This is why we have this small genealogy in the book of Ruth. It doesn t start with Adam or Abraham as most do.. It starts with Perez and for a good reason. 10

11 The last person on the list is David. He is the 10 th generation from Perez. We all know that Judah is the line of Kings. We also know who the first King of Israel was. It wasn t David.!! Samuel anointed Saul to be king of Israel. He was from the tribe of Benjamin. Why did he do that when he would have known from Genesis 49 that a king had to come from Judah. Benjamin was not the Kingly tribe. The answer is simple. David wasn t ready yet, he was still a small child. But the people demanded a King. They were fed up with having a King they couldn t see. They went on and on until God gave them what they wanted but He couldn t give them David so to keep them quiet he gave them Saul from a different tribe because He couldn t break His own law. If the people had been patient and waited for the right time they would have had David without having to go through all the problems they had with Saul who ended up mad and volatile. So we have this strange prophecy about the 10 generations in Ruth. We will go back to the beginning of the story. Genesis begins the story of Joseph in Chapter 37, which continues to the end in Chapter 50. However, in Chapter 38 we encounter a sordid episode where Judah is tricked into having sex with his daughter-inlaw Tamar, who then gives birth to two sons out of wedlock. (Why is this recorded here?) Genesis 38 At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. 2 There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her; 3 she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. Judah, who had suggested that the brothers sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites (37:26-27), then left and stayed in Adullum (about 15 miles northwest of Hebron) and married a pagan Canaanite woman. This marriage to a Canaanite 11

12 almost ruined Judah s family. Intermarriage with the Canaanites had been avoided earlier (ch. 34), but not here. V4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. 5 She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. 6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD s sight; so the LORD put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, Sleep with your brother s wife and fulfil your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother. 9 But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to avoid providing offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was wicked in thelord s sight; so the LORD put him to death also. God didn t mess around he slew both sons. Judah s sons were wicked and the Lord put them both to death By the custom of the levirate law of marriage, the second son, Onan, was to marry Tamar, the widow of his brother, and raise up offspring for his brother. However, Onan repeatedly used that law for sexual gratification. He took advantage of the situation, but refused the responsibility that went with it. So God took his life too. Levirate Marriage From Latin levir, husband s brother Codified in the Torah Deut 25:5-10 The role of the Goel The Kinsman-Redeemer Ruth 1-4 The Ultimate Redemption Rev 5 11] 11 Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, Live as a widow in your father s household until my son Shelah grows up. For he thought, He may die too, just like his brothers. So Tamar went to live in her father s household. 12 After a long time Judah s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him. 12

13 In view of the situation, Judah refused to give his third son Shelah to Tamar, Er s widow. Shelah was not yet grown up (and even later when he was, Judah still refused; v. 14). Sheep shearer season, which occurs in Palestine towards the end of March, was spent in more than usual hilarity, and the wealthiest masters invited their friends, as well as treated their servants, to sumptuous entertainments. Accordingly, it is said, Judah was accompanied by his friend Hirah. Timnath : the mountains of Judea. 13 When Tamar was told, Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep, 14 she took off her widow s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. Tamar felt she would have to take matters into her own hands if she were to be granted the rights of the levirate custom. Pretending to be one of the kedeshot (religious prostitutes), she tricked Judah into having illicit relations with her. 16 Not realising that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, Come now, let me sleep with you. And what will you give me to sleep with you? she asked. 17 I ll send you a young goat from my flock, he said. Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it? she asked. 18 He said, What pledge should I give you? Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand, she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. 19 After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow s clothes again. Bracelets, including armlets, were worn by men as well as women among the Hebrews. But the Hebrew word here rendered bracelets, is everywhere else translated lace or ribbon. 13

14 20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived there, Where is the shrine-prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim? There hasn t been any shrine-prostitute here, they said. 22 So he went back to Judah and said, I didn t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, There hasn t been any shrine-prostitute here. 23 Then Judah said, Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughing-stock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn t find her. 24 About three months later Judah was told, Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant. Judah said, Bring her out and let her be burned to death! Again Jacob s family experienced deception this time by his Canaanite daughter-in-law! Burnt? The crime of adultery was anciently punished in many places by burning (Lev 21:9; Judg 15:6; Jer 29:22). 25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. I am pregnant by the man who owns these, she said. And she added, See if you recognise whose seal and cord and staff these are. 26 Judah recognised them and said, She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn t give her to my son Shelah. And he did not sleep with her again. She proved by the seal, cord, and staff that he was the guilty partner. Tamar had won the right to be the mother of Judah s children, though in a deceitful way. Her action was desperate and risky. [And she thus appears in the Messianic family tree: Matthew 1:3.] 27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, This one came out first. 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, So this is how you have broken out! And he was named Perez. [a] 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah. [b] 14

15 But in the birth of the boys an unusual situation occurred, paralleling the births of Jacob and Esau. After one twin s hand came out, the other made a breach and was born first, so he was rightly named Perez ( breach ). Then the second twin was named Zerah ( scarlet ) because of the scarlet thread the midwife tied on his wrist. God gave Tamar twins, and the line of Judah continued because of her. It is as if the oracle concerning Jacob s ruling over his older brother (Gen 27:29) was being relived in the line of Judah. What was so significant was the connection with Judah s dealing with Joseph (Gen 37:26-28). He and his brothers sold their younger brother into Egypt, thinking they could thwart God s design that the elder brothers would serve the younger Joseph. Yet in Judah s own family, despite his attempts to hinder Tamar s marriage, God s will worked out in a poignant confirmation of the principle that the elder would serve the younger. But there s more 15

16 This is encrypted in the Book of Genesis! (See chart on next page). From the precision required for this phenomena, it would appear that God must have given Moses his five books: letter-by-letter! The design of the Hebrew alphabet is unique. Truly, this is a supernatural book [Source: Daniel Michelson, Codes in the Torah, B Or Ha Torah, Number 6, SHAMIR, Association of Religious Professionals from the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in Israel, Jerusalem Israel, 1987.] A Mystery How could Samuel anoint Saul (from the Tribe of Benjamin) as King when he knew that the King was to be of the Tribe of Judah? (Gen 49). David was not ready yet! He was prophesied in the time of the Judges (Ruth) in the genealogy from Perez to David! And he was also prophesied in Gen 38! Hermeneutics Greek (Western) Model: Prophecy = Prediction Fulfillment Hebrew Model: Prophecy = Pattern (Types, et al.) Boaz as a Type of Kinsman-Redeemer This story really did happen; however, there is also a symbolic meaning. Boaz is in the role of the Goel, Kinsman-redeemer. Jesus Christ is our Kinsman-redeemer. It seems unusual that Boaz would take to wife a Moabitess, because that was prohibited in the Torah. Boaz s mother was Rahab, the Amorite (the one from Jericho) By Boaz act of redemption: He takes a Gentile bride, and He redeems the land to Naomi. Boaz is said to be a type of Christ, an anticipatory analog (Hosea 12:10). This does not mean that he was/is Christ, but that his role gives us a perspective about a kinsman-redeemer. If Boaz is the kinsman-redeemer type of Christ, then Ruth is a type of the Church; she is a Gentile who is taken to wife by the kinsman-redeemer. Naomi would be a type of Israel. 16

17 Types: Goel He had to be a kinsman Heb 2:16 He had to be willing Rom 3:24; Heb 12:2 He had to be able Heb 7:25 He had to assume all obligations Phil 2:9-11 The Seven-Sealed Scroll And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. Revelation 5:1 The Ultimate Escrow Closing.Books were scrolls prior to 2nd century a.d. A book with pages is known as a codex. A sealed book, with conditions on the exterior and sealed, suggests a title deed. Roman law required that a will be sealed with seven seals (as was illustrated in the wills left by Augustus and Vespasian). And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. Revelation 5:2-4 A dramatic mystery thriller! A man is sought: a kinsman of Adam, able to qualify as a Goel [They reviewed the potential inventory in three places: heaven, in earth, and under the earth. Why?] We may be confused; John was not. He understood and sobbed convulsively (Rom 8:22, 23). And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. Revelation 5:5,6 [These are all Jewish titles: Lamb not referred to in the seven churches letters. Cf. John 1:29,36; Acts 8:32; 1 Pet 1:19.] The Lamb = His 1st Coming; The Lion = His 2nd Coming And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. Revelation 5:

18 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Revelation 5:11,12 Redemption sealed: Cf. Dan 12:4-9; Rev 10:8-11; Ezek 2:10; Zech 5:1-4; Isa 29:11f. Our Kinsman-Redeemer Christ, like Boaz, is not free to move in your behalf until you claim Him as your Kinsman-Redeemer. Christ died on the cross for you; and He even today stands at the door of your heart and knocks, saying, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me (Rev 3:20). But He won t crash the door down. It s your move. Some Perceptive Observations In order to bring Ruth to Naomi, Naomi had to be exiled from her land. What the Law could not do, Grace did. Ruth does not replace Naomi. Ruth learns of Boaz s ways thru Naomi. Naomi meets Boaz thru Ruth. No matter how much Boaz loved Ruth, he had to await her move. Boaz, not Ruth, confronts the Nearer Kinsman. The Book of Ruth always read at the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot). You can t really understand Revelation 5 without understanding the Book of Ruth. You and I are also beneficiaries of a love story, that was written in blood, on a wooden cross, erected in Judea almost 2,000 years ago. Page 47Page 46 Our Coming King inspired by Pastor S.D. Lockridge He is: King of the Jews (racial); King of Israel (national); King of all the Ages; King of Heaven; King of Glory; King of Kings;..and Lord of Lords. [Do you know Him? Do you really?] A prophet before Moses; A priest after Melchizedek; A champion like Joshua; An offering in place of Isaac; A king from the line of David; A wise counselor above Solomon; A beloved/rejected/exalted son like Joseph. And yet far more... The Heavens declare His glory... and the firmament shows His handiwork. He who is, who was, and who always will be; The first and the last He is the Alpha and the Omega the Aleph and the Tau the A and the Z; He is the first fruits of them that slept. He is the evgw. eivmi the hy<h.a, rv,a] hy<h.a the I AM that I AM [the Voice of the Burning Bush!] He is the Captain of the Lord s Host He was the conqueror of Jericho 18

19 He is enduringly strong; He is entirely sincere; He is eternally steadfast; He is immortally graceful; He is imperially powerful; He is impartially merciful; In Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily; The very God of very God. He is our Kinsman-Redeemer and He is our Avenger of Blood; He is our City of Refuge; our Performing High Priest, our Personal Prophet, our Reigning King. He s the Loftiest idea in Literature; He s the highest Personality in Philosophy; He s the Fundamental Doctrine of Theology; He s the Supreme Problem in higher criticism! He s the Miracle of the Ages the Superlative of everything good We are the beneficiaries of a Love Letter: It was written in blood, on a wooden cross erected in Judea 2,000 years ago. He was crucified on a cross of wood, yet He made the hill on which it stood. By Him were all things made that were made; without Him was not anything made that was made; By Him are all things held together! What held Him to that cross? It wasn t the nails! (At any time He could have declared, I m out of here! ) It was His love for you and me. He was born of a woman so that we could be born of God; He humbled Himself so that we could be lifted up; He became a servant so that we could be made co-heirs; He suffered rejection so that we could become His friends; He denied Himself so that we could freely receive all things; He gave Himself so that He could bless us in every way. He is Available to the tempted and the tried; Blesses the young; Cleanses the lepers; Defends the feeble; Delivers the captives; Discharges the debtors; Forgives the sinners; Franchises the meek; Guards the besieged; Heals the sick; Provides strength to the weak; Regards the aged; Rewards the diligent; Serves the unfortunate; Sympathizes and He saves! His Offices are manifold; His Reign is righteous; His Promises are sure; His Goodness is limitless; His Light is matchless; His Grace is sufficient; His Love never changes; His Mercy is everlasting; His Word is enough; His Yoke is easy and His Burden is light! He s indescribable; He s incomprehensible; He s irresistible; He s invincible! The Heaven of heavens cannot contain Him; Man cannot explain Him The Pharisees couldn t stand Him and learned that they couldn t stop Him; Pilate 19

20 couldn t find any fault with Him; the witnesses couldn t agree against Him. Herod couldn t kill Him death couldn t handle Him the grave couldn t hold Him! He has always been and always will be; He had no predecessor and will have no successor; Your can t impeach Him and he isn t going to resign! His name is above every name; That at the name of Yeshua Every knee shall bow Every tongue shall confess That Jesus Christ is Lord! His is the kingdom, the power, and the glory... for ever, and ever....amen! * * * Discussion Questions 1) Discuss each of the Perceptive Observations listed in this session. Apply them to your own doctrines 2) What are the hermeneutic lessons which emerge from this classic narrative? How do we apply them to ourselves? 3) What are principle characteristics of Boaz in this narrative? 4) In what ways is this narrative a prerequisite to a study of the Book of Revelation? Page 51Page 50 Bibliography Blue Letter Bible (and its numerous associated commentaries and helps) On Internet, < 20