Redeemer King Jesus

I have a way of getting myself into predicaments. I was backpacking in northern Wisconsin one weekend before I was married. I can’t remember how this happened (I’m sure I blocked it out of my memory), but somehow I lost the trail, was running out of daylight, and was in the midst of private land that I couldn’t camp on. This car pulled up and two kind strangers, Dan and Evi, offered me a ride. I thanked them profusely and as I got in, I shared that I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going. They then suggested I camp in their back yard for the night and they could take me back to the trail in the morning. I happily took them up on the offer and then to top it all off, they invited me in for dinner! Now, that’s the way to get rescued!

Now maybe you don’t get yourselves into those kind of situations, but there are plenty of ways in life that we find ourselves in predicaments. Sometimes, it feels as if our whole life is a predicament! Ruth and Naomi were certainly in a predicament. They had no one to care for them; relying on the kindness of others to provide for even their basic needs. But what I want us to see today through this story is that even during the trials and hardships, God’s hand is upon our life seeking to redeem us from our hopelessness and reign as King of all.

In the account of Ruth and Naomi, we meet a very important figure with a very important role in the story- Boaz. Boaz’s role as kinsman redeemer gets fleshed out in chapters 3 and 4. Boaz is a “type” of Christ figure. We see these throughout history where someone takes on the role or typifies what Christ does on our behalf. Boaz as kinsman redeemer shows us a picture of how Christ redeems us.

Christ functions as our Kinsman Redeemer. He is our kinsman because He became flesh for our sakes. He took on the form of man, so He could also take on our judgment. He is our redeemer because He laid down His life to rescue us from our hopeless and destitute state (Philippians 2).

“This may encourage us to lay ourselves by faith at the feet of Christ, that he is our near kinsman; having taken our nature upon him” (Matthew Henry's Commentary, p.209).

We are in need of our Redeemer to spread His covering over us to seek His protection and comfort and safety.

Just as we can learn some things through Boaz, we can also learn some things through Ruth.
Matthew Henry points out Ruth’s 4 roles (p.214-5) of:
1. Wife
2. Mother
3. Daughter-in-law
4. Ancestor of David and Christ

If we look at those roles, we can apply certain lessons to our life:

1. Wife- As the Church, we are the bride of Christ. Ruth was grafted into the family of the Israelites through marriage, even though she had no right to be there. We have been likewise grafted into the spiritual family of Israel, as the bride of Christ and believers of God’s promises. The story of Ruth gives us a taste to come that the blessings of the Lord are not limited to Israel. Psalm 113:7-8 says, “God raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of His people.” We, like Ruth, have been raised up from nothing to be counted among God’s people! Hallelujah!

2. Mother- We have been called to be parents to our own children, but then also to be spiritual mothers and fathers to those who come after us. Who am I helping to grow spiritually right now? What am I passing on to the next generation? Or the next class? Or my younger brothers and sisters? Or to new believers in Christ?

3. Daughter-in-law- Ruth as a daughter-in-law showed immense loyalty to someone who had nothing to offer her; someone who she owed nothing to. With the birth of Obed, Naomi was encouraged in her old age, and raised him like he was her own. When Christ acts as our kinsman redeemer, we suddenly become showered with amazing blessing. What do we do with that blessing? Are we passing it on to those around us? Are we sharing that blessing with those who have lost all hope and are despairing of their very life?

4. Ancestor of David and Christ- It is through this ancestry that King David came as Boaz’s great-grandson. And 14 generations after King David came King Jesus. So as Christ acts as our “kinsman redeemer,” He also acts as our King. And that is why today on Christ the King Sunday I wanted to tie together those two titles for Jesus. Because He is Savior, yes. But He is also Lord. We cannot accept one without the other.

So with that in mind, I want to close by focusing on Ruth chapter 3, verse 18, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter falls; for the man will not rest until he has finished the matter today.”

Likewise, we are to wait upon Jesus putting the hope of our future in His hands, because we know He will not rest until the matter is finished completely.

WAIT- The hardest command of all for us, but we are to wait upon the Lord. Christ as our Kinsman Redeemer did not rest until He had settled the matter completely.

He completely prayed it through at Gethsemane.
He completely endured the harsh trials of the high priest and Pontius Pilate.
He completely suffered through the beatings and cruelties of the Romans.
He completely accepted the mockery of the people.
He completely witnessed the abandonment of His own followers.
He completely took death on the cross in our place, as our Redeemer.
He completely died so that all lost hope.
He completely rose to be the first fruits of new life!
He completely conquered Satan and all he had been scheming for so many years!
He completely reigns over the earth and over our lives!
He completely rules over all the other kings and kingdoms!
He completely loves in a way that only Jesus can love!
(Colossians 1:13-18)
He completely rescued us from our domains of darkness!
He completely transferred us to His Kingdom!
We have been redeemed! We have been forgiven!
Hallelujah! Christ reigns over all! He is King!
Since the beginning of creation, He is King!
Over the heavens and the earth, He is King!
Over the visible and the invisible, He is King!
Over thrones and dominions and rulers and authorities, He is King!
He is King of the Church!
He is King of my life! Hallelujah! He is King!

And what are we to do with that kingship?

An elderly gentleman was out walking with his young grandson. "How far are we from Home?" he asked the grandson. The boy answered, "Grandpa, I don't know." The grandfather asked, "Well, where are you?" Again the boy answered, "I don't know." Then the grandfather said good-naturedly, "Sounds to me as if you are lost." The young boy looked up at his grandfather and said, "Nope, I can't be lost. I'm with you." Ultimately, that is the answer to our lostness, too. We can't be lost with our Redeemer and King.

And so it is my prayer that everyone here can claim Jesus as their Redeemer and King, and as a way to confirm that in our lives and to each other, I’d like to read from Revelation 1.

Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood- and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father- To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Amen.

Be Sold Out

The conductor of the community orchestra was almost out of his mind. At every single rehearsal, there had been at least one member who had been missing. Planning for a well organized concert was almost impossible. At the last rehearsal, he called for attention and said, "I would like to thank the first violinist for being the only member of the orchestra to attend every rehearsal." The violinist smiled shyly and humbly said to the conductor, "Well, it seemed the least I could do since I won't be at the concert tonight."
All Across America there are people, young and old alike who are uncommitted.
They have the appearance of commitment. They say they’ll show up and they don’t. They say they’ll help out, but they can’t.
Their actions speak louder than their words telling of half-hearted, conditional commitment.

Just what is commitment?
"Commitment demands a choice. Jesus wasted no time getting to the heart of commitment: Either the disciples would be committed to Him and deny their own desires. Or they would be determined to go their own ways and deny Him. The choice to commit is the same for all believers - either deny ourselves or deny Him; either we go His way or we pursue our way.

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:23-26)

"A young man who was desperately in love with a young lady, wrote her that he would be willing to endure the cold of the frigid zone, or cross the burning sands of the desert, or climb the highest mountains, or swim the ocean, just to be in her charming presence." Then he closed his letter by saying, "And I will see you Wednesday night- if it does not rain!"
How many people love the Lord devotedly, and will be at prayer meeting and do many things only if perfectly convenient?
Rev. L. B. Williams, in his book on "Holiness Illustrations," related that story in the book “Effective Illustrations” by William Moses Tidwell.

Contrast that half-hearted devotion to the widow’s actions at the temple. What does it mean to give all you have like that widow? We use her as an example, but most of us at best give out of our plenty; we don’t give everything. The Lord has been speaking to me about this a lot recently and it’s not fun! He’s asking me to give more than normal. He’s asking me to trust Him above any source of income. It’s one of those things that sounds all pious and holy until you actually have to do it.
When you play poker, the betting starts low and depending on how good your hand is, you’re willing to raise the stakes, slowly putting in more and more of your money. At some point, you get pushed to the limit, and you must declare “all in.” This means that you’re putting everything you have on that one hand. If you lose, you go home. Jesus is asking us to go “all in.” Commitment demands action. It extends beyond our relationship to the heavenly Father to every area of life. Listen now to the first part of the book of Ruth to hear an example of “sold out”, “all in” commitment.

Ruth 1
Naomi Widowed
1Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
This account takes place in the time of the judges. “In those days, Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” Judges 21:25

In the midst of the selfishness and the chaos, the narrative of Ruth is an oasis of hope and redemption.
2The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon (“sick”) and Chilion (“weakening”), Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there.
3Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.
4They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years.
These people of the promise left the land that was the signature mark of their promise. Why? Because there was a famine in the land. And why was there a famine in the land? It was a sign of judgment against the Israelites because “everyone did as he saw fit.” So this family leaves the promise, then they start to get comfortable away from where God wants them. They remain there. And before you know it a decade goes by.
5Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband.
6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had visited His people in giving them food.
The Lord is His mercy remembered His people, and Naomi remembered her God and His promises.
7So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
8And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
9"May the LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
10And they said to her, "No, but we will surely return with you to your people."
11But Naomi said, "Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12"Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons,
13would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the LORD has gone forth against me."
Ruth's Loyalty
14And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law."

16But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.
17"Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me."
18When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
What did Ruth see in Naomi or in Naomi’s God that she was so determined to follow her and stay with her with no hope or promise of a better future?
What caused Ruth to have such a great allegiance to Naomi when Orpah did not?
Orpah clearly cared for Naomi and was sad to go, but ultimately, she went. Why?
Did she have a better family life to go back to in Moab than did Ruth?
Maybe she trusted the gods of Moab more than Shaddai?

Have I ever been that determined to do something- no matter what?
Have I ever claimed such a strong allegiance to someone or something to claim I would devote my life to that person or thing- no matter what?
19So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, "Is this Naomi?"
20She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21"I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?"
22So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest (March or April).


We’ll conclude the book next time, but today I want to focus on two verses: 16But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.
17"Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.
From Matthew Henry’s Commentary (p.201-2), listen to what Ruth was committing to Naomi.
Travel- Ruth is going to a country she never saw and to a country that she was raised to look down upon as a child.
Lodging- Ruth didn’t know if she’d be living in a house, cottage, shack, tent or under a bridge, but she had to know it wouldn’t be anything great.
Companions- “Your people will be my people.” Ruth was saying to Naomi, “If your people are like you, then I want to be around them.”
§ As God’s people, do people see the love and joy of Christ in us?
§ Do they want to be around us because of Who we are around?
Her God- Ruth was saying, “I will adore the God of Israel, the only living and true God, trust in Him alone, serve Him, and in every thing be ruled by Him.”
Death- Ruth was committing to die with the same integrity and faithfulness that Naomi lived in throughout her entire life.
Burial- Ruth was “not desiring to have so much as her dead body carried back to the country of Moab.”

This is a pattern, for the “sold out,” “all in” convert to God.
We must take the Lord for our God.
We must take his people for our people in all conditions, though they be a poor despised people and not always fun to be around.
We must be willing to submit to God’s yoke and to go where God will have us to go.
We must continue and persevere. Not even death can end our commitment to Christ. It is an everlasting covenant because the Apostle Paul tells us that to join in Christ’s death means we also get to join in with His life and resurrection.
We must bind our souls with a bond never to break these resolutions. There is no turning back.

That sort of “resolve puts temptation to silence. Those who are unresolved stand like a door half open, which invites a thief; but [a] resolution [to be “sold out” and “all in”] shuts and bolts the door.”

A wife who is 85% faithful to her husband is not faithful at all. There is no such thing as part-time loyalty to Jesus Christ.

Ruth's words of commitment to Naomi did not speak as loudly as did her actions. She left her family and homeland to return with Naomi to Bethlehem.
Is it really possible to have that kind of commitment?

When the apostle Peter was sentenced to execution, he requested to be crucified upside down as a way to honor His Lord Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
The apostle Paul during His ministry was so committed to Christ that he was
Jailed
Beaten
Starved
Stoned
Ridiculed
Run out of town
And eventually killed.
But what about today?
On Oct. 20, Chen Le, a high school student, was expelled from Xinjiang High school for refusing to denounce his faith.
On Oct.27, nearly 1,000 Arastamar Bible school students faced eviction from a West Jarkata Mayors office building where they were living temporarily, in Indonesia.
Recently, two Baptist pastors in Russia's Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad were fined 2,200 rubles (US $75) after their community "sang psalms and spoke about Christ" on the street.
Tell me, how can we possibly compare our commitment to these faithful brothers and sisters of ours?
God is not asking us to compare with these mighty examples, but He is asking for ALL of us. So:
What areas of our life are we holding back from the Lord?
What in our lives do we need to throw on the table to be “all in” for God?
Where in our lives are we hesitating to follow Him because the way seems unclear?

Let’s pray:
Take my life Lord. I give it to You. Take every hour, every minute, every second of every day you give me on earth. I want to be “all in” for You. I don’t want to hold anything back. I give you my actions, my words, my money, my intelligence, my strength and my heart. Lord, when You see me holding something back, prod me. When You see me hesitating, encourage me. To You be the glory for everything good that comes out of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.