Love Prevails (Part B)

You ever been a spot where you don't want to tell somebody your Christian you ever feel that sensation is a God telling that is your flesh. Satan maybe what God is not going to say you be ashamed of me right now. I mean, it may be something that someone connected some shameful act with a Christian that's not nothing Christ above that he does know the Souci endured the cross, suffering the shame so from our point of view. Salvation is free from God's point of view is never redemption.

This cost, this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Ruth. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick will continue teaching us the message called love prevails in Ruth chapter 4 Romans five says while we were still sinners, Christ demonstrated his love and wait just talk about it. He went and acted on it. Cross of Christ.

Looking down the telescope of history, seeing each and every one of us and say hello. And if I didn't love them. I would let anybody lay a finger on me. The only reason why I'm going to bleed this day because I care. First Peter chapter 1 verse 18 and 19. Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition of your fathers.

What how much is loaded into that statement the Old Testament without Christ is just you can't even imagine. It is a Christian then that's what Peter saying your fathers. They had the Old Testament, but without Christ and then he says he says you're the kind it was aimless by tradition of your father's blot.

The precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. It's a beautiful story.

The Bible is this why so many Christians have suffered for it and said it's worth it worth being ashamed when the world will shame you, how many of you don't want to.

Have you ever been in a spot where you don't want to tell somebody your Christian if you ever feel that sensation is a God telling you that it's your flesh is Satan.

Maybe.

But God is not going to say you be ashamed of me right now. You dumbing it may be something that someone connected some shameful act with the Christian that's not nothing to Christ above that he does know the Souci endured the cross, suffering the shame so from our point of view. Salvation is free from God's point of view is never been free. Redemption has cost him. Boaz had the resources, so to Jesus Christ as holy and pure and undefiled and worthy to be a sacrifice for us. Boaz had the legal relationship. Christ, of course, God the son and fulfillment of all that the prophecies from the law of the prop the law and the prophets had spoken he fulfilled those requirements, Boaz was willing to pay the price. Christ, of course, was willing to pay the price. Father, if possible, take this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will but your will.

It was a sermon.

It was not really Ashley was rhetorically good for this purpose I have come. He said to die and how I would be 120s I was. It was right now this agreement, we falsely rounded profits nothing but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit, so therein Gethsemane when you go to Israel you say this is probably Gethsemane's probably the spot. But even if it's not, it's in the vicinity somewhere under this sky might Christ not only the one who walked upon the scene, cleanse the lepers, and did all the preaching and things that he did, but here he prayed for me and it is matchless story. Mohammed did not die for you. It was not worthy nobody else could have died for you. None of the Hindu gods were the grotesque. Actually if you look at them.

I mean that there obscene you go live not been but I've seen pictures. He loved her and that's that. The main thing verse Emmy for God to tell us to love the unlovable is gotta be something to it and it is up to us to research verse 10. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of model on I have acquired as my wife to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance at the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren from his position at the gate. You are witnesses, this day, what we are we are we witnessing that Mullen's name is still connected to that property and and LML X is also even though the Jews make a few twists and turns on amine and in a negative way come to that. Naturally, before I get to it.

But here is the first mention as to which of Naomi's sons married Ruth and it is Moloch Boaz is still giving his speech there at the city gate and his love for Ruth is displayed without shame. His declaration that she is a Moabitess, again without shame, he declared says it right out and you got a problem with that is tough. You not marrying her. I am but it does seem like no one in Bethlehem at this time really have a problem with these seem to be just great people at this time in history, but this shameless love is strong love and it's just remarkable. Boaz became God's answer to his own prayer. Boaz had prayed for this for Ruth. He didn't know at the time. He said these words. I'm about to read that he was going to be the one that fulfilled them. He says Ruth chapter 2 verse 12 to Ruth, he is speaking he says Yahweh repay your work and a full reward be given you by Yahweh God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge and now it's being fulfilled and he's the guy.

Yeah, she did come to him, then I say take me on your wings. In response to this prayer, but he still there obstacles, but I'm sure he had a glow in his heart he just knew Boaz.

He didn't want the field he wanted Ruth. He was wealthy enough, he did need another lot, he needed Ruth and the Lord Jesus Christ does not want our things. He wants us is interested in us personally. Is it too much to ask to eat of all these trees, except one seed what's that one tree with Adam and Eve. Of course, the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but for us it's that one sin that we know were not supposed to commit but we just like this one and still he says delete from that in the day you eat of it is going to mess you up to be good for you and we know by faith we learn that everything he says is right. So we are told in Matthew chapter 1 that Boaz was the descendents of Rahab and Rahab of Jericho, that is, she was a Gentile, Ruth, another Gentile entered stood lineage of Christ as now she is the wife of Boaz. He is not ashamed of.

She doesn't know yet story reads as she and Naomi are back home probably praying knees at the gate taking care of business and they'll know by the way he other rides up on his donkey, or stroller or walks up the road they going to know or maybe also a dispatcher runner will come with the great news.

Boa has you are now Mrs. Boaz and she will probably say she probably said, I've always wanted to see my name wonderful changes coming to Ruth's life because she trusted Boaz. She let him work on her behalf. We don't read about them fussing.

We don't read about him trust her trying to give him advice in to be a man like that is a lot of work but it's worth the effort. No longer Ruth the Moabitess, now Ruth, the wife of Boaz overtaken her passes overtaken by by love. She gets a fresh start is now the wife and the says that that here in verse 10.

At the bottom of the verse that the name of the dead may not be cut off among his brethren. You know what's in that God is mindful of our thoughts about the dead you think about because to us. They're not gone you're not here. Do not gone is not the typical paradox is not doesn't contradict.

We know where they are not lost, just not present.

And this is just a little thing in here that the name of the dead.

Well, you know, the whirling silk as the dead, it's about the living somethings are living like preaching sermons on solvation and continues here and his position at the gate with a dilemma like may have been a leader in Bethlehem and I think that's what that phrase means it can be a general thing that you know he's registered amongst and in the records of City Hall kind of thing that I think EP may have been a leader at the gate who owned the field and lived there in Bethlehem is one of the elders and and when the famine came that pressure pushed him to Moab seem like a good idea at the time.

Sure verse 11 and all the people who were at the gate and the elders said we are witnesses. Yahweh make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah and the two who built the house of Israel and may you prosper in F. Rother and be famous in Bethlehem. So where you would you go to court you win the case.

Everybody starts praising and blessing you that's what's going on.

This turns into a blessedness of church service in the courthouse at the city gate a beautiful blessing from godly people and we consider the words of Naomi in chapter 1 of Ruth verse 19. Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem and it happened when they had come to Bethlehem that all the city was excited because of them. Women said is this Naomi. Naomi said to them, do not call me Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. Now it's all changed is slowly changed and it rolled completely right into place. It just like that here they are saying that that this is this going to be a blessing on this house may it be like Rachel and Leah who built this row and a nice comment about that a minute so they say. May you prosper in F. Rother that's an ancient name of Bethlehem, it means fruitful him is the house of bread. Verse 12.

They continue with the blessing. May your house be like the house of Perez home Taymor bore to Judah because of the offspring which Yahweh will give you from this young woman is quite powerful. It is for connecting her future with their pastors the people that the patriarchs in the matriarchs of the Jewish people.

Perez.

He was the child of a similar marriage not identical, but is similar with the you know the family involved. The one dying and another one having it with the sordid details are left out historians as well. You know Genesis you will read the story, but I'm just making that connection and I think that's kind of a classy act or move on the part of the historian. As I mentioned, this book of Ruth is one of the most pleasant books in the Bible to read put it next to Lamentations effects.

Quite a contrast Lamentations is not doesn't cover it up just tells you. Listen if you coming in him telling you right now is nothing but you know wooden nickels in hard times so that you can binding with wooden nickels in hard times are what they are. Verse 13 so Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife.

Yahweh gave her conception, she bore a son, having married a Jewish man, Ruth is not received. Now is a Moabitess, even though there's a curse on the Moabite people. She is now sort of. It's overruled.

It's overruled because of her this this statement. Your people shall be my people and your God shall be my God. Isaiah the bridges on this thing, this very thing in Isaiah 56 in verse three God speaking through Isaiah, do not let the sun of the foreigner who is joined himself to Yahweh speaks and Yahweh has utterly separated me from his people, so God said to Isaiah listener people that are coming to me that are not Jewish the Gentiles. I don't want them feeling like I don't love them as much as I love you.

This is back in the Old Testament the treatment of Ruth by Boaz and the other Israelites of Bethlehem demonstrates that what Isaiah will say centuries later, was never meant to exclude the one who came to the Lord as Ruth did.

Curses upon the Moabite people did not exclude the one who came under the wings of Yahweh and Ruth she could now only life is just going to change for all along. After a long period of barrenness 10 years.

She was married to Malone and now she's going to have a child with with Boaz and it is God's blessing on her. That's how everyone proceeded verse 14 then the women said to Naomi, Blessed be Yahweh who has not left you this day without a close relative and may his name be famous in Israel, probably well, while Boaz is winning the case and it looked and everybody no occasion when this word started getting back to Naomi. That's with now the scene changes so we are watching a movie we wouldn't be at the city gate would be at the house when Naomi was staying with might've been the ruins left behind by Lynn Malec that one possibility or another family member's house.

But anyway, here the women they, the women said to Naomi blessedness. Yahweh is not left you without a close relative you not matter anymore.

Naomi, you are back to being Naomi's the faithfulness of God able to restore with the locus of Eaton and after that lamentation is nothing she can say the women even ORPA made the wrong decision in a small scale. She's like the thief on the cross that made the wrong choice. She's not in the picture anymore but I just bring her name up to say there was nothing that was distasteful with with ORPA as a person goes religions another story. Anyway, the women in this book of Ruth are all portrayed as kind people.

Everyone of them. Some of the men except that little thing about I've told the men to leave you alone.

It's gonna let you know they'll do that on their own. Then they say, may his name be famous in Israel, whose name obits, not Boaz. That's who's being referenced. There was an understatement. His name be famous because he's associated with King David and with the King of Kings Messiah himself. Jesus the Christ. Verse 15 and may be to you a restore of life in an era sure of your old age for your daughter-in-law who loves you was better to you than seven sons has or has borne him so strong statement in favor of Ruth. The value of Ruth that she's better than seven sons and Naomi. Do you know you got a gem here.

None of these women are saying Abbott you know she's nobody hits her with that is still talking about obit here in verse 15 W., may he be a restore of life in a nourishment provider for you. That's obit this little baby that at the moment. Psalm 92 verse 13. Those who are planted in the house of Yahweh shall flourish in the courts of our God. Now this is applying space especially to Naomi right now. He continues in Psalm 92, they shall bear fruit in old age, they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that Yahweh is upright. He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in him. So there. The psalmist is saying that those who are faithful in the house of God, even into their old age. God's going to be using them to bear fruit in the bitterness is going to be knocked out and that's what we seeing Naomi the bitterness knocked out God's using her as we should not be part of the story again take her out of the story Mrs. Noble group for 16 then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom and became a nurse to him. His grand gesture of care.

She scoops up the child and hold him close to her heart. There is Naomi still in the midst still in the family. Ruth loved her and she loved Ruth and they love this child and Boaz is not left out of the picture is okay well you know you're stuck with us now with paralegal deal. Not at all, you get none of that.

They love this child born in the house of Boaz in the house of love and the book emphasizes the vital role that women play in God's plan for humanity. That's one of the great themes of this little book is a little book as a means somehow okay well it's only 10% of the work know it's not 100% can be 2% of the Bible. 100% of the value also. Nevertheless, she will be saved in childbearing. If they continue in faith, love and holiness. Self-control, yet he may have goofed up. That doesn't carry over just like that faith overcomes these things and the evidence of faith surfaces in love and holiness and self-control. That's what Paul is saying what I love about these women heroines in the faith, as they were trying to be one of the guys I know about you, use it with his preference, but I don't know I think were reaping the fruits of it as a society, but when the women try to be one of the guys. One of the guys try to be one of the girls is a right and any necessary either, although she plays pool like us will. She's one of the guys I'll be one of the guys well with the guys. No need for such silliness. And yet the world is dictating. This left and right you know if you want to be valuable get the men to think like women and then you think like men and look at the mess we're in now just people you know they can be put on the birth certificate, male or female without asking you what he wanted to be put Down verse 17 also the neighbor women gave him a name saying there is a son born to Naomi and they called his name Oved. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. The ladies seem to have been given the honor of naming the lad that you call your friend say what would you like to name my child talk I get some abilities together. Okay, will you please get together in five years. Maybe you come up with something. In any okay.

I was going good until I did that so anyway. Either they leave gave him a nickname that stuck or they actually named him what an honor both ways when an honor for the ladies to be invited to do this and what an honor that they did a ruthless willing to receive mercy and grace in the ladies just made it easy for everyone. Verse 18. Now this is the genealogy of Perez now events skip some of this, Ms. Perez, again, is the ancestral regional anchor of the whole story salmon there in verse 20 he is the husband of Rahab of Jericho.

This is a truncated list.

This genealogy is not an exhaustive list their 900 years of history between Perez and this moment here so it's condensed this condensed record is picked up by Matthew. Matthew does not lay all the relatives out for us.

He skips over he puts them in groups and that's just a literary tactic of the historians verse 21. Salmon begot Boaz and Boaz begot Oved while the inheritance belongs to Malani's name.

The father is still Boaz and Oved is regarded regarded not only as the one who inherits what belonged to Molly on but also the air of what Boaz owns and so he's not Boaz may have had other children. Again he could've been a widower himself left out of the story doesn't read like he has an ego.

Verse 22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David so the story perpetuates the names of dilemma lack an mile on in the genie but the genealogies really does not because we we don't hear these men anymore.

It's obit we do here of, but consider the impact from this story we get David and when you consider how remarkable it is just the names associated with David this this is look at some of the characters were Boaz. Of course, and then Ruth and Naomi, but this Samuel Nathan, the prophet Gad, the prophet Jesse David's father Solomon is Jonathan, the son of King Saul. Saul himself this Joab see my the one that cursed David to Roxette him there's Michelle, the daughter of Saul David's first wife.

This Abigail my favorite adversary that there's this Bathsheba Abishag you know David couldn't stay warm. I believe she was a shoe my love song of Solomon. This Absalom and the Hitler fell and hit the fellow's counsel was like anybody got David had the citizen who shot try to counteract the Hitler fell's advice and because of God at work in the Hitler fell annuity without guilt himself.

If they either get tight, probably not even a Jew from Gath of a man from Gath, Goliath's hometown Goliath a name associated with David Ben Anaya, one of the mighty men of David and then of course you know Uriah, who touched the. The ark owes apart. Me and Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, whom David betrayed. So you think about these names in the story surrounding them. The times they lived in and you say this David is coming from Oved than Jesse, and of course we have this David and and this story has captured this and he says watch your step.

You don't know who you are on the line of history who you going to be in the name in the list of names that I just read are you a Jonathan are your Goliath you are you are you are judge Joab or maybe I was shy or if they I see I don't even know these people are we going to find out who they are and some of them are just grand characters. Proverbs 10 seven.

The memory of the righteous is blessed but the name of the wicked will rot and it does because you mention Absalom. It's a rotten name left no sons story shows God desire to incorporate outsiders into his family. It was his grace.

It was his doing.

They really have little if anything to do with it, and he brought them in any way. Well, we finished the book of Ruth.

This little town of Bethlehem. Of course that will produce Messiah and what does Bethlehem you know every Christmas, every child in this country and Western civilization used to be this way.

Bethlehem and Satan is working hard to get born into this world never heard of Bethlehem Christ of Bethlehem, and in May we upset their plans maybe ruin the devil's agenda.

Any chance we get. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of cross-reference is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com. There you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe, you will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast app work. Just follow the links@crossreferenceradio.com that's all the time we have for today, but we hope you'll join us next time. As we continue to learn more from the book of Ruth right here on cross-reference