Ruth 2

Ruth 2:1-12

Chapter 9 “Seek and Ye Shall Find” “And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech. And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.

Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” Rth 2:1-12 Here are three facts revealed in Holy Scripture that need to be written upon our hearts by the finger of God. Our puny brains may not be able to sort out the details. We may not b able to see the consistency of these facts. They may even appear to be contradictory. Yet, these three facts are plainly revealed in the Word of God. Faith bows to the Word and receives these things for what they are, the very truth of God.

1. God almighty saves whom he will (Romans 9:15-16; Romans 9:18). He chose some and passed by others. He sent his Son to redeem some, but not others. Christ makes intercession for some, but not others. He sends his word to some, but not others.

The Holy Spirit regenerates and calls some, but not others. All whom the Father chose, the Son redeemed, and the Spirit calls shall be saved, all of them and no one else, no matter what. “Salvation is of the Lord!” Yet, our great, sovereign God has ordained the use of certain means, and will not save any sinner apart from the means he has appointed. God will not alter his purpose at all. If Nineveh is to be saved, Jonah (and no one else) must go to Nineveh, because God has determined to save Nineveh through the preaching of Jonah. God knows how to take care of the details. Ask Jonah. 2. You and I are responsible for those immortal souls placed by God under our influence (Ezekiel 33:7-9). Men and women are saved or lost as a direct result of our actions (Ezekiel 3:17-19; 1 Timothy 4:16). God’s purpose can never be altered or frustrated. What he has purposed he will do. Neither Lucifer, nor you, nor I can overrule him (Isaiah 14:24; Isaiah 14:26-27). Yet, as Satan is responsible for the angels he led to destruction, though not one elect angel fell, so we are responsible for those who are under our influence, though none of God’s elect shall by any possibility perish.

3. Every person is responsible for his own soul. If you seek the Lord, you will find him. He promises you will (Jeremiah 29:12-13). If you refuse to seek him, you will perish forever in hell. If you trust Christ, you shall be saved.

If you believe not on the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall be damned. Your faith will not add to the number of God’s elect. Neither will your unbelief alter the purpose of the Almighty (Romans 3:3-4). If you are saved, it will be because God chose you, redeemed you, and called you. If you die in your sins, it will be because you refused to walk in the light God gave you, you refused to hearken to the Word of God, you refused to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Your willful unbelief, not the purpose of God, shall be the cause of your everlasting condemnation (John 3:36; Proverbs 1:23-33).

In Rth 2:1-12, Ruth is set before us as a picture of a sinner seeking the Lord. This is the promise of God to sinners. “Seek and ye shall find.” I know that no one will ever seek the Lord who is not first sought out by the Lord. Our seeking him is the proof that we are sought of him. Yet, it is everyone’s responsibility to seek him. As Ruth sought barley in the fields of Boaz, so needy sinners seek the Bread of Life in the Book of God and in the House of God. RUTH’S ONLY HOPE WAS A NEAR KINSMAN. Rth 2:1 “And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.” Everything in the Book of Ruth is about the kinsman. He is really the center of attention. The commentaries, for the most part, miss the point of the book. They talk about Ruth. But Ruth talked about this kinsman. Her kinsman, Boaz, is a type and picture of our great kinsman, the Lord Jesus Christ. The kinsman, according to God’s Holy Law, had the right to redeem (Leviticus 25:25). He was kinsman. He was, as is seen this and the next chapters, willing to redeem. And Boaz, Ruth’s near kinsman was able to redeem her. This man, Boaz, as we have seen, was a beautiful type and picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, our kinsman Redeemer. He was a man; and the Son of God became a man that he might redeem and save his people (Galatians 4:4-6; Hebrews 2:10-18).

He was a man of great wealth; and Christ our Savior has all that is needed to redeem and save his people. He is of great wealth, indeed (Colossians 2:10). He has perfect righteousness and complete, perfect, blood atonement; and they are of infinite worth and merit before God. This man’s name also points to Christ. Boaz means “Strength.” The Son of God, our Kinsman Redeemer, not only has all that is necessary to ransom our souls, he has the power to save (John 17:2; Hebrews 7:25). BEING HUMBLED BY THE HAND OF GOD, RUTH KNEW HER NEED OF GRACE. Rth 2:2 “And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.” Before God saves he slays. Before he exalts he abases. Before he heals he wounds. He never lifts sinners up until he brings them down. Ruth had resolved that she would be found among the children of God. She would not go back to Moab. But if she lived in Bethlehem, she would have to do so as a poor beggar living upon the grace of another. This she was willing to do (Psalms 110:3). Grace chose her. Grace created a need. Grace met her need. That is always God’s method of grace. DIVINE BROUGHT RUTH TO THE PLACE WHERE SHE WOULD MEET BOAZ. Rth 2:3 “And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.” Though it made no difference to Ruth which field she gleaned in, “her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz.” She had not planned it. In so far as she was concerned, this was purely accidental. But “her hap” was by the arrangement of providence. “Her hap” determined her marriage to Boaz, her wealth, her everlasting happiness, and her position in the genealogy of Christ. “Her hap” also brought about the incarnation of her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.! The Son of God must come into the world as a descendent of Boaz and Ruth. God purposed it from eternity. Yet, Boaz and Ruth would never have wed had she not gleaned in his field.

This was no accident. “Her hap” was God’s purpose. Let us ever adore our heavenly Father’s wise providence. Let us regard nothing as insignificant. Let us look for and follow the direction of God in the daily affairs of your life, trusting his will and bowing to it in all things (Proverbs 3:5-6).BOAZ SPOKE ABOUT RUTH AND FOR RUTH IN HER HEARING BEFORE HE SPOKE TO HER. Rth 2:4-7 “And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee. Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.” In these verses, the conversation is all about Ruth. It appears not to be so much for Boaz to get information about her as for her to get information about him. We get a hint of this in Rth 2:8, where Boaz says to Ruth, “Hearest thou not, my daughter,” implying that all he had said was for her benefit. Even so, the Lord Jesus often speaks about and for his elect through the preaching of the gospel before he speaks directly to them by the effectual call of his Spirit. Several things here are highly significant. Boaz and his reapers appear to be one (Rth 2:4), as our Lord Jesus says he and his reapers are one (Matthew 10:40). Those who serve him have his authority. 2. Ruth wisely followed the reapers through the field (Rth 2:3). There was no other way for her to get the bread she needed. God’s servants are his angels, sent into his field to gather his wheat into his barn (Matthew 13:30). They are his reapers. They search the field of Holy Scripture and gather from the Word of Life bread for his children. Boaz appeared in his field - “Behold, Boaz came!” What a blessing for Ruth! When a seeking sinner earnestly follows his reapers through the field of Holy Scripture, the Master is sure to meet him and bless him with that grace which fills his heart and flows through his lips. Boaz and his workers talked to one another about Ruth. The Lord God and his servants talk to one another about his people, too. The reapers talked to Boaz about Ruth. They told him who she was - A Moabitess, where she came from - Moab, and what she had done (Rth 2:7). That is the way faithful, gospel preachers talk to God about the people for whom they labor. Then Boaz told his servants what to do for Ruth. He told them to do nothing which might harm her, or hinder her (Rth 2:9) and to provide for her need (Rth 2:16). He commanded them to leave “handfuls of purpose for her.” Even so, the Lord God commands his servants, in preaching the gospel, to give out his Word like handfuls of purpose for his elect (Isaiah 40:10-11). Gospel preachers are to drop handfuls of gospel promises, gospel doctrines, and of grace, handfuls of the person and work of Christ (Ephesians 1:1-23; Ephesians 2:1-10; Ephesians 3:8). Preaching the gospel is not telling sinners what they must do, or what God wants to do. To preach the gospel is to tell people what God has done for sinners in Christ.BOAZ SPOKE TO RUTH ABOUT WHAT HE HAD SAID AND DONE. Rth 2:8-9 “Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.” Boaz assured the Moabitess of his gracious intentions., telling her to look to him for everything, telling her to simply trust him. He told her she had come to the right place and not to go anywhere else, and gave her license to drink freely at his fountain, to drink of the water drawn by his servants (Revelation 22:16-17). He assured her of his protection, telling her that none of the men would touch her, rebuke her, reproach her, or shame her (Rth 2:9; Rth 2:15-16). He even courted her. Singling her out, Boaz drew Ruth’s heart to him and let her know that his heart was toward her (Rth 2:14). What a blessed picture this is of the way the Lord Jesus Christ deals with chosen, redeemed sinners, when he sends forth his Spirit at the appointed time of love to call them by his grace and make them willing in the day of his power (Psalms 65:4; Psalms 110:3)RUTH WAS AND UTTERLY BY BOAZ’S . Boaz’s goodness did not make Ruth arrogant and presumptuous. It had just the opposite effect. It humbled her. Look at Rth 2:10. “She fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground.” Ruth was completely overwhelmed by a sense of Boaz’s goodness and her own unworthiness of that goodness. Even so, when a weary, sinful, heavy-laden soul sees the exceeding riches of God’s grace in Christ, self bows to the ground (Isaiah 6:1-5; Acts 9:1-9). It is not the wrath of God that leads to repentance, but the goodness of God (Romans 2:4). The hammer of the law breaks up the icy, hard, fallow ground of our hearts;. but it is the grace of God that melts our hearts before him! (Zechariah 12:10). Bowing in utter humiliation before this great kinsman’s goodness, Ruth said, “Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?” She knew she was a stranger, a Gentile, without any covenant promise, without any rights, without any merit, without anything to plead before him except her need and his greatness. That is the way needy sinners respond to the exceeding richness and fulness of God’s grace in Christ. The first response of the renewed heart to the grace of God is to ask, “Why me?” (2 Samuel 7:18; 2 Samuel 9:8). Gracious souls are always astonished by grace (1 John 3; 1 John 1). There is but one answer to the question - Why? Why was I chosen?

Why was I redeemed? Why was I called? God answers plainly. “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious!” He says, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” BOAZ ASSURED RUTH OF HIS IN HER. Rth 2:11-12 “And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” Ruth sure enough was interested in Boaz; but that gave her no comfort. She needed to know if this man was interested in her. It is one things for me to be interested in Christ, but is Christ interested in me? That is the matter of real concern. Boaz assured Ruth of two things. In Rth 2:11, he assured her of his knowledge of and interest in her. In Rth 2:12, he assured her of God’s faithfulness to sinners who trust him.

Notice the wording of that clause in Rth 2:12 describing Ruth’s faith - “Under whose wings thou art come to trust.” This is an allusion here to the wings of the cherubim overshadowing the mercy-seat? In other words, whether Boaz intended it to be so or not, the Holy Spirit is here telling us that faith in God is trusting that One whose blood atonement was represented in the blood sprinkled on the mercy-seat. It is there and only there, in Christ the Lamb of God, that God meets with sinners in mercy (Exodus 25:22).

“So she gleaned” (Rth 2:17). She got bread, mercy, grace and life. Then she got a husband. Then she got an inheritance - His inheritance. Then she got great honor - His honor. So shall it be for all who take refuge in Christ, for all who come to trust under the wings of the Almighty (Hebrews 4:16).

Ruth 2:4-9

Chapter 10 The Congregation Of The Lord “And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee. Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house. Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.” Rth 2:4-9 In these verses we follow Ruth, the Moabite stranger, from the field of Boaz into his house. There are many instructive lessons to be learned from the reception that was given her. In this study, I want to show you some of the privileges and responsibilities of being a part of God’s house as they are illustrated by Ruth’s coming into the house of Boaz. RUTH FOUND HER PLACE IN BOAZ’S HOUSE AS THE RESULT OF HUMBLE TO THE WORD OF GOD. You will remember that she had humbly taken her place as a gleaner in the fields, because that is what God in his law prescribed as a means of the poor continuing to provide for themselves. Being obedient to the Word of God, she was guided by the hand of divine providence to the field of Boaz and then to the house of Boaz. That is always the case with God’s saints. If a person walks in the light God has given him, God will give him more light. If you take the Word of God to be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path, if you follow the Book of God, it will guide you in paths of righteousness and lead you to the place of blessedness (Psalms 19:7-11; Psalms 119:9). IN THE HOUSE OF BOAZ THE ONLY PERSON WAS BOAZ HIMSELF. No prominence, honor, or distinction was given to anyone but Boaz. Even the servant who was “set over the reapers” is left nameless in the Scriptures, because he is really not important. He as only a servant. So it is in the house of God. Only one person is exalted in the Church of God. Only one person is recognized as pre-eminent in the house of God. Only one name is honored in the household of faith. Honor, recognition and pre-eminence is given to no man but the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ. We call no man “holy,” or “reverend,” because no man is. That name belongs only to our God (Psalms 111:9). We call no man “master”, or “doctor”, or “father”, because we are all simply brethren (Matthew 23:6-12).WHEN A SINNER IS SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD IN CHRIST, HE SHOULD SEEK HIS PLACE IN THE OF THE LORD. Sheep are social creatures. The only time you find a sheep alone is when he is sick or wounded. God’s sheep are social creatures too. Believers need one another. As soon as a person is saved he should, like Saul of Tarsus, join himself with the disciples (Acts 9:27). Every saved sinner ought to be committed to one of “the churches of God”, one of the “churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 11:16; 1 Corinthians 14:33). Some things happen to people immediately when they are saved. As soon as a person is united to Christ by faith, as soon as you trust the Son of God, you are, or you have been immediately… Forgiven of all sin by His grace (1 John 1:9). Justified from all things by Christ’s righteousness and shed blood (Acts 13:39). Born again and made a new creature in Christ (1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 5:1). Given the place of a son in the house of God (1 John 3:1; Ephesians 2:19). Sinners are born into the family of God, not by natural birth, but by the grace and power of God the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-7). You are born into the church universal, the mystical, spiritual body of Christ. You do not join it. However, every saved person ought to seek his or her place in a local church, which is the house of God, the congregation of the Lord, the pillar and ground of the truth. Nothing is more important in the life of a believer than the worship of God in his house (Hebrews 10:24-26). Nothing is more detrimental to the lives of men and women who bear the name of Christ than the neglect of God’s house (Haggai 1:4-6; Zechariah 8:9-15). Two things, and only two things, are required for membership in the House of God. Throughout the New Testament, we see sinners brought into the fellowship of God’s church, seeking and being admitted into that fellowship only if they possessed these two things. Those who are received as brothers and sisters in the house of God must believers, they must possess, by their own profession, they gift of faith in Christ. Nowhere in the New Testament were people received into the fellowship of the saints, or recognized as brethren who did not personally profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Everywhere in the New Testament, believer’s baptism was also required for admission into the fellowship of the saints. I am aware that most people think these are insignificant, controversial matters, about which we dare not be very dogmatic. That simply is not that case. These are matters of plain, clear revelation, about which we must not compromise. It takes only a casual reading of the book of Acts to see them plainly set before us (Acts 2:41-47; Acts 8:37; Acts 9:18; Acts 10:48; Acts 16:31-33) All who trust Christ are to confess their faith in him by believer’s baptism. And all who come into the house of God professing faith in Christ are to be received without “doubtful disputations” (Romans 14:1; Romans 15:6-7). The house of God is to be a place where the Lord’s “newborn babes” may receive the love, care, protection, guidance, oversight, instruction and companionship they need. The house of God, the Church of God, ought to be like the house of Boaz, an attractive, pleasing haven for weary strangers. When Ruth came to the house of Boaz, she found it to be a household of generous, kind, gracious people. She was attracted to the house, not because of its greatness, grandeur and gold, but because of the grace displayed in the people who dwelt there. We preach grace - The free gift of God’s best to those who deserve his worst. Let us make certain that we practice grace. If the grace that we proclaim with our lips is not practiced in our lives, it is not likely that we will see much result from our preaching.

Love one another. Forgive one another. Bear one another’s burdens. Be kind to one another. Rejoice with one another. Put away envy, jealousy, and peevishness.

In other words, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God” (Ephesians 4:30). The church of God is not here to entertain sinners on their way to hell; but we are here to serve the souls of eternity bound sinners for the glory of God. We offer no attractions to the flesh. But we do offer two attractions to weary strangers: a message of grace and a fellowship of grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. THE PERSON WHO GETS THE MOST IN THE HOUSE OF GOD SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE ONE WHO NEEDS THE MOST . When Boaz came to Bethlehem to greet his reapers and to sit with them in his house, two things stand out. First, Very gracious salutations were given by Boaz to his servants and by the servants to Boaz (Rth 2:4). The words, “The Lord be with you” and “The Lord bless thee,” contain all that could be desired by us. Boaz (the type of Christ) pronounced all the blessings of grace upon his servants (typical of God’s saints in this world). Then, those servants so blessed of God as to be his servants blessed Boaz, wishing him alone to be exalted. Second, a very gracious condescension was made (Rth 2:5 - Boaz condescended to look upon Ruth and ask, “Whose damsel is this?” There were many, many maidens in the fields; but Ruth was the newcomer. Ruth was the stranger. Ruth was the one who needed attention. And she got it. This question was put to “his servant that was set over the reapers.” He represents the pastor, the gospel preacher, whose responsibility it is to know the people to whom he preaches, to know what they need, and to give account of them to God (Hebrews 13:17; Jeremiah 3:15). BOAZ TOOK GREAT CARE TO PUT RUTH AT EASE IN HIS HOUSE. He seems to have gone out of his way to make her feel welcome, at home, and comfortable. Knowing she was a stranger, knowing she probably felt very uncomfortable, he took care to make her comfortable - “Hearest thou not, my daughter?” As we have seen, he spoke to his young men about her in her presence; and he spoke directly to her for her comfort. So it is with our Lord (Isaiah 40:1-2). In his house, he speaks about chosen sinners in their presence. Then he speaks directly to them by the power and grace of his Spirit, applying the Word effectually to his own; and he does it for the everlasting comfort of their souls.. THE TITLE WHICH BOAZ GAVE TO RUTH IS VERY . “My Daughter” - This title placed her upon the footing of the highest privilege and greatest blessedness in the household. Even so, all who come to God by faith in Jesus Christ are the children of God (Romans 8:17; Ephesians 1:4-6 Galatians 3:26; Galatians 4:6; 1 John 3:1). All the rights and privileges, all the possessions and prospects of the house of God belong as fully to the youngest and weakest member of the family as to the oldest and strongest. This title, “daughter”, also indicates a permanent relationship. When we talk about the family of God, we are talking about a family circle that will never be broken. God will never disown his own. He will not let us leave them. No enemy can ever carry them away, not even one of them! BOAZ’S FIRST WORDS TO RUTH THAT WHICH OUR GOD AND EXPECTS, AND FROM ALL HIS (Rth 2:8-9). The house of Boaz was something separate and distinct from all the other houses of the land, and he was determined to keep it that way. He told Ruth what her service and occupation was to be. He said, Glean in my fields and drink at my wells - “Go not to another field.” He even told her who her companions were to be. - “Abide by my maidens!” It mattered not whether they pleased her. They pleased him. It was her duty to love them, to serve them, and to serve Boaz with them. The lessons for us should be obvious. –We who are born of God are to separate ourselves from the people of this world, particularly from their ways and their religion, and devote ourselves to the people of God (2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 1 John 4:21; 1 John 5:1). As she gleaned in his fields, drank at his wells, and followed after his maidens, Boaz promised Ruth all the protection of his wealth and power in his house (Hebrews 3:6). If we have been given the privilege of a rightful place in the house of our God, let us carefully fulfill our own place in the house. Let us make our companions these people. We must endeavor not to drop your part of the load. Let us seek to serve, not to be served. And let us always take care to give special attention to those who need special attention.

Ruth 2:12

Chapter 11 Ruth’s Reward “The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” Rth 2:12 The Book of Ruth is full of instruction to the believing heart. It sets before us the romance of redemption and beautifully portrays the grace of God toward fallen, depraved sinners through the Lord Jesus Christ, our Boaz, our Kinsman Redeemer. There are several lessons which are continually brought before us as we go through this brief, instructive book of inspiration. THE DANGER OF The Book of Ruth opens with a sad, sad picture. Elimelech, a wealthy man, took his money and his family and fled from Bethlehem down to Moab when famine struck the land of Bethlehem-Judah. When he died, he left his family, without a trace of good influence, in the idolatrous land of Moab. Perhaps Elimelech was a believer. We are not told. His parents apparently were, for in the days when there was no king in Israel and every man did that which was right in his own eyes, Elimelech’s parents named him Elimelech, which means - “My God is King.” But Elimelech did not live up to his name. He fled when he should have been faithful. He left the people of God, the Word of God, and the worship of God for the sake of temporal, earthly interests (Matthew 13:22; Luke 12:15). Let no believer settle in any place where he would not want to leave his family without his influence. I am sure he had no intention of doing so; but Elimelech died in Moab. There he left his family to fend for themselves among pagans, far away from the people of God, the worship of God, and the influence of the congregation of the Lord. Some things are more important than financial security. Read and learn what our Lord teaches us about the love of this world (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17). THE MYSTERY OF The Book of Ruth illustrates the fact that “all things are of God” (2 Corinthians 5:18). “For of him, and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory forever!” (Romans 11:36). God overruled Elimelech’s failure to fetch Ruth out of Moab, because he had chosen Ruth both to be an heir of grace and to be in the genealogy of Christ. When Naomi came back to Bethlehem, she was full of bitterness. Yet, within a few weeks she was called the happiest of women (Rth 4:14-15). We read that Ruth’s “hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz.” As far as she was concerned, it was altogether accidental. But as one of the many links in the chain of God’s purpose, it was ordained and brought to pass by God. What God does in this world he does on purpose (Ephesians 1:11; Romans 11:28). And the purpose of God in all things providential is twofold: (1.) The glory of Christ (Colossians 1:18) and (2.) The saving of his people (Romans 8:28-29).THE WONDERS OF The primary subject of this little book is redemption, redemption by a near kinsman (Rth 2:1). As we have seen, Boaz was a picture of Christ in many ways. He was a mighty man (Hebrews 7:25), a wealthy man (Ephesians 3:8), and a near kinsman (Hebrews 2:9-18). Two things were required in the law of Moses for the express purpose of foreshadowing our redemption by Christ: (1.) The nearest kinsman had the right to redeem the inheritance his brother had lost (Leviticus 25:25). (2.) The kinsman was to marry the widow of his brother to preserve alive the seed of Israel (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). Boaz did both (Rth 4:9-10). So did the Lord Jesus Christ as our near kinsman. He who is our Redeemer is also our Husband. THE SUPER- GRACE OF GOD Redemption and grace always go hand in hand. Wherever you find one, you find the other. As with Boaz, those who are redeemed by Christ shall be wed to Christ. All whom he redeemed, he saves. All whom he redeemed, he forgives. All whom he redeemed, he blesses with all the exceeding riches of his abundant grace. The Book of Ruth is a book about grace, the super-abounding grace of God. It shows us a beautiful illustration of God’s prevenient grace, by which he prepares the way for his saving grace. Ruth’s redemption by and marriage to Boaz portrays our Lord’s undeserved grace to us. Ruth was a Moabite, the cursed child of a cursed race. Yet, Boaz loved her, redeemed her, and married her. That is a picture of grace, the free, unmerited grace of God to sinners in Christ. Rth 2:12 sets before us a picture of the superabundance of God’s grace to us. As Boaz invoked upon Ruth “a full reward” from God for what she had done, so the Lord Jesus Christ invokes upon every believer a full reward from the Lord God. A WORK OF FAITH The first thing seen in this twelfth verse is Ruth’s work of faith. Boaz said to her, “The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” We understand that faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Faith is wrought in us by the exceeding greatness of God’s almighty power in saving grace (Ephesians 1:19). Faith is the work of the operation of God in our hearts (Colossians 2:12). If I believe God, it is because of his grace. Yet, faith, being produced in us by the power of God the Holy Spirit, is not a passive experience. Faith is a living principle, a grace that works (Galatians 5:6). Faith does something (James 2:14-26). And God will not forget your work of faith and labor of love (1 Thessalonians 1:3; Hebrews 6:10). Remember, as you read the Book of Ruth, Ruth represents us, sinners saved by grace, God’s elect, all who are converted by the power and grace of God. This woman had come to trust God. Naomi had taught both Ruth and Orpah the things of God. No doubt, Orpah believed Naomi’s words and was prepared to go with her to Bethlehem, until she realized what it would cost her. When she realized that, she went back to Moab. She believed Naomi; but she did not trust the Lord. But Ruth had come to trust the Lord God of Israel himself. She believed God. She had come to “trust under his wings.” The metaphor used by Boaz to describe Ruth’s faith refers either to the wings of the cherubim overshadowing the mercy-seat; or to the wings of a mother hen. In either case, it speaks of a place of great strength, complete safety, personal care, and great comfort. Christ is that hiding place for sinners. In him, we take refuge under the wings of the Almighty. Because she believed God, Ruth did what Orpah could not do (Rth 2:11). She forsook her own relations. She abandoned all earthly comfort and benefit. She resolved to worship and serve the Lord God of Israel, whom she had learned to trust through Naomi’s faithful witness. She had come to trust the covenant keeping God, of whom her mother-in-law gave faithful witness, who is faithful and true, sovereign and omnipotent, merciful and gracious. Ruth learned to worship and trust the Lord God by Naomi’s witness. Naomi told Ruth who God is, what he had done, and where he was to be found. And Ruth believed. She believed Naomi’s word; but more, she trusted Naomi’s God. The Reward Of Grace As this text speaks of a work of faith, it also speaks of the great reward of God’s great grace. “The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” Here is the super-abundance of God’s grace. He rewards our works of faith (faith which he has given) with the full reward of grace (1 Samuel 2:30). This is beautifully demonstrated in Ruth. She found what she never expected or looked for - a husband. She who was barren, bare a son through whom untold millions have been born of God, for her son was the man through whom the human lineage of Christ was directly traced. Like Ruth, we have found in Christ more than a Redeemer and a Savior. We have found in him a husband (Ephesians 5:25-30). Being married to Boaz, Ruth obtained an inheritance to which she had no natural claim. Even so, in Christ, God’s elect have obtained an inheritance to which we have no natural claim. Our reward from God is a heritage of grace given to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord God gives chosen sinners free forgiveness of all sin (Isaiah 43:25). He gives every believer the blessedness of a peaceful conscience (Hebrews 9:12-14), quietness “from fear of evil” (Proverbs 1:33), the blessed assurance of all good (Psalms 23; Romans 8:32), the confidence of merciful, divinely ordered providence (Romans 8:28), communion with himself and all the fulness of eternal glory (Romans 8:17). In the last day, our God shall grant us the full reward of grace which is the fulness of heavenly glory. “The Lord will give grace and glory!”Yes, God will reward his own elect, like all others, according to their works, in strict accordance with absolute justice.

He will reward us for the perfect righteousness of Christ. Just as he rewarded our Substitute in strict justice for our sins which were imputed to him, so he will reward every believing sinner in strict justice with heavenly glory, because of the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us (2 Corinthians 5:21; Revelation 20:12-15; Revelation 21:27; Revelation 22:14). God’s saints will possess all the fulness of heavenly glory, because in Christ they are worthy of it (Colossians 1:12; Colossians 3:23-24). Are you worthy of heaven? If you are in Christ you are. As Boaz invoked a full reward for Ruth, the Lord Jesus Christ has earned and purchased a full reward for his people; and he gives it to all who trust him (John 17:5; John 17:22; Romans 6:23).

Ruth 2:14

Chapter 12 Mealtime With Boaz “And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.” Rth 2:14 Ruth was a Moabitess, a stranger in the land of Judah. This Moabite stranger found satisfaction when she was wed to Boaz. The courtship that led up to that wedding began in Boaz’s barley field where Boaz invited her into his house at mealtime. As Ruth found in Boaz everything she needed; so every believing sinner finds in Christ, the Bread of Life, everything he needs. In our Savior’s house there is bread enough and to spare. There is a distinct correlation between the things recorded in the Book of Ruth and the things that are taught in the Book of Ephesians. They are worthy of detailed study. The minute detail of divine providence in accomplishing the purpose of God is evident (Ephesians 1:11). Once Ruth was in Bethlehem she went out into the fields to serve. Indeed, all who are brought into the family and kingdom of God are born to serve (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 2:11-15). The calling of Ruth the Moabitess prefigured the calling of the Gentiles (Ephesians 2:11-13; Ephesians 2:19). The love of Boaz for Ruth was a picture of the love of Christ to us (Ephesians 3:18-19; Ephesians 5:25-27). Boaz’s purchase and redemption of Ruth portrayed Christ’s redemption and purchase of God’s elect (Ephesians 5:25; Ephesians 1:6). As Boaz’s love to her was a matter of unceasing wonder to Ruth (“Why have I found grace in thine eyes?”), so Christ’s love to us, his great grace to us is an unceasing, wondrous mystery to the believing heart (Ephesians 3:8-11; Ephesians 3:19-21). As Ruth’s wedding to Boaz was a lasting, fruitful union, so our union with Christ is an everlasting union and a fruitful one (Ephesians 5:30; Ephesians 5:32; Ephesians 4:21-25). As we read the Word of God, we should always look for Christ and pictures of God’s rich, abundant grace in him. If we look for pictures of our own souls’ experiences, we are sure to find them. Such pictures are everywhere in the Book of Ruth. The text now before us suggests several spirituals truths. GOD’S PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD HAVE THEIR . In the Scriptures, the hearing of the Word of God is often compared to a great feast and faith in Christ is compared to eating and drinking (Luke 14:15-24). During the barley harvest, it was common in Boaz’s day for men to set up temporary quarters in their fields. There, in the middle of the day, all the workers would be fed and any gleaners who were invited to join them. That is the picture we have before us. Let me use it to show you three things from the Word of God in this regard. God’s servants, those who preach the gospel of Christ, are God’s gifts to his church by whom the souls of men are fed (Jeremiah 3:15). The one who does the feeding is our Lord himself. His servants simply distribute the loaves and the fishes. They feed the Lord’s sheep with knowledge of God, his Word, his ways, and his works. And they feed them with understanding. Men who are called and gifted of God to preach the gospel understand the needs of their hearers. Understanding their needs, God’s servants feed his people with bread which is suitable for them, the bread of free grace in Christ, the sinners’ Substitute. They understand that Christ crucified is all the counsel of God (1 Peter 1:23-25). All who are hungry will be found at the table when mealtime comes. It is senseless for preachers to try to force, or coerce religious people, hypocritical professors of faith, to come to church, when they have no appetite for the things of God. If people are hungry, no one has to beg them to come and eat. Hungry souls gladly eat, no matter who the cook is, no matter what the plate looks like. Give them the bread and water of covenant mercy, the oil and wine of free grace, and God’s people will come and dine. Sheep love sheep food. Goats are more happy with the weeds of works, intellectualism, and legality. God has ordained certain mealtimes for his own. Many these days despise all order, set times of worship, and the discipline of faithfulness. But God has ordained both private and public worship for the feeding of our souls. We neglect these matters to our own peril. Particularly, the public ministry of the Word, the preaching of the gospel, and ordinances of divine worship have been established by our God for the good of our souls (Ephesians 4:8-16; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Peter 2:2).As Mephibosheth was found sitting at the king’s table, let us ever be found at the table of divine worship. As the returned prodigal fed upon the fatted calf, let us ever feed upon our crucified Redeemer. Our God spreads a table before us in this wilderness. It is written, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” Often we have an unexpected mealtime, during the routine of the day, the Lord visits us often with special tokens of grace, dropping sweet morsels into our souls. In the heat of the day, he refreshes our souls. When we are about to face some great trial, though we are unaware of it, he gives us just the food needed to see us through. After heavy, painful, heart-wrenching trouble, when we are most faint, he graciously visits us and feeds us with his Word in such ways as the world can never understand. THE LORD JESUS INVITES POOR, NEEDY SINNERS TO HIS TABLE. Boaz did not command Ruth to come. He did not order her to come, though well he might. Rather, “Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither and eat.” Those are the tender words of a gracious suitor. Yes, it is true, the Lord Jesus commands all men to repent. He commands all to believe the gospel. And all are responsible to obey his command. Yet, he graciously condescends to our low estate. Like a tender Suitor who would win our hearts, he invites poor, needy sinners to come to him. I do not debate for a moment the fact that the gospel is a command; but the command of the gospel sounds like a tender, gracious invitation to me (Isaiah 1:18-20; Matthew 11:28-30; Matthew 22:9; Revelation 22:17). The poor, needy gleaner in our text was invited by Boaz himself to “Come”. And the Son of God invites hungry sinners to come to him. Someone suggested that good witnessing is one beggar telling another beggar where he can get a good meal. Ruth was invited to “eat of the bread.” Even so, sinners are invited to eat of Christ, the bread of life, and live forever.Yet, there is more. Boaz invited Ruth to “dip her morsel in the vinegar.” The vinegar here was not vinegar as we know it, but a relish, a sauce, a gravy to give a rich, delicious taste to the bread. So the Lord Jesus bids us dip our morsel of bread in the gravy of his grace.

Election is the bread. - Personal election is the gravy. Redemption is the bread. - Personal redemption is the gravy. Calling is the bread. - Personal calling is the gravy. Perseverance is the bread. - Preservation is the gravy. Some like the bread, but not the gravy. Some like the gravy, but not the bread.

Believers want both. Boaz invited Ruth to come to him at mealtime for two obvious reasons: he loved her; and he intended to marry her. So, too, when the Lord Jesus speaks to sinners by his Spirit, it is because of his eternal intentions of love and grace toward them. AS BOAZ REACHED RUTH THE PARCHED CORN, SO OUR SAVIOR GIVES THE BREAD OF LIFE TO CHOSEN SINNERS. It takes more than an invitation to save a sinner. It takes more than an offer of grace. It takes an almighty work of irresistible grace (Psalms 65:4; Psalms 110:3). While Ruth sat beside the reapers, he reached her the parched corn. How thankful believing sinners are that our God would not take “No” for an answer from us. He invited; but we were reluctant. He said, “Come, eat, dip your morsel in the gravy;” but we would not obey his voice. So he put the bread of life into our mouths. Like the good Samaritan portrayed in Luke’s gospel, God our Savior came to where we were, picked us up, and poured in his grace. He shed abroad his love in our hearts. He gave us repentance. AS RUTH WAS AT BOAZ’S TABLE, EVERY FINDS IN CHRIST THAT WHICH HIS SOUL. Ruth ate all she wanted. She was fully satisfied. When she left, she left much more than she ate, and carried enough home to Naomi to satisfy her as well (Rth 2:18). There is bread enough in our Father’s house and plenty to spare. Some preachers and some churches seem to think they are to be spiritual protectionists, conservationists of the worst kind. They seem to be afraid that if they share the bread of God’s house they will run out of bread. Let us preach the gospel freely to all men, bidding poor, needy, hungry sinners “Come and dine”.

Ruth 2:15-16

Chapter 13 “Handfuls Of Purpose” “And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.” Rth 2:15-16 In the Old Testament, under the Mosaic law, gleaning was one of the rights of the people. The farmer was forbidden of God to reap the corners of his fields. If he, by some over-sight, mistakenly left a bundle of wheat in his field, he was not allowed to go back and pick it up. It was to be left for the widows, the fatherless, and the poor in the land. The same thing was true of their orchards and vineyards. In this second chapter of Ruth, we see this law of gleaning being fulfilled. The things recorded in this chapter are written for our learning and for our admonition. Indeed, all that is written in the Book of Ruth is intended by God the Holy Spirit to show us the goodness, grace, and glory of Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer. As we have seen in this Book, Ruth represents all who are saved by the grace of God. Boaz represents the Lord Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer. He is the owner of all things. All the fields of this world belong to him. He is the Master of all things. As Boaz was master in his house, so Christ is Master in his house, the Church. Everything is subject to him. And he is the Master of the universe. We obey him willingly; but all things obey him absolutely (John 17:2). The field in which Ruth gleaned represents the Word of God. The young men, the reapers, represent those who preach the gospel of Christ. As Boaz commanded his young men to let fall some handfuls of purpose for Ruth. Even so, the Lord Jesus Christ commands his servants, those who preach the gospel,, to let fall some handfuls of purpose for chosen sinners. In these two verses, we have instruction by example for both sinners who are seeking the Lord and preachers who are serving him. In our text… SEEKING SINNERS Seeking sinners are like gleaners in a field. The old writers and preachers used to talk about sinners, sensible sinners, seeking sinners, and saved sinners. I do not care much for those distinctions, as a general rule. Sinners are sinners. But the distinctions do serve a useful purpose. A sinner is a person under the wrath of God, lost and ruined in his sin, but utterly unaware of his sinful condition (Romans 5:12). A sensible sinner is a sinner awakened to know his lost condition, a sinner under conviction, a sinner who knows that he is lost and needs Christ. A seeking sinner is one who knows he needs Christ and is seeking him. He feels his need of Christ, seeks him earnestly in his Word, in his house, by prayer and supplication, and will find him (Jeremiah 29:11-14). Like the four lepers of Elisha’s day, they have resolved not to perish if life can be had (2 Kings 7:3-4). Like the Syrophenician woman, such needy souls will not cease seeking the Lord God in Christ and the mercy they need from him until they have found him and obtained mercy (Mark 7:24-30). A saved sinner is one who has come to Christ, one who trusts Christ as Lord and Savior, one who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. When Ruth came into Boaz’s field, she came as a gleaner seeking bread (Rth 2:2-3). As such, she is a picture of a sinner seeking the Lord in the house of bread. She was a Moabite. She was the cursed offspring of a cursed race; and she knew it. She had no rights, except the rights of a stranger to glean in the fields. That is exactly our condition by nature. We are the cursed offspring of a cursed race (Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-4). We have no rights, but the right to pick up what God has left for sinners, the right to glean in his field. She had been reduced to a very low and poor condition (Rth 2:10). She was once very wealthy, married to Mahlon, daughter-in-law to Elimelech. Like her, all Adam’s sons and daughters were once very wealthy. “God created man upright!” Before the fall, our father Adam possessed all God’s creation and ruled over it. God gave man everything, even a righteous nature. But, like Ruth, fallen man is reduced to abject poverty (Ephesians 2:11-12). Because she was poor, hungry, and in desperate need of help, she humbly took her place among the poor. Though she was a poor Moabitess, Ruth had resolved to seek and to follow the Lord God of Israel (Rth 1:16-17). Blessed is that sinner who has been taught by the grace of God something of the abject poverty of his soul before God. Poor, hungry, and in desperate need of help, he will humbly take his place in the dust before the throne of grace, seeking mercy (Hebrews 4:16). I can but perish if I go, I am resolved to try; For if I stay away I know I must forever die! Perhaps He will admit my plea, Perhaps will hear my prayer; But if I perish, I will pray And perish only there! Notice also that Ruth had a very high opinion of Boaz’s handmaids (Rth 2:13). She knew she was not like his handmaidens, but she wanted to be. And those who seek Christ have a very high opinion of God’s people. They know they are not like the children of God, but they want to be. They want forgiveness, righteousness, and acceptance with God. They want to be found in Christ, accepted, at peace with God, possessing eternal life. GOSPEL Gospel preachers may be compared to reapers. Christ himself shall come as a Reaper (Revelation 14:14-19); and he uses his servants as such. Preachers are reapers in two ways: They reap the wheat and bind the tares of this world (Matthew 13:30; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17). The preaching of the gospel is God’s ordained instrument both for salvation and condemnation. They gather the wheat, the bread of God’s Word, prepare it for his people, and feed them with knowledge and understanding (Jeremiah 3:15). Every gospel preacher is responsible to feed the Lord’s sheep. Those men who are called of God to do this great work are uniquely gifted and qualified by God for the work to which they are called (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). “ OF PURPOSE”In keeping with the story before us, the preaching of the gospel is the scattering of handfuls of purpose, the purposeful distribution of the bread gathered from the Word of God. Notice that Boaz gave his young men four strict commandments regarding Ruth. I take these to be four strict commandments from Christ to every man who preaches the gospel. First, he says, “Let her glean, even among the sheaves.” Gospel preachers are not appointed by God to guard and protect the Word of God, giving it out in bits and pieces, as they see fit. Everything in the Book of God is profitable to his elect (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Let needy sinners glean anything they want “even among the sheaves.” Second, Boaz said, “Reproach her not,” or “shame her not.” How sad that any preacher should need to be told that, but many do. It is not the business of gospel preachers to chastise the Lord’s children, but to comfort them (Isaiah 40:1-2). As the man of God proclaims the gospel of God, when it is applied by the Spirit of God, it convicts, corrects, chastens, and comforts the people of God. Third, Boaz said, “And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her!” I take that to mean that gospel preaching is to be plain and simple. “Handfuls of purpose” are purposefully left for specific people, with specific needs. They are left, not by the preacher’s whims, but by the Spirit’s direction. True preaching is personal, purposeful, and passionate. God can make stones preach, but he uses men to preach to men. Only men feel what men feel. We are to scatter the Bread of Life with purpose, but by the handfuls! -Handfuls of Promises. -Handfuls of Doctrine! - Handfuls of Grace! Then Boaz repeated his first command using stronger word - “Rebuke her not.” God’s people do not belong to their pastors, teachers, elders, or visiting evangelists. They belong to God. It is not my place or yours to chastise his children. Yes, sometimes the faithful pastors and teachers must reprove and rebuke; but they must do it with all longsuffering and patience. Boaz’s reapers understood that they were responsible to care for, protect, and provide handfuls of purpose for Ruth. They understood that she was distinctly the object of his love; and they treated her accordingly. “So she gleaned!”

Ruth 2:20

Chapter 14 One Who Has Right To Redeem “And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.” Rth 2:20 The words, “one of our next kinsmen” might be better translated, “one who has right to redeem.” Boaz was the one who had the right to redeem Ruth; and Christ is the One who has the right to redeem his people. It is impossible to understand what is written in Ruth chapters 3 and 4 unless we understand what is written in the law of God concerning redemption and the kinsman-redeemer. It will be profitable, therefore, to carefully consider the scriptures which deal with this subject. Leviticus 25:25-28 gives us God’s law regarding the redemption of property which had been sold. “If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubilee: and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.” Leviticus 25:47-48 records the law of God relating to the redemption of people who had sold themselves into bondage. “And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger’s family: After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him.” While we have no such specific laws in our modern culture, we do have similar ones with which we are familiar. An item that has been pawned, usually because of poverty, may be redeemed at the lawfully prescribed value by either the original owner or his lawful representative. The word “mortgage” is derived from two words meaning “death” and “pledge.” A mortgage is “a death pledge.” That which is mortgaged becomes dead, or entirely lost by the original owner’s failure to pay. As Jeremiah bought his cousin’s field to set forth the certainty of God’s promised deliverance (Jeremiah 32:6-12), so the Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed his elect. By the price of his infinitely meritorious blood, he has obtained eternal redemption for all his people (Hebrews 9:12). His obtaining redemption for his people is the pledge of their certain deliverance from all sin and all its consequences by the grace of God. Remember, the right of redemption was always dependent upon three things: (1) Kinship, (2) ability, and (3) willingness to redeem. The Son of God became our kinsman by his incarnation. He is able to redeem, because he is himself both God and man. And he is a willing Redeemer (Hebrews 12:1-2). The word “redeem” means “to buy again,” or “buy back,” and “to take possession of.” The one who redeems evicts and dispossesses all those who have held his purchased property during the time of its bondage. He takes personal possession of that which has been bought back. Redemption presupposes a dreadful calamity. It presupposes the sin and fall of all the human race in our father, Adam (Romans 5:12). Redemption by a near kinsman also presupposes personal inability. The Israelite who was incapable of redeeming himself, who had to be redeemed by another, portrayed the fact no sinner can redeem himself from the hands of divine justice (Psalms 49:6-9). Only the Son of God in human flesh could ransom us from the curse of the law. None but Christ could give infinitely meritorious satisfaction to the justice of God by the sacrifice of himself (Romans 3:24-26). That is what the Holy Spirit tells us Christ has done for every saved sinner. “Christ hath redeemed us” (Galatians 3:13). He bought us with his blood. Then, at the appointed time of love, he binds the strong man, casts him out of his redeemed house (the ransomed soul), and takes possession of the house himself. Soon, those possessed by his grace, to whom he has given the earnest of the Spirit, shall be personally possessed by the Son of God (Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 1:14; Romans 3:24-25; Romans 8:23). The Lord Jesus has redeemed all God’s elect from the penalty of sin by his sin-atoning blood shed at Calvary (1 Peter 1:18-20). He redeems each one from the reigning power and dominion of sin by his Spirit’s irresistible grace in regeneration (Romans 6:17-18). And he shall redeem them from the very being and all the evil consequences of sin in resurrection glory (Ephesians 5:25-27). In the Book of Ruth, Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer, typifies and beautifully portrays the Lord Jesus Christ, our Kinsman-Redeemer. Here are seven characteristics of our Kinsman-Redeemer, seven characteristics of the One who has right to redeem. Redemption by a kinsman is a matter of divine appointment. The kinsman-redeemer must be a divinely appointed redeemer. Only one who is appointed by God has the right to redeem. (John 10:16-18; Hebrews 10:5-14). The one that has right to redeem must be a near kinsman (Hebrews 2:10-13). The kinsman-redeemer must be himself entirely free of the debt (Hebrews 7:26). The one who has right to redeem must be able to redeem. He must be able to fully satisfy all the demands of God’s law and justice for the kinfolk he represents.The one who has right to redeem must be willing to redeem. No one could be forced to redeem. The Lord Jesus Christ was Jehovah’s willing bond slave, because of his love for us (Exodus 21:5; Isaiah 50:5-7). The redemption made was always a particular and effectual redemption. There was nothing general, or universal about it. The redemption was made for specific people, and obtained a specific inheritance. The kinsman redeemer restored that which he took not away (Psalms 69:4). Our Lord Jesus Christ, by his glorious work of redemption, secured for a vast, innumerable multitude of sinners all the riches of eternal, heavenly glory (Revelation 7:9). The one who has the right to redeem must raise up a seed. Even so, the Son of God, our kinsman Redeemer will raise up a seed. There are some people in this world, being chosen of God in eternal election and redeemed by special redemption, who must and shall be saved by God’s omnipotent grace (Isaiah 53:10-12; Psalms 22:30-31; Rth 4:5-6).