Our dearest sister, Mitchell passed away. This morning Brother John Wells reminded us, in this world, we'll be living only for a short time. The good news is, Sister Mitchell knows God. She's with the Lord.
That's the good news. I was talking to Brother Clyde. He mentioned this morning. It doesn't matter how many years we are living in this world.
It's very important. We need to know Him. We need to, it's a sad moment, but we need to comfort each other and we need to pray for His family. Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that is greater than all our sin.
Amen? Great to see all of you in the precious name of a Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The title of my message is from grief to grace, Ruth's redemption story. I thought maybe I will be talking only one chapter then I decided why not?
We'll talk about the whole book. I don't know how many hours it will take, but I hope you will listen to God's word. All right, so the Book of Ruth is one of only two books in the Bible named after a woman. Do you know the other book?
Yes, sir. Wonderful. That's the only other book. Ruth is the only book in the world of cement named after a non-Jewish person a Gentile person.
The book has only four chapters and 85 verses. The book is a spiritual master space. You know, you can be able to read the entire Book of Ruth even before I finish my sermon today. Ruth was not born Jewish, but she chose to follow the God of Israel.
You know, in the Book of Ruth, there are three main themes we are going to see today. The first one is God's providence. The second one, the conversion, the conversion of a Gentile. And the third one is the redemption.
So the Book of Ruth is a beautiful narrative where God's grace is revealed in an unexpected ways. The story reminds us no matter what the circumstances, what the challenges we are facing in this world, we need to remember one thing. God's grace is at work. He is our living hope.
He is our eternal hope. God's grace is not something we work for, right? It's something He gives freely because of His unconditional love. His love is everlasting.
See, yes, Louis describes four kinds of love. One of that love is the divine love or agape love. Agape love is something human beings cannot be able to generate. It is unconditional.
It is everlasting. I'd like to... Just would like to... All right.
I'd like to read Ruth Chapter 1, verses 16 and 17. Ruth Chapter 1 verse 16 and 17. But Ruth replied, don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go.
And where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die. And there I will be buried.
May the Lord deal with me. Be it ever so severely, if anything, but death separates you and me. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank You for bringing us together, O Lord.
Open our hearts and minds to listen to your words. You see our pain, our emptiness, and the moments when we don't understand what is happening around us. But even then, you are working in ways that we cannot see. Thank You for your love and grace.
Lord, we want to hear from You, not me, but You. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Ruth is one of the most beautiful and romantic stories ever written. This is one of the most or the greatest love stories written in the Bible.
It is a story of romance and redemption. Some of you may be familiar with classical love stories like Romeo and Juliet. You know that? Yes?
Anthony and Cleopatra. The closest reason one, Jack and Rose, Titanic, right? So these stories we see love and friendship, but entered in tragic or sorrowful circumstances. In the Book of Ruth we see an Israelite gentleman.
His name is Boyos. And we are going to see a more by today's video. Her name is Ruth. Why is Ruth and Boyos story so significant?
This is not just a love story. This is more than just a love story. It is a story of God's faithfulness and redemption. You probably heard about the name Benjamin Franklin.
He was very important person in American history. He was one of the founding fathers of the United States. Franklin was not only a politician. He also a scientist, inventor, writer, and philosopher.
At one point in his life, Benjamin Franklin was sent to France as the ambassador from the United States. While he was in France, he often spent time with a group of intellectuals called Infidel's Club. There were people who loved reading literary masterpieces. They are genius.
They believed in recent and logical things. They don't follow any traditional teachings. They were against Bible. On one occasion, Benjamin Franklin read the Book of Ruth to the Infidel's Club.
What he did, he changed the names of all the characters that was mentioned in the Book of Ruth. So that they would not know where it comes from. After finished reading, everyone agreed that he was one of the most beautiful short stories that they ever heard. They asked Franklin where he had found such a wonderful story.
Franklin happily told them it was from the Bible. The book they did not like and often made fun of. This shows that even sometimes they did not like or believe could even still be very valuable. The Book of Ruth comes after right from judges.
To understand the Book of Ruth, we need to go back and understand judges. If you want to understand judges, we have to go back and read what? Joshua. If you want to understand Joshua, we have to go back and read what?
go back and read, Exodus, wonderful. If you want to understand Exodus, we have to go back and read. Genesis, if you want to understand Genesis, we have to go back and read. Nothing.
There was nothing before that. Genesis is the beginning. In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. So if I start going from Genesis, probably a couple of days we'll be spending today here.
So I'm going to start with Judges. So that's the reason of the thing to do. You know, the book of Judges describes a dark time in Israel's history. You know, following the death of Joshua, the leader who brought Israelites into the Promised Land.
During the period, Israel had no centralized leader. You know, it's a period of darkness and the nation was ruled by Judges. They were Judges raised up by God to deliver Israel from oppression and gate people back to God. You know, Judges like Otoniel, Samson, Gideon, God raised Judges to deliver Israel from their enemies.
However, the people, they repeatedly, they fell into the cycle of disobedience. They fell repeatedly, fell into the cycle of idolatry. And also they suffered of the foreign oppression. You know, if you want to sum up the entire Judges in one verse, it's 21, 25, it says, in those days there was no king in Israel.
Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Just imagine the situation that is no centralized leadership. Everyone, they just did what they want. There was no central leader.
People followed their own ideas of right and wrong. They ignored the God's command. Each person acted selfishly or according to personal desires. People made their own rules instead of obeying God in the midst of the dark period.
We find the story of Ruth, a more by woman living in the time of Judges. I would like to read first five verses from Ruth chapter 1, verses 1 to 5. In the days when the Judges ruled, there was a famine in the land and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to a leaf for a while in a country of Moab. The man's name was Elimelik.
His wife's name, Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Makhalon and Klyon. They were Ephratites from Bethlehem, Judah, and they went to Moab and lived there. Now, Elimelik, Naomi's husband died and she was left with her two sons. They married a Moabite woman, one named Orphor and the other Ruth.
After they had lived there about ten years. Both Makhalon and Klyon also died. And Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. In the days when the Judges were ruled, there was a famine.
Why was there a famine? Where was the famine? In Bethlehem. What's the meaning of Bethlehem?
House of bread. Bethlehem means house of bread. Name that sounds like a food of food of bread. But during this time, there was no food in Bethlehem because of famine.
This is ironic because the place known for having plenty of food was actually hungry and empty. That was a famine. So, where they went, they went to? Very good Moab.
They went to a place called Moab. So, even you can see from this picture, let me try to, this is a place Moab. So, they went from Israel to Moab. It's a southeast side of the, southeast side of the Israel, across the Dixie, let me, across the Dixie as well as the Jordan River.
The Moabites were the descendants of Moab, the son of Lot, you know, Adram's nephew. You know the Moabites were enemies of Israel. In numbers, it is written, King Balak of Moab tried to curse Israel by hiring the prophet, Balaam. In numbers, we can see that they, what she falls, God, like Kimosh.
So, the Moab people, they don't like Israel people. They follow the false God. They worship the false God, the idol worshippers. Let us see who went to the country.
In that verse, what I read, a person named Yellimalek, his name wife and the two sons, Magalon and Kiliyan. They all went to Moab because there was a famine in Israel. So, here's something interesting we need to see here, the names. When you look at the Bible, we see a lot of names, but most of the names have a very interesting meaning of it.
Yellimalek means in Hebrew, my God is King. No meanings. In Hebrew, it's sweet, pleasant or lovely. Magalon in Hebrew, it's said to be sick or to be weak and Kiliyan in Hebrew, it says to consume or to be finished.
So, in Bible, names often carry significant meaning. Many Bible names are directly or the, you know, related to a character or a role of a person. You know, say for example, Emmanuel, means what? God be this.
So, we all have our meanings, right? If I ask your name, what's the meaning of your name, somebody will say, well, I know somebody, you may say that I may not know. So, we all have some, you know, the names and associated meaning into it. I'm not sure about the Western culture here, how significant the name is, but when you look at the Asian and African culture, the names are very significant.
You know, recently, I'm associated with immigration newcomers network. So, we invited a brother from Nigeria who's an immigrant and he shared a presentation about, you know, the Nigerian culture and the naming ceremony. It is really fascinating. In Nigerian culture, I learned a name is not just a label.
Am I right? Good. It has meaning. It can tell a story about how or when the child was born.
It may reflect the parent emotions or situation at the time of child was born. It connects the child to the family, history and culture. It can speak about the child's future or destiny. So many things.
You know, say for example, Baba Jai, it's a Uruba that means father has returned. This is a Uruba belief in ancestral return. It shows respect for elders and keeps their memory alive. You know, while I was working in Ethiopia at Bakeda University, often my students, they are having such big names, three names, four names.
So, they have their name, then their father's name, grandfather's name, then great grandfather's name, everything in one name. Often I find it difficult even to read their names. So, but there are meanings and there are meanings associated or background with those names. In Bible, we see many names with deeper meaning into it.
Let's move on. In verse three, now Elimelek, Naomi Susborne died and she was left with her two sons. Bible did not mention how Elimelek died. Now Naomi left with her two sons, Maglan and Killion.
They were married a Moabite woman. You know, we know about the Moab, one name, Ophua and the other named Ruth. After they had lived there about 10 years, you know, the meaning of Ophua is back to the neck or she turned back. Ruth means friend or companion or loyal one.
Verse five says, both Maglan and Killion also died and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. We don't know how they died. Now Naomi lost her husband and two sons. She began childless, husbandless and a stranger in a foreign land.
She was left only her two daughters in law who were also grieving. So, this is the part of the story. It feels like funeral after funeral. Naomi lost everything she loved.
Imagine leaving your home because of hunger. Then losing your husband. Then losing your two sons, three graves all in one family, one after another. Funeral after funeral.
She's a widow in a foreign land. She has no husband. She has no sons. She has no social standing.
She's aging. This is Naomi's story. But this is not the end. Might your brothers and sisters, you may be walking through your own chapter one now full of loss and confusion.
Many of us find ourselves in a similar place feeling forgotten, empty, broken. But God is in control. Even in more of God is moving. Even in pain.
He's preparing a plan for us this morning. I would like to highlight three important points from the book of Ruth from emptiness to grace. From gleaning to grace. From waiting to grace.
Let's start from emptiness to grace. When we look at the root chapter one more deeply, we may also ask a question. The decision made by Eli Meleg and his family was right or wrong. You know, in a worldly context, they might have done the right thing because they are looking for a better life.
No parents wants to see their children suffering from famine or some difficult or difficult circumstances. They might have thought that moving to more would give a better life to a family. In our chapel, we have a lot of immigrants. If you ask any immigrant, why did you come to life?
The common answer people give is for better life. That's what people will say. When we look at the situation in the story spiritually, they showed a lack of trust in God. God's provision more by they were known for idol worship.
They worshiped Kimosh, a false God. Eli Meleg's family, they knew that but they were moving to a place where full of idol worship and get they decided to move to more. If we don't trust in God, our human desires will lead us away from him. When she heard in war that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters in law prepared to return from there.
She heard what? What she heard? Naomi heard that God had visited his people. He entered the famine and brought bread back to Bethlehem.
So Naomi decided to go back to homeland and God's people. This is the turning point of the story. It wasn't just the change of location. It is a spiritual direction or spiritual return to God.
So whenever we go away from God, whenever we go away from God's presence, one simple turn makes a big difference. I heard someone saying, I walked in a direction that I like the most. Now I am walking in a different direction that God wants me to walk. Now I am walking in a different drumbeats.
It's never too late to come back to God. Here we see the providence of God was at what for Naomi. In verse 8 it says, the Naomi said to her two daughters in law, go back each of you to your mother's home. May the Lord show kindness to you as you have shown to your dead and to me.
Verse 14, verse 9 to 14, I would like to summarize that we see a deeply emotional movement here between Naomi and her daughters in law. Naomi told Ruth and all for better you stay in Moab and it's not a new life but both of them. They wanted to go along with Naomi. Verse 14 it says, at this day wept again, then Orfa kissed her mother in law.
Good bye, but Ruth clung to her. The kiss was a sign of affection and farewell. Orfa loved Naomi for sure. She made a reasonable choice.
I was thinking if we were in that position we might have done the same thing. We want to return back to our own people, her own homeland. Orfa did what most people do. She went back to what was familiar and secure for her.
From this point, Orfa drops off the pages of scripture. What Ruth did, the word clunk, is a powerful in Hebrew meaning whole tightly remained royal, stick like glue. Ruth left her family, her culture, her comfort for God. She was in just going on vacation with Naomi.
She was leaving the homeland, her comfort zone and her whole past life begrind. Verse 16, but Ruth replied, don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go and where you stay, I will stay. You are people will be my people and you are God my God.
Where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me. How many of us we can be able to say? May the Lord deal with me.
Be it ever so severely if anything but death separates you and me. So when we look at here, Orfa's decision is a conventional wisdom but Ruth's decision was something more than the conventional wisdom. It is faith. It required faith to do that.
My dear brothers and sisters, here we see Orfa take the broader road. Ruth takes the narrow road. Which road you will take? The broad road of Orfa or the narrow road of Ruth.
It is a question we need to ask. One time a Chinese girl from Harvard University asked brother Alistair Begg or you a Christian. Brother said, yes, I am a Christian. Then the young Chinese girl said to him, I am a Christian too.
Then brother surprised and asked, how did you become a Christian in China? She said, I entered through a narrow gate. It requires faith and trust in God. It is not easy.
We may have to give up something. On the other day I was talking to my friend. My very close friend. He told me that brother, whenever my wife goes to my parents house or stays with my parents house, all of a sudden she experiences headache, body pain, back pain, all kinds of pain.
But the moment when she goes to her parents house, all of a sudden all the pains, no more pain, nothing, she felt so comfortable. You know, now some of the daughters in law, now maybe praying Lord, long weekend is coming. Vacation is coming. How much time I am going to spend in the last house or how much time I am going to spend in my parents house?
You know, here we see about the Ruth. She was ready to fall now me into a new land, new people, new God, probably new cooking, everything. How many Ruth do we have today? We need more Ruth.
Your people will be my people and your God, my God. It is interesting to see the Ruth is not confessing her commitment to know me, but she is expressing her faith in Yahweh. It is her commitment to Yahweh. When Ruth is saying here, the reason I belong to you, it is because I belong to Yahweh, the God who made the covenant with Abraham, the God who brought the people, Egypt is my God.
One of the things I would like to point out here, whenever people commit their lives into Christ, most of the time people, they have a lot of expectations. You know, our thoughts, our focus are always on material blessings. Lord, I need this. I need that.
I have committed my life to you. I come to you. Please provide me. I need promotion.
I need wealth and on and on and on. But here we see in verse 17, Ruth is saying, may the Lord deal with me. How many of us ready to say like that, may the Lord deal with me? Now they return to Bethlehem.
Everyone was shocked. You can imagine the picture. You know, after some time, she lost everything. Now we lost everything.
Now we're returning back to her homeland. She told them, do not call me, now we call me Mara. What's the meaning of Mara? Bitter.
Mara means bitter. Have you ever felt like Naomi? Bitter? Yemty?
Forgotten? You're not alone. Mara is not the end of the story. Just like Naomi, God is preparing a harvest in your life too.
In Exodus 15, we see the people of Israel found bitter water at a place called Mara. Moses prayed to God and God showed him a piece of food. When Moses threw the wood into the water, the water becomes sweet and drinkable. This was the test from God to teach the people to trusting him and obey his commands.
God can turn bitter situation into blessings when we trust and obey him. Sometimes in our lives, we feel to call ourselves Mara because of the challenges, because of the hardships we experience in our family, maybe in our work, maybe in our community or maybe in our society. Whenever we feel like Mara, we need to remember God's grace. He drank the bitter cup for us that we may drink the cup of grace.
You see, the real empty one was Christ, not you and me. He emptied himself. We read in Philippians, leaving heaven for earth in order that we may receive full forgiveness and eternal life from gleaning to grace. Naomi and Ruth came to battle him in the beginning of the bodily harvest.
In chapter 2, verse 1 and 2, this is a very important chapter here we see how God begins to restore what was lost. Verse 1, it says, Naomi had a lady on her husband's side from the clan of Elimalek, a man of stanting whose name was Boyas. Boyas is a legal lady of Elimalek. Verse 2, and Ruth, the Moabite said to know me, let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover brain, beguend to anyone in whose eyes I find favor.
Naomi said to her, go ahead, my daughter. In the World of Sment, under the Mosaic Law, gleaning was one of the rights of the people. We can see this in Leviticus 1922, when you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleaning of your harvest. We have to leave something for the poor people or some foreigners coming over there to pick it up.
So the law involved provision, but it required efforts, hard work. They are allowed to gleaning, but you need to put hard work. Gleaning is a practice of collecting the leftover crops in the fields. The workers were told to leave the edges of the field.
Ruth is a foreigner. She don't have anyone to protect her over there in the field. She happened to enter into Boyas Field. She went out and began to gain the fields, began the harvesters.
As it turned out, she turned herself working in a field belonging to Boyas, who was from the clan. You know, clan is a big extended family of Elimalek. So this is God's doing. So Boyas, all of a sudden, he saw a girl or a woman in the field, new to him.
So he asked the workers, whose young woman is that? They said she is the more writers who came back from, more of with Naomi. Boyas said to Ruth, my daughter, listen to me. Don't go and clean in another field and don't go away from here.
Stay here with my seven girls. Boyas spotted Ruth and he had compassion on her. Boyas 17, he says, Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she trashed the barley he gathered and amounted to about an e-faw.
E-faw is a unit of dry volume that ancient Israelites, they used to measure barley, roasted grains and approximately it is like 30 to 40 pounds. Verse 19, it says, her mother-in-law asked her, why did you glean today? Why did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.
Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. The name of the man I work with today is Boyas, she said. The Lord bless him. Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, he has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.
She added, that man is our close relative. He is one of the Kingsman Redeemer. The term Kingsman Redeemer, in Hebrew, it's called Goyal. It means a close male relative who has the duty to help or rescue a family in need.
You know, Kingsman, that means a close relative, like a cousin or uncle, you know, Redeemer, the one who saves or buys back. In Leviticus 25, we see that Kingsman Redeemer was obliged to buy back his relative if they fell into the depth of slavery. In Deuteronomy 25, it is mentioned, it says, sometimes Kingsman Redeemer also obliged to marry the widow and raise up a child for brother who died without child. So let's move on to chapter 3.
In chapter 3, Naomi tells Ruth what she must do. Naomi is a very good mother-in-law. You can see here in Guchadar 3. What she said, wash and perfume yourself and put on your best clothes, then go down to the thrashing floor.
But don't let him know you are there until he was finished eating and drinking. No, she told to use perfume. I don't know what perfume she used, Channel 5 or Black opium or Gushi Bloom or whatever it is. I don't know exactly what perfume she used, but whatever it is, it wasn't just a perfume.
It was a spiritual experience to her. Best clothes. It was happening in 1100 BC. I don't know what kind of what brand of dress.
You know, maybe a tunic, loose-fitting dress. But the important thing, her true covering was the righteousness of God. Verse 4, when he lies down, know the place where he is lying, then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.
Verse 8, in the middle of the night, something tall, the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet. Verse 9, who are you? He asked, I am your servant, truth. She said, spread the corner of your garment over me since you are a kinsman, Redeemer.
You know, in a genshin culture, it means take me under your care. That's a meaning. Spread the corner of your garment over me. It is often associated with marriage or covenant.
Verse 10, the Lord bless you, my daughter, he replied, the kindness is greater than which he showed earlier. You have not run after your engman, you are a rich or poor. And now my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask.
All my fellow tones, man, know that you are a woman of a noble character. Verse 12, although it is true that I am a near-of-kin. There is a kinsman, Redeemer, near than I. From waiting.
This is my last point to talk today, from waiting to grace. Waiting. This morning we were talking, I was talking with other John Wels. Waiting is tough for everybody.
Personally, I am experiencing my own waiting time these days. I am pretty sure you all waiting for your waiting. Maybe you are waiting for a job. Maybe you are waiting for a relationship or waiting for some clarity.
Whatever it is. We are all in a season of waiting. Know this God sees you even in our waiting time, in our waiting room. God can see us.
He hears you and he is working even when it seems quite rude, waited patiently. She had left everything, her homeland, family, security after the death of her husband. And then after that is a hard work, she gained. She gathered a leftover dream.
It's a hard work like Ruth. We need to keep trusting, keep obeying and keep coupling ourselves before God. Isaiah 40 verse 31 says, those who wait on the Lord will renew the strength. In root chapter 4, we see, boyas went to the town to settle the matter of Ruth redemption.
He spoke to the close lady who had the first right to buy now Miss Land. Boyas did everything what is right. That man refused to marry Ruth. So boyas offered to redeem her instead.
In front of the witnesses, boyas promised to buy the land and marry Ruth. The people blessed their marriage and prayed for their future. Verse 13, this is very, very important. Verse 13 to 17 in Ruth chapter 4, which is the climax of the book of Ruth.
13, so boyas took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her and the Lord enabled her to conceive and she gave birth to a son. The woman said to know me, praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman redeemer. Make him become famous throughout Israel.
Verse 15, he will renew your life and sustain you in your old age for your daughter-in-law who loves you and who is better than to you than seven sons has given him birth. The know me took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. The woman living there said, now me has a son and they named him obeyed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Let me ask you some quick questions. Who gave birth the ability to have a child? Lord, praise God. The Lord did.
The Bible clearly says the Lord enabled her to conceive. Why did the woman praise the Lord? Why did the woman praise the Lord? Because now me who once felt empty and bitter was now restored.
God had not forgotten her. He had provided a redeemer, a family and go for the future. What did the woman say about the Ruth? They said, Ruth was better than seven sons.
In Hebrew culture, sons were seen as a blessing. But Ruth, a more bite video, showed more love, loyalty and care. You know, in Bible 7 is a perfect number. 7 means completion.
In Revelation chapter 5 verses 1 to 14, we see John had a vision. The scroll and the lamp, John sees the scroll, seal with seven seals. The number seven symbolizes the completeness, representing Jesus, full authority and the Holy Spirit's power. Why did the woman say, now me has a son?
Did she have a son? No. But yes, the statement, now me has a son. In Ruth 4 17, it's a profound spiritual and cultural significance.
Even though Ruth gave birth, now me's family line was restored to the child. This was God's answer to her love and emptiness. What can we learn from the book of Ruth? Three things.
If I want to summarize the entire book in three things, since punishment, number one, second, God's providence, third, Christ's provision. Since punishment, the L.M.A. took his family to move up a land that does not worship the true God. When people disobey God, there are sac consequences.
Bible clearly says in Romans chapter 6 23, God's provision leads to pain, loss and judgment. The second point is God's providence. That means God's plan. Even though the story begins with sadness, God did not forget, know me and Ruth.
We are sinners and we deserve punishment, but God is gracious and he so only provides redemption to undeserving sinners. The third one is the Christ's provision. This is the combination of us too. That is the sins punishment and God's providence.
That is the Christ's provision. That's a big picture of salvation through Jesus Christ. So Christ's provision is to bring everyone together. In the book of Ruth we see there was a closer or later than Boyus who got the first to redeem the land and marry Ruth, but he refused to marry.
He refused to redeem Ruth, so he was afraid it would harm his own property or inheritance. Then Boyus was on the next line and he willingly stepped into help. Boyus redeemed the land that belonged to know me's family. Not only that, not only he redeemed the land, but also he married Ruth and he took care of her.
We can see from here Boyus' action shows kindness, courage. I'd like to finish. Who is our ultimate Redeemer? Who is our true Redeemer?
Who is our kinsman Redeemer? Jesus Christ, Amen, Christ God. The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our ultimate and true Redeemer. The book of Ruth is a beautiful picture of the work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as our ultimate Redeemer.
The Lord Jesus Christ is our kinsman Redeemer. All things are belongs to him. Boyus, loud Ruth and short kindness to her, even when he did not have to. In the same way, Jesus loves us freely, not because we deserve it.
The Bible says we love him because he first loved us. Boyus redeemed Naomi and Ruth by paying the price to restore their family and future. Who redeemed us? Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
How he redeemed us? He paid a huge price for us on the cross by shedding his blood. He paid our debt. He redeemed us from the bondage of sin.
Galatians 3.13 says Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. My dear brothers and sisters, it doesn't matter who are you. What you have done, God's message in the book of Ruth is the message of grace. This story is not just about Naomi and Ruth.
It is about us. We need to put our trust in him. Trusting God doesn't mean he will give us everything he we want. Each of our life, we have our own definition of good life.
Every single person, I have my own definition of good life. It means have a beautiful wife, maybe a good home, maybe children, good job, all those kind of things. But the problem is when things don't go accordingly as per our wish or when things goes as not as the way we plan, then we feel disappoint. Then people will start leaving us.
All our dreams will fail. But when we surrender and stop chasing our own definition of good life and say, Lord, you be God in my life. He will give something better. It may not be the same thing what you expected, but it is greater.
That is what we see in the story. He always gives us better things. Now, we thought her life was finished, but at the end, she held a baby in her arms. A baby would become the grandfather of the King David.
And through David's line, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world came. The woman in the town said, Ruth is better to you than seven sons. Ruth did not just bring a child. She brought hope, love, and future.
God has not left us. There is a redeemer. His name is Jesus. Will you let Jesus be your redeemer?
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word this morning. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ, our redeemer, to rescue us from our sins. Thank you for your amazing grace.
Thank you, Lord, for being our redeemer. You be our God in our life now and forevermore. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.