1. Ruth 4:9-10; 13-17
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2. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. 
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3. 10 Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.”
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4. 13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 
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5. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 
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6. 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 
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7. 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
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9. Ruth the Outsider

10. This story is about ordinary people.
This story is for people who are plain and insignificant in society;
This story is for those who are excluded because of their race or religion.

11. This is a story about the two poor widows and a farmer.
Their lives are woven into the salvation plan of God through their lawful ordinary actions.

12. 1050 to 1350 BC was a period of disorderliness and lawlessness.

13. civil laws (marital law, property law);
moral laws (law on incest, homosexuality);
ceremonial laws (law on offerings, idols)
God gave the Law so that his people can form an orderly society.

14. At around 1140 BC, an outsider, Ruth the Moabitess made a decision to believe in God and live by the Law of God.

15. Elimelech died,
Mahlon and Chilion married two Moabite women,
10 years later, Mahlon and Chilion died.

16. After losing the three men in her life, Naomi concluded that she was cursed by God.

17. 1:13, “the hand of the Lord has gone out against me
1:13, “the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” 1:21, “I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me.”

18. Ruth must have learned from Naomi that according to the law of God, Moabites were excluded from the assembly of God (Deut 23:3).

19. Ruth represents outsiders who feel that they don’t belong; who have been rejected in society or excluded from groups.

20. Ruth 1:11, Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?”

21. According to God’s law, the widow has the right to have a child by the brother(s) of the deceased.

22. Deut 25:5, “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.

23. 6 And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. 

24. 7 And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife … 9 then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face.

25. Cf, Gen 38:8, Tamar and Judah had Perez and he became the ancestor of David and Christ (Mt 1:1-6; Ruth 4:18).
Cf, Mt 22:24; Mk 12:19; Lk 20:28, the seven brothers died, so whose wife is she at the resurrection?

26. Ruth’s identity was Ruth the Moabitess (mentioned 7 times: 1:4, 22; 2:2, 6, 21; 4:5, 10)
Ruth was definitely an outsider without any legal rights in the covenant community.

27. But Naomi was a Jewish widow and she had a few rights.
The civil law of God said that the poor has the right to glean in any fields.

28. Lev 19:9-10; 23:22; Deut 24:19, “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 

29. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare; neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.

30. The civil law of God said that the poor has the right to redeem the land that was sold to someone else.

31. Lev 25:25, “If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold … V49, or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him.

32. Ruth 2:20; 3:2, And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” 3:2 Is not Boaz our relative?

33. The job of the pastors and elders is to teach you the laws or rules of God so that you properly apply them.

34. Ruth 3:9, He said, “Who are you
Ruth 3:9, He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”

35. Ruth 3:12, And now it is true that I am a redeemer
Ruth 3:12, And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.13 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.”

36. Ruth 4:5, Then Boaz said to the kinsman-redeemer, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” 

37. 6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it” … 8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. 

38. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. 

39. 10 Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.”

40. Here is the point; even when everyone else wasn’t following the laws of God; Ruth and Boaz followed them carefully.

41. Boaz followed the law of God (Lev 23:22) by not reaping the edges of his field so that the poor and alien Ruth could glean there.

42. Boaz followed the law of God (Deut 25:5-8) when he redeemed Elimelech’s land with his own money and married Ruth, a Moabite believer.

43. Ruth followed the law of God when she boldly proposed to Boaz to be her redeemer
Ruth was not a helpless victim who passively let things happened to her.

44. Mt 1:5, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth (the Moabite), and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king … 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ

45. Ruth and Boaz are honored by God in the history of salvation for the last 3000 years and they will be honored for eternity.

46. The name in the Bible means the person is chosen by God for love and responsibility.
When you fulfill your covenantal responsibility, your name will also be written on a white stone in Revelation 2:17.

47. Ruth’s story can be your story.
If you commit your ordinary life to God, and properly follow the rules and laws of God,
God will use you to fulfill his extraordinary salvation plan in the future generations.

48. First point.
God chooses outsiders to participate in his salvation plan.

49. God has elected Jews as his chosen people,
And God has also elected outsiders; Moabites, Samaritans, Chinese and other nations or ethnics as his chosen people and ambassadors.

50. Since we are elected we should fulfill our covenantal obligation to the outsiders so that they can be included in his faith community.

51. Those who are elected by God will respond like Ruth;
those who are not will go back to their own gods like Orpah.

52. Second point:
Even when the people in your church aren’t following God’s law, even when the people in our society aren’t obeying God’s law, you should follow them.

53. The moral law in the OT is timeless; obey them for all time.
The civil law needs updating due to changes in society.
The ceremonial law is abolished because Christ has made the perfect sacrifice once and for all.

54. Application:
Please show kindness to the poor in church and society; feed them and help them in appropriate way.

55. Put the interest of others ahead of your own interest; conduct your business openly and fairly.

56. If you are married, you may ask your covenantal mate to fulfill his or her covenantal responsibility – Ruth did.

57. When you follow God’s laws you are fulfilling the purpose of God now and in the future.
One day you will understand that you have played an important part in His salvation plan.

58. 58

59. Rev. Jackson Tsui Pray for:
Jackson’s ministry among the younger generations in Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Macau
God’s wisdom, guidance, and patience in leading and building the couples group ministry.
Rev. Jackson Tsui

60. Lana and Second move to Sichuan, China in 2013 to serve in a children’s village. The children village provides room and board and an education for orphans and families-in-need children. They are currently serving over 63 children aged 7 to 13 years old from nearby areas. Lana and Second manages the operations and staff, as well as the dormitory facilities.
Second and Lana Tsang

61. Prayer requests:
Pray for wisdom for Lana and Second to lead the children village.
Pray for God to fulfill the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the children.
Pray for Laura’s persistency in doing exercise, appetite, and the adjustment of support frame.
Pray for special cares for Jena, Andrew, Lawrence, Isaac and Ted.
Only 4 kids enrolled this year, there are still rooms for 18 more kids.