[00:00:01] Speaker A: Hey, thanks so much for listening to this message. My name is Jason, and I'm one of the ministers here at the Madison Church of Christ. It's our hope and prayer that the teaching from God's Word you hear today will bless your life and draw you closer to Him. If you're ever in the Madison, Alabama area, we'd love for you to worship with us on Sundays at 8:30 or 10:30am if you have any other questions about the Bible or want to know more about the Madison Church, find
[email protected] Be sure to also check out our Bible study podcast, Madison Church of Christ Bible Studies. Thanks again for stopping by.
[00:00:37] Speaker B: You know, I must have heard it in the background of my existence 10,000 times is the gate at the Maywood Christian Camp pool. Now, it was a tall gate, it was chain link, and it had those metal slats in it. You know what I'm talking about? So something like this, this is not the actual gate, but this is what I remember of it growing up.
And I remember that it represented a place of joy, right? Because you'd walk in and you'd swing that gate out, and because of those metal slats, when you would slam it closed, it would pssh. And then be like, you'd hear all of those little reverberations of that metal slat. And so I remember throwing that gate open and hearing it clang and that in the background, you'd run, you'd kick off your flip flops and you threw your towel up against the fence and. And it was a place of joy. We get in that pool and have so much fun with our friends. But then I also think about the joy that I experienced in that pool. The number of people that I witnessed, especially people who were close to me, they were baptized into that pool or baptized in the pool. Not into the pool, but you know what I mean? In the pool.
And the number of times that I experienced that. And it was also a different kind of reverence, but also celebration. And. And so that was really beautiful. And I told you guys this story probably a while back, but there was a moment one night where we had a baptism that was kind of running a little bit late in the evening. And so we gathered around, as all little kids would do. I made my way up to the front so I could see. I was about four years old. I couldn't see what was happening. So the little kids would scoot up to the front, sit on the edge of the pool, and the baptism comes. We're all celebrating. I remember the cries. I remember the tears. I remember the celebration and the. The kind of the rumble of the people there around the pool as they were walking out. And then you'd hear that gate, and you'd hear that noise over and over again.
And so it was getting late. The crowd was kind of diminishing. And I heard them say, hey, everybody, it's time to go back to your cabins. And so we're all heading back to the cabins, and my dad steps by and says, hey, buddy, it's time for you to go to the cabin, too. I go, okay, dad. And all the while I'm going, there's a frog underneath the lips, and I can't take my eyes off of it, right? And so I'm looking at it, I'm leaned over, I'm looking at it real close and maybe trying to get to where I. Close enough to touch it or see if it'll hop or whatever. And some kid on his way out stopped by and said, hey, what are you looking at? And I said, there's a frog right here. He said, why don't you get a closer look and push me in? Well, in the middle of all this, you know, everybody's leaving, and I hear the gate, and I hear this, and the rumbling is getting fainter and fainter. And I fell into the shallow end of the pool, but I fell at that place where it begins, that slope toward the deep end, so I can't swim, and I'm trying to get to where I can get to the edge of the pool. So I start descending down, and I'm hopping closer and closer, but what happens is I get deeper and deeper with every time I hop because it's taking me down that slope. And so I get more in, desperate. I'm screaming for help, and my gasps are getting more and more frantic and panicked and all those kinds of things. And I get to the spot where I'm running out of things, and I hear that, you know, the people going off in the distance. And I'm screaming for help, but it gets to the point where I can only make gurgles and slaps. And it was just about getting enough air. It wasn't even about screaming, because I knew I truly was afraid, working over toward that wall. But as I reach for the wall, my hand is too short to grab onto the ledge, so I'm just slapping at it and slapping it. And all of a sudden, as I'm going under for what was the last time, I hear that gate and I hear footsteps.
And as I am Reaching up for that wall, a teenage boy grabs the hand and pulls me up and saves me.
And so, as you can imagine, I heard that gate 10,000 times.
But all of a sudden, that gate had a different understanding to me. It had a different meaning. It represented something different. It represented hope, it represented rescue.
It represented something very different.
Yes, celebration, but in a whole different way. Well, you know, I think that God uses these moments in our life. Not just that kind of story, but I think any story in our life, if we really stop and pay attention. There's also something very spiritual going on. And we may say, well, that just something that happened to me that was very real and very troubling and all those kinds of things. But what I want to remind us is that somewhere God is taking all of those physical things that we endure and we experience.
And he's shaping us in different directions in our life. And if we open our eyes and we pay attention, we can be taught by those things. Maybe you can identify this way. Maybe there is a situation in your life, or maybe it's even in my life, where maybe I made a decision when I was told to do something different. I made a decision to stay in a place that maybe I should have already gone from.
And maybe in the midst of that, there was trouble on the horizon, and someone, let's just say, gave me a nudge in the direction.
And I found myself in a situation that I didn't feel safe in, that it was bad for me, that it was terrible all around me, and I'm wrapped up into it. I'm completely consumed by it, and I'm overwhelmed and I don't know how to get out of it, and I'm in need of rescue.
You know, maybe that's some of us here that we've made choices that brought us to those points.
But then I think there's also times in life where it's not really the decisions you made. It's just the circumstance you find yourself in, and you had nothing to do with it, but you just are living your life and some things happen, and it's troubling and it's difficult. And we get to this crossroads in life and we read passages like this that says, you know, all things work together for good. Those who are called by God according to his purpose. We look at that passage and we kind of meet a crossroads. We either look and say, okay, I'm going through this circumstance. It's not what I wanted. It's not what I asked for. I didn't expect this to Come. But here I am.
And we look at that passage and we say to ourselves, okay, I don't know what, but God is doing something.
I don't know how, but I'm going to make it through it. And I don't know what's going to be the result, but I know God will reveal it in his due time. You either say that or you say, I don't want any of this. I don't care what that passage says, because that passage is just telling me that things are going to be fine. But right now what I'm dealing with is reality. And we find ourselves really at that crossroad in life. And I think maybe all of us need to ask the question where we are, where we find ourselves on that path.
Have we developed the attitude and the mindset that says, hey, no matter what I'm going through, I'm going to try my best to see and open my eyes to what God is doing?
Or are we bent down, frustrated, angry at God, disappointed at what he's thrown in our direction, and we're not looking for a way to think things positively or to look at it in faith?
Because when I really think about Naomi's story, that's it, right? If we look in the Book of Ruth, Naomi doesn't necessarily ask for these things. But I can certainly, as we as Christians can look back in Scripture and read it, and we're thinking with spiritual lenses and we're watching it, we can see that God has put some things in place right in that moment. It certainly wasn't evident to them what was going on. But consider the things that you see God already doing, and he's at work in the midst of all this. Naomi has a great family. She's married to a man of God that we know of. His name was Elimelech.
And they came across hard times. And rather than stick it out in Bethlehem, where there was a famine, they decided to go over to Moab, where there was plenty. And you may say to yourself, well, they had to go because that's what was plenty. But, you know, reality is God's people were not supposed to go over to Moab. They weren't supposed to have anything to do. They certainly weren't supposed to, weren't meant to intermarry with them. And yet that's what happens. So Naomi and her husband Elimelech, they go over to Moab, they have two sons. Those two sons marry Moabites.
And in the midst of this, God switches all of it, right?
They go through loss. Elimelech Dies.
If that's not bad enough, she loses both of her sons. So not only does she not have someone to take care of her, but she doesn't have someone to take care of her, her daughters in law. And she has nothing in the middle of this.
But in the middle of all that loss, God brings the famine to Moab and takes Bethlehem and flips it on its ear. And now it's recovering from the famine. And so they decide to go back. But this time, Naomi, her name means pleasant, says, don't call me Naomi anymore. Just call me Mara. I'm bitter. God has been bitter with me and I'm bitter. And she said, I'm not happy and I'm going back. And basically she was going back to Bethlehem to die.
But we can see even through all those things, that God brought them back to this certain place. Because in the midst of this, it was Ruth who had an opportunity to go back to Moab. But instead she says, no, hey, wherever you go, I'll go.
Wherever you stay, I'll stay. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. And so right there on the spot, she devoted herself fully to the God of Naomi.
And it's in that process that she goes over into Bethlehem. And then she ends up realizes she's got to do something. Naomi is too old that she can't do for herself. And so Ruth takes it upon herself to do whatever she can to take care of Naomi. So she ends up in this field, and it happens to be a redeemer, a family member who can help them in the long run. Maybe she doesn't know it at the time, but she ends up in this field. And she's gleaning. She's literally grabbing the scraps off the field.
And I'm looking as I see this, you can see God's hand in positioning things just the right way.
There's a reason Ruth is brought into this story.
There's a reason that she comes and goes back. There's a reason they land in Bethlehem again. And we can see all these things. And as she finds favor with Boaz, you know, she does such hard work that Boaz recognizes her. He begins to see her character and her quality. She begins to look at him and see his character and his quality, and they begin to fall for each other. And Naomi kind of puts things together and says, hey, I need you to do something kind of outside your comfort zone. I need you to go and propose marriage to this guy. And so she does. In a really awkward situation.
She takes the words that Boaz has used to her by saying, hey, may God bring you under his wings of safety and refuge.
And she uses it against him, or not as against him, but uses it to express, I need you to bring me under the comfort of your wings.
And so this is a beautiful thing. And as he is sitting there with this woman who is proposing marriage to him, much younger than him, she says, I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are Redeemer. Now, we've talked about this quite a bit, but what is the kinsman Redeemer? I want you to turn your Bible to Deuteronomy, chapter 25, if you can. We've talked all around it, but I want to read specifically what the Levirate law was.
This was the idea that if someone passed away, okay, That a family member, a close family member would come and take that person and would have children by that person to perpetuate the name of the deceased. Okay? And that was kind of the way this went. Leviticus, chapter 25. Details like property exchanges and different agreements that they would come to. But this is one specifically about what happens to the widow in the case that someone dies. So let's listen to Deuteronomy, chapter 25, verse 5 and following.
If brothers dwell together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go into her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.
And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. So first things first here, just understanding is that when someone dies, the next of kin, that brother, his job was to go and take in that widow into his house, so he could perpetuate his brother's name through her seed. Right. Or through their seed. And so that's kind of the way this went. And that all sounds wonderful and upright. It's kind of a weird provision that's in here. But when you think about it, that could be some awkward stuff. But what happens if he doesn't like that? Verse 7.
And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, my husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel. He will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.
Then the elders of the city shall call him and speak to him. And if he persists saying, I do not wish to take her, then his brother's wife shall go up to him, catch this in the presence of the elders, and. And pull off his sandal off of his foot and spit in his face.
And the church said, mm.
And so she shall answer and say, so shall it be done to the man who does not build up his father's house or his brother's house. And the name of his house shall be called in Israel the house of him who had his sandals pulled off. Do you see what's going on? It works out great if everybody takes part of it, but if not, it's kind of a really humiliating thing. You lose your sandal. That's like the sense of authority and possession and those kinds of things. It was a ceremony where they used this to do it. And it was kind of a crazy thing, but they did that as a way to really deter people who would not take on this responsibility.
So it was humiliating. Keep all that in the back of your mind as we go further into this story, because that'll come up again.
But isn't it interesting that we can see God's heart just a little bit in that. Here is a situation where they've all been given land. Like all of these different tribes and clans have been given certain portions of land, and it was meant to stay with that family. And so if things didn't work out and someone died, then there were ways for them to manage this. And so I'm kind of thankful that God put this in there, even if it's just for a recognition for all of us that there are people sometimes in society who are marginalized, who are struggling, and there's no hope for them, there's no help for them, and it's up to us to maybe see that need and to meet it.
So as he has looked down and he's seen Ruth at the bottom of his feet, and she's proposed marriage to him, he says, well, it's true that I'm a Redeemer, yet there is a Redeemer nearer than I. In other words, there's someone else who is closer to the line of Elimelech than I am. So he says, remain to night, and in the morning, if he will let him do it.
But if he is not willing to redeem you, then as the Lord lives, I will redeem. He gives her his word, saying, if it doesn't work out with this other Redeemer, I will redeem you. So what's the redeemer requirement. Again, we've kind of talked about this a little bit, but these are the four criteria that had to be made. First had to be a blood relative.
That means someone closest, the closest of kin. It needed to be someone who was free of indebtedness. And that meant he didn't owe money to anybody. He didn't have those kinds of things stacked up. But he also was not a slave in any way. The third thing was that he was able to pay for that price in full. So whatever the possession was of that land or that property or that person, whatever came with that, the expenses, you had to be able to pay that in full. And then the last thing was most important, which was a willingness to do this and to redeem this person.
So in chapter four, as we get into this story, as we wrap this thing up, it says that Boaz had gone to the gate and sat down there. Now you may say, well, that's kind of interesting that he just said, okay, I'll take care of this, let me go sit at the gate. But in their time, the gate was a really powerful place. I don't know if you remember this, but Moses had trouble taking care of all the disputes that were coming his way as he was leading Israel.
And so during this time, he became so overwhelmed that he just could not get to everything, all the things that were coming his way for him to handle and for him to be the judge to decide those things. And. And so his father in law, Jethro, came to him and said, hey, this is gonna kill you. You can't keep doing this. It's just too much for you. So what I need you to do is delegate, go to all these different cities and towns and appoint elders in each of those cities who can handle those disputes. And then that way, all the things that are happening are happening all over the place. And all these people that you trust and that you lead will do the right thing, and they will issue the judgments that need to take place. And so at the same time, city gates, if you remember that became their practice. So they would come there and they would be legal documents about different things. They would have disputes that were handled, transactions of property and those kinds of things. But also it would be the place where they would come to redeem someone. And in these city gates, the elders would gather, witnesses would gather around, and it would be like court on demand. Which, hey, wouldn't we love that? I mean, how many. Think about the court system we have today is like, you get on a Docket. And then it's what, like months before you hear anything? Oh, no, this is happening right in the moment. You gather everybody, you present your case, and right there in front of everyone, it's all taken care of. Not just the judgment, but all the people who witnessed it and could verify what took place at the city gate. So this is a big thing that he's sitting at the gate. It's interesting that God, through Moses, has created this place right where there could be not only judgment, but also a place for redemption. So he's going there to bring everybody together, going to go take care of this need that Ruth has. And as it turns out, and behold, the Redeemer, the one he was speaking about, this other closer relative, he came by. So Boaz said, turn aside, friends. Sit down here.
And he turned aside and sat down. Then he took 10 men of the elders of the city, and he brought them in. He said, sit down. So they sat down. All of a sudden he brought court right there at the city gate. So everything is happening right here. This guy, I don't know if he's going to the grocery store, if he's going to work or what, but all of a sudden, he gets pulled aside. Now, it's interesting, the word friend that is used in this text, the word for friend here is almost like our John Doe. It's like literally such and such. Like, the Hebrew language is kind of unique in this. And so they have a hard time translating exactly what this means. But basically, it's like Mr. Nobody, Mr. No Name. So and so, such and such. And I have to tell you, it reminded me of something that took place here about 30 years ago. You're going to laugh at this.
The Huntsville Times was doing a story on vacation Bible schools in our area.
And we were different because we had an adult program.
So they wanted to do a story to highlight what was happening at VBS at the Madison Church of Christ. And so they called David Glenn, who was our education deacon, and over VBS at that time. And then David invited Stan and Jennifer Sherrod to come and be a part of that photo op, so to speak, together. So they came in here, literally sat in one of these pews, and the interviewer was interviewing David and asking questions about our adult Bible class that we were having at vbs. And Jennifer and Stan were posing there, like, pretending to listen to what David had to say. And it was kind of a cool thing. But in the middle of that interview, the photographer was kind of getting in the way a little bit, like hey, what are their names?
And so, as I understand it, you know, the interviewer, the reporter who was getting all the information was like, hey, stop. Just put down so and so and so and so are meeting with Dave Glenn and we'll fill in the gaps later. Well, that sounds great. Until it came out. And I don't know if you can see the caption here.
So and so and so and so.
So out of all that, they got no play, man. They got no. And look, by the way, that, that look that is on stand Sheridan's face, that's the same one I see every week when I'm preaching. And I look over there in his direction, that kind of, you know, that dull stare.
What am I saying? They didn't think it was important enough to put their names in the newsprint.
And you know, it's curious, is it not, that in this story the man who's called friend, so and so such is not uttered. You know why?
Most scholars believe because he refused to take on the responsibility that was going to be asked of him, that he was not dignified with his name in the text. Unbelievable. So now you got Boaz standing on business. Now, for some of you may not know what that phrase means. I have a cultural consultant, his name is Nick Preston, he's my 16 year old son. He tells me that standing on business means taking care of your responsibilities. Okay? So I put that down for you guys so Gen Z will understand exactly what I'm talking about. We're gonna turn over to root chapter four in verse three through five. And I want to read this to you because here's what happens as Boaz sets this whole story up, says, then he said, this is Boaz, he said to the redeemer, you know Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, she's selling a parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.
So I thought I would tell you of it and say, hey, bide in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people, if you'll redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not tell me that, I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it. And I come after you.
And so he tells him this. He's got, hey, man, she's got some property and it really needs to be purchased. And hey, I got everybody here right now. And if you don't mind, just right here on the spot, if you'll just take that. And of course the guy's like, oh, God, I get land out of this. Sounds great. So the guy says, I will redeem it.
Then Boaz says, the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you will also acquire Ruth, the Moabite. By the way, did I mention she's a Moabite, the widow of the dead. In order to perpetuate the name of the dead and his inheritance.
Wow, that changed pretty quickly. This guy went from buying land to all of a sudden he's about to bring a woman into his household. Now, there's all kinds of reason that that makes us kind of cringe, right?
First, she's a Moabite, and we're not supposed to have these people in the midst of us. But also, it complicates things quite a bit. So what does the man respond? He says, well, I can't redeem it for myself lest I impair my own inheritance. Let me see if I can explain this. If he were to take his money and he were to use it to purchase that property, then all of that money is gone to that property. But then if he were to take Ruth and they were able to have an heir, that property would technically belong to the heir, not him anymore. So you understand, a lot of his money, his resources, would have been built into that. And if they were able to have an heir, that money would have disappeared forever. And that would have shrunk up the inheritance for his own family, right?
So he says, take my right of redemption yourself. I cannot redeem it. Now, we've already talked about what's going to happen, right? What happens if you refuse to do this.
But what I want you to catch is that in the middle of this, one of the things that we need to be reminded of is that redemption, you know, if you really just dial it down to the things that are most simple about it, it's about sacrifice.
And this guy was just not willing to do it. What made up the Redeemer? Well, it was all those things, but the last thing was this, the willingness to redeem. And he was not willing. So he says, no, I can't do it.
Verse 7 and 8. Now, this was the custom in foreign times in Israel concerning redeeming, an exchange to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other. And this was the matter of attesting in Israel. So when the Redeemer said to Boaz, buy it for yourself, he took off his own sandal. He's not waiting for some young lady to come up and take it and spit in his face. He Said, I'll just. Let me just give this to you. It's almost like he sees what's happening. Everybody else, it's almost like, okay, this is what's happening. Just take off the sandal. That's fine, you know, And I didn't know what to think about this sandal thing. But as I look in the Scriptures, there's all kinds of things that are symbolic about sandals. You remember when Moses was spoken to out of the burning bush by God, and he said, take off your sandals, for where you're standing is holy ground. Same thing happened in Joshua, chapter five, when, you know, he was in the presence of the commander of the armies of God. He said, hey, take off your sandals, for where you're standing is holy ground.
Think about John the Baptist when he was talking about how he wasn't even worthy to unlace the sandals of Jesus as he was coming in and teaching other people. And there was something about that, you know, a servant would be the one. If they took off their sandals, the servant would have to carry that. It was kind of a low thing. And John the Baptist saying, in comparison to Jesus, I'm not even worthy to unlace his sandals. The idea of humility and reverence and. And those kinds of things. But also in Ephesians, chapter six, it talks about being shod with the preparation of the Gospel, with our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel. And the idea there is that we're ready, that we're equipped and ready to share that message.
But here, in this context, the sandal means a lot more.
It's authoritative, it's submission, and it's giving over ownership to someone else.
I was talking to Barry Smith after the first service. He says, you have no idea how powerful that is, because even in Africa today, there are still some tribes in some places where that shoe thing, that sandal thing, is a big deal. It means more than anything else. It's like that is the proof that what was agreed on publicly in front of elders and all those kinds of things at their city gates, they still do this, that they would do that and record it. Now, in these biblical times, after they would pass that sandal, they would then take the agreement and they would make it, you know, something that was witnessed and purposely put together. They would type it all, type it up. They would write it up in a scroll, and they would seal that scroll.
And the only one who could open up that seal was the owner of that scroll. There was also the same thing written up on a separate scroll that was left open for the city for them to be able to hold onto it. But as I understand it, the shoe, the sandal, was actually the proof of that decision that was made.
So Boaz said to the elders and all people, hey, you are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi, all that belonged to Elimelech, that belonged to Chilion, that belonged to Mahlon.
Also, Ruth Amoabbat, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife to perpetuate the name of the dead and his inheritance, that the name of the dead may be cut off from among his brothers and that they give. And then from the gate of his native place, you are witnesses to this day.
So here it is. It's all written up. There's this documentation that comes with all of this, and it's gonna be put down forevermore as ownership. And what has taken place is Ruth and Naomi have both been redeemed.
But what I want you to catch is I said that so many things in this life are.
There are things that are happening to us, but there's also some spiritual implications to it.
Don't you know that God is at the gate of our circumstance?
And I don't know what your circumstance is.
I don't know what things you're battling.
I don't know what things you're dealing with privately.
But what I'm saying is that God is still right there in the midst of all of our circumstances, and he is coordinating things with a plan to redeem every one of us.
So In Jeremiah, chapter 32, there's a description of this scroll thing where the seals are done and the documentation is passed back and forth, and these things are written down and made official from that standpoint, confirmed.
But I couldn't help. As I was just thinking about this, I thought back to a parable of Jesus where he talks about this field, okay? And that this man sees this field, and as he's going through the field, he uncovers a treasure that is in that field.
And he doesn't go and thieve the treasure. He doesn't go and take that and take off with it. Instead, he turns around and he purchases that property. And I can't help in my mind but to see, here's Ruth in his field.
She's given it all, and there's something about her that is a treasure. And maybe Boaz doesn't understand the fullness of what's going on here.
We kind of do. As we look down through the ages and know what. What line Boaz and Ruth ultimately end up with.
But I'm saying that there's not necessarily a full recognition of exactly what's going on. But here's this treasure in his field, and the parable says that he would sell everything to buy that property.
And I see that same kind of spirit, that same kind of attitude in Boaz as well. But then there's something about those scrolls. It's like that seal that says, hey, this person is the possession of this other, other person. And so I thought about that with regard to us as Christians. You know, when we become a child of God, the Bible says that we are sealed in a certain way as well. In fact, In Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 13, it says this. You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is good news of your salvation.
You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ and the Holy Spirit. Catch. This is the down payment on your inheritance, which is applied toward the redemption as God, God's own people, resulting in honor and God's glory. And then I think about that beautiful scene in Revelation where it's the throne room and they had these scrolls that had these seals on it, and no one can open it up. No one is found worthy. And they say, hey, it's the lion of Judah. He is the one who's going to be worthy. And the line of Judah shows up, but he doesn't show up as a lion, he shows up as a lamb. He's this perfect sacrificial piece and he comes to the throne of men. It's he and he alone who is able to. To open up that scroll. Because why? It says, at the cost of your own blood, you have redeemed for God. Persons from every tribe, language, people and nation.
Can you see God's redemptive work?
Are we at that crossroads where we refuse to see things, or we are open to what God may be doing?
From a spiritual perspective, I think of Jesus as a blood relative, right?
I think of him as someone who was freed of indebtedness. He committed no sin. He had nothing that people could hold him to.
He was willing to pay it all in giving his life fully, and he was more than willing to come and do it for every one of us.
Do you see the spiritual parallel, the life thing, the real thing that's happening, but the spiritual truth that is embedded deep inside of it. So verse 11 says, it's all the people who were at the gate. And the elder said, we are witnesses.
And may the Lord make this woman who is Coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel, you see that this Moabite woman, this outsider, has been brought into this beautiful relationship.
And their blessing, their prayer, is for her to be just as Jacob's wives in building the nation of Israel. Do you see how God may be working in the background of our lives?
So God uses the real moments, things that we're going through, and each of us have that specific thing that we're going through right now, but he uses those things that we see here on earth in order to reveal to us things that are very deeply spiritual, oftentimes eternal.
And so I thinking about this, I was thinking about this gate in the background of my life.
I walked by it thousands of times, heard it probably all those times, and yet it wasn't until I felt the need for rescue that that gate sound made any sense to me or was in any way powerful to me besides that cool noise.
So it made me think about maybe the things that we have in our life, that we hear all the time that just kind of are in the background of our life. Yeah, you need to be redeemed. You need to give your life to Jesus. You need to come and worship. You need to participate in things. You need to be a part of this. You need to let God work on your lives. And we've heard that. And we're like, yeah, that sounds good. That sounds great. It's all a part of the background of our life. But then at some point, point, we get into a situation where it's tired, it's really difficult, and it's tough. And in that moment of intensity, in that desperation, for the first time, we hear that gate, which is the message that Jesus came to redeem all of us for our sins. And what I'm hoping is that today there's someone in the audience that maybe for the first time, you heard it for real.
And that you, in your battle and in your struggle in life and in the things that you're going through and the places you've put yourself in, the danger that you find yourself around, spiritually speaking, that you are saying, I need help.
And in the same way Ruth appealed to her Redeemer, Boaz, the Bible refers to it this way. With us, he says, baptism now saves us. Not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but catch this. The appeal of a good conscience toward God through Jesus Christ and his resurrection.
Do you see it?
The Redeemer is sitting at the gate, and he's there, he's working his plan.
Are you ready to appeal to him?
If so, this morning. If there's anyone who stands in need of that, in need of encouragement, in need of a relationship with God, I hope you'll come. While together we stand sing.
