The Least Of These - His Love Ministries

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If you are a Christian and I were to ask you what is the greatest thing that ever happened to you?  It should be without hesitation we reply, when we came to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Then the second question naturally follows, what is the greatest thing we can tell someone? It would be How to come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! My next question is are we living in such a manner as to glorify God and then telling others about Jesus.  If it all depended on you for someone to come to know Jesus, would they ever find out the truth about Him and be saved?
     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

       John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. 

                 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32

             Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.  

                hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F 

                 The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

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In this lesson we will go through the whole book of Ruth at one time to get the big picture.  

1.          This is a story of pure love by a woman named Ruth for her mother in-law Naomi. Yet the word love is not in it

§  A romance that triumphs over racial and religious prejudices

2.          It also exalts women for the unique, miraculous role they play in God’s plan

§  Probably the book that best shows the strength of a woman’s character and purity of motive.  She exemplifies the Proverbs 31 woman

§  We see God’s care for women in the most desperate circumstances

§  A woman of great faith

3.          Most importantly it is a book about God’s purpose to redeem all those who will put their trust in Him

4.          It is a book that shows the Sovereignty of God

§  God will take a Moabite woman who is not even supposed to go into the temple of God until the 10th generation and will take her from that low position to the highest privilege of being in the line of the Messiah Jesus

5.       It starts out in Bethlehem and ends in Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David and ultimately the Lord Jesus

In spite of the fact that Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his two sons (Mahlon and Kilion) are living according to the spirit of their day (“doing what is right in their own eyes”), two people (Ruth and Boaz) stand out as examples of those who live by faith in the God of Israel, and whose lives exemplify living in accordance with God’s Word. And one of these two – Ruth – is a Moabite, not an Israelite. In the dark shadows of the days of the judges, we find two individuals whose lives are truly lights in the darkness. Here is a story that not only warms our hearts, it encourages our faith by unveiling the providential hand of God in bringing salvation and blessing during one of the darkest periods in history.

Whereas the book illustrates the theological concept of redemption beautifully, its primary purpose appears to have been to reveal how God often providentially works behind the scenes to bring His will to pass.Twenty-three of its 89 verses mention God. Of these, only 1:6 and 4:13, which bracket the book, are the narrator's comments. All the rest appear in the characters' speeches. Contrast the Book of Esther, which also teaches the providence of God but does not mention God once.

"The scriptural message of the Book of Ruth may be summarized as follows: God cares for needy people like Naomi and Ruth; he is their ally in this chaotic world. He richly rewards people like Ruth and Boaz who demonstrate sacrificial love and in so doing become his instruments in helping the needy. God's rewards for those who sacrificially love others sometimes exceed their wildest imagination and transcend their lifetime." "The Ruth narrative provided a gratifying reminder that even in the darkest times God was at work in the hearts of His faithful remnant."

     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. 

              “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32

          Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.  

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Paul begs us in Ephesians 4:1 to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. In 1Pet 2:9 it says you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. That is the job of the Christian. The church is a called a body in the Scriptures, but within that body every true Christian has the responsibility to fulfill this calling by loving and witnessing to others. The two go hand in hand. Are you living up to your calling?

      Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

       John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. 

                 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32

             Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.  

                hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F 

                 The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

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Ruth 4:15 "And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him." 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. 17 Also the neighbor women gave him 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 this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; 19 Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; 20 Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; 21 Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; 22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David. (NKJV)

                Obed was also a blessing to Naomi. His grandmother informally “adopted” him as her own son and became his foster mother. The women of Bethlehem shared Naomi’s joy when they said, “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer” (Ruth 4:14, NIV). The reference is to Obed, not Boaz.

Obed did indeed restore life to Naomi's apparently dead branch of the family of Judah (v. 15). Furthermore he sustained her in her old age by giving her hope (cf. 1:20-21). ". . . 

Ruth too received praise for her unusually selfless love and care for her mother-in-law. Seven sons symbolized the supreme blessing that could come to a Hebrew family (cf. 1 Sam. 2:5; Job 1:2). Ruth’s worth was related to the occasion of the birth of her son. (cf. 1 Sam. 2:5; Job 1:2; 42:13; Acts 19:14-17). Thus saying that Ruth was better to Naomi than seven sons was to say that she provided all that an ideal family could for Naomi.

It should be noted that the women speak here not of Boaz, but of the child born as ‘kinsman-redeemer’, saying of him, ‘he will renew your life and sustain you in your old age.’ Redemption transforms by renewing life and giving hope for the future. When she first returned to Bethlehem from Moab, Naomi had no hope for the future. Through the Lord’s kindness in providing her with a redeemer, her life was renewed and the child in her lap gave her hope for the future. All this points to Jesus. As the Redeemer, he renews the life of all he redeems and gives hope for the future

Apart from his name Obed we know little else about him, but he was born to be a servant of God’s redemptive purposes. That is exactly what our Lord Jesus was. He was the servant of the Lord, who came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). 

He calls all he redeems to follow his pattern of service

Far from being an unimportant addition, this genealogy helps us see one of the main purposes for which God gave us this book.

"The first five names cover the period from the time of the entry into Egypt (Perez, Gen 46:12) to the time of Moses (Nahshon, Exod 6:23; Num 1:7), while the remaining five belong to the period of the early settlement

in Canaan to the closing years of the judges."134

Boaz, like Enoch in Genesis 5, represented the seventh of ten generations and set the course of his family toward godliness.

In spite of all appearances to the contrary, the faithful God had been about His business on Ruth’s behalf. Believers should also be about His business. The rewards of responsible living are always the sweet fruit of God’s grace.

The story of Ruth started with rebellion—with a family going their own way instead of God’s, suffering the bitter consequences. It ends with the renewal of Naomi’s life—and with others rejoicing with her in the kindness God had shown her by providing her with the kinsman-redeemer she needed. All her hope was now focused on the son that was born, just as the hope of the Christian is focused on the Son who was born to be the Redeemer.

Obed would bring blessing to the whole world. The great

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Luke 17:26 "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 30 "Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  The people Jesus is talking about are all the unbelievers in the United States and all over the world who are so caught up in the junk of this world that don’t understand our real priority is to seek first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness and the other will be added unto us.
      Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

       John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. 

                 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32

             Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.  

                hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F 

                 The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

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Ruth 4:11 And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 "May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman." 13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!

The witnesses to Boaz's transaction wished God's blessing of numerous descendants on him. They cited Rachel and Leah, both of whom, like Ruth, had joined the Israelites and had entered their land from alien nations that had demonstrated hostility to God's people. Rachel's tomb was near Bethlehem. She and her sister had given Jacob 12 sons directly and through their maids. They had indeed "built the house of Israel" (v. 11). The people also wished wealth (cf. 2:1; 3:11) and fame on Boaz, which he did obtain thanks to God's blessing on his family, especially through Ruth and David. 

They blessed Boaz with the desire that the Lord make Ruth a fertile mother. Their mentioning Rachel and Leah has significance. Rachel, named first, had been barren for many years before she bore children. Similarly Ruth had been barren in Moab.

Ephratah (also spelled Ephrath and Ephrathah) was another name for Bethlehem. The use of the word Ephrathah in Ruth 4:11 is significant, for the Hebrew word means “fruitful.” The people wanted Ruth to be fruitful and famous and bring honor to their little town. It was the place where Rachel was buried (Gen. 35:19), but more importantly, it would be known as the place where Jesus Christ was born.

It was important that the Jewish wives bear children, not only to perpetuate the nation, but also because it would be through Israel that God would send the Messiah to earth.

Pray that Ruth would be like Rachel, Leah and Tamar—this is significant in God’s plan

The reference to Perez (v. 12) is also significant. There are many parallels between the story of Boaz and Ruth and the story of Perez's parents, Judah and Tamar (Gen. 38). Ruth and Tamar were both foreigners who had married into Israel. The first husbands of both women died leaving them widows. Both women participated in levirate marriages. Tamar seduced Judah under cover of a disguise, but Ruth encouraged Boaz under the cover of night. When Judah and Tamar appeared before a public tribunal they were ashamed and condemned, but when Boaz and Ruth did so they received praise and blessing. In both cases the husbands were considerably older than the wives. Both women, however, bore sons in the Davidic messianic line, Ruth honorably and Tamar dishonorably.

Little did they realize that from this union would issue Israel’s greatest kings including David and the Eternal King, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The witnesses also recognized that children are a gift from God (offspring the Lord gives you) (v. 11; cf. Ps. 127:3-5). Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

God is the source of all blessing.

What wonderful changes came into Ruth’s life because she trusted Boaz and let him work on her behalf! She went from loneliness to love, from toil to rest, from poverty to wealth, from worry to assurance, and from despair to hope. She was no longer “Ruth the Moabitess,” for the past was gone, and she was making a new beginning. She was now “Ruth the wife of Boaz,” a name she was proud to bear.

Verse 13 is a key verse in the book because it records the fulfillment of Naomi and Ruth's plans to obt

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In 1Co 15:3 Paul says For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. It is amazing how simple the Gospel is in that a little child can understand and believe, yet an adult with great intelligence will not and cannot understand it. Have you put your trust in Christ yet? I hope so, if not, I pray you will understand this truth, repent of your sins, and truly believe Jesus is the Christ, God who came in human flesh and ask Him to forgive you and save you. 

      Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

       John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. 

                 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32

             Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.  

                hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.nethttps://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F

                 The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

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Ruth 4:1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, "Come aside, friend, sit down here." So he came aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the close relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 "And I thought to inform you, saying, 'Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it." 5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance." 6 And the close relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it." 7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel. 8 Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." So he took off his sandal. 9 And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi. 10 "Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day."

This chapter focuses on three persons: a bridegroom, a bride, and a baby."

The key theme of this chapter is redemption. The words “redeem,” “buy,” and “purchase” are used at least fifteen times. There can be no redemption without the paying of a price. From our point of view, salvation is free to “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord” (Acts 2:21, KJV); but from God’s point of view, redemption is a very costly thing.

Boaz went to the gate at the entrance of Bethlehem, and there (quite suddenly and unexpectedly, it would seem) he encountered the nearest kin. (One can only wonder why the nearest kin had not done what Boaz is now doing at an earlier time.) It is almost impossible to believe that this is the first time the nearest kin has heard of Naomi’s plight, of her return to Bethlehem from Moab, or of the sale of her husband’s property. Perhaps Boaz is giving the nearest kin the benefit of the doubt here. If this kinsman had chosen to merely ignore Naomi’s plight, he no longer has that option.

Shows God’s providence, Behold the close relative just happened to come by

This is surely a “divine appointment” arranged by God to facilitate what is about to transpire. God is in this transaction!

The fact that the man’s name was not given may have been poetic justice since he refused to become the redeemer. The words my friend became a catch phrase in Israel. Rabbinic writings used the designation for an unknown “John Doe.” 

He who was so anxious for the preservation of his own inheritance, is now not even known by name."

The word redeem means “to set free by paying a price.” In the case of Ruth and Naomi, Elimelech’s property had either been sold or was under some kind of mortgage, and the rights to the land had passed to Ruth’s husband Mahlon when Elimelech died. This explains why Ruth was also involved in the transaction. She was too poor, however, to redeem the land. 

When it comes to spiritual redemption, all people are in bondage to sin and Satan (

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The song every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before, every day with Jesus I love Him more and more is so true if you are a Christian and are living in the power of the Holy Spirit He has given you.  Life can be sweeter every day if we spend time with Jesus in prayer, in His word and living out what He has given us to do. Maybe you remember your life as I do before Jesus, it was not sweet that is for sure.  Have you given your life to Jesus, do it today and life will be joy, peace, and abundant in spite of our troubles as He promised us in John 10:10.  Follow Him today with your whole heart, you will never regret it.

         Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

       John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. 

                 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32

             Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.  

                hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F 

                 The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

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Ruth 3:12 "Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. 13 "Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you-good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the LORD lives! Lie down until morning." 14 So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, "Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor." 15 Also he said, "Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it." And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she went into the city. 16 So when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "Is that you, my daughter?" Then she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 And she said, "These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, 'Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.'" 18 Then she said, "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day

 Why did Boaz not initiate a proposal of marriage? Evidently for two reasons: he assumed Ruth wanted to marry a younger man, someone closer to her own age (v. 10), and he was not the closest eligible male relative (v. 12).

Boaz protected her

Kept her from walking the street that night alone

Boaz promised to redeem her and proposed to her provided the other did not want to be the redeemer

He gave his word a second time, this time with an oath to the Lord as the LORD lives

"Not to carry through his commitment after invoking the Lord's name would have been a violation of the third commandment Ex 20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

Even though Boaz wanted to marry Ruth, he did not violate the Mosaic Law to do so. His submission to God's Law reflects his submission to God. We see here another reason he was an excellent man (2:1)

There was the obstacle of the nearer relative to be overcome, but he committed himself to act on behalf of Ruth and Naomi.

What seemed to Naomi to be a simple procedure has now turned out to be a bit more complicated, because there was a man in Bethlehem who was a nearer kinsman. Boaz didn’t withhold this problem from Ruth, for he didn’t want her to return home with false hopes in her heart. Joy and peace that are based on ignorance of the true facts are but delusions that lead to disappointments.

The great concern of Boaz was the redemption of Ruth, even if another kinsman redeemer had to do it.

When you see this as a picture of our redemption in Jesus Christ, it impresses you strongly that God obeyed His own law when He accomplished our salvation in Christ.

Boaz not only calmed Ruth’s fears and gave her assurance for the future, but he also met her present needs in a gracious and generous way.

As before, Boaz's gift of barley was a token of God's blessing on Ruth and on Naomi through Ruth

Naomi’s question in 3:16 has puzzled translators and interpreters. Why would her own mother-in-law ask her who she was? The Living Bible paraphrases the question, “Well, what happened, dear?” and both the NIV and the NASB read, “How did it go, my daughter?” But the Authorized Version translates the Hebrew text as it stands: “Who are you, my daughter?” In other words, “Are you still Ruth the Moabitess, or are you the prospective Mrs. Boaz?”[1]

He gave evidence of his commitment as he sent Ruth home with six measures of barley

It is noteworthy that as Naomi, Ruth and Boaz all revealed their active faith in what God has said in his Word, they all acted with unselfish, generous, costly kindness. Naomi took the initiative for Ruth’s benefit, n