Well, congregation, the story of the book of Ruth continues. And as you just heard from the reading, we are now entering into Ruth chapter two. And in order to appreciate, you have to be able to substitute the characters who are in this story for the characters who are in the story of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. First of all, you have to see Elimelech as a picture of the first Adam, who failed to lead and protect his wife, just as Adam failed to lead and protect Eve. You also have to see Boaz as a picture of the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one who comes and takes the place of the first Adam. And then you have to see Ruth and Naomi as a picture of the church of Jesus Christ. In many ways, these two characters sort of merge together in the story, and they form a composite character, if you will, as they represent the church itself. But you know when you do that, you can see very easily how the book of Ruth is a picture of the gospel story. The first Adam brought about death. But through the second Adam, Boaz, there's restoration and there's redemption. On the basis of a new marriage, a union between Ruth and Boaz, the inheritance of Ruth and Naomi is restored. They come back into the land and they come back to their place in the kingdom of God. Now, as we come to the story proper and we begin in verse 1, what you notice right off the bat is that there is a passing comment. There's a passing and introductory comment about Boaz. And it seems that what the writer wants to do here is just introduce him as the next main character. And so he says there was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz. Now, we're going to park here for just a second because this is interesting. The writer begins to give us at least two things about Boaz that he wants us to know before we get into the narrative. First of all, he wants us to know that Boaz is a relative of Elimelech. And here, the word for relative, just so you know, is not the word for the kinsman redeemer. That's a different word, okay? So he's introduced as a relative, and we're supposed to ask the question, does he qualify to be the kinsman redeemer? Well, by the end of the chapter, we will find out that he may qualify. He could qualify. He is somewhere in line. But at this point, the writer just wants to tease us with that possibility. The second thing that he wants us to know is that Boaz is a wealthy man. And here, if we're thinking very carefully, we can see how the story, typologically speaking, might unfold. We can see how the story might fit together. Ruth and Naomi at this point in their lives have no provider, no one to care for their needs. But Boaz is a wealthy man. Boaz is rich and provision is not a problem. And in that sense, we can already see that Boaz is a great picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. And why do I say that? Well, when it comes to righteousness, you and I are poor, and we have no righteousness of our own. And what we need is to be united to Jesus Christ so that His righteousness becomes our own, so that we can have a standing before God Himself. We're the ones who are poor. We're the ones who are destitute. But He's the one who is rich. And by union with Jesus Christ, everything that belongs to him now belongs to us. But you know what? There's something else that we need to see here. Very interesting. And that is the meaning of the name Boaz. I think it is interesting that if you go to 1st Kings 7 in verse 21, you learn that when Solomon was building the temple, he established two great pillars in front of the house of God. Two great pillars. And it's fascinating because Solomon gave names to those pillars. One was called Jachin, which means established, and the other was named Boaz, which means strength. So Solomon was establishing the house of God in strength. And that's what these two pillars are represented. Given that Solomon actually built the temple many years after the story of Ruth, it's very possible that he named that great pillar in the house of God after the man who is in our story. And if that's the case, then it serves to reinforce another aspect of this man, Boaz. And what is that aspect of his character I want to highlight? It's the fact that Boaz was a strong man. Now Boaz, for all intents and purposes, is a picture of true masculinity. And I don't just say masculinity, I say true masculinity. Okay, so Boaz is not a weak and effeminate man. Boaz is a man of competence. Boaz is capable. He has the ability to lead a wife and lead a home because we can already see that he's a leader in business. He's a leader in the community. Boaz is a strong man. But just as a parenthetical consideration, for the men who are here today, let me just say you should make it your aim. to be Boaz in your life. And the way that you do that is first of all, you put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and you daily draw your strength from the strength of Christ. And as you do that, what's going to happen to your life? It will radically transform. You'll have the ability to get up and do what he's called you to do. You'll have the ability to be ready by the grace of God to face the duties and responsibilities, yes, the challenges and the dangers of your life, and you'll face them like a man. Because life is hard, but you're called to learn, you're called to work, you're called to build, you're called to fight and defend, and you are called to persevere to the end. Boaz is a strong man. Boaz is the central Christ-like figure in the story. And every man in this room should be looking at the character of Boaz as something to be emulated in his own life. A little snippet. But in Revelation chapter 3, Jesus is talking to the church in Philadelphia. And in verse 8 he says, I know your works. And I have set before you an open door that no man can shut, for you have a little strength. You have kept my word and you have not denied my name. And then in verse 10, he says, because you have kept my command to persevere. And then he says in verse 12, behold, I am coming quickly. Hold fast what you have that no man may take your crown. And he who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. A pillar in the temple of my God. Jesus says that if you live and you work and you persevere in doing what he's called you to do, then you will be a pillar. You will be a Boaz in the house of God. Now going back to the story, Ruth doesn't even know that Boaz exists at this point in the story. Now remember, the writer just wants to introduce him to the reader because he's the next main character that we will see. So in verse 2, we pick up with the narrative. Ruth says to Naomi, please let me go to the field and glean the heads of grain. I'll go to the field and maybe I'll find favor in someone's eyes. And Naomi said, of course, go, my daughter. So now, before we transition from the house to the field, I wanna make just a few comments to give you some background information about what's going on. The reason that Ruth was able to go and reap the grain from another person's field was because of a special provision that was made in God's law. Maybe you've heard of the gleaning laws in Israel. These were laws that applied to the land owners. God told them that during the harvest, they were to leave the corners of their fields unharvested, untouched. He told them that as they reaped the fields, they could pass through once, but not a second time. They had to leave quite a bit behind. And if they dropped anything in the process of collecting the grain, the law was that they were not allowed to bend down and pick it up. These were provisions for the poor. that God was setting aside. These were provisions for the stranger, the foreigner who came from the outside into the covenant people and their land. Other passages say the poor, the stranger, and the widow. And in the passage in Deuteronomy chapter 4, God gives the reason for those laws. He says that they were put in place to remind the people that at one time they too were slaves in Egypt. At one time they were strangers and they were foreigners who lived in a land that was not their home. And so the gleaning laws were there to teach the people the right way to treat the poor, the right way to care for the stranger, not by giving them a handout like we do in the American welfare system, but by giving them the opportunity to work for what they need. It's a beautiful set of laws, but that's the background here. And Ruth gets up, she leaves, she goes out to the field to glean. Because she's a stranger, she's a foreigner, and she's a widow. And in verse 3, it says that she just so happened to land in the part of the field that belonged to Boaz. Now in verse 4 and following, we see the coming of Boaz onto the scene. So now, Boaz comes from Bethlehem, and there's several things that we should notice here by way of observation. First of all, notice that Boaz is a godly man who represents the Lord, his God, in everything that he does. Verse 4 says, Now Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they said to him, The Lord bless you. So here we can see that Boaz is a full-time believer. He's a full-time Christian. He's not the kind of guy who treats his faith like a hat. He puts it on when he comes to church, but then he takes it off when he goes to work. In this situation, Boaz is the owner of a business. Boaz owns the plot of land. Boaz has servants who are working for him. Boaz has reapers that have been hired. So he's the boss and the servants and the reapers are his workers. And yet when he shows up, he greets them in the name of the Lord. Boaz is a full-time believer. He doesn't check his faith at the door. Boaz has absolutely no shame to bear the name of his God everywhere he goes and in everything that he does. It's also noteworthy that he has the love and respect of those who work for him. He says, the Lord be with you, and they immediately respond, the Lord bless you. They love this man because he has first loved them. And so the takeaway here is very simple. No matter where you are, what you're doing at the time, you are a Christian first. You are always a Christian and you never take off your Christianity for anyone. And therefore never be ashamed of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, you'll notice that there's something about Ruth that now comes to the fore. So we're looking at Boaz, but now Ruth, something about her comes to the fore. When Boaz inquires about Ruth, his servant gives him a very good report. Boaz says, who is this young woman? And the servant says, that's the Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little while in the house. So here we could see something about the character of Ruth herself. Ruth is not a lazy woman. She knows that God is gracious, okay? She understands the provisions that are made for the poor, but she also knows that if she's not willing to get up and work hard to secure that blessing, then she and Naomi, her mother-in-law, will suffer. And so very clearly, Ruth has an upright character. Ruth is a strong and industrious woman. The servant said that she was working all day long with only a little time that she needed to rest in the house. And so, of course, And whether you're married or hope to be married soon, here's an aspect of your character that you need to develop. This is an aspect of your character that you need to work on at all times. Be diligent in the work that the Lord has given you to do. You know, in Proverbs 31, you'll notice that several of the descriptions of the virtuous woman are about this very thing. Verse 25 says that she's a woman who is not weak. It says that she clothes herself with two things, with strength and honor. In verse 27, we see that her work is anchored in the home. It says that she looks well to her own household, and she does not eat the bread of idleness. Here we can see that if you want to be a virtuous woman, you need to get up and get to work. Yes. Around your own home for the sake of your own family. And what that means very practically speaking is you can't be sitting all day scrolling on your phone. You can't sit there all day scrolling on your phone. And then finally it says the hard working woman will be praised. There is a reward of appreciation for every woman who works hard in her home. It's an appreciation that she deserves. And you can see in the text that it comes from her children. They rise up and call her blessed. It comes from her husband who is willing to praise her in the gates. And so there's a certain sense of glory that this hardworking woman receives. Verse 31 says, give her the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gate. Well here, that's exactly what we see in Ruth. It's what we see in Ruth. Ruth is not a lazy woman, but Ruth is a good worker. Now going back to Boaz, because the story just gives us a little snapshot of Ruth, but then continues with Boaz, there's a few more things that we really need to see. First of all, notice what Boaz says to Ruth in verses eight and nine. He says, you will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn. Now watch as we unpack what Boaz just said to Ruth. Watch as we unpack that, how glorious of a picture we get of this man. Provision. Boaz is no doubt an able and capable provider. He demonstrates that he has the ability to meet the needs of Ruth. And so he tells her that she does not need to go into any other field. He says, do not go to glean in another field. Protection. We can see very clearly that Boaz offers Ruth protection. Notice that he not only provides for her, but he keeps her safe from all the other men who might be in the field. And that way she will have no fear. She won't be distracted for her own safety. She'll be able to focus on her work. He says, let your eyes be on the field or have I not commanded the young men not to touch you. So Boaz is strong. He can provide, he can protect. He can guard her and he can guarantee her a place of safety where she can do the work that she is called to do. But also notice privilege. Boaz gives Ruth a special privilege. He doesn't just say, okay, well, you can come and you could glean in my field and I'll make sure my men are behaving themselves. But he actually says, whenever you're thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn. Boaz wants to make sure that this hardworking woman can be refreshed along the way. Just a small word to husbands, make sure your wife is refreshed along the way. She's a hardworking woman, make sure she gets the rest that she needs. Permanence, think about this idea of permanence because Boaz gives to Ruth a sense of permanent belonging. Notice that he tells her that she can join the group of his other young women. And he says, do not go from here. So he does say, you don't need to go into another field, but he also says, don't go from here. Stay here. Ruth, you can settle down here. You can make some friends for you are welcome in this field. He gives her a sense of security in that he offers her some sense of permanence. Well, all of those things are right there on the surface of the text. We didn't have to look far to see them. A Boaz can give this woman everything that she needs, everything that she could want, provision, protection, privilege, and permanence. And so it's very easy for us to see now why it is that I said Boaz is a real man. Boaz is a picture of true masculinity. Now at the end of our passage, there's a beautiful interaction between Ruth and Boaz. You see, after Boaz comes to Ruth and he says all of these wonderful things, he offers her all of these blessings that we just saw, It shows us that Ruth is surprised. Ruth is almost beside herself. In verse 10, it says that she fell on her face. She bowed down to the ground and she said, why have I found favor? That is grace in your eyes that you should take notice of me. Watch this since I am a foreigner. Who knows what a foreigner's experience would have been in Israel in those days? But here she comes to the field of Boaz, and she has been received with great kindness and generosity. So she says, why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a stranger? Well, here I want to slip in a small consideration. that you might miss if you didn't think about the genealogy that is given to us at the end of the book. There's a little genealogy that's working in the background that helps us to sort of dig into her question here. In Ruth chapter 4 verse 21 it says, Salmon begat Boaz and Boaz begot Obed. Obed begot Jesse and Jesse begot David. So there's the genealogy that will connect Boaz to King David. Okay. But here we can see that the father of Boaz was a man named Salmon. His father's name was Salmon, and that's fine, but if you go to Matthew 1 in verse 5, Matthew gives us some insight there, and he says, Salmon begot Boaz specifically by Rahab. In other words, Rahab was the mother of Boaz. So why did I even bring that up? Well, in one sense you can say that, you know, maybe the reason Boaz was such a generous man when it came to the strangers and foreigners in the land was that he knew that his own mother at one time was a stranger in the land. Rahab was not an Israelite woman by birth and so until she married Salman, as she was an outsider to the Commonwealth of Israel, she was separated from the people of God in that formal and covenantal sense. So that's just a little glimpse into his background that might have played a part in how he's treating Ruth. But notice that's not what Boaz actually says. when he answers her question in verses 11 and 12. Instead, he says that the real reason that he wants to bless Ruth in the way that he does is that in the report that he heard about her, he learned that she was a faithful woman. Okay, now wait. So far we've seen that Ruth is a hard worker, but that's a little bit different. Here, Boaz has learned that Ruth is a faithful woman. What really impressed him was her faithfulness to her family. And not just any family. She was faithful to her mother-in-law. And she was faithful in her trust and commitment to the God of Israel. Verse 11 says, and Boaz answered and said to her, it has been fully reported to me all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband and how you have left your father and your mother and your land of birth and have come to a people you did not know before. And then he gives her the blessing of the Lord in verse 12. He says, the Lord repay your work. And a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel under whose wings you have come for refuge. You know, the way that little section ends here is just so beautiful. Because what's happening here is Boaz is commending Ruth. for her character. And we've seen that she's a hard worker, but now we see that she is a faithful woman. There's a sense of loyalty behind this woman. But notice where her loyalties lie. They lie not always and not necessarily in her biological relations, but in her covenantal relations. She is loyal to her mother-in-law, who is not her mother by birth, but her mother by covenant. She's not loyal to the gods in the land in which she was born, but she now wants to be loyal and faithful to the Lord God of Israel, the only true God that there is. And she wants to enter into covenant with this God. And so she wants to take refuge under his wings. So what's happening here is Boaz sees that and he hears that and he senses that. So he receives her and he imparts to her the blessing of the Lord. He speaks like a true representative of the Lord. He not only receives her, but he actually receives her for what she is in her heart. This woman may be a foreigner by virtue of her birth. Physically speaking, biologically speaking, ethnically speaking, she's a foreigner. But if you notice the language of verse 12, you can see that her faith and the work that justified her faith, her faith and the work that justified her faith demonstrates that now she is a true daughter of Abraham. Look at the language of verse 12. Look at the Abrahamic language. Just as God called Abraham to leave his father's house and to leave the land in which he was born and go to a land that he had never seen before. So Boaz hears a very similar thing about Ruth. He says, I heard how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth. And you have come to a people that you did not know before. This is Abrahamic language. This is the language where Boaz, as a representative of Jesus Christ, is receiving a Gentile woman into the church. And so what he sees in Ruth, congregation you need to know, is the same thing that the Lord Jesus Christ sees in every one of his believing people. Those of us who love the Lord Jesus Christ more than anyone, more than anything in the world, are the true sons, we are the true daughters of Abraham. Even though many of us, not all of us, but many of us, were Gentiles in the flesh, we are now the seed of Abraham by faith in Jesus Christ. We were on the outside of the commonwealth of Israel, but now we have been brought near by the blood of Christ. It's just so amazing how this gospel picture permeates the text of the story. And therefore, congregation, the blessing that Boaz gives to Ruth as we close is a blessing that belongs to you, and it's a blessing that belongs to me. And so, as Boaz says, the Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you and I have come for refuge. Amen.