There is a Redeemer
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25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for.
2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”5 “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
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In the days when the judges ruled,[a] there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.
3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem
6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”
Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”
14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
20 “Don’t call me Naomi,[b]” she told them. “Call me Mara,[c] because the Almighty[d] has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted[e] me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”
22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.
This is a wonderful story, just 4 chapters, bit like the booker prize Orbital written by Sam Harvey not a lot of pages but plenty of intrigue, and themes of crossroads, friendships, guardians, and a love story – this book has us on the edge of our seats.
Three headings to guide us today. The Turning, The Friendship, The Redeemer.
1 The Turning
2 The Friendship
3 The Redeemer
The Turning
Notice the root verb ‘turning’ occurs 11 times between Ruth 1v6-22. We pick up the story in 1v15 the 3 women are at a turning point in the road. NB the 3 different outcomes from this turning point – life changing decisions of Naomi, Orpah and Ruth.
Naomi's turning point was a returning. She left Bethlehem at a time of famine and personal poverty. To resolve their problems their own way in the land of Moab. She left full (husband 2 Sons). The Lord brought her back empty. The two sons married Ruth and Orpah. Tragically all three men died, Elimelech, Mahlon (Ruth’s) and Chilion.
Bereaved, broken and broke, these 3 widows headed back to Bethlehem. They had nothing that would give hope or help in that society. No children, grandchildren, no possessions or trade and two Moabite daughters-in-law. Moabites were despised by Israel.
Returning empty is how she describes the sorrows in her life. The vip thing is not that she was empty but that she was BACK, returned to the Lord. The adversity had brought her back to the place of blessing Bethlehem. Despite her loss, this was her turning point. Maybe you are feeling dry and empty, the Lord says to you this is your turning point.
Orpah’s Turning was going back. She was on the road to Bethlehem but when faced with the cost of following God. She stopped short, V11-13 the issue of, husband & family. Family matters where her priorities. Orpah turns back. You can't take hold of the Lord if we want to hold on to something else worldly
Oh how possessions, family, Holidays, doing my own thing, keeps us from f.r.o.g. Orpah stays in Moab - worldly full but spiritually empty. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul (Mark 8:36)?
Ruth's turning was to the Lord, read Ruth 2:12 she had taken refuge under the wings of Yahweh. She clung to Naomi and made a promise with Naomi your God, your people will be my people. This echoes Gods covenant.. ‘you will be my people.’ Ex 6v7
Ruth counted the cost and said your God is my God. She had turned to the one true God to be God’s and God alone. No one gives up father and mother children without receiving 100 fold in the world to come. We can't outgive God. Ruth clings to Naomi and finds God's abundant life. Maybe God is working through a tragedy in your life and he's saying look to me - the Bethlehem manager babe-Christ the Lord. If you are at a crossroads do not make this a walking away from God, turn towards God. At the time of my accident – one thing survived the crash pocket bible, word of God. It was the one thing that helped me cling to God. I often say in adversity we have two choices, to turn to God or turn away from God.
The Friendship
Naomi and Ruth have forged an amazing friendship and because of that friendship Ruth will not separate, v14 Ruth clings to her. Wherever you go I will go for you stay I will stay your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die may the Lord deal with me if anything but death separates us. Ruth 1:16. Naomi can’t persuade Ruth to stay with her people in Moab. Through their friendship Ruth, a Moabite takes the name of Yhwh on her lips - amazing. In this we learn that friendships can change the world. Ruth in friendship, breaks spiritual, racial, class and cultural barriers in loving Naomi. We can engage in friendships sharing Jesus by our testimony in words and deeds. As disciples of Jesus should. It is not sermons or debates or Alpha that changes the world it is thro’ our friendships. [Albert McMackin]. Most of us are so busy running around doing this and that – making the world a better place but constant friendships make a difference – where you go I will go, live where I will live. This church is nothing without friendships.
Ruth goes with Naomi to Bethlehem knowing that as, a Moabite (from Sodom), she’ll be hated. It was harvest time (Ruth 1:22) and being penniless, Ruth goes to glean from the edges of the Barley fields.
The Redeemer
Ruth 2:3 ‘As it turned out she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek. The phrase, as it turned out’, is a synonym for God’s sovereignty. How will this turn out?
Now we have another character to think about Boaz – what is he like? Ruth 2:5 Boaz notices Ruth, 2:8 Boaz speaks to Ruth, 2:10 Ruth speaks to. Boaz Ruth asks why are you being so nice to me, a foreigner (2v10)? Boaz, realising she is a Moabite & alone knows she’s in danger. So, Boaz says Ruth can harvest with his women workers.11 Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband……12 May the Lord repay you for what you have done.”
When Ruth goes home to Naomi she has a lot of grain more than from gleaning quantity, Ruth says where she got from. Naomi says do you know who Boaz is? A kinsman Redeemer. See Leviticus 25. Jubilee was after 50 yrs and the land goes back to the original family. But 50 yrs is a long time so in-between times the land could be bought by a kinsman or guardian-redeemer.
NB When a family has lost everything and no children to carry on the family name a kinsman could redeem the property if out of duty he married the widow (a Levirate marriage).
NB the land and the kids would be heirs of the dead person (Elimelech) not the husband. It is a big sacrifice for the husband. But anyway, Naomi is old and can’t have kids. Boaz would have to buy the land but in this case, the family can’t be restored because there are no heirs or descendants to pass the land on to. Boaz has to marry the last eligible family member to have children ie Naomi – it is called levirate marriage (marry widow & raise kids). So Boaz would have to marry a Moabite and Deuteronomy 23 forbids that – ‘may not enter the assembly of the Lord to 10th Generation.’ Who would do that?
Naomi decides that the kinsman Boaz has a heart of grace, not of duty.
So that night Ruth does what Naomi said. As he sleeps, Ruth uncovers his feet and lays down at his feet. In the middle of the night something startles him and he wakes up and sees someone at his feet and he says who are you? She says I am your servant Ruth. Cover me with your garment. In those days cover me with your garment meaning marry me to redeem me and my family. Give us back a name and our inheritance.
Boaz says I will do it. He is the Redeemer - He does two things
1. Pays off the debt of the family, and buys back land.
2. Marries Ruth. When he marries her all his wealth becomes hers legally. Boaz is a type of Jesus our great redeemer.
Can you see when we reach out to Jesus, it is not only our Sins that are paid for on the cross - all that is his is ours – his righteousness, peace, family and a heavenly home.
He Loves us as a bridegroom loves a bride, not out of duty, and he is our ever-present help in our daily lives. By his blood pays the price to redeem us from the mess we are in and restores us.
Ruth could have had a comfortable life in Moab, remarried and had her own family but she chose not to better herself or even to put herself first. She put God first. and in doing so, Ruth became part of God’s redemptive plan. this story leads us to our kinsman redeemer Jesus Christ. Ruth went to Bethlehem - 30 generations later a girl & fiancé Joseph had to go to Bethlehem for a census. The family line of Boaz and Ruth (30 generations) leads to Jesus, (Matt 1:5). Immanuel God with us (Matt 1:23).
Do you want to worship him today, are you at a turning or a returning, do you have friends family and neighbours to befriend? Let us sing in response, ‘There is a redeemer Jesus God’s own son.’
