Pray together. God, we are so grateful for the opportunity you've given us to come together as your people to worship you in fellowship, in song, in service, at your table, and through your word as it's opened and brought to bear on our lives. So we praise you for this day. We praise you for what you've done to make this day possible. You are so good. We declare our dependence upon you in this time for understanding of your word and certainly for the application of it. We recognize this morning we have no strength, power. We have no real ingenuity to understand your will and to walk it out. And so we ask for your help, for your strength, for your guidance, for your power. We declare our dependence upon you, Holy Spirit, in this room. And we thank you that you are present and worthy of our trust. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. You can take your Bibles and go with me to Ruth, chapter 3, if you would. I think I forgot to turn this on, so I'll try to do that quick. Sorry, guys. Alrighty. Ruth chapter 3 is where we will be again today. So last week in chapter 2 we saw that the first day with Ruth in the fields there with Boaz went really well, right? And she comes home with a massive bag full of freshly harvested grain and it's a totally unexpected surprise for Naomi. Naomi is blown away by the unexpected blessing of Yahweh on her life. And yet as you see the end of chapter two, you find something else that's a little bit unexpected in my view. You find that over the course of the next two months, with regard to this budding romance between Ruth and Boaz, nothing has happened. Right? Nothing has happened. And that's a little bit of a surprise, right? That's not how it would happen in a Hallmark movie. You guys with me? Right? And if you love Hallmark movies, I'm with you. I like them, too. You know, a couple times a year. They're fun, right? But a little bit predictable, right? I mean, how would it happen in a Hallmark movie? Well, yeah, in a week, it would all kind of go down, you know. Ruth, the big city girl from Moab, she doesn't really know what she's doing. She's in the field. She bumps into Boaz, drops her harvested grain. They smile at each other. It's instant connection, right? He invites her to dinner, which happens in the text, but then the next day, in the movie, you see her and Boaz at the coffee shop, right? They're hanging out. It's pretty thick, hot, heavy, really quick, right? And inside the first week, you probably have a moment in which you feel like, you know, this is definitely a romance for the future, for the long haul, and then they have a fight for no reason, right? Over something really dumb. So Ruth, you know, threatens to go back to the big city of Moab and even packs her stuff but Boaz stands in her way, this, you know, ruggedly handsome but hopelessly single farmer from Bethlehem and convinces her to stay and so they stay together. They kiss amidst the beautiful setting sun there in the harvest fields of Bethlehem. That's how it would happen right on a movie. That's not what happens in Ruth chapter 2. In fact, what we find at the end of Ruth chapter 2, you can see for yourself in the text that two months pass. fact they go through the entire barley and wheat harvest. And essentially nothing else or further has happened with regard to this romance between Ruth and Boaz. And at least one person in the story is going, they need some help. Right? And it's Naomi. See it for yourself in the text, Ruth chapter 3 and verse 1. Naomi has a plan. Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, my daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? If I could add some context that may not actually be context, maybe Naomi has dropped some hints about Boaz. Seems like it's not really getting through, and she's like, have you talked to him? And maybe Ruth is like, no, it just really hasn't happened. And Naomi's like, can I just take over, right? Don't you ladies want to do that sometimes? You see it. It seems that they don't, and you're like, can I just take over and move in and make the plant? This is what happens. Naomi takes over. She's like, is it not good for me to seek rest for you, to seek help for you, comfort for you, a future for you? Verse two, is not Boaz our relative? Doesn't he qualify? I mean, he's an option, right? With those young women who you were, see? He is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Now, how does she know this? We don't know. But if I can just say this respectfully, older women, they just know stuff. They always know stuff. They always just know. All right, but she knows that he's down there threshing. Verse three, now Naomi just dropped some wisdom. Watch therefore and anoint yourself. She's like, honey, you've been in the fields too long, right? For two months you've been working, you need to take a bath. Annoy yourself, put on your cloak, your best clothes as it were, like something that doesn't look like a barley sack, and go down to the threshing floor. But do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Again, Naomi's just dropping some wisdom dimes on her, right? Let the man eat. Before you get all chatty, let the man eat a little something. Verse four, but when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Make sure you're not gonna go up to the wrong guy. Watch closely. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down and he will tell you what to do. Now I just wanna pause right here and say that although you see a ton of wisdom, just practical wisdom from Naomi to Ruth, right here I'm going, this is also a little bit crazy, is it not? It sounds a little bit insane to us, like this plan that Naomi has concocted. I'm not sure exactly why she does this. We don't have a real strong sense of a cultural relevance about this. Why does she tell Ruth to go under cover of darkness to the threshing floor? Why is that the chosen plan to have this conversation? I don't know exactly why. It may be that they're at the end of the harvest season and Naomi thinks they're not gonna see each other every day now. And so maybe this is the time, like strike while the iron's hot. Maybe that's what she's thinking. We don't know exactly, but this is Naomi's plan. And I just want to say that although you have a lot of wisdom here, this is a little crazy, right? I have a little pact with my little girl that I made with her when she was an infant and she signed in slobber. It's okay. That she can't start dating until she's 25. And every time I remind her of that pact, she rolls her eyes like she's doing right now. Right? But she has to hold to that. Now, I know I'm not going to win that one, but I will say this. If she ever comes to me and says, hey dad, and by the way, this is biblical. I found the guy that I want to marry. I'm going to doll myself up, take a bath, put on some makeup, my best dress. I'm going to wait till everybody's in bed. I'm going to go out at midnight, find where he's sleeping and uncover his legs. If that happens, I'm gonna ground her for a month. I don't care if she is 25, all right? Not gonna happen. Even if she says, Dad, it's biblical. I don't care. It's a terrible plan. In fact, one commentator put it this way. He said, what is one to think of a woman who bathes, puts on perfume, and then in the dark night goes out to the field where a man is sleeping and uncovers his legs? If she is discovered, this will not look good. But this is Naomi's idea, this is her plan, and if you note the text, Ruth just goes with it. Verse five, and she replied, all that you say, I will do. So Ruth responds well to the semi-crazy plan, and she puts it into practice. Note your text, verse six, so she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Most likely what he's doing there is staying out there while they finish threshing the grain in order to protect it from thieves so no one can come steal it. And so he is asleep there and she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. Can you guys just see this in your mind? Ruth has taken a bath, put on her best dress or whatever. She looks good. She smells good. But then she sneaks down at dusk, and she watches this scene unfold. As he finishes working, they eat their meal. The guys lay out their mats or whatever, and Boaz gets situated, gets his blanket out, and he goes to bed. Can you just imagine this moment? She's watching it all. Perhaps she's hiding behind various boulders or something. Not a whole lot of trees in that area. But she's hiding and she waits. And then she sneaks in. She makes sure she's going to the right guy. And then uncovers his feet. Just allow your imagination to run. Can you imagine that Ruth's heart is just beating out of her chest? What a wild moment. What a crazy moment. But this is Naomi's plan. This is the plan. And it all is going somewhere. Ruth at this point is following the plan to the letter, but here in a moment we're gonna see that she goes off script with a proposal. Check it out, verse eight. At midnight, the man was startled, perhaps because his feet were cold. I think we look for a lot of weird stuff, like what was the cultural significance of uncovering his feet? And maybe there is something that we'll find out someday in glory, or maybe this is just another practical thing. Naomi's like, he'll wake up if his feet are cold. I will tell you the other night, it was a little bit chilly in our house, and I was trying to use one of those, you know, couch blankets, and I could not get it to cover my feet all the way, and my feet were cold. That keeps you awake, right? So maybe that's what caused him to startle, but in this moment, he wakes up to find someone at his feet, which is a little creepy, right? He's startled by that. Catherine and I have both had the experience on a number of occasions to wake up, hasn't happened much recently, but especially when our kids were little, and they're just looking at you right in the eye, right there. It's terrifying, right? It's kind of adorable, but terrifying at the same time. Check out your text. Verse nine, he said, who are you? And she answered, and I'm sure she's like, whispering. Boaz is like, who's there? What is going on? I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer. Friends, this is a proposal. Ruth is, in effect, proposing marriage to Boaz. It's interesting to note that she employs the same language that Boaz has already prayed over her. May God bless you, girl from Moab, Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi. May God bless you. for underneath his wings you have come to take refuge." Now Ruth employs that same metaphor, that same language to say, essentially Boaz, will you not be the answer to your own prayer? Will you not marry me? and forever provide for Naomi and me? Will you not cover me with your wings? Will you not care for us?" Bottom line, will you marry me? Now, undoubtedly there's romance here, all right? We're gonna see in this text, even that Boaz is crazy about her. He's excited about this moment, but Ruth is also bringing this proposal on the basis of legality. on the basis of what she understands, perhaps through the instruction of Naomi about the Leveret laws amongst the Israelite people in the Old Testament, along with Boaz's qualifications as a redeemer. That's what you see in the text. Again, see it spelled out for you in the text. She says to Boaz, for, cover me with your wings, for you are a what? You are a redeemer. You are one of those that God has ordained to be in the family to provide. So over the course of the last few weeks, I've said a couple of times that we would get into an understanding of the Leveret laws related to marriage, there for the people of Israel, the customs there for the people of Israel, along with a better understanding or a deeper understanding of this Hebrew word goel, this redeemer, that was a part of Israelite law and custom. So, I said last week that a redeemer was a close male relative who could act on behalf of a vulnerable family member. who could act to provide and protect the family. So in my reading about the Goel, I would summarize his actions according to scripture in these four ways. By the way, with regard to the Goel and the Leveret laws, you could consult, if you'd like to study further and deeper, consult Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 25. along with a variety of other texts that talk about the activity of the Redeemer or the Goel. But here's a summary of what I read, all right? What were his duties? What would these guys do? These guys who were in a position to help the vulnerable. Number one, they would buy back property that had passed to someone outside the clan. Alright, so the clan, the family, and their property, this was an important function of the Redeemer in Israelite custom. They could purchase back property that had sort of slipped out of the hands of a family member to get it back underneath the clan, back inside the family. Secondly, they would buy the freedom of a family member who had fallen into slavery. So there were times in which someone was in a place that was so desperate that they would actually sell themselves into slavery in order to pay off a debt. So the goel, the redeemer, could come in at that point, a person of means, and they could buy that person back out of slavery that they might be a part of the family again as a free person. Thirdly, and I find this interesting, They would also track down and execute murderers of near family members. Doesn't this sound like straight out of the Godfather a little bit? Like, don't mess with the family, right? That was a terrible impersonation, I know, but you get it in your head, right? We're going to protect the family at all costs. So they would do that, track down and execute murderers of near family members. And then fourthly, they would ensure that justice is served for a family member that was wronged. So either through a judge or through another law-oriented scenario, these Redeemers would ensure that justice was served, that things would be made right for a family member. This is why last week I said that these guys, these Redeemers, were part avenger and part benefactor. part avenger, sort of fighting against foes of a particular family and getting justice for the family. And then in addition to that, these guys would have funds to sort of bail out family members or help provide for family members in need. When Ruth says, you are a redeemer, she's talking about this. Boaz, you are a close family member that could step in and tangibly provide help, comfort, security, and a future for me and my mother-in-law, for Ruth and Naomi. You are a redeemer. Now, in addition to all of this, Ruth is also tapping into the Leveret Laws of Marriage. Again, you can consult Leviticus 25, Deuteronomy 25. I'm going to try to explain this in brief. I was going to do it with a whiteboard, but we couldn't really work that out, and so I built a couple slides. I'm not sure how this is going to go, but we'll give it a shot, all right? If you can track with this, here's a brief description of the Leveret Laws of Marriage. that were intended by God to secure the name, the legacy, and the property of particular clans, particular family members. So if you can just imagine, I'm just going to use the names in the story of Ruth as examples here, but you can just imagine Elimelech and Naomi. This is the family we started with, right? And just imagine that they're in ancient Bethlehem. They have two boys and they're in Bethlehem. They have two acres of ground. Let's say they have, three-bedroom, two-bath, brick ranch there in Bethlehem and two acres. The idea is that when Elimelech passes away, his two boys, Mahlon and Chilion, would inherit those two acres, right? Let's just say Mahlon gets one acre, Chilion gets the other acre. But what happens if Mahlon dies before he has any children? Because the acre passes down through male descendants. that would carry on the legacy, the name, and the property of Elimelech to Mahlon. Well, the Leveret Laws that are given to us in the Old Testament would allow for Chilion, his brother, to marry Ruth and raise up, through this union, raise up a descendant for Mahlon. Does that make sense? So Ruth and Chileon, in their marriage, let's say they have a son named Jerry, all right? Jerry then would be technically, according to the law, the son of Ruth and Malon and would carry on Malon's legacy and would stand to inherit Malon's property. Does this make sense? So as we think about it in terms of this story, And I don't even have Elimelech crossed out, but this story is a mess, right? Because Mylon's dead, Chileon's dead, Orpah's out of the picture, Elimelech is dead, and it's just Naomi and Ruth. Thus you have the kinsman redeemer, another close relative who could step in and provide for Ruth and Naomi and also raise up a descendant to honor the legacy of Elimelech and inherit his property. Alright, so this is a bit of a summary of the Leveret Laws along with this concept of a Redeemer that Ruth is tapping into and Naomi is tapping into when they make this proposal. Alright, so this is Naomi's plan, Ruth's proposal, and it all brings to us a promise from Boaz. The question is, how is he going to respond? How is Boaz going to respond in this moment? Well, see it for yourself. Verse 10, and he said, may you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness. Pause right here. What is the first kindness? The first kindness that he's referring to is Ruth's loyalty to Naomi. But now Boaz is expressing that her proposal to him is being received by him as a kind of profession of love and loyalty that he appreciates. This last kindness, verse 10, is greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. What are you seeing in this, my friends? What you're seeing in this is, first of all, Boaz is not young. All right? He's probably middle-aged. He's not young. And he's also remarkably humble. Now, also you understand that Boaz is not a reluctant redeemer in this moment. He's excited to redeem. He is interested in Ruth. And so he says here in a beautiful display of humility, Ruth, you could have had anyone around. Right? You could have gone after a young man or a rich young man. Instead, you're making this proposal to me? Boaz He's a humble man. And I think this is just so beautiful because everywhere you turn, you're going, I just love this guy, right? This guy, Boaz, he's a good dude, right? You know already from the story that he's a BMOB, right? Big man of Bethlehem. He's got people in his employ, right? And he's got property. He's a wealthy guy. But when Ruth makes his proposal, he's like shocked. Surprised, and he's so pleased. He is all about this. I will, absolutely, I will redeem you. And yet, with his trademark integrity, he goes on to announce that there is someone actually closer. Verse 11, and now my daughter, do not fear, I will do for you all that you ask. For all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a Redeemer. Yet, here's the wrinkle to the story. There is a Redeemer nearer than I. Remain tonight and in the morning if he will redeem you, good. Let him do it. That would be the right thing to do. And in effect, this is what Boaz is saying. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning. So verse 14, she laid his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor. So Boaz again is looking to protect her. Protect her reputation. Verse 15, the still providing. And he said, bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out. So she held it and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city and when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, how did you fare my daughter? How did it go? Undoubtedly, neither of them slept at all that night. Then she told her all that the man had done for her, saying, these six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, you must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law. This is, in essence, a down payment, friends, like a token of what he's about to do. Verse 18, she replied, wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out. For the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today." So Boaz says yes. Once again, my friends, it's not a reluctant yes. He sort of breaks out in praise. Bless you, my daughter. Bless you, young girl. You could have gone after anyone in this area, but instead you've made this proposal to me. Furthermore, he says, anchoring his promise in the integrity of God, I will redeem you. As the Lord lives, verse 13, I will redeem you. This is the strongest possible affirmation that he could give to her, that I will keep my word. So my bet again is that neither he nor Ruth nor Naomi slept a wink that night. I can imagine, perhaps you hear this as a bit sappy, but I can imagine that those few hours that they stayed there on the threshing floor that Ruth, adjacent to Boaz, had their eyes locked the entire time. Neither sleeping, but just gazing into one another's eyes and thinking about the redemption that will occur. But regardless of what actually happened in this moment, there is no doubt, it's clear In Boaz's words, in Boaz's tone, his body language, all of it points to his eagerness to keep this promise. I will redeem you. And friends, as you hear the words of Boaz, as you invested in this narrative, as you sort of look into Boaz's eyes, I want you this morning to think about your Redeemer. Think about the goodness, the integrity, and the joy of our Redeemer, of our Savior. For Jesus, my friends, is also not a reluctant Redeemer. Friends, the parallels here to the gospel story are unmistakable. unmistakable this morning. You have to see them and ultimately you have to see Jesus. I just want you to see Jesus in a fresh way this morning. For first of all, understand that Jesus, like Boaz, qualifies to be a Redeemer. This is one of the important aspects of the doctrine of his incarnation that Jesus took upon flesh. Jesus is not our Redeemer from afar. Isn't this good, my friends? To think about and to rehearse in your mind and in your heart, Jesus did not save us from his throne in heaven. He could have, but rather he invaded this planet. He took on flesh. This is what John 1 is telling us when it says that this word, the revelation of God, the image of the invisible God took on flesh and dwelt among us. We've already read this morning together. of the fact that Jesus was born of woman, born of a woman under the law to redeem those who are under the law. Jesus, my friends, is that near kinsman redeemer, that near relative. He is human like us, fully God, but also fully human. This is beautiful. My friends, this is the gospel story. Don't you love it? I hope you love it. Jesus forever confined to a body, infinite in his nature, but will forever be in a body to redeem. This is astonishing love. But Jesus moved that way to be our kinsman redeemer. And if you think about this story, understand that Jesus was never asleep. We're the ones that are asleep. We're the ones that were dead to the world. We didn't seek after him. No, he came seeking after us and in effect uncovered our feet, woke us up out of our sleep to help us to understand our sin and our need of a savior. Jesus is our kinsman redeemer who not only qualifies, he pursues with joy, the Bible tells us, Hebrews chapter 12, with joy, Jesus pursues his kids. Isn't this wonderful? He's our new relative who came to this place and came after his people. Thus, Hebrews chapter two and verse 11 gives us the right to call Jesus our elder brother. Our elder brother, he is not ashamed. The text tells us to call us his brothers. Ephesians 5 tells us that he is our great bridegroom. My friends, Jesus qualifies to be our Redeemer and he's come after us, pursuing us to be our Redeemer. On top of all of that, Jesus is also simultaneously the avenger and benefactor for his people. He's the avenger and benefactor for his people. Consider these texts for a moment. Let's just marvel at our Savior for a few minutes as we look at these texts of Scripture. And you, Paul writes, who were dead in your trespasses, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Let me just pause right here. All of us are guilty before the law. I want us to recognize that again this morning together. All of us. Would you agree? All of us are guilty before the law. All of us have been guilty this week before the law. And the accuser of the brethren would love to drag us to court and say, this is not a righteous man. Dustin Rogers is not a righteous man. But what has Jesus done? What has our kinsman Redeemer done? Our kinsman Redeemer has acted in such a way so that he can step in as our divine defense attorney and say to the slander, you have to go because there is nothing against Dustin Rogers. I've already paid his fine. Amen? We should be saying hallelujah, clapping our hands, because in all actuality, what we deserve is to be sentenced. The gavel should be swung by the great judge to send dust into hell. This is what I deserve as a result of my sin, as a result of the fact that I've been a rebel against God and his word, but because our kinsman redeemer has entered in Friends, our kinsman Redeemer has entered in. He's bailed me out. He's paid the fee. Amen, indeed. He's paid the fee to set us free. So, he has disarmed the authorities. All of these legal demands, he's set aside those, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities, and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in him. He's an avenger for us. Man, I love this. Galatians 4. We've already reveled in this this morning. But again, just allow your eyes to fall over these words that Jesus was willing to leave heaven to come here to be our Redeemer. And on top of that, bring with him gifts, astonishing gifts. We are now sons and daughters of God. Isn't this good? So to follow that imagery that I just gave to you of a courtroom, the one who swings the gavel, takes off his robe, puts down the gavel and walks down and puts his arms around you as your father. That's awesome. So that we can cry out, Abba Father. Jesus is so good. So he incarnates here. He steps in. He is an avenger against our enemies and a benevolent provider for his kids. So I was thinking about this narrative this week. My mind repeatedly went to moments not just like these in the epistles where God is explaining to us what he's done. My mind also went to moments in the Gospels where Jesus displays what he's done. particularly moments with women. You think of the woman at the well in John 4. You think about the woman taken in adultery in John chapter 8. You think about the woman with the issue of blood. I could go on and on and talk about the various women that Jesus stepped in for as an avenger to those that had stones in their hands, to those that said, don't touch Jesus. Jesus stopped them in their tracks to say, it's not your call. It's not your call. And then he extends grace. To this woman taken in adultery, he extends grace and then says, go and sin no more. To the woman with the issue of blood, he gives her immediate, spontaneous healing. In fact, it's interesting. that the Hebrew word for the wings, under whose wings you have taken refuge, the Hebrew word for wings is literally the hem of a garment. The hem of a garment. Some have articulated that when that woman with the issue of blood reaches out, and the text tells us that she grasps the hem of his garment, that she is coming underneath the wings of refuge. Jesus provides healing for her. What a great Savior. Friends, what a great Redeemer we have this morning, who avenges for his people, who is a benefactor for his people. Consider 1 Peter 1, 3-5, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again. We were the ones who were asleep. Jesus came after us. and gave us life to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, indefiled, unfading, kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. This is what you and I have to look forward to, an inheritance that is unperishable, unfading. It will not fade away. Brothers and sisters, it's coming. It's coming, and the Spirit of God is a down payment for us. In conclusion, I want you to notice with me your text, verse 17. Ruth chapter three, verse 17. At the end of verse 16, Boaz is talking with Ruth and then says these six measures of barley. Excuse me, this is Ruth recounting her interaction with Boaz to Naomi, referencing the moment where he asked her to hold out her garment and then distributed six measures of barley for her. Verse 17, saying, these six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, you must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law. I said a moment ago that this is kind of a token of promise, a kind of down payment message that Boaz is sending to Naomi to say, I'm going to do this, I'm going to redeem Ruth, I'm going to provide for you. Interestingly in this narrative this is the third straight chapter that ends with barley. Chapter 1 ends on the barley harvest starting, chapter 2 ends with Ruth dropping a bag of barley, and now chapter 3 ends With this provision once more, Boaz is making provision for Ruth and Naomi. And Naomi gets the message for how does the chapter end? She says, the man will not rest. Ruth, don't you worry. I know you're nervous right now. How's this whole thing gonna go down? I don't know if I wanna be with the uncle. I wanna be with Boaz. How's this whole thing gonna work out? Naomi says to Ruth, just rest, just relax, for Boaz will not rest. He will settle the matter today. I love what one commentator and friend said when he put it this way. Friends, Jesus will not rest until all that is empty in our broken and fallen world is fully redeemed. Jesus as the greater Boaz, as our kinsman redeemer, will not rest until all that is empty in our broken and fallen world is fully redeemed. And so the last text I'll point you to is Romans 8, verses 22 through 25. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for the adoption of sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Friends, we still grown. in the midst of a world that is full of emptiness and full of a lot of brokenness, we've still grown. But guess what? Just like Boaz sent to Naomi this little token, this little down payment as it were, so Jesus, our great Redeemer, has given to us the down payment of the Holy Spirit. Did you know that text, Romans chapter eight, verse 23, we ourselves who have the first fruits This is also an agricultural term to say to us that the Spirit of God within us is just a down payment. It's like a little bit of grain that God has said, here you go. This is not all there is. This is all of the Spirit. This is not all there is in this world. We still grown awaiting our blessed hope. But friends, we have the down payment. We know what emptiness is like. that we are marching towards fullness. Amen? Marching towards fullness because we have a great kinsman redeemer, Jesus Christ the righteous. Let's pray. God, thank you so much for your great grace to us. We are so thankful for these images inside this beautiful narrative in Ruth. We are so thankful for how you constructed the customs and culture for the Israelites in such a way that you embedded little pictures everywhere that point to Jesus. Thank you for the concept of the Redeemer. Thank you for this concept of an avenger slash benevolent brother. Jesus, you are amazing, amazing in every way. We are so thankful that you came here and took on flesh and fulfilled the law, died for our sin, and then rose again victorious over death, over hell. And as the Avenger, you have already crushed the serpent's head. We praise you this morning. And I pray that you would invigorate our songs like we actually