Intro to Ruth (Part 2)

Thanks for tuning in to No Compromise Radio with pastor and author Dr. Mike Abendroth. Today on No Compromise Radio we'll be hearing Pastor Mike open the Word of God in a recent message he preached at Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston, Massachusetts.

Now let's join Pastor Mike in progress as he preaches through the scriptures verse by verse with No Compromise.

God's Justice in the Destruction of Sodom

Now go back to chapter 18 verse 25. Remember the how many righteous are there and there weren't even ten righteous people. But listen to what it says in Genesis 18 25. Far be it from you to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike.

Far be it from you, God, will not the judge of all the earth do right? Answer to the question in chapter 19. Yes he will because Sodom and Gomorrah deserved it. And it was right for God to pulverize them to smithereens.

Won't you do right? Yes you're the God of the universe. And the right and just God of the universe obliterates Sodom and Gomorrah. Try to find a trace of Sodom and Gomorrah now by the Dead Sea. He overthrew those cities back to Genesis 19 25 and all the valley and all the inhabitants of the cities wipe out this cancer and what grew on the ground.

Lot's Wife, Judgment, and Memory in Genesis

But, verse 26, Lot's wife, behind him, looked back. By the way, this isn't like a casual look. The Hebrew is looked back and it's with a longing and with a gaze and with a, oh, only if I could be back there in Sodom.

I can't believe it's all destroyed. There goes our home. She looked back and she became a pillar of salt. I'll never forget the words J. Verna McGee said. She loved Sodom. She loved Lot too. But it was a lot of Sodom that she loved.

McGee said she left her heart in Sodom. Now some people try to explain this as anything but the supernatural judgment of God. Same God that rained fire from the sky made her turn into a pillar of salt.

There's all kinds of salt things back there now and some look like bodies and some people say, oh, there's a bunch of salt swirling around her and formed a pillar around her body. No, she was chemically changed to salt.

It gets spookier. Verse 27, Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. He looked down towards Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley and he looked and behold, see, this is a different kind of look than Lot's wife gave.

The smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. So it was that when God destroyed the cities of the valley, don't miss this now, 73 times in the Old Testament, when God remembers, he doesn't just recollect it.

This is not random access memory. This is not, well, I forgot but now I remember. When God remembers, he does something. God remembered Noah and he brought the wind. God remembered Abraham, sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

The activity of God, hands on God. Verse 30, by the way, our children learned from us as parents and those children learned a lesson when Lot was at the door and those men wanted to sleep with the angels and Lot was going to say, you know, why don't you take my virgin daughters instead?

There's a time to be really practical and those girls never forgot it. Watch. Now Lot went up out of Zohar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, right? His wife's dead for he was afraid to live in Zohar.

Maybe it's like more earthquakes are going to happen. Maybe everybody there is going to be mad at me. Maybe if I'm in a big city, the big cities get it. I got to stay out in the country. I got to stay out in the cave.

So he lived in a cave. This is not one night respite. This is not with a little bit of, you know, we'll just stay here temporarily. He lived in a cave day after day with his two daughters. Those daughters learned a lesson with those homosexual men and dad.

Sometime morality has to go for practicality. Firstborn said to the younger, our father's old. There's not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth, no seed, no son. Got to do something about it.

Come. Dad's not going to agree to this if he's sober. Let us make our father drink wine and we will lie with him that we may preserve offspring from our father. You know, situational ethics, greater good, lesser evil.

So they made their father drink wine that night and the firstborn went in and lay with her father and he did not know when she laid down or when she rose. Reminds me of Habakkuk chapter two. Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wine skin till they are drunk so that he can gaze on their naked bodies.

If it's woe to him and Habakkuk, how about woe to him who gives his father alcohol so she can sleep with him? Next, verse 34. The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, behold, I lay last night with my father.

Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him that we may preserve offspring from our father. Let's weaken his resistance one more night. So they made their father drink wine that night also.

Younger arose and lay with him and he did not know when she lay down or when she rose. Thus, both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. Deafenbaugh said Lot's failure in that cave was far more of his own making than most of us would like to admit.

It was not just that his daughters had learned so much sin in Sodom. They were still both virgins. The real problem was not with Sodom but with Lot. His daughter simply carried out that which they had learned from their own father.

Behold, I have two daughters who have had no relations with man. Please let me bring them out to you and do whatever you like to them. Only do nothing to these men inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof.

And if you think there was family shame, think again. Verse 37. The firstborn bore a son. They got what they wanted and called his name. I mean really, what does Moab mean? Most likely it comes from a variant meaning and here's the name of it.

From the father. Now wouldn't you want to hide that fact? Every time you say the kid's name, from the father, time to eat, from the father, from the father, from the father. The younger also bore a son and named him son of my people.

Mom and dad are of the same family stock. Yeah, that's right. Moab. Now when I was younger at school, my last name starts with an A, Abendroth. So I was pretty much up at the front of the line always unless there was somebody named Abbott, A-B-B, then they would beat me out.

There's usually one Abbott in my school. Young people, fifth graders, we're going to just pronounce your names. Just say here, it's first day of class. And we're not really too good in pronunciation and everything.

So we're just going to try our best and, you know, please excuse me if I mispronounce your name. And my mother once saw a movie with a French director's name and it was M-I-C-H-E-L. She thought that'd be good to name your kid in Nebraska.

Michael, but without an A. So, okay, we're going to go through our list. Michelle Abernathy. I didn't care about the Abernathy. When I get junk mail and it's to Mike Haferhorf, I don't really much care.

It's true, by the way. Michelle. Could you give us your locker number, please? 14216. Oh, no, we didn't want your locker combination. We just wanted the number of your locker. Everybody knows they're going to pick my lock.

They're in. Michelle. I mean, that's not going to be a cool Euro name until I'm 25. I got 15 more years to go. Michelle. And all the neighbor kids and all the school kids, Michelle. But it could have been worse.

See, I was conceived out of wedlock, and then a short time after that, in 1960, my father then married my mother. We didn't much talk about that. What if the teacher would have said, Mike, the illegitimately conceived one, Ebendroth.

Mike, the illegitimate one. Mike, the illegitimate kid. And here's the weird part. What I would never once said about me, what I wish would just kind of go away, these days not many people care in our society, but it was a big deal in 1960, Samuel, the writer of Ruth, will not write Ruth's name without saying she's a Moabitess.

Why? Shame? Ruth, the Moabitess. That's like saying someone, yeah, I'm identified in scripture, Rahab the harlot. That's my name. Mike, the illegitimate one, pleased to meet you. Let's tell a story about good old Mike.

Here it is, Ruth, the Moabitess, over and over and over and over again, so you think about a cave and a man and the two gross daughters, and the gross man for that matter. And what good can come out of that mess?

Ruth, the Moabitess, and God's Sovereign Providence

How about Jesus? Ruth chapter 1, verse 22, let's go back to Ruth, and I want you to just see, over and over and over. I don't care what your family tree is, I don't care what kind of sins you've sinned, I know Jesus, the Redeemer's blood is greater, and I know God's sovereign, and even though I mean it for evil, wicked, sin, God can take that.

And Romans 8 .28 isn't just a catchphrase, it isn't a moniker, it isn't some Christian nomenclature, it's true, and if you don't get the sovereignty of God in Ruth, you miss it all. Ruth, the Moabitess, Ruth 1 .22, so Naomi returned, and Ruth from the father, chapter 2, verse 2, and Ruth, the Moabite.

Ruth, the Moabite. Ruth chapter 2, verse 6, she's a young Moabite. Ruth chapter 2, verse 21, Ruth, the Moabite. Ruth 4 .5, Ruth, the Moabite. And finally, Ruth 4 .10, Ruth, the Moabite. How wonderful is the providential, sovereign hand of God?

The Moabite is in Matthew 1, 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. Who comes out of the Moabites?

David. David. That's why it says at the end of Ruth chapter 4, verse 16, then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap. Ruth 4 .16, became his nurse, and the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, a son has been born to Naomi.

They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. 1 Corinthians 1 seems so much more true now, but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.

God chose what is low and despised in the world, even the things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being may boast in the presence of God. Secondly, as we think about this, don't forget that God's sovereign, and our God is the same sovereign God.

Ruth as a Picture of the Redeemer

Secondly, don't forget about the Redeemer, about redemption. When you look at Ruth, you have to look at it within the grid of John chapter 5. Jesus said, the Old Testament scriptures bear witness of me.

Luke chapter 24 as well. How do these scriptures bear witness of Jesus? We see the unfolding plan of God in the Old Testament for a Redeemer. Think how far the Redeemer goes back, that concept. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, Genesis 3 .15.

This is the proto-gospel, first gospel. In between your offspring and her offspring, he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. What does that look like? What's an Old Testament Redeemer look like?

Eve thought it was Cain, her firstborn. Well, that's not right. When you think of redemption, what's a Redeemer look like? Well, there's a Redeemer who's a national Redeemer. A Redeemer with power can say, I'm going to take Israel out of Egypt.

Nationally, that he's a Redeemer. But does he have any personal characteristics? Is he a family member? Is he just really transcendent or is he eminent as well? Is he just far and above and big and grandiose, holy, powerful?

Or is God a Redeemer who cares? Is he a brother? Is he a kinsman? Is he a relative? Is he close? It's true that the picture of the Old Testament Redeemer is national. 1 Chronicles 17. Who is like your people Israel?

The one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people. Making for yourself a name for great and awesome things and driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt. Yeah, but God is a great Redeemer.

He's a powerful Redeemer. He takes nations out of Egypt for himself. But is he a close Redeemer? What's he like personally? Does God have a personal side to his redemption? And the answer is found in Boaz.

Yes, it's true. You want to know what a Redeemer looks like? You will watch Boaz. As David Murray said, we've got Naomi barren in chapter 1. And in chapter 4, here's a child presented to her, Ruth's child.

What's the difference between barren and a child? And the answer is three chapters of a man named Boaz. Is Boaz the Redeemer? No, he's not the hero. But when you watch Boaz the Redeemer, you'll say, that's a picture.

That's a picture of who God is. He's a God who's going to personally redeem. Go to Ruth chapter 3, please. I just want you to see, even in your English Standard Version, the word Redeemer. There's a variety of different words, Redeemer, in the Old Testament.

But the one that's prominent here is Kinsman Redeemer. There's a relative who can redeem. And we're going to learn about this a lot in the next few weeks. But I just want you to see that even in your English Bibles, when you read the story over and over and over, two things should pop into your mind.

One, God's sovereign. Number two, Redeemer. Chapter 3, verse 9. He said, who are you? And she answered, I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a Redeemer. Verse 12 of the same chapter.

Now it is true that I am a Redeemer, yet there is a Redeemer nearer than I. Verse 13. Remain tonight and in the morning. If he will redeem you, good, let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then as long as the Lord lives, I will redeem you.

Lie down until the morning. Chapter 4, verse 3. Then he said to the Redeemer. Chapter 4, verse 4. So I thought I would tell you of it and say, buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.

If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me that I may know, for there is no one beside you to redeem it. And I come after you. And he said, I will redeem it. Verse 6. Then the Redeemer said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance.

Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it. Verse 7. Concerning redemption. Verse 8. The Redeemer said over and over and over. Redemption. Now wait a second. Doesn't redemption also mean some price has to be paid to free the person?

Yes. What price was paid by God to redeem Israel out of Egypt? I don't know. But this man has to buy out. Verse 8. Buy it yourself. Verse 9. I have bought from the hand of Naomi. Verse 10. I have bought.

Everything's starting to come together. I'm reading the scriptures as a Christian person and I'm seeing flickers in Ruth. Yes, God's sovereign, but also he's a Redeemer. What's a Redeemer look like? What's a man who pays a ransom look like?

Who will Jesus look like? He looks just like Boaz, except better. What's a Savior going to be like back in Genesis chapter 3 prophesied of in Abraham's covenant in chapter 12 of Genesis? What's that guy going to look like?

He looks like Boaz, but better. Which begs the question why would we need redemption anyway? Aren't we all good people? Aren't we all upright? David says these words and I think he must have been talking about and thinking about his great-grandfather Boaz.

Now I remember lots of things about my grandfather. Most of them were pretty good. Grandpa did this. Grandpa did that. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight.

My Lord, my rock, and my what? Redeemer. That's the word. Bless the Lord, Psalm 103. Oh my soul and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord. Oh my soul. Forget none of his benefits.

Who forgives all your iniquity. Who heals all your diseases. And who what? Redeems your life from the pit. My great-grandfather was a Redeemer, but there's a greater Redeemer. The redemption in Ruth points ultimately to the great Redeemer Christ Jesus.

And we need a Redeemer because we've fallen in Adam. We have a sin problem and the thing about it is we cannot extract ourselves because we are part of the problem. And so someone has to rescue us. Just like Israel could not self-extract out of Egypt, we can't get ourselves out of us.

We're in bondage to sin and we can't free ourselves and we're dead in sins. Satan has blinded our minds as unbelievers. Jesus says in John 8, if you commit sin, you're a slave of what? Sin. And redemption means to buy out of slavery with the price.

I need that. And the little flickers of redemption found in the Old Testament find its bright glaring halogen light in Jesus. Turn to Ephesians chapter 1, verse 7. We're going to wrap it up here. Jesus, the Redeemer, is needed.

There is a near kinsman. And he's not just great and grand and transcendent, but he's personal. And we're going to learn in weeks to come from Hebrews chapter 2. He is a relative. He is human. He can be the kinsman Redeemer.

He can call us brothers and he's not even ashamed to do that. He's not ashamed to have Moab in the line. Ruth, the Moabitess. Jesus is the mediator and he is not just God although he is. He's the God-man as 1 Timothy talks about it, the man Christ Jesus because he can be our advocate as the risen Savior who we have redemption in him.

Now Ephesians chapter 1 is amazing because it says in verse 7 of chapter 1, in him we have redemption. Not we might have. That's present tense. We currently have redemption in him. All the spiritual blessings are found in Christ Jesus and only in him.

Not in yourself. Not in Buddha. Not in Allah. Not in Moses. Not in the Pope. Not in Sun Yung Moon. Not in John MacArthur. Not in education. Not in your baptism. In him we have redemption. And especially when I look at this, it's not in myself.

I cannot redeem myself. Friends, if you're not redeemed, you don't go to heaven. If the ransom price for your redemption isn't paid, you don't go to heaven. But it says here, because of the great love which he lavished upon us, as Ephesians 1 talked about, we have redemption.

No one else. No plan B. No made possible. No potential. We have it. Salvation found in one person. We have redemption. And now the kind of haze that was in Ruth, yeah there's a redeemer. He's hands on.

He's near. He's a relative. He's a brother. He's close. We find the crystal clear view of Jesus the redeemer in Ephesians chapter 1. So I have to ask you, are you redeemed? You are a slave to sin if you're not a Christian and you can't get yourself out no matter how hard you try.

You need someone to rescue you. And what's the difference between Baron Naomi and Naomi with a grandson on her lap? The answer is, there's a redeemer. Spiritually barren for us and then all the fullness of the riches that God has to offer.

What's a difference? Not just 3 chapters of a redeemer but 66 books of a redeemer. You must be redeemed. And if you are redeemed I hope you sing about it. I hope when we sing redeemed, redeemed, how I love to proclaim it.

As B .B. Warfield said, Lord is wonderful. Savior is wonderful. But when you say the word redeemed, redeemed always costs something. What did it cost the Father to redeem us? And you know the answer. It's the Son.

Read the book of Ruth this week and I want you to say to yourself two things. Where do I see the sovereignty of God and what does a redeemer look like?

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston, Massachusetts. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life and transforming power of God's word through verse-by-verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 8 .30 and 11 a .m. and Sunday evenings at 6 p .m. We're located on Route 110 in West Boylston, Massachusetts. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

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