Now before we turn to the book of Ruth and to hear it, I want us to share this prayer to prepare our hearts for hearing God's words.
It comes from a collection of prayers called Piercing Heaven, from a chap called Jeremiah Burroughs.
So if you're happy, you can read this with me as we prepare to receive God's word.
Lord, you have given me a portion in the world. You have given me credit and a reputation among others.
But what is all this to me if I am without Christ? If I do not have the one who gives grace to my soul, the one who is my all in all.
Lord, you have taught me that the distance between me and you is so great that without a mediator I perish forever.
So whatever else you deny me, give me Jesus. Amen.
This will be our prayer as we come to God's word. Give me Jesus.
So let's turn to the book of Ruth, wonderful book of Ruth.
We're going to look tonight at chapter 2.
And we'll read the whole of this chapter.
Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.
And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi,
Naomi, let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.
Naomi said to her, go ahead, my daughter.
So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters.
As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.
Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters.
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you, they answered.
Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, who does that young woman belong to?
The overseer replied, she is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi.
She said, please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.
She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.
So Boaz said to Ruth, my daughter, listen to me.
Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here.
Stay here with the women who work for me.
Watch the field where the men are harvesting and follow along after the women.
I have told the men not to lay a hand on you.
And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.
At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground.
She asked him, why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me, a foreigner?
Boaz replied, I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband.
How you left your father and mother in your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before.
May the Lord repay you for what you have done.
May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.
May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my Lord, she said.
You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant, though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.
At mealtime, Boaz said to her, come over here, have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.
When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain.
She ate all she wanted and had some left over.
As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, let her gather among the sheaves and don't reprimand her.
Even pull out some stocks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up and don't rebuke her.
So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening.
Then she threshed the barley she had gathered and it amounted to about an ephah.
She carried it back to town and her mother-in-law saw how much she'd gathered.
Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she'd eaten enough.
Her mother-in-law asked her, where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.
Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she'd been working.
The name of the man I work with today is Boaz, she said.
The Lord bless him.
Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, he has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead, she added.
That man is our close relative.
He is one of our guardian redeemers.
Then Ruth the Moabite said, he even said to me, stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.
Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, it will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him.
Because in someone else's field you might be harmed.
So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and the wheat harvests were finished.
And she lived with her mother-in-law.
So that's Ruth chapter 2.
Last week we thought about the journey, the journeys of Naomi.
This week we are thinking about the Redeemer.
But as we do that, I want to think about two very different stories and to think about what joins them.
So this week I find myself trying to explain the plot line of Back to the Future.
If you've seen Back to the Future, the whole film makes perfect sense.
But trying to explain it to someone who doesn't know is quite tricky.
But the basic idea, I guess, is that Marty McFly, in the first story anyway, has to travel back in time,
having kind of messed around with history a little bit,
to bring his parents together in the past or he won't exist in the present.
So he has to go back to the future, goes back and forward,
making sure that things work out the way they're supposed to,
so that in the fullness of time, Marty McFly will be born and will exist.
How does that connect to Ruth chapter 2?
That's a good question.
So if we think about when this was written,
this was written after King David has been born,
after he has come to the throne.
So this is a story looking back.
This is looking back on God's plan of redemption,
recognizing here is God working to make sure that Ruth and Boaz are brought together
in order to extend God's plan for the royal line,
so that King David comes,
so that all those rich promises from God will come to fulfillment.
So what we need to see in this story is God's control of time
and God's perfect timing.
We see it in lots of different ways.
We see it in the fact that here come Ruth and Naomi and they arrive back,
left during famine, arrive back just as barley harvest begins.
We see it in the way that they meet by design, Ruth and Boaz, not by chance.
And we see that, and we need to understand it in the context of the story
where it's anticipating the coming of the king,
all this is happening so that the king and ultimately Messiah Jesus will come.
Incidentally, there is a great book,
Ruth Under the Wings of God by John Piper.
It's a poetic retelling of the story of Ruth,
imagining, I think it's,
was it David's,
imagining David's grandpa, maybe,
telling the story.
But it's all in poetry.
It's a very nice read,
if you're interested in poetry and the book of Ruth.
So that's John Piper.
A dominating scene too,
as well as recognizing here's God who controls time and timing.
There's this idea of kindness,
of loving kindness.
This Hebrew word,
chesed,
which is all over chapter 2.
It's a really rich word that speaks of love and mercy and grace and goodness and kindness and loyalty and devotion,
kind of all wrapped up together into this one word.
And what we're going to see is that kindness is shown by Ruth to Naomi.
We're going to see that kindness is shown by Boaz to Ruth.
And ultimately,
we're going to see that kindness being shown by God himself,
who has provided Boaz as Redeemer,
pointing us forward to God providing the Redeemer,
Jesus.
As we get into this story,
which I think is one of the most wonderful stories in the Old Testament,
how does this connect with ourselves today?
Well,
at least in this way,
the story of Ruth chapter 2 should remind us that we stand in need of mercy,
just as Ruth and Naomi stand in need of mercy at the beginning of the chapter.
We are invited to shelter in God's protective care,
just as we see Naomi and Ruth doing.
And we are called to trust in our Redeemer,
Jesus.
So let's have a look at this story,
beginning with the first meeting between Ruth and Boaz.
And we'll think a little about Ruth's faith and God's providence.
Just to remind ourselves of the scene setting,
last week we saw that in God's providence there was famine,
a judgment on God's people.
So Naomi and family left,
and Naomi described her life as bitter and empty.
But now she's arriving back.
End of chapter 1, verse 22,
arriving back, as we said,
at the barley harvest,
Bethlehem, the house of bread,
now there is bread for the people of God,
because of the mercy of God.
There's also a strong emphasis
in chapter 1, verse 22,
which we didn't read,
on Ruth being from Moab,
being a Moabite.
You probably heard that repeat a couple of times
through our reading,
reminding us,
from the beginning,
God's grace has no boundaries.
Always God's plan
to include the nations within salvation.
And what we find is that
Ruth herself
is amazed at the kindness of Boaz
to her as a foreigner.
So the idea of Ruth being from Moab
is really important to our story
to highlight
God's grace.
And also,
the other huge thing
in this part of the story
is the fact that Boaz is now here.
Boaz,
who is an amazing character,
a man much
to be admired,
a man of generosity
and compassion
and grace,
a man who ultimately,
as we read the whole story of the Bible,
prepares us
for Jesus.
In chapter 2,
verse 1,
he's described as a man of standing.
And we know he's a man of standing
because he's got a field,
he has got wealth,
but that idea of being a man of standing
also refers to his moral character.
He is an upright man.
In the time of the judges,
when everyone's doing whatever they want
and they've got no king
and they're lawless,
Boaz stands differently
a man of moral character.
So that kind of sets the scene for us.
And then,
chapter 2 and verse 2
moves the story on.
Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi,
let me go to the fields
and pick up a leftover grain
behind anyone
in whose eyes I find favor.
So here's some ways
in which we see
Ruth's faith at work.
First, she goes out depending on
favor and mercy.
And in God's providence,
she'll find that from godly Boaz.
When Boaz comes along
and is talking to the overseer of his field,
what we discover about Ruth
is that she is working hard.
She's been working from the beginning of the day.
She's not really taking a break.
She's working really hard.
And why is she doing that?
She's doing it to show loving kindness
to her mother-in-law, Naomi.
We see her faith in her loyalty
and her devotion to her family.
The work that she's involved in
is called gleaning.
In a field,
when it was harvest time,
there would be harvesters
who would be employed
to pick up the grain,
but there would always be some leftovers.
And that was for the poor,
for the orphan,
for the widow,
for the foreigner.
Hot work,
dangerous work,
as we see a couple of times
in the story.
Both Boaz and Naomi
warn about how vulnerable
a young woman could be
in this work of gleaning.
But of course,
it's a day where there's no
welfare system.
It's a time when Naomi
has no man in her life
to provide for her.
And so for Ruth,
her faith is active.
We saw it being active last week
as she left home
for this unknown country
to show loyalty to Naomi
and Naomi's God.
And now she's leaving home
for this unknown work opportunity.
She doesn't know
how the day's going to go,
where she's going to end up.
But above all of this
and above every movement
and every decision
and every conversation
in the book
stands the God of grace
and the God who is controlling
the events of her life
and of every life.
How is the providence of God
on display
the early part of chapter 2?
Well, first of all,
it's God's providence
that there are these
compassionate laws
within Israel
so that a foreigner
like Ruth,
a widow like Ruth,
can come to Bethlehem
with no means
of providing for herself,
but she can survive
and find food
because of these
compassionate laws
set up by God
to care for the weakest
and the least
and the outsider.
And so we see God's grace
and God's provision
in those compassionate laws
that we find
in the book of Leviticus.
And we also see
God's providence
in the way
he perfectly directs events.
Verse 2,
let me go to the fields,
pick up grain
behind anyone
in whose eyes
I find favor.
verse 3,
as it turned out,
she was working
in the field
belonging to Boaz
from the clan
of the limelight.
By chance,
as chance would have it,
she happened to find
the field
where a kinsman
redeemer would be.
It's not how
we're supposed
to read this,
is it?
When we read
the history
in the Bible,
we are intended
to see it all
as being planned
and designed
by God
and this is no different.
She doesn't know
what field
she's going to
but God does
and God directs
her steps.
Now we see
God's hand
in the book of Ruth,
we see it
in the sending
of the famine
and now in the sending
of bread
and now sending Ruth
to just the right field
so that her Naomi
can be provided for.
And so if you imagine,
here's King David
hearing the story
of his family
and God looking
after his family,
isn't he going to be
praising God?
Thinking,
I can trust God
in God's promises
because look what
he's done for my family
in the past.
Perfect directing,
perfect timing as well.
Verse 4,
it really brings out
God's control.
So Ruth has arrived
to the field of Boaz
and just then
Boaz arrived
from Bethlehem.
Coincidence?
Absolutely not.
This is God's design.
As Boaz was getting ready
in the morning,
getting his cloak on,
getting his sandals on,
getting his breakfast,
walking to his field.
God was planning
that timing perfectly
so that the two of them
would meet.
God's kindness,
God's provision
for Ruth,
for Naomi,
for the family of David,
for the world.
When we think about
Jesus coming.
And think too about
the way God provides.
What a perfect choice
this man Boaz is.
Look at his first words
as we meet him.
Boaz arrived from Bethlehem
and he greeted the harvesters.
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you,
they answered.
And then he asks
about Ruth,
who does that young woman
belong to?
So remember,
time of the judges.
Everybody's doing
exactly whatever
they want to do.
A time of real
spiritual decline.
But here is Boaz
as a shining light.
Living under the rule
of God,
wanting the blessing
of God for those
who work in his field.
He's got a wonderful
work environment
where his workers
respect him.
They seem to be happy.
They're glad to see him.
He notices a foreign girl
and he wants to show
attention to her
so that he might show
her kindness
as we discover.
God's looking after
Ruth and Naomi
by bringing this
wonderful man Boaz
into their lives.
So this first part
of Ruth chapter 2
really reminds us
that God works
in providence
to achieve his goals.
To bring Ruth
and Boaz together
to establish
this family line
that David will come from,
this family line
that Jesus will come from,
all those promises
given to David
of an eternal king,
an eternal rule
to be fulfilled in Jesus.
God's working that out
in time
to make sure it happens.
So to read a book
like the book of Ruth
is an invitation to us
to trust in our God,
in the circumstances
of our lives.
To read the book
of Ruth
is to understand
as Paul wrote
in Romans
that God works
all things together
for the good
of those who love him
and are called
according to his purpose.
Now of course
the Bible doesn't shy away
from the mystery
that there is sometimes
in what God brings
into people's lives.
It doesn't hide
from us famine.
It doesn't hide
from us
the death of a husband
and two sons.
But ultimately,
ultimately for Naomi
who felt that
she'd went away,
you know,
she'd come back empty,
God is going to be
filling
and providing
and blessing.
And there is hope
in God's faithfulness.
God will keep
promises to Israel,
to David,
again as David
and as Israel
hear the stories,
they remember
in these dark times
here is God
by his grace
establishing this family,
this royal family.
There is hope
for King David
and people beyond.
There is hope
for us
in the darkness
that God by his grace
is still at work
and God always
keeps his promises.
Well from this
first meeting
let's think about
this first conversation
between Boaz
and Ruth.
It's a wonderful
conversation
that really highlights
Boaz's kindness
and Boaz's generosity
but also highlights
for us
God's grace.
So just to go back
to the start
of the day
imagine
Naomi
waving Ruth goodbye
knowing that the fields
were dangerous
places to be.
What would her hope be?
What would her prayer be
as she sent
Ruth away?
Surely that she'd be
kept safe
that she'd be able
to find
some food
to provide.
perhaps there'd be
a good man
who would protect
and keep her safe.
And it's nice
to think about that
to think about
how God chose
kindness
above and beyond
kindness
in sending
Boaz
in reminding
Naomi
that God
is for her.
Well anyway
here's Boaz.
Boaz's first words
to Ruth
my daughter
listen to me.
So we learn
a few things
about Boaz
from that
short statement.
First we understand
that he's an older gentleman
clearly
Ruth is younger
than him.
We also understand
that here is
a man who cares
uses tender
family language
but I think
the most important
thing that we see
here
remember he's speaking
to a Moabite
from Moab
he's just been told
that
he wants to break
that barrier down.
He's not going to
treat her as an outsider
as a foreigner
rather he's going to
invite her in
because that's what
grace does.
And Ruth is surprised
by that.
Verse 10
why have I found
such favour in your eyes
that you notice me
a foreigner?
This isn't normal behaviour
this is grace behaviour
from Boaz.
Look at some of the things
that Boaz does.
He says to her
stay here with the women
who work for me.
Stick with them
because I'm going to make sure
that there's enough grain
for you.
And notice too
that he gives a warning
to his men.
I have told the men
not to lay a hand on you.
Here's early
anti-bullying policy
anti-sexual harassment policy
being employed
by Boaz.
When she finds herself thirsty
get a drink
from the water jars
the men have filled.
She's being treated
generously
being treated again
as an insider
not as an outsider.
Now this first expression
of grace
it causes
Ruth in verse 10
to bow down
with her face
to the ground.
She bows to show honour.
She recognises
that she's been shown favour.
And it's really interesting
to remember
that this is
you know part of
the story
of the royal family.
Just as many
people would come
to King David
and would bow
and seek favour
and seek mercy.
It's what we find
Ruth doing before Boaz.
She's amazed
by grace.
I wonder
as we're here today
are we amazed
by God's grace?
Are we amazed
by what he has done
for us
in our
Redeemer
Jesus?
It's easy
to become complacent
to the wonder
of the gospel
isn't it?
Back to Boaz.
As she asks the question
why have I found
favour in your eyes?
Boaz replies
in verses 11 and 12
it's because
he has heard
of Ruth's kindness
to Naomi.
He has heard
of the favour
that she has shown
of the sacrifices
that she has made
of the devotion
and the loyalty
of her heart
and in her actions.
And there's a wonderful
prayer request
that Boaz makes
for Ruth.
Verse 12
May the Lord
repay you
for what you have done
may you be
richly rewarded
by the Lord
the God of Israel
under whose wings
you have come
to take refuge.
So she prays
that the Lord
would be on her side
that the Lord
would show favour
and then there's
that wonderful picture
just this morning
thinking about
that wonderful picture
of God as our father
here Boaz
gives us the picture
of God
being like
a protective
mother bird
ready to gather
chicks under her wings
at the first
sign of trouble
Boaz knows
the Lord
offers protection
to all
who identify
with him
and with his people.
It's a wonderful
image
that we are
invited
to understand
to receive
to experience
ourselves
to find refuge
in the shadow
of God's wings.
Ruth's response
to all this
verse 13
May I continue
to find favour
in your eyes
keep showing me
favour
keep showing me
mercy
this is
remarkable
she feels
at ease
despite being
in a very
vulnerable
kind of a setting
she feels
that she's been
shown favour
despite her
low standing
she's so grateful
she's amazed
but Boaz
isn't done
here either
so we get to
verse 14
takes us to
the end of the day
so a lot's
happened already
but now we get
to meal time
and what does
he do
at meal time
he shows
this Moabite
from Moab
hospitality
again here
are barriers
being broken
down
come and sit
with everybody
else Ruth
here is a
welcome
that's being
given
there's this
wonderful
little phrase
in verse 14
when she sat
down with the
harvesters
he offered
her some
roasted grain
here is Boaz
the boss
and he's
serving
Ruth the
foreigner
that's a
great gospel
picture of
God's grace
and the way
that God
in Christ
serves us
and there's
that generous
provision
so he makes
sure that she's
got all that
she needs
and more
for her meal
and then
sends her
home with a
huge load
of grain
as well
to think
about Boaz
it is to
think about
someone of
godly
character
to think
about that
godly
character
in the
context
of the
judges
makes it
all the
more
remarkable
here is a
man who
is consistent
in seeking
to reflect
God's
character
and God's
values
in his
life
to bless
his workers
and now
to extend
blessing
to Ruth
and we'll
think in
just a few
minutes
how he
functions
within
God's
word
as a
type
of
Christ
teaching
us more
about
Jesus
our
redeemer
but to
think about
someone like
Boaz
sometimes
when it
comes to
the stories
in the
bible
people can
be a bit
worried about
what do we
do with
these stories
is it okay
to say
be like
Boaz
it is
this is a
great legacy
to pursue
to seek
to be
generous
and compassionate
and protective
and kind
like Boaz
to look
to honour
others
to look
to welcome
and show
hospitality
that's a
wonderful thing
for us to
seek to pursue
and to pray
to be more
like Boaz
of course
ultimately we
want to see
him representing
Jesus
but he also
shows us
how we
can live
for God
and also
when we
think about
Boaz
we need
to understand
that the way
the story
is being
told
is that
it becomes
clear for us
that God
is showing
grace
through
Boaz
God's
solution
to Naomi's
crisis
is Boaz
he's
the redeemer
it's interesting
that
and I guess
if we think
about our own
experience
when we find
ourselves
in trouble
and in need
so often
what does God
use to answer
our prayers
and to meet
our needs
so often
it's
other Christians
it's other
people in the
church
Naomi and
Ruth were in
crisis
God's response
godly
Boaz
and encourages
us to keep
our eyes
open for
how we
might be
answering the
prayers of
others as
we seek to
extend mercy
and kindness
and care
to the folks
around us
let's move
to the end
result
verse 17
to the end
and to think
about Naomi
for a couple
of minutes
think about
Naomi's
praise
and to
think about
God's
redeemer
so Ruth
returns home
at the end
of the day
and the focus
really returns
to Naomi
and again
the book of
Ruth is a
short book
but it's a
beautiful book
and it's a
very honest
book as well
it conveys a
lot about
the faith
journey of
Naomi
she goes
through a
lot
she experienced
hard things
from the
hand of
God
in chapter
one
hard to
see anything
other than
bitterness
hard to
see God's
mercy and
kindness
but now
now light
is shining
God's grace
is shining
she's beginning
to see
God at work
in ways
that are for
her good
and to bless
her she can
see that now
she's growing
in faith
her heart
is getting
soft
as she sees
God's grace
towards her
and we see it
in how she
responds
so Ruth
comes back
at the end
of the day
we're told
that the barley
she gathered
amounted to
about an
ephah
which is
about 13
kilograms
which the
books tell
me is a
few weeks
worth of
gleaning
ordinarily
and Naomi
is stunned
where did you
glean?
where did you
work?
blessed be the
man who took
notice of you
she knows
there's no
ordinary
effort
where were
you?
she seeks
blessing for
this unnamed
generous
landowner
notice
Naomi's
all about
where did
you glean
where did
you work
but Ruth
when she
answers
goes to
who did
I work
for
the name
of the
man I
worked
with
today
is
Boaz
is God's
answer
to
their
crisis
and listen
to the
change
you can hear
the change
in Naomi
from chapter
one
the Lord
bless
him
he has
not
stopped
showing
his
kindness
to the
living
and the
dead
Naomi
praises
the Lord
for
Boaz
Naomi
recognises
God's
care and
kindness and
compassion and
loyalty and
devotion to
her
it is being
found through
Boaz
that man is
our close
relative
he's one of
our guardian
redeemers
or kinsman
redeemers
and this is
this is huge
in the Old Testament
the kinsman
redeemer
what kind of
things would
they do
well they
as a general
rule they
they were to
act for the
well-being
of a family
member who
found themselves
in a crisis
so it could be
that they got
themselves into
debt and they
had to sell
themselves into
slavery where
the kinsman
redeemer could
buy them
back
the kinsman
redeemer could
serve
to protect
property
the kinsman
redeemer could
act to make
sure that
justice was
done for a
family member
at times
a kinsman
redeemer could
even marry
someone and
have family to
preserve the
family line
so it's big
news that
Boaz is
kinsman
redeemer and
what Naomi
can see
is that Ruth's
day of work
has not been a
chance in
kinsman
God has
directed this
God has
shown favor
God has
shown kindness
to her
and so the
scene ends
with Naomi
giving the
wisdom to
Ruth
it's good
for you to
stick with
this man
to stick with
his workers
to stick in
his field
and so she
does for two
harvests
stays under the
protection and
the provision
of Boaz
Naomi is
beginning to
see that
God the
God of
providence is
able to work
all things for
good
Naomi brought
back empty
but now she's
being filled up
and this is
the beginning
of the story
for her
and again as
we think about
what God
does in this
women's life
you know
involved in the
history of the
nations
involved in
this family
encourages us
God knows us
God sees us
God is able to
take care of us
so we can trust
and take refuge
under his wings
we also see
what happens
when God's
love breaks
through
we see the
wonder of God
providing a
redeemer and
response from
both Ruth and
Naomi is to
turn to praise
one example for
us in light of
the gospel in
light of God
providing Jesus
to trust in his
mercy to praise
him for his
love
that's where
we'll close
today we'll
close recognizing
that we too
need our
great redeemer
Jesus
because just like
Ruth and Naomi
we are utterly
dependent on
mercy
our need
as people
runs far
deeper
than even
the terrible
situation facing
Naomi and Ruth
deeper than
poverty
deeper than
famine
our crisis
ultimately is
spiritual
that debt
of sin
that we
have
that guilt
that is ours
the just
judgment
that we
face
and God's
solution
is to send
Jesus
to be our
kinsman
redeemer
why did
Jesus become
one of us
so he could
represent his
family line
humanity
became one
of us
so that he
might pay
the price
to buy
us back
to give
us
freedom
instead of
being slaves
to sin
he bears
the guilt
he experiences
the judgment
so we can
know God's
blessing
to shelter
under his
wing
to trust
in Jesus
is to receive
something far
greater than
grain
something far
greater than
physical needs
being met
is to find
forgiveness
is to find
right standing
with God
is to be
welcomed in
is to have
a glorious
future
to look
forward
to
Boaz is
wonderful
one of the
great characters
of the Old
Testament
but Jesus
it is a
greater
redeemer
just like
Boaz
and even
more so
Jesus
shows grace
to outsiders
whenever we
read the
gospels
you never
go far
before you
find Jesus
loving
welcoming
showing
compassion
to those
on the
margins
of society
to those
from other
nations
to tax
collectors
sinners
and those
who were
despised
the New
Testament
reminds us
that we
by nature
are foreigners
to God's
promises
not by nature
in covenant
with God
but by
Jesus
we can be
brought all
the way
in
just like
Boaz
and even
more so
we find
Jesus
our redeemer
is gentle
and protective
Jesus
who said
to the
crowds
come to
me
all you
who are
weary
and burdened
I will
give you
rest
Jesus
the one
who wept
over the
city of
Jerusalem
and what
did he
say as
he wept
how I
longed
to gather
you under
my wings
but
we're
not
willing
Jesus
is waiting
to show
compassion
and protection
and gentleness
and Jesus
promises for
those who
trust in him
none can
pluck them
out of my
hand he
never
abandons
those who
he commits
to save
just like
Boaz
but even
more so
Jesus our
redeemer is
known for
his generous
provision
the water
that Jesus
gives
is the
water of
life
the bread
that Jesus
provides
is his
own body
broken for
us on the
cross
the extent
of his
generosity
is that he
gives his
life so
that we
might truly
live
and just
like Boaz
Jesus
the redeemer
is for
us
the kindness
of God
Jesus
is God's
provision
for our
crisis
the cross
is the
expression
of God's
redeeming
love
of his
mercy
and his
compassion
it is for
us the
promise
of his
loyalty
and his
faithfulness
and so
as we
close
is to
ask the
question
will we
be like
Ruth
will we
be like
Naomi
will we
fall on
our knees
amazed
by God
providing a
redeemer
will we
bless God
for giving
us
Jesus'
son
to redeem
us
will we
find refuge
and hope
in him
now let's
sing
together
our closing
hymn
which is
there is a
redeemer
and let's
stand together
as we
sing
person
these
go
to
Hughes
ид
to
North
柄