WEBVTT 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:02.000 Hello, Church. 00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:06.400 Thank you for joining us for the week of joy. 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:16.559 Hear now the word of the true and living God, Matthew 1, starting in verse 1. 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:21.440 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:50.799 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nashan, and Nashan the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:52.000 This is the word of the Lord. 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:53.280 Please be seated. 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:56.479 Good morning. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:01.679 Did you all um notice that I switched Nation in a minute? 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:04.640 I'm just kidding, I didn't say that. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:11.120 Okay, let's try this. 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:13.599 Alright. 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:14.400 There you go. 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:15.120 That's better. 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:16.000 Now we're in. 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:17.120 Thanks for joining us this morning. 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:18.319 My name is James Rathman. 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:21.200 I'm the pastor here at Redemption Church Denver. 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:27.760 And uh yeah, as as Sebastian mentioned, this is our third week in our Advent series. 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:43.840 Uh we are going through the genealogy of Matthew during this Advent series, and we're looking at how it is that our Lord, the one who has no beginning and no end, took on all aspects of humanity, including himself having a genealogy. 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:49.359 Now, a quick announcement and reminder, today, right after the service, we have a members meeting. 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:54.079 So if you are a member, please plan on sticking around for that members meeting right after the service. 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:59.439 And we uh it's funny to watch the exchanges of smiles between people who are like, oh. 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:02.400 We do. 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:07.680 The um uh when I when I make an announcement like that, that's funny. 00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:12.319 Um it's an exciting one of the perks of the job. 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:24.479 It's a it's uh particularly exciting members' meeting because we are bringing in um uh a new elder uh announcing the bringing in of two new elders, um Blake Aaronstorff and Taylor Gunter. 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:29.360 Um but uh Taylor is in Korea uh right now. 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:31.039 Isn't that so exciting? 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:31.520 Yeah. 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:34.960 Um where him and Danielle are adopting their son. 00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:37.919 So uh he couldn't make it. 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:46.240 I told him to cancel, um, but he didn't, so anyway, he's just starting off on thin ice. 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:49.680 Let's pray. 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:53.840 Holy Father, we thank you for this time to gather together. 00:02:54.319 --> 00:03:32.319 Thank you for your loving kindness towards us, towards your church, and we pray that uh your continued blessing would uh support our church, Lord, and as we participate in this season of Advent, Lord, that our hearts would be warmed towards your coming, that we would be able to participate in in the joy of this week, the joy that you did come to save, and that we have a God who understands our frame, who understood our need, and that we can say, nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash away my sin and can atone, but it is all sufficient, Lord. 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:34.319 And that is a joyful thing. 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:38.159 I pray that we'd get to participate in that joy this morning in the story of Ruth. 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:39.759 Jesus' name, amen. 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:48.479 So as I was saying, this is the third week in our Advent Lineage series, where we're going through the lineage at the beginning of Matthew's gospel. 00:03:49.039 --> 00:04:08.800 And the it that that sort of incredible dynamic about Advent is we're looking backwards to Christ who has come, to the arrival of Christ in the flesh, and we are looking forward in this Advent season towards His promised return. 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:11.199 So we have this sort of double movement. 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:16.959 We have the assurance that he has come, and we have the assurance of his faithfulness that he will come again. 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:20.639 And both of those things we look forward to in the season of Advent. 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:36.720 Now, that first coming of Christ, which we celebrate at Christmas, is uh is the incarnation where God became a man, where the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, took on flesh and was born to be fully human. 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:40.879 And humans don't just spawn in the middle of the desert somewhere. 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:42.800 Humans come from other humans. 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:44.800 It's the only place that we come from. 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:52.319 And so when Jesus took on humanity and the fullness of humanity, he took on a full lineage. 00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:55.759 Luke's genealogy goes all the way back to Adam. 00:04:56.079 --> 00:05:04.399 Matthew, with his genealogy, is doing a slightly different project as he's showing that it uh is a fulfillment of the promises given to Abraham. 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:08.000 And so his genealogy begins with Abraham. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:20.000 But what's incredible, and it probably finds its only analogy in the creation itself, is that the eternal God became fully human. 00:05:20.639 --> 00:05:25.279 You do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with your frame. 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:35.279 You have a high priest who knows what it is to be hungry, who knows what it is to thirst and to long for and to be tired. 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:40.639 He understands your frame, and yet he is fully God. 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:45.199 This is this incredible hope and cry of the human heart, I think. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:59.439 And I think I talked about this before, but how we see in Job this desire for someone who is able to come and Job says, Could someone come and place their hand on me and place their hand on God? 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:02.000 Is there anyone who could be that mediator? 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:04.480 Well, Christ is that mediator. 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:08.240 God himself, fully God, fully man, taking on flesh. 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:19.040 So for our Advent series this year, we are looking at the genealogy of Matthew, and there are a lot of different threads that we could pick up to understand this genealogy. 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:28.079 But for our Advent, we are looking at the uniqueness of the four women that Matthew includes in his genealogy. 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:35.759 The genealogy when read is just a repetition of became the father of, became the father of, became the father of. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:44.160 And then on four occasions, that pattern is interrupted for the introduction of four women. 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:49.839 And these four women are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:59.439 Now it's interesting because there's uh lots of women that Matthew doesn't include in the genealogy. 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:17.839 And so they interrupt the pattern and stand out, and they Matthew is drawing our attention to them as a way of saying, look, it is important that you understand in particular that these four women have been directly brought into Christ's story. 00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:31.759 And so, in order to understand this person of Christ that I am going to spend the whole rest of my gospel describing, you must understand his origin as including these four women in particular. 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:49.120 Now, I think this series, part of the purpose of the series is to discover why it is that he includes these four women in particular, but there are two qualities that each of the four women have that sort of link them together. 00:07:49.439 --> 00:08:09.040 These two are that all four women are Gentiles, so none of them are Israelites by birth, and they all intervene at a critical moment in Israel's history to either preserve the line of the king or to preserve the kingdom itself. 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:19.439 And if it weren't for these Gentiles' intervention at this critical moment, then we could imagine easily the kingdom itself or the line of the king reaching a dead end. 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:27.040 But by the inclusion of the Gentiles, as shown in these four women, we see that the kingdom is preserved. 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:29.360 And that tells us something about Jesus. 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:33.759 That he is the king of the Jews, the promised king of the Jews. 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:39.200 But the salvation that comes through the Jews is a salvation for the whole world. 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:59.840 And so in Ruth's story, in particular, today, this third woman in the genealogy mentioned, we get to see the type of reconciliation that is like this national reconciliation that takes place through Ruth's inclusion into the line. 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:06.799 So in Ruth's story, we finally reach the time frame of David. 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:09.200 So she is David's great-grandmother. 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:14.080 And so we're we're in a similar time scale as King David with her story. 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:17.519 And Ruth's story is particularly interesting. 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:21.679 I'll go ahead and read where she is in the genealogy. 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:35.440 Verses 4 through 6, it says, and Ram, the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nashan, and Nashan the father of Salmon, and Sammon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz, the father of Obed, by Ruth. 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:40.720 And Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David, the king. 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:46.480 Ruth's story is a story of a hidden kindness. 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:49.440 It is not like Tamar's story. 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:53.120 I have to sneeze, but I don't think it's gonna happen. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:56.240 Man. 00:09:57.279 --> 00:10:00.240 We uh I'll sneeze later, don't worry. 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:02.799 I'm not gonna sneeze on company time. 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:09.840 The uh it's a Ruth's story is a hidden kindness, it's not like Tamar's story. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:20.080 Tamar's story is uh she she makes this really direct advocacy for her participation in the line. 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:27.679 So she uses this deception of Judah, as you'll remember, and she makes sure that this line continues. 00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:34.720 It's almost as if Tamar had a clearer understanding of the importance of the line of Judah than Judah himself did. 00:10:34.960 --> 00:11:02.000 And Rahab's story is a story of uh this like exciting military conquest where she sort of gives a her faith is what strengthens the Israelites to be able to do what they were unable to do the first time, which is take the land, to actually perform the conquest of the land that God had commanded them to. 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:15.200 Ruth's story, however, is different because what she positions herself, the position that she finds herself in, there is no self-advocacy involved. 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:20.240 You see, Tamar said, I deserve to be a part of this line. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:24.480 It is, it is by marriage I have acquired this right, and she advocates for it. 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:35.200 Rahab recognizes that this is the opportunity that she and her family might be saved, so that if she participates in the salvation of the Jews, then she herself would be saved. 00:11:35.519 --> 00:12:02.799 Ruth, she sees an opportunity to preserve her own line, to care for her own lineage, and instead she lays that down, to take on barrenness and walk into hopelessness, and in her absolute laying down, the line is preserved. 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:09.679 It is one of the most beautiful stories in Scripture, and I'm excited to look at it together with you this morning. 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:16.159 So let's go ahead and jump into Ruth's story, and we'll begin by looking at Ruth's kindness. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:19.120 Ruth 1.1. 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:23.360 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:30.799 And a man of Bethlehem and Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:32.799 Okay, so we're in Bethlehem. 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:36.320 Uh Bethlehem is a city that will become pretty important in the Bible. 00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:40.720 And Bethlehem means house of bread. 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:42.799 But there's a problem with the house of bread. 00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:44.399 There's no food in it. 00:12:44.639 --> 00:13:00.639 And so Naomi, who is the wife mentioned in the story, is exiled from Bethlehem, the house of food, because of a famine, and her and her husband and her two sons move into Moab because there's food in Moab. 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:11.919 Bethlehem, of course, will later become the birthplace of David and the birthplace of the bread of life, whose body will be broken for us. 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:20.639 While in Moab, Naob excuse in my throat. 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:22.399 There's a lot going on up here this morning. 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:28.720 Bodhi is going through his four-month regression, which means he's not sleeping, which means meat's same. 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:33.279 And uh, yeah, so anyway, a lot of vocal stuff happening. 00:13:34.480 --> 00:13:40.159 While in Moab, Naomi's husband dies, and her two sons are married. 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:41.919 They marry two Moabite women. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:44.000 Their names are Ruth and Orpa. 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:51.120 Now, over the course of time, both of Naomi's sons die. 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:54.480 And so her husband dies and her sons die. 00:13:54.639 --> 00:14:01.759 And so now Naomi's only connection in this land that is not her home are her two daughter-in-laws. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:03.519 That is her only family. 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:06.720 Her two daughter-in-laws, Ruth and Orpah. 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:16.320 Well, Naomi learns that there is food once again in her home of Bethlehem, and so she decides to return to Bethlehem. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:21.360 And she encourages her daughter-in-laws to remain in Moab. 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:27.759 She basically says, consider that the marriages to my sons didn't happen. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:33.279 Instead, remain in Moab, because I have no more sons that you might marry. 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:37.120 And even if I were to become pregnant right now, wow, incredible. 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:42.240 Krista, back from Japan, and just already just a closer. 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:55.840 So she encourages her daughter-in-laws to remain in Moab that they might remarry and start their lives again. 00:14:56.720 --> 00:15:03.279 Now you remember, we saw this with Tamar, that there is a pattern of, it's called Leverite marriage. 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:18.879 And that means that when you were married into a family, if your husband dies in that family and you find yourself widowed, then you have the right to be brought into the family of the next son in that family. 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:23.679 So they had the right to Naomi's next son. 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:29.120 But Naomi is saying, look, that's not gonna happen. 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:32.639 She was of an age where it was extremely unlikely. 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:43.600 And just the timing itself meant that their right to participate there, with their right to leave right marriage, would not make any sense to pursue. 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:50.399 And so she encourages them, she encourages Orpah and Ruth to stay in Moab. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:54.080 And they all weep together at Naomi's parting. 00:15:54.799 --> 00:16:01.440 And Orpa heads back home and remains in Moab, back to the house of her father. 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:07.039 And Ruth 1, 16 through 17, you know the song. 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:13.600 But Ruth said, Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:18.559 For where you go, I will go, she says to Naomi, her mother-in-law. 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:21.120 And where you lodge, I will lodge. 00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:26.240 Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:31.840 Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:37.600 May the Lord do so to me and more also, if anything but death departs me from you. 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:48.159 There's only one explanation for why Ruth remains committed to Naomi. 00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:51.279 She loves her. 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:55.679 She considers her actually family. 00:16:56.639 --> 00:17:01.600 She sees the loneliness and the hardship that she has and she takes pity on her. 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:16.079 Ruth, she says to her mother-in-law, with every right to leave and just go home and restart, she looks at Naomi and says, no, I will be absolutely united to you. 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:19.200 You won't be left alone. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:24.079 Now there's not a there's not a purpose there, right? 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:39.200 There's we're we're used to seeing decisions that track the lineage and see how, look, these women have made these decisions which uh allow the the line of the king to be preserved, but that's not what's happening here. 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:47.440 All Ruth is saying is, I love you, Naomi, and I will be committed to you. 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:52.799 It's one of the most beautiful acts in all of scripture. 00:17:53.039 --> 00:18:00.160 And something that I think if you had a friend do, you would say, Ruth, this is not the move. 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.279 Come on, let's be practical about this. 00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:05.680 Let's be let's be reasonable about this. 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:08.480 There's nothing in there's nothing for you in Bethlehem. 00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:13.200 You're gonna go with Naomi, and there's no sun coming from her. 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:22.480 In fact, by remaining under Naomi, you are vastly limiting your options to have any future. 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:26.319 Let's understand precisely what you're doing, Ruth. 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:34.000 In identifying with Naomi, you are taking on her own barrenness. 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:39.920 Naomi's barrenness will become your barrenness. 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:51.119 Naomi's lack of a future and lack of a hope of any future care for her will become your lack of a future and lack of hope of any care. 00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:55.440 And what would Ruth's response be? 00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:58.000 I love her. 00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:03.599 I love, she is she is my family. 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:08.319 That marriage to her son was not a fake marriage. 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:11.359 We did not become fake family. 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:14.160 We became real family. 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:17.440 And so I love her. 00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:20.559 And I will be committed to her, and I will go with her. 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:25.599 If it means taking on her own barrenness, then so be it. 00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:30.160 If it means laying down my own future, then so be it. 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:38.559 Ruth's love here is a picture of sacrificial love. 00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:50.000 Identifying completely with the ones that she loves, even at great cost to herself, so that her very pain becomes, so that Naomi's very pain becomes Ruth. 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:55.680 So they go back to Bethlehem from Moab. 00:19:56.319 --> 00:20:01.359 And when Naomi arrives, folks say, hey, it's Naomi. 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:03.359 She says, Don't call me Naomi anymore. 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:05.279 Naomi means pleasant. 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:08.640 But she says, refer to me as bitter. 00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:09.839 Mara. 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:13.759 Because the Lord has treated me bitterly. 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:17.519 She left Bethlehem with a husband and two sons. 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:23.759 And she enters Bethlehem once again with no husband and no sons. 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:27.279 The Lord has dealt bitterly with me. 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:36.000 Well, as they settle back into their home in Bethlehem, they are, of course, have no provision. 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:42.319 And so they are forced to glean from others' fields. 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:51.599 Now, the Lord had structured things in Israel such that if you owned a field, you were commanded to not glean, to not harvest all the way to the edges. 00:20:52.319 --> 00:20:58.559 That way, the poor in the land were able to move through and glean the edges of the field so that there would be enough for them. 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:06.079 So they find a field in which there was a righteous man who had not harvested all the way to the edges of his field. 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:09.920 And Ruth goes out and begins gleaning in this field. 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:12.880 The name of this man is Boaz. 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:25.119 Boaz notices Ruth as she's gleaning in the field, and he asks the young men who are working for him, who was this new woman? 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:27.519 Which was probably pretty rare. 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:31.839 And they inform her that's Ruth. 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:33.599 She's the Moabite woman. 00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:36.480 And she's the Moabite woman who returned with Naomi. 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:47.839 You remember the story that she lost her husband and her two sons, and that one of her daughter in laws, out of love for her, returned with her here to Bethlehem. 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:55.279 And Boaz hears the story, and Ruth's kindness was not a hidden kindness for Boaz. 00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:59.519 He understands exactly what he's seeing. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:06.480 And so Boaz comes to Ruth, and he explains to her, you're welcome to glean in this field. 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:09.039 In fact, don't glean in any other field. 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:14.079 And I've instructed the men in the field not to touch you, so that you'll be safe here. 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:17.279 And remember, this takes place during the time of the judges. 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:24.640 And if you read through that book, especially how it ends, this is a particularly dangerous time for women in Israel's history. 00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:40.880 As the book of Judges climactically ends with a woman being murdered and then sent in her parts sent to the rest of Israel, resulting in a near elimination of the tribe of Benjamin. 00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:49.440 So she is now protected and is given food, and he's even instructed his young men to draw water for them. 00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:53.920 So she is under his protection and she is given food and water by him. 00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:58.960 And Ruth is overwhelmed by this kindness that she's received. 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:06.400 And she falls down before him and says, How is it that you would be so kind to me, a foreigner? 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:10.400 And Boaz answered her. 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:15.920 And he says this in Ruth 2, verses 11 to 12. 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:22.240 All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me. 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:29.119 How you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:39.759 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge. 00:23:41.279 --> 00:23:47.279 Boaz is isn't, he's not like us practical friends. 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:53.200 He looks at what Ruth does and he sees the Lord in it. 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:57.519 He sees the wonder of her loving commitment. 00:23:57.680 --> 00:24:04.480 In this Moabite woman, he sees that she has taken refuge under the Lord of Israel. 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:06.880 Because what is it, what is it like? 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:08.720 Like Boaz understands this. 00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:15.920 It is like the Lord to have remained so faithful. 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:21.519 That's in the very character of the God of Israel. 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:32.160 So when Ruth is acting like that, she is acting in character with the God of Israel, and therefore she is taking refuge under the Lord's wings. 00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:40.720 Ruth's kindness to Naomi shines just absolutely to Boaz. 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:43.680 He rightly understands the story. 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:54.000 And so Ruth, after receiving this kindness, returns to Naomi and explains that, hey, great news. 00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:56.000 We've got a field we can harvest in. 00:24:56.240 --> 00:24:57.839 This guy's really taking care of us. 00:24:57.920 --> 00:24:58.960 His name's Boaz. 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:08.799 And Naomi said to her in chapter 2, verse 20, Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, may he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead. 00:25:09.039 --> 00:25:15.200 Naomi also said to her, The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers. 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:20.319 One of our redeemers, you say. 00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:24.640 There's a uh what yeah, what of what does that mean? 00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:31.759 Um yeah, if you subscribe to Tinder, it just does redeemers only. 00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:36.559 Which is convenient, but if you don't subscribe to them, it could be anybody. 00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:44.559 Naomi had a right to a land in uh Israel. 00:25:44.720 --> 00:25:48.319 So it Israel's land was allotted by God to the families. 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:53.279 And it was structured in such a way where they were meant to maintain those plots of land for generations. 00:25:53.759 --> 00:26:10.079 But if you had a particularly bad harvest or became poor, you were able to sell that land to a close family member, and then you could use that money to support yourself through the time until the year of Jubilee would arrive, and then all the land would be restored. 00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:17.039 So those who have the right to buy the land from you are the ones who can redeem the land. 00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:18.559 They are the redeemers. 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:28.880 And so Boaz, being a relative of Naomi's husband, now deceased husband, is in line to be a redeemer of this land. 00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:33.759 So the land that Naomi and Ruth have a right to is able to be purchased. 00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:40.960 But here's the thing: when you purchase that land, you purchase it as the husband of that land. 00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:54.000 So then when you purchase it, you would become the rightful husband of Ruth, and you would then be the one who fulfills the Leverite marriage for Ruth. 00:26:55.359 --> 00:27:10.400 That means that the children that you have with Ruth would not be your heirs, but they would be the heirs of Ruth's deceased husband, so that his line would continue in Israel. 00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:15.920 So much of the legal structure in Israel is about preservation of the lineage, about preservation of the line. 00:27:16.160 --> 00:27:41.200 So what Ruth, in finding this Redeemer, Ruth would need to find someone who was willing to say, in order to marry you, in order to commit to you, I will forsake my own line and forsake my own heritage in order to show this kindness to you. 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:44.000 Do you see who Ruth would need to find? 00:27:44.400 --> 00:27:46.799 Someone just like her. 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:52.480 Because what did Ruth do when she stayed with Naomi? 00:27:53.279 --> 00:28:01.680 She said, even if it cuts off my own future to show this love to you, I will be with you. 00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:15.599 And so the one who redeems Ruth would be one who would say, Even if this removes from me my own lineage and my own heritage, I will show this love to you. 00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:19.279 Now that's a hard find. 00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:22.880 But she finds that in Boaz. 00:28:23.759 --> 00:28:33.279 And of course, the only way to figure out if Boaz is a man of that caliber, you've got to uncover his feet. 00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:43.599 So this is Naomi's instruction to Ruth in order to petition Boaz to be her redeemer. 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:52.559 Ruth says, excuse me, Naomi says in Ruth 3, verses 3 through 5, wash, therefore, it's Naomi talking to Ruth, and anoint yourself. 00:28:53.279 --> 00:28:55.359 She says, Girl, wash your face. 00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:03.839 And anoint yourself, and put on your cloak, and go down to the threshing floor. 00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:09.359 But do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:13.119 But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. 00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:18.880 Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do. 00:29:19.119 --> 00:29:22.880 And she replied, All that you say, I will do. 00:29:23.519 --> 00:29:25.759 Now this needs no explanation. 00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:32.400 In fact, that's my application for this Sunday. 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:41.680 Naomi's first advice is to change her dress and make herself lovely. 00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:52.400 Now, some commentators say that this is her putting on something like a wedding garment because she's uh letting Boaz know that she's available to be married. 00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:54.480 He is her redeemer. 00:29:55.359 --> 00:30:00.480 But I think that there's more than just that, because remember, Ruth is a widow. 00:30:00.960 --> 00:30:03.200 And we saw this in Tamar's story as well. 00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:13.519 In the story of Tamar, the scripture makes a uh a repeated refrain of her taking off her widow's garments. 00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:22.000 And I think that's what we're seeing here is that Tamar is saying, I am no longer in my time of mourning. 00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:25.920 But we are in a time of remarriage. 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:30.079 This is a time of resurrection and restoration. 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:33.599 And that's being pictured in Ruth herself. 00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:40.319 And then let's not be so puritanical to miss that she is making herself beautiful. 00:30:40.799 --> 00:30:45.039 She's making herself lovely to be seen by Boaz. 00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:57.279 And she goes in and she lays down at his feet after he had been eating and drinking for the night, and then at around midnight, after his feet were uncovered, and he says, you know, when your feet get uncovered? 00:30:58.559 --> 00:31:00.000 He woke up like that. 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:02.240 And he says, Who are you? 00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:04.640 in Ruth 3, 9 through 10. 00:31:05.039 --> 00:31:08.880 And she answered, I am Ruth, your servant. 00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:14.079 Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer. 00:31:15.279 --> 00:31:18.160 And he said, May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. 00:31:18.319 --> 00:31:25.039 You have made this last kindness greater than the first, and that you have not gone after younger men, whether poor or rich. 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:29.680 And he says, That I will be your redeemer. 00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:34.240 But there is one person who is first in line to redeem the land. 00:31:34.319 --> 00:31:43.519 And so he goes to the city gate and he sits down with the elders and he calls the other redeemer in place, and he says, There's this opportunity to buy the land, to buy Naomi's land. 00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:45.680 And the other Redeemer says, Great, I'll take it. 00:31:46.319 --> 00:31:47.680 I'll buy the other land. 00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:50.400 And he says, There's one catch. 00:31:51.359 --> 00:31:55.359 If you buy the land, then you acquire her daughter-in-law, Ruth. 00:31:55.759 --> 00:32:02.240 And the man says, Then I'll pass on buying the land because I don't want to threaten my own heritage. 00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:10.319 And then Boaz says, okay, then I'll buy it, and they trade sandals, which is a cool way of making a deal. 00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:13.359 The trading sandals thing. 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:14.480 I I like that. 00:32:16.400 --> 00:32:20.079 And they become set to be married. 00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:24.960 But I know we're all still back on the uncovered feet. 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:27.119 So what what is happening there? 00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:32.559 First of all, this is not some, this is not like a euphemism for sex. 00:32:33.839 --> 00:32:44.000 They didn't, like, if I were at like my Bible is literature class at CU Boulder, then the professor would just be having a heyday, like, can you believe it? 00:32:44.240 --> 00:32:46.640 There's look at what Ruth actually does. 00:32:46.799 --> 00:32:50.000 You know, premarital sex from this Bible hero. 00:32:50.960 --> 00:32:58.240 But it is not as though, it is not as though the Bible is coy elsewhere. 00:33:00.480 --> 00:33:03.119 Like with do you remember Tamar's story? 00:33:03.279 --> 00:33:09.920 The first woman who who seduces her father-in-law secretly and then conceives by him? 00:33:10.160 --> 00:33:15.920 And then with the great reveal, the Bible didn't whitewash that story. 00:33:16.160 --> 00:33:19.119 If it happened, the Bible would tell us it happened. 00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:20.640 It didn't happen. 00:33:21.279 --> 00:33:23.119 But why this pattern? 00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:28.240 And what is that language of uncovering the feet? 00:33:29.279 --> 00:33:31.519 Here's what I think is happening. 00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:35.039 The uncovering language. 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:47.119 It seems to really match the language of Leviticus 18, which describes do not uncover your mother's nakedness, for it is your father's nakedness. 00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:49.920 Do not uncover your sister's nakedness, for it is your father's nakedness. 00:33:50.559 --> 00:34:00.160 There's this pattern, and it's basically what's being described in that section of Leviticus, is uh don't don't intermarry in proximity to your family. 00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:07.759 And it's drawing these intermarriage boundaries in Leviticus, and it's using this pattern of language of uncovering nakedness. 00:34:09.679 --> 00:34:30.320 And this same incest language is used here talking about Ruth and Boaz's interaction, although nothing of the kind happens, and they were not within that relative proximity. 00:34:34.400 --> 00:34:44.480 But there is a story in scripture just like this one, very similar to this one, in which that incestuous pattern does take place. 00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:46.559 Now, you may remember Lot. 00:34:47.440 --> 00:34:50.239 Lot lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:34:50.639 --> 00:34:54.480 And he was by the skin of his teeth, and for some reason not very willing to leave. 00:34:54.639 --> 00:34:59.920 He's rescued out of Lot, him, he's rescued out of Sodom and Gomorrah, him and his daughters. 00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:05.840 And the whole surrounding region of Sodom and Gomorrah is destroyed by God. 00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:09.280 But they shelter in this small town, Lot and his daughters. 00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:18.079 And Lot's daughters recognize that they have no hope of having a heritage. 00:35:18.559 --> 00:35:25.840 They have no hope of having anyone to marry because, you know, the people were destroyed. 00:35:26.400 --> 00:35:28.159 And so they are alone here. 00:35:28.400 --> 00:35:35.519 And so they lot's daughters scheme together and they they get Lot drunk, the same pattern. 00:35:35.760 --> 00:35:44.239 Boaz here, probably, you know, I don't know, you you can see where I'm headed. 00:35:44.480 --> 00:35:47.440 Boaz, Boaz has been drinking at least. 00:35:48.559 --> 00:35:49.519 Same pattern. 00:35:49.679 --> 00:35:58.480 They go into him at midnight, but these daughters, they they they do sleep with their father. 00:35:59.920 --> 00:36:02.079 And they conceive by him. 00:36:03.840 --> 00:36:12.000 And they wake up in the morning and Lot has no memory of it, and then the other daughter does the same thing. 00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:28.159 Now, the firstborn of those sons that was conceived by Lot's daughters is Moab, from whom the Moabites come. 00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:37.679 And they are cut out from the line of Israel because of this process, because of the sin from which that line started. 00:36:39.760 --> 00:36:48.320 Ruth, the Moabite, goes through this same pattern, but it is rightly done. 00:36:49.440 --> 00:36:52.559 She does not take her lineage. 00:36:53.360 --> 00:37:03.280 Instead, by faith and operating out of love, she lays herself down and says, Might you sacrifice that I might be redeemed? 00:37:04.159 --> 00:37:10.880 And she doesn't deceptively grasp what she needs, she lays herself at the mercy of her redeemer. 00:37:12.960 --> 00:37:16.880 Not sinfully grasping what was not hers to take. 00:37:17.360 --> 00:37:22.400 And in doing so, the Moabites are brought back in. 00:37:25.199 --> 00:37:33.519 The story of this terrible story, which is even uncomfortable to relay, of Lot's daughters, is unwound. 00:37:33.760 --> 00:37:38.400 It is redeemed in the story of Ruth. 00:37:40.480 --> 00:37:42.719 That's the pattern that's happening here. 00:37:43.119 --> 00:37:48.800 That strangeness of the uncovering defeat, of the midnight visit, of the whole thing. 00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:51.039 What's happening was she's a Moabite. 00:37:51.840 --> 00:37:57.039 And for her to be brought in, that story needs to be done rightly. 00:37:57.760 --> 00:37:59.679 And so the story is done rightly. 00:37:59.840 --> 00:38:09.039 The righteousness, what we see in Lot's daughters is that the unrighteousness of the Israelite cuts them out. 00:38:10.079 --> 00:38:13.280 But the righteousness of the Moabite brings them in. 00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:22.400 That there is a national restoration taking place in this narrative. 00:38:22.639 --> 00:38:25.039 And so Boaz redeems her. 00:38:30.480 --> 00:38:35.360 So they visit the elders of the town, and the elders of the town gather together and they marry them. 00:38:35.519 --> 00:38:39.280 They marry Boaz and Ruth, and they bless them. 00:38:39.360 --> 00:38:44.559 And I wanted to finally call our attention to this blessing in Ruth 4, verse 12. 00:38:46.079 --> 00:38:59.760 The elders of the town bless them and say, 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. 00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:09.760 There is a connection here that the elders themselves make as they see who might Ruth be like. 00:39:09.920 --> 00:39:21.679 She might be like Tamar to Judah, because Tamar is the Gentile who was brought in at this moment where the line was dead. 00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:27.039 But by Tamar bringing it in, it was resurrected. 00:39:27.760 --> 00:39:30.239 The line was dead here. 00:39:30.960 --> 00:39:33.039 It had died in Naomi. 00:39:33.760 --> 00:39:36.960 She was the only one left and unable to bring it forward. 00:39:37.920 --> 00:39:50.000 But by Ruth's laying down herself and even laying down her opportunity to grab the line for herself, she receives it. 00:39:50.559 --> 00:39:56.000 Do you see the faith of Ruth restoring the line? 00:39:58.079 --> 00:40:07.760 It is like the faith of Sarah, who, when she was of an age that she could not conceive, she trusted that she would conceive. 00:40:07.840 --> 00:40:18.559 It is like the faith of Abraham, who when he raised the knife over the promised son, believed that the Lord would be able to bring it back from the dead. 00:40:20.239 --> 00:40:23.760 Ruth's kindness looks unthinkable. 00:40:23.840 --> 00:40:25.519 It looks unimaginable. 00:40:25.760 --> 00:40:28.960 Why would she take on the barrenness of Naomi? 00:40:31.519 --> 00:40:33.199 But it is of faith. 00:40:34.480 --> 00:40:40.480 That the God of Israel is such that he can take a barrenness and make it fruitful. 00:40:41.760 --> 00:40:48.320 That the barren one will rejoice, that the eunuch will celebrate like a fruitful tree. 00:40:48.639 --> 00:40:50.079 How is that possible? 00:40:50.400 --> 00:41:01.599 Well, what if at the center of our story was the true Redeemer that we look to, who where is it that we find our life, that we find our fruitfulness? 00:41:01.760 --> 00:41:04.320 It is in his death. 00:41:06.239 --> 00:41:08.159 Death is the end of a line. 00:41:08.320 --> 00:41:10.239 Death is the fruitlessness. 00:41:10.400 --> 00:41:15.920 It's the being cut off, but in his being cut off, we are brought in. 00:41:16.239 --> 00:41:20.480 Why is Ruth's story a part of Christ's story? 00:41:20.719 --> 00:41:23.119 Why is she brought into Christ's story? 00:41:23.280 --> 00:41:27.679 Well, she is the one who looked rightly to the Redeemer. 00:41:27.920 --> 00:41:38.239 And Jesus is the one who, like Ruth, left his home to take on something like fruitlessness, that way we might be found fruitful in him. 00:41:41.039 --> 00:41:42.639 You know who we're like in this story? 00:41:42.719 --> 00:41:43.760 We're like Naomi. 00:41:45.360 --> 00:41:47.599 Who received the kindness of Ruth. 00:41:48.320 --> 00:41:53.679 And in receiving the sacrificial kindness of Ruth, our future is secured. 00:41:56.079 --> 00:41:59.519 So that's why Ruth is a part of Christ's story. 00:42:00.159 --> 00:42:02.639 We look forward to our Redeemer like her. 00:42:04.159 --> 00:42:06.079 Are there any questions today? 00:42:06.480 --> 00:42:07.119 Great. 00:42:08.400 --> 00:42:18.239 Did the Kingly line pass through Boaz, who Matthew tells us was the son of Salmon, or through Ruth, who the book of Ruth tells us was preserving the line of Elimelech? 00:42:18.800 --> 00:42:20.239 It passes through Boaz. 00:42:21.599 --> 00:42:26.559