I Stand Redeemed

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King James Bible StudyAnd when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34

Date: Wednesday, April 07, 2021
Chapters: Book of Ruth
Message: I Stand Redeemed

Hello My Friend,

As I stared blankly at the screen this morning, with one distraction after another, God reminded me that I am redeemed, which reminds me of a song, [I Stand Redeemed When I think of all my faults and my failures. When I consider all the times I let God down. I am humbled at the grace he has extended. I’m amazed at the mercy I have found/ I could never earn his love on my own. Yet every time I come before his throne. I stand redeemed by the blood of the lamb, I stand redeemed before the great I Am. When he looks at me he sees the nailed scarred hands, That bought my liberty, I stand redeemed.] There is not one think we could ever do, even if we became the sacrifice ourselves that could redeem our soul from hell. That is why Jesus came and purchased my soul for me, with His own blood, by the way. All we need to do to be redeemed is to look to Jesus. [Luke 21:28  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.]

The Book of Ruth contains four chapters, the author is unknown, but is probable to be Samuel as he wrote the Book of Judges. The timeline for these events is approximately 1300 -1290 BC. The purpose of the book was to show Israel and everyone else that God is not a respecter of persons, He will redeem and accept anyone who comes to Him, [Ruth 4:14  And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.]

Ruth was a Moabite, and Moab despised Israel, and the feelings were mutual. Moab was full of idolatry, and known for sacrificing children to their god. This was around the time that the civil war was taking place between Israel and the Benjamites. A terrible famine hit the land, a Judean named Elimelech, decided to go to Moab with his wife Naomi, and their two sons. The sons managed to find wives, Ruth was one of them, and in the process of ten years Elimelech and his sons died, leaving Naomi with her daughter-in-laws.

[Ruth 1:1-5  Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.  2  And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.  3  And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.  4  And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.  5  And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.]

[Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah.] [Ephrathite; Fruitfulness] Elimelech was not of the tribe of Ephraim, he was of the tribe of Judah, although fruitfulness does seem to be a bit odd to describe where they were living as the famine sent them to Moab. And why Moab? It is all God’s plan. We may not know the exact timeframe of when this took place, but we do know that Elimelech was a God fearing man who taught his sons to be the same. We learn this as we discover that Ruth did not want to stay in Moab, she not only wanted to go with Naomi, she wanted the Almighty, and only living God as her God.

[Ruth 1:8-9,12-13,16-17  And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.  9  The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. 12  Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;  13  Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.  16  And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:  17  Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.]

[if ought but death part thee and me.] It does not matter where we live, if God is not our God and we are not a part of God’s people then we would die and end up in hell. Death saves no one from pain, if we are not saved when we die then there will be much more pain than we could ever imagine, [Luke 13:28  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.]

When Naomi returned to, what was now just narrowed down to Bethlehem, no one questioned why she had this Moabite with her, but they did wonder what happened to her.

[Ruth 1:19-22  So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?  20  And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.  21  I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?  22  So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest. Ruth 2:1-3  And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.  2  And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.  3  And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.]

[LORD hath brought me home again empty:] Naomi thought that God had taken away everything from her that mattered to her. And although she was bitter she still had some hope as now she felt obligated to find Ruth a husband, one that who preserve her husbands name. [And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s,] Remember when God gave the law concerning birthright and the inheritance of the father being passed down to the first born son? [Deuteronomy 25:5-10] If the son died the next eldest son would marry the widow and when they had their first male child he would be given the name of the first born who died. If there were no sons left then the widow would be given to the next of kin who was the eldest, that is if agreed to the terms. Boaz, also known as Ibzan, [Judges 12:8-9] was a cousin to Elimelech. Ruth went right to work in the fields, making sure it was Boaz’s field, and it did not take long before he noticed her.

[Ruth 2:5-6,8,10-12  Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?  6  And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: 8  Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: 10  Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?  11  And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.  12  The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.]

[The LORD recompense thy work,] Whether we are working in the fields, washing dishes, answering phones, or taking care of the family, God always rewards us with not only the necessities we need, but desires as well. I cannot even count how many times God’s wings covered me, and still do. Every morning I thank God for loving me and not giving up on me, we can mess up a thousand times a day, and yet His grace saves the day each and every time, [II Corinthians 1:4-6  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;  5  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;  6  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:]

Now, when Naomi discovers that Ruth had the favor of Boaz she thought it might be the opportune time to keep her husband’s legacy alive. She encourages Ruth to doll herself up, go find Boaz, watch him, and when lies down, lay down at his feet. [Ruth 3:1-4  Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?  2  And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.  3  Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.  4  And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.]

[and uncover his feet, and lay thee down;] This may have been the strangest wedding proposal that you will ever see, and it was the woman who was doing the proposing. When she saw Boaz he was literally passed out on a pile of corn because he was drunk, but she did as Naomi said, took off his shoes, and laid at his feet.

[Ruth 3:7-13  And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.  8  And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.  9  And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.  10  And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.  11  And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.  12  And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.  13  Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.]

[and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.] Naomi’s instructions may have been strange to us, but they were really quite simple. By laying at his feet she was humbling herself to him, pretty much asking him if he would marry her. [howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.] Boaz, was quite taken by Ruth and would have married her in a heartbeat, but there was one problem, there was another man who was of nearer kin to Elimelech. If he agreed to marry her then there was nothing he could do. I am sure that Ruth was not too happy about that news, but she patiently waited for Boaz to address the situation. So, the next morning Boaz stood before the kinsman and elders. In order for Ruth to become his wife, he would have to redeem or purchase Ruth from the kinsman.

[Ruth 4:1-6  Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.  2  And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.  3  And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s:  4  And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.  5  Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.  6  And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.]

[lest I mar mine own inheritance:] [Kinsman; A man of the same race or family; one related by blood.] This man was not about to sacrifice his own heritage for another mans, even if he was related to him. When Jesus sacrificed His life for man, He was actually thinking of His own heritage, they would be the ones who would accept the payment of His own life to redeem them, [Hebrews 9:27-28  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:  28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.]

[Redeem; To purchase back; to ransom; to liberate or rescue from captivity or bondage, or from any obligation or liability to suffer or to be forfeited, by paying an equivalent.] Boaz stood before the elders and the kinsman and officially purchased her to be his wife, redeeming her for the kinsman that she did not even know existed.

[Ruth 4:9-10,13-15  And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.  10  Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. 13  So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.  14  And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.  15  And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.]

[have I purchased to be my wife,] Do you understand what Boaz did? Ruth was not a Jew, she had no inheritance, no heritage, no rights, when Boaz redeemed her, he not only paid the price to free her from a man that wanted nothing to do with her, he made her a part of the family. She was now as though she was one of them, not a Moabite, not a strange woman, one of them, related by blood. This is a perfect illustration of Jesus purchasing His bride, which are the souls of those who believe in and receive Him, with His blood. The second we receive Christ as our Saviour we are one of God’s children, and that means whether Jew or Gentile, we are of God, and treated no differently, [Romans 1:16-17  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.]

Jesus Christ Magnified: [Ruth 4:14  And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.]

Today’s Prayer: God, I know and believe with all my heart that Jesus is Your Son, who died for my sins, was buried, and arose again on the third day, and I have accepted Him as my only way to You and Your Kingdom. To acknowledge this truth comes so naturally with great enthusiasm, boldness, and conviction, but the real test is when I publicly acknowledge these truths among those who do not agree with me. Lord, where You go, I go, no matter where you place me or what test You give me, and by Your grace, I know I can and will endure the things before me, and I will reap the rewards for my faithfulness. I ask this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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