So that in mind, let me introduce you to week three and our final week in our sermon series called Ruthless Pursuit, which is a look at the book of Ruth and God's Ruthless Pursuit of you and I as sheep of his own flock, many of which have wandered off, but God keeps coming after us. Now, if you were here, week one, you guys could just start. In week one, we looked at the story of Ruth, which is an ancient story. Ruth was a Moabite woman, and we'll talk about what that means, but Ruth was an outsider to God and his people, and she was a Moabite woman who lived about 1200, 1100 years before Jesus was born.
In a time, the description is called the Time of the Judges, and the Time of the Judges was when the nation of Israel was ruled by judges, and it was a tumultuous period in that nation's time. What was going on is that the nation of Israel looked around and decided they wanted to be like the other nations, and they didn't want to be ruled by God anymore. They wanted their own king. And as a result of their lack of trust in God, they would turn to their own ways and try to do what was right in their own eyes, and they inevitably would get themselves in trouble, just like you and I do.
And they would cry out to God, and God would come and save and restore and redeem and renew, and Israel would be thankful for like five minutes, and then they would go their own way again, and they'd get themselves in a mess, and God would come and redeem and restore. It is a pretty tragic book to read. It ends with this line. It says, in the days of the judges, everyone did what was right in their own eyes, and that's the end of the story, and the next book in your Old Testament is this book of Ruth, the story of a Moabite woman, and it begins in the days of the judges.
The story is happening when everybody seems to be doing what's right in their own eyes. Now if you're here week one, we looked at the story, how you can see God's sovereign hand in this story, that the author at one point tells of how Ruth winds up in a man named Boaz's field, and says, it just so happened, and it's almost like a wink and a nod, like watch what God is going to do. And last week we looked at why the book itself is called Ruth, because in many ways Boaz is the hero in the story. Boaz was the kinsman Redeemer.
He was the one that bought Naomi Ruth's mother-in-law and Ruth back, everything restored and renewed everything, and then we looked at how he redeemed Ruth, in a sense, under the law, under the provisions of the law that were available, but then we discovered how Ruth is also a Redeemer in the story. How Ruth, just like Jesus, you know, this foreshadowing of the Christ to come. Would leave all of the safety and security of her home and come, because of the power of love to redeem and restore and renew and save the life of Naomi. Ruth understood that she might have to die and order that Naomi might live.
So we find ourselves here in week three, the final week. I want you guys to know this fourth chapter book of Ruth so completely. I mean, honestly, if you were going to try to understand the whole of the story of God's people, it's in these four chapters. God has given it to you just to look at and retell again and look at it from a different perspective.
One of the things that's crazy in this story is Ruth is a low-bite woman. You and I read that and go, that's great, but the truth is when people read that around the campfire, remember this story was told for a long time before it was written down. When they heard a low-bite woman, God was involved with a low-bite woman, and she is somehow in the line of King David, which turns into the line of Jesus, that can't be true. But it is.
Just like you and I have been grafted into the vine of Jesus. And my friends from high school would look and go, that can't be true. But it is. So this morning, because I want you to know this story, and I want you to hear it in a new way, actually the way it's been told for thousands of years.
We're joined by Broadway actress Juliet Traften. I'm, this is the third time I'm going to see this. I've watched it once online and I've watched it again this morning. And Juliet and her husband Stephen, who have been here several times, have an ability to take the scriptures to memorize the entire book and present it dramatically so that the scriptures come alive.
Juliet, Sartis, Louisa, and the longest-running musical in the world, fantastic. She's toured with the Phantom of the Opera. In fact, a Christmas commercial for Dick's Sporting Goods just came out with Juliet Traften. I can show that to you later on if you want, maybe she'll talk about it later.
But she goes from being a young mom in it, and it's kind of a dramatic piece, and at the end she's an old mom, and it's just a cool piece. But she's going to come this morning, Broadway is coming to Menom, and Juliet Traften is going to present for us the story of Ruth. And as she comes, know that she's coming as Deborah, not as Ruth, but she's coming to you this morning as Deborah, who is part of the royal court of Judah, addressing the scandalous concept of a Moabite in the lineage of King David. Here's where you come in.
Can you welcome wildly the incredible Juliet Traften to our stage? There is a rumor in our midst. Good morning. My name is Deborah.
I'm here representing the royal courts of the King of Judah. I know you are all wondering about the legitimacy of the royal line of King David. I'm here to address this head on. Now, through the court's sponsorship, I have been able to investigate every claim, every record, every story, both written and oral, about our former King David's background.
And my research has also been checked and proved again again by several trusted servants in the palace. Now, while many of you are familiar with the controversy surrounding the legitimacy of the Davidic dynasty that is the line of King David, it is necessary to make sure we are all on the same page before proceeding. Why are we here? It has been claimed that King David had a Moabite ancestors, and so his right to the throne has been discredited.
Now, we all agree that God was at work through our ancestors, and how through Jacob's wives, Rachel and Leah came the 12 tribes of Israel, and we all agree that kingship was given to one tribe and one tribe only, Judah. This royal line was promised to the descendants of our ancestor Judah, the first of which was Perez to whom Tamar gave birth. And we all agree that David stands in the line of Judah. But here's where the problem is though.
What happened to the line of Judah between Perez and David? Something happened? Something happened that is called into question the legitimacy of King David. Has the royal line been tainted?
That's why we are here. The main objection that has come to light is the claim that King David had a Moabite and the next mistress, and because of the long history of hostility between Moab and Israel, some would claim yes. Even some in our midst today would claim that God would not use a non-Israelite to work through, especially someone from Moab. If this were true, it could be shameful and embarrassing for our nation.
It would mean the wrong king is on our throne. That God is not at work through David's line and through our present king. So if you are anxious, if you are afraid you are not alone, if we have the wrong king on our throne, then it means that our people have been led astray and we are subject to the Lord's curses, confusion, destruction, and ultimately ruin. It means that we may not have rain to grow our crops, that the wounds of our women and our animals could be closed up.
It means that other nations may attack and depress us. It means that the land promised to our ancestors may be taken from us, and we will have no home. But if the God of our ancestors is still working through the Davidic line today, it means that we can still hold on to the Lord's blessings, rain, and abundant crops for our properties, a secure and prosperous land of our own protection from our enemies, fruitfulness to our wounds and our harvests forever, an everlasting Davidic kingdom where the Lord is dwelling with us. So today we are on the cusp of either a renewed and strengthened hope in the promises of God through the line of David or a complete and utter turnaround for our entire nation, leaving our people in turmoil.
So let's put the controversy to rest. Is it true that David descended from a Moabite or did he come from the line of Judah? Yes. Is it true that David has a noble, honorable Jewish ancestry or does he come from an outsider and a refugee?
Yes. This Moabite ancestry of David has a name, Ruth, and everyone here needs to know her story. And there are others, Naomi and Boaz, and you need to know their story too. But first, there are a number of things we need to understand to be aware of to fully grasp their story.
You remember the period of the judges. When no king was leading Israel, surely you remember some horrific stories you heard growing up when everyone in Israel was doing what was right in their own eyes. This story, the story of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz happened during this time of injustice and unfaithfulness from our people. Next.
The story centers around two women. And for women in our day, security, worth, survival depends on having a husband, children, particularly sons, and a home. Also, this story involves a family redeemer. Now an Israelite assumes the role of a redeemer if they are next of kin to restore powerless and vulnerable family members due to death of a relative, financial hardship that could lead to slavery or other complex financial issues involving property.
The redeemer would protect and defend the one in need as well as providing resources to redeem the crisis, ensuring the continuation and wholeness of the family clan and property even when family members die. Lastly, many of you know this. But for those of you who don't, particularly those who did not grow up as Israelites, but have now entered into the family of God, it is important to the story to recognize that long ago God himself made an everlasting covenant with the people of Israel, the sovereign one, devoted himself to us with an unshakable concern for us, covering us with his wings of protection. We are his redeemed people.
Now the Lord's extraordinary loyalty to the house of Israel is paramount to the heart of this story, but it is not immediately apparent. And I hope that you, like me, will be surprised at how this devotion comes to fruition in this story. Now, it is time to tell the tale we have researched and carefully crafted, and you have waited to hear. You are feeling concerned and uncertain if you care about the future of the house of Israel.
Listen, we have recorded the story on Skrull's, but I will recite it today in your hearing so that no one will ever forget the story of David's ancestors. May this story be remembered forever so that God's people will take it to heart and allow it to shape their own generation. During the time of the Judges, there was a famine in the land of Judah. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner in the region of Moab, along with his wife and two sons.
Now, the man's name was Olimalek. His wife was Naomi, and his two sons were Mayland and Killian, and they were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah. Now, they entered the region of Moab and settled there. Sometime later, Naomi's husband, Olimalek, died, so she and her two sons were left alone.
So her two sons married Moabite women. And was named Orpah in the other Ruth. And they continued to live there about 10 years. And then Naomi's two sons, Mayland and Killian also died.
So the woman was left all alone, bereaved of her two sons as well as her husband. So she decided to return home from the region of Moab accompanied by her daughters-in-law, because while she had been living in Moab, she had heard the Lord had shown concern for his people, reversing the famine and providing abundant crops. Now, as she and her two daughters-in-law began to leave the place where she had been living, to return to the land of Judah, she sent to them. Listen to me, each of you should return to your mother's home.
May the Lord show each of you the same kind of devotion you have shown to your deceased husbands. And to me, may the Lord enable each of you to find security in the home of a new husband. And she kissed them goodbye, and they went loudly. But they said to her, no, we will return with you to your people.
And they only replied, go back home, my daughters. There's no reason for you to return to Judah with me, for I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands. Go back home, my daughters. For I am too old to get married again.
Even if I thought there was hope that I could get married tonight and conceive sons, surely you would not want to wait until they're old enough to marry. Surely you would not want to remain unmarried all that time. No, my daughters. You must not return with me, for my intense suffering is too much for you to bear for the Lord is afflicting me.
Again, they went to loudly. But Orpa kissed her mother in law goodbye. And Ruth clung tightly to her. So Naomi sent her, look, your sister lies returning to her people and her God.
Follow your sister in the back home. But Ruth replied, stop. Urching me to abandon you. Wherever you go, I will go.
Wherever you live, I will live. Your people will become my people and your God will become my God. Wherever you die, I will die. And there I will be buried.
May the Lord punish me. Severely if I do not keep my promise, only death will be able to separate me from you. When Naomi realized she was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to dissuade her. And the two of them journeyed together until they arrived in Bethlehem.
When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole village was excited about their arrival. And the women of the village said, can this be Naomi? And Naomi said, don't call me Naomi, call me Mara. For the sovereign one has treated me very harshly.
For I left here full, but the Lord has caused me to return empty. Why? Do you call me Naomi? Seeing that the Lord has opposed me and the sovereign one has caused me to suffer.
So Naomi returned, accompanied by her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth who came back with her from the region of Moab. Now, they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side of the family named Boaz. He was a well-ceed prominent man from the clan of Olimlek.
And one day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, let me go to the fields so I can gather grain behind whoever permits me to do so. And Naomi replied to her, you may go my daughter. So Ruth went and gathered grain in the field behind the harvesters. Now she just happened to end up in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Olimlek.
And at that very moment Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. May the Lord be with you and may reply, may the Lord bless you. And then Boaz asked his servant in charge of the harvesters to whom does this young woman belong? And the servant in charge of the harvesters replied, she's the young Oah-bite who came back with Naomi from the region of Moab.
She asked, may I follow the harvesters and gather grain from among the bundles since he arrived she has been working hard from this morning until now, except for sitting in the resting of how to short time. So Boaz said to Ruth, listen carefully my dear. Do not leave to gather grain in another field. You need not go beyond the limits of this field.
You may go along beside my female workers. Take note of the field where the men are harvesting and follow behind with the female workers. I will tell the men to leave you alone when you are thirsty. You may go to the water jars and drink some of the water, the servant straw.
Ruth knelt before him with her forehead to the ground and said, why are you being so kind and attentive to me? Even though you know I am a foreigner. And Boaz replied, I have been given a full report. Of all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband, how you left your father and your mother as well as your homeland and came to live among people you did not know previously.
May the Lord reward your efforts. May your acts of kindness be repaid fully by the Lord God of Israel from whom you have sought protection. And she said, you really are being kind and he served for you have reassured and encouraged me your servant, even though I know I am not one of your servants. And later during the meal time, Boaz said, come here and have some food.
Took your bread in the vinegar. So she sat down beside the harvesters. Then Boaz handed her some roasted grain and she ate it until she was full and saved the rest. When she got up to gather grain, Boaz told his male servants, let her gather grain from even among the bundles.
Don't chase her off. Make sure you pull out ears of grain for her and drop them so she can gather them up. Don't tell her not to. So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening.
And when she thrashed what she had gathered it came to about 30 pounds of barley. She carried it back to town. And her mother-in-law saw how much grain she had gathered and her roasted grain she had saved from the meal time. And Naomi asked her daughter-in-law, where did you gather grain today?
Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be rewarded. So Ruth, the moment I told her where she works, she said the name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz. And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, may he be rewarded by the rest of the world.
By the Lord, for he has shown loyalty to the living on behalf of the dead. The Naomi also said this man is a close relative of ours. He is our Redeemer. And Ruth and O abight replied, he even told me I may go out beside his female servants until they have finished gathering all his harvest.
And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, Ruth, that it's good my daughter, that you should go out with his female servants. That way you will not be harmed, which could happen in another field. So Ruth worked beside Boaz's female servants gathering grain until the end of the barley harvest, as well as the wheat harvest. And after that, she stayed home with her mother-in-law.
At that time, Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, my daughter, I must find a home for you so you will be secure. Now Boaz, with whose female servants you worked, is a close relative of ours. Look, tonight, he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor, so bathe yourself, rub on some perfumed oil, and get dressed up, then go to the threshing floor. But don't let the man know you were there until he finishes his meal.
When he gets ready to lay down to sleep, take careful notice of the place he lies down, and go on cover's feet and lay down beside him. He will tell you what you should do. And Ruth replied to Naomi, I will do everything you have told me to do. So Ruth went to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law instructed her to do.
When Boaz had finished his meal and was feeling satisfied, he laid down at the far end of the grain heap. So Ruth crept up quietly on cover's feet and lay down beside him. In the middle of the night, the man was startled and turned over, and now a woman was lying beside him and said, who are you? She said, I am Ruth, you are servants, spread your rings over your servant for you, our redeemer of the family interest.
And Boaz said, may you be rewarded by the Lord my dear for this act of devotion is greater than what you did before, for you did not seek to marry one of the young men, whether rich or poor. Don't worry my dear. For I intend to do for you everything you propose, for everyone in the village knows you are a worthy woman. I guess it is true, I am a redeemer.
But there's also a guardian who is a closer relative than I remain here tonight. And in the morning, if he wishes to marry you, fine, let him do so. But if he does not want to do so, then I promise, as surely as the Lord lives, to marry you. Sleep here till morning.
So Ruth slept beside him until morning, and when she got up it was still dark for Boaz thought, no one must know a woman visited the threshing floor. Then he said, hold out the shawl you are wearing and grip it tightly. And as she held it tightly, he measured about 60 pounds of barley and placed it in the shawl and placed it on her shoulders. Then he went to town and she returned to her mother-in-law.
And when her mother-in-law saw her, she said, how did things turn out for you, my daughter? So Ruth told her about all the man had done for her. She said, he even gave me these 60 pounds of barley, for he said, do not return to your mother-in-law empty handed. And they only said to Ruth, stay put, my dear, until you know how the matter turns out, so the man will not rest until he has taken care of the matter today.
Now Boaz arrived at the village gate and sat down. Then along came the Redeemer whom Boaz had mentioned to Ruth. So Boaz said, come here and sit down. So he came and he sat.
And then Boaz chose ten village leaders and said, sit down here, and so they came and they sat. And then Boaz said to the Redeemer, Naomi, who has returned from the region of Moab, is selling a portion of land that belongs to our relative, a limalac. So I am legally informing you, acquire it, in front of those sitting here and the leaders of my people, if you wish to exercise your right to redeem it, then do so. But if not, then tell me, so I will know, for you possess the first option to redeem it and I am next in line after you.
So the Redeemer said, I will redeem it. So Boaz said, when you acquire the field from Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the wife of our deceased relative, in order to preserve his family name by raising up a descendant who will inherit his property. And the Redeemer said, then I am unable to redeem it. For I would ruin my own inheritance, in that case, you may exercise my redemption option for I am unable to redeem it.
Now, this used to be a customary way to finalize a transaction involving redemption in Israel. A man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party. This was a legally binding act in Israel. So the Redeemer said, to Boaz, you may acquire it, and he removed his sandal.
So Boaz said, to the leaders and all the people, you are witnesses today that I acquire from Naomi all that belong to a limalac, Killian and Nalon. I also acquire Ruth the Moabite, wife of Malon as my wife, to preserve his family name by raising up a descendant who will inherit his property so the name of the deceased will not disappear from among his relatives and among his village. You are witnesses today. So the elders and all the people at the gate said, we are witnesses.
May the Lord make the woman who is entering your home be like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel. May you prosper in Ephritha, may you become famous in Bethlehem. May your family be like the family of Perez, to whom Tamar, Boreda, by the descendants this young woman gives you. So Boaz married Ruth and had sexual relations with her and the Lord, enabled her to conceive and she gave birth to a son.
The village women said to Naomi, may the Lord be praised for he has not left you without her and deem her today. May he become famous in Israel. He will provide for you and encourage you when you are old for your daughter-in-law who loves you has given him birth. She is better to you than seven sons.
So Naomi took the child and placed him on her lap and she became his caregiver. And the neighbor women named him saying, a son has been born to Naomi. And they named him Obed. Now he became the father of Jesse, David's father.
Now these are the descendants of Perez. Perez was the father of Hezeron. Hezeron was the father of Ralm. Ralm was the father of a minidab.
A minidab was the father of Nakhshan. Nakhshan was the father of Salma. Salma was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed.
Obed was the father of Jesse. And Jesse was the father of David. So you guys all got that right. You can do it next week, something like that.
This is unbelievable. I said to you this morning, I'm like, Julia, that is unbelievable. Like how long would it take? That is Ruth.
Completely memorized. I'm like, how long would it take you to memorize? How long would it take? And you said four weeks.
I'm thinking four years, right? I mean, do you know how emasculating four weeks is for me? I used to be in a navigator's Bible study that used to meet here on Friday mornings. And we would try to memorize a verse a week.
I couldn't get a verse a week. Four weeks for the entire book, which is unbelievable. And even her husband has been here several times, and he's performed Philippians and Colossians and Ephesians. And those are Paul's letters, right?
So those were written texts. And Stevens brought them to life. What you just did is even kind of more interesting to me because that story wasn't written. It was told for generations around campfires.
And there's a story that the rabbis in those days would sit around and they would tell these stories of scripture and they would treat them like a diamond. Like you would look at the scripture in one way and you'd see it and tell the story of scripture that way. But then you could rotate it. And it would be like a diamond in the light.
Suddenly you would see another facet to the story. And you then it brought just a whole new thing. And so this morning, now this is my second time through it, you know what would be fun? Well maybe for you and maybe not for them.
But I kept wanting to go stop. I got to think about that for a minute, right? Like just a couple of quick things. Like you started to like maybe we have the wrong king on our throne.
And I'm like, oh, that's really good. I could think about that for a little bit. And then Boaz was this Christ-like figure at one point. Boaz says to us, you don't need to go into any other fields, right?
Everything is here. So then I'm going, why am I always wandering off into other fields? Just over and over you kept the scripture kept on the light with, she gleaned for herself 30 pounds. But then Boaz provides for her double that portion 60.
Like God gives us more than we can ever get on our own. But the one facet that struck me the most second service as it first is at the end. After Boaz has done all of this sacrificing, instead of kind of like sheepishly saying, I've redeemed Ruth and now I'm going to have to be married to a mole by my kids, you present it so well because you go, today I have acquired Ruth the mollabite. Like each treasured earth.
And he celebrated that day. So you've been studying this for a little longer than four weeks, I imagine. And now, I present it many times, what strikes you? Like if I was going to rotate the diamond of the scripture in front of you, what lesson is resonating in your heart more than any other as you've done this?
Well, just in, I mean, God is so good and his word is alive. So I mean, the book is just incredible. It's a different answer than I gave you this morning because- And already changed? I'll tell you, every time you go through it.
Like, oh, so I'm reading the book, the Gospel of Ruth, like you're only custom in James. And she talks about how even in her crisis Naomi never forgets God. And I think it's amazing that she says to, she's trying to encourage her daughters a lot to find security somewhere else. And she speaks to them about how she wants her God to show them devotion and give them security, even as she seems to be doing with that.
She's like the Lord, who, so then just saying that the Lord is alive and working and well. He's afflicting me currently, but good things for you. And I just thought that is incredible because so often in, in crisis, we can say, where is God? Where is he?
And at least Naomi still grasping and says, I am going through a affliction. I'm going through a season of drought, but I still believe he is acting and I believe that he is capable of bringing blessing. And I'll even pray it for you if I don't believe it for me right now.