Ruth chapter 4. This morning we looked at chapter 3, redemption, or the plan of redemption, and then here tonight in chapter 4 we have the application of redemption. The redemption specifically in context is Boaz seeking to provide security for Ruth. And in this way Boaz typifies the Lord Jesus Christ, who would ultimately come from his line, that would provide security for his people in terms of salvation, eternal life, salvation from damnation.
We'll pick up reading in chapter 4 at verse 1. Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, come aside friend, sit down here. So he came aside and sat down.
And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Sit down here. So they sat down. Then he said to the close relative, Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. And I thought to inform you, saying, Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people.
"'If you will redeem it, redeem it. "'But if you will not redeem it, "'then tell me that I may know. "'For there is no one but you to redeem it, "'and I am next after you.' "'And he said, I will redeem it. "'Then Boaz said, on the day you buy the field "'from the hand of Naomi, "'you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, "'the wife of the dead, "'to perpetuate the name of the dead "'through his inheritance.
And the close relative said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it. Now, this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging. To confirm anything, one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other.
And this was a confirmation in Israel. Therefore, the close relative said to Boaz, buy it for yourself. So he took off his sandal. And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, you are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's and all that was Killian's and Melon's from the hand of Naomi.
Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Melon, I have acquired as my wife to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day. And all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, we are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel.
And may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Paris, whom Tamar bore to Judah because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman. So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And when he went into her, the Lord gave her conception.
She bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative. And may his name be famous in Israel. And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age.
For your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has born him. Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom and became a nurse to him. Also the neighbor women gave him a name saying, there is a son born to Naomi. And they called his name Obed.
He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now this is the genealogy of Perez. Perez begot Hezron. Hezron begot Ram.
Ram begot Amenadab. Amenadab begot Nashon. Nashon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz.
Boaz begot Obed. Obed begot Jesse. Jesse begot David. Well let us pray.
Father, thank you for your work, thank you for your providence and your guiding hand, putting all these things together so that in your timing, Jesus Christ would come forth. We thank you that he was born to rule and born to reign and to govern the earth and to take a position at the right hand of God Most High. How we thank you that our Prophet, Priest, and King is there on our behalf. How we thank you that He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.
Our prayer and desire is that each and everyone here tonight would be ready for that day. We'd be ready to see Him when He does come to judge. That we would be found safely folded in His arms. That we would be covered in His righteousness.
That we would be accepted in the Beloved. Our Father, I pray that the Spirit would attend the Word tonight, and that you would be well pleased to bring glory to your name in the edification of the saints and the salvation of sinners, that you would fill each one of us with your Spirit, God, illumine our minds and hearts, and lead us and guide us into all truth. And we pray these things through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
Introduction
So as we saw this morning in chapter 2, Ruth takes the initiative to try and provide for the well-being of Naomi and Ruth. She goes to a field to be a gleaner. She goes to the field that happens to belong to Boaz, under the providence of God, under the kindness of God, he leads her to that particular place. She does glean, she has benefited greatly, she is blessed richly.
She returns to Naomi and gives her the report of what had happened, what had occurred. Naomi then strategizes and Naomi has some initiative in chapter 3. She reckons that because Boaz is a close relative, because he is a Goel, because he is a kinsman redeemer, he will be able to provide long-term security for Ruth. He wants, or she wants rather, for Boaz to take Ruth as his wife and to indeed bring her under his wing.
And here in chapter 4 we see that Boaz liked this particular proposal. Boaz was on board. Boaz wanted to take Ruth as his wife And so now he then shows the initiative in chapter four. Remember that after Ruth makes this proposal to Boaz, he certainly welcomes it, but he says there is a nearer relative.
There is one closer than I. There is somebody else that is entitled to this particular privilege. But he says, don't worry about it. I will go and pursue him.
If he wants to take the right of redemption, he may have it to be sure. If not, then I will take it. Either way, Ruth is assured that she will have a husband. As I mentioned this morning, she was probably hoping it was going to be Boaz, and I'm sure Boaz was hoping it was going to be him too.
Probably by this time, the romance and the love. So ladies, you can start gushing now. This is where it gets real syrupy and sappy. Just kidding.
Remember, it's an arrangement for the benefit of both parties to the glory of God, but certainly the affections follow. Romance or love, those things are good in their proper place, and no doubt these things were welling up in both of their hearts. There is this particular or potential problem with this nearer relative. So
Two Considerations in Ruth 4
let's look at the application of redemption, chapter 4, under two broad considerations. the resolution at the city gate, and secondly, the marriage of Boaz and Ruth.
Resolution at the City Gate
Note first the resolution at the city gate. This is where business was conducted. This was essentially city hall or the courthouse. This is where these sorts of matters were done.
And notice in chapter 4 verse 1, now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there and behold the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So one of those other instances just like we find in chapter 2 at verse 3, she happened to come to the field that was owned by Boaz. Here, Boaz goes to meet this particular man, of all the men that live in Bethlehem, of all the men that live in that particular region, of all the persons that he could have bumped into. He goes to the city gate, and who comes by but the exact man that he is supposed to meet.
Again, we need to see in this that God is in the details. God does not leave things to chance. He does not hope that they work out for the benefit of all parties involved. The close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by.
They meet together and Boaz initiates. He says, come aside friend, sit down here. So he came aside and sat down. He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, sit down here.
So they sat down. Now he outlines the particular situation. He wants to tell the man what is going on and that he has the right and the privilege of redemption with reference to Ruth and this field that belongs to Naomi. So
Boaz Outlines the Situation
he specifies the particulars, he sets out the parameters, he indicates what is at stake. Very specifically, verse 3, then he said to the close relative, Naomi who has come back from the country of Moab sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. And I thought to inform you, saying, Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it.
But if you will not redeem it, then tell me that I may know. For there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you." Remember this morning I outlined several instances where the goel or the kinsman redeemer came into play. One of them was to get back land, to keep it in the tribe, to keep the inheritance alive, to keep these things in place. As we move down further in the narrative, we see they were also responsible to take the wife and to make sure that there was progeny.
Inheritance, rights, land, property, all these things that again seem so foreign to us were crucial to a people who had been gifted a land by the living and true God, had been parceled out into twelve allotments, and this is what the brethren had. These things were good for them, these things were necessary, and God in His law specified how they were to conduct themselves in the land, and this kinsman-redeemer played a very serious role and a very serious part in that. So you see the scene, Boaz paints the picture. Notice that he keeps back the information about Ruth.
Boaz Withholds Ruth's Name
I don't think this is deception, I don't think it's ungodly, I think Boaz is a wise man. Boaz is a shrewd brother, Boaz is cunning, He's harmless as a dove, but he is cunning as a serpent. And so once he specifies that there is land to be inherited, what Israelite who had red blood flowing through his veins wouldn't say, I'd like that parcel of land. I would like that piece of property.
Certainly I would like to add that to my portfolio. I can grow more food. I can do more things. I can increase my wealth.
This seems to be the mindset of this closer relative. He wants to benefit, he wants to thrive, he wants to prosper. Again, not necessarily an evil thing. He's not a bad man, he's not a wicked man.
We don't know a whole lot about him other than he is the closest in the line to be able to exercise this right of redemption. And so notice in verse 4, at the very end, he said, I will redeem it. I will redeem it. And then Boaz says in verse 5, on the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.
You see, this is an added piece of information. This is an additional benefit, if you will, but it could also prove to be a liability. For this closer relative, it was a liability. Because if he took Ruth, the Moabitess, as his wife, it would jeopardize whatever else he had going on in his life.
Again, I don't know why Boaz didn't lead with this information. He leads with the land promise, or he leads with the land. After the closer relative says, yes, I want to purchase the land, or I want to redeem the land, then he says, oh, and by the way, As a blessed addition, you get to marry Ruth and provide progeny for her and for her inheritance. Notice what happens in verse 6.
The close relative said, I cannot redeem it for myself lest I ruin my own inheritance. This would jeopardize what he had going on elsewhere and he didn't want to do this. Again, there's probably nothing wicked that I know of at the outset. I don't think God calls us to make deals or make, you know, situations wherein we sacrifice our well-being or anything like that.
It's not as if this closer relative was leaving her destitute, because Boaz has already asserted the reality that if he doesn't redeem, then Boaz will. So this closer relative isn't a bad guy. He simply opts out of this particular situation. And then he grants the legal permission.
This is absolutely essential. Remember, they're gathered at the city gates, they're before the ten elders. This is a legal process here. This is judicial in nature.
He says, you redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it. Now notice they transfer land at this particular point. Verse 7, now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging to confirm anything. One man took off his sandal and gave it to the other and this was a confirmation in Israel.
That seems a bit odd to us. But I'm sure that in a hundred years, a generation that doesn't shake hands will wonder, why did they shake hands? What was the significance in shaking hands with one another? Or those cultures where men kiss other men on either cheek.
I don't think it's because they're necessarily homosexuals or whatever, but they do that. I think the Italians do that. I know my uncle used to pinch my cheek and give it a good shake. and then he'd kiss the other side of my cheek and grab my face and do something like that. I mean, I just thought that was an Italian thing to do, and maybe it was.
It just seemed a bit odd. It seemed a bit awkward. I wasn't used to that. My father never did that.
So when we come to a particular situation like this, it seems odd that this exchange of a sandal would somehow indicate something. Would you stop and think about it for a moment? What comes into contact with land? Your foot, your sandaled foot.
There is some symbolism involved. The law specifically indicates that you're supposed to do it this way. Deuteronomy 25, 5 to 10. Kyle and Dalich, the commentators, say, the custom itself, which existed among the Indians and the ancient Germans, arose from the fact that fixed property was taken possession of by treading upon the soil, and hence taking off the shoe and handing it to another was a symbol of the transfer of a possession or right of ownership.
Makes perfect sense seen in that light. Not some odd custom thing that they did, but you think about it and it is symbolic. The foot goes on the land, here's my sandal, we are making this transfer, it is legit, it is on the up and up, it is the real deal. Now notice, Verse 8, therefore the close relative said to Boaz, buy it for yourself, so he took off his sandal.
Boaz said to the elders and all the people, you are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was a limelax and all that was Killian's and Malan's from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Malan, I have acquired as my wife to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance. That's the Leveret Law. That is that part and parcel of the Goel, the kinsman redeemer, to do this, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate.
You are witnesses this day. You see that Boaz is committed to doing things on the up and up. I mean, this is a legal process, a legal procedure, and he is judicious, down to the detail. He doesn't want it to come back later and say, well, you didn't really actually redeem this portion of land.
You didn't really actually marry Ruth the Moabitess. Again, by way of corollary, Boaz only appears here as a virtuous man. Boaz only appears in this book as an upright man, as a godly man. And I think that if we are upright men and we are godly men, then we will indeed be men that are attentive to details.
That we will not seek to cut corners, that we will not seek to pare off rough edges, we will not strive to get one over, but rather by the grace of God we will be faithful men, we will be upright men, we will be good examples of what it means to be a Christian man. If you're like me, you've talked to Christians, or people that aren't Christians, they say, well, Christians are hypocrites, and Christians this, and I've been ripped off in the business world by Christians. And I know probably not all of it is true, but brethren, maybe some of it is. And we ought to be very careful that we do not undo with our lives what we preach up with our words.
If on the one hand we are witnessing and testifying to a business associate, and then later on in the week we are cheating him, we are taking something from him deceptively, or we are doing something that brings injury to him in the workplace, and I don't mean physical, but maybe economic injury, then we are denying by our actions the very things that we specify with our words. The Lord Christ, according to Psalm 15, was indeed an upright man.
Psalm 15 and Christ's Uprightness
You could turn there for just a moment. If you've ever read Psalm 15 and you've thought through it to any degree whatsoever, you have to conclude that this is not a description of you. This is not a description of you, but rather is a description of the Lord Jesus. In Psalm 15, a Psalm of David, Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in your holy hill? It's Christ, isn't it? And by the grace of God, all the elect in Him. It's Christ who does everything that is specified in the remaining Psalm.
Now certainly in Christ we ought to try and imbibe this particular ethic. In Christ we ought to be a people that are upright and godly. But ultimately, this describes the Lord Jesus, who abides in the tabernacle of God. It is the Lord Jesus, who dwells in the holy hill of Zion.
It is the Lord Jesus, and by virtue of His grace and His mercy and saving faith, He unites us to Himself, and because of Him, we get to dwell there likewise. But look at how it describes it. He who walks uprightly. works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend, in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord.
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change." It's an important passage there. He swears to his own hurt and does not change. He doesn't default. He doesn't renege.
If something isn't going to be beneficial to him, he doesn't say, well, this just doesn't work for me. No, if he's signed on the dotted line, he carries it out. It's a man of his word. He swears to his own hurt and he does not change, which should indicate to you, make sure before you sign on the dotted line.
Make sure you exercise due diligence and a degree of godly caution before you commit to something, because if you are going to pursue the Lamb of God wherever He goes, that means you swear to your own hurt and you do not change. He who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. Boaz typically is like this.
Boaz is a man of faithfulness. Boaz certainly wants to do what is right and he wants to do what is right for the glory of his God, and for the good of Ruth and Naomi." So back to the text,
The Witnesses and Their Blessing
notice what happens after they ratify this particular transaction. Verse 11 in Ruth 4. Verse 11 in verse 4, And all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the mothers of Israel.
The mothers of Israel, those whom Jacob had as wives, and he populated the twelve tribes. May your wife Boaz be like Rachel and Leah. May she be one who benefits the house of Israel. Notice, the two who built the house of Israel, and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
Did this happen? Is Boaz famous in Bethlehem? Absolutely. Boaz is a man that we are considering right now.
Certainly his name transcended the particular situation that he lived in. What these brethren or what these people, what these covenant members are wishing upon Boaz comes to fruition. Certainly the impact or the benefit that Ruth has on Israel is akin to Rachel and Leah. Because it is from Ruth that David woke up.
It is from David that the Lord Jesus woke up. So Ruth is a significant figure and Boaz in Israel's history. Notice verse 12. It says, May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman.
Judah, Tamar, and God's Providence
We'll examine this particular situation in a little bit. But just for a moment, the situation with Judah and Tamar was similar to a Leveret arrangement. This was not Tamar's original husband. Happened to be her father-in-law.
I think we like the savory, nice story of Boaz and Ruth, don't we? It kind of makes our hearts pitter-patter, and we feel warm and happy. The not-so-nice story of Judah and Tamar nevertheless displays the grace, and the power, and the majesty of God. Remember, Tamar had a husband named Ur.
He was wicked in the sight of the Lord, so God killed him. That's the space that Ur gets in Scripture. Imagine that. This is your claim to fame, being in the inscripturated Word.
You're so wicked that God just kills you. Who's been struck by that? No pun intended. Ur was wicked in the sight of God and he killed him.
That's it, no more Ur. This is now an Ur-less world because he was a wicked man and the Lord struck him. What happens then? Ur's brother Onan then takes Tamar.
And Onan does not fulfill the law of the Leveret. He does not provide progeny for his widowed sister-in-law. What happens to Onan? He goes the way of Ur.
God kills him too. So then Judah promises his third son, Shelah. Says to Tamar, live in my house until Shelah rises up and then you can marry him. You see what's working here?
Law, land, privilege, inheritance, even before they officially possessed the land. These things were already in place. So then Judah's wife dies. Tamar recognizes that Sheila has now grown up, and Tamar has not been given to him as a wife.
So Tamar goes into the path of where Judah is, and when Judah sees Tamar, he thinks she's a harlot. And Tamar, or Judah, wants to go into her. She proffers a particular deal, and he does, and she concedes. Tamar then hears that your, rather Judah hears that Tamar is playing the harlot.
And Judah says, bring her out and burn her. Well, when she happens to come out, she has the tokens that he had given to her. And he said, she has been more righteous than I. You see, that's an unsavory story, isn't it?
I mean, none of us want our little girls to grow up and do that. None of us want our little boys to grow up and do that. But you know, when we come to the end of Genesis 38, we can sing, amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. This was a means by which God kept the line intact.
Who does Tamar give birth to? Tariths. Guess where Perez fares? Ruth chapter 4.
Guess where else Perez fares? Matthew chapter 1. Tamar's in Matthew chapter 1. I mean, look at the ladies that God has chosen in history to bring to pass the most excellent thing that has ever occurred.
We have Tamar, again, not the most savory character in the world, We have Ruth, a Moabitess. We have Rahab, the harlot. And then it's as if Matthew doesn't even want to name Bathsheba, she who was the wife of David. You see, he doesn't even want to mention that, but Bathsheba fares in that particular situation as well.
You see, the point is, brethren, God sometimes works through unsavory things to bring about glorious things. Because you need to remember that He's not working with an earth that is sterile. He is not working with an earth that is pure. He is not working with an earth that is upright and holy and everybody does everything they're always supposed to do.
He is working with sinners. And God takes crooked sinners and He makes straight things out of them. And He brings good and blessed things to pass through even the calamities that men make of their lives. So the fact that these covenant members in chapter 4 verse 12 say, the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman." They are invoking the blessing of God upon this arrangement and they want this to be a benefit to Israel.
The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth
Notice the marriage, verses 13 to 17a. 13 is very quick, so Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. May I just suggest this is the better way to do marriages without four years of planning, lots of books, and lots of flowers, and lots of... I'm just kidding. Let's just take them and get them married.
Let's do it in a 13A fashion. Spoken as a man who's had to pay for weddings and has another one coming up. Let's just do 13A marriages. You just meet right there, I'll pronounce you husband and wife and off you go.
Saves a lot of things, doesn't it? I'm just kidding ladies, I know that you really love that. Ladies. And men, men love the wedding day too.
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And when he went into her, the Lord gave her conception and she bore a son. God is sovereign over the womb. It's very intriguing how many barren women the Lord has used in the history of redemption.
Barren woman, after barren woman, after barren woman, the Lord God opens the womb and brings forth a son. It's very interesting as well because when Ruth was married to Malon, she spent 10 years in Moab and she never had a child. Wasn't because she was anyway physically hindered, maybe Malon was, the emphasis or the accent of the stress falls upon the sovereignty of God. She married the man that God had for her.
She married the man that God was going to do great things with them through. She married Boaz and the Lord gave her conception and she bore a son. Now notice the blessing of the women in Bethlehem. Then the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord who has not left you this day without a close relative.
And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age. For your daughter-in-law who loves you is better to you than seven sons has borne him. That is a great statement. To have sons in Israel was to be seen as a good man.
To have seven sons, the number of completion, I mean that just didn't get any better. You were a boss in Israel with seven sons. These ladies say that Ruth is better to you than seven sons. Remember this morning I said if God gives you a Ruth in your life, a friend, a family member, whatever, value and prize that.
The Lord is good to Naomi in having given her Ruth and giving Boaz to Ruth. And then notice what they say specifically in verse 15, and may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age. Daniel Block says, I'm sorry, in a world previously characterized by famine, barrenness, and death, there is birth, new life. The image of this woman taking the child in her arms must also be seen against the backdrop of her previous experience.
She had not only had her bread basket emptied by famine, in the depths of her husband and sons, her bosom had also been emptied of her man. She takes the child, she lays him on her bosom, and becomes a nurse to him. Now that could be read in an awkward way. Probably all that's in view is that she cuddled the baby on her front side.
She became a nurse, not a wet nurse. She didn't provide nourishment to him. Probably a nanny, or the baby's gran, or whatever you want to call that mother. It's a sign of affection.
It's a term of endearment. Here's Naomi having gone through all these things and now she's cuddling little Obed in her arms. It's truly a beautiful, beautiful scene. Also the neighbor women gave him a name saying, I don't think it was them that officially named him.
I think it was Boaz and Ruth. They confirm it, affirm it. There is a son born to Naomi and they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Obed simply means servant or serving one. And
The Genealogy: The Point of the Book
that brings us to the point of the book. You see all the chapter 1 verse 1 up to 417 is details, and it's blessed good details. It's God's providence worked out in history. The point of Ruth is Ruth 4, 18 to 22.
This is where the author's moving. This is what we are supposed to get. This is where we see Jesus This is where we behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Now this is the genealogy of Perez.
Perez begot Hezron. Hezron begot Ram. Ram begot Amenadab. Amenadab begot Nashon.
Nashon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz. Boaz begot Obed. Obed begot Jesse.
And Jesse begot David.
Matthew 1 and the Incarnation
Turn to Matthew chapter 1. Matthew chapter 1, where each of these names are rehearsed, given to us in the book concerning the Lord of glory, even Jesus Christ. Chapter 1, verse 1, the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David. the son of Abraham. Notice just verses 2 to 6 here.
Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez begot Hezron. Hezron begot Ram.
Ram begot Amminadab. Amminadab begot Nashon. Nashon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab.
That's Rahab the harlot. Remember Rahab the harlot who lived in Jericho who hid the spies? They proffered a deal to her. They wanted safety for a night.
And she says, when you come back to destroy the city, please spare me and my family. You get to Joshua chapter 6 and what do we find? We find Rahab spared. Rahab is an Israelite.
Rahab is a proselyte. Rahab is now within the covenant community. And Rahab married a man by the name of Salman. And I must suggest that she did a very fine job in raising little Boaz.
She did a great job in raising little Boaz. You see, brethren, here's an encouragement to faithful parenting. Rahab didn't grow up in the church. She wasn't polished.
She didn't have it all going on. She was a prostitute that the God of heaven and earth and of prostitutes had mercy upon. And he welcomes her into Israel. And in his grace and in his mercy Rahab marries Salman.
And the two of them have little Boaz. Boaz grows up and he's sterling in his character. He's godly. He's upright.
He is the man who marries Ruth. And now Ruth and Boaz give birth to Obed. Obed, of course, begot Jesse. Jesse begot David, David the king.
David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. You see, who is in the lineage? Who is in the history? Who is in the backdrop of the life of the earthly existence of the Lord Jesus?
It's these people. Ruth, in the Incarnation, is perfectly legitimate to study. Because Ruth serves as the backdrop, or at least part of the backdrop, for the coming of the Son of God into this world's sinners to save. After several other generations are indicated for a total of 14.
The 14 here doesn't exhaust Israel. It's theological in nature. Matthew tailors the genealogy according to theology, not according to counting specific generations. Now notice in chapter 1 verse 18.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. You see the Spirit's role in this. She was overshadowed by the power of the Spirit.
This holy thing will be conceived not in the traditional way, but according to the power of the Holy Spirit."
Joseph, Mary, and the Holy Spirit
Notice, then, Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. That is exactly what it says. Joseph knew how babies were made. When Mary came along and said, look, I'm pregnant, Joseph concluded that she had been unfaithful.
Betrothal was a legal arrangement, but up until the actual act of marriage there was no relationship. So it was not the case that it would have been his child and he knew that all too well. Again, biology was known even back in those days. And so because he's a just man, because he's a godly man, he wants to put her away secretly.
He doesn't haul her to the city square and have her executed as an adulteress. Notice, while he thought about these things, verse 20, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. You see, each of the persons involved here has a particular role. The Spirit comes, overshadows Mary, and she becomes pregnant.
Mary's particular role is most blessed among women, similar to what JL has told back in the book of Judges, Judges 5. Mary's going to have a baby. Joseph has a particular task. Joseph is to name the baby.
But the baby to be born has the biggest task of all. That is specified in verse 21. You shall call his name Jesus, which means Yahweh is salvation, or Yahweh saves. You shall call his name Jesus. 4 For he will save his people from their sins. 5 So all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 6 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which is translated God with us.
Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn son. And he called his name Jesus." And the rest of Matthew's gospel fleshes out for us or shows us how it is that He will save His people from their sins. May I suggest that as you approach Matthew's Gospel, do it in the spirit of verse 1 in chapter 1. It is Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the King, the Son of Abraham. and then approach the rest of the Gospel of Matthew in the context of verse 21.
Why does Jesus go to Jerusalem? Why does Jesus suffer at the hands of godless men? Why is Jesus killed and raised on the third day? Matthew's answered that for us in 121.
He must save his people from their sins. And isn't this an interesting assertion? Israel is now His people? This is an inscription concerning the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Israel are His people. The Old Covenant, it's always Yahweh's people. What is Matthew telling us? That Jesus is on par with Yahweh.
And this is His people. And akin to the promise given to Abraham, Israel includes not only Jews but Gentiles. All Israel must be saved through the efforts and the work and the person of our blessed Lord Jesus. And notice as well the particularity or the definiteness.
He will save. Brethren, as we conclude, this is a good place to hang your hat.
The Definiteness of Christ's Salvation
He will save. He doesn't make you savable. He doesn't push you over the edge. He doesn't help you be all you can be.
He saves you. He saves you to the uttermost. He saves you completely. He saves you always.
He doesn't let you go. Matthew Henry says, those whom Christ saves, He saves from their sins, from the guilt of sin by the merit of His death, from the dominion of sin by the Spirit of His grace. In saving them from sin, He saves them from wrath and the curse and all misery here and hereafter. Brethren, we have in Christ the most blessed Savior.
He saves us from our sins. John Gill said, with reference to the Book of Ruth, the principal design of it is to give the genealogy of David. Remember, last week when I introduced the book, it's not primarily a romance story. It's not primarily a story concerning feminine courage in a patriarchal age.
It is a story about the Lord Jesus. It's about Christ. That's why we can preach Christ crucified from the book of Ruth. The principle design of it is to give the genealogy of David, whom Samuel had anointed to be king of Israel, and from whom the Messiah was to come, and who therefore may be said to be the aim and scope of it, as he is all of Scripture, and whereby it appears that he sprung from both Jews and Gentiles, and is the Savior of both, and there is a good foundation for both to hope in him. and the call and conversion of Ruth the Moabitess may be considered as a shadow, emblem, and pledge of the conversion of the Gentiles.
Daniel Bloch says, for as the genealogy of Matthew 1 indicates, one greater than David comes from the loins of Boaz. In the dark days of the judges, the foundation is laid for the line that would produce the Savior, the Messiah, the Redeemer of a lost and destitute humanity. If you have not come to Christ, believe on Him. As I mentioned this morning, this week isn't just about gifts and cozy and all that.
If we are to think concerning the Incarnation, let us think in light of Matthew 121. If we are not saved by the grace of God, we ought to flee. We ought to run. We ought to seek refuge and shelter in Him alone who is able to save His people from their sins.
Christ is everything. Not just this week. Every single week. Every day.
Every moment. Christ is all in all. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank You for Your Word and we thank You for the consent of all the parts. We thank You for the scope of the whole. We thank You, Most High God, that You have given us the Scriptures, that You have given us such a gracious and glorious Savior. We ask, our Father, that You would cause us to walk in Him and to find our completeness and sufficiency and our joy in Him.
And may we truly evidence a glad heart as those who have been saved from their sins. Go with us tonight, grant us grace in this coming week, and cause us to glorify your most holy name. And we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.