1 00:00:01,100 --> 00:00:03,300 Good afternoon. It's good to be together. 2 00:00:03,300 --> 00:00:05,900 Again, this afternoon, we're happy to have this opportunity 3 00:00:05,900 --> 00:00:09,400 to worship together in spirit and Truth, happy to have each 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,700 and every one of you present here with us this afternoon and 5 00:00:12,700 --> 00:00:16,000 I'm thankful to be invited. Once again, to be your speaker. 6 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,400 Want to read a passage of scripture with you to begin this 7 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:23,000 afternoon from The Book of Proverbs Proverbs chapter 4. 8 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:26,100 And I'd like to read here with you, a few verses that are 9 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:30,400 things that are taught to Solomon. 10 00:00:31,100 --> 00:00:35,100 From his father, David that he's wanting to share with his son 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:40,400 rehoboam. And in Proverbs Chapter 1, the 12 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:45,600 Bible says, beginning at verse 4, he also taught me and said to 13 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:50,100 me, let your heart retained. My words, keep my commands and 14 00:00:50,100 --> 00:00:56,100 live get wisdom. Get understanding, do not 15 00:00:56,100 --> 00:01:00,700 forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth, do not 16 00:01:00,700 --> 00:01:02,900 forsake her and she will preserve you. 17 00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:06,000 I love her and she will keep you. 18 00:01:06,700 --> 00:01:13,800 Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom and all 19 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:19,400 your getting get understanding exalt her and she will promote 20 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:23,900 you, she will bring you honor. When you Embrace her, she will 21 00:01:23,900 --> 00:01:29,400 place on your head and ornament of Grace, a Crown of Glory, she 22 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,200 will deliver to you. It's helpful, isn't it at times 23 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,300 to have the Bible just kind of give you a little verbal 24 00:01:36,300 --> 00:01:39,900 highlighter and that's really what happens in verse 7. 25 00:01:39,900 --> 00:01:44,700 Where you see that phrase? Wisdom is the principal thing. 26 00:01:44,700 --> 00:01:49,700 Therefore, get wisdom. This is something that David 27 00:01:49,700 --> 00:01:53,000 taught, his son, Solomon Solomon wants to teach his son. 28 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,900 Rehoboam and so we have the Book of Proverbs the first nine, 29 00:01:57,900 --> 00:02:03,000 chapters of the Book of Proverbs provide primary Marilee poems 30 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:08,699 that are exalting the benefits of wisdom, she is the most 31 00:02:08,699 --> 00:02:12,000 attractive companion and she will bring you the most 32 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,900 attracting attractive rewards in life. 33 00:02:15,100 --> 00:02:19,800 And so wisdom should be prized and honored and pursued. 34 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,600 And so this is something that we continue to be aware of even 35 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,200 today. Wisdom, we want wisdom. 36 00:02:29,300 --> 00:02:31,600 It's beautiful thing. It's an important thing. 37 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:33,500 It's something that is a priority. 38 00:02:34,500 --> 00:02:36,500 And so, what is that? What is wisdom? 39 00:02:37,700 --> 00:02:40,000 You know, wisdom is related to knowledge. 40 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,600 Knowledge, of course is the Gathering of information of 41 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,700 facts and all that thing. But wisdom is the ability to 42 00:02:46,700 --> 00:02:50,400 apply that knowledge to a particular situation. 43 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,000 So a person who is wise knows how to apply what they know. 44 00:02:56,100 --> 00:03:00,100 To what they are doing. And so we want to learn God's 45 00:03:00,100 --> 00:03:03,100 will we want to know the truths of God's will? 46 00:03:03,100 --> 00:03:06,300 It's a vital that we know the truths of God's will? 47 00:03:07,500 --> 00:03:12,300 But we need wisdom to, we need to understand how to apply those 48 00:03:12,300 --> 00:03:17,300 truths to particular situations to be able to recognize how 49 00:03:17,300 --> 00:03:19,200 God's word the truths of God's word. 50 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,900 Actually should look in real life and how they should impact 51 00:03:23,900 --> 00:03:26,600 our real life. So we want to spend a few 52 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,100 moments this afternoon thinking about that. 53 00:03:28,100 --> 00:03:30,400 How is it that you would get wisdom? 54 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,500 Where do you get wisdom from after all? 55 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,000 Well, there's a lot of different ways that I think you can get 56 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:38,700 wisdom a lot of different avenues that God provides for 57 00:03:38,700 --> 00:03:42,600 us. But one of my favorite ways is 58 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,900 through studying characters of wisdom, in the Bible So want to 59 00:03:46,900 --> 00:03:50,100 do this afternoon for just a few moments is study about a woman 60 00:03:50,100 --> 00:03:54,200 of wisdom and this woman of wisdom her, the light of her 61 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,300 life shines especially bright because of the darkness of her 62 00:03:58,300 --> 00:04:01,300 days. This particular woman of wisdom 63 00:04:01,300 --> 00:04:07,000 lives in the days of the judges and if you know anything about 64 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,100 the history of the Bible and the way that the story of the Bible 65 00:04:10,100 --> 00:04:14,400 is told the history of the judges is one of the most 66 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,800 miserable periods in the The history of God's people 67 00:04:18,500 --> 00:04:23,500 miserable because of their incessant Rebellion against God. 68 00:04:24,100 --> 00:04:28,600 So the time of Judges happens just after the time of Joshua 69 00:04:28,900 --> 00:04:31,100 and so if you look in your Bibles, you find there beginning 70 00:04:31,100 --> 00:04:36,600 with Joshua 12, books of history and judges is the second book of 71 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,400 history. When you read the Book of 72 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:43,000 Judges, when you begin reading that book the generation of 73 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,700 Joshua is dying the way there. Gone. 74 00:04:47,700 --> 00:04:51,100 And what's going to happen in the days of the judges, the 75 00:04:51,100 --> 00:04:54,100 entire book is actually characterized by the very last 76 00:04:54,100 --> 00:04:56,700 phrase, in the book, in those days. 77 00:04:56,700 --> 00:04:59,200 There was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in 78 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,100 his own eyes. That's the period of the judges. 79 00:05:03,100 --> 00:05:05,700 People did whatever they wanted to, that's not very wise as if 80 00:05:05,700 --> 00:05:08,600 they're not applying the truths of God's word to their life. 81 00:05:09,100 --> 00:05:12,200 They're doing what they want. And as you read through judges, 82 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:16,800 you kind of read this repeating cycle, where you find the 83 00:05:16,808 --> 00:05:19,600 children of Israel, you know, inhabiting, the promised land 84 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,600 are being blessed by God and then they Rebel. 85 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:28,500 And then they suffer. And then they cry out to God. 86 00:05:29,700 --> 00:05:32,700 And God sends them a judge or a deliverer. 87 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:34,800 That's what the word judges. That's what that means. 88 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,300 I deliver him. He sends them a deliver and this 89 00:05:38,300 --> 00:05:42,500 deliver drives out the enemies and then there they are being 90 00:05:42,500 --> 00:05:45,300 blessed again and then they rubell. 91 00:05:45,300 --> 00:05:49,300 And on that cycle goes all the way through the Book of Judges. 92 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:55,800 and you think God is depending on these people, And he's made 93 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,100 promises that he has to keep the all of humanity that he's going 94 00:05:59,100 --> 00:06:03,700 to fulfill through these people. How is he going to do that? 95 00:06:03,700 --> 00:06:05,500 There didn't seem to be a good one among them. 96 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:09,900 And so you read all the way through the Book of Judges. 97 00:06:09,900 --> 00:06:14,500 And by the time you get to the end, you are literally the last 98 00:06:14,500 --> 00:06:17,800 stories kind of make you a little ill to be honest with 99 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,900 you. They're awful. 100 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:24,900 And you think that how could it get? 101 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:29,500 How can it work? And then you read the book of 102 00:06:29,500 --> 00:06:32,700 Ruth, aren't you? Glad the Book of Ruth is in the 103 00:06:32,700 --> 00:06:36,600 vial on so happy that it's there in the more, you know, about 104 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:40,200 this dark time. The more beautiful this book 105 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:44,500 becomes because the Book of Judges tells us about this 106 00:06:44,500 --> 00:06:48,700 period, and then you have this little short little book for 107 00:06:48,700 --> 00:06:51,500 chapters. That tells you the story of 108 00:06:51,500 --> 00:06:55,100 Ruth, Ruth happens, to take place. 109 00:06:55,100 --> 00:06:57,200 In the land, we begin in the land of Moab. 110 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,900 As you begin to To read the beginning of the book of Ruth. 111 00:07:00,100 --> 00:07:02,500 It tells you about a man named elimelech. 112 00:07:02,900 --> 00:07:07,100 His wife is Naomi. He has two sons Malian and now 113 00:07:07,100 --> 00:07:10,200 Alan and Chilean. They are F recites of Bethlehem 114 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,000 Judah. They went to the country of Moab 115 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:18,500 and remain there there there because of famine And elimelech 116 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:22,800 Naomi's husband died, and she was left in her two sons. 117 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:25,600 And they took wives of the women of Malaysia. 118 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,300 The name of the one was orpah, the name of the other Ruth they 119 00:07:29,300 --> 00:07:33,900 dwelt there about 10 years. And then both Malin and Chilean 120 00:07:33,900 --> 00:07:36,800 died. So the woman survived her two 121 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,800 sons and her husband, as you read the first, five verses of 122 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:42,400 Ruth, the sun doesn't begin. Shining kwacha. 123 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,900 That's a pretty depressing beginning. 124 00:07:46,900 --> 00:07:50,300 And by the time you get to verse 5, you're left with Naomi and 125 00:07:50,300 --> 00:07:54,800 her two daughter-in-laws. And you think what are these 126 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:56,700 folks going to do their providers? 127 00:07:56,700 --> 00:08:01,100 Their protectors have died. What are they going to do? 128 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,400 And so, we find ourselves in the beginning of judges in a period 129 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:07,500 or in the beginning of Ruth, that a period, where it appears 130 00:08:07,500 --> 00:08:09,800 to be very difficult to carry out. 131 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:12,400 The will of God grab your Bibles and read with me here for a 132 00:08:12,407 --> 00:08:14,200 minute. I want to read verses 6 through 133 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:15,700 18. I'm not going to read the whole 134 00:08:15,700 --> 00:08:18,700 book of Ruth with you but I do want to read this little section 135 00:08:18,700 --> 00:08:22,500 here because it tells the story of what happens next now that 136 00:08:22,500 --> 00:08:25,200 they find themselves in this difficult scenario. 137 00:08:25,500 --> 00:08:29,700 What are they going to do? What decisions are they going to 138 00:08:29,700 --> 00:08:32,700 make? And just keep it in your mind in 139 00:08:32,700 --> 00:08:35,100 a difficult moment. What do the commands of God? 140 00:08:35,100 --> 00:08:37,900 Where do they go? Are they still with you or do 141 00:08:37,900 --> 00:08:39,900 you throw them out because times are too hard. 142 00:08:39,900 --> 00:08:42,299 Let's see what they do. Let's begin here in verse 6. 143 00:08:42,299 --> 00:08:45,600 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might 144 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,500 return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country 145 00:08:48,500 --> 00:08:51,600 of Moab that the Lord had visited his people by giving 146 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:54,600 them bread. Then she went out from the place 147 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:58,300 where she was, and her two daughters in love with her and 148 00:08:58,300 --> 00:09:00,800 then went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 149 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,600 De. And they only said to her two, 150 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,600 daughters-in-law go return each to her mother's house. 151 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:12,100 The Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and 152 00:09:12,100 --> 00:09:17,100 with me, the Lord grant that you may find rest each into house of 153 00:09:17,100 --> 00:09:21,300 her husband. So she kissed them and they 154 00:09:21,300 --> 00:09:25,500 lifted up their voices and wept and they said to her surely we 155 00:09:25,500 --> 00:09:29,600 will return with you to your people but Naomi said, turn back 156 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:31,500 my daughter's. While will you go with me? 157 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:34,100 Are there still sounds in my womb? 158 00:09:34,100 --> 00:09:36,800 That they may be your husband's turn. 159 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,800 Back my daughter's. Go Fran, too old to have a 160 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:43,000 husband. If I should say, I have hope if 161 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,800 I should have a husband tonight and should also bear Sons. 162 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,600 Would you wait for them till they were grown? 163 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,200 Would you restrain yourselves from having husband's know, my 164 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,300 daughter's for it. Grieves me very much for your 165 00:09:56,300 --> 00:10:00,900 sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me, then 166 00:10:00,900 --> 00:10:05,200 they lifted up their voices and wept again and orpah, kissed her 167 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:11,100 mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her, And she said, look, your 168 00:10:11,100 --> 00:10:14,700 sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her God's 169 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:20,900 return after your sister-in-law. But Ruth said, entreat me not to 170 00:10:20,900 --> 00:10:25,700 leave you or to turn back from following after you, for 171 00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:29,600 wherever you go, I will go wherever you Lodge. 172 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:33,100 I will Lodge. Your people shall be my people 173 00:10:33,900 --> 00:10:38,200 and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die. 174 00:10:38,700 --> 00:10:43,100 And there will I be buried the Lord do so to me and more also 175 00:10:43,100 --> 00:10:48,100 if anything but death Parts you and me When she saw that she had 176 00:10:48,100 --> 00:10:52,200 determined to go with her. She stopped speaking with her. 177 00:10:53,500 --> 00:10:58,400 And so things, get better. It seems the Lord has blessed 178 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:00,900 the promised land. Again, she's going to return. 179 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:06,700 Naomi is from this land of Moab. She's going to go back home and 180 00:11:06,700 --> 00:11:10,200 as I start cruising along here, come the daughters-in-law with 181 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:16,500 her And what does she tell them? She says go home. 182 00:11:18,500 --> 00:11:20,100 You know, what is this conversation? 183 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,600 Do you notice what happens? She tells him to go home and 184 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:30,600 they cry their sad. And you know, I'm sure on the 185 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,800 days these girls married into this family. 186 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:34,600 This is not what they thought was going to happen. 187 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:38,300 This is you know, things as they planned out, had not turned out, 188 00:11:38,900 --> 00:11:43,100 they didn't work. Like they thought it would And 189 00:11:43,100 --> 00:11:48,200 so you can just go back home. You know it's more though than 190 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:51,700 just frustrated expectations. That's at the center of this 191 00:11:51,700 --> 00:11:55,800 Exchange. What is the only mean when she 192 00:11:55,800 --> 00:12:00,200 says, will you wait for me to get married and have sons? 193 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:03,900 Will you restrain yourselves from having husband's in a, what 194 00:12:03,900 --> 00:12:08,100 is all of that about? You know what that is? 195 00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:10,800 That's something she's referring to something called the lived. 196 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:14,200 Here it law. The levira it law is in 197 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,700 Deuteronomy chapter 25. If you want to read it, I think 198 00:12:16,700 --> 00:12:21,700 it's in verses 5 through 10. What is the labirynth law will 199 00:12:21,700 --> 00:12:24,300 buckle your seatbelts? Here's what the levirate law is. 200 00:12:25,900 --> 00:12:29,000 Remember, this is for Israel, this is their law and this is 201 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,600 all about building a nation. That here's what would happen if 202 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,900 you had two brothers and one brother dies and he does not 203 00:12:35,900 --> 00:12:40,100 leave behind his Sun, it becomes his brothers responsibility to 204 00:12:40,100 --> 00:12:43,300 take that wife and father, his son on behalf of his brother. 205 00:12:44,300 --> 00:12:46,500 And so that is the love irit law. 206 00:12:48,500 --> 00:12:52,400 When these girls married into this family, they did more than 207 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:54,800 just marry these guys. They literally married into the 208 00:12:54,800 --> 00:13:02,900 family. and when their husbands died without Sons, God has a law 209 00:13:02,900 --> 00:13:06,800 for that. God has expectations for what 210 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:09,000 people are supposed to do in that circumstance. 211 00:13:09,300 --> 00:13:13,900 What are they going to do? You know what Naomi says? 212 00:13:13,900 --> 00:13:15,200 And I don't want to be too hard on. 213 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:17,300 They only know me as it is a good person. 214 00:13:17,300 --> 00:13:20,600 I believe that she's having a difficult time figuring out how 215 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:24,200 to follow God's Will. And these particular moments we 216 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:26,600 can relate to that. All of us maybe have been there. 217 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,800 But what is Naomi recognized or what does she recommend? 218 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:38,700 She recommends go home. We can't do it. 219 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:41,500 It won't work. I know God's law. 220 00:13:41,500 --> 00:13:43,500 I know what he says. We're supposed to do in the 221 00:13:43,500 --> 00:13:47,700 circumstance, but it's too hard. It's just too hard. 222 00:13:47,900 --> 00:13:52,600 There's no way it can work out. So you girls, you go home. 223 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:59,700 For them to leave Naomi then is not just about loyalty, it's not 224 00:13:59,700 --> 00:14:03,300 just personal loyalty. It is actually to leave. 225 00:14:03,300 --> 00:14:07,900 God's will do you notice when orpah leaves? 226 00:14:07,900 --> 00:14:10,600 Look at this little phrase here that can sneak by, if you're not 227 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,800 watching it, real close verse 15, what does she say? 228 00:14:14,500 --> 00:14:18,700 Warper has gone back to her people and to her gods? 229 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,900 You know, leaving the only wasn't just about leaving a 230 00:14:23,900 --> 00:14:28,000 familiar person leaving someone. They loved leaving someone that 231 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,100 they wanted to that wasn't just the deal. 232 00:14:31,300 --> 00:14:37,000 It was about leaving God. Going back to idolatry. 233 00:14:38,500 --> 00:14:42,500 So to leave me only as to go home to idolatry and to re-adopt 234 00:14:43,500 --> 00:14:46,300 those ordinances as they had in their own country. 235 00:14:49,100 --> 00:14:52,300 Or believes the Ruth refuses to go. 236 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:55,800 Look at what Ruth says now. Beginning in verse 15. 237 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:57,900 Jesus don't entreat me to leave you. 238 00:14:59,500 --> 00:15:01,300 Because I'm going to go with you, where you go. 239 00:15:01,300 --> 00:15:03,000 I will go. I want you to notice as we look 240 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:07,000 at these phrases, the increasing level of commitment with each 241 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:11,100 phrase that she states. The first thing she says, where 242 00:15:11,100 --> 00:15:12,200 you go. I'm going to go. 243 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:15,800 Okay, they're going to take a road trip together. 244 00:15:17,300 --> 00:15:21,100 I mean, Chris here we have taken I don't know quite a few road 245 00:15:21,100 --> 00:15:23,700 trips together. Actually, over the years, takes 246 00:15:23,700 --> 00:15:25,500 a level of commitment to do that. 247 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,300 Not a super. Profound level of commitment, 248 00:15:29,300 --> 00:15:30,500 maybe. But look at what she says. 249 00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:33,200 Next, where you stay? I'm going to stay when we've 250 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:36,800 done that, too. We used to have 15, guys. 251 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:41,100 Stay in one room at a meeting at one time took a shower at 3:00 252 00:15:41,100 --> 00:15:45,100 in the morning because that's not when the time was Then she 253 00:15:45,100 --> 00:15:47,600 says, your people will be my people. 254 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:52,800 So you my family is going to be your family and your God, my 255 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:53,800 God. I'm going to die. 256 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:55,500 Where you die. I'm going to be buried where 257 00:15:55,500 --> 00:15:58,300 you're buried. Do you see the increasing level 258 00:15:58,300 --> 00:16:00,100 of commitment that she announces? 259 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,200 This is not just because Ruth really likes Naomi. 260 00:16:07,300 --> 00:16:10,700 The first point of wisdom, I want you to see in Ruth as this 261 00:16:11,100 --> 00:16:15,100 Ruth is committed to God until she dies. 262 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:19,300 She does not have an Escape Plan. 263 00:16:19,300 --> 00:16:24,700 She does not have an option. It is I'm committed to God and 264 00:16:24,700 --> 00:16:26,900 I'm going to be committed to him when I die. 265 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,000 You know, when you run into challenges in life you're going 266 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,200 to find situations where you think, I don't know how to do 267 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:37,300 God's will. In this moment you may find 268 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:42,700 situations like that you may struggle to understand how to 269 00:16:42,700 --> 00:16:45,200 apply God's word to a particular situation. 270 00:16:46,300 --> 00:16:47,500 But I'm going to make you a promise. 271 00:16:47,500 --> 00:16:50,500 You will never figure it out if you don't begin with this 272 00:16:50,500 --> 00:16:53,900 commitment. If you don't have it in your 273 00:16:53,900 --> 00:16:58,800 mind that there is no way, I will leave God, I don't know how 274 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:00,700 this will work. I don't know the direction we're 275 00:17:00,700 --> 00:17:02,700 going to go but I'm never leaving him. 276 00:17:02,700 --> 00:17:05,800 No matter what. If that's not your starting 277 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,500 point, you're gonna have a hard time making a wise decision in a 278 00:17:08,508 --> 00:17:12,400 difficult time. But that's where Ruth begins. 279 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,800 She is loyal to God until she dies. 280 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:22,300 There Is No Escape Plan. So I love verse 8, verse 18. 281 00:17:23,599 --> 00:17:26,000 When she saw that she just stopped speaking. 282 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:30,400 And then verse 19, They Come to Bethlehem, don't you? 283 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,900 Wish you had a little bit of a note there on what they talked 284 00:17:32,900 --> 00:17:35,900 about on the way, they have this conversation, then they walk all 285 00:17:35,900 --> 00:17:38,500 the way from Moab for Bethlehem and we don't know what they say, 286 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:40,300 but I know they chatted on the way. 287 00:17:40,300 --> 00:17:42,400 I'm sure that they did. So when they get back to 288 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:46,300 Bethlehem the end of chapter 1, tells you about their return to 289 00:17:46,300 --> 00:17:49,800 Bethlehem. And, you know, people remember 290 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:51,200 Naomi. It's been a while since she's 291 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:52,400 been there, but they remember her. 292 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:56,900 This is her hometown and she comes home and people say, hey 293 00:17:56,900 --> 00:18:01,500 Naomi's here and she says, don't call me Naomi, you call me Mara. 294 00:18:03,700 --> 00:18:05,800 Well, that's kind of a distressing greeting. 295 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,700 The name Naomi really means sweet. 296 00:18:09,700 --> 00:18:14,200 The name, Mara means bitter. Don't call me sweet. 297 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:17,000 You called me bitter. Why does she say that? 298 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,600 She says, because God has basically reached out against me 299 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:25,000 and my family. Is that true? 300 00:18:25,300 --> 00:18:27,700 Naomi is the first person to believe that. 301 00:18:27,700 --> 00:18:30,400 Do you know a lot of people believe that even to this very 302 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:34,600 day A lot of very conservative scholars believe that maybe 303 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:35,900 that's true. I don't know. 304 00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:40,700 I kind of wonder about it though because when and other places in 305 00:18:40,700 --> 00:18:44,100 the Bible where God punishes people like that it says God 306 00:18:44,100 --> 00:18:48,300 punish them like that. And so when you read in Genesis 307 00:18:48,300 --> 00:18:53,400 about the descendants of herb being punished, it tells you 308 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:59,400 when you read in second, Samuel about other grabbing the ark God 309 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:03,400 tells you, I killed him. It doesn't say that here. 310 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:06,500 I just want to give that to you. You think about it as you read 311 00:19:06,500 --> 00:19:09,200 the book of Ruth. But anyway that's what she 312 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:13,100 believes. The very last verse of chapter 1 313 00:19:13,100 --> 00:19:15,700 gives you a little bit of a note here about the circumstances of 314 00:19:15,708 --> 00:19:19,100 their return as well. It says now Naomi returned and 315 00:19:19,100 --> 00:19:21,500 Ruth the moabite his daughter-in-law with her who 316 00:19:21,500 --> 00:19:25,200 returned from the country of Moab and they came to Bethlehem 317 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:28,900 at the beginning of barley Harvest let me read the first 318 00:19:28,900 --> 00:19:31,300 three, verses of chapter 2, there was a relative of Naomi's, 319 00:19:31,300 --> 00:19:33,300 husband, a man of great, Great wealth of the family of 320 00:19:33,300 --> 00:19:35,600 elimelech. His name was Boaz. 321 00:19:36,300 --> 00:19:38,100 So Ruth the moabite is said to Naomi. 322 00:19:38,100 --> 00:19:40,900 Please let me go to the field and glean heads of grain after 323 00:19:40,900 --> 00:19:45,900 him in whose sight, and I find favor and she said to her, go my 324 00:19:45,900 --> 00:19:49,700 daughter and she left and went and gleaned in the field after 325 00:19:49,700 --> 00:19:52,300 the Reapers. And she happened to come to the 326 00:19:52,300 --> 00:19:56,500 part of the field belonging to Boaz who was of the family of 327 00:19:56,500 --> 00:20:00,200 elimelech. as you read the very end of chapter, one in the 328 00:20:00,208 --> 00:20:04,900 beginning of chapter 2, there's this little note about the time 329 00:20:04,900 --> 00:20:11,200 of their return, its barley Harvest, it's Harvest Time And 330 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,400 speaking of God's law, God had a plan for people who were down 331 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:19,500 and out here comes Ruth and Naomi back to this particular 332 00:20:19,500 --> 00:20:22,400 area. They don't have any money, they 333 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:24,700 don't have a bunch of Provisions, late aside, they're 334 00:20:24,700 --> 00:20:29,900 really in bad shape. And so, how are they going to 335 00:20:29,900 --> 00:20:32,800 provide for themselves? I mean literally, what are they 336 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:37,200 going to eat for dinner? Will God had a plan for that, 337 00:20:37,900 --> 00:20:39,900 you know, in The Book of Leviticus, it mentions a little 338 00:20:39,900 --> 00:20:42,200 bit about this. If you read Leviticus chapter, 339 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:46,700 19, verses 9 and 10, Leviticus chapter 23, verse 22. 340 00:20:47,500 --> 00:20:50,200 And there's a couple of other places too, but God had a plan 341 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,700 for what those who were less fortunate. 342 00:20:53,700 --> 00:20:58,300 We're going to be allowed to do. So, here is his plan. when these 343 00:20:58,300 --> 00:21:01,200 Farmers would go through and reap their fields, there's a, 344 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:05,300 there's a couple of rules first rule you go through the field 345 00:21:05,300 --> 00:21:09,500 once You don't go through and harvest twice. 346 00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:12,100 You go through and you harvest your field one time. 347 00:21:13,100 --> 00:21:16,600 Rule number two, is you leave the hedges around your property 348 00:21:17,500 --> 00:21:21,300 and don't Harvest them at all. So what's the point of all of 349 00:21:21,308 --> 00:21:24,600 that? Well, those that were having a 350 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:27,300 difficult time, those that are struggling were allowed them to 351 00:21:27,300 --> 00:21:30,200 go through those fields and harvest for themselves. 352 00:21:31,700 --> 00:21:34,200 That's the way they were designed to provide for 353 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,000 themselves in those difficult times. 354 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,300 So, Ruth here, when she says, all that, why do you think she 355 00:21:39,300 --> 00:21:42,300 says that you know why? I think she says that because 356 00:21:42,300 --> 00:21:46,800 she read Leviticus 19 before because she read Leviticus 23, 357 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,900 she knew the law and what does she do? 358 00:21:49,900 --> 00:21:53,100 She applies God's law to this difficult circumstance. 359 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:56,700 Let me go out to those fields and let me go reap. 360 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,900 I love this example. In the middle of a difficult 361 00:22:01,900 --> 00:22:03,400 time. What should you do? 362 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:07,700 Well to begin with Ruth is loyal to God till she dies but number 363 00:22:07,700 --> 00:22:12,300 two is Ruth Works to solve her problems. 364 00:22:14,300 --> 00:22:17,600 She works according to God's will to solve her problems. 365 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,200 Reminds me of Madison's first grade teacher, my oldest 366 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:23,900 daughter Madison, she had this first grade teacher named mrs. 367 00:22:23,900 --> 00:22:28,300 Jones, Mrs. Jones was a wonderful teacher. 368 00:22:28,300 --> 00:22:31,500 She had been teaching first grade for 30 years or something. 369 00:22:31,500 --> 00:22:34,200 She was an expert at teaching first grade. 370 00:22:34,900 --> 00:22:38,700 And at teaching parents, as it turned out, she was wonderful. 371 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:42,500 And in this class, these kids come into first grade that's a 372 00:22:42,500 --> 00:22:44,500 big jump. Isn't it to go from kindergarten 373 00:22:44,500 --> 00:22:48,400 to first grade big jump? And you have to do all these 374 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:50,600 things, all the sudden and she told us, she said, you know, 375 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:55,200 these, these kids need to be ready on the first day of school 376 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:59,800 to do all of these different things and like, tie their own 377 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:01,900 shoes, and those sorts of things. 378 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,000 And then she explained, you know, what happens, these first 379 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,800 graders, every single problem, they have they come up to me and 380 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,100 ask me to solve it. And one of the things I'm going 381 00:23:12,108 --> 00:23:14,900 to teach these kids is to solve your own problems. 382 00:23:16,300 --> 00:23:20,200 Wow, I love that. I was a brand-new dad, you know, 383 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:22,700 Madison's in first grade, I'm learning right along with her, 384 00:23:22,700 --> 00:23:26,600 but I love that solve your own problems like that. 385 00:23:27,500 --> 00:23:30,000 And so when she has her shoe untied what are you supposed to 386 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,200 tell her, solve your problem, you can do that. 387 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:36,200 You go do it. Where's my pencil? 388 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:37,900 I don't know. You go find it. 389 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,900 That's what mrs. Jones, tallest to do. 390 00:23:41,900 --> 00:23:45,100 And so in our family, even to this day, if I can tell Madison, 391 00:23:45,100 --> 00:23:48,400 Sy LP, she rolls her eyes, but she knows what that means. 392 00:23:49,900 --> 00:23:53,700 Solve your own problems. You know, there's there's 393 00:23:53,700 --> 00:23:55,800 something you can do when you have problems. 394 00:23:55,900 --> 00:23:59,400 There are things you can do and you don't we're tempted to do. 395 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,900 Is nothing. We're tended to be defeated by 396 00:24:03,900 --> 00:24:06,600 these problems and think, maybe they can't be overcome. 397 00:24:07,900 --> 00:24:09,300 And I don't say that to be critical. 398 00:24:09,300 --> 00:24:12,200 They feel overwhelming, they feel too big. 399 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:17,000 They feel too difficult. And you think there's nothing I 400 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,300 could do to make a difference? Yes, there is. 401 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:22,800 Get up and go to work on something. 402 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:27,100 Go work on something you can accomplish and you read in the 403 00:24:27,100 --> 00:24:29,000 Bible and see the specific things. 404 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:33,500 God tells us to be working at go work at some of those And if 405 00:24:33,508 --> 00:24:37,000 you're having a really, really difficult day get up and go work 406 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,900 on something. Is that going to be easy? 407 00:24:39,900 --> 00:24:44,500 Maybe not. Maybe not But it's the best 408 00:24:44,500 --> 00:24:47,800 thing for you. You know what happens with Ruth. 409 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:50,400 If you read chapter 2 it's really neat. 410 00:24:50,500 --> 00:24:53,600 She shows up in this field you know she's Brave isn't she? 411 00:24:53,700 --> 00:24:57,700 Here she is as foreign-born girl going out to a field to harvest 412 00:24:57,700 --> 00:25:00,300 along with all of these Israelites who I'm sure hated 413 00:25:00,300 --> 00:25:03,800 her guts and hated that she was there and wanted to be mean to 414 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:06,700 her. Where did she show up in the 415 00:25:06,700 --> 00:25:12,300 field of Boaz their relative? And once he figures out who she 416 00:25:12,300 --> 00:25:15,500 is, he tells the Harvesters hey you kind of give her some room 417 00:25:15,500 --> 00:25:17,100 and you let her take what she wants. 418 00:25:17,100 --> 00:25:20,000 Don't ask her any questions you give her the opportunity to take 419 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,600 whatever she wants. Well, she's a hard worker. 420 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,100 You read the end of chapter 2. She's pretty successful. 421 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,100 And she has kind of, as you could say, maybe a hard time, 422 00:25:30,100 --> 00:25:32,700 carrying everything home at the end of the day and she shows up 423 00:25:32,700 --> 00:25:34,900 and Naomi says, where did all of this come from? 424 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,700 And she says, well, I ended up in the field of Boaz and you can 425 00:25:40,700 --> 00:25:43,700 almost see the light bulb come on and they only his eyes. 426 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:47,200 The Life just comes right back into her soon as she hears his 427 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:52,100 name. Because she can see, there is a 428 00:25:52,108 --> 00:25:55,600 way to do God's will. There is a way, this could work 429 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:57,500 out. Why is Ruth wise? 430 00:25:57,500 --> 00:26:00,800 Ruth is wise, because she's committed to God, no matter what 431 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:04,100 till she dies, and she is wise, because she works according to 432 00:26:04,100 --> 00:26:06,400 God's will to solve her own problems. 433 00:26:06,500 --> 00:26:09,900 She does what she can to work on her problems. 434 00:26:10,700 --> 00:26:13,300 Number three, though, we want to take a look here at chapter 3 435 00:26:14,300 --> 00:26:18,700 because what happens here, once Naomi realizes you just found 436 00:26:18,700 --> 00:26:22,500 Boaz Boaz is our relative. This could actually work. 437 00:26:23,300 --> 00:26:26,100 Naomi kind of, it seems like when you read it, she kind of 438 00:26:26,100 --> 00:26:29,500 gets back to her old self, and here's what happens. 439 00:26:29,500 --> 00:26:32,700 Let's take a look at the beginning of chapter 3, then 440 00:26:32,700 --> 00:26:34,200 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her. 441 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,700 My daughter, shall I? Not seek security for you? 442 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,200 That it may be well with you. That's the levirate law. 443 00:26:40,700 --> 00:26:43,200 It can work. We can find security for you. 444 00:26:43,300 --> 00:26:47,600 Here's how now, Boaz, whose young women you were with is he 445 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:50,200 not all relative. In fact, his winning winnowing 446 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:54,600 barley tonight at the threshing floor, Therefore, wash yourself 447 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,900 and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the 448 00:26:57,900 --> 00:27:00,900 threshing floor. The new not make yourself known 449 00:27:00,900 --> 00:27:02,600 to the man. Till he is finished eating and 450 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:06,200 drinking, then it shall be. When he lies down, you'll notice 451 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:10,000 the place where he lies, you shall go in uncover, his feet 452 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,800 and lie down and he will tell you what you should do. 453 00:27:14,700 --> 00:27:18,400 And she said to her, all that you say to me, I will do. 454 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:21,400 So she went down to the threshing floor and did 455 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:25,300 according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her to 456 00:27:25,300 --> 00:27:28,800 do. So you just seen the only kind 457 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,700 of come back, don't you? You can almost see the color 458 00:27:31,700 --> 00:27:34,300 come back to her face in just the life come back to her. 459 00:27:35,900 --> 00:27:39,300 And all the sudden she sees it can work and it can work. 460 00:27:40,700 --> 00:27:42,900 And so then she begins telling Ruth what to do. 461 00:27:42,900 --> 00:27:45,000 Here's what you do? You get all dressed up. 462 00:27:46,500 --> 00:27:49,400 You make yourself all pretty and all of that. 463 00:27:51,100 --> 00:27:54,700 And he's going to eat dinner and then he's going to fall asleep. 464 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,900 Guys haven't changed. We're all still the same. 465 00:28:00,900 --> 00:28:03,300 We're going to eat, then we're going to, we're going to sleep. 466 00:28:04,100 --> 00:28:05,600 That's what Boaz was going to do. 467 00:28:05,900 --> 00:28:07,700 He's worked hard. All day is going to eat this big 468 00:28:07,700 --> 00:28:11,900 old meal and he's going to be out like that. and she says, you 469 00:28:11,900 --> 00:28:15,300 get up there and you You're going to look all nice and 470 00:28:15,300 --> 00:28:17,500 everything and when he falls asleep, you uncover his feet. 471 00:28:17,500 --> 00:28:21,400 You just lay down at his feet. I have to admit, that's kind of 472 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:23,600 a strange little section to read, and I don't know that. 473 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,600 I know everything about it. Read a few different 474 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:30,500 explanations, some of which I know are incorrect. 475 00:28:31,500 --> 00:28:34,200 Boaz and Ruth both are spiritually minded people. 476 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:37,100 The very first thing Boaz says, when he wakes up, by the way, as 477 00:28:37,100 --> 00:28:42,200 are spiritually minded things. It's nothing sensual about this 478 00:28:43,300 --> 00:28:44,800 to me. My favorite explanation I've run 479 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:46,900 across is, why does she uncovers feet? 480 00:28:47,700 --> 00:28:50,100 So he'll wake up in the middle of the night, that's why. 481 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:53,700 I would you want to cover my feet? 482 00:28:53,700 --> 00:28:57,800 I will I'll wake up. So anyway, whatever the reason 483 00:28:57,900 --> 00:29:00,500 when he wakes up there's a message in her posture. 484 00:29:00,500 --> 00:29:06,900 It's a message of humility. And it sends a message of who 485 00:29:06,900 --> 00:29:13,300 Ruth really is in her heart. and when Boaz wakes up, And he sees 486 00:29:13,300 --> 00:29:17,700 her, he realizes the opportunities as well, right? 487 00:29:17,700 --> 00:29:20,100 In the middle of all of this though, is point number three. 488 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:26,500 How is Ruth wise Ruth is wise? Because she listens to wise 489 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:31,200 counsel, I want you to think about exactly what Naomi tells 490 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:35,400 her to do. Naomi is involved in her love 491 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,000 life. She's telling her about how to 492 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,900 pursue a romantic relationship with this guy. 493 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,500 This is the kind of guy you should be interested in. 494 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:48,700 Here's what you should do to sort of build your relationship 495 00:29:48,700 --> 00:29:53,800 with him. well in our time, that just sounds kind of intrusive 496 00:29:54,500 --> 00:29:58,900 who are you to get involved in my business like But do you 497 00:29:58,900 --> 00:30:01,400 notice what Ruth did it? She said everything, you said to 498 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:05,500 me, I'm going to do it. And she did. 499 00:30:07,300 --> 00:30:08,800 That speaks well of her, doesn't it? 500 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:10,800 She's willing to listen to advice. 501 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,100 His sometimes, within our hearts, we don't necessarily 502 00:30:14,100 --> 00:30:16,400 want to listen to good advice, but it's always better that we 503 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:18,800 do. I've had to learn that a little 504 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:22,500 bit in Oklahoma because like I told you I'm a Californian 505 00:30:22,500 --> 00:30:26,200 living in Oklahoma. And so they actually have 506 00:30:26,300 --> 00:30:28,500 weather out there. We have weather here too, but 507 00:30:28,500 --> 00:30:32,300 not like Oklahoma it's it's different. 508 00:30:32,900 --> 00:30:36,400 The first winner I was back there and went to the preacher 509 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:42,100 study in Texas. And, you know, it's the very end 510 00:30:42,100 --> 00:30:46,700 of the session. And this we're having lunch and 511 00:30:46,700 --> 00:30:48,600 it was going to be an afternoon session and then it was going to 512 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:51,700 be over and the solder preacher comes up to me, and he says, 513 00:30:52,300 --> 00:30:55,300 when are you going home? I don't know. 514 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:59,900 I'm not sure. He said if I was you, I'd go 515 00:30:59,900 --> 00:31:01,700 home right now. After I go back to the place 516 00:31:01,700 --> 00:31:03,800 during lunch, I get your car and bring it back here and I'll 517 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:06,000 leave immediately. After the last session drive to 518 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:09,600 your house. You know what I thought when he 519 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:12,700 told me that that's all I don't want to do that. 520 00:31:14,300 --> 00:31:16,400 I'm tired. And I want to stay here tonight 521 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:21,400 and drive back tomorrow. After I've got to sleep, But he 522 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:25,100 said, there's a storm coming and if I was you, that's what I 523 00:31:25,100 --> 00:31:28,700 would do. well, I just had a little wrestling match inside 524 00:31:28,700 --> 00:31:31,200 myself, to be honest, with you, sitting there eating lunch and I 525 00:31:31,208 --> 00:31:34,000 thought, well, I guess I'll do it. 526 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:36,300 So I went back out my car and drove home that night. 527 00:31:36,300 --> 00:31:41,400 It was an easy drive home. The next morning, I never live. 528 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:43,400 Where we've had snow before, the next morning. 529 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:47,300 Here comes all this ice. And then a bunch of snow. 530 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:52,100 And a whole bunch of preachers were stuck at trying to get home 531 00:31:52,100 --> 00:31:53,500 but not me. I was home. 532 00:31:55,700 --> 00:31:57,700 And you know, I looked a lot smarter than I am. 533 00:31:58,500 --> 00:32:02,000 Why? Because that guy's wise a new 534 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:03,800 about the weather a lot more than I do. 535 00:32:05,700 --> 00:32:08,600 In that how that works. We borrow other people's wisdom. 536 00:32:08,700 --> 00:32:10,500 I don't know everything. You don't either. 537 00:32:12,100 --> 00:32:15,000 Sometimes we need help. It didn't really matter who you 538 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:16,500 are, how much experience you have. 539 00:32:16,500 --> 00:32:19,000 You're going to find people that know more than you about 540 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:23,700 something from time to time. And you can learn from Proverbs 541 00:32:23,700 --> 00:32:26,400 12 and 15 talks about. The fact that there is safety in 542 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:30,900 a multitude of counselors. God doesn't expect you to figure 543 00:32:30,900 --> 00:32:34,600 everything out on your own. He wants all of us to listen to 544 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:38,600 wise advice. Ruth does a great job of that. 545 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:43,700 She listens to Naomi, she takes the advice of Naomi and it turns 546 00:32:43,700 --> 00:32:46,800 out that she begins this relationship with Bo has just 547 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:48,400 like the only thought it could happen. 548 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:51,300 Ruth is loyal to God till she dies. 549 00:32:51,300 --> 00:32:53,600 She's a hard worker. And she is a person who will 550 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:56,800 listen to wise counselor, I want to mention the fourth point to 551 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:58,800 you. Now, we go to chapter 4, towards 552 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:02,400 the end of the story. Boaz is now aware of everything. 553 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:06,600 He is now aware of the opportunity, but he also is 554 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,400 aware R because he is an individual of knowledge of some 555 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:14,300 things they need to do in order to walk through this legally. 556 00:33:14,900 --> 00:33:22,100 So, beginning a chapter for Boaz Takes Ruth and makes his way to 557 00:33:22,100 --> 00:33:25,100 the city gate. Now, why are they going to The 558 00:33:25,100 --> 00:33:28,800 City Gate? The fact of the matter is there, 559 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:31,200 The City Gate where we're going to go here as we read this 560 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,300 together. That's where the elders are. 561 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,000 And these Elders, they're good. They're the ones that are going 562 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:40,000 to be able to provide wisdom and all that sort of a thing, you 563 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:41,800 know, the elders don't really say anything. 564 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:45,700 But their witness to it. And in other words, the 565 00:33:45,700 --> 00:33:47,800 procedure has a great amount of credibility. 566 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:50,100 So let's just see here. What bill has does listen 567 00:33:50,100 --> 00:33:52,100 beginning in verse 1. Now Boaz went up to the gate and 568 00:33:52,100 --> 00:33:56,400 sat down there and behold a close relative of Boaz had had 569 00:33:56,400 --> 00:34:00,300 spoken come by, there's another relative closer related than 570 00:34:00,300 --> 00:34:02,100 Boaz, that's who he's talking about. 571 00:34:02,700 --> 00:34:05,200 So boys says he's going to negotiate with him here at 572 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:07,500 discuss things with him. He says, come aside, friends, 573 00:34:07,500 --> 00:34:11,100 sit down here. So he came aside and sat down 574 00:34:12,500 --> 00:34:15,100 and he took ten men of the Elders of the city and said, sit 575 00:34:15,100 --> 00:34:18,199 down here. So they sat down Then he came to 576 00:34:18,207 --> 00:34:22,000 the close relative Naomi who has come back from the country of 577 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:25,000 Moab sold the piece of land, which belonged to our brother 578 00:34:25,100 --> 00:34:29,600 elimelech and I thought to inform you saying, my back in 579 00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:32,600 the presence of the inhabitants in the Elders of my people, if 580 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:35,600 you'll redeem it redeem it, but if you'll not redeem it then 581 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:39,600 tell me that I may know for there's no one but you to redeem 582 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:44,000 it and I am next after you. He said, I'll redeem it. 583 00:34:45,100 --> 00:34:48,300 And Boaz said, on the day, you buy the field from the hand of 584 00:34:48,300 --> 00:34:51,900 Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth. 585 00:34:51,900 --> 00:34:56,300 The moabite US, the wife of the Dead to perpetuate the name of 586 00:34:56,300 --> 00:34:58,600 the Dead. Through his inheritance, listen 587 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:02,400 to verse 6 at the close relatives and the close relative 588 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,100 said, I cannot redeem it for myself. 589 00:35:05,100 --> 00:35:09,000 Lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of 590 00:35:09,008 --> 00:35:12,900 redemption for yourself for I cannot redeem it. 591 00:35:13,500 --> 00:35:16,200 What happens here? There's a relic, there's a law, 592 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:19,200 you know, the law of redemption, and I'm going to run through all 593 00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:23,500 that but here we find again a mosaic law behind this story and 594 00:35:23,500 --> 00:35:25,600 what is the law of redemption? Basically, that there was 595 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:27,900 relatives that were closely related than others? 596 00:35:27,900 --> 00:35:30,400 Maybe like we would think first second, third, cousin, that sort 597 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:32,800 of thing. So, you'd say the first cousin 598 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:35,000 had the right of redemption before the second cousin in 599 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:37,500 before the third cousin and so on and so forth, that's kind of 600 00:35:37,500 --> 00:35:41,700 what you're finding right here. so, here's this relative that's 601 00:35:41,700 --> 00:35:46,500 more closely related to Naomi the specifically to elimelech 602 00:35:46,700 --> 00:35:51,800 then Boaz is What is his name? Isn't it funny? 603 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:53,900 I think it's funny. It never says his name. 604 00:35:55,700 --> 00:35:58,300 Maybe his name is not worthy. Remembering look what he does. 605 00:35:59,100 --> 00:36:00,600 Do you want to redeem it? Yes. 606 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:04,800 I'm going to redeem it. But when you do, there's a 607 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:09,600 Deuteronomy 25 situation here. On second thought I'm not 608 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:12,900 interested. I don't want that 609 00:36:12,900 --> 00:36:16,200 responsibility. So he lets it go. 610 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:20,000 This close relative that we don't never know his name he 611 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:23,700 lets it go. But do you notice what Boaz does 612 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,700 by negotiating all of this or discussing it or whatever, where 613 00:36:26,700 --> 00:36:28,700 he does? Do you see the level of 614 00:36:28,700 --> 00:36:31,000 credibility there is to their relationship? 615 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:35,100 So here's the fourth point. I want to make Tia Ruth is wise, 616 00:36:35,900 --> 00:36:38,600 because she's loyal to God till she dies, and she's a hard 617 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:40,900 worker and she listens to wise counsel. 618 00:36:41,700 --> 00:36:45,000 But the fourth thing about Ruth, she is wise because she marries 619 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:49,800 a man of wisdom. You take one person and you have 620 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:51,700 them marry another person of wisdom. 621 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:58,900 What do you think can happen? You know, the choice of mate, 622 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:03,500 the choice of whom you're going to marry is such an important 623 00:37:03,500 --> 00:37:07,700 decision. So important, the most important 624 00:37:07,700 --> 00:37:11,000 decision you're going to make for sure is to become a 625 00:37:11,008 --> 00:37:15,400 Christian The second most important decision you're going 626 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:17,900 to make is whether or not you get married. 627 00:37:17,900 --> 00:37:19,400 And if you do, who are you going to marry? 628 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:25,000 Oh, that's important. Who's going to influence your 629 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:29,800 life more than your spouse? Nobody. 630 00:37:31,700 --> 00:37:33,000 You know what? If you marry somebody? 631 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:36,400 Who's wise, that's good. That's really, really good. 632 00:37:37,500 --> 00:37:40,500 because the biggest influence in your life as a person of wisdom, 633 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:47,900 And for those several of you, here are married already and 634 00:37:47,900 --> 00:37:51,200 have been married a long time. This is relevant, for those of 635 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:56,500 us who are married to because we have to realize the on the other 636 00:37:56,500 --> 00:37:58,500 side of that decision as we are married. 637 00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:03,000 That whether or not we're wise has a pretty large impact on the 638 00:38:03,008 --> 00:38:06,900 quality of life of our spouse. It's not just about me. 639 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:13,000 I've got to be wise to be a good husband. and if you're married, 640 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:17,200 you need to be wise to be a good spouse to In other words, wisdom 641 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:22,400 is an important Cornerstone. Of a good marriage of a 642 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:23,300 marriage. That honors. 643 00:38:23,300 --> 00:38:25,700 God, I want you to look what happens. 644 00:38:25,700 --> 00:38:28,300 Now, that Boaz and Ruth are together these two people that 645 00:38:28,300 --> 00:38:30,800 are wise. These two people who are looking 646 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:32,900 to apply God's will to their life. 647 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:35,400 Even in difficult times, listen to the end of Ruth, Ruth, 648 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:40,000 Chapter 4, verses 18 to 20. Now, this is the genealogy of 649 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:43,200 Perez Perez be got hezron, hezron, bhagat ram. 650 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:46,500 Ram, be got a minute ab and admitted to have begot nahshon 651 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:49,700 nahshon begat salmon, salmon, begat boy. 652 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:53,400 Oh, as well as begat opened Obed, begat, Jesse, and Jesse 653 00:38:53,500 --> 00:38:56,900 begat David. There's a great big bang at the 654 00:38:56,900 --> 00:39:00,200 end of that book. A genealogy. 655 00:39:02,300 --> 00:39:06,600 But it's just not any genealogy. I want you to look and see what 656 00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:11,600 came out of this family. There's a Heritage here before. 657 00:39:11,600 --> 00:39:15,000 Boaz ever comes along. There are men of Faith before he 658 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,700 ever comes along, but look what happens after him. 659 00:39:18,900 --> 00:39:21,300 The Laz is the father of a guy named Obed. 660 00:39:21,300 --> 00:39:24,100 Who's the father of a guy named Jesse, who's the father of a guy 661 00:39:24,100 --> 00:39:27,900 named David? Did you know the story of Ruth 662 00:39:27,900 --> 00:39:30,700 is the story of the love story of David's? 663 00:39:30,700 --> 00:39:36,600 Grandparents. King David is a descendant of 664 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:40,300 Ruth and Boaz. God, how are you going to keep 665 00:39:40,300 --> 00:39:44,800 all your promises? In a dark time he needs to 666 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:47,500 people of wisdom the lesson Ruth. 667 00:39:48,300 --> 00:39:51,400 And here comes the line toward David but it's even better than 668 00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:53,500 that. It's not just that Ruth and Boaz 669 00:39:53,500 --> 00:39:56,800 are the grandparents of David Ruth and Boaz are the 670 00:39:56,800 --> 00:40:01,800 grandparents of Jesus Christ. This Is The Love Story of his 671 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:04,600 grandparents long. Many many greats back before. 672 00:40:06,300 --> 00:40:10,800 The Ruth and Boaz have a role and bringing the world our 673 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:14,000 savior. Their wisdom. 674 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:18,100 Look at the lasting consequences of their wise decisions. 675 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:23,300 Aren't you thankful tonight for the faith and wisdom of Ruth, 676 00:40:23,300 --> 00:40:27,300 and Boaz and for the family that together, they were able to 677 00:40:27,300 --> 00:40:28,900 raise it. For the blessing, their family 678 00:40:28,900 --> 00:40:35,200 has become to the world Wisdom is the principal thing. 679 00:40:36,100 --> 00:40:42,000 Therefore, get wisdom. Ruth did just that wisdom was 680 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:45,800 important to her, she prioritized it, and she lived a 681 00:40:45,808 --> 00:40:49,900 life of wisdom. Her life of wisdom built around 682 00:40:49,900 --> 00:40:54,400 her loyalty to God, her work, ethic her willingness to take 683 00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:59,700 counsel, and her wisdom, and choice of a mate in those four 684 00:40:59,700 --> 00:41:04,400 ways, Ruth, teaches us how we can seek after wisdom Even in 685 00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:09,400 our own time. We thank you for listening to 686 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:14,200 our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. 687 00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:17,700 Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional 688 00:41:17,700 --> 00:41:21,000 information, or you would like to receive a free Bible 689 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:26,500 correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her 690 00:41:26,500 --> 00:41:28,900 Church of Christ Bakersfield.com. 691 00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:34,800 Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 692 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:39,300 Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us. 693 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:42,000 We would love for you to be our honored guest.