FBC Morning Worship Service

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Sunday morning service from Faith Baptist Church

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Good morning on this chilly, chilly Lord's Day morning. Glad you made it out today and your car started and all that good stuff.
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I got up this morning and checked my phone and it said it was 13 below zero outside.
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Boy, what a good day to get out and gather together and get some warm fellowship.
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Well, I hope it'll be warm fellowship today, even if the temperatures are not all that warm and we'll just enjoy being in the house of the
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Lord together. So a few announcements just want to emphasize from your bulletin after the service this morning, we do have a soup luncheon scheduled and being set up and prepared even now as we speak.
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And I hope you can stay for that. Enjoy a time of fellowship together. Food will be served so you don't have to worry about, you know, picking stuff up and all that kind of thing.
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It'll be served for you and we'll do that together. And then at one o 'clock this afternoon, we'll have our annual meeting of our church.
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So all who are members, anybody who is interested in the church meetings and what we're doing and so on and so forth are welcome to attend.
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Members, of course, would want to participate as well. And then these things, I know you can read your bulletin, but I just want to emphasize them because of the timing involved.
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Next Sunday evening is the Valentine dinner for adult couples at Michael and Kelly's home.
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And if you can make that, I encourage you to sign up on the sign up sheet. That's at six o 'clock next
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Sunday evening and meeting together there at their place. And then the following Sunday, we'll get into the routine of our typical
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Sunday routine during the winter months, which is Sunday school at nine thirty.
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Sunday school next week, of course, as well. But Sunday school nine thirty in the morning service and then bring your own lunch for lunchtime.
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And then at one o 'clock, we'll have an afternoon service. And that begins two weeks from today.
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So please note that on February 21st. And then the following week, if there are those who are interested in being baptized, we'll plan a baptismal service as part of the morning service.
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So we'll do that three weeks from today. Do need to hear from you if you want to be baptized.
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You have trusted the Lord as your savior, but have not yet followed him in baptism. Then I encourage you to do so.
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Go exhort you to do so. The Lord told you to do that. And so if you want to follow the
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Lord in obedience and do it on that Sunday, then let us know as soon as possible. Well, again, we've gathered together today to worship the
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Lord. And as we begin, Psalm forty seven verses six and seven exhort us to sing praises to God, sing praises, sing praises to our king, sing praises.
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For God is the king of all the earth. Sing praises with a psalm or with a song.
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And so we're going to begin the service doing just that, singing praises to the Lord. Jim, please come lead us.
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That's on page number two in your hymnals. Number two. Come, Christians, join to sing.
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It's good to be in the house of the Lord. So let's all stand together and sing together. All three verses.
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Number two. Come, Christians, join to sing. Come, Christians, join to sing.
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Alleluia, amen. Loud praises,
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Christ our king. Alleluia, amen.
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Let will rejoice before his throne.
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Rejoice, praise in his gracious choice.
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Alleluia, amen. Come, lift your hearts on high.
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Alleluia, amen. Let praises fill the sky.
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Alleluia, amen. He is our guiding king.
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To us he'll condescend. His love shall never end.
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Alleluia, amen. Praise yet our
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Christ again. Alleluia, amen.
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Life shall not end astray. Alleluia, amen.
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His goodness we'll adore. Singing forevermore.
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Remain standing, please. Dan, would you lead us in prayer, please? Father, again, we thank you.
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We praise you for your goodness to us. Your mercy and your grace this past week.
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With the weather and different conditions, Father. Father, as we look forward to hearing your word.
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May we open our hearts and our minds.
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Give us clarity as pastor preaches your word. And, Father, as we sing these songs.
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May we lift our voices to you. Giving you the honor and praise. We pray these things in Jesus' name.
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This is the first Sunday of the month.
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We commemorate the Lord's table together. And the Lord's supper. To prepare our hearts.
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Very nicely dovetails with the theme of the book of Ruth. Which focuses on the
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Redeemer. Christ is our Redeemer. He is able to be our
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Redeemer. He redeems us with his blood on the cross. As we prepare our hearts for the
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Lord's table in a few minutes. We want to read on the back of your bulletin Psalm 22. It's the first eight verses of that psalm that we want to read together.
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And then we'll sing a hymn together to also go along with that psalm.
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And then we'll have the Lord's table. Psalm 22 verses 1 -8.
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The psalmist writes prophetically. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
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Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring? O my
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God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not. And in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy.
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O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee. They trusted and thou didst deliver them.
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They cried unto thee and were delivered. They trusted in thee and were not confounded.
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But I am a worm and no man. A reproach of men and despised of the people.
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All they that see me laugh me to scorn. They shoot out the lip. They shake the head saying. He trusted on the
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Lord that he would deliver him. Let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
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The Lord add his blessing to the reading of this psalm together. And shall we sing of that great work of our
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Savior on the cross. No blood, no altar now. Jim. And he certainly did delight in him.
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And we do too. Let us sing together number 50. No blood, no altar now.
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We'll sing verses 1, 2, and 4. 1, 2, and 4 of number 50. No blood, no altar now.
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Let sacrifices o 'er. Nor flame, nor smoke ascend and hide.
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Lamb is slain no more. But richer blood has flown
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From humbler veins. The purged the soul from guilt
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And cleansed the reddest stains. We thank thee for the blood
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The blood of Christ, thy Son. Thy blood, which through which our peace is made,
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Our victory is won. Great victory o 'er hell
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And sin and wall That needs no second fight
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And leaves no second fall. We thank thee for the hope
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So glad and sure and clear It holds a drooping spirit
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Up till on a dawn appear Fair hope with what a sunshine
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Does it cheer Our roughest path on earth
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Our dearest desert here. And to prepare our hearts for the
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Lord's table also, I want to read John's account of crucifixion.
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John chapter 19, verses 17 through 30.
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We read that they took Jesus and he went out bearing his own cross to the place called the place of a skull, which in Aramaic is called
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Golgotha. There they crucified him and with him two others, one on either side and Jesus between them.
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Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the
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Jews. Many of the Jews read this inscription for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city.
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And it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priest of the
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Jews said to Pilate, do not write the king of the Jews, but rather this man said, I am the king of the
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Jews. Pilate answered, would I have written? I have written. When the soldiers had crucified
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Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier, also his tunic.
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But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said to one another, let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.
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This was to fulfill the scripture which says, they divided my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots.
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So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister,
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Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, woman, behold your son.
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Then he said to the disciple, behold your mother. From that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
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After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said to fulfill the scripture, I thirst.
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A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.
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When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished.
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And he bowed his head and gave up the spirit. As we partake of these elements today, we rejoice that our
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Lord Jesus was willing to yield up the spirit, to hang there on that cross and that agonizing scene and even the heart -wrenching scene of his mother before him.
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And he did all that willingly. He did all that for you and for me. He did all that for his beloved.
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He did all that for his church. He did that for us. And we remember that.
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The Lord told us as often as we take these elements to remember the Lord's death until he comes.
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And so, if you have your little handy cup thing together, you want to prepare that bread, we want to thank the
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Lord for these elements that represent his work. Our Father and our God, we are thankful for the body of Christ, our
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Savior that was broken in our behalf, his blood that was shed. We thank you for even these elements that we will partake of here in a moment, for gifting these to us as reminders of our
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Savior's work on the cross. Blessed we pray in Jesus' name.
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Amen. This poem came across last year related to the work of Christ.
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It says, Turn thy lustful gaze away from earth's sin and vain display. Turn and look on Calvary where a cross was raised for thee.
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See the gentle hands are nailed. See the feet by spike impaled.
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See the brow the thorns have torn. Twas for thee his anguish born.
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Our Lord gave his body to be broken. And he said, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you.
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The poet continues. Look, behold the crimson tide flowing from his pierced side.
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Look, and know to cleanse thy guilt was his blood in mercy spilled. Know it was thy soul he sought.
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Pardon thus for thee he wrought. Look, my heart, amazed to see how he loved and died for thee.
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The Lord took the cup representing his blood on the cross and he said,
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This cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you. Drink ye all of it.
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And we do thank you, our Savior, our Lord, our King. You gave your body to be broken for us.
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We thank you for the blood that was shed, the blood of the new testament, the new covenant that was shed for us.
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You have said, O Lord Jesus, that whosoever would eat of your flesh and drink of your blood would know eternal life.
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And we reflect this morning that we have come by grace through faith to trust in that work of Christ on the cross.
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You're giving your body to be broken. You're pouring out of your blood to be shed for us.
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Thank you, Father, for providing that gracious and glorious meal for our eternal life.
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Bless this, we pray in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen. We're going to continue in prayer here in just a moment and a few prayer requests to share together as we pray as a church family.
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Our missionary of the week this week are the Hammermeisters, Darren and Elizabeth, serving in New Brunswick, suburb
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Surrey, outside of Vancouver. I was in communication with Darren earlier this month, well, last month,
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I guess. This is February, isn't it? And I mentioned to him that I kind of had a goal that I'd like to come visit him this summer as a missions trip.
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And they thought that was great, but they also had some plans or desire to do some furlough ministry within Canada.
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They're supporting churches in Canada. But he said it's all going to depend on the COVID stuff and restrictions.
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Well, since that time, the Canadian government has become incredibly strict and restrictive on travel.
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So, for example, only essential travel into the country is allowed.
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And if you were to go into the country of Canada right now, you would have to prove when you got there that you had a negative
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COVID test and then you would be quarantined for three days and you'd have to get another test, be quarantined for three days until the results of those tests.
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And then if they came back negative, you'd have to quarantine in a home somewhere for 14 days,
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I think it is, or maybe another 10 days, whatever, before you could even go out and do anything anywhere.
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So very, very restrictive. And so I communicated with Darren this week and said,
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I'm not so sure with the attitude and thinking of the Canadian government that that kind of a trip is even going to be possible, because I'm certainly not going to get a
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COVID test unless I absolutely have to and have no choice in the matter. And I'm certainly not going to do that.
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So he understood and he said, yeah, I don't blame you. I wouldn't either. And he said, I've already canceled all my furlough plans because of what they're even requiring within the country.
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So it's just a very difficult time in Canada. And pray for Darren and Elizabeth as they try to hold their nucleus of a church together with very limited capabilities.
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So pray for them. Also, I mentioned this morning to pray for in Sunday school, pray for Bobby Klein.
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That's the son of Bob and Jerry. His mother -in -law passed away and family is grieving with that.
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So I want to pray for them. God would be gracious and give them comfort. Also encourage you to pray for our believing brothers and sisters in Christ in Afghanistan.
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We don't often think about believers in difficult places, do we?
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But we should. We should think more of them. I came across something the other day that mentioned that anybody who claims to be a
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Christian in Afghanistan essentially has to keep it a secret. It has to be a private.
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They have to keep it private because otherwise they would be executed. It's a capital offense to be publicly proclaim you're a
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Christian in Afghanistan. And what a challenge for the obedient Christian to be able to live out his
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Christian life in such a climate because you want to testify of Christ.
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You want to share the gospel with others. So they have to be extremely careful in how they do that.
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So I want to pray for our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan. Let's look to the Lord in prayer, shall we?
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So our Father, we are grateful that we can intercede in behalf of others because of our
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Savior Jesus, our great high priest, and we can intercede for them because he intercedes for us and because you have encouraged us and called upon us to pray for one another.
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And so this morning we do pray for the Hammermeisters, for Darren and Elizabeth and their work in British Columbia.
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I pray that in spite of the difficult government restrictions that they would face,
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I pray that that work would prosper. Bless Darren's faithfulness through these years. Keep that nucleus of a church together and eager and hungry to meet together, to grow in Christ together.
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I pray that you would prosper that work greatly. Father, we do pray for Bobby Klein and for his family, for his wife and loved ones in the death of his mother -in -law.
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I pray that you would give them comfort and assurance of his mother -in -law's soul's eternal destiny.
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And I pray that you would use whatever funeral service, memorial service is arranged for her, use it as a time to draw people to yourself as they contemplate the harsh reality of the brevity of life and the certainty of death and the prospect of eternity.
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Draw people to yourself through that, we pray. And Father, I think of our brothers and sisters in Christ in Afghanistan, countries like this, but Afghanistan particularly today, as the difficulty of even being a
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Christian is so great and the danger of being identified as a
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Christian is great. I pray that you would protect your people in Afghanistan and I pray that in spite of the extreme hatred and hostility toward the church, toward Christianity in that country, that like in other places as in China, that the church would grow and it would prosper and that believers would find creative ways to be able to share the faith and to share the gospel and that you would use their courage, their boldness and the gospel to bring people to faith in Christ.
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Defeat the work of these who are so filled with hate toward Christ and toward his people, we pray.
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Overcome their wicked intentions. Our Father, I pray this morning as we continue in this service and we turn our attention to the hope that we have in Christ our
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Redeemer, that you would bless our service, the remainder of it. In Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen. Alright, Jim's going to come and lead us in one more hymn. Jim. That's in your blue books, that is your supplements, number 62.
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There is hope. We'll sing all three verses together. Let's stand together please.
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Number 62, there is a hope. There's a hope that burns within my heart, that gives strength for every passing day.
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A glimpse of glory now revealed in me, your part yet drives doubt away.
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I stand on Christ that sins forgiven and Christ in me, the hope of heaven, my highest calling, my deepest joy to make his will my home.
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There's a hope that grips my weak head, a consolation strong against despair, that when the world hath plunged me in its deepest pit,
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I find the Savior there. Through present sufferings, future fear, he whispers courage in my ear for I am safe in his lifting arms, they will lead me home.
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There's a hope that stands the test time, that lifts my eyes beyond the looking grave, to see the matchless beauty of day divine when
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I behold his face. When sufferings cease, sorrows die, and every longing satisfied, then joy unspeakable flood my soul, for I am truly home.
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Please be seated. If you would take your
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Bible and turn to Ruth chapter 4, Ruth the fourth chapter, there is no good place to stop once you begin the reading of this fourth chapter.
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So I want to read the chapter together as this incredible story comes to a conclusion.
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Again, I'm reading this week from the ESV, there are some key places of translation that are very helpful as it's translated out of this updated version.
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So I'm going to read Ruth chapter 4. It says, now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there and behold the redeemer of whom
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Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, turn aside friend, sit down here.
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And he turned aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, sit down here.
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So they sat down. Then he said to the redeemer, Naomi who has come back from the country of Moab is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative
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Elimelech. 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 my people.
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If you will 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.
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And he said, I will redeem it. Then Boaz said the day that you buy the field from the hand of Naomi you also acquire
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Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.
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Then the redeemer said, I cannot redeem it for myself lest I impair my own inheritance.
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Take my right of redemption yourself for I cannot redeem it. Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging.
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To confirm a transaction the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other and this was the manner of attesting in Israel.
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So when the redeemer said to Boaz buy it for yourself he drew off his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, you are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belong to Elimelech and all that belong to Helion and to Mahlon.
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Also Ruth the Moabite the widow of Mahlon I have bought to be my wife to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place.
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You are witnesses this day. Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, we are witnesses.
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May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah who together built up the house of Israel.
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May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem and may your house be like the house of Perez whom
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Tamar bore to Judah because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.
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So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife and he went into her and the Lord gave her conception and she bore a son.
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Then the women said to Naomi, blessed be the Lord who has not left you this day without a redeemer and may his name be renowned in Israel.
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He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age for your daughter -in -law who loves you who is more to you than seven sons has given birth to him.
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Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse and the women of the neighborhood gave him a name saying a son has been born to Naomi.
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They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse the father of David. Now these are the generations of Perez.
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Perez fathered Hezron. Hezron fathered Ram. Ram fathered Aminadab. Aminadab fathered
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Nashan. Nashan fathered Salmon. Salmon fathered Boaz. Boaz fathered Obed.
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Obed fathered Jesse and Jesse fathered David. Bless this text to our hearts this morning
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O Lord as we consider the fruit of hope that is centered in our redeemer.
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We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Some of you are gardeners and you have already started the process of hoping for the harvest haven't you?
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You've ordered your seeds. I don't know that you've got them in the starter pots yet but you've at least done that much and I know that that has happened in our household and there's been these packets of seeds that have arrived and are looking forward to the starting plants and then transplanting them out into the garden and then looking forward with great hope and anticipation for the bountiful harvest to be reaped in the late summer and the early autumn.
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We had a friend of ours and this has happened I'm sure to you who are gardeners who went through that process and stoked the hope and transplanted those starter plants and even some seed in her garden.
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This was in Vermont. The plants came up they were looking beautiful and she was hoping with great anticipation for the fruit of the harvest but it was not to be.
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The deer came and found the corn and there was no sweet corn left to be had.
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Other critters came into the garden and they ate all the leafy vegetables and they stripped just about everything.
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There was almost nothing to harvest. Almost no fruit that came from that hope.
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It's a pretty disappointing thing isn't it? When you're building up anticipating the fruit of your hope and then it's all dashed.
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But it's quite the opposite isn't it? It's quite an exhilarating thing. It's an exciting thing when you've been anticipating your hope has been building and growing and you've watched it germinate and you've seen it blossom and then when it finally comes to fruition the fruit of hope is born.
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There's a great deal of excitement and joy that comes from that. Well here we are at the end of this wonderful book in the
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Old Testament this book of Ruth and it's a book that started out in dark despair didn't it?
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Utter hopelessness. The first chapter ends with Naomi being cast into the depths of hopelessness.
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Don't call me Naomi anymore. Don't call me pleasant anymore.
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Call me bitter. The Lord has dealt bitterly with my soul.
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But this hope that has died at the beginning of the book it is restored.
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It germinates in chapter 2 and it blossoms in chapter 3 until finally this hope bears fruit at the end of the story and it's all because of a
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Redeemer. It's all because of a Redeemer. Notice how the fruit of hope is born because of this
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Redeemer's commitment. Back in chapter 3 in verses 11 to 13 remember how
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Boaz made an unconditional promise. Look at what he said in verse 11 chapter 3.
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He's speaking to Ruth and he says now my daughter do not fear. He's making a promise an unconditional promise to overcome her fears.
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Don't fear. You don't need to fear any longer. Do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask.
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For all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. Now it's true that I am a Redeemer yet there is a
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Redeemer nearer than I. And then look at what he says. Remain tonight and in the morning if he will redeem you good let him do it.
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But if he is not willing to redeem you then as the Lord lives I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.
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What he's promising here is to secure redemption. To secure her redemption.
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He allays her fears and he makes this unconditional promise to secure her redemption and to do so swiftly.
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He's not going to let any grass grow under his feet on this one. He says it in verse 13
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I'm going to take care of this in the morning. Lay down until then. Go back to sleep.
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He makes an unconditional promise. So there's Redeemer's commitment to make this promise is then fulfilled in chapter 4 verses 1 to 10.
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He is committed to fulfilling the promises that he has made.
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So what does he do? As the chapter opens he acts swiftly.
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Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and he sat down there. This would have been something he did early in the morning.
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Because the gate was the passageway through which the people in the village would go out into the fields to take care of their fields to harvest their crops and so forth.
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This was the time of harvest. And so they'd go out to the threshing floor and do whatever they do out in the fields.
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And so anybody who's going out to the field to work would pass through the gate. Well he needed to get there early.
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And there he is. He's there at the gate. He acted swiftly. Just as he said he promised that he would do.
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But he also acts prudently. He acts prudently. Because what he does is as he is there at the gate he sees the nearer redeemer come by.
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The nearer kinsman coming by. And he calls him to sit down. Have a seat. And he doesn't tell him why yet.
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He says hey come here. We've got something to deal with. Come have a seat. He comes and sits down. But before he discloses the purpose of that gathering.
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That meeting. He also calls for some other witnesses. Ten elders of the village.
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As they come by. One at a time. Hey come here. I need your help here. Come have a seat. And everybody knew what was going on.
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I mean this wasn't like. Now this is odd. This is weird. Now this is the way things were done. To legalize matters.
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To gain witnesses to some kind of a transaction. So he acts prudently.
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He went to the gate. The place of official meeting. And he gathered witnesses who could attest to the purpose of the meeting.
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He acted swiftly. He acted prudently. But he also acted shrewdly.
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Look at what he does here. Look at what he does. He takes an approach that is more likely to allow him to have this woman that he's grown to love for himself.
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I didn't say he acts selfishly. No. He's acting shrewdly. Wisely we could say.
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Because the other guy. He doesn't love Ruth. If the other guy redeems
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Ruth. He's going to redeem Ruth as a business transaction. He's going to redeem Ruth for some reason other than love.
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Boaz on the other hand. He really cares about this woman. He really has grown to love her and appreciate her for who she is.
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So he wants to do what he can do wisely and prudently and shrewdly to ensure that he actually gets her for himself.
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So what he does in the first place is he extends an enticing offer to this.
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The redeemer in verses 3 and 4. He tells him. He says, Naomi who's come back from the country is selling the parcel of land that belonged to her husband in the
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Limeleck. Now just to give us an understanding of the nature of how this worked.
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People would have their house in the village. And typically the village was somehow walled or fenced in.
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And there was a gate that let out. The wall was for protection obviously. So people would have their home in the village.
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But they were agricultural. This was an agricultural area. So they had their fields outside the village.
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They didn't live where their field was. So they would have all the field area.
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The cultivated area for their plants, their harvests, their crops and so forth. They'd have that outside of the village itself.
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And it would all be marked. And they'd have these landmarks.
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And the landmarks would identify whose parcel was whose. It's like earlier in the story.
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Ruth just happened to go by the parcel of land that belonged to Boaz. Boaz's residence wasn't on that land.
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These parcels would often have maybe shelters for protection from the sun for taking a break and having lunch and so on and so forth.
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But they didn't live there. So Naomi and Ruth were living in the house in Bethlehem that was
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Elimelech's. But Elimelech had this parcel of land. He owned this parcel of land outside the village that would be his family's land in their inheritance in perpetuity.
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Well, Boaz tells this nearer kinsman. He says, Naomi has this land that was
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Elimelech's and she's wanting to sell it. And he says, I thought I would tell you before I buy it because you're a nearer kinsman.
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So if you buy it in the presence of the elders, then fine. If you want to redeem it, redeem it. If you'll not, tell me because I'll buy it.
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Well, the guy says, well, sure. The land is very desirable.
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The land is key to wealth. If you're a farmer, you need the more land you have, the more opportunity you have for harvest.
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The more harvest you have, the more opportunity you have to prosper financially.
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And so this guy looks at this opportunity and says, I make an investment in this land. This is a great deal.
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I can buy this parcel and I can have crops grow. I mean, it'd be mine.
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I never have to worry about the Old Testament allowance in the year of Jubilee that the land would revert back to the family of inheritance.
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This would now be his. He wouldn't have to ever relinquish it. Nothing but profit.
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So Boaz gives him this enticing offer and he says, great,
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I'll redeem it. But then Boaz comes back in his shrewdness here.
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He comes back and throws in a complicating condition.
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He says in verse five, well, here's the deal. When you buy the land, you also acquire
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Ruth, the Moabite. Notice how he emphasized that.
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You also acquire Ruth, the Moabite. And when you do that, acquiring
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Ruth, the Moabite, what you're going to have to do is you're going to have to have a child by her that will perpetuate the name of Elimelech.
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Oh, well, now hold on just a minute. There is an unwanted entanglement.
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Ruth, I'm going to acquire Ruth, the Moabite. So this deal isn't just a matter of getting some land that's going to enrich me in perpetuity.
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I'm going to also have this Moabite woman come into my household, into my home, into my family.
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And I'm going to have to perpetuate the family name through Ruth. By the way, do you understand that?
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I mean, I don't know that you understand it, but you know about that arrangement.
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That if a family was going to die off, then, you know, okay, so going back to Boaz's ancestry, his tribal ancestor,
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Judah. Judah was the father of the tribe in which Boaz was a member.
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You remember how Judah had two sons, Ur and Onan. He had three, actually, but two sons,
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Ur and Onan. Ur, the firstborn son, married
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Tamar, and Ur died without having a son. Well, then
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Ur's brother was to take Tamar as his wife, and the first son born of that marriage would carry on the name of Ur.
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You remember that? All right, well, this is a similar situation. Ruth's husband's died.
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There is no son in Naomi Ruth's family. There is no son.
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So there's nobody to carry on the family name of Elimelech. So, Mr. Niererkensmann, Boaz says, when you buy that piece of land, you're also going to acquire
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Ruth the Moabite, and when you have a son from Ruth the Moabite, that son is going to have the name of Elimelech and carry on the name of Elimelech.
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That property, by the way, is going to be his inheritance. That's a complicating factor.
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So, in verse 6, the Niererkensmann gives an answer whereby
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Boaz receives the conclusion that he wanted in the first place. Niererkensmann says, lest I impair my own inheritance.
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Take my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it. He expressed here an unwillingness to ruin his own inheritance.
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I can't do this or I'll ruin my own inheritance. And the word he uses is an interesting word.
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In other places in the Old Testament, it's translated to corrupt, to cause it to go to ruin.
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What was it that would corrupt his own inheritance? Think about this.
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Is he concerned about an economic ruin or is he concerned about a moral ruin?
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Here's where I'm going with that. The emphasis on Boaz is part of taking or acquiring
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Ruth the Moabite woman. If I take a
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Moabite woman, that's going to corrupt my inheritance. Think back of the history of Israel.
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It hasn't been all that long ago, really, in its history when the Israelites were on the eastern side of the
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Jordan River and the Moabite women came and enticed the Israelite men and caused them to sin and to commit idolatry.
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That caused a whole slew of them to die. There was great consternation.
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From then on, you look askance at a
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Moabite woman because it was the Moabite women that led the Israelite men into sin.
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And I'm going to acquire a Moabite woman? Is he concerned about an economic ruin or a moral corruption?
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We don't really know the answer to that question, but whatever the case, his conclusion is
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I don't want the problem. I don't want the hassle. And he relinquished his claim.
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That led the Redeemer, Boaz, to act decisively in verses 7 -10.
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And he says, okay, I will redeem it. I will redeem it. They go through this little custom of the taking off of the shoe and that symbolized the transfer of rights or ownership or whatever.
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And he says, I will redeem it. I will redeem this land and take Ruth. Now, I want you to notice, remember what is it that comprised hope for Naomi?
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Remember those three elements that comprised hope for Naomi? Place, permanence, and purpose.
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Remember that? And notice when Boaz says, I will redeem this land and take
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Ruth, the Moabitess, I will do this. I will redeem it.
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Notice his emphasis on permanence in verse 10.
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He says, Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, but look at why.
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To perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers.
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Notice that? There's the hope that was dashed in chapter 1.
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Naomi had no sons. The sons that she had had died, and they died without having any sons.
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The hope of permanence was dashed. It was dead. There was no hope. But the
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Redeemer comes, and he says, I will redeem her.
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I will redeem this land. I will take Ruth, and I will make sure there is permanence, that the name is not cut off, that the name would be perpetuated.
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But notice also the subtle emphasis on place, because he says at the end of verse 10 that the name may not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his native place.
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His native place. He acted decisively to secure the place and to ensure the permanence.
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And I would suggest to you that in doing this, what Boaz the
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Redeemer does, is he actually mirrors our
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Redeemer's action. Remember in John chapter 10 what Jesus said in verses 14 through 16, talked about himself being the good shepherd.
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He says, I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the
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Father knows me, and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. Listen to what he says,
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I have other sheep that are not of this fold, and I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice, so there will be one flock and one shepherd.
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Do you hear the commitment in the voice of the good shepherd?
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Do you hear the commitment in the voice of our Redeemer? He says, he says 2 ,000 years ago to those disciples listening to him at that point, he says,
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I have other sheep who are not of this fold of the house of Israel. I have other sheep that are not of this fold, and I must bring them also.
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I will do it. I must do it. There is our
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Redeemer's commitment. Well, the fruit of the heart of hope is born because of the
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Redeemer's commitment, but it's also born because of the Redeemer's grace. The Redeemer's grace.
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Again, in Ruth 4, verses 9 through 12, the grace of the
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Redeemer is actually magnified by the nearer kinsman's lack of grace.
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You follow that? Does the nearer kinsman express any grace at all?
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None. And that nearer kinsman's lack of grace, all it does is serve to magnify the grace of Boaz.
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The nearer kinsman, he was concerned only with his own estate. He's concerned only with his own profit, his own success.
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But what about the true and gracious Redeemer? What is he concerned about?
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He is concerned for the welfare of the ones redeemed.
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Right? Verses 9 and 10 again. He says, You are witnesses that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belong to Elimelech and that belong to Chilion and Mahlon and Ruth and Moabite, the widow
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I have bought. Why? For myself? For my benefit?
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For my wealth? No. No. I have bought to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers from the gate of his native's place.
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You're witnesses to this. You're witnesses to his grace. How his grace is magnified by the lack of grace on the part of that nearer
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Redeemer. And yet, this grace I think is also expressive of grace that he himself has received.
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What do I mean by that? Look at what the witnesses say in verses 11 and 12.
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And if you look carefully, you see grace all over the place in verses 11 and 12.
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Here's what they say. All the people that were at the gate, the elders, they said this. We are witnesses.
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May the Lord make the woman speaking of Ruth, make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah who together build up the house of Israel.
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May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem and may your house be like the house of Perez whom
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Tamar bore to Judah. Do you see the grace in those names?
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Do you hear it? Do you remember the stories associated with those names?
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How about Rachel and Leah? Do you remember the story of how Jacob got Rachel and Leah and how he got tricked into taking
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Leah as a wife and how she was not the loved wife and Rachel was the loved wife and they had all this family conflict and how they each gave their handmaids to Jacob so that they could have children by the handmaids and there was all kinds of stuff going on in that house and yet it was those two women,
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Rachel and Leah whom God graciously used to quote build up the house of Israel.
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Amazing, amazing grace. And then what about may your house be like the house of Perez whom
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Tamar bore to Judah. Do you remember Genesis 38?
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Do you remember that story? How was
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Perez the son of Judah and Tamar?
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Do you remember that Tamar was Judah's daughter -in -law? And do you remember how it came to be that Tamar was pregnant with Perez?
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Judah thought he was hiring a prostitute who happened to be
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Tamar disguised she gave herself acting as a prostitute to her father -in -law who impregnated her and then she gave birth to Perez and yet, do you get this?
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This is Boaz's family tree. The family tree, the family line that God in his grace is using to build up the house of Israel and more as we're going to see in just a little bit.
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So even the witnesses as they talk about the family line, they talk about the history of Israel and Boaz's own history they allude to the grace that has come down to him through these who've come before him.
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Oh but let me suggest also that it's much closer to home for Boaz not only was there much grace in his family tree but there was grace in his home as well.
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Why? Well verse 21 tells us that Boaz's dad was a man by the name of Salmon.
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I believe that's how you would pronounce it we talk about eating fish, we call it salmon, but Salmon his dad's name was
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Salmon. So what? What's so special about that? Well you have to go to Matthew chapter 1 and read the genealogy of Jesus and when you come to Matthew 1 verse 5, what you'll read is that Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab Rahab, Boaz's mom, was
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Rahab Who was Rahab? You know who Rahab was.
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Rahab was the prostitute in Jericho, the Canaanite prostitute in Jericho that turned in faith to the
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God of Israel, protected the spies gave them liberty and then was rescued by those spies later when
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Joshua fit the battle of Jericho Rahab was saved from that destruction of the city of Jericho and she, this prostitute, this
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Canaanite prostitute came into being rescued by the Israelites but for our purposes this morning most importantly she was taken in marriage by Boaz's dad and she became
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Boaz's mom. In other words the heart of grace that you see in Boaz was the heart of grace that flowed from his own dad.
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He learned grace at his parents knees and his grace
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I would suggest I think beautifully anticipates the grace of our
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Lord our Redeemer. John chapter 6 verse 35 Jesus said
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I am the bread of life whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst and then he says in verse 37 all that the father gives to me will come to me and whoever comes to me
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I will not cast out. Be she a
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Canaanite prostitute be she or he filled with competitive corruption whatever whoever comes to me
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Jesus says I will not cast out and here is
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Ruth the Moabitess who comes to Boaz and says will you redeem me and he says
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I will not cast you out grace the fruit of hope is born because of the
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Redeemer's commitment is born because of the Redeemer's grace and then verse 13 indicates it's born because of Redeemer's integrity his integrity
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Boaz took Ruth he took Ruth she became his wife he went into her the
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Lord gave her conception she bore a son now what's significant
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I think to that to me is that Boaz did not follow the pattern of his tribal father's
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Judah of his tribal father's sons Ur and Onan I mentioned this earlier
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Ur Tamar's husband was wicked the Lord slew him he had no sons
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Onan was responsible to be Tamar's Redeemer and in that role as a
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Redeemer Onan was responsible to have a son by Tamar but every time in the act of marriage he was to impregnate his wife
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Tamar he prevented it he prevented it in other words
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Onan was selfishly indulgent he was just using this woman for his own sexual gratification for his own self -gratification and the
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Lord slew Onan here's Boaz he's got a similar responsibility on his part he's got the responsibility to give a child through Ruth to perpetuate the family name of Elimelech is he a selfishly a selfish guy who's just going to get his gratification and not risk his own prosperity and so on and so forth no no he's a man of integrity he said
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I will redeem her he said I will perpetuate the name and he followed through he's a man of integrity and again
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I say he thoroughly fulfilled the Redeemer's duty which is a picture of our
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Lord our Redeemer Jesus said I give my life for my sheep
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I give my life for my sheep the fruit of hope is born because of the
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Redeemer's commitment because of the Redeemer's grace because of the Redeemer's integrity and in verse 13 because of the
01:04:42
Redeemer's vitality again that same verse the Redeemer's vitality the point is that only a living
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Redeemer can produce offspring only a living Redeemer can fulfill the hope and provide the permanence and I think of our
01:04:59
Redeemer in John 15 verse 5 and the Lord Jesus said I'm the vine you're the branches whoever abides in me and I in him he it is that bears much fruit for apart from me you can do nothing
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I am the living vital vine from which your life comes now what's interesting in verse 13 is the point that ultimately it is the sovereign gracious God who provides the
01:05:33
Redeemer's offspring did you see that did you catch that little phrase that little statement in verse 13 the
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Lord gave her conception is our sovereign gracious God who provides the
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Redeemer's offspring just as Jesus said right all that the father gives to me all that the father gives to me will come to me so the fruit of hope is born because of the
01:06:02
Redeemer then I want you to see in verses 14 through 17 how the fruit of hope actually fulfills the longing soul we saw in verses 1 to 10 how
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Boaz took the steps to secure place the place here is this plot of land outside the gate outside the village that has the name a limeleck on it but a limeleck is dead well it should have been the inheritance of Mahlon and Killian but they're dead now there's nobody's name on it it's it's it's a limelecks as long as Naomi's alive then you know it's hers but when she's dead that's gone it goes to the nearest kinsman and it doesn't belong to Naomi or her line anymore her family anymore so Boaz does what he needs to do to secure the place remember remember for Naomi hope hope is centered in place permanence and purpose
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Boaz acts the kinsman acts to fulfill the longing for place and he secures that place remember the words of our
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Redeemer John 14 I am going to prepare a place for you isn't it fascinating how the the element of hope for place in the
01:07:48
Old Testament carries over in even into the New Testament that what you long for and what
01:07:55
I long for isn't really that much different from what Naomi and Ruth long for place and what is our
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Redeemer secure for us a place a place place is secured in verses 12 through 15 and then in verses 18 through 22 permanence is ensured that permanence is ensured through the blessing pronounced in verse 12 when the witnesses say may this may your house be like the house of Perez because of the offspring that the
01:08:30
Lord will give you by this young woman they pronounce a blessing of permanence through this young woman and then in verse 13 there is the provided blessing from the
01:08:43
Lord as the baby is born the Lord gives conception and she bore a son and everybody perceives the blessing this permanence this blessing of permanence in verses 14 and 15 look at it again the women said to Naomi blessed be the
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Lord who has not left you this day without a Redeemer and may his name be renowned in Israel he shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age for your daughter -in -law who loves you is more to you than seven sons has given birth to him you see the emphasis of the blessing of permanence expressed in their blessing we see this blessing the
01:09:29
Lord has blessed you by giving you permanence how through this son that the
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Redeemer has given you and they also perceive that it is blessing this blessing is ultimately through the
01:09:44
Lord Jesus or through the through Yahweh the God of Israel and then look at verses 18 through 22 at the permanent blessing that is expressed sons would continue these are the generations of Perez and they go through you get down to verse 22
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Salmon father Boaz Boaz fathered Obed Obed fathered
01:10:14
Jesse Jesse father David sons would continue and it would continue on down now listen look watch this it would continue on down to the son of David to the king of kings to the
01:10:33
Redeemer who would come Jesus the son of David this is a permanent blessing but so the fruit of hope fulfills the longing for place as it is secured it fulfills the longing of permanence as it is insured and it fulfills the longing for purpose as it is restored in verses 16 and 17
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Naomi receives the purpose of nurturing this child she took the child laid him on a lat laid him on her lap became his nurse which then gave her the privilege and the opportunity of impacting the future women of the neighborhood gave him a name saying a son has been born did you did you see this look at it look at what they say a son has been born to whom
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Ruth no Naomi a son has been born to Naomi they recognize that Naomi's sense of purpose has been restored she gets the privilege of impacting the future have you ever wondered how much of David's spiritual depth could be traced back to Naomi think about this just think of Psalm 23 the
01:12:07
Lord is my shepherd think of this in terms of it in light of Naomi the
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Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he makes me to lie down in green pastures he leads me beside the still waters he restores my soul he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death when
01:12:36
I am absolutely utterly hopeless I will fear no calamity for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil my cup runs over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the
01:13:05
Lord forever I wonder how much of the concepts of that wonderful song
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David got from Naomi could trace it back to Naomi right now look
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I want you to compare again verses 14 through 17 with with with chapter 1 verse 13 and 20 and 21 we've read we've read verses 14 to 17 back in chapter 1 the last part of verse 13
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Naomi said it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the
01:13:48
Lord is gone out against me and in verse 20 she says don't call me
01:13:54
Naomi don't call me pleasant call me Mara bitter for the
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Almighty has dealt very bitterly I went with me I went away full the Lord has brought me back empty why do you call me pleasant when the
01:14:09
Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought me back empty why why and look here we are at the end of the story what's happened it was
01:14:19
Naomi's enemy quote unquote right the Lord who provided for her a
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Redeemer one who brought her the security of place the stability of permanence and the significance of purpose couldn't this book really be titled
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Naomi think about it think about it whose hope was it that died in chapter 1 whose hope was it that germinated in chapter 2 whose hope was it that blossomed in chapter 3 whose hope was it that bore fruit in chapter 4 it's
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Naomi Naomi has been redeemed but watch watch this the
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Lord who brought hope to Naomi through the Redeemer Boaz brought hope to the entire nation the entire nation a godly king would arise and through this redemption of Naomi getting this through this redemption of Naomi the
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Lord also brought hope to a fallen humanity to you and to me through Boaz's greatest son