We're continuing our studies in the book of Ruth and have reached the third chapter. We see in this chapter that it is a portion that deals with the subject of gleaning. Ruth is there gleaning in the field, but then when you come to the part further down the chapter She is going to a place where Boaz is, and that is the threshing floor. The threshing floor is the place where you go when all that has been gleaned is to be beat out, winnowed, where in the case of wheat, for example, there's a separation of the chaff from the wheat. And this is a very interesting thought. When Naomi said to Ruth, Verse 2, And now is not Boaz of our kindred with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley tonight in the threshing floor. Then she told her to go there and to lie at his feet, to mark the place where he lay, and then to listen for what he would tell her to do. Verse 4, and he will tell thee what thou shalt do." The threshing depended to a large extent on the breeze or the wind. When they were threshing barley or wheat, the sieve would be used to separate the grain from the chaff. By tossing the corn into the air and over the sieve, There would be a separation of the chaff, for example, from the wheat. The chaff would be blown away by the breeze and it would leave the wheat behind. So when you think about a threshing floor and the threshing time, it was a time of separation that happened at the end of the harvest. It was also a time of great festivity, by the way. A great deal of energy was expended at the harvest time because once the harvest was gathered in, once the crop was gathered, the responsibilities were over, the workers could relax and they would gather together for a time of festivity. Naomi knew that after the festivities of the threshing, Boaz would be right there at the threshing floor and Ruth could go to him there. Before we talk about what happened there, I just want to mention that in the Bible, the threshing floor is a very, very significant place. The threshing floor is that place where the corn is sifted, where the husk and the kernel, the wheat and the chaff are separated from one another. It's the place where that which has been gathered in the harvest can be separated. What is of no use can be discarded or thrown away or used as fuel. What is of use is kept and made into food. If you look at your Old Testament, you'll see that there are times when the threshing floor actually becomes a place where God Himself deals finally with men and women. For instance, you may have read in Chronicles about David, who was tempted to number the people of Israel. And remember that the Lord told him not to do it. And we should remember that when we're trying to number the people. The Lord knoweth them that are His. I'm not in the business of keeping records of who's saved and who's not saved, because I don't know that. The Lord knows. The Lord knoweth them that are His. But David yielded to the temptation to number the people of Israel, and he did it. And God told David that what he had done was wrong, it was sin, and he was going to chasten him as a result. But in mercy, the Lord gave to David three choices. He could either have three years of famine, three months of war, or three days of pestilence or disease. And David said at that time, let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercies are great. Let the Lord make the decision. It's interesting that David, at that time when God came to him, was at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And the Lord basically told David, you've got to decide what you want. But David cast himself upon the mercy of God, but chose the three days of pestilence which Israel then had to endure. But the threshing floor was the place where God finally dealt with David and with the sins of the people. The interesting thing about this is that the very site of God's judgment and his dealing with David's sin was the place where the temple was later going to be built. And in another generation, we find this in 2 Chronicles 3, verse 1, Solomon's temple was built on the very spot of the threshing floor of Ornan, where God dealt finally with David. And it's my belief that that's also the site near to where the Lord Jesus was crucified. But we think of another man in the Old Testament. In Judges chapter 6 you read about him. His name was Gideon. God came to Gideon and called him to be a judge over Israel. Gideon thought that wasn't for him and more or less said, No Lord, I'm the least of my father's house. My family is not great in Israel. He's wrestling with God's call in his life. He's not really sure that this is something that's for him. But what is he doing at that very moment? Well, he's in the threshing floor and he's threshing wheat. You can read that in Judges 6, verse 11. He's doing that threshing secretly so that the Midianites will not find out and steal the wheat from them. But here we find this same thought, just like God. was dealing with David at the threshing floor of Ornan. At the threshing floor, here in Judges 6, God separates Gideon, winnows away, if you like, all of his self-interest and everything that would be a barrier between him and the service of God. And so the threshing floor becomes that place where God says, Gideon, you have to follow me, you have to do my will, you must obey my voice. And so the threshing floor became a place where the scene was set for the deliverance of Israel out of the hands of the Midianites through Gideon. We come to the New Testament. We see that the threshing floor again is prominent. Think about Peter, Simon Peter. He's at this point in his life where he is spiritually at a threshing floor. Jesus talked about it in Luke chapter 22 and verse 31. Remember those words? He said it to Simon. Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. He's talking about the threshing floor. There's a place where the devil is sifting and where he's testing and trying Peter. And sometimes there are places, there are times, there are experiences in the life of God's people where God permits them to go to Satan's threshing floor where they are tested and tried. The Lord allows them for a time to be put through the devil's sieve. Remember Paul talked about this, that that thorn in the flesh was the messenger of Satan to buffet him. But someone put it like this, it's far better to be in the devil's sieve than in the devil's cradle. And certainly the Lord Jesus wanted Peter to be a benefit and a blessing to his brethren, to comfort them, to encourage them after the resurrection. And so for him the best preparation for ministry was on that spiritual threshing floor where all of his self-confidence and his self-reliance was sifted away. By the way, the Lord Jesus said, when thou art converted, strengthen my brethren. He said, I have prayed for thee. But think as well about this before we leave this subject. The final judgment is described by the Lord in this way. We read in the Gospels that when the nations are gathered before the Lord, God sends the angels to gather his elect from the four winds from all the corners of the earth. It's going to be like reapers gathering in the corn from the field. The wheat and the tares grow together until the time of harvest. We read that in Matthew chapter 13, among the parables of the kingdom, you have this parable of the wheat and the tares, the wheat and the darnel, And the Lord says in Matthew 13 and verse 30, Let both grow together till the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. Everything will be brought to God's threshing floor, and He will separate the chaff from the wheat. And we can see this also, by the way, in Matthew chapter 3 and verse 12, speaking of the Lord here. John the Baptist said of him, he's mightier than I. His shoes I'm not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Then verse 12, whose fan is in his hand. And he will thoroughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." There's the Lord at the threshing floor, separating the wheat from the chaff. And that's going to happen, men and women. There are people who have nothing more than an external profession of religion with no internal reality. Their profession is just like a shell. The Lord described the people who were in this case as being like whited sepulchres. They're like graves that are painted white on the outside. They appear beautiful outwardly to men, but inside, inwardly, they're full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. There's no reality there. And that's going to become clear at the time of the judgment. At the threshing floor of God's judgment, He's going to separate the sham from the genuine. Doesn't the Lord tell us in the first Psalm that the wicked are like the chaff, that the wind drives to and fro, but the righteous are the ones who will stand in the judgment. See, the threshing floor is a place of decision. It's a place where God deals finally and definitively with men and women. And the threshing floor of Boaz, here in Ruth chapter 3, was to be a place where Ruth would find the peace and the rest for which she cried out. There is a threshing floor that God asks all of us to come to, where He deals finally with every sinner who truly comes to Him. That threshing floor is at the cross of Christ. See, at the cross, The judgment of God was poured out upon His dear Son. Christ was made a curse for us. And there at Calvary, sin was dealt with. The blood was shed. The Lord Jesus endured all the judgment of God, eternal judgment on behalf of His people. And there at the cross, there was separation, there was testing, there was judgment. The Lord Jesus was put through the sieve there at Calvary. But God's judgment upon His Son is in order that a final resolution to our sin problem will be effected. And through the cross, we have forgiveness, we have justification. In the Gospel, it has been said God asks us to come to the threshing floor of Calvary. And that's the place where God deals finally and definitively with all of our past, Washing away every sin and every stain and every bit of unrighteousness. Now if we think about what it says here in Ruth chapter 3, Ruth began this chapter listening to her mother-in-law's charge. What was it? Naomi said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee that it may be well with thee? And now is not Boaz of our kindred with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley tonight in the threshing floor. Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor." I think there is also a great application here to salvation and to sanctification. Isn't this what the Lord does for us as we read in verse 3? Wash thyself therefore. He washes us in the blood. He cleanses us. And anoint thee. He puts upon us the Holy Spirit. And put thy raiment upon thee. He clothes us with new garments. With the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, Naomi directed Ruth to go to the man who would redeem her. If she is to have security, she has to go to Boaz. And if you and I are to be well spiritually, we too have to go to the man who alone can be our Redeemer. Where is He to be found? Well, He's to be found at Calvary. He's to be found at the cross. And we can trust Him and have all of our sins forgiven. Now last time we were studying the book of Ruth, we mentioned that tremendous verdict that was given by Boaz concerning Ruth. In verse 11 he said, Now, my daughter, fear not. I will do to thee all that thou requirest. For all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman, howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Now, just before this, Ruth had asked Boaz to take her to wife, to perform the duty of a husband to her. She was actually claiming from him the protection of the kinsman. That's why she said to him there in verse 9, Spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid, for thou art a near kinsman. This was a ceremonial act. that was done in Israel, something that the Lord Himself referred to in Ezekiel 16, verse 8, when in speaking of the redemption of His people, He said this, Ezekiel 16, verse 8, Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love, and I spread my skirt over thee, and cover thy nakedness, yea, I swear unto thee, and enter into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine." By the way, isn't it interesting that in the ninth verse of that chapter of Ezekiel 16, it talks exactly as it talks in Ruth chapter 3. Then washed I thee with water. Yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with broidered work." There's the three things that Naomi said Ruth was to do. Wash thyself, anoint thyself, and clothe thee. This is what the Lord does for His people. And God is speaking here in Ezekiel of His relations with Israel under the figure of betrothal and marriage. You see, there was an ancient ceremony in Israel whereby the husband would throw the skirt of his garment over the head of a woman to signify that she was to become his. And it was a symbol of his protection. People would look at you today if a marriage was like that and a fellow threw something over the head of his bride. But in those days, that was what was done. And when Ruth asked for this, in her petition, she was claiming redemption from Him. She knew that He had a right to redeem. Thou art a near kinsman. And so it is with Christ and His church. Christ is our Redeemer. He is the one with the right to redeem. In the aftermath of this, in verse 10, Boaz paid tribute to her. We've looked at that already. She could well have married some other young man, some rich young man who was not a kinsman. But that would have been her natural decision. But rather than doing that, she sought to comply with God's law of redemption and to show respect to the family that she had married into. She showed kindness to Naomi. She showed respect and reverence to her deceased husband and to Elimelech, her father-in-law. Ruth was therefore determined to be in union with Boaz. And we learn from this that our desire should be toward Christ only, not running after the other young men, so to speak. We need to shun the attractions of the world, refuse to follow after the things of the world, and let Ruth not just do what's pleasing to ourselves, but to do the will of God. From Ruth's petition, I want us to look at her prospect. See, in verse 11, he says, Now my daughter, fear not. Don't be afraid. How often did the Lord say that in the days of His flesh? Fear not. I will do to thee all that thou requirest. Boaz here promises to fulfill the request. All that she required. And of course, he mentions her testimony, just briefly to say again, everybody knew what kind of woman she was, that he wanted to take as his bride. And believe her, the world is watching your life. You better believe it. And we have to think about this. What do people see in our lives? Do we have this kind of testimony that we are virtuous people? But in verse 12 and 13, You see the words of Boaz in response to this, and the prospect for Ruth here is good. He says, tarry this night. That simply means wait. And that's hard for us, isn't it, sometimes to wait? To just rest. Or to use that good old American colloquialism today, chill. Rest. Tarry. Wait this night. And it shall be in the morning that if he, that's the nearer kinsman, will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well, that's fine. Let him do the kinsman's part. But if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth. So he takes this vow before God. and then he says lie down until the morning and she lay at his feet until the morning rose up before one could know another. There's mention made here of the kinsmen and we've been making reference to this on a number of occasions this is mentioned in the book. First of all in chapter 2 verse 20 Naomi told Ruth The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. And in your authorized version, if you have a marginal rendering there, you will see that it has this alternate reading, one that hath right to redeem. And you'll see that again in chapter 3, verse 9. You'll see it again in chapter 3 and verse 12. You'll see it once more when you come to chapter 4, where it's speaking of the kinsman and the actual word again there is one who is a kinsman and one who is a redeemer. The Hebrew word is the word Goel, you would spell it in English G-O-E-L. The Goel, the kinsman redeemer. There was this law in Israel that if a man was married, he had a wife and the man died His brother, in order to keep his inheritance going, and to be able to let his issue take over his inheritance, any children that would come of a marriage, he had to marry his late brother's wife. The Goel would be the closest relative. And so in the case of Elimelech, Naomi's late husband, There was a kinsman living in Bethlehem at that time. We are not given his name. We don't know who he was. But Boaz refers to him in verse 12. He says, it's true that I am a near kinsman. Howbeit, in spite of that, there is a kinsman nearer than I. There's this other person. He's a closer relative of Elimelech. He has the first right to the redemption of Elimelech's property and of Ruth. So this nearer kinsman is going to have to be dealt with. We're going to have to encounter him. We're going to have to see what his response is before I can be free to marry you. Now what are we learning from this? Well, we're learning that Boaz, first of all, had a knowledge of the law of God. He knew what the teaching of God's law was on the matter. But secondly, and probably more importantly, he was not willing to leave the law aside in order to get what he wanted. The law could not just be ignored. The law could not just be overlooked or set aside. And there's a tremendous gospel lesson in that, isn't there? The law of God cannot just be ignored. You see, the idea that God just saves people by forgetting all about their sins doesn't matter what has happened. He just forgives people without any reference to anything other than His own forgiving nature. That is not true. God never forgives any sin that has not been atoned for. We have to understand that. You see, God always punishes sin. People say, well, God doesn't always punish sin, doesn't he let people? No, God always punishes sin. How? He either punishes sin in the sinner himself. That's why there's a hell. That's why there is a place of separation and punishment, because people are paying eternally for the sins that they have committed that have not been forgiven by God. So sins are punished either in the sinner's own person or in the sinner's substitute. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ has taken the sins of His people to Himself, upon Himself. And on the cross, He was punished by God for those sins. He was judged, suffering the equivalent of eternal hell. And that's really impossible for us to fathom. How eternal judgment could fall within the space of a few hours, but yet we're dealing with an infinite person who was able to endure infinite wrath. And so in bearing that sin, in bearing that wrath, that punishment for sin, the sinner who is guilty is now set free. That's the believer. And what a tremendous message that is. The law that was against us, the Lord Jesus has taken that law and nailed it to His cross. So we can sing, free from the law, O happy condition. Jesus has bled and there is remission. Cursed by the law and ruined by the fall. Christ hath redeemed us once for all. Once for all. O sinner, receive it. Once for all. O brother, believe it. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse. for us. God never set aside His law. God didn't say the law doesn't matter. No, He upheld the law and made it honorable. And this is what is taught in Romans chapter 3, in verse 25, it says of Christ, we're justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation, that means a place of the turning away of wrath, through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say at this time, His righteousness, and notice this, that He might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. God is just. He upholds His law. He doesn't ignore it. The law said the soul that sinneth it shall die. That penalty has to be visited. And God does that by punishing Christ. He has taken upon himself the obligations of the law for us. He kept its every precept which we couldn't keep. He endured its penalty which we should have endured. And so we're free. This is what is taught in the gospel. So Boaz is upholding the law, but the prospect for Ruth is redemption. Notice not only then her petition, which was that Boaz might be the Redeemer, and her prospect, he said he would be her Redeemer, but her patience As we said a minute ago, in the meantime, Ruth had to tarry. She had to wait. He said that in verse 13. Tarry this night. And that's repeated in verse 18. Look at it. This is Naomi. Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall. For the man will not be in rest until he have finished the thing this day. She expressed every confidence that Boaz would do what he said he would do. But in the meantime, Ruth had to wait. And sometimes, men and women, when we're seeking the will of God in our lives for something, we need patience. But the hardest thing in the world is to sit still, to sit still and wait for the Lord to show us the next step. You know what some believers do? They run ahead of the Lord. They don't wait. They just decide this is what I'm doing and they just go ahead and do it. And that is a big mistake. You should never do anything without consulting the Lord. without praying about it. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Psalm 37, verse 7 says, Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. That's what we're to do. Now, if you're seeking God's plan for your life in some way or another, in some shape or fashion, God will reveal that plan to you, but don't try to hurry the Lord up. Don't try to hurry the Lord up. God is never late. He's not early. He's right on time. And in the book of Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 15, the Scripture says, of Abraham, and so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Oh, learn to wait. And don't move till God moves you. That's always a very important lesson for us. Don't be moving until God moves you. Exodus 14 verse 13 says, Moses said to the people, Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will show to you today. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. I'm sure when those people heard that, they're thinking, what do you mean, stand still? The enemy's coming. The enemy's approaching fast. What do you mean, stand still? That's what God says, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you today. What did Habakkuk say? Though it tarry, wait for it. It will surely come. It will not tarry. That's not a contradiction. What God is saying, it seems to be tarrying, it's taking a long time, but just wait. Though it tarry, wait for it. Because it will surely come, it will not tarry. In other words, when it comes, it will come quickly. That's how God works. His timing is perfect. Ruth was told by Naomi, sit still until thou know. That would be my advice to every Christian. Don't move in any direction when you're seeking to do something or go somewhere. Don't move until you know that God is in it. You need to be sure. You need to be certain. I recall very well at the time when I was approached about coming to this country to preach, I had to be 200% sure This was not just something that I could say, oh well, I think I'll do that. That sounds like a good idea. No, it wasn't like that at all. Things were going very well in my former church. Better than they'd ever gone actually. Our children had made a lot of friendships. There were a lot of roots that we had already put down there. Family, friends, colleagues, a church network. And what am I going to come to? I'm going to come to a small handful of people who said they want to be free Presbyterians, who within a very short time decided they didn't want to be free Presbyterians. If I had come without knowing that I was in the will of God, I would have been up the proverbial creek without a paddle. And so I had to pray much and seek the Lord much and look for God's providences which were so clear And every time I start having doubts in my mind, maybe I shouldn't have come here in the first place. Well, it's a bit late for that. It's been almost 20 years. But even though those doubts would still come into my mind at times, I go back to that and I think about all that what God did, what God said, what God showed me. It was the will of God. It was the will of God. But I had to make sure. And I'm not the only preacher, or the only person, or the only missionary that's ever had to do that. In 1 Samuel 22 verse 3, the Bible says, David went thence to Mizpah of Moab, and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth and be with you till I know what God will do for me. I'm going to wait. I'm going to see what the Lord is telling me. You need to be sure. But we have this confidence that Naomi had in Boaz as well in verse 18. The man will not be in rest until he finished the thing this day. He's determined to redeem. This is the great prospect and this is the great patience that Ruth had to show. From this I want to finish with this thought. In Boaz we see her provider. You see what was said by Naomi? She said at the beginning of the chapter that she was to go because she was seeking rest for her. Verse 1, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee that it may be well with thee? Pointing her in the direction of Boaz because she believed that that rest which we observed was security. It really referred to marriage. That he was going to fulfill that. And then when you go down the chapter, you see these words in verse 18. The man will not be in rest until he has finished the thing this day. And you know, this could be said of Christ. All through our Lord's earthly life, rather than being reluctant to go to the cross, rather than trying to get out of it, rather than trying to find an escape route, He was always looking toward that day when He would die to redeem His people. He talked about it a lot, even though the disciples didn't understand. For example, in Matthew 16, when He told them, the Son of Man must suffer many things. And he would die and be raised again on the third day. What did Peter say? Be it far from thee, Lord. This shall not be unto thee. The Lord talked a lot about his death and resurrection. And he looked forward to that day. Let me give you just two Scriptures that bear this out. Look, chapter 9, verse 51. And it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up. There was a time. God's time. He wasn't going to die before that. You can read all the way through, especially in John's Gospel, those times when they wanted to take Him, when they wanted to do away with Him. But He, passing through the midst of them, went His way. The Bible says, for His time was not yet come. But here the time has come. When the time was come that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem. No reluctance, no trying to get out of it. He set his face as a flint, as the Bible puts it in another place, to go to Jerusalem. Look chapter 12 verse 50. He says, but I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straightened till it be accomplished? And he's not talking there at all about water baptism. He's talking about his death. He's talking about that baptism of fire that he's going to endure at the cross. He said, I am straightened till it be accomplished. I cannot avoid this that is set before me as a work that I have to do. And he set out. to finish what He came to do. John chapter 4 verse 34, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His work. You know, it's really interesting, earlier in that chapter, the disciples talked about buying meat. In verse 8, the disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat. But that word's a different word from the later word. The earlier word in verse 8 of John 4 is all kinds of provisions. Like you would go to the grocery store to buy all different kinds of food. That's the word in verse 8 for meat. But the word that's used by Christ in verse 34 is the singular. My meat. Not a bunch of things. One thing. My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work. That's what I've come to do. And what did He say on the cross? Titelestai is the Greek word. It is finished. The man will not be in rest until he have finished the thing. And our Lord was never to be in rest until He had finished the work of redemption for us. He is our provider. Even as Boaz was the provider for Ruth. And there's just one other thought in connection with this. In chapter 3, From verse 15, we learn that Ruth got more grain resting at Boaz' feet than in toiling in the field. I said chapter 3 was a chapter of gleaning. Actually, it's a chapter that follows a chapter of gleaning. It's the results of the gleaning when the harvest was brought to the threshing floor. And what happened there was, in verse 15 of chapter 3, that Boaz said, bring the veil that thou hast upon thee and hold it. You can imagine her holding out this piece of cloth, a veil, the way you would hold out some kind of a blanket or a sheet. He says, hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. And some commentators have estimated that could have been as much as 80 pounds of grain. That's a lot of grain for one woman to carry. But she didn't carry it like this, she would have carried it on her head. Because that's how they would have done that in those days, they had a thing on their head that they wore and they would set the grain on top of it. Can you imagine all that weight on top of your head? But he helped her, I'm sure, he positioned it there so that it was perfectly balanced so that she could take it home. All that grain that he gave to her. That's far more than she got by herself in the field. And whenever she went home, verse 16 says, she came to her mother-in-law, she said, Who art thou my daughter? Are you still single Ruth? Or are you now betrothed to Boaz? That was the idea. And she told her all that the man had done to her, including, I'm sure, the detail about the nearer kinsman. And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me, for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law. Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law. I say, Ruth got more grain resting at Boaz's feet than she did by toiling in his fields. Fellowship with Christ, men and women, is essential. Time spent at his feet will make us better workers in the field. It was Martin Luther who once said, he who has prayed well has studied well. Although we might be like Mary who chose that better part that would not be taken away from her, sitting at his feet and hearing his word. Let us take time to sit at the feet of our heavenly Boaz and to learn of him. And He will give us even more provision than we need. He will pour us out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. We're going to be looking at this detail of the nearer kinsmen as we go further in this study. And I trust that the Lord will bless His word to our hearts. Amen.