The following is a lightly edited transcript and may contain errors.
Contents
Sandals, Power, and Possession
The Faithful Redeemer
Servant Leadership
The Witnesses and the Blessing
Unless the Lord Builds the House
The Ultimate Faithful Redeemer
Closing Prayer
Good morning. How is everyone? Good. Let’s turn to the book of Ruth, chapter 4. We’re going to start in verse 7. It says,
Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.” So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. (Ruth 4:7–17)
Let’s pray. Lord, we thank you for the privilege of hearing your word today. We thank you for the privilege of singing. We thank you that you are a God mighty to save. We thank you, Lord, that we have before us a symbol, a sign of our fellowship with you, that we not only started a relationship with you but we continue a relationship with you and we can dine and sup with you, the high King and Lord. We thank you that you are good and gracious to us continually. We pray for our brothers and sisters in Belize that they would continue to be faithful [audio unclear] and we thank you, God, that we can partner with them. We can send them out, and that your word goes forth. So bless their ministry. It’s our ministry, God, so bless our ministry as they’re over there doing your work, and may it be done for your glory. We pray these things in Jesus’ name.
Sandals, Power, and Possession
All right, let’s recap last week a little bit. We had the unnamed Redeemer who had a responsibility to fulfill and he didn’t fulfill it. And so he is the failed Redeemer. But this week we’re going to look at our second Redeemer. There’s four in this chapter. We’re going to look at our second Redeemer, and this is the faithful Redeemer. It begins, this passage that we’re looking at today, it begins with the completion of the purchase of the land and the acquisition of Naomi and Ruth. And we find something out about feet and shoes here, going on with these feet and why are sandals being exchanged. We don’t think much about feet today. I mean we just don’t. We don’t think much about shoes. Okay, guys don’t think much about shoes. I own the same pair of dress shoes from high school until a year ago. Not kidding you. I wore them regularly. So for about 30 years. I remember the night even I went and bought them with my mom. Like it was a sad day when I threw them. I don’t think much about shoes, but at this time in this place in the book of Ruth, shoes symbolized power and possession. Just listen to Joshua 10. When they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. So again, this idea of shoes or feet, it has the idea of power or of possession. Moses, what does he do? God appears to him in the burning bush, right? And what’s he commanded to do? Remove your shoes, right? You’re not in the power here, you’re not in possession here. The place you’re on is holy ground is what he’s told, so take your shoes off. And then Joshua, when he takes over as the leader of God’s people, the commander of the Lord’s army appears to him, and what is he told? He’s told again, similar to Moses, Joshua 5:15, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. Think about David. You might have missed this when you’re reading this story. Do you remember which son betrayed King David? Absalom, right? And so he’s fleeing from the city, but it says this in 2 Samuel 15. David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. Well, what’s that a sign of? Of his powerlessness and his humiliation. The same thing happens with Caleb. Moses makes a commitment to Caleb because of his faithfulness and says, surely, Joshua 14, “The land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.” And then we get even more specifically a couple places in Joshua and Deuteronomy they overlap in their idea. Joshua 1, very first couple verses, verse 3, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.” So again there’s this idea of feet. What? Power? Dominion. Deuteronomy 11, he says the same thing, “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. Your territory shall be from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the river, the river Euphrates, to the western sea.” Now, a couple commentators suggest that the custom that we see here arises from the fact that fixed property was taken possession of by treading upon the soil, just like those passages we just read. And so taking off the shoe and handing it to another was the symbol of the transfer of possession or the right of ownership. That kind of makes sense. So handing over the shoe to Boaz, it visually indicates to the elders that an agreement had been reached. The other thing that potentially is going on here is that the unnamed Redeemer might also be thinking, I’d rather be the one taking off my sandal, because someone else could have taken off his sandal, if you remember from a few months ago. If someone didn’t fulfill their duty in this role concerning the levirate marriage, do you remember what happens in Deuteronomy 25? It says, “Then his brother’s wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’” So it’s very possible too that this failed Redeemer is like, I’m going to remove my own sandal because Ruth has every right to remove it from me and spit in my face and I don’t want that to happen.
The Faithful Redeemer
So the second Redeemer here is the faithful Redeemer, and that’s Boaz. The first relative who was supposed to do his duty as goel, as the Redeemer, he fails. He’s like, no thanks. He wants all the privileges without the responsibilities. He sees an opportunity to purchase the land. He probably thinks he’s going to get it on the cheap. And so he wants it. If we look back, what does it say in the beginning of Ruth? He says, “I thought I would tell you,” in verse 4, “Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And what does he say? “I will redeem it.” He’s like, hey, there’s land here. Do you want to redeem it for yourself? I’ll take it. But then he finds out there are some strings attached. Namely Ruth and Naomi. So then what happens? He wanted all the privileges without the responsibilities. I mean, think about it. This guy is one of the leaders of the clan. He’s a goel. He’s a Redeemer. He’s a key figure. People know him. He likely has prestige. He’s likely been in this role quite a few times. He knows how it’s done. But what’s his response? I have to look out for myself. I got to think about my inheritance, he says. But Boaz is there to intervene and save the day. He’s the faithful Redeemer. And we have seen him be faithful over and over and over and over and over again. And he was known. Ruth 2, look back in Ruth 2, chapter 1—the very first verse, “Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech.” This is Scripture’s pronouncement. This isn’t narrative of someone saying it. No, this is the writer of the book of Ruth inspired by the Holy Spirit letting us know, this man is worthy. That’s pretty high praise when the Bible says you’re worthy. So he intervenes and saves the day. A worthy man. What about you, brothers and sisters? What are you known for? What traits or qualities or characteristics? What qualities can you shine bright for the Lord and use for his kingdom purposes? Believer, God’s gifted you with abilities. He’s given you at least one spiritual gift, and you should have the fruit of the Spirit being produced in you. Well listen, when you’re in a position of leadership, responsibility, guidance, God has you there for a reason, and most people are in some type of position of leadership, responsibility, guidance. God has you there for a reason. It’s to do good, to have righteousness reign. And don’t say, well, I have a boss over me. Well, sure you do. I mean, very few people don’t have a boss over them. Even bosses have bosses. So unless you’re the CEO or the top of the top, I mean, you’ll always have someone over you. And that’s okay. But lead well the people who have been placed in your care. Lead well the people who have been placed in your care. That’s true at work. That’s true in the family. You want to be a worthy person. You’re not there to take life easy. Some of you maybe have had bosses at times, and it’s almost like your job is to make their life easy. No, that’s not your role in leadership. It’s not to have the people under you do everything. There are bosses like that, don’t be like that. There’s also fathers that are like that. Dad, don’t be like that, right? They have the authority, but what do they do? They wield it carelessly or they don’t wield it. Fathers have been given leadership in their home. They’ve been given the headship of their home. That means they have responsibility, not just authority, but they have responsibility. And a lot of times, you think of the typical home, like if there’s a problem in the home, it’s the dad’s problem, ultimately, to address. But what happens? The typical dad, he works his work, and he gets home, and he checks out. So no help raising the kids, no help disciplining the kids, no help training the kids. And he says, that’s my wife’s job. That’s horrible leadership. That’s not biblical. So it couldn’t be any further from the truth that your primary job is your family. That’s your primary job. Yeah, you go to work and that’s to make money so you can provide. But your primary job is your family. Every time you pull up at the end of the day and you pull into the driveway, you should be saying to yourself, my most important job is about to begin. We’ll walk through those doors. My most important job, I’ve got kids to love, I’ve got a wife to love. Ephesians 6, let’s just turn there, keep your place in Ruth because we’re going to come back, but Ephesians 6. So children, verse 1, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Do the children have a responsibility? What’s their responsibility? Obey. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Who’s the command here given to after the children? The fathers, right? Yep. And what’s the task they are given? “Bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Two different things, discipline, instruction, discipline, instruction. You got to have both. We talked about, actually, in our life groups. You know, you have to have two parts, two aspects of discipline in the home. There has to be the verbal, there has to be the corporal. So two aspects, but there’s discipline, and there’s instruction. All of that falls under maybe the heading of training. Your home discipline needs to be meted out. It’s the dad doing it. Does that mean the mom’s not doing it? No, she’s involved too. But the task is given to the dads because they’re over the home. So exercise leadership well. If there’s discipline going on in your home, dad, and your home, you should be the one doing it. That simple. You should exercise leadership. Leadership usually begins in the trenches.
Servant Leadership
And so you’ll hear the term servant leadership. I have maybe some issues with it because of the way it’s been misused, but truly a husband and a dad, they should be servants. They should be leaders and they should be servants and they need to be both, but they should definitely be servants. In God’s economy, think about this brothers and sisters, the order of the way he has set things up and how this order runs is not always the way we think it should. Think about Boaz. His disposition is one of generosity. Over and over, think back to when he sees Ruth and she’s gleaning in the fields. By law, what’s he required to do? He’s required to not, you know, do the edge of his field. He can’t harvest all the way up to the edge of the field, and if anything like falls on the ground, he’s not allowed to harvest that either. That’s by law. But what does he do? I mean, he goes way beyond the law and he actually tells his workers, make sure you leave some for Ruth. And he goes even further and he lets her get a drink. He didn’t owe that to her. And he goes even further and he instructs his men, don’t mess with her. So over and over, he’s going beyond the call of duty. And we looked at how much grain he was giving to her. It was like an insane amount. I mean every day she’s going home it’s like a little workout carrying that little sack that she had. So his disposition was one of generosity. So he didn’t sit down and crunch the numbers. If he sits down and crunches the numbers it’s a bad proposition for him. But what does the Bible say? The last will be first. So the way to the top is not pushing and shoving your way there. And a lot of times what do we do? We ask, oh what’s in it for me? What’s in it for me? I mean, that would be like a good businessman. If you’re leading a business, yeah, what do I get out of this business proposition? So we ask what’s in it for me or will it fulfill me or will I enjoy it or what will it cost me? Listen, a lot of times if we’re trying to do the Lord’s work and we have a clenched fist, whatever we’re clenching, maybe it’s money, maybe it’s possessions, maybe it’s our time, they don’t see the blessings of the living God because they’re so focused on their clenched fists. They’re so focused about losing what they have. They’re so focused on their fists that they miss what God is doing around them. That’s what the failed Redeemer did. He’s more concerned about what it might cost him than what God was calling him to do. Look at Matthew chapter 20, verse 20.
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” (Matthew 20:20–23)
Right? So, you know, mom’s trying to, you know, get them a little place in the upcoming kingdom. Jockeying for position a little bit. She realizes there’s 12 disciples, right? And someone’s got to be towards the top. So she’s advocating for her two sons to be that. But what does Jesus go on to say? Well, verse 24 says, “When the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.” They’re like, what’s going on, guys? Verse 25, “But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” What are we seeing here? We see the contrast. What does Jesus say in verse 25? The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them. They take the power and they run with it. And Jesus is saying in the economy of God, in his economy, it’s not like that. The first will be last, the last will be first. And look how he sums it up. It’s one of the most powerful statements in the Bible. Even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. If anyone had a right, if any person ever had a right to be served, it was Jesus, yes? Right? But what does he say? The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. And then he goes even further. Not only that, I’m going to give my life as a ransom for many. No, his life should have been protected at all costs. What does he do? He lays his life down. That’s leadership. Did he have all the power? Yeah. Did he have all the authority? Yeah. But how did he use it? To further the kingdom, to serve others, to put others first. Jesus did this repeatedly, ultimately by laying down his own life. So consider this, Boaz didn’t sit down and figure out if it made good economic sense to help Naomi and Ruth. If he did, he never would have helped them. God’s economy worked on a different scale. The failed Redeemer was doing his math, things weren’t adding up. The land? Yes. Oh, wait, there’s two women attached? No, thanks. But Boaz did what was right regardless of the cost and whether it was advantageous to him or not. Why? Because he wanted to walk in righteousness. He wanted to honor the Lord. Consider this, Boaz was not marrying Ruth to come out ahead financially. There’s no way that’s going to happen. He wasn’t marrying her for what he gained from the marriage. Financially, socially, it makes no sense to marry a Moabite. It just doesn’t, especially a poor one. But think about it. He’s entering a relationship with a foreigner so that she could have a son to inherit the land that he just paid for. That’s a bad deal. That’s not a good financial decision. But guess what? It honors and glorifies the Lord. That’s why he does it. He’s faithful to the Lord. He’s more concerned about God’s glory and God’s kingdom than his own self-interests, than his own bottom line, than how it helps him out. No, he wants to help others out, even at his own expense. So Boaz, the faithful Redeemer, is faithful to God in what God desires. He realizes it’s not about him. It’s about God and his glory. So it’s not what do I want, it’s what does God want. It’s not what helps me out, it’s what glorifies the Lord. And the same is true for us. Those are questions that we need to ask.
The Witnesses and the Blessing
So back in Ruth, if you turn there, so the land is purchased. It’s official. Verse 9, Boaz says to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon.” So it’s official. There’s witnesses. It’s done in public at the gates of the city. Verse 10, “Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” This is the first time in the book that we actually find out who Ruth’s husband was, because there were two, Mahlon and Chilion. It’s not actually till here that we actually find out that she was married to Mahlon. And since there’s no biblical Hebrew word for yes, there really isn’t. A number of languages have that, actually, so don’t let it concern you too much. It’s very convenient for us in English to have yes, right? But the way they and other languages would handle it, when a question was asked, then they would just say, they would just either state the affirmative or state the negative. So he says, “You are witnesses this day,” and their response is, “We are witnesses.” Essentially, yes. Now look at what their response is. Verse 11, after they say we are witnesses, they say, “May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel.” I mean the people want quite an honor bestowed upon her, right? Like Leah and Rachel, you know, be fruitful, have a lineage, make an impact. But also when it says “built up the house of Israel” towards the end? That’s that same wording we read in Deuteronomy 25 earlier, when the lady takes off the sandal and spits in the guy’s face, which lends weight that we really are dealing with some type of a levirate marriage here. But why in the world in verse 12 do they want his house to be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah? “May your house be like the house of Perez.” I mean that’s kind of interesting because we’ve looked at it previously, but Tamar [audio unclear] levirate marriage. So Judah’s first son marries Tamar. He ends up dying. Second son ends up dying. And then there [audio unclear]. So Boaz is part of Perez’s lineage, but perhaps this is one of the reasons that Boaz wanted to make sure that the levirate custom was done properly. It was done right. Again, faithfulness to do what the Lord asked. And this blessing in verse 12, “May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.” Like it’s fulfilled more than the people ever realize at this time because what does the Lord end up doing? Yeah, they don’t realize at this time that the lineage is going to lead to King David, and they don’t realize ultimately that that lineage leads to Jesus. But their prayer of blessing is fulfilled. So we see it throughout the book, we see the Lord, you know, weave in this house together, weave in this family together.
Unless the Lord Builds the House
Look at Psalm 127. Psalm 127, verse 1, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” We see the Lord working this out from the very beginning. From the very beginning, what’s he doing? He’s building a house within Israel. He’s bringing a family together. And because of one man’s faithfulness, look what happens. We’re blessed because we’re not just living in the time of Ruth. We’re way past that, so we get to look back. We’re blessed as we get to see all the prophecies so far that have been fulfilled be fulfilled, and there’s been quite a few of them. But think about one example in the Old Testament of ladies trying to build their houses without the Lord. Lot’s daughters, right? They flee Sodom and Gomorrah, Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed. It’s just Lot and them. What do they do? They sleep with their dad. That’s wicked. And what happens? You get two different nations from those two kids that are born. The Moabites and the Ammonites. I mean, that’s some major consequences. Sin has major consequences. Why is the Lord so important in building up our house? Because attempting to do it on our own ends with heartache, failure, and sin. When we attempt to do it on our own, then it really ends up just about us and what’s best for me, and how can I put forward my own advantage? No, we got to have the Lord involved, brothers and sisters. He has to be involved in the building from the very beginning. Just like Ruth, he’s weaving together a story. Well, he’s got a story for your family. He really does. He has a story for your family, and you’re helping write it. But you kind of have a contrast here between the failed Redeemer and the faithful Redeemer. And it’s kind of like part of what the text is showing, even with like Orpah and Ruth in the beginning, like, hey, which one are you going to be like? Which one are you going to pattern your life after? Which one do you want to have be set forward as something to pursue? Well, I mean, Boaz here is the one that’s faithful. He’s the one that carries it out. When you go outside of Scripture and just do your own thing, you end up with the heartache, the failure, and the sin. When you try to accomplish it on your own purposes, by your own means, that’s not the Lord building the house. We have to daily, daily, daily rely on the Lord to build our house. Brick by brick. Don’t be foolish and tear it down. You know, sometimes by our own actions, it’s like we’re taking a sledgehammer to the very bricks that the Lord’s putting there. So what do we do? We repent. We acknowledge it.
The Ultimate Faithful Redeemer
Now Boaz, as we’re going to see, Boaz the faithful Redeemer, I mean he points to the ultimate Redeemer, Jesus. Jesus is the faithful one. Boaz might have been faithful, but he was still a sinner. So we have a Redeemer much more faithful than even the faithful Redeemer here, none other than Jesus. And because of that, when we get tripped up or when we stumble, he is gracious to come along, sometimes with a very tough word, sometimes with a very gentle word. He is the Word. He knows exactly what we need. And you read through the New Testament, you read through the Gospels, Jesus knew what each of those people needed. Sometimes it’s like that, like almost two, almost two identical situations and he deals with them completely different. Why? Because he knew exactly what those people needed. Well brothers and sisters, Jesus knows exactly what you need. And so you have to make a choice of whether you’re going to receive it or not. And sometimes he’s going to have a tough word for you. Sometimes that tough word is going to be delivered right here for you from Jesus. Sometimes he’s going to have a soft word, a kinder word. But 2 Timothy 4, right? The word of God is what is for reproof, correction, all sorts of different things. And sometimes it comes across very sharply. Well that makes sense, because it’s a two-edged sword. And sometimes it comes across very graciously because that’s where we’re at today. The woman who was caught in adultery, he gives a very gracious word. But in that same story, what’s his word for those who already [audio unclear]? It’s pretty, he didn’t have to say much, but he got his point across. It’s very tough. Same scenario, different sets of people, different sets of words. Brothers and sisters, be the type of people that word Jesus wants to tell to you. Be willing to receive it and then act on it. Boaz had the Scriptures, he saw the responsibilities, the duties, and he wanted to be that faithful Redeemer when the opportunity came. Listen, God wants us to be faithful as opportunities come. He wants us to make sure that we’re patterning our lives after the Scriptures. That we’re in a place that we can receive it and act on it. That we’re in a place where we’re not just trying to do the bare minimum. Oh, what’s the minimum that God wants from me? That’s not Boaz. That’s not the faithful Redeemer. That’s not generosity. That’s not the hesed love that we’ve looked at. No, God wants us to be like him. He wants us to be like him. And so what is God? He’s abounding in steadfast love. He is a gracious God. He is kind. He forgives the iniquity of people. Well, that’s what he wants us to do. That’s how he wants us to walk. That’s how he wants us to act. He’s a very generous God who pours out his blessings. Does he hold back? He doesn’t hold back his blessings exactly how much. And you know what? His riches, he blesses us greatly, brothers and sisters. We got so many riches in Christ, we’ve only begun to scratch the surface. It’s really true. God’s blessed us so much. He’s poured out so much on us. I mean, think about it. We have his Holy Spirit. Does it really get any better than that? Seriously, his Holy Spirit living inside us. And because of that we can actually be faithful, because of that we can actually have the fruit of the Spirit. Whose fruit is it? It’s the Spirit’s fruit. He’s gracious enough to produce it inside of us. Why? Because that’s where he’s living. So then we can walk in that manner, in that way. Why? Because God is faithful. Then we can walk in faithfulness. So let’s do that. Let’s pray.
Closing Prayer
Lord, we do thank you that we have examples like Boaz who is faithful, but he’s just mirroring who you are, God, the faithful God, the one who is always there, the one who walks with us in darkness and in light, God, at our lowest and at our peaks, God, you’re always there with us. You never forsake us. You don’t forsake your children. And Lord we do thank you for your Spirit who fills us, who empowers us to be able to live for you, who empowers us to be able to choose you and say no to sin, who gives us the strength and the ability to say no to temptation and say yes to righteousness. Thank you, Father, by the blood of your Son we are cleansed from unrighteousness, that we’ve been given eternal life not of our own but what your Son earned for us. Thank you. Continue, Lord, your work in us. And let us not just do the minimum, Lord, but to be abounding, abounding in who you are, God, your steadfast love, your mercy, your grace, your generosity. May we image you well. Amen. Thank you.