Series: Ruth
Title: The Husband, the Wife, the Mother
Text: Ruth 4: 13-22
Date: August 7, 2016
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
In our text we see Boaz the husband. Then we see Ruth the bride. Also, we see Naomi the mother. Christ is our Husband. Each individual believer makes up his bride. Collectively, the church is described in scripture as a mother through whom Christ produces and cares for God’s children.
THE HUSBAND
Ruth 4: 13: So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife:…
Before the judges, Boaz dealt lawfully with the nearer kinsman. That nearer kinsman lawfully had first claim on Naomi and Ruth—the nearer kinsman was, as it were, the lawful husband.
By our fall in Adam, the law had first claim on us to condemn us and curse us according to the righteous just judgment of God—Paul describes the law as our first husband as we will see in Romans 7.
But because Boaz dealt with the law for Ruth and settled this matter in righteousness, now he lawfully took Ruth to be his wife.
Before the judgment seat of God, Christ lawfully fulfilled the law upholding God’s righteousness and justifying his people from our sins. So now, Christ lawfully is taking each member of his bride to be his lawful bride through regeneration and faith.
I point this out because there be some who teach that if you are God’s elect then you can be saved apart from ever hearing the gospel or believing on Christ. But scripture says all who Christ saves shall be born again of the Spirit of God, made holy by the sanctification of the Spirit and be given faith in Christ.
John 3:7 :Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Hebrews 12: 14…[all his people must be sanctified by Christ so that we have that] holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him…
The very reason Boaz went before the judgment seat on Ruth’s behalf was so that he could lawfully marry her and bring forth children. That was the very purpose for which he dealt with the law.
Likewise, Christ went to the cross and dealt with the law for his people so that he could lawfully send us the Spirit and give us life in him and make us to bear fruit by him. Notice the word “that” in the following scriptures. It tells us why Christ died for his people.
Galatians 3: 13: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians 4: 4: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5: To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6: And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
2 Thessalonians 2: 13: But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So like as Boaz took Ruth to be his wife, now, all who are born of his Spirit are lawfully Christ’s bride and now truly bear fruit by his working in us.
Romans 7: 1: Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2: For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3: So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4: Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
THE WIFE
Ruth 4: 13…and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.
Ruth was a stranger in Israel, a poor, mercy beggar with nothing to commend her to Boaz. But he took notice of her. Now, by his grace, she is his wife and all that he possess belongs to her.
That is the story of every true child saved by God’s grace. We were strangers but God chose us. We were poor with nothing to commend us to God but Christ took notice of us. We were bound to the law, but Christ redeemed us by his precious blood. We were spiritually dead but God quickened us together with Christ by the Holy Spirit! Now we possess all that God and his Christ possess!
Romans 8:17: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
1 Corinthians 3: 21: Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 22: Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 23: And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.
If need be God sends us all sorts of trials in this world: we lose our money, our jobs, and our loved ones. But he does it that he might teach us not to glory in men—to cease from trusting in man. He teaches us that in Christ all things are yours! No need to worry, no need to fret, no need to be anxious—your Father knows you have need of these things, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and these other things shall be added to you. (Mt 6: 31-34)
Psalm 113:7: He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; 8: That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
So through Boaz, the LORD produced fruit in Ruth. Through Christ, the LORD produces fruit in us. We could produce no fruit of ourselves: no spiritual life only death; no faith only unbelief; no love only enmity; no good works only sinful, wicked, filthy rags.
Romans 7: 5: For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6: But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
All spiritual fruit is produced in his bride through Christ our Husband
Psalm 113:9: He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
Psalm 127:3: Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
It is very sad that nothing else is said of Orpah. She went back to that cursed land of Moab and sought a husband and rest in that land. But in Ruth we see that he that forsakes all for Christ shall find more than all with him; it shall be recompensed a hundred-fold in this present time and in the world to come life everlasting. (Lu 18: 30)
Isaiah 54: 1: Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
THE MOTHER
Ruth 4: 14: And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. 15: And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. 16: And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. 17: And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18: Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron, 19: And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, 20: And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, 21: And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, 22: And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David. [Who was the father of the Lord Jesus, the true Kinsman Redeemer. See Matthew 1]
God’s true church is “Blessed [of] the LORD, [he] hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.” He sent his only begotten Son to be our near kinsman. we are “the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
God did it that “his name may be famous in Israel”—God’s name is famous in that famous name the Lord Jesus Christ. Solomon the son of David was a picture of Christ the Son of God. God said of Samuel what he says of Christ his Son—
2 Samuel 7:13: He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
Malachi 1:11: For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.
To the church of God, Christ our Kinsman is “a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age.” God says,
Isaiah 46: 3: Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: 4: And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
Sinner, will you hearken to God’s word? Don’t be like we all were at first, like Naomi was at first—she saw only famine in God’s house of bread and made the awful mistake of seeing abundance in that cursed Moab. So Naomi sought to nourish her life by her own hand in the world. But God would not take “no” for an answer. He stripped her of all and brought her to see “he shall be a nourisher of thy life.” That’s what happened to every believer here. So hearken to God’s word and believe on Christ—“he shall be a nourisher of thy life, even to thy old age.”
By God’s grace and provision, Christ uses the church of God as a mother to take care of every child God produces like Naomi took care of Boaz’s child—“And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.” Christ promises his church our children shall be safe and that Christ shall use us to bless his children through the gospel delivered by his church, his Jerusalem.
Isaiah 49: 25…I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
Isaiah 54: 13: And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
Isaiah 66: 11: That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. 12 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees. 13: As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
The bonds of God’s love in his church are stronger than natural bonds. Christ is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. In his church amongst God’s saints the child of God finds fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters. We are a family—the family of God. This is a bond that is eternal in Christ!
FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST
Everything declared here is certain because everything God does for his people is for the sake of Christ.
We have seen all that God did for Naomi and Ruth. The ultimate reason God did this was for Christ. It was because God determined Christ would be born through Boaz and Ruth—we see it in the genealogy listed in verses 18-22. At your leisure read Matthew 1 and see the genealogy end with Christ Jesus the Lord.
Each of those named were called and kept by God for Christ’s sake. So it is with every single child of God: we are chosen, redeemed, regenerated, preserved and blessed for Christ’s sake. That is why we take comfort knowing that “all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God.” (2 Cor 1: 20) “God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Eph 4: 32)
May God bless this study of Ruth to our hearts!
Amen!