LISTEN
This sermon was preached by Phil Biggs at the CCM Kingsway site of Christ Church Manchester on Sunday 20th June 2021.
SERIES
This message was part of the ‘SERIES NAME’ series, preached at Christ Church Manchester’s church in Burnage in EARLY/MID/LATE YEAR. The full series included the following sermons:
BIBLE VERSES
This sermon was based on Ruth 4:1-22
Boaz marries Ruth
1Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, ‘Come over here, my friend, and sit down.’ So he went over and sat down.
2Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, ‘Sit here,’ and they did so. 3Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, ‘Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no-one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.’
‘I will redeem it,’ he said.
5Then Boaz said, ‘On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.’
6At this, the guardian-redeemer said, ‘Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.’
7(Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalising transactions in Israel.)
8So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, ‘Buy it yourself.’ And he removed his sandal.
9Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, ‘Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his home town. Today you are witnesses!’
11Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, ‘We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.’
Naomi gains a son
13So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14The women said to Naomi: ‘Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.’
16Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17The women living there said, ‘Naomi has a son!’ And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
The genealogy of David
18This, then, is the family line of Perez:
Perez was the father of Hezron,
19Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab,
20Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
21Salmon the father of Boaz,
Boaz the father of Obed,
22Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of David.
KEY POINTS
Providence
- God’s Providence is: “His continuing involvement with all created things so that: 1) he keeps them existing; 2) he co-operates with them and; 3) directs them to fulfil his purposes.” (Wayne Grudem)
- Providence brings us to Jesus in worship and adoration.
- God’s providential work in Ruth’s story causes her to conceive a son whose descendant will be Jesus. This is the moment when God’s work through the marginalised is front and centre to HIs plans for all creation.
- You and I are the story of God’s providence. We are now co-operating with the Father so that His purposes will be fulfilled.
Covenant
- Covenant is defined as an unchangeable legal agreement. Today we live subject to a covenant of redemption with God. It has always been in the heart of God to make promises that he will deliver on.
- A new covenant was established by Jesus that replaced the old one and was superior to it. It is the promise that salvation is coming to those who are waiting for Jesus.
- The combination of the providential work of God and his nature to make covenant promises leads to the working of redemption.
Redemption
- Both Ruth and Naomi receive redemption.
- The work of redemption is more than a single moment. Our redemption begins with a moment where choose to say ‘Jesus is Lord’ and continues as we move from the confines of the old arrangement to the new covenant with the Father through Christ Jesus.
- We are those who have been chosen, called, and made right with God – in order to be adopted into his family, grown and matured to become more like Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit and ultimately glorified with him.
MORE SERMONS
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