Pleasant Garden Baptist Church Podcast (Sermons)

Scars by Jonathan Lawson

The Gospel (of Ruth) and Death to Life

Ruth 4:17, 21-22

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. 

21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 

22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.”

Lessons from God’s story of Death to Life:

1. In the resurrection, God claims power over all our circumstances. 

2. The resurrection reminds us our story’s not yet finished.

3. We’ve got to go through the grave to get to the resurrection. 

The Gospel (of Ruth) and the Redeemer

Ruth 2:19-20 (ESV)

Deuteronomy 25:5-10 (ESV)

Leviticus 25:23-25 (ESV)

Leviticus 25:47-48 (ESV)

19 And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” 

Ruth 2:19-20 (ESV)

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. 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. 7 And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, 

‘My husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.’8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, ‘I do not wish to take her,’ 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. And she shall answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.’ 10 And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.’

Deuteronomy 25:5-10 (ESV)

23 The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me. 24 And in all the country you possess, you shall allow a redemption of the land. 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. 

Leviticus 25:23-25 (ESV)

47 If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger's clan, 48 then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him, 49 or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he grows rich he may redeem himself. 

Leviticus 25:47-48 (ESV)

The Doctrine of the Redeemer 

1.    The redeemer had to be a close relative.

2.    The redeemer had to be a worthy man.

3.    The redeemer had to be willing to redeem.

The Gospel (of Ruth) and the Redeemer

1. The redeemer reminds us we need redemption.

2. The redeemer evidences God’s heart for the hurting.

3. The redeemer prefigures the True Redeemer, Jesus!

The Gospel (of Ruth) and God’s Goodness 

Ruth 2:1-22

1 Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. 4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem.  And they answered, “The Lord bless you.”5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.” 8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.” 10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” 13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.” 14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.” 17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. 19 And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”  20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” 21 And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’” 22 And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.”  23 So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

The Gospel (of Ruth) and God’s Goodness 

1. In His goodness, God will guide us toward His grace (2:3).

2. In His goodness, God will take account of our faithfulness (2:5-7, 10-12).

3. In His goodness, God will sometimes bless us generously (2:8-9, 14-19).

4. In His goodness, God will show His love through others (2:8-9, 14-19).

Widows Interview with Pastor Robert

The Gospel (of Ruth) for Naomi

Ruth 1:19-22

19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 

20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 

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?”  

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.”

The Gospel (of Ruth) for Naomi: 

1. Naomi reminds us that circumstances can turn sweetness to bitterness (1:20-21).

2. Naomi reminds us that when we are in a rough spot, it can be difficult to accurately discern God’s hand (1:21).

3. Naomi reminds us that God can be found if we keep returning to Him (1:21-22).

The Gospel (of Ruth) and God’s Sovereignty

Job 2:9-10

Ruth 1:6, 22

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” 

10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”  In all this Job did not sin with his lips.  Job 2:9-10 (ESV)

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food.  Ruth 1:6 (ESV)

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.  Ruth 1:22 (ESV)

The Gospel (of Ruth) and God’s Sovereignty:

1. God will sovereignly place the testimony of His goodness before the one He’s pursuing (1:6).

2. We must look for God’s goodness alongside of God’s sovereignty (1:6).

3. God’s sovereignty is always timely (1:22).

Conversations about Ruth with Robert & Diana Hefner (audio)

The Gospel and One Another in Ruth 1

Ruth 1:16-18

16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 

17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 

18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

The Gospel and One Another in Ruth 1

1. Ruth shows us the beauty of complete commitment to one another (1:16-18). 

2. Ruth illustrates that relationships require a willingness to press through (1:16, 18).  

3. Ruth exemplifies the way God covenants Himself to us (1:8, 16-18).

But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal *kindly* with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.” ---Ruth 1:8 (ESV)

And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose *kindness* has not forsaken the living or the dead!” ---Ruth 2:20 (ESV)

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 young men, whether poor or rich.” ---Ruth 3:10 (ESV)

4. Ruth reminds us that God often loves us through one another. 

Ruth and Naomi gave one another…

1. Mutual comfort in their grief.

2. Mutual care in their need.

3. Mutual accountability in their commitment.

The Gospel (of Ruth) Requires a Return

Ruth 1:6-18

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. 

7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 

8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.”  

9 “The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 

10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 

11 But 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? 

12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband.” If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 

13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” 

14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 

15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 

16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 

17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 

18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Three Perspectives on Repentance in Ruth 1

1. Naomi pictures a returning toward God in uncertainty (1:6-7).

2. Orpah pictures a turning away from God in human common sense (1:14).

3. Ruth pictures a running toward God in complete reliance (1:16-18).