Faithfulness in the Ordinary and Alligators

Oscar Navarro 1:05

I think I love that story and I think that our faithfulness as Christians doesn't have to be extraordinary . We are called to be faithful in the ordinary things of life as well , whether we're meeting with President Mike Pence or vice president Mike Pence or you know , whatever it is that we're doing .

Oscar Navarro 1:21

We have to be faithful in the ordinary , and that's actually exactly what the book of Ruth is is about , because the people who are faithful in this book , it's two , a pair of widows that are poor foreigners . They have nothing . It's Boas who is being faithful with his land , like they are just being faithful in the ordinary things of life .

Emeal Zwayne 1:44

Mexican mayor , mary's alligator Wearing a wedding dress and bizarre traditional ritual .

Ray Comfort 1:53

Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa so who was wearing the wedding dress ? The alligator array ?

Emeal Zwayne 1:59

That's a very legitimate question I should make . Their Hugo Sosa , when they came in reptile in the Mexican town of San Pedro Juan Malula , in a traditional ceremony , said to bring good luck to the local indigenous Chotala people . Mayor Victor Hugo Sosa , when they came in reptile , an Alligator it Called Alicia Adriana is real and said the pair loved each .

Oscar Navarro 2:25

That can't be real . I'm waiting for the punch line .

Emeal Zwayne 2:28

There's no punch line . Oh guys , okay , but honestly though , does anything surprise you anymore ?

Ray Comfort 2:37

Getting a guy , she perhaps . She just wanted an alligator bag . She had plans for the future . He Ray , he , he . Yeah , oh , so was a female alligator . Why do I feel like crying ?

Emeal Zwayne 2:48

crocodile Mark was Guy Mary , a building or something ?

Oscar Navarro 2:54

a guy Mary .

Mark Spence 2:54

Oh boy , I have all kinds of Weddings . I , I mean , I've pictures that you've officiated . I have not , but I've officiated .

Emeal Zwayne 3:01

I'd love to see mark an interesting person in a way .

Oscar Navarro 3:03

Have we told the story on air about you getting the name of the bread wrong ?

Emeal Zwayne 3:07

Yes , well , we talked about it on here , bringing back lovely memories .

Mark Spence 3:15

We , we love you and we , we know that you listen to the podcast . I just want to say that I apologize once again for doing that For the thousand time .

Emeal Zwayne 3:22

Are they officially married ?

Mark Spence 3:25

Did I turn in the paperwork ? Have you always turned in the paperwork ?

Emeal Zwayne 3:29

That's a good question . I had a return to me .

Oscar Navarro 3:31

I've never been responsible for that . I'll sign it , but someone else has to handle that kind of stuff .

Mark Spence 3:36

You know that was to mail it Well not .

Emeal Zwayne 3:38

Actually , she is extremely wise technically , yes , but he can't tell them , and that's what I would do for yes .

Oscar Navarro 3:43

What I should do that .

Emeal Zwayne 3:44

That's a lot of responsibility .

Oscar Navarro 3:45

Yeah , I just say I'll make sure someone gives me to sign it , but someone else needs to be responsible fast .

Emeal Zwayne 3:50

It makes me and you're responsible though .

Mark Spence 3:52

Oh , whatever , there's a reason why , right ? So you imagine you sign it and you hand it back to the bride in the groom they go on their honeymoon . Yeah , and I've received phone calls while the people that I've officiated their wedding on their own . I mean saying I feel like I made a bad mistake and I said I blame the person . Did your premarital counseling ?

Emeal Zwayne 4:07

You don't do the premarital counseling . Sometimes I do no , wasn't me no do you great . No , in fact I get so nervous about it . When I was in Tennessee doing a wedding , I drove to the courthouse .

Oscar Navarro 4:18

Did you really ?

Emeal Zwayne 4:19

turn it in at the courthouse . That is a big responsibility .

Oscar Navarro 4:22

Yeah , yeah , can I update you guys on no ?

Emeal Zwayne 4:26

Alligators . Oscar , I'm not done , I'm gonna leave now , okay , but this is my question though guys , please , please , please , tell me one of you , if you bear any intelligence whatsoever , what possesses a human being To put their head inside the head of an alligator ? Oh , demon position , obviously .

Ray Comfort 4:45

I mean , that's the position .

Emeal Zwayne 4:46

Seriously . Yeah , if you guys have seen that multiple times , yeah , I've seen it . The jaws actually come down .

Ray Comfort 4:51

Yeah , that was right . It's breakfast time for that . Yeah , and they still do .

Oscar Navarro 4:55

I've never seen it Clams oh , you've seen it .

Ray Comfort 4:58

Yeah , and the guy calls out get me out , or something like that . Oh , he was feeling down in the mouth .

Emeal Zwayne 5:05

Yeah , big time .

Oscar Navarro 5:07

Alligators and crocodiles scare me Well . I'm not afraid of very many things , but if I saw one walking around near me and there wasn't some sort of cage or gate between us , I would be petrified .

Ray Comfort 5:17

So you wouldn't . You wouldn't live in Florida .

Oscar Navarro 5:19

I I'm willing to overcome my fear , though . The last time I was in Florida with Eddie , he found like a crocodile zoo or something where you can go pet them , and I was like , yeah , let's do it , because I felt like it would be a good way for me over here , pet them on the head or just look , I have no idea , brush their teeth . Oh , you went . Oh no , we ended up not being able to go , but I was down .

Emeal Zwayne 5:39

You know what freaks me out more than alligator bite ? It's that death roll that they do .

Mark Spence 5:43

Oh yeah , dude , that is just kind of roll with the punches . Why do you ? What do you call an avid Well ? What do you call an alligator with a compass , a Navigator ?

Oscar Navarro 5:54

You know that crocodile death roll , though my 10 year old does that when she .

Emeal Zwayne 5:59

She grabbed your arm and start rolling , oscar .

Mark Spence 6:02

I got to say you have like the funniest , funnest kids I've ever come across . They . I will make a joke and they'll just stare at me , or I'll try to get them to turn on you . I'll bribe them to try to turn on you and different functions Excellent . I know they're like chasing after me , that's because I have to pay them more money . That's what it is , yeah .

Emeal Zwayne 6:20

I'm sure they're related to Oscar being so brilliant . So gosh Go .

Oscar Navarro 6:28

There is a new nickname , hey gosh if you got over you good poisoning . Yet what is my good ? Oh man , I'm good . Poisoning my food poisoning .

Ray Comfort 6:35

Yeah , I seen a text to us and so I got good poisoning at a restaurant . There was nothing good about that . Yeah , you know cover .

Oscar Navarro 6:43

I'm good , now yeah but I do have an update . Yeah , yeah , on our dog . Oh , our dog was sick . It was some something wrong with . He had bladder stones he had . There was something wrong with , like , his eating habits . This is all going somewhere , I promise . We got him surgery , he was doing better and then he had a fever and we took the dog in to the vet again and they said that what's good for dog diets is mustard . Put mustard in his diet , stop . They said mustard is good on hot dogs .

Ray Comfort 7:14

I should have known , that's just awful .

Emeal Zwayne 7:17

That should go under the category of deception , yeah .

Ray Comfort 7:20

Outright deception , did it work .

Emeal Zwayne 7:22

Yeah , you're such a doofus , oscar . Yeah , oh boy . All right guys , here we have a lovely comment . This is from Raslamja1124 . Amazing , I just recently found you guys , and happy I did . My soul has been in search of godly input and in today's world that isn't always easy . Thank you for putting this podcast out there so that people like me are able to grow more spiritual in Jesus Christ .

Oscar Navarro 7:49

Yeah , I do . Well , let us know when you find that godly input . Yeah , sure , you got the right podcast .

Emeal Zwayne 7:55

Hey guys , I got to tell you something . Thank you , friend . By the way , despite Mark and Oscar's rude comments , Can I finish what you're saying ?

Ray Comfort 8:00

Thank you , we're blessed . No , that means a lot . Thank you , that really touches us .

Emeal Zwayne 8:04

Very deeply . All right come through .

Ray Comfort 8:06

This lady gave me a weird look the other day . I was on my bike and I stopped and I said to her I gave her a card because she was walking by herself . I felt sorry for her and I said happy Thanksgiving . She gave me the weirdest look . It was the 4th of July , wow , ray . Why I don't know Just please tell us why . Yeah , I thought she gave me a weird look . Why is that ?

Emeal Zwayne 8:24

Ray , after all these years and all of these absolute tragedies , there's something in you that says I'm done like no more .

Ray Comfort 8:33

I said that years ago . I'm done , it's over . No , it just goes on and on .

Emeal Zwayne 8:38

It just can't be controlled . Yeah , yeah , shame on you . All right , friends . This podcast is brought to you by Albert Brainstyne Tracts . Do you practice that ? Very , very much so , in his mirror every morning .

Mark Spence 8:52

This podcast is brought to you by Albert Brainstyne Tracts .

Oscar Navarro 8:56

They don't have a TV in the lever , they just have a mirror that he stares at oh , what more do you need , Mark ?

Emeal Zwayne 9:01

you're so jealous . Rararararararararararrararrararararararararararararararararara , Ray , you have been for a long time . Well , you used to be . You'd get mistaken for Albert Brainstyne .

Ray Comfort 9:13

Not mistaken , but some pictures of me look like Albert Brainstyne when he was young .

Mark Spence 9:17

If , I let me hear it and grew it out .

Ray Comfort 9:19

I'd probably look like him and Cher from Sunny and Cher .

Mark Spence 9:22

That's true .

Ray Comfort 9:28

And that other guy , the booze guy , used to get mistaken for him .

Emeal Zwayne 9:32

Oh , Dosecky's . Yes , the most interesting man in the world . You got stopped a couple of times right ? People think you're .

Ray Comfort 9:37

Dosecky's . I didn't know who Dosecky was . Dosecky Joe , joe .

Emeal Zwayne 9:42

You guys remember those commercials right yeah , the most interesting man in the world . You are a . Anyway , friends , albert Brainstyne Tracts Ray , that's one of my favorites .

Ray Comfort 9:52

Yeah , I love the name Albert Brainstyne . It's just , it's , it's neat .

Emeal Zwayne 9:56

Whoever thought of it , came up with it right .

Ray Comfort 9:57

I did pride . Yeah , thank you Pride .

Emeal Zwayne 10:00

Can you explain it ? It's humble , yeah , yeah explain it .

Oscar Navarro 10:03

I've never seen it .

Emeal Zwayne 10:03

Oscar , the explainer , wants to explain it .

Ray Comfort 10:05

I haven't read it , I've never seen it before , you haven't . It's a very popular .

Emeal Zwayne 10:09

It's a really good track . What I love about it is the way that kids can memorize the 10 commandments .

Ray Comfort 10:13

Oh , that's right .

Emeal Zwayne 10:14

I actually use those whenever I'm going through the 10 commandments for quick reference . Really creative mnemonic devices through pictures that Mnemonic devices , mnemonic devices . No , but I love it like adultery , right , immediately , I think seven , because I see the heart with the seven broken heart , right , that's what adultery does , or you shall not steal . It's got a guy with his head sideways and it's number eight , right , and this is like a as soon as you said I'm seeing these images , I use those images as well , when I'm actually teaching from the pulpit .

Emeal Zwayne 10:44

Seriously , oh , honor your father and mother . It shows number five and a pregnant woman , and I love it , ray . Anyway , friends , check them out . Albert Brainstyne Tracts and don't forget the tracks down to the track , if you slow that down you'll actually understand , I know . Tracked sample pack because you can not only see that track in there , but all the other tracks we carry friends track temple pack . Don't forget the living waters podcast mugs they are selling like why do we say hot cakes ?

Mark Spence 11:13

I don't know , we don't , you just like hot cakes .

Emeal Zwayne 11:16

Don't forget the evidence . Study Bible All at living waterscom . All right guys . Lessons from the life of Ruth .

Babe Ruth, Book of Ruth, Moabites

Oscar Navarro 11:26

By the way , if you order all those things at once and you put in a promotion code , mark Spence , mark will pay for the shipping .

Emeal Zwayne 11:37

Oh boy , if there's anything we ever have to apologize for our customers , it's shipping , it's just terrible yeah . It's embarrassing .

Ray Comfort 11:43

It's because we live in California , because someone orders from New York . You got to go all the way over . Why don't you move , ray ? Because of the weather , it's all it's an insane state , but the weather is just magnificent .

Emeal Zwayne 11:57

I'm serious .

Ray Comfort 11:57

They have it every day .

Emeal Zwayne 11:58

The other day , rachel and I were somewhere , we were going for a walk or outside , and in my mind I thought , lord , I can't imagine how heaven can improve on this weather . It was like it was insanely unbelievable . Yeah , like clear blue sky , that just a little chill in the air and not even a wisp of wind . I mean it was .

Ray Comfort 12:17

In about 20 days of no clouds .

Emeal Zwayne 12:19

Oh , thank you Lord .

Ray Comfort 12:20

June .

Emeal Zwayne 12:20

Gloom is over . Thank you , Lord .

Mark Spence 12:23

All right , guys , stop this . We got to talk about it . Listen , can I open ?

Emeal Zwayne 12:27

Yeah , let's do it , Mark . Go ahead , Mark .

Mark Spence 12:28

Babe Ruth was an American Career .

Ray Comfort 12:34

I thought that was a candy bar , that was a kibble , oh .

Emeal Zwayne 12:37

I don't like those candy bars , babe Ruth . No , they're actually pretty good . What's your McCall ? I don't know why I don't eat them , but they're good . Yeah , that's all I have to say about this .

Mark Spence 12:46

Babe Ruth . There's more . He played 22 seasons from 1914 to 1935 .

Emeal Zwayne 12:51

His name was not really Babe , was it .

Ray Comfort 12:52

No , he had a funny name , george Herman Ruth .

Emeal Zwayne 12:55

Yeah , I'd go with Babe , for sure Pig .

Ray Comfort 12:58

Yeah , All right guys oh . Babe was a great movie . I saw it five times .

Emeal Zwayne 13:03

Oh Babe , that'll do . Pig , that'll do , that'll do . That is really a cool movie . I got to watch it . Yeah , that's when they . That was the transition , remember when they used to do animal movies and they would just like have a voiceover but no moving mouths on the animals .

Ray Comfort 13:16

Yes , that was like the first one and there was no sick scenes and it was wonderful , I know .

Emeal Zwayne 13:21

We've been watching the Dick Van Dyke show lately . Yeah , oh , it's so wholesome .

Emeal Zwayne 13:26

Yeah , his son was in the way I was watching it the other day with Rachel and I go you have a black and white TV . Yeah , I go , I go . How wonderful that the world was normal once . A husband and a wife and a child , and they called him a boy . It's like where are we ? Oh seriously , man , yeah , I love that show . Yeah , anyway , ruth , ruth , I love the book of Ruth . It is one of my favorites . I feel like I say that about One of the top 66 ? Every book it's in the top 100 . One of the top 66 . I really do love the book and it's got a lot of good stuff in it . So , as a summary , it opens up with a man named L Limelech , his wife , naomi , of course , which is my wife's middle name . Why'd you pick Naomi , rafe or Rachel's ?

Ray Comfort 14:11

middle name . My mom's middle name wasn't no Naomi , yes , yes , naomi , yes I was Something like that .

Emeal Zwayne 14:15

I'm going to get my mom's name right yeah . Yeah , so , anyhow , their family ultimately was forced from Bethlehem because of the huge famine that took place back in that time this was during the era of the judges and they were in Key fact . Huh , that's very important . Yeah , huge fact , yeah , and they were in the land of Moab for about 10 years . Moab was a pagan region . It was northeast of the Dead Sea .

Ray Comfort 14:41

They were filled with alligators moabites . Moabites are descendants of Sodom , though also an important fact .

Oscar Navarro 14:49

Yeah , thank you , Oscar .

Emeal Zwayne 14:51

And they had their two sons , melon and Kilion . They married Moabite women . Kilion , kilion , okay , what do you call it ? Kilion ? No , kilion , that's kind of a cool name , yeah , for an Arab , for an Arab , what's your name ? Kilion , kilion , you have to say that like a cool Kilion . Anyway , they ended up marrying Moabitises . What you laughing at ? What you talking about ? Willis , that was good . Anyway , they married Moabite women and one was named Orpa and Ruth . By the way , little factoid , you guys know , this is where Oprah Winfrey got her name , really , yeah , her grandma accidentally flipped the letters and said Orpa , oprah .

Emeal Zwayne 15:31

Oh grandma was a Moabite , she was a Moabitis , that's kind of the gist of it , and they're in Moab for about 10 years , nice Thank you .

Mark Spence 15:41

You like that . I should bring that up .

Emeal Zwayne 15:44

Had to get that off my chest , had to get that off my chest and so , anyway , the husbands all end up dying , both the two sons . They know the story , and so Ruth and her daughter-in-law end up becoming widows , daughter-in-laws . They died from Moabites and that's kind of where we pick up .

Ray Comfort 16:02

Does that what they died from ? What do you got to say about it , Mark ? They died from Moabites .

Emeal Zwayne 16:05

I don't know , moabites , yeah , so anyway , that's kind of the backdrop to the story and go ahead and fill in some blanks . Oscar , you were going to say something about the culture and mo bites and judges and well , yeah , I mean just going back to

Significance of Book of Ruth

Emeal Zwayne 16:20

it .

Oscar Navarro 16:20

I think I think one of the things that's interesting about the book of Ruth is it is one of the more popular books that pastors like to preach from . People love to read it because it's short , it's easy to understand . It's a concise story in four chapters . One of the dangers of talking about and preaching about Ruth is that we can often approach it like a moral fable where it's like here's this lady Ruth , look at how faithful she was , and because of her faithfulness , here's the inconclusion of it .

Oscar Navarro 16:50

But what's important , any book of the Bible , what we need to remember and what we need to ask is where does this book , where does this story fit in in God's redemptive plan ? That's the first question that we have to ask . The second question is is how does this story point us to Jesus ? And so , before we get into the details about and I know we will end up answering those two questions , but the two things that we need to to know on where it fits is judges the book before Ruth ends with basically , things are not going well in Israel and they need a king . Yeah , that's that's where it ends . We need a king . And Ruth opens with in the days the judges ruled . So the problem is still continuing . God's people needs a king , and that is sort of where this story fits in God's redemptive plan so we're in days where judges rule .

Ray Comfort 17:42

What's that ? In the US ? We're in days where judges rule .

Emeal Zwayne 17:46

Yeah , supreme cool we are man and you know it's interesting , because one of the things about the book of judges that you will notice again and again and again is how God will raise up a judge or deliver , and then the people you know what would happen is they would cry out to God because they were just in dire straits . God would raise up a deliver . You know they'd repent . God raised up , deliver and then they'd go right back to their sin . Raise up , not deliver , right back to their sin again . I mean seriously .

Emeal Zwayne 18:11

The book of judges to me is like a shout that declares the mercy of God , because you know massive mercy there . But you know you mentioned some Oscar that I think is important for us to know at the outset , and that is that the final words of the book link Ruth with her great grandson , who's David , versus 17 to 22 of chapter 4 . So think about that . I mean , what kind of statement is that ? That God takes a Moabitus woman who comes from a pagan background and he makes her the great grandmother of King David , who is the , of whom it's said , of Jesus , the son of David , right through which the Messiah came . I mean that's huge .

Oscar Navarro 18:56

Yeah , there's another big thing too in the book of Ruth , which is it's curious that in the book of Ruth the narrator never mentions God . Isn't that fascinating 85 verses God's never mentioned . The characters in the book of Ruth will reference God , but the narrator never references God .

Oscar Navarro 19:14

However , 23 times the word redeemer is mentioned and that's important for two things because , thematically , one of the things that the author of Ruth wants to do is show you how the providence of God , how the sovereignty of God , is working itself out in the ordinary choices of faithful people in the world . He wants you to see how these small little choices that Naomi makes , that Ruth makes , that Boaz makes that , all of these tiny little choices , ultimately God is at work behind the scenes , bringing about a redeemer through the book of Ruth .

Emeal Zwayne 19:53

Yeah , it's mind blowing yeah , and Ray , when we think about that , we look at the biblical narratives and events on this side of them happening , you know , but when Moses was doing what he was doing , when he was on the back side of the wilderness attending his father-in-law sheep after fleeing Egypt , he , he didn't know the end of the story . Job didn't know the end of the story , and so I'd love you to just kind of speak to the importance of faithfulness . You didn't know the end of the story . That first day you stood up to open our preach in New Zealand and what God was going to do through that and impact people to preach the gospel over the world .

Ray Comfort 20:31

So speak to that faithfulness well , I I wonder if I can put this without sounding like some sort of crazy heretic , but I think we used

Faithfulness in Everyday Life

Ray Comfort 20:39

to . Faithfulness is the essence of the character of God . It's not a fruit of the spirit . You look at , the fruit of the spirit doesn't mention faithfulness , it mentions faith . But a whole eternal redemption rests on that character of God , that faithfulness of God . And I I've got to say I absolutely love faithfulness . I know you do too easy .

Ray Comfort 21:01

Someone who keeps their word , like Psalm 15 , says that he swears to his own hurt . That is , I think , the living Bible is . He'll give his word and he'll keep his word , even if it hurts him to do so . And there was a time when all letters were signed yours , faithfully , wow . You're not sin silly , yeah , but faithfully . And that's because if you want someone to think well of you , let them know that you're faithful , you keep your word . And so the book of Ruth speaks to me of God's faithfulness . Great as I faithfulness , morning by morning , new mercies .

Ray Comfort 21:40

I see , remember the church we sung in in Israel where they were echoed . I mean , I sounded like I could sing . I sound like an opera singer , because something's like a glorified bathroom . It was just so beautiful . We all sing great as thy faithfulness in that church and we sounded good . I heard you whistle , though . You're an amazing whistler . Yeah , yeah , just say that to me in church . I'll never whistle again . And I remember a lady turned around says I love you whistling . The reason I whistle is because my singing is so bad you gotta find a way to make up yeah yeah , yeah .

Mark Spence 22:11

Mark Leonard Ravenhill . He said today's church wants to be raptured from responsibility . Who you know ? It's difficult to find somebody who is going to be faithful , and it all starts with being faithful with the small things . Hudson Taylor he said a little thing is a little thing , but faithfulness in the little things is actually a great thing . We need to always remember that that small thing inside of our life is actually the biggest thing that God is requiring from us . Whether that be the second glance , whether that be turning off the TV when you should , whether that's open up the word or continuing on a little bit , listen , those little steps are actually huge steps , because there's huge chasms in between those steps .

Ray Comfort 22:52

Boy that's so well put . If God can't trust you with a pistol , he's not going to let you near the canon and also the small things .

Emeal Zwayne 22:59

Be faithful in the small thing you know you use an analogy a lot of times that that I've always really loved , and that is you know if you , whether you steal a dollar from someone's wallet or a hundred dollars , you're still a thief yeah , and , and I think the same holds true when it comes to faithfulness .

Emeal Zwayne 23:15

It's like you know , we can , we can be unfaithful in something big . That's a big deal , but why is it different if it's something small ? The principle is faithfulness . You know , I may have shared the story before about a , a dear friend , who serves on a board with me and I was heading up the board meeting and and he , he's a congressman and he was , he had a meeting with vice president Pence about a big piece of legislation that was going on . And he sends me a text and he says , brother , I'm so sorry but uh , vice president Pence has called me no meeting with him , I may be a few minutes late to the board meeting .

Emeal Zwayne 23:52

And I go uh , brother , can't you tell the vice president of the United States of America , you just can't make it . I mean , I'm sitting here thinking he's talking about the second most powerful man on the planet , right , and he's , he's , he's reaching out to little old me to say , hey , I may be a few minutes late . I mean , I've shared that from the pulpit of an example of faithfulness . You know , and we all , you know , we all fall short , we all mess up , we all make mistakes , but but there are people who don't care about it . If ever I've not been able to keep my word , it kills me , I want to .

Emeal Zwayne 24:21

I want to die . Until I was telling my kids and my wife the other day , like how do people live their lives like that ? They tell people I'm gonna do that , I'll be there , and they just don't show up certain cultures apologize .

Ray Comfort 24:30

Certain cultures lie to you when they give you directions , lie to you , they like to . They won't tell you that they don't know where a certain place is , so they'll send you on the wrong direction rather than they want to save face .

Oscar Navarro 24:42

Pride , yeah , yeah yeah , I think I love that story and I think that our faithfulness as Christians doesn't have to be extraordinary . We are called to be faithful in the ordinary things of life as well , whether we're meeting with president Mike Pence or vice president Mike Pence or you know .

Oscar Navarro 24:58

Whatever it is , that prophecy we have to be faithful in the ordinary , and that's actually exactly what the book of Ruth is is is about , because the people who are faithful in this book it's , too , a pair of widows that are poor foreigners . They have nothing . It's Boas who is being faithful with his land Like they are , just being faithful in the ordinary things of life . They are making decisions that they see , because that's an important aspect of Boas' life . There is a law , or one of the things that God calls his people to do is to show generosity to the immigrant and the poor , and it's important to recognize that . In Leviticus 23-22 , it calls owners of lands to not be greedy with their things . It says when you reap the harvest of your land , you are not to reap all the way to the edge of your field or gather the gleaning of your harvest . Leave them for the poor and the resident alien . I am the Lord , your God .

Oscar Navarro 25:53

There were so many times in the Old Testament where God's people did not honor that they thought you know what I'm going to glean to the very end of my harvest so that I have more to myself , so that I can go sell and have more for my family . But Boas is one of the faithful few that glean only what he needs , and he is faithful in leaving the rest for the foreigner and the immigrant . And one of those foreigners and one of those immigrants ends up being Ruth , who he ends up marrying , who they end up producing children , who ultimately ends up producing David , the king , who ends up producing more children where we get the promised seed Jesus . So here's this guy just being faithful , obedient servant of the Lord , not being greedy with his stuff . And what does God do with that faithfulness ? He does something amazing .

Emeal Zwayne 26:48

Yeah , and another aspect of Boas' faithfulness is his adherence to the principles in God's word . I mean , this really goes back to the whole Kinsman-Redimer type of principle , goes back to Leviticus 25 . And it's just so great to see someone recognize like wait a minute . This may not be the most convenient thing for me , this may not be what I want to do , but I want to adhere to what God has . So let's jump in here . We'll break it down a little bit . Let's start off with Ruth 1 , 6 to 18

The Importance of Faithfulness and Commitment

Emeal Zwayne 27:19

. It says then she arose and this is after the death happens , and all that with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab , for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited his people by giving them bread First . I love that the Lord had visited his people . I think of what happened in scripture where it says there was no widespread revelation at one point , but to hear that what a great . You think about receiving a visit from someone , someone important , someone of significance , but for God to visit his people .

Ray Comfort 27:53

It's just glorious . So our nation needs the visitation of God so badly , Ray . What would that ?

Emeal Zwayne 27:58

look like . I know we're pausing here . Well .

Ray Comfort 28:00

I love that Bible verse . It says the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea . And I would love to hear of politicians in Washington DC falling on the sidewalk and repentance to God . Sam , we've sinned against you , we've killed our unborn . We have brought legislation into being that is a perversion and is an abomination to the God that gave us life . This nation was founded on oh God , forgive us , heal our land . I would love that to happen .

Emeal Zwayne 28:31

That friend of mine that I mentioned earlier . He's a congressman , like I said , pretty prominent one too , and he's sent me pictures of congressmen praying together in Congress , the chambers and the Capitol , and it was so moving I thought , Lord , this is what we need , Men of God that'll stand up , that'll cry out to you repent lead our nation .

Ray Comfort 28:55

I want to see godless men cry out and repent and stay on .

Emeal Zwayne 28:59

Amen . Well , it starts with the godly doing it and , lord willing , it'll lead to the godless . All right , so visit his people by giving them bread . Therefore she went out from the place where she was and her two daughters-in-law with her , and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah . And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law go , return , each to her mother's house . The Lord , deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me . The Lord , grant that you may find rest , each in the house of her husband . So she kissed them and they lifted up their voices and wept and they said to her surely we will return with you to your people .

Emeal Zwayne 29:30

But Naomi said turn back my daughters . Why will you go with me ? Are there still sons in my womb that they may be your husbands ? Turn back my daughters , go , for I'm too old to have a husband . I should say I have hope . If I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons , would you wait for me till they were grown ? Would you restrain yourself from having husbands ? No , my daughters , for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me . Then they lifted up their voices and wept again and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law , but Ruth clung to her and she said look , your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods Return after your sister-in-law and that's who I love the most .

Emeal Zwayne 30:06

But Ruth said and treat me not to leave you or to turn back from following after you , For wherever you go , I will go . Where you lodge , I will lodge . Your people shall be my people and your God my God , where you ? Die . I will die and there I will be buried . What is this stuff ? Give me a motion . No , do so to me and more also , if anything but death parts you and me . When she saw she was determined to go with her , she stopped speaking to her .

Ray Comfort 30:36

So it was . That's faithfulness and action Wherever you go .

Emeal Zwayne 30:39

I'm going , I mean she had no obligation to stay with her . She could have , at that very instant , said , okay , yeah , you're right , I'm , I'm me and Orpah , orpah , we're out of here . But man , she , she , like that declaration . I share this . At weddings , oftentimes , you know , as as an example , do you cry when you do I should , but yeah , so comment on that . Guys , I mean what , what's that all about ? But why would this foreigner , this woman who's you know they ? Just , I mean , they were there in her family's land , she's leaving that now , right , it's not like , hey , kind of go to your family's land . It's , it's kind of like stay there . I know they , they departed , but it's like stay where you're from , where we just were , and be with your family and your customs and your culture and your , no , no , I'm going with you , or you go , I'll go , you die , I will die .

Mark Spence 31:30

Yeah , she , she's committed right , and that that commitment means there's no turning back , there's no looking back . Vance Havner said there's no such thing as part time loyalty to Christ and we think about that . You know you go well , are you ? Are you faithful to your wife ? Yeah , I'm faithful to my wife . I've only cheated once , but I've come across 350,000 people whom I've not committed adultery with . So I'm . You know there's not weighing . That happens there . You know there's a ridiculousness that's attached to that . So when the decision is made , when the die has been cast , then there is no looking back . Make that commitment and go forward . And that's that's what she did and that's why we look at that faithfulness . That step of faith is amazing and we're not and we're missing that today . And I want to be a man who is utterly faithful to my own hurt . I want to be a man who , when people think of me , they think of somebody who is loyal , somebody who is faithful . You know , I had a family member that came to me today and said hey , I want to apologize because I don't think I was completely upright to you in my response . And I examined it and I went wow , that is , that is the Christian way . You know , it's not just commission , but omission . It's like not just what you said , but what did you leave out . You know , do I really need to ask a million questions in order to get the right answer ? I want to give the right answer because I know what you're talking about , I know what you're getting at and I want to be like that , right away and easy . You've .

Mark Spence 32:52

We had an encounter several years ago , I don't know if you remember , inside my office , I let the cat out of the bag on some good news to someone . And you came to me and you said , mark , did you , did you tell this person ? You know this news ? And I said , I did . And you go and you're so disappointed . And I remember looking at you and I said , but I feel like you had different things more to say concerning that . And I and I said , easy , I'm so sorry . You know , please forgive me that moment of humility where I just I just owned it . You received it and you were done talking about it . You weren't ready to to flog me and to , you know , throw stones at me . You were as quickly as I .

Oscar Navarro 33:38

I asked him in fairness . I wanted him to flog .

Mark Spence 33:41

We believe that , but you are quick and that's what it is . Humility brings out humility and other people , and I haven't forgotten about that and I use that illustration still to this day with my kids .

Emeal Zwayne 33:53

Wow , yeah , you know , there is something about a person just doing what's right . I mean , that's really what faithfulness is connected to . And , mark , there's a saying you always share , isn't it ? You know you're true friends when everyone's walking out the door , so what was it ?

Mark Spence 34:10

That was the , the winning definition to the word friend back in the summer of 1994 . I read it in a magazine and it was the winning definition of a friend was a friend of someone who walks in the door when everyone else walks out . That's so good .

Emeal Zwayne 34:23

Yeah and right . Faithfulness it's . It's just so rare to find anymore , like how many people walk out on their marriages because they don't like what their spouse just did , or they don't feel fulfilled , or I mean it all goes back to a heart that says , no , I made a commitment and I'm going to see it through to the end .

Ray Comfort 34:43

Yeah , I True about marriage , but I can't help but look at faithfulness and connect it to evangelism , reaching out to the lost . We talk about God's faithfulness through the cross and his promises to us , but we're to be faithful to the Great Commission . Well done you , good and faithful servant , and so I want to be someone who's faithful to God and fulfilling that great commission every day , to seek and save that which is lost . We know Boas let Ruth Glean from his harvest fields and Jesus likened that Evangelism to the harvest fields . Lift up your eyes , look on the fields . They're white . To harvest labor is a few . They will pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest . Or Boas is field Ruth cleaned and we're to clean in the harvest field because people go to hell . And something I can never forget and none of us should yeah , it's easy to overlook that .

Oscar Navarro 35:38

You know , speaking of faithfulness and marriage . I want to talk about faithfulness and marriage , and then faithfulness and friendship . Faithfulness and marriage is is more about Giving than

The Covenant of Love and Kindness

Oscar Navarro 35:47

taking . One of my favorite songs and my wife and I got married . There's two songs that were played alive at her at our wedding . One of them was doxology . That's what we walked into , and the other one was called the wait , and it opens like this there are , there are many who will . You gonna sing ?

Ray Comfort 36:00

it .

Oscar Navarro 36:00

No , yes , there are . There's many who will tell you they'll give you their love . But when they say give , they may take the hang round just like vultures till push comes to shove and take flight . When the earth starts to shake , the chorus says and come what may , I won't abandon you or leave you behind , because love is a loyalty sworn , not a burning for a moment . Come what may , I will be standing right by your side . I won't run away . Though the storms getting worse , there is no end , there's no end in sight .

Oscar Navarro 36:29

And the idea here is is another part of the songs like , some want to wear the ring but don't want to wear the weight . Weight . And that was important to us because we recognized like we are making a covenant , a Commitment together in which we are gonna be loyal to one another , not because it makes us , not because you , you know , and we've talked about this before but like , oftentimes I'll talk to young men and women and they'll be like , oh , you know , I'm in love with this person . And I'll I'll ask like what does that mean ? Like , oh , I love the way they make me feel , I love the way they treat me , I love the way they talk to me and and ultimately it's like to me it sounds like you love yourself . Yeah , you love that , they love you . But loving someone else is outward focus , it's , it's dying for , it's committing to right , and I think that is true in marriage and that's true in friendship as well .

Oscar Navarro 37:16

Culturally speaking , there's a lot of quote-unquote communities available to us . You can join a gym and find a community of friends . You can play board games and video games and find a type of community . But gospel community are people who are Covenanted together for the sake of each other's good and the glory of God . And what that means is that when push comes the shove , when things get hard , when addictions are revealed , when sin is exposed , the church leans in . They care for the needs , they call each other to repentance , they're there for one another , bearing each other's burdens . And so I would say to anybody out there who's listened to this and is maybe realizing you're a part of a shallow community , a gym Community , a gaming community , a whatever community man , my encouragement to you is you will not know the love of God and the commitment of God Until you know it in the context of a local church community who knows you and who loves you and who is committed to you in this kind of way .

Emeal Zwayne 38:26

I'm on . You know I love those videos where you see someone in a race and they fall and the other the other runners mark points to Ray and the other and another runner will come and pick them up . They'll sacrifice their win . Fact , I saw one that really moved me . These people were racing , they were running and One guy just shot ahead but he didn't realize that he had to turn and he runs into the gate and then another guy starts running to . He was gonna win and that guy stopped and he waved the guy over and he let him run ahead of them .

Ray Comfort 39:04

And when they're racing again .

Emeal Zwayne 39:06

No , it's like , but I just there's something in us , just like with Ruth here , right , that makes us look and say there's something right about this , because there was no benefit to Ruth to go with Naomi . I mean it's over None . I mean she , she was gonna go . They had no covering , no , no provision , you know nothing to help them . She could have easily been , but it's like there was something in her that said I'm not gonna let my mother-in-law go and be by herself .

Oscar Navarro 39:30

Yeah , I'm gonna go help her and Naomi warns her they're going into Israel , which is a land that is Unkind towards foreigners . In widows there's like the only way that a widow would be able to provide for themselves or to have provision is to be married . They're widows . They're probably no one's gonna probably want to marry them technically I know someone ends up doing it , but there's no , there's no promise of that happening or by owning land . They are poor , they owe no land , so they're moving into a country that is not kind towards widows and foreigners . Yeah , and Naomi warns Ruth and Ruth goes anyways .

Emeal Zwayne 40:06

Yeah , all right . So we pick it up in verse 8 of chapter 2 . It says in Boas said to Ruth you will listen , my daughter , will you not ? Do not go to glean in another field nor go from here , but stay close by my young women , let your eyes be on the field which they reap and go after them . Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you and when you're thirsty , go to the vessel and drink from what the young men have drawn ? So she fell on her face , bowed down to the ground and said to him why have I found favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me , since I am a foreigner man ? Stop it , you Arab .

Ray Comfort 40:39

And Boas answered and said to her it has been fully reported to me you should have when you read the whole Bible and bull through the whole thing . That would be very popular .

Emeal Zwayne 40:49

I'm gonna go from weasy to weepy .

Ray Comfort 40:51

I just can't stop .

Mark Spence 40:52

It's like that , the first thing you go through the Bible .

Emeal Zwayne 40:58

This has been so new to me . And Boas answered and said to her it has been fully reported to me all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband , and how you have left your father and your mother in the land of your birth and have come to a people whom you did not know Before the Lord repay your work and a full reward be given you by the Lord of God of Israel , under whose wings you have come for refuge . Oh man that that'll preach for an hour right there . Then she said let me find favor in your sight , oh , my Lord , for you have comforted me and have spoken kindly to your maid servant , though I am not like one of your maid servants . You know what this brought to mind is .

Mark Spence 41:34

Proverbs 1922 what is desired .

Emeal Zwayne 41:39

I'm not knowing the Bible . What is desired in a man is kindness . You know , there's something about kindness in a man that just stands out , and we see that here with Boas . I mean , he just , he's just showing such beautiful kindness .

Ray Comfort 41:53

Right , there's a Bible versus speaks of the law of kindness . It's unbending . Yeah , you know , as Christians we are commanded to be kind and I just think it's so powerful to call it a law of kindness .

Emeal Zwayne 42:05

Yeah , yeah and and so you know we don't have time , that man . We've just been camping on different things that I think are legitimate and been good , but but let me , because we I want to make sure we get to the gospel in Ruth .

Oscar Navarro 42:17

Yeah , yeah , go ahead I'll take us so first we have to recognize what a kinsman redeemer is . I know we talked a little bit about it before Leviticus 25 . You mentioned it earlier . Leviticus 25 , verse 23 , goes like this the land is not to be permanently sold , because it is mine that's God speaking and you are only aliens and temporary residents on my land . You are to allow the redemption of any land you occupy . If your brother becomes destitute and sells part of his property , his nearest relative may come and redeem what is sold .

Oscar Navarro 42:49

And so why is that important ? Because Boas is a kinsman redeemer , which means when Naomi and her husband left the land of Israel , they sold the land that the husband

Ruth

Oscar Navarro 42:59

had . When they come back , it turns out that Boas is a Potential kinsman redeemer . Out of all of the land that Ruth could have gleaned from , she ends up gleaning on Boas's land , which again is just showing you the providence and sovereignty of God at work , right . And so they realize this is the potential kinsman redeemer . What does that mean ? That means that Boas Can marry Ruth and by doing so Naomi's line lenient or the husband of Naomi's lineage becomes redeemed . But that means Boas does this at a sacrifice , one he has to take on the debt of buying the land in two . Keep in mind that back in that day , your greatest contribution , all of your honor , all of your joy , everything that had meaning and value to you as a man , was your children , your heritage . For your children to carry on your name by Boas becoming the kinsman redeemer , it means his children will not carry on his name . It'll carry on the name of Naomi's husband , which is how they become the children of David right , or David's children . And so Boas is giving up a great thing . So how does it point us to Jesus ? First , boas is a redeemer . He's a redeemer because he gives up his right to a family . He takes on the debt of Ruth in Naomi and by doing that he makes these outsiders , these foreigners , these people with nothing . He brings them in . He redeems them into the family of God . And , of course , jesus is our great Boas who redeems us back into the family of God by giving up the rights to his throne , by taking on the sin of debt .

Oscar Navarro 44:43

Ruth is a kind of redeemer . She , as you mentioned , you got teary-eyed . She leaves her home , she subjects herself to poverty . She tells Naomi I will be with you until death . Jesus is our great Ruth who leaves his home , who leaves the comfort of his throne and who says to us I will be with you past Death . I will subject myself to all of the sin , poverty , pain and punishment that this world has to offer so that you will be redeemed into my family .

Oscar Navarro 45:16

And so so I mentioned before that the book of Ruth doesn't mention God's name one time , but it uses redemption , or redeemer , 23 times . This book has Jesus written all over it . Jesus , I think you know the reason why you teary-eyed over those moments where Ruth is talking to Naomi like that the kind of loyalty and love is because we all want that . We all want to be loved the way Ruth loved Naomi . We all want someone to make sex , to say I will go with you , I will not let you be alone easy , I will not let you die alone and die in poverty . And what the beautiful thing is is that we have someone like that , we have Jesus who says I will not let you be alone , I will redeem you Amen .

Emeal Zwayne 46:04

Yeah , mark and Ray , I want you guys to wrap us up here in a minute just on the importance of following God's example and that we're not short of examples . But the story basically , to sum it all up , ends up with Boaz blessing Ruth . He tells his men , hey , just leave some sheaves for her . She comes back home with all this food . Ruth is like , or Naomi is like what in the world is going on here ? And she tells her Boaz , she's like what , he's one of our relatives . And then she tells her to go and she goes where he was threshing lies at his feet , which is not an appropriate thing , as some have tried to suggest . But she in a sense made a proposal to him and kind of laid it out , but it was on the basis of all the indications he had given , so it was nothing out of line . And then he ends up going and of course there was another guy who was before him in line and again , I love the fact that he was faithful .

Emeal Zwayne 46:58

No , let's do this the right way , because it appears that he may have also fallen in love with her and saw her character .

Oscar Navarro 47:04

Yeah , he references her as a Proverbs 31 wife .

Emeal Zwayne 47:07

Yeah .

Oscar Navarro 47:08

And he uses a verse from Proverbs 31 , explainer Right and so .

Emeal Zwayne 47:11

But he did what was right and then the other guy didn't want to marry her . And then he does . And I love the end of the book here , chapter four , verse 13 . It says so Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife and he went into her . 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 close relative , and may his name be famous in Israel and may he be to you a restorer of life and the nourisher of your old age , for your daughter-in-law . Oh man , seriously , I should just end it here . Who loves you , who is better to you than seven sons has , has born him . Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom and became a nurse to him . Also , the neighbor woman gave him a name , saying there is a son born in Naomi , and they called his name Obed . He is the father of Jesse , the father of David .

Ray Comfort 48:00

We can call it the weeping by the meal's way .

Emeal Zwayne 48:02

Seriously , man , ah , anyway . So , guys , god hasn't left us with a shortage of examples of faithfulness , has he ?

Ray Comfort 48:10

I think it's so beautiful that she laid the feet of Boas , and it's really a type of the chaste virgin awaiting the espoused virgin , like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus , and humility waiting for that consummation .

Mark Spence 48:25

I love the fact that we don't always know where our faithfulness is leading and Ruth's case here . Her faithfulness led to a place in the family line of Jesus Christ . You know , when we don't know what is happening , we can always know that something is happening because someone is always in control , that the Lord knows what he's doing , amen . Be faithful to small things . Don't worry about tomorrow , don't be hung up with yesterday . Run your race today . Get back in the battle today , today , at this moment .

Mark Spence 48:55

You may have spent all morning going through YouTube reels today . Get back in the word and tell others .

Oscar Navarro 49:01

Well also , you may be thinking to yourself man , but you don't know my past , you don't know my problems , you don't know where I come from . Like , who am I man ? Look at Ruth . Ruth was a widowed , poor alien who was a sodomite , and she ends up in the lineage of Jesus . That's who God uses to bring about her redeemer . So it doesn't matter your past , it doesn't matter where you came from . What matters is your faithfulness to God and his faithfulness to you .

Emeal Zwayne 49:30

Yeah , and by that reference meaning she was related to those from Sodom . Anyway , guys , go after the Lord , go after him hard , no matter what's happened . I love , mark , that you said that you may have been doing this this morning , but right now that's the hope of the gospel . One of the things that touches me most is when we get letters from you guys saying how impacted you've been by the podcast , how you're going harder after the Lord . That's what we want for you . That's why we do this .

Emeal Zwayne 49:56

We have a lot of other things we can be doing . We love doing this because of what it translates into impact in your life . For the glory of God . Our lives are but a vapor . Eternity is coming . Don't waste your life . Look at these powerful examples in scripture . I know your heart right now was pricked by the example that we saw in Ruth and recognize God can do that in us . Make us a faithful people who live for his glory and can have an impact . So there you have it , friends . Don't forget the Albert Brainstine Tracks , the Tracks sample pack , the Living Waters Mugs , the evidence study Bible at LivingWaterscom

Mugs, Flicking, Podcast Ratings, and Alligators

Emeal Zwayne 50:31

.

Ray Comfort 50:31

Speaking of mugs , I'm telling you , on Mugs , vince .

Oscar Navarro 50:34

What do you do ?

Ray Comfort 50:35

Yeah , he was flicking my face with his finger during the whole podcast . Is that what that whole flicking stuff was ? Yeah , flicking my face on the mug . You guys are unbelievable . Yeah , most true .

Emeal Zwayne 50:43

Anyway , friends , continue , please to give us those ratings . Hey , we're climbing up continually . Still one of the top podcasts around . Thank you , friends , and remember to send us your comments and thoughts to podcastLivingWaterscom . Thank you for joining us , friends . We'll see you here next time on the Living Waters podcast , where we have no idea , like the guy who married an alligator , what we're doing .