WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.660 It's a 3,000 year story. 00:00:04.339 --> 00:00:06.780 I hope you've got into it the last few weeks. 00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:08.560 It's a strange story. 00:00:08.900 --> 00:00:11.179 There are interesting parts to the story 00:00:11.179 --> 00:00:11.200 ! 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:30.160 Okay. 00:00:31.739 --> 00:00:33.920 The book of Ruth is a real page-turner. 00:00:34.039 --> 00:00:36.679 We're about three months on from the end of chapter 2. 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:42.380 And at the end of chapter 2, we're told that they lived. 00:00:42.780 --> 00:00:45.060 She lived, didn't she, Ruth, with her mother-in-law. 00:00:45.140 --> 00:00:47.260 She'd been gleaning with the barley and the wheat harvest. 00:00:47.379 --> 00:00:48.260 It's three months later. 00:00:50.539 --> 00:00:52.140 The barley harvest is over. 00:00:52.219 --> 00:00:55.400 The means of support is disappearing and drying up. 00:00:55.399 --> 00:01:00.699 Someone has said that marriage is a woman's way of calling a meeting to order. 00:01:01.979 --> 00:01:03.700 And I don't know who said that. 00:01:04.920 --> 00:01:07.519 But marriage is a woman's way of calling a meeting to order. 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:09.719 Well, the meeting took place in chapter 2. 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:13.640 And now in chapter 3, Naomi, who is Ruth's mother-in-law, 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:15.159 is going to call this meeting to order. 00:01:16.819 --> 00:01:19.879 You mustn't think of her, as you read this, as an interfering mother-in-law. 00:01:19.939 --> 00:01:20.700 She's not like that. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:25.019 But we will see, I think, that she's something of a schemer. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:27.960 We see that in verse 1, don't we? 00:01:28.180 --> 00:01:28.580 Where she says, 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:30.060 Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, 00:01:30.300 --> 00:01:34.420 My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 00:01:34.500 --> 00:01:35.100 Leave it to me. 00:01:36.360 --> 00:01:37.400 I'll see you settled. 00:01:37.540 --> 00:01:39.100 I'll see you married off. 00:01:40.520 --> 00:01:42.560 But it's interesting, isn't it, the words she uses. 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:43.620 Can you see that word? 00:01:43.960 --> 00:01:47.100 Should I not seek rest for you? 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:50.000 I'll find rest for you. 00:01:50.020 --> 00:01:51.100 That's literally the words. 00:01:52.219 --> 00:01:55.260 And there's an echo, isn't there, in the prayer of chapter 1. 00:01:56.380 --> 00:02:01.020 Where, with very mixed emotions, and under huge pressure, 00:02:01.580 --> 00:02:06.280 she seeks to persuade her daughters-in-law to go back to Moab. 00:02:06.600 --> 00:02:07.600 How are we doing, little man? 00:02:08.659 --> 00:02:09.400 Second lap. 00:02:09.860 --> 00:02:10.400 Go for it. 00:02:11.060 --> 00:02:13.360 I can see his dad's just standing at the back now. 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:17.780 And so, in chapter 1 and verse 9, can you see? 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:26.040 Then the Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you, in the house of your husband. 00:02:26.039 --> 00:02:31.379 And again, it's that word rest that is used, and the word resonates with meaning. 00:02:31.719 --> 00:02:33.780 It's an echo of the Garden of Eden. 00:02:34.579 --> 00:02:36.719 So do you remember after God created the world? 00:02:37.359 --> 00:02:41.479 He created the world in six days by the world of his power, and it was all very good. 00:02:41.479 --> 00:02:43.399 But on day 7, what did he do? 00:02:43.819 --> 00:02:45.459 He rested. 00:02:46.939 --> 00:02:49.379 And he proclaimed a Sabbath rest to be kept. 00:02:50.539 --> 00:02:52.259 And it's that same word that's used here. 00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:53.199 It's a significant word. 00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:56.079 We started our service with that word. 00:02:56.159 --> 00:02:56.519 Do you remember? 00:02:56.520 --> 00:03:05.120 Remember, Jesus said, come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 00:03:06.160 --> 00:03:08.540 It's the word that's used to describe the promised land. 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:15.080 When Abraham is promised, isn't he, you will go to a land that is flowing with milk and honey. 00:03:16.040 --> 00:03:19.400 And it says they entered into the land of rest. 00:03:19.600 --> 00:03:20.379 That's how it's seen. 00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:25.000 And so it was seen as God's answer to their prayers. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:29.120 It was seen as God's fulfillment of the covenant that he made with Abraham. 00:03:30.340 --> 00:03:34.080 And when they got to that place, they were entering into God's rest. 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:37.740 You go to the New Testament, the writer of the Hebrews says, 00:03:38.180 --> 00:03:40.520 there is a rest that remains now for the people of God. 00:03:41.740 --> 00:03:43.580 In the new heavens and the new earth. 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:49.319 And so the word rest doesn't mean just taking your shoes off and putting your feet up. 00:03:49.960 --> 00:03:51.259 It's a salvation word. 00:03:52.699 --> 00:03:54.479 And that's the word that's being used here. 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:57.860 That's what Naomi wants for her daughters-in-law. 00:03:58.020 --> 00:03:59.419 That's what she wants for Ruth. 00:03:59.699 --> 00:04:04.639 She wants her to experience the salvation that God has promised to his people Israel. 00:04:05.699 --> 00:04:07.219 She's got her priorities right. 00:04:08.219 --> 00:04:10.860 She wants the very best for her. 00:04:10.860 --> 00:04:14.180 Not so much a big house and a large family. 00:04:15.480 --> 00:04:18.980 But she wants Ruth to come to know the big God of the Bible. 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:22.759 And the big promises that he's made to Israel. 00:04:22.980 --> 00:04:25.319 So she takes practical steps now for it to happen. 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:28.900 And that in itself I think is interesting. 00:04:29.020 --> 00:04:34.180 Because up until now, what you've seen in the book of Ruth is really a great lesson in the sovereignty of God. 00:04:34.180 --> 00:04:37.879 The sovereign providence of God. 00:04:38.780 --> 00:04:40.180 It's something that stood out, isn't it? 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:45.600 So we've seen the narrative says, as it happens, as it happened, it so turned out. 00:04:46.960 --> 00:04:49.819 And the writer has been telling us that things don't just happen. 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:54.139 There is a God who's working out the circumstances of all our lives. 00:04:54.139 --> 00:04:58.240 There's a sovereign God working in this little family. 00:04:59.099 --> 00:05:00.159 Working out his will. 00:05:00.300 --> 00:05:01.079 Working out his purposes. 00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:02.680 So things just don't happen. 00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:08.560 And yet on the other hand, we do have a responsibility to make things happen. 00:05:09.539 --> 00:05:12.219 We believe in the great salvation plan of God. 00:05:12.279 --> 00:05:15.180 And yet there is also a responsibility to do things. 00:05:15.419 --> 00:05:16.599 And here's what's happening here. 00:05:18.060 --> 00:05:22.659 She says to Ruth, come on, let's make this happen. 00:05:24.139 --> 00:05:24.879 Time is going on. 00:05:24.979 --> 00:05:25.800 Time is at a premium. 00:05:26.019 --> 00:05:27.379 I'm going to find this rest for you. 00:05:28.779 --> 00:05:31.599 And so she draws up a daring and a dangerous plan. 00:05:31.659 --> 00:05:34.319 And that's the first thing I think we see in this chapter. 00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:35.579 We see Naomi's plan. 00:05:37.699 --> 00:05:41.519 Look at verses 1 to 5. 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:45.360 My daughter, should I not seek rest for you that it may be well with you? 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:46.599 Is not Boaz our relative? 00:05:47.219 --> 00:05:48.459 With whose young women you were. 00:05:48.779 --> 00:05:51.279 See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 00:05:51.539 --> 00:05:52.060 Wash yourself. 00:05:53.159 --> 00:05:53.839 Put perfume on. 00:05:54.899 --> 00:05:55.819 Stick your best dress on. 00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:58.019 Go down to the threshing floor. 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:01.639 Do not make yourself known to the man until he's finished eating and drinking. 00:06:01.719 --> 00:06:03.620 But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. 00:06:03.719 --> 00:06:05.539 And then go and uncover his feet. 00:06:06.539 --> 00:06:07.060 And lie down. 00:06:08.419 --> 00:06:09.539 And he will tell you what to do. 00:06:10.839 --> 00:06:11.539 And Ruth replied, 00:06:12.539 --> 00:06:13.620 All you say I will do. 00:06:13.620 --> 00:06:18.899 As I said, she's not matchmaking. 00:06:19.340 --> 00:06:22.000 She's not playing the part of the interfering mother-in-law. 00:06:22.100 --> 00:06:24.100 It is the accepted practice. 00:06:25.480 --> 00:06:30.579 Then, as it is today, in many parts of the world, in many cultures, for marriages to be arranged by the parents. 00:06:30.579 --> 00:06:33.419 And so here is Naomi. 00:06:33.419 --> 00:06:36.500 She's not acting out of place according to the conventions of her day. 00:06:36.599 --> 00:06:39.959 She's taking parental responsibility for a daughter-in-law. 00:06:40.060 --> 00:06:41.139 Her intentions are good. 00:06:41.139 --> 00:06:43.339 But Boaz is the answer to all their problems. 00:06:44.620 --> 00:06:47.419 As we saw last time, he happens to be their next of kin. 00:06:47.420 --> 00:06:51.420 And the technical term in the law of Israel is he is their kinsman-redeemer. 00:06:53.960 --> 00:06:58.699 And so if Ruth were to marry this man, Boaz, their future would be secure in Israel. 00:06:59.640 --> 00:07:02.860 The family name, the family line would continue amongst the people of God. 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:06.300 If Ruth married Boaz, the debts would be paid. 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:09.080 Their land would be returned to them. 00:07:10.379 --> 00:07:13.560 And if Ruth were to have a child, the family line would continue. 00:07:14.960 --> 00:07:15.960 There's a lot at stake. 00:07:17.420 --> 00:07:19.280 But time is of the essence. 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:22.300 Three months on now. 00:07:23.620 --> 00:07:25.160 And Boaz hasn't made his move. 00:07:26.620 --> 00:07:27.680 I don't know what's wrong with him. 00:07:27.860 --> 00:07:28.759 We don't know. 00:07:28.819 --> 00:07:29.640 Perhaps he's shy. 00:07:29.840 --> 00:07:30.900 Perhaps he's a shy bachelor. 00:07:32.379 --> 00:07:35.759 Perhaps he's far more conscious of the age difference between them. 00:07:36.139 --> 00:07:38.720 Ruth is probably late teens, early twenties. 00:07:39.700 --> 00:07:42.160 Boaz is at least 10 or 20 years older. 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:49.100 And it seems, reading between the lines, that we pick up on some of the things he says about the younger men. 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:53.100 We don't know exactly why there's this delay. 00:07:54.260 --> 00:07:57.560 But it certainly builds up the tension in the story. 00:07:58.220 --> 00:07:59.320 Time is going on. 00:07:59.400 --> 00:08:00.379 The clock is ticking. 00:08:00.540 --> 00:08:01.560 And something has to be done. 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:03.939 Before the opportunity is lost. 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:07.339 And Naomi hitches this little plan. 00:08:07.420 --> 00:08:08.519 Look what she says in verse 2. 00:08:10.680 --> 00:08:11.980 She says, Boaz is our relative. 00:08:11.980 --> 00:08:16.120 And he's winnowing barley tonight in the threshing floor. 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:16.900 Wash therefore. 00:08:17.280 --> 00:08:17.879 Anoint yourself. 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:19.420 Put on your cloak. 00:08:19.500 --> 00:08:20.439 Go down to the threshing floor. 00:08:20.520 --> 00:08:22.620 Do not make yourself known to the man until he's finished eating. 00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:25.000 But when he lies down, observe the place he lies. 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:27.439 And then go and uncover his feet. 00:08:28.520 --> 00:08:30.060 And lie down and he will tell you what to do. 00:08:31.960 --> 00:08:35.700 The female of the species is more deadly than the male. 00:08:35.700 --> 00:08:39.020 And this poor guy, he doesn't stand a chance, does he? 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:41.640 But is it right? 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:44.740 Is it right? 00:08:47.580 --> 00:08:50.800 I've got no doubt about Naomi's motive and her intentions. 00:08:50.800 --> 00:08:54.500 But I can't help thinking she is skating on thin ice here. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:57.879 She's taking a very big risk. 00:08:58.120 --> 00:09:01.080 And she is putting Ruth in a potentially compromising situation. 00:09:02.100 --> 00:09:05.140 A cornfield at night full of young men. 00:09:05.700 --> 00:09:08.140 Many of them full of drink. 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:11.120 It's bad enough in the daytime. 00:09:11.220 --> 00:09:12.020 We've seen that in chapter 2. 00:09:12.660 --> 00:09:13.840 Let alone in the middle of the night. 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:16.060 And Naomi is telling me, put your best clothes on. 00:09:16.160 --> 00:09:17.100 Spray yourself with perfume. 00:09:17.220 --> 00:09:18.259 Spend the night with Boaz. 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:21.360 What are we to make of it? 00:09:21.740 --> 00:09:22.800 And it gets worse, doesn't it? 00:09:22.900 --> 00:09:24.440 Uncover his feet, she says. 00:09:24.520 --> 00:09:25.580 That is very clever. 00:09:27.379 --> 00:09:31.180 If Boaz is suddenly startled out of his bed by an intruder, 00:09:31.180 --> 00:09:33.360 he might very well sound an alarm or cry out 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:35.080 and wake up the entire workforce. 00:09:36.280 --> 00:09:39.420 It's almost as if, Ruth 3, he's sleeping in a dormitory. 00:09:40.800 --> 00:09:43.200 And by this way, he will be woken up gradually. 00:09:43.460 --> 00:09:46.020 You know, it's like when your wife takes the bedclothes from you 00:09:46.020 --> 00:09:47.320 and your feet stick out the duvet 00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:50.900 and suddenly wake up with cold feet. 00:09:50.899 --> 00:09:54.299 You wake up not suddenly but gradually. 00:09:55.799 --> 00:09:57.279 You wake up without any commotion. 00:09:58.819 --> 00:10:00.059 And when he wakes up, she says, 00:10:00.139 --> 00:10:01.840 before he's got time to wipe the sleep out of his eyes, 00:10:01.939 --> 00:10:02.539 propose to him. 00:10:03.199 --> 00:10:04.419 It's a pretty daring plan. 00:10:04.419 --> 00:10:07.139 It's a risky sort of thing. 00:10:07.199 --> 00:10:08.539 What are we to make of it? 00:10:09.740 --> 00:10:11.099 Is she being manipulative? 00:10:11.219 --> 00:10:12.379 Is she trying to force things? 00:10:12.479 --> 00:10:14.959 Is she going beyond what she really should have done? 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:19.740 Is she taking matters into her own hands and trying to force things? 00:10:19.740 --> 00:10:23.340 It's been three months since the end of the last chapter. 00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:25.220 Three months since the barley harvest. 00:10:25.399 --> 00:10:26.779 And nothing seems to be happening. 00:10:27.220 --> 00:10:29.060 And life quietly goes on. 00:10:29.799 --> 00:10:32.480 And waiting is difficult, isn't it, at the best of times. 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:35.399 It's doubly difficult at the worst of times. 00:10:36.460 --> 00:10:38.720 When you don't know when your next meal is coming from. 00:10:39.740 --> 00:10:41.800 And that's the situation these women are in. 00:10:43.899 --> 00:10:47.240 And that's when waiting can easily turn into questioning. 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:49.720 Where is God? 00:10:49.860 --> 00:10:51.399 Has he forgotten about us? 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:52.980 Has he abandoned me? 00:10:55.320 --> 00:10:58.039 And sometimes God seems to disappear completely, doesn't he, 00:10:58.039 --> 00:10:59.180 into the tapestry of life. 00:10:59.179 --> 00:11:02.919 And we just assume he's forgotten us. 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:04.679 And that must have been how these women had felt. 00:11:04.759 --> 00:11:05.399 Without husbands. 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:06.279 Without heirs. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:08.459 Literally facing a bleak future. 00:11:09.159 --> 00:11:10.399 Living from hand to mouth. 00:11:12.279 --> 00:11:13.859 And so it's a very tense situation. 00:11:14.019 --> 00:11:15.399 And yet there is one ray of hope. 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:16.839 And he's a man called Boaz. 00:11:17.099 --> 00:11:18.239 He's the next of kin. 00:11:18.359 --> 00:11:19.279 The kinsman redeemer. 00:11:20.959 --> 00:11:23.159 He's a close relative who can marry the widow. 00:11:23.339 --> 00:11:24.139 Buy back the land. 00:11:24.259 --> 00:11:24.859 Have children. 00:11:24.859 --> 00:11:26.439 Ensure a future for the family. 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:30.260 And that's all enshrined in Deuteronomy 25 and Leviticus. 00:11:31.740 --> 00:11:32.920 And Boaz is the man. 00:11:34.680 --> 00:11:36.020 He's the kinsman redeemer. 00:11:36.120 --> 00:11:37.460 The close relative to the family. 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:42.060 And Naomi, is she going to let this opportunity slip through our fingers? 00:11:42.460 --> 00:11:42.960 Her fingers. 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:46.340 But what are we to make of it? 00:11:48.580 --> 00:11:50.660 Is this the sort of advice you'd give to your daughter? 00:11:50.660 --> 00:11:53.560 Or your granddaughter? 00:11:53.860 --> 00:11:55.280 Or to a young woman in the congregation? 00:11:56.440 --> 00:12:01.320 I'm hesitating to judge Naomi because of what is at stake here. 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:04.920 But I certainly do want to say to you, don't copy Naomi. 00:12:05.060 --> 00:12:08.900 I don't think what she's doing here is completely right. 00:12:10.620 --> 00:12:12.280 It's a little bit suspect. 00:12:13.940 --> 00:12:15.640 There is nothing improper. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:18.440 There is nothing immoral. 00:12:18.440 --> 00:12:22.820 And we know that nothing immoral took place from verse 14. 00:12:23.180 --> 00:12:24.060 They know and we know. 00:12:26.380 --> 00:12:28.640 And so that helps us to understand what is going on. 00:12:28.780 --> 00:12:33.560 Both Naomi and Ruth, they knew that Boaz was a godly man and a God-fearing man. 00:12:33.559 --> 00:12:38.359 And he proved that to them tangibly by blessing them with all sorts of things. 00:12:39.139 --> 00:12:43.619 And by his respect for her and his protection for her in a dangerous environment. 00:12:43.620 --> 00:12:46.679 So he's a godly man. 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:49.100 And we read there, don't we, in verse 14. 00:12:49.100 --> 00:12:58.759 Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor. 00:13:01.500 --> 00:13:05.840 She laid his feet until morning and she arose before one could recognize another. 00:13:06.019 --> 00:13:07.920 She got up before she could be seen by others. 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:13.779 The Bible does tell you and I that we are to avoid the appearance of evil. 00:13:16.279 --> 00:13:19.599 What do you think Boaz's colleagues, his mates, would have thought 00:13:19.599 --> 00:13:23.360 if they'd caught sight of Ruth leaving his bedroom in the early hours of the morning? 00:13:25.299 --> 00:13:28.059 As much as he might protest, they wouldn't believe it, would they? 00:13:30.199 --> 00:13:33.019 What do you think the world thinks when Christian young men and women 00:13:33.019 --> 00:13:34.659 kind of stay overnight in the same place? 00:13:34.659 --> 00:13:38.439 We say, well, they're Christians, it's not going to happen. 00:13:38.719 --> 00:13:40.199 Well, you're human beings as well. 00:13:42.819 --> 00:13:43.839 What does the world think? 00:13:43.899 --> 00:13:45.339 The world just assumes. 00:13:47.459 --> 00:13:49.199 And remember, these were the days of the judges 00:13:49.199 --> 00:13:52.439 where everybody did what was right in their own sight. 00:13:53.939 --> 00:13:55.319 So that leads me to my second point. 00:13:55.419 --> 00:13:58.419 Naomi's daring, dangerous, risky plan. 00:13:59.419 --> 00:14:01.199 But as a result of Naomi's scheming, 00:14:01.459 --> 00:14:03.620 Boaz finds himself, doesn't he, in a real predicament. 00:14:04.659 --> 00:14:06.179 He's in a real predicament. 00:14:07.839 --> 00:14:09.799 It's an embarrassing situation, I expect, 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:11.539 to wake up in the middle of the night 00:14:11.539 --> 00:14:13.819 and find the woman of your dreams lying at your feet. 00:14:15.719 --> 00:14:16.740 And so what does he do? 00:14:19.299 --> 00:14:20.439 Well, what doesn't he do? 00:14:22.219 --> 00:14:24.039 Everyone else is doing it in the days of the judges. 00:14:25.699 --> 00:14:28.659 Everyone did what was right in their own eyes. 00:14:28.659 --> 00:14:31.939 That's how the book of Judges ends. 00:14:32.059 --> 00:14:34.199 We're told that morally and spiritually, 00:14:34.539 --> 00:14:37.779 it was really just like the kind of beginning of the 18th century. 00:14:39.319 --> 00:14:41.299 It's like England in many ways now, 00:14:41.419 --> 00:14:42.480 but like England then, 00:14:42.539 --> 00:14:44.679 in the days before the Methodist revival 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:45.980 with Wesley and Whitefield. 00:14:47.419 --> 00:14:49.139 Somebody spoke about the 18th century 00:14:49.139 --> 00:14:51.480 before the Methodist revival, 00:14:51.559 --> 00:14:52.079 and they said this, 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:54.020 they've taken the knot out of the commandments 00:14:54.020 --> 00:14:55.300 and put it in the creed. 00:14:56.920 --> 00:14:59.440 That was a summing up of how things were spiritually. 00:15:00.700 --> 00:15:02.920 They've taken the knot out of the commandments, 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:05.440 and they've put them into the creed. 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:09.980 A time of spiritual and moral anarchy and apostasy. 00:15:10.259 --> 00:15:11.980 Everyone did what was right in their own eyes. 00:15:11.980 --> 00:15:16.639 So why doesn't Boaz behave like everybody else? 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:18.899 And the answer is because Boaz fears God. 00:15:20.940 --> 00:15:23.019 The smile of God 00:15:23.019 --> 00:15:27.159 matters more to Boaz than the sneer of his employees. 00:15:28.600 --> 00:15:30.639 And the frown of God 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:33.000 meant more to Boaz 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:35.399 than the scowling frowns around him. 00:15:36.200 --> 00:15:37.039 He fears God. 00:15:39.060 --> 00:15:41.639 And God is real in this man's life. 00:15:41.980 --> 00:15:45.700 We see it in the way that he goes to work, don't we? 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:47.259 Do you see the way that he greets his workers? 00:15:49.539 --> 00:15:50.060 He says, 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:51.159 The Lord be with you. 00:15:51.500 --> 00:15:52.820 You don't hear that very often in Ealing. 00:15:54.539 --> 00:15:55.539 Here was a man, 00:15:56.460 --> 00:15:58.240 and God was real in his life, 00:15:58.279 --> 00:15:58.980 in his conversations, 00:15:59.659 --> 00:16:00.899 in his interactions with people. 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:01.720 The Lord be with you. 00:16:01.940 --> 00:16:03.080 And he recognizes Ruth, 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:04.620 not simply as a foreigner, 00:16:04.700 --> 00:16:06.759 not simply as a refugee who's come for a handout, 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:09.820 but as a fellow believer 00:16:09.820 --> 00:16:11.340 who's come to take refuge 00:16:11.340 --> 00:16:12.280 under the shelter 00:16:12.280 --> 00:16:14.519 of the wings of God. 00:16:16.519 --> 00:16:18.100 And so he's a godly man 00:16:18.100 --> 00:16:20.019 who's trusting God's promises. 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:21.800 Look at verse 12. 00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:29.480 Chapter 2 and verse 12, even. 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:32.420 He says to Ruth in chapter 2, 00:16:32.580 --> 00:16:33.920 The Lord will pay you for what you've done, 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:35.899 and a full reward be given you by the Lord, 00:16:35.959 --> 00:16:36.860 the God of Israel, 00:16:37.099 --> 00:16:39.459 under whose wings you've come to take refuge. 00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:42.819 And that's the key to this man's character. 00:16:42.959 --> 00:16:43.779 He knows the Lord. 00:16:43.860 --> 00:16:45.799 He knows the God who's revealed himself 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:47.500 to the people of Israel, 00:16:47.599 --> 00:16:49.240 and that that God is a righteous God. 00:16:49.539 --> 00:16:49.919 And he says, 00:16:50.019 --> 00:16:51.939 May the Lord repay you for what you've done. 00:16:51.940 --> 00:16:55.500 May you be richly rewarded by the Lord. 00:16:55.700 --> 00:16:57.360 And that perspective is written 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:00.080 into his entire outlook and consciousness. 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:03.220 So when he wakes up in the middle of the night 00:17:03.220 --> 00:17:04.559 and he looks at his phone 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:07.100 and there's something that may well lead him into sin, 00:17:07.320 --> 00:17:08.180 he says to Joseph, 00:17:08.320 --> 00:17:09.880 How dare can I do this 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:11.700 and sin against God? 00:17:11.700 --> 00:17:14.680 And when he wakes up in the middle of the night 00:17:14.680 --> 00:17:16.420 and he finds this woman lying at his feet, 00:17:16.500 --> 00:17:18.559 How can I do this evil and sin against God? 00:17:20.740 --> 00:17:22.559 He's not going to be swayed by the moral 00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:24.680 and the social consensus of the people around him. 00:17:25.720 --> 00:17:27.440 He's not going to take that as his guide. 00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:28.500 He's going to do what is right 00:17:28.500 --> 00:17:29.640 because he knows God. 00:17:31.299 --> 00:17:32.539 And he knows that God is righteous. 00:17:32.700 --> 00:17:34.200 And he knows that there is a day coming 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:36.860 when things that have been whispered in the dark 00:17:36.860 --> 00:17:38.680 and things that have been done in secret 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:40.360 will be brought out into the light. 00:17:41.700 --> 00:17:44.000 He fears God. 00:17:44.039 --> 00:17:46.200 And the problem today in our culture 00:17:46.200 --> 00:17:48.240 is that there is no fear of God in the land. 00:17:50.519 --> 00:17:52.319 And they've taken the knot out of the commandments 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:53.319 and put it in the creed. 00:17:55.420 --> 00:17:57.680 But you notice something else about Boaz's predicament. 00:17:58.120 --> 00:18:00.259 He handles this dangerous, 00:18:01.539 --> 00:18:02.960 sensitive side of things pretty well, 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:03.700 but there's a complication. 00:18:03.819 --> 00:18:05.160 It's a real page turner, isn't it? 00:18:05.360 --> 00:18:05.840 Guess what? 00:18:05.900 --> 00:18:06.900 There's a third party. 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:08.640 Look at verse 11 of chapter 3. 00:18:10.299 --> 00:18:11.460 You didn't see that coming. 00:18:11.700 --> 00:18:14.700 And now, my daughter, do not fear. 00:18:14.779 --> 00:18:16.620 I will do for you all that you ask. 00:18:18.380 --> 00:18:21.039 For all my townspeople know that you are a worthy woman. 00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:23.860 And it is true that I'm a redeemer. 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:27.380 Yet there's a redeemer nearer than I. 00:18:31.580 --> 00:18:32.740 Remain tonight and in the morning. 00:18:32.900 --> 00:18:34.519 If he will redeem you good, let him do it. 00:18:34.519 --> 00:18:39.839 Just when you thought the girl was going to get the guy. 00:18:41.500 --> 00:18:44.879 Just when you thought it was a happy, ever-ending story, 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:46.139 there's a cloud on the horizon. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:50.019 Boaz and Ruth, their Facebook status, 00:18:51.019 --> 00:18:52.379 turns to it's complicated. 00:18:52.380 --> 00:18:54.980 There's this other guy. 00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:58.460 And we've got to do the right thing, Boaz says. 00:19:00.460 --> 00:19:02.460 There's every indication as you read the book of Ruth 00:19:02.460 --> 00:19:05.120 that Boaz is head over heels in love with Ruth. 00:19:06.540 --> 00:19:08.680 But he's even more in love with God 00:19:08.680 --> 00:19:10.360 and with his word. 00:19:10.359 --> 00:19:14.459 And even if it means losing Ruth 00:19:14.459 --> 00:19:16.699 and breaking his own heart, 00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:19.099 good, he says. 00:19:20.619 --> 00:19:22.699 We've got to do what God's word says. 00:19:24.579 --> 00:19:27.639 And even though it cuts across my desires, 00:19:28.199 --> 00:19:31.139 I've got to do what God's word says. 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:36.819 And if we say we believe God and fear God and love God, 00:19:36.899 --> 00:19:38.719 we will have to put God's word first. 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:41.799 And leave the consequences to him. 00:19:45.220 --> 00:19:46.819 We're in a situation like this, aren't we? 00:19:47.779 --> 00:19:50.220 I don't know how many times each week living in the UK. 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:54.500 And God's will must be done 00:19:54.500 --> 00:19:56.860 even though it might break my heart 00:19:56.860 --> 00:19:59.920 and seemingly mess up my life. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:04.720 Or that my heart's desire might not be met. 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:09.460 God's will being done is the most important thing. 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:14.220 And I'm sure that's the right way to understand this chapter. 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:17.019 I don't think for one moment 00:20:17.019 --> 00:20:19.360 that Boaz is trying to wriggle out of his responsibility. 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:22.819 He's not trying to fob Ruth off 00:20:22.819 --> 00:20:24.400 onto another kinsman redeemer. 00:20:25.600 --> 00:20:27.579 Everything that we've read about him so far 00:20:27.579 --> 00:20:29.079 tells us that is not the case. 00:20:29.559 --> 00:20:31.640 There's nothing he would rather do than marry Ruth. 00:20:31.640 --> 00:20:34.540 But he wants these things to be done rightly 00:20:34.540 --> 00:20:35.940 according to the word of God. 00:20:37.980 --> 00:20:39.460 He's saying you can't start a marriage 00:20:39.460 --> 00:20:40.640 in the middle of a cornfield. 00:20:41.040 --> 00:20:42.860 In the dead of night, it's got to be done properly. 00:20:43.720 --> 00:20:45.480 And legally, according to God's word. 00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:48.120 And as Christian people, 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:49.440 we are under the authority 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:50.860 of God's word. 00:20:50.859 --> 00:20:54.019 Jesus said, 00:20:54.139 --> 00:20:54.579 in the beginning, 00:20:55.339 --> 00:20:56.259 this is how it was, 00:20:56.399 --> 00:20:57.179 and this is how it is, 00:20:57.240 --> 00:20:58.539 a man shall leave his parents 00:20:58.539 --> 00:20:59.559 and be married to his wife. 00:21:01.319 --> 00:21:02.279 That marriage is a covenant 00:21:02.279 --> 00:21:04.799 between one man and one woman. 00:21:06.019 --> 00:21:07.039 And it is a covenant 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:09.399 voluntarily entered into full life. 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:10.599 That is the word of God. 00:21:13.259 --> 00:21:14.459 That is the teaching of Jesus. 00:21:14.460 --> 00:21:18.279 And that means we are under his authority. 00:21:21.140 --> 00:21:24.079 And so on the issue of LGBTQ+, 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:27.360 no matter how much we might really, 00:21:27.600 --> 00:21:29.039 really like our gay friends, 00:21:30.620 --> 00:21:31.700 and however powerful 00:21:31.700 --> 00:21:34.559 and emotive their arguments might be, 00:21:35.500 --> 00:21:38.079 we have to do what Boaz did. 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:41.339 And we have to humbly 00:21:41.339 --> 00:21:43.299 put ourselves under the authority 00:21:43.299 --> 00:21:44.299 of God's word. 00:21:48.419 --> 00:21:50.579 So Boaz, we've seen Naomi plotting 00:21:50.579 --> 00:21:51.359 and planning. 00:21:52.740 --> 00:21:54.359 And we've seen the predicament 00:21:54.359 --> 00:21:56.339 that puts Boaz into. 00:21:57.639 --> 00:21:59.099 And the way he re-handles it, 00:21:59.460 --> 00:22:00.679 he goes to the word of God. 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:01.539 Now thirdly and lastly, 00:22:01.659 --> 00:22:02.919 let's take a closer look 00:22:02.919 --> 00:22:03.679 at what this is all about. 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:05.220 Let's see Ruth's proposal. 00:22:05.220 --> 00:22:08.120 Because it is a proposal of marriage, 00:22:08.200 --> 00:22:09.059 but it's a bit more than that. 00:22:09.220 --> 00:22:10.519 Look what she says in verse 9. 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:16.220 She's there in the middle of the night. 00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:17.420 Who are you? 00:22:17.559 --> 00:22:17.799 He says. 00:22:18.059 --> 00:22:18.460 She answered, 00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:19.860 I'm Ruth, your servant. 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:22.600 Spread your wings over your servant, 00:22:22.819 --> 00:22:24.000 for you are a redeemer. 00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:26.279 It's interesting, isn't it? 00:22:26.460 --> 00:22:29.220 To spread the corner of your wings, 00:22:29.360 --> 00:22:30.100 of your garment, 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:31.600 it's a little bit like 00:22:31.600 --> 00:22:33.860 a woman asking for an engagement ring today. 00:22:35.220 --> 00:22:36.779 Boaz, she's saying, 00:22:36.900 --> 00:22:37.740 it's been three months. 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:39.019 Are you serious? 00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:43.680 Spread the corner of your garment over me. 00:22:46.279 --> 00:22:47.920 But she uses Bible language. 00:22:48.059 --> 00:22:49.819 She uses the same expression 00:22:49.819 --> 00:22:51.620 as Ezekiel 16 verse 8 00:22:51.620 --> 00:22:53.420 to express God's marriage proposal 00:22:53.420 --> 00:22:54.000 to his people. 00:22:55.819 --> 00:22:56.519 Listen to these words. 00:22:56.620 --> 00:22:57.539 God says to Israel, 00:22:57.640 --> 00:22:58.360 when I looked at you, 00:22:58.420 --> 00:22:59.420 he's speaking of his people Israel, 00:22:59.640 --> 00:23:00.960 he's brought his people Israel 00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:01.559 out of Egypt, 00:23:01.700 --> 00:23:02.559 led them through the desert. 00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:04.079 When I passed by you again 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:05.319 and saw you behold, 00:23:05.940 --> 00:23:07.099 you were at the age for love. 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:10.740 And I spread the corner of my garment over you 00:23:10.740 --> 00:23:12.039 and covered your nakedness. 00:23:12.779 --> 00:23:14.099 I made my vow to you 00:23:14.099 --> 00:23:15.700 and entered into a covenant with you, 00:23:15.779 --> 00:23:16.700 declares the Lord God, 00:23:16.759 --> 00:23:17.859 and you became mine. 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:20.899 I spread the corner of my garment over you 00:23:20.899 --> 00:23:22.359 and you became mine. 00:23:22.500 --> 00:23:23.240 It's the same expression. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:26.919 It's a proposal of marriage. 00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:30.960 But it's more than that. 00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:35.800 The same word is used in chapter 2 and verse 12 00:23:35.800 --> 00:23:39.200 to describe the wings of God. 00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:42.140 And so do you remember, 00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:43.420 Boaz talks about Ruth. 00:23:43.620 --> 00:23:44.100 Ruth, he says, 00:23:44.180 --> 00:23:45.980 you've sheltered under the wings of the Almighty. 00:23:46.140 --> 00:23:46.759 It's the same word. 00:23:47.220 --> 00:23:48.200 And Ruth is saying, 00:23:49.340 --> 00:23:52.300 spread your wings over me. 00:23:53.120 --> 00:23:55.160 Take me under your wing, Boaz. 00:23:55.160 --> 00:24:00.440 It's got an awful lot to say about Christian marriage. 00:24:02.800 --> 00:24:05.840 In fact, it's saying exactly what the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians. 00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:06.759 Do you remember what he says? 00:24:06.820 --> 00:24:07.840 He says there, doesn't he? 00:24:07.860 --> 00:24:08.700 Husbands, love your wives, 00:24:08.759 --> 00:24:10.420 and wives, submit to your husbands. 00:24:12.940 --> 00:24:14.540 Incredibly politically incorrect. 00:24:17.540 --> 00:24:18.259 For a start, 00:24:18.460 --> 00:24:20.900 wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. 00:24:20.900 --> 00:24:24.140 It's not saying, 00:24:24.860 --> 00:24:28.740 your husband is your Lord and Master. 00:24:28.820 --> 00:24:29.440 It's not saying that. 00:24:32.380 --> 00:24:35.820 You don't submit to a man just because he is a man, 00:24:35.900 --> 00:24:37.420 just because he quotes the Bible at you 00:24:37.420 --> 00:24:39.000 and abuses his position. 00:24:39.320 --> 00:24:42.400 She has come and taken shelter under the wings of the Almighty. 00:24:42.759 --> 00:24:44.700 And now here is the godly man, Boaz, 00:24:44.860 --> 00:24:46.200 and she can do the same with him. 00:24:46.300 --> 00:24:46.900 That's the picture. 00:24:46.900 --> 00:24:50.440 She can come and shelter under his wings. 00:24:50.740 --> 00:24:52.940 She can come to him for provision and protection. 00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:55.600 And that's what a godly husband does to a wife. 00:24:57.759 --> 00:24:59.560 What does the godly husband look like? 00:24:59.640 --> 00:25:00.400 He nourishes her. 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:01.320 He cares for her. 00:25:01.420 --> 00:25:02.840 Husbands, love your wives. 00:25:03.360 --> 00:25:07.100 Love them like a redeemer loves his wife. 00:25:08.800 --> 00:25:10.680 Love them as Christ loved the church 00:25:10.680 --> 00:25:11.960 and gave himself for it. 00:25:11.960 --> 00:25:16.660 I'm not naive. 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:19.019 I am aware that this can be 00:25:19.019 --> 00:25:21.279 and this has been terribly abused. 00:25:24.440 --> 00:25:26.579 I'm not sure I've ever talked about it before from the pulpit, 00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:28.940 but I don't want to pretend that domestic violence 00:25:28.940 --> 00:25:32.200 does not happen in churches like ours 00:25:32.200 --> 00:25:33.420 because stories come out. 00:25:35.620 --> 00:25:38.500 And sometimes there's an awful lot of pain and anguish 00:25:38.500 --> 00:25:41.019 because people are not willing to share that story. 00:25:41.019 --> 00:25:43.279 It's embarrassing in a Bible-believing church like this. 00:25:45.160 --> 00:25:47.440 But I want to say very, very clearly this morning 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:49.539 that where there is domestic violence, 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:51.559 that is a denial of the gospel. 00:25:53.220 --> 00:25:54.579 It is a wicked thing. 00:25:56.039 --> 00:25:57.940 And it is a denial of the gospel. 00:25:59.379 --> 00:26:00.539 And if you're in that situation, 00:26:00.660 --> 00:26:04.660 I would plead with you to share that with someone. 00:26:04.660 --> 00:26:10.880 But I want you to see in this scene with Ruth 00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:12.400 that she is proposing. 00:26:14.660 --> 00:26:17.120 And look at how she understands this marriage to Boaz. 00:26:17.180 --> 00:26:18.180 She understands that in marriage, 00:26:18.300 --> 00:26:20.440 she comes under the shelter of his wings. 00:26:21.660 --> 00:26:23.200 Take me under your wings, she says. 00:26:23.420 --> 00:26:24.920 So this proposal of marriage, 00:26:25.460 --> 00:26:26.720 it is that, but it's more than that. 00:26:26.800 --> 00:26:27.800 Marry me, she's saying to him. 00:26:27.799 --> 00:26:32.279 You can't say Ruth is backward in coming forward. 00:26:33.059 --> 00:26:34.099 She's very bold. 00:26:35.379 --> 00:26:37.440 She's invoking this law. 00:26:39.399 --> 00:26:40.559 The kinsman redeemer. 00:26:42.759 --> 00:26:43.480 What's she doing? 00:26:43.559 --> 00:26:44.559 She's exercising faith. 00:26:44.639 --> 00:26:45.460 Let me finish with this. 00:26:47.339 --> 00:26:48.339 She's exercising faith. 00:26:48.440 --> 00:26:50.119 Martin Luther defines faith 00:26:50.119 --> 00:26:53.639 as a living, daring confidence in God's grace. 00:26:53.640 --> 00:26:54.520 That's what faith is. 00:26:55.600 --> 00:26:58.259 It's a living, daring confidence in God's grace. 00:26:58.420 --> 00:26:59.060 She knows him. 00:27:00.660 --> 00:27:02.140 She knows the character of this man. 00:27:03.420 --> 00:27:05.500 She knows that this man has got the key to a future. 00:27:05.860 --> 00:27:07.280 She knows that this man has got the right 00:27:07.280 --> 00:27:08.620 and the power to redeem her. 00:27:08.980 --> 00:27:11.600 She knows that this man has got the wherewithal to do it. 00:27:11.740 --> 00:27:12.200 He's able. 00:27:13.980 --> 00:27:16.180 He's a rich man of standing in the community. 00:27:16.540 --> 00:27:18.140 And she knows all of that. 00:27:18.759 --> 00:27:20.520 And so she lays hold of his willingness. 00:27:20.519 --> 00:27:23.720 Isn't that what faith is? 00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:30.119 You see, Boaz is God's answer to the needs of this family. 00:27:30.639 --> 00:27:32.359 And forsaking all others, 00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:33.879 she could have run after the young men. 00:27:35.400 --> 00:27:38.680 He's really impressed that she doesn't want to run after the young men. 00:27:40.099 --> 00:27:42.039 They're more her age than I am. 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:43.480 But forsaking all others, 00:27:43.660 --> 00:27:46.460 she lays hold on Boaz's willingness to save her. 00:27:46.460 --> 00:27:52.460 She's got a living, daring confidence in God's grace. 00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:53.400 Let me apply this to you. 00:27:55.420 --> 00:27:57.460 Faith is risky. 00:27:58.900 --> 00:28:00.039 It wouldn't be faith. 00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:06.539 This isn't the reckless risk of a kind of teenage joyrider. 00:28:06.539 --> 00:28:10.099 It's the calculated risk of someone who knows what they're doing. 00:28:12.339 --> 00:28:13.579 She knows her God. 00:28:13.700 --> 00:28:15.139 She's got a relationship with God. 00:28:15.259 --> 00:28:18.019 She enters into that cornfield knowing, trusting. 00:28:19.500 --> 00:28:21.920 She goes to that threshing floor in the middle of the night, 00:28:22.139 --> 00:28:24.159 sheltering under the wings of the Almighty, 00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:26.440 trusting that she's under his protection. 00:28:26.440 --> 00:28:30.400 She's heard the promises of God. 00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:33.360 She's experienced something of the kindness of God, 00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:35.380 the gracious provision of God. 00:28:35.840 --> 00:28:37.299 And all the signs are looking favorable. 00:28:38.920 --> 00:28:41.680 But 100% success is not guaranteed, is it? 00:28:43.900 --> 00:28:47.080 She doesn't know beforehand that it will definitely work out. 00:28:47.240 --> 00:28:48.480 And that's where faith comes in. 00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:53.200 There's a sense in which you have to gamble on grace. 00:28:54.720 --> 00:28:56.460 There's a sense in which you have to push the boat out. 00:28:58.299 --> 00:29:00.539 And you may be here this morning with all sorts of baggage, 00:29:00.660 --> 00:29:03.680 perhaps wondering whether God could ever accept you into his family. 00:29:05.620 --> 00:29:08.180 Perhaps you've looked into the Christian faith for a while, 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:09.460 and it seems to make sense, 00:29:09.539 --> 00:29:11.200 but you cannot be absolutely sure, 00:29:11.400 --> 00:29:13.420 and you want all your questions answered, 00:29:13.500 --> 00:29:14.759 and I'm here to tell you they won't be. 00:29:14.759 --> 00:29:20.799 You'll still be answering questions 10,000 times 10,000 years from now. 00:29:22.900 --> 00:29:24.079 Because we're talking to the God, 00:29:24.160 --> 00:29:26.180 the infinite, eternal God who has made the universe. 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:30.000 And so if you're waiting for all your questions to be answered, 00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:31.779 you will wait a very long time. 00:29:33.640 --> 00:29:35.539 And you may be thinking you're counting the cost, 00:29:35.619 --> 00:29:37.859 that if I become a Christian, what will my life be like then? 00:29:38.920 --> 00:29:41.700 What about if I come out into the open as a follower of Jesus? 00:29:41.700 --> 00:29:43.440 There's going to be some big changes. 00:29:44.759 --> 00:29:49.680 I'm sure that similar things will have passed through Ruth's mind. 00:29:50.900 --> 00:29:53.420 As she slowly made her way to that field that night, 00:29:53.539 --> 00:29:55.160 would that friendship be formed? 00:29:55.259 --> 00:29:56.720 Would that marriage be entered into? 00:29:59.160 --> 00:30:04.460 Any venture cannot be made without that element of risk. 00:30:04.460 --> 00:30:07.980 When you got out of bed this morning, 00:30:08.299 --> 00:30:11.240 there was no absolute guarantee that nothing was going to go wrong. 00:30:13.180 --> 00:30:15.519 And so it is with the most important relationship of all, 00:30:15.579 --> 00:30:16.420 the relationship with God. 00:30:18.660 --> 00:30:21.559 He has given us enough light in his word to trust him. 00:30:21.960 --> 00:30:23.980 He's revealed his character and his purposes, 00:30:25.019 --> 00:30:27.420 not only in the Bible, but he sent his son, the Lord Jesus. 00:30:27.420 --> 00:30:27.620 Jesus. 00:30:29.940 --> 00:30:31.100 I've said it before of night, 00:30:31.380 --> 00:30:33.720 there is nothing un-Jesus-like about this God. 00:30:33.820 --> 00:30:35.240 You read the Gospels and you think, 00:30:35.360 --> 00:30:37.200 well, if this is God, I can trust him. 00:30:39.080 --> 00:30:41.460 And Jesus is our kinsman redeemer. 00:30:41.600 --> 00:30:43.720 He has come in our flesh and blood. 00:30:44.120 --> 00:30:48.779 He's voluntarily and deliberately become human in order to save us. 00:30:48.779 --> 00:30:51.480 And he's not ashamed to call us brothers. 00:30:53.059 --> 00:30:54.920 And he's taken on flesh, 00:30:55.980 --> 00:30:57.660 that in flesh he might bleed and die. 00:30:59.940 --> 00:31:02.299 And so forsaking all others, 00:31:03.379 --> 00:31:06.180 will you take him to be your redeemer? 00:31:07.879 --> 00:31:09.920 And if you've never done that, why not do that today? 00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:12.980 Forsaking all others, 00:31:13.639 --> 00:31:15.220 will you take Jesus to be your redeemer? 00:31:15.220 --> 00:31:19.059 Will you fall at his feet 00:31:19.059 --> 00:31:21.839 and tell him how much you need him to be your savior? 00:31:21.960 --> 00:31:23.079 Because that's what you must do. 00:31:23.579 --> 00:31:25.420 You take the place of a sinner before him. 00:31:26.180 --> 00:31:28.759 And you fall at his feet like Ruth did before Boaz. 00:31:28.819 --> 00:31:30.220 And you put your case in his hands 00:31:30.220 --> 00:31:31.740 and you entrust himself to you. 00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:32.960 And you can be assured, 00:31:33.240 --> 00:31:34.460 look at the end of verse 18. 00:31:37.140 --> 00:31:39.420 Wait to my daughter until you learn how the matter turns out, 00:31:39.480 --> 00:31:40.880 for the man will not rest. 00:31:42.539 --> 00:31:43.980 But we'll settle the matter today. 00:31:45.220 --> 00:31:48.980 And I think those of us who've been Christians for a while, 00:31:49.460 --> 00:31:51.579 we would say this man, this proper man, 00:31:52.579 --> 00:31:55.880 this authentic man fights for us. 00:31:58.519 --> 00:32:00.779 This authentic man, the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:32:00.819 --> 00:32:04.039 will never rest until he settles things for you. 00:32:04.039 --> 00:32:07.420 And so come you sinners, poor and wretched, 00:32:08.079 --> 00:32:09.920 weak and wounded, sick and sore. 00:32:11.460 --> 00:32:13.740 Jesus ready stands to save you. 00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:16.539 Full of pity, joined with power. 00:32:17.359 --> 00:32:18.000 He is able. 00:32:19.099 --> 00:32:19.839 He is able. 00:32:21.420 --> 00:32:22.059 He is willing. 00:32:23.339 --> 00:32:24.159 Doubt no more. 00:32:24.160 --> 00:32:25.880 Let's sing. 00:32:25.880 --> 00:32:25.900 Let's sing. 00:32:25.900 --> 00:32:26.200 Let's sing.