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Well, I know you are a reading congregation, and how you love to read all kinds of books, I wanted to inform you that there's a new book out, fairly new, it's called the 100-Minute Bible for time-starved Christians.
Publishers say it's ideal for those who do not have time to read the original. It's been called a slimmed-down page-turner, at 20 ,000 total words. Aim for those who do not have time to go through the whole book.
The abridged version picks out stories of the life of Jesus and records the growth of Christianity. Written in a style to encourage readers to keep turning the pages without resorting to any gimmicks.
I found it most interesting when the author, Mr. Hinton, who spent 18 months on the work, said that he believed he had included all the really essential parts. And if I was a betting man, I would bet the house that Ruth wasn't included.
To the reader's impoverishment for certain. Before we open our Bibles to Ruth, let's turn to Matthew chapter 1. And I want to remind you as we go through the book of Ruth this morning, that Ruth is a Christian book.
Ruth isn't a Hebrew book for Old Covenant people only. It is a Christian book. It is in the Christian canon. That is to say, as Jesus on the road to Emmaus, Jesus in John chapter 5, talked about the Old Testament bearing witness to himself.
We have been blessed as we've sat underneath the book of Ruth. I just say to myself every week as I think about the drama of redemption, what's going to happen next? What will the next thing be? An exciting, wonderful series.
And ultimately, I want you to know that the book of Ruth finds its end, the trajectory is pointing through David to the ultimate David. We come from the problem of chapter 1 in Ruth, where there's a barren womb, a barren land.
Barren crops. How can David come from this group? Where will the Messiah come from? And Matthew chapter 1 verse 1, the book of the genealogy, the book of the beginnings, the origins, the birth record.
You know, the Jews were very, very detailed in their genealogies, especially for a king, someone important. The genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David. Yes, Jesus has the legal right to be David's heir.
The son of Abraham. Yes, that Abraham who God made the covenant with. Israel is the chosen people, and everyone would be blessed through that line. Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
And Judah the father of Perez, and Zerah by Tamar. Perez by the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. And Ram the father of Ammedad, and Ammedad the father of Nashon. Nashon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab.
And Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth. And Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. There's a trajectory, and that trajectory goes past Moab, past what's going on in chapter 1 to the king David.
So let's turn our Bibles to Ruth chapter 2 this morning, as we see the conversation between Boaz and Ruth. Now, when I was younger, we'd watch TV, black and white TV. TVs were about that wide back in those days, right?
And there would be a song to go along. We would watch Romper Room together, or some Mr. Rogers neighborhood, and they'd sing a song, and there'd be lyrics at the bottom. And you knew the lyrics to sing when the, what was bouncing ball.
And here in Ruth, you keep your eye on the ball. More specifically, you keep your eye on Boaz. Because Boaz is going to answer this question in Ruth. What's the Redeemer look like? I know God is powerful in His redemption.
Israel is stuck in Egypt. Mountain on that side, mountain on that side. Pharaoh's army on that side. And God rescues and redeems Egypt through the Red Sea. He's powerful. But is He kind? What does He look like on a personal level?
Nationally, I get it. And Boaz comes into the picture, and you begin to see regularly and often, Boaz is a kind Redeemer. And if He's personally like this, how much greater will the Messiah, Jesus, the ultimate Redeemer, be?
Chapter 1 in Ruth is basically the problem. Got all these issues that are happening, and everybody's doing what's right in their own eyes, including Israel. And God chastens them. And there's no crops.
And our little family flees to Moab. And Samuel writes this book so you realize, King David can sit on the throne. But there's lots of perilous journeys that happen. There's a little bit of hope in chapter 1, verse 22, So Naomi returned with her Ruth, the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab, and they came to Bethlehem, the house of bread, at the beginning of barley harvest.
Just at the end of April, most likely, the barley, the wheat, perfect time to return. And now strong Boaz meets Ruth. Good review. Let's just remember these verses. This is verse 1 now. Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.
And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, remember she didn't know what was going on in verse 1, that's the narrator, let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him, and whose side I shall find favor.
And she said, go, my daughter. And so the suspense that the writer is creating is visible. Here this godly lady, Ruth, she doesn't have to go do this, but she says, I will go. And remember they had big fields back in those days, and they would divide up the fields, and one guy would own this part, another person would own this, another would own this, but it's one big field.
I think I better go out and get something to eat, basic necessities, to hope I find somebody who's kind. Verse 3, so she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. Remember God's compassion towards Israel?
Don't cut corners. No, do cut corners. We tell our people not to cut corners at work. Cut corners so poor people can go to the corner of the field and get some grain. And by the way, if you're picking up something that you've harvested, and you hold on to it and one slips down, don't pick it up, let somebody come along and glean it and pick it up.
She must have been taught this by Naomi and Moab. She knows to go out, and it says in verse 3, remember, and it happened, she happened by chance, she chanced by chance is the literal Hebrew. It's very ironic, it's hyperbole.
She just by dumb luck happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, by the way, the first thing that someone says in Scripture is often very, very important.
What's the first thing that he says? It's going to tell us something significantly about the person. The Lord Yahweh be with you. Hi, bye, how are you? God bless you. It's a contraction. Goodbye, God be with you.
No, this isn't a cheap platitude. This isn't some kind of greeting. Hello, nice to meet you. Yahweh be with you. Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, whose young woman is this?
And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, she's a young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, she knew she didn't deserve it or she wasn't allowed, she wasn't an Israelite.
She asked nicely, please let me glean, let me pick up the scraps and gather among the sheaves after the reapers. Let me collect these bottles and get a nickel each for them and just try to earn some money.
So she came and she continued from early in the morning until now except for a short break. And now we come to our passage this morning. You're going to see the kind Boaz, the Redeemer, kindly taking care of her, kindly protecting her.
Keep your eye on Boaz. And Boaz said to Ruth, kind of the icebreaker here, now listen my daughter, most commentators think he was much older than she was. He was really old, probably in his early fifties, but he's older.
Now listen my daughter and you can sense the terms of endearment. Do not go glean in another field. Don't pick up the leftovers in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. This direct statement breaks the ice and he's trying to protect her.
Here's the big field, lots of different owners, and wouldn't it be easy to say, just down on that point there, the surf's breaking a little bit nicer. The grass is a little bit greener. And regularly people would be in one section and they would say, you know what, they're not dropping enough, they're not cutting the corners like they should, let's go to another one.
And Boaz is saying, don't go down there, don't go over there, you're going to be tempted to do that. Don't wander over, keep close. Do you notice the text? But keep close to my young women. That's the same word used in chapter 1 verse 14 of Ruth clinging to Naomi.
That's husbands and wives glued together, clinging to one another. Why should you stay next to these young ladies? Because it's the days of the judges. And everyone does what was right in their own eyes.
And you're a young woman without any protection, you better be careful. Verse 9, Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping and go after them. Stick with them. Have I not charged the young men of my part of the field not to touch you?
And some have written, rightfully so, this is the first sexual harassment law. What do you mean? I've charged the young men not to touch you. Nagah in Hebrew, to touch, to strike, to harass, to molest.
Here are these young ladies out there, they have no protection. You've got a bunch of rough men and guys. Clearly Boaz means, stay close to the people. My people are going to get raped. I've told my young men not to.
Remember in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, it's not good for a man to touch a woman. This is not like they're going to come up and say, excuse me Naomi. That's not that kind of touch. And you can see the narrator is making sure that we understand that the line of David can't be tampered with.
As Abraham had Sarah thrown to the wolves of Abimelech, but God protecting and overriding so Abimelech wouldn't sleep with Sarah. And you just see this Redeemer protecting and providing. Don't wander off where I can't protect you.
I can protect you here. Verse 9, but it's more than that. It's not just protection, it's provision. How great is this kind Redeemer. How personally he takes care of people, individual people, foreign people.
And when you're thirsty, verse 9, go to the vessels and drink what the men have drawn. Now when we're thirsty, we just go. We go over to the New England bubbler and we just drink, don't we? Those are the two most interesting things when I moved here almost 18 years ago.
Longest four decades of your life, right? People said the bubbler's right down the hall. Pretty interesting. Now I'm in California and I say, where's the bubbler? And the other thing I noticed since it's apropos today, everybody got saved at the Super Bowl.
I'd meet a young person, they're 17 years old. Are you right with God? How'd you come to faith in Christ Jesus? Yes, pastor, I got saved at the Super Bowl. One after another after another. And I thought, the building doesn't look too rich, but I think the people are.
They're all saved at the Super Bowl. One day they're going to invite me to the Super Bowl too. Maybe I'll rededicate my life to Christ. Of course, they meant the Word of Life Super Bowl. They didn't mean the real Super Bowl.
For us, it's not that big a deal. When you're thirsty, you go to the bubbler. It's a hot, scorching sun, and you've got clay jars, and you've got goat material filled with water. Whenever you want to go have a drink, go get a drink.
And look at what happens. Drink what the young men have drawn. Hey, the pecking order doesn't work that way. Foreigners draw for the Israelites. Pecking order one. Pecking order two. Sorry, ladies. It's the Near East.
Thousands of years ago. The women draw for the men. You can just see Boaz. I'm going to protect you. I'm going to watch over you. Food, water, everything. I'll do it. And then you back up a little bit and you say, look at how God is sovereignly, providentially orchestrating everything because we need David and we need the Messiah.
Expect a miracle. No miracles in Ruth. No signs. No wonders. No floating axe heads. But expect providence because we're moving along providentially. You can have whatever you want. Have a drink any time you want.
What kindness the Redeemer gives. Verse 10,. And she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me since I'm a foreigner?
I'm a woman. I'm a poor woman. I'm a poor widowed woman. I'm a poor widowed woman who's a foreigner. Why would you show any kindness to me? This isn't right. And it kind of goes against our sensibilities.
But she was very thankful. And if you want to show your thankfulness, you get down on your knees and say, Thank you. Overwhelming gratitude expressed with this kind of posture. Seems like an exaggeration to us, but no.
She gets down on her knees and she says, Thank you. And listen up, congregation, don't miss it. You're treating me like family. Don't forget the Redeemer who's closer. Redemption in the family line. You're like family to me.
Why have I found favor? She's dumbstruck. There's surprise in the Hebrew language. That you would even notice me? To give me favor? Single me out? The young men, if not directed, they would single me out for something else.
But you single me out for favor and protection and water and food. It's one thing to have a powerful Redeemer who can rescue nations. It's another thing to say, This man loves me. Verse 11, But Boaz answered, This is interesting.
All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me. Here's what he says. Everything that happened in chapter 1 has been told to me. What you've done in chapter 1 I know about.
And how you left your father and your mother and your native land and the false gods and came to a people that you did not know before. I know all about who God is and when God saves people, how then those people say no to their false gods and yes to the living God.
I've heard all about you. God's been compassionate to you. You've been compassionate to Naomi. I've heard it through the Bethlehem Grapevine. Before I thought, Who sang that song? I think Marvin Gaye sang it.
And Clearance, Clear Clearance, John Fogarty. If you don't write things in your notes, I could say Abimidad, but I can't say Creedence Clearwater Revival. I heard about all your kindness. I don't know what you look like, but I know what you did.
I mean, you can get the feel, can't you? If someone was an abortion doctor and gets saved and now they're praying for the unborn, somebody important, you'd say, Wow, what's going on here? And here, though no doctor, she used to worship a false god where you would basically have to give your babies over to them to be burned.
And now worshiping Yahweh. I've heard about you. And it wasn't just a profession of faith, the way you've loved your mother-in-law, I know about this. You're part of the community. It's almost like, Why wouldn't I love you?
You're part of the covenant community worshiping Yahweh. And it's interesting, if you look at the verse, verse 11,. But Boaz answered her. It can mean he raised his voice a little, not with stern anger, but he raised his voice loud enough saying, I will fellowship with you.
I will associate with you. I'm not afraid to say this about you, the Moabitess. I'll identify with this foreign woman. All this language sounds eerily familiar to Genesis chapter 12, doesn't it? And the Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your country and from your relatives and from your father's house to a land which I will show you.
Leave it all for Yahweh. And friends, as we celebrate communion this morning, what rings in my ears, I'm sorry, I was going to go further than this in this passage and finish verse 13, but I cannot. Look back at verse 10.
Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me since I'm a foreigner? Have you ever asked that of the Lord? Why do you notice me? Why did you save me? Why did you give me favor?
Why did you notice me? That language, why did I find favor, is of a servant or a submissive one asking someone in authority. Why would you have favor on me? Why would you sovereignly do something for me?
You can do it if you want to or not do it if you don't want to, but you did it. Why? Why do you show good pleasure to me? And if I were to ask you to come up and take the microphone and say, the reason why God showed me good pleasure is because I'm more intelligent than other people.
Would you say that? Would you come get the microphone and say, we'll have a little testimony. Why did God save you? Why did God show you favor in Christ Jesus? Well, I'm more righteous than my neighbors.
Would you say that? You could shoot out of here pretty fast. I recognize my need of Christ more than other people did. Would you say that? Well, I was baptized, of course. That's why God showed me favor.
I came up with my own repentance. I came up with my own faith. I was a member. I did lots of works. Friends, if you're a Christian, what is the reason why? Why did God save you? Fill in the blank. The reason God saved me is, and what's the answer?
The purpose of my salvation is what? Now, when I go to the beach, it's fun to think about the beach this time of year, isn't it? There's just nothing like sitting at the beach. See some waves out there, kids running around laughing, drinking a cup of coffee.
Coffee at the beach. It just goes together, doesn't it? Peach coffee, nice and bitter. Couple extra shots of espresso. All kinds of activity. And you hear something out of the corner of your ear, and you hear it, and there's this biplane, and behind the biplane is this huge banner.
I mean, huge. And it comes over, and then back, and it's drink Red Bull. Right? Monster drinks or something, right? I don't know. Eat Doritos. This huge publicity program. And you're like, yeah, come to think of it, I should have a monster drink.
Why did God save you? And the answer isn't ultimately because He doesn't want me to go to hell, although that's true. The answer isn't ultimately because I did anything, because I didn't. Turn your Bibles to Ephesians 2, verse 7, and let me show you the answer.
And the answer is God has a spiritual, righteous, holy publicity program that goes throughout the ages that says God has favor on people because He's a kind Redeemer. The eternal banner, Jesus saves sinners throughout all eternity.
You say to yourself, Boaz is a sneak peek of the ultimate Redeemer. This is amazing. Standing face to face with God. How? Why? Now when you go to Ephesians 2, you often say this. If I were to say, what's your favorite verse in Ephesians 2?
Most of you would say what? By grace I've been saved. He front loads the word grace. It's not I've been saved by grace, but front loaded by grace I've been saved. Awesome verse. Maybe you say chapter 2, verse 10.
God creates good works. He prepares them ahead of time that I might what? Walk in them. Awesome. How about Ephesians 2, verse 4? But God rich in what? Mercy. I love those verses. And some of you if you're a Gentile, maybe you even think Genesis, excuse me, Ephesians 2, verse 11 is the best.
Don't forget you're a Gentile. But we often forget of Ephesians 2, 7. Let me read it. And we're just going to park here as we get our hearts ready to celebrate what God has done in the person of Christ Jesus at the Lord's table.
So that in the coming ages, age after age after age after age, why does God save anybody that He might show, demonstrate, make conspicuous to show forth the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus?
Throughout all history, God's a kind Redeemer. And then past history, the program of redemption. Why does God save anyone? Ask yourself the question. Why would you save someone like me? Ask yourself the question even further.
God, since you know all my sins, why would you then still save me? Go back to chapter 2, verse 1. We'll just see the context. I know you are familiar with the passage. But just a quick reminder, I think you appreciate your salvation more when you realize how sinful you are.
Me too. And you were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked. Following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, spirit that's now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind.
As a Reformer said, does anyone know the 100th part of sin that clings to our soul? God saved me because I was worthy to be saved. Really? How about God took our unworthiness, placed it on Christ, gave us His worth.
And look at what chapter 2, verse 4 says. I mean, really. Maybe the two most important words in all the Bible, Lloyd-Jones said, but God. You know, I'm so rich in sin, is there any God for me being rich in mercy?
You know what mercy means? Mercy means I see someone who needs something and I'm going to be compassionate to them. I don't want to make the illustration go too far, but here's what mercy means. A dog gets hit by a car and is still living and you pull over to the side of the road and you say, I'm going to take care of that dog.
I can do something for that dog. There's something in me that emotionally wants to help that dog. Who's a God like you who pardons iniquity? And seriously, if God looks at us and He sees all of our sin and all the Ephesians 2, 1 to 3 stuff, I can kind of understand mercy.
There's that love of mercy, but love of sacrifice? Take a look at the rest of the verse. Because of the great love with which He loved us. John Gerstner said, love, impossible. Mercy, maybe. Perhaps He would even spare us, but what is there to love?
Hate. Yes, there is plenty of hate. Maybe He once loved us or maybe He could have loved us for what we once were, but now we're beyond love. Yet, God loves. Then He has forgotten who we are, what we have done?
No, He has not forgotten what you are. He has not overlooked your condition. This is the love which loves when there's nothing to love. Why would you have any love for me, a foreigner? The love of God is uninfluenced.
It's a sovereign love. It sees nothing in the object to love, but loves anyway. Remember with Israel, Deuteronomy 7, the Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest, but because the Lord loves you.
Why does the Lord love us? Because He loves us. If I were to teach council time at Awana with kids, I would take two big magnets, and if you put the magnets just right with positive and negative, they go like this.
Right? And when I think I'm really good and worth saving and lovable, then I think God's just drawn to me. He's like, to His positive, to my negative. But to think about chapter 2, verses 1, 2, and 3, and my sin and depravity and all that stuff, it's like negative and now we've got His holiness and there's nothing I can do to push those two together.
So what binds these two things together? How can you take sinful man and the holiness of God and have them go together? And we know the answer is the cross. Christ Jesus, our Lord, God's love is highlighted at Calvary.
He didn't die to make God love us because He already did love us. This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ, 1 John 3, 16, laid down His life for us. Verse 5, even when, Ephesians 2, 5, when we were dead in our trespasses, He made us alive together with Christ.
By grace, you've been saved and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ. Why does God do all this? To be our concierge? God, You exist for me to bless me and to help me.
Yeah, You make me jump through a few hoops, but no, why does God save sinners like us? Because He's decided to love us freely. Think about Hosea. Don't you love Hosea 13? God, You've loved us freely. No other reason except You decide to love us.
Then you read verse 7 and it seems to make sense when you get verses 1 -6 down, so that in the coming ages, He might not share His glory with another. He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness.
God is a kind Redeemer. He's like Boaz, but better toward us in Christ Jesus. God doesn't save us to make us happy. God saves us to show how kind He is and how loving He is and who He is. Ephesians 1 -6 To the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1 -12 To the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1 -14 To the praise of my glory. I did it. Hardly, for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Why are you a Christian?
Answer, because the handiwork of the craftsman demonstrates how great God is. To display God's eternal grace. Why have you found favor on me since I'm a foreigner? Answer, ultimate answer, to display God's gracious love for sinners.
That's why we celebrate the Lord's Supper. What God did for us. You would like to summarize all the Bible? Here's the summary of the Bible. Three simple words. God saves sinners. God saves sinners. God and God alone, not us, saves, He rescues, delivers, forgives, justifies, reconciles.
What God does, He does well. And He saves sinners. Can you imagine the Son of God, eternal God, cloaks Himself with humanity to rescue us? It's amazing. It's an amazing story. I thought Ruth was full of drama.
Let's pray. Father in Heaven, we're thankful that on a day like today, oh, I'm sure football games are fine, but on a day like today, to think about the greatest show ever on earth, did in fact show forth Your Son's wonderful, eternal glory.
This will be the theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love. And Father, I know You don't want us to forget that Jesus Christ saved us. His free love, by His own free will, His own sovereign will, by His own good pleasure.
He wanted to do it. You wanted Him to do it. The Spirit enabled Him to do it and gave Him power. Because you do love people. You do love sinners. Why would you find favor with us, foreigners, sinners?
The answer is found in Your good pleasure, Your rich in mercy, and Your love toward us. Would you help us now prepare our hearts as we want to remember, it was true, it was historical, Jesus was a man on this earth.
He lived a perfect life, died on the cross, was raised from the dead. And it's more than that, it's theological. You now meet us as friends and as brothers in Christ Jesus. And Father, it should give our hearts gratitude today, knowing that You have accomplished victory for us.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.