This evening, as we prepare to hear God's word, let's ask God's blessing in prayer. Gracious God, we come to you because you have the words of life. Apart from you, Lord, you've taught us that we can do no good thing. And apart from you, we have no thing. We pray, please, that you would accomplish your will in and through us by your word, that you would save, that you would rebuke, that you would build up, that you would encourage your people here tonight. I pray that you would use me powerfully, Lord, as you please. as you desire, and that you would do the same for my brothers and my sisters as we serve you in this world. We ask these things, King Jesus, in your mighty name and through your spirit, we pray. Amen. Brothers and sisters in Christ, I have the joy of preaching the word again to you this evening. And I think I started with you a series in the book of Ruth. The story of Ruth, which actually is the story of Naomi. It's the story of this Hebrew woman, Naomi, who left... The promised land with her husband to seek better opportunities outside God's promised land. And who met disaster after disaster outside of Israel. Naomi lost her husband. Naomi then lost her two sons. But in losing her two sons she gained a daughter. A daughter-in-law named Ruth. And so in Ruth we learned about Naomi, about Ruth, and about Boaz. And the story of Ruth is a true story which focuses on certain realities and truths and aspects about God. One of the things that we learn about Ruth is who God is, his character. We learn that God is the God of chesed. Chesed is God's covenant kindness. Chesed is God's loyal love. It's his mercy. It's his goodness. It's his faithfulness. And God's goodness, His kindness, His faithfulness, His love never change. They never change despite the misery and the suffering that we experience as His people. That's what we see happening in the story of Ruth, isn't it? Naomi loses everything. Ruth loses everything. They're poor. They're destitute. They have nothing. Naomi even believes that God has abandoned her, that God has rejected her. And yet, and yet, God shows Naomi chesed, His covenant kindness, His loyal love through the Moabitess, through that daughter-in-law that she gained. in Moab. That's chapter one. Chapter two shows us how chesed is not only a characteristic of God. Chesed, covenant kindness, loyal love, faithfulness, mercy. Those are also characteristics of God's people. And so in chapter two, we see how God normally takes care of us, his people. How does he do it? Usually through our family members. through our brothers and sisters in Christ, through church members. And we see it by Ruth taking care of her mother, Naomi. And we also see it by Boaz taking care of Ruth and Naomi. And in back of this, behind this, we know that God is actually at work taking care of his people, providing for all of our needs. And so this evening we arrive at chapter three in this great and beautiful story of God's dealings with his people. And in chapter three, we're going to deal with our need for redemption. Chapter three is all about our need for redemption. And so as we read, pay attention to how many times you see that word redeemer or redeemed appear because it gives us a clue into the main point of this text. So we look together at Ruth chapter three, that's found on page 223, 224 in your pew Bible. Let's give our attention to the reading of God's word now. Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, my daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that I may be well with you? Is not Boaz our relative with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor, washed, therefore, and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak, and go down to the threshing floor. But do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.' And she replied, all that you say I will do. 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. Then she, being Ruth, came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. At midnight, the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, who are you? And she answered, I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer. And he said, may you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness, and there it is, chesed. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 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 there is a Redeemer nearer than I. Remain tonight and in the morning. If he will redeem you, good, let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. lie down until the morning. So she lay at 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. 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? 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. 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. This is the word of the Lord for which we give thanks to God. So we've said, that as we go deeper and deeper, further and further in the book of Ruth, we realize that the book of Ruth is meant to show us our need for a redeemer and our need for redemption. We know this how? Because as you're reading the text between verses nine and 13, we have that word, the noun redeemer used three times and the verb to redeem used another three times. So when you're studying the Bible, you always pay attention to repetition, repetition of words, repetition of themes. And so, the author of the Scriptures is trying to help us pay attention to the fact that this is the main point, redemption. And so, in order to understand the main point of our text this evening, we want to ask two questions. Why do we need a Redeemer? If it's about redemption, why is it that we need a Redeemer? And then secondly, what kind of Redeemer do we need? So two questions, two points. Why do we need a Redeemer? And what kind of Redeemer do we need? So that first point, why do we need a Redeemer? If you're like me, and you read a story like we've just read, it makes you feel a little uncomfortable. a little awkward because there are details in this true story that, you know, the way I grew up, you just don't do. You don't go out at night. My parents told us nothing good happens at night. Nothing good happens, especially after midnight. But we find this young, beautiful woman, I assume, late at night in a field with an older man. And so if you're like me, you're thinking, but God, why do you include in your word, which is perfect and holy, things that are, at least on the outside, really, really awkward? Why does God do it? And then as you read stories like this, you ask yourself, no doubt, what in the world is happening here? What's going on? Well, I enjoy these stories, as weird as they are, because they remind me, and I hope they remind you, that when we come to the Word of God, we come as foreigners. We come as outsiders. We come as people who are far removed culturally from the kinds of things that are going on there. But listen, we have to not make the mistake of seeing this and saying, well, it just doesn't matter. The details don't matter. No. Remember, the God of Israel, the God that we serve, the living God, has worked through the people of Israel, through these details, to reveal His will to us. And so we have to pay attention to the details, because it's through the details that we understand what God is doing. So, what happened on that faithful night on the threshing floor? What's going on in this story? Well, If we look at this story through our Western and American eyes, all that we see here is like a romantic story, isn't it? Ruth, this beautiful girl, goes at night to seduce this older guy named Boaz so that he can marry her. Right? That's what's going on. Because look at the details, right? Look at verse 1. Naomi says, my daughter, should I not seek rest for you that it may be well with you. Translation, Ruth, I'm not getting any younger. You're not getting any younger. You need to find yourself a man and get married. That's what Naomi's saying. Okay, the ESV puts it very properly, but let's translate it in today's English. What's Naomi telling her daughter-in-law? You need to get hitched. That's what's going on, okay? But that's not all that Naomi says. Naomi then says in verses three and four to do certain things, right? She tells her, get cleaned up, wash yourself nice, put on your best perfume, I'm paraphrasing, put on your best dress, and go out to this field. and find Boaz's field and see where Boaz lies down and pay attention to it because you're going to go lie down there. But it doesn't end there. Then Naomi tells Ruth in verse four, once you've seen where he's lied down, guess what? Pay attention and then go and uncover his feet. Oh, what's going on here? Why is he touching, why is she touching his feet at night? You know, I'm not saying you should do this, I'm just confessing my sins. I've watched a lot of movies growing up, and I think to myself, if this were to be made into a Hollywood movie, what would we call it? How to Get Hitched in 10 Hours? Right, because this is an operation of seduction, right? This is get married as quickly as you can, right? That's all it is, isn't it? It's just a love story, isn't it? That's what it seems on the surface. But we need to really dial down beneath the surface and understand what is going on. Why these very specific things that Naomi is telling Ruth, her daughter-in-law, to do? Why? I've been helped by one of my favorite Bible commentators, Leon Morris, and listen to what he writes about the strange things that Ruth does in our texts. He notes, first, apparently, It was an Israelite but not a Moabite procedure because Naomi had to explain to Ruth what she must do to show Boaz that she was interested in marriage with him. So what is Naomi telling Ruth to do? She's saying position yourself in such a way that that man understands that you're interested in him. Right? If I asked some of you to tell me how you got married, how you got together, I'm sure somewhere I would hear that the woman, because men are what we are, would say I had to put myself in a position where he would see me because he wasn't understanding that I was interested in him. It's as old as the Bible. Right? So all the details that Naomi is telling Ruth to do are in order to help Ruth understand how to get a Hebrew man, how to get this Hebrew man to understand that you are interested in him. And then Leon Morris points out again, the point of this, specifically the act of moving his sandals, he says, the point of this perhaps was to awaken the man as his feet became cold. And he adds something else. Her position was a lowly one and perhaps represented Ruth as a petitioner. Because remember, what is Ruth doing? She's there at night as a poor foreign woman looking to talk to this guy to make sure he understands how interested she is in him and how does she do it. She does it on the ground, below him, under him. You see, in the Bible, nothing is done randomly. When you petition someone, you don't petition them standing up. There's a hierarchy. Ruth is on the ground. Boaz is sleeping up here. She removes his sandals. I don't think it's necessarily a euphemism for anything else. But just because he's sleeping outside. And when you sleep outside in Israel, guess what? It becomes very cold at night. So how do you make sure that he's going to wake up and see you there? You just take his shoes off. You take off the coverings on his feet because he's eventually going to wake up. And when he wakes up, that's the point at which he will see Ruth and ask what's going on. But remember the question that we're asking. Is this simply a love story? Is this simply a Hollywood-style romantic comedy? Why is Ruth doing what she's doing? Why these strange activities? The answer is very simple. Because Ruth needs to be redeemed. And how do we know that that's true? Because of what we see in verse 9. After Boaz wakes up, he asks who's there, and what does Ruth say? I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer. And Boaz isn't that surprised. He's surprised, but not that surprised. And he understands exactly what's going on, and we know this because of his answer. Look at verses 10 through 12. And he said, May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first, and that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 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." So this is all about redemption, OK? But what does that have to do with us? Why do we need redemption? Why do you and I, living in 2025, not in the Middle East, but in the West, in Michigan, need to be redeemed? And what does that tell us about our need for redemption? Well, we need to draw from the parable principle. Do you know the parable principle? You know that Jesus taught most of what he taught and preached using parables. Earthly stories with a heavenly meaning. And most, if not all, of Jesus' parables were not real stories. You know the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, right? There's this very poor man that was kind of mistreated by a very rich man and the poor man ends up going to heaven. And he's there in the bosom of Abraham and there's a rich man who mistreated the poor man. And then there's this gaping chasm between heaven and hell, and the poor man is there, and he's asking, the rich man is there, and he's asking the poor man to dip his finger in the water and send it down to him. Is it a true story, a real story? It's a parable. But Jesus uses these parables, sometimes of regular things, farming, sowing seed, but sometimes extraordinary things, why? To teach us a heavenly truth. Now, this is a real story. It really happened. It's true. But if we want to make sense of what's going on in this story, we ought to view it as a parable. It's meant to teach us not just about what happened in Ruth's life, but it's also meant to teach us about what God is doing in our lives. In other words, this story is meant to teach us about our need for Redemption. So how does this teach us about redemption? By showing us and helping us to understand what the concept of redemption means. So redemption is an economic, it's a market term. It literally just means buying something back. Okay, so let's say you buy your first house, your starter home, you fix it up, and you sell it. You buy another home, you live in it for a couple of years, your kids grow up in it, and then you get to a certain age and you say, I need a smaller home, we need to downsize. And then you see that the first home that you bought is on the market again. So what do you do? You redeem it, you buy it back. Someone else bought it, you pay for it, and you buy it back. That's the general concept of redemption. Now, in Israel, what kinds of things got redeemed? You can buy back a field that used to belong to your family, but you had to sell the field because you didn't have enough money to pay for everything, so you sell it to someone, and then someone comes along, a redeemer, and that redeemer, in the name of your family, buys the field back and it comes back into your family. Why? Because in Israel, how do you survive? by farming. It's an agricultural community. The way you make money is by growing crop, harvesting it, selling it, getting the money, and that's how you live. And so if you look at the Old Testament, there are laws and rules about kinsmen redeemers. But you don't just buy and redeem fields, you can also buy and redeem people. Right? Why? Because there's no welfare, there are no food banks, there's no diaconal fund. If you don't have money, you're done. And who is Ruth? Who's Naomi? Who are they? Two women who have nothing. They lost their husbands, and in those days, only a man could own land. And so why is Ruth doing everything that she's doing? Why is she going to Boaz's place? Why is she humbling herself before Boaz? Because she is in a desperate situation, and she needs someone to redeem her. to buy her back and place her again in the family of her now dead husband? Because Boaz, who is he? Boaz is related to her husband. Boaz is related to Naomi's husband. And if he so desires, if he is so willing, he can change everything. He can change the destiny of Ruth and Naomi. So what does this have to do with us? Well, we also need to be redeemed. But from what? I mean, look at us. We're here. We have everything we need. We eat every day. Our lives are pretty good, right? What could we possibly be lacking that only God could do for us? Well, remember, this is a parable. It's meant to teach us a heavenly or a spiritual reality. What's the reality about all of us, regardless of where we come from, regardless of our age, regardless of how much money we have in our bank accounts? It's that we are spiritually poor. We have nothing that we could bring to God in our hands and say, God, I give this to you and I want you to accept me. God, I've brought this to you and I want you to let me into heaven. We don't have it. We don't have enough of it and we just don't have it. And what is it? God isn't looking for money. God is looking for perfection, for holiness, for righteousness, and that's not what we are. Romans 3, 10 through 12, helps us understand how God sees us. Romans 3, 10 through 12 says, none is righteous. No, not one. No one understands. No one seeks for God. All have turned aside. Together they have become worthless. No one does good, not even one. Are there any exceptions? No. Apart from Christ. No one makes the cut. And so, do you know what our posture ought to be? Not one of pride. Not one of bargaining with God. But like Ruth, humility. Why is Ruth doing what she's doing? Because she understands she's poor. She understands that her salvation, her redemption, depends on somebody else. Is that you tonight? Are you aware of your situation before God? Listen, you can have it all, but apart from God, apart from His grace, you have nothing. Apart from God's grace, apart from God's love, apart from God acting in your life, you can't do anything to please Him. It's a terrible place to be. But you see, our God is interesting. Our God is a God who resists the proud, but who gives grace to the humble. So how can you and I humble ourselves in order to receive redemption? Redemption is a gift, right? How do we receive redemption? You humble yourself. You say, God, I have nothing in my hands. I have nothing good in me. I am a sinner, the worst of sinners. I need you to save me. That's humility. You need to be like Zacchaeus and acknowledge that you've cheated people. You need to be like the publican at the temple who doesn't even dare look up to heaven, but who says, oh Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Is that you? Brother, you made your profession of faith. We don't know each other, but guess what? We're in the kingdom of God together. We're gonna spend eternity together. Do you know what you've done? A profession of faith is acknowledging to people that you are a sinner in need of God's saving grace. That you are poor, but God is rich. That you have nothing, and God has everything. That's the story of redemption. We have nothing to offer God. God has everything to save us and to give us what we need. So that's why we need to be redeemed. But now what kind of Redeemer do we need? Well, it's really interesting. Our text shows us first that the type of Redeemer or Savior we need must be a genuinely kind person. Look at this interaction again between Ruth and Boaz. So Ruth asks, in verse 9, spread your wings over your servant for you are a Redeemer. What would you do if someone came up to you, disturbed your sleep in the middle of the night, and says, hey, I need you to help me. I need you to redeem me. I'm poor. I'm desperate. If you don't help me, I'm going to die. How would you react? You might say, or maybe not, I might say, why are you here? I might say, you're kind of entitled. Why do you think that I can do anything for you? I don't even know you. But is that Boaz's response? How does he respond to this poor woman disturbing his sleep? Look at verses 10, verse 10. And he said, may you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after younger men, whether poor or rich. See, Boaz's reaction reveals what's in his heart. We need to understand that he could have done anything to this woman. No one was watching. It was just him and her. And even if there were other people, they wouldn't have said anything. Why? Because he's the boss and because she's a foreigner. But Boaz shows us that he's a genuinely kind. I don't mean just nice. Do you know kindness? He's kind. He sees her in her lowliest state, in her poverty, and he blesses her. He extols her. He sees what she's actually trying to do. She's not just trying to get something from him. She's not trying to get a handout. She's asking him to redeem her, to marry her. Why? Because she's worried about her mother. She's worried about Naomi. She's worried about making sure that the family line continues. And Boaz sees it. He blesses Ruth because he understands that she's not asking for help out of a sense of entitlement, but rather because he's a gently kind person, he understands that she's doing what she's doing out of desperation. And again, this is a parable pointing us toward Christ. Boaz is a type of Christ. Isaiah tells us about the Messiah, about the servant of the Lord, that a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench. Jesus is gentle toward those who are weak, to those who are needy, to those who are desperate and poor. That's why, you'll remember, he says, come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle. and humble in heart. That's the kind of Redeemer we need. Someone who sees how pitiful we are and who doesn't brush us aside, who doesn't make us pay anything, but who accepts us, who brings us in. But that's not all. We also need a Redeemer who's willing to redeem us, right? We need a Redeemer who not only sees our situation and has pity on us, who's kind to us, but who actually is willing, who wants to act on our behalf. Look at verse 11. Look at his response. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask. Remember, this is pointing us toward Christ. What do you believe about Jesus? When you pray, when you think about the Lord, what are your expectations of Him? Do you expect that your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ actually wants to help you? That he actually wants to save you? That he actually wants to provide for all of your needs? Or do you kind of calculate in your mind, like, you know the prodigal son? Well, if I say this, then if I'm penitent enough, then surely my dad will let me back into the family. Right? I'm not naming any names, and maybe it's the same for you, but we've noticed with our children that sometimes when they want something, do you know how they begin questions? You know, you're probably not going to say yes, but... Is it just us? You're probably not going to let us have this, but... But, can I say something? I think it reveals something about how they view us. We always say no. It happens to be one of my favorite words. But is that Christ? Is our Savior the kind of Savior who, when you pray to Him, through Him, you're just expecting Him to say, no. You don't need that. That's not necessary. You're asking too much. Is that Jesus? Is that our Father? How does Jesus describe His Father? Doesn't He say that our Father knows exactly what we need? that we shouldn't worry, because guess what? As beautifully as the fields are clothed like lilies, so our Father knows our needs. He knows that we need clothes. He knows that we need food. And so what does Jesus tell us? Don't worry. Instead, seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all of these things will be added unto you. Can I tell you something? One of the greatest gifts that God has given me, second only to salvation, is my wife. And when we started dating and when we fell in love and we wanted to get married, I said, but Lord, this is too good. Because I actually like her, she actually likes me, and she wants to marry me. Listen, I don't lack in confidence, but someone wants to marry me, that's a big deal. And then I remember I started looking for reasons why this can't be the will of God. Why? Because I, in my mind, was thinking God doesn't actually want me to enjoy really, really good things. But is that the God of the Bible? Do we have to twist his arm to get him to provide for us? No. Our God is the God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding, overflowing in steadfast love and faithfulness. You don't have to convince him. In fact, someone has said that God is more willing to save, God is more willing to bless than we are willing to ask. You have not because you ask not. God is ready to bless us. And God gives us as he desires. But you know, we have a relationship. He wants us to ask. So let me ask you, what is it that you really need from God? What is it? Ask. Because we have a Redeemer who is willing to save. who is willing to give us what we need. But we don't only need a Redeemer who is kind, a Redeemer who is willing to save, we also need a Redeemer who is actually able to save. You see, because it's one thing to say, oh, we have someone who really feels what we feel, who really understands our needs, who really cares about us, but if he can't do anything, it doesn't really matter, does it? If we are this poor, if we are this desperate, we don't just need a Redeemer who understands our pain. We don't only need a Redeemer who's willing to act. We need a Redeemer who is powerful enough to do what is needed to save us. Look at verses 11 through 13. We read, 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 there is a Redeemer nearer than I. Remain tonight and in the morning. If he will redeem you, good. Let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Those are powerful words. And we get to chapter four, and he does what he says. I will redeem you. Brothers and sisters, what is power? Power is simply the ability to accomplish what you set your mind to doing. So we all have a certain level of power. We have a certain ability to do things. But we serve a Savior who is omnipotent. Omnipotent. He has all power. He is also able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. And what is the proof that we have a Savior who can actually do for us all that we ask or think, even beyond it? Isn't it the cross? Why did Jesus come to die on the cross? Was it just to provide an example of what true love looks like? No, he came and lived a perfect life, perfectly righteous. He obeyed all of God's commandments, not just externally, but also from the heart. And then he offered his life as a sacrifice, a perfect, blameless sacrifice, so that anyone who believes and trusts in Jesus will be saved, redeemed, bought back from the powers of sin, bought back from the powers of Satan. We don't belong to Satan. We don't belong to sin. We belong to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who has fully paid for all of our sins. The cross is the proof that not only is Jesus kind, not only is Jesus willing, but Jesus is actually able to save to the uttermost. So now I'm going to ask you, you have this week ahead of you, you have needs. You're already saved. Why do you hesitate to ask? Doesn't Romans say, and I'm paraphrasing, if he did not spare his own son, then what will he not also do for us? Brothers and sisters in Christ, my goal, one of my goals tonight is just to get you to ask. Pray. Don't worry about being holy, don't worry about saying it nicely. God already knows what you need, but ask him. And do you know what? Ask humbly. And if you can, you're able, get on your knees, like for real. Get on your knees, hide yourself away if you need to, get on your knees, pray and ask God for that thing that you need the most. and He will answer according to His will. I don't know what He's going to do, but I know that He listens, and I know that He always answers. Why do we need to be redeemed? Because we are poor, desperate sinners. The problem with the world today isn't essentially a lack of education, though that's a problem. It isn't a lack of finances, that's a real problem. It isn't wrong ideologies, though those are real issues. The reason why we have bad ideologies, the reason why we have a lack of money, the reason why we have bad education is because we are sinners. Our root, what's deep inside of us is wrong, it's bad. And even worse is the fact that if God does not act, we will go to hell. Hell is a real place of suffering forever. And so that's why we need a Redeemer. And we need a Redeemer who's kind, who loves us, who accepts us as we are. We need a Redeemer who wants to save us. And we need a Redeemer who is actually able to do it. And his name is? Jesus So my challenge for you this week Is to go to your Redeemer if you're a believer and humble yourself before him get on your knees literally not figuratively and ask and If you are here tonight, and you are not a believer You have not made your profession of faith You need to meet Jesus for yourself. That's not something that we can manufacture. But listen, if Jesus has revealed himself to you, if he has shown you through his word and through whatever means he wants to use that you need to be saved, run to him. Humble yourself before him and don't be ashamed. Because Jesus promises, all that my Father gives to me, I will never cast out. Come to Christ, humble yourself before Christ, and he will redeem you for his glory and for your eternal good. Amen. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we are so amazed at what you've done for us. You've redeemed us from our sins. from the power that sin held over us, from the power of death, from the power of Satan, from the power of the world. And we thank you, Lord Jesus, that your power is greater than all of these things that seek to enslave us. We ask that you would make us even more humble, like our sister Ruth, that we would come to you as we are, and that we would depend on you and trust in you to deliver us. to redeem us, to save us, to help us, because Lord, we need you. We ask these things, Lord Jesus Christ, trusting in you, believing in you. Amen.