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Ruth 4 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvest, about two months.
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! And she lived with her mother-in-law.
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So beginning in the final verse of chapter 1 to the final verse of chapter 2, we see that God has provided.
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He has been providential in his care for Naomi and Ruth.
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Now they have some temporal provision, but how long will this last?
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I have no idea how much grain she may have gleaned and how long that may have lasted, but it's finite.
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It's not going to last forever.
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How are Naomi and Ruth, these two widows, to be cared for long term?
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Now, we don't tend to read the narrative this way, but original readers of it, and for many centuries beyond,
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would have been concerned what happens next for these two women who are without a livelihood because they have no husbands.
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Chapter 3 begins with a plan hatched by Naomi to see Ruth married.
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She gives Ruth very careful instructions, and Ruth agrees to do exactly what she says.
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And so we see a short little summary of that in Ruth chapter 3 and verse 7.
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When Boaz had eaten and drunk, he's at the threshing floor dealing with, processing the harvest.
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And his heart was merry.
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He went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain.
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Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down.
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Now, a brief note at this point.
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Last week, I stated that this was not a salacious act, is the word that I used,
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by which I meant that we should not think that anything suspect was happening here.
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A problem that I find being an avid reader is that sometimes I write with words
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that I realize in the moment of saying them out loud may not be the clearest word.
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This happens to me very often.
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I read a word and I go, oh, I could have used a better, simpler word in that place.
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So I seek to quickly insert a synonym to give the meaning.
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If you ever see me fumbling and like my brain is shutting down,
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it's because I'm Rolodexing through words that I want to insert into that spot instead.
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I'm going, no, not that one.
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That's less clear.
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And finally, something comes out of my mouth, which is sometimes helpful and sometimes not.
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Last week, as I was searching for a word synonymous with salacious,
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I grabbed the word, hear me carefully, hinky with an H.
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Hinky from somewhere in the recesses of my mind.
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And it's a word that means suspect.
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And I think I picked it up from Scooby-Doo back in the days.
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Fred used that word a lot in that cartoon.
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Some of you thought I said kinky with a K, which means sexually deviant.
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So it sort of applies, but wasn't at all what I intended to communicate.
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I would never use that word in a sermon or perhaps ever,
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unless, of course, I am using it to tell you that I wouldn't use it.
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Now, that said, if you know me well, you likely assumed I wouldn't use such an odd word in a sermon,
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if you know me well.
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If so, you may even know me better than my own wife,
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who did not hear me say hinky and thought it was a strange word choice.
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So anyway, my apologies for the lack of clarity.
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I do want to use my words very, very carefully.
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So, hinky.
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It was not hinky.
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All right, back to our summary.
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So we see in chapter 3, verse 8, that Boaz wakes up.
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He's startled.
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I think the fair assumption is that his feet are cold.
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So he pulls him underneath his blanket,
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and it startles him awake.
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And he turns over, and a woman is laying at his feet.
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And he says in verse 9,
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Who are you?
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And she answered,
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I am Ruth, your servant.
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Spread your wings over your servant,
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for you are a redeemer.
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She calls back to chapter 2,
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to that blessing that he had uttered over her.
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She had come for the protection of the Lord under his wings,
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and she says to him,
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Spread your wings over me.
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Again, she's seeing that God's providence uses human agency,
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and she's bringing his own words to mind.
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Boaz promises that she will be redeemed,
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but that he first must address a man that has a closer right to redemption,
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a closer relative to Naomi.
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The chapter concludes with Naomi's assurance
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that Boaz will settle the matter that very day,
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which is exactly what he will do in chapter 4.
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So chapter 3 sets up the stage for the next scene in chapter 4.
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Rather than read the entirety of the chapter at once,
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and then make comments,
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I want to just walk through the text.
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It has a really nice and clear, distinct outline to it,
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and kind of make notes.
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And I'm going to do that in the following outline.
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In chapter 4, we see four redeemers.
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So this is the outline we'll follow.
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Number 1, the nearest redeemer.
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Number 2, Boaz the redeemer.
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Number 3, Obed the redeemer.
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And number 4, I know you can't see my notes,
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but all capital letters, the redeemer.
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The redeemer.
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So let's begin chapter 4 in verse 1.
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Before I start to read, let me remind you, beloved,
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this is God's word to us,
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written for his glory and our good.
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So we all do well to listen to it
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in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
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So the first point, nearest redeemer,
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verses 1 through 6.
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Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there.
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And behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken came by.
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So Boaz said,
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Turn aside, friend, sit down here.
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And he turned aside and sat down.
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And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said,
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Sit down here.
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So they sat down.
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Then he said to the redeemer,
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Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab,
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is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative,
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Elimelech.
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So I thought I would tell you of it and say,
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Buy it in the presence of those sitting here
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and in the presence of the elders of my people.
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If you will redeem it, redeem it.
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But if you will not, tell me that I may know,
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for there is no one besides you to redeem it,
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and I come after you.
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And he said,
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I will redeem it.
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Then Boaz said,
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The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi,
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you also acquire Ruth the Moabite,
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the widow of the dead,
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in order to perpetuate the name of the dead
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in his inheritance.
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Then the redeemer said,
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I cannot redeem it for myself,
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lest I impair my own inheritance.
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Take my right of redemption yourself,
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for I cannot redeem it.
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So the very first redeemer that we're looking at,
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the nearest redeemer,
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is a rather poor redeemer altogether.
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In fact, he doesn't do the work of a redeemer.
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He seems to be juxtaposed against Boaz.
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Boaz is presented to us as an honorable man,
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and his character continues to be put on display
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in chapter 4.
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First, we see him keeping his promise to Ruth.
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He told Ruth he was going to do something,
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and he did it immediately.
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He goes to the gate,
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and if that seems like a strange place for him to go
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and to have such a meeting,
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it was a common place that these types of affairs were transacted,
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because people came in and out.
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It was a place you would run into people,
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and this kind of thing could take place.
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So he does it.
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He does the very thing he said he would do.
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Naomi's confidence at the end of chapter 3 in him
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is not unfounded.
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Secondly, we see him following the law and customs
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of the Israelites.
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This nearest redeemer, right?
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This unnamed man.
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He's not even given a name in the text.
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He's just simply called friend, right?
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He doesn't take up the right,
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the privilege, I would suggest,
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the thing that he was meant to do,
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but rather passes it on to Boaz.
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At first, he is glad to have the benefit of Elimelech's land.
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But when Boaz informs him of the further obligation to Ruth,
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he is unwilling to be financially sacrificial
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for the sake of these two widows.
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Now, I am no expert on all of these laws,
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and a lot of commentators have different ideas.
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Most of them say,
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we're not exactly sure what's happening here.
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So it's helpful not to get bogged down in the details
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of exactly what's going on.
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But what's probable is that this would have been
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a temporary redeeming,
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so it would have gone back into the ownership of the family,
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and that if he were to have a son with Ruth,
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then that son would have been entitled to the land.
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So he would have spent something of his estate
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to gain some temporary benefit of this land,
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but then that land would have left him.
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And so he doesn't want to put that in jeopardy.
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He is entirely financially driven, right?
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Not willing to be sacrificial for the sake of these two women,
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as Boaz has expressed that he is, right?
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So a few things about these redemption laws,
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as well as, we can read about those in Leviticus 25,
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as well as some laws about leverite marriage,
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which is a Latin word which means brother marriage.
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It had to do with when somebody was widowed,
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the brother was obligated to marry the widow
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to keep the line of his brother going on.
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I want to just read a quick little short summary.
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I read this to you last week,
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but again, it's helpful to us.
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Some things that we can understand about this.
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Firstly, when an Ezrealite family became very poor
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and had to sell their land to survive,
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the nearest male relative, called the kinsman redeemer,
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had the responsibility of rescuing them from poverty
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by buying their land back and restoring it to the family.
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And this was called the redemption of property.
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If they become so poor
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that they've had to sell themselves into slavery,
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a rich relative had to rescue them by buying their freedom.
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This is the main thing we think about
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when we think about redemption,
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the redemption of Christ,
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because it's called that also in Leviticus chapter 25.
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Also, which I just mentioned,
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if a man died leaving his widow without children,
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which is where we found Ruth and Naomi,
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their nearest male relative had to step in and marry his widow
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and enable her to have children
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so they could inherit their father's property
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and keep it in the family.
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Also, this was called redemption.
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But nowhere in the Old Testament
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are the redemption property laws
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connected to the Leverite laws.
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So it had either become customary
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or, and this is the explanation I most like,
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because it just feeds the story well,
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Boaz was extending the spirit of both laws
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to ensure the care of Ruth and Naomi.
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I just imagine there's a bit of tone,
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and hear me clearly, this is imagination,
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but a bit of tone in his response
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when this Redeemer is willing to take the land,
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and he says,
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yeah, but you're also going to be obligated
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to take Ruth as your wife.
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And the Redeemer says,
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oh, well then, well then, I won't.
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But perhaps it was baked into their custom of the day.
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Boaz very, very masterfully, right,
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leads this negotiation to the result
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that he's looking for.
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He doesn't desire for this Redeemer
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to redeem the land and to marry Ruth.
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He desires to do this.
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He is finding himself loving this woman, Ruth.
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So it brings us to our second Redeemer, Boaz.
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We see this in verses 7 down through the first part of 13.
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So remember, the initial Redeemer,
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the nearest Redeemer,
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has refused to redeem,
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and has said,
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take my right of redemption yourself,
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for I cannot redeem it.
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Now, this was the custom in former times in Israel
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concerning redeeming and exchanging.
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To confirm a transaction,
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the one drew off his sandal
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and gave it to the other,
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and this was the manner of attesting in Israel.
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So when the Redeemer said to Boaz,
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buy it for yourself,
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he drew off his sandal.
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Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people,
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you are witnesses this day
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that I have brought from the hand of Naomi
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all that belonged to Elimelech
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and all that belonged to Chilion and Malon.
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Also Ruth, the Moabite,
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the widow of Malon,
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I have bought to be my wife,
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to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance,
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that the name of the dead may not be cut off
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from among his brothers
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and from the gate of his native place.
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You are witnesses this day.
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So in their day,
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this was the legal transaction, right?
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The paper is drawn up and it is signed,
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is what we're seeing happen here.
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Verse 11 says,
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Then all the people who were at the gate
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and the elders said,
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We are witnesses.
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May the Lord make the woman
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who is coming into your house
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like Rachel and Leah,
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who together built up the house
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of Israel.
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May you act worthily in Ephrathah
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and be renowned in Bethlehem.
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And may your house be like the house of Perez,
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whom Tamar bore to Judah
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because of the offspring of the Lord
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will give you by this young woman.
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So they utter blessing, right?
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That there would be a family
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that would come from this marriage.
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And the first part of verse 13 says,
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So Boaz took Ruth
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and she became his wife.
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Now, Boaz, I believe,
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should be understood typologically
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to teach us something of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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So whenever you hear us use this kind of language,
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typology is the looking at things
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in the Old Testament
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that prefigure,
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that give us shadows,
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some reflection,
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some hints of the antitype,
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which is the fulfillment.
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So there's type and antitype.
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The type is the,
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the antitype is the fulfillment
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of the type.
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It wants to show us something of Christ.
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Now, many preachers make this
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the entire point of the book of Ruth,
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and I don't think that it is.
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The entire point.
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As I have said,
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I believe that God means for us
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to carefully consider his providence
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as the major theme of this book.
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But we should not miss
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what the inspired author is doing
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with Boaz.
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Remember, this author,
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we're not sure who he is,
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but this narrator is sitting down
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and under the inspiration of the Spirit
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is carefully recording
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some interesting facts
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about the life of Boaz.
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Typology can be a bit tricky,
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and it should be done carefully.
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While all roads in the Bible
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lead to Christ,
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we want to be careful
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not to find him
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where he is not found.
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Some critics of typology
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will say that we should only
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understand something typologically
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when the New Testament writers do so,
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and there's many cases of this.
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These instances,
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without a doubt,
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are the clearest,
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but I do think
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we can reasonably draw
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additional typological connections.
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I think we see one here.
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Boaz serves as a shadow
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of the ultimate Redeemer
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for a handful of reasons.
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Just think together.
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First, he is from the tribe of Judah,
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just as Jesus is.
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He is from Bethlehem,
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just as Jesus is.
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He is honorable.
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Now, we know, to be sure,
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that Boaz was not a perfect man.
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He didn't keep the law perfectly.
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Only Jesus Christ
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has ever kept the law perfectly.
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But he's presented in this text
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as an honorable man.
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We don't see any of his failures
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in the text,
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and I think that's by design.
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Not that we would think of him
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as perfect,
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but that our gaze
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would go to the perfect one.
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Not only is he
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keeper of the law,
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he's also gracious
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in his provision.
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He not only keeps it,
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but he goes beyond it.
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He's abundant in the way
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that he cares for Ruth
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and Naomi.
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He rescues Naomi and Ruth
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from certain destitution.
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They would have found themselves
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as slaves of some sort
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just to survive.
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And at his own expense,
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he keeps them from that.
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And then lastly,
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he makes for himself.
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He says,
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also,
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Ruth the Moabite.
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He calls her that,
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and he's clear about it.
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The narrator shows us this,
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and I think we're meant
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to see that connection.
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Now, we have the clearer picture
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of Christ.
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So, how does a faint picture
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serve us?
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What are we to do
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with this information?
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Well,
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as we admire
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a man like Boaz,
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and I think we have reason
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to admire a man like Boaz,
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we should,
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in higher measure,
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set our affections
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on Jesus Christ.
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As we think about,
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oh, this man, Boaz,
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who is so very generous,
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and does this rescuing,
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this redeeming work
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on behalf of Naomi
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and of Ruth.
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We have a greater redeemer,
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which we'll think about together
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in just a few moments.
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I think this is what it's meant
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to do for us
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as we are warmed
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by this kind of activity.
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It's supposed to then
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turn red hot
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in affection
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for Jesus Christ.
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So, that's Boaz,
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the redeemer.
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Thirdly,
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we see Obed,
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the redeemer.
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The last part of verse 13
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and into verse 17.
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After Boaz has taken Ruth
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as his wife,
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verse 13 says,
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and he went into her,
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and the Lord gave her conception,
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and she bore a son.
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Then the women said to Naomi,
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Blessed be the Lord
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who has not left you this day
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without a redeemer,
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and may his name
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be renowned in Israel.
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He shall be to you
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a restorer of life
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and a nourisher
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of your old age,
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for your daughter-in-law
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who loves you,
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who is more to you
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than seven sons,
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has given birth to him.
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Then Naomi took the child
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and laid him on her lap
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and became his nurse.
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And the women of the neighborhood
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gave him a name,
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saying,
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A son has been born
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to Naomi.
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They named him
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Obed.
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This narrative
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does not make much
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of the fact
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that Ruth and Malon
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had been married
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for ten years,
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about ten years,
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the text says,
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before his death,
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and they had
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no children.
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Perhaps he was unable
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to impregnate her,
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his name means sickly,
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after all,
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or perhaps she was unable
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to conceive
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his original audience.
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That would have been
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an oddity to them
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as they read it.
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Many couples in our day
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decide not to have children.
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That's just a decision
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that they make.
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They're not going
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to have kids,
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but this was not so
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in Ruth's day.
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Ruth and Malon
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would have been trying
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to have children,
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progeny,
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from the very first days
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of their betrothal,
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and yet they had none.
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And it would have been assumed
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that Ruth was unable
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to conceive,
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that she was barren.
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So, Obed's conception
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is meant to be seen
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as especially blessed.
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In a long line
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of barren women
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conceiving children
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that play a very important part
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in God's redemptive plan,
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God here clearly intervened
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in this child's birth.
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In fact,
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the narrator says there
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in verse 13,
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and the Lord
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gave her conception.
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We also see
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that Boaz and Ruth
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do not name Obed,
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but rather the women
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of Bethlehem
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name him.
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It highlights
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the significance
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of this little boy
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and God's work
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in the life
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of this little family
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for the sake
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of his people.
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So how is it
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that he's a redeemer?
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We're not reading
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that into the text.
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It says it right there.
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The women say
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that Naomi
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has not been left
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without a redeemer.
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Obed is a redeemer
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to her.
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He's rescuing her
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from that emptiness
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that she declares
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to have
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when she shows up
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in chapter 1.
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Her family
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had all.
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Her family
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carries on.
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And she's now
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a grandmother.
22:23
And we see
22:23
this beautiful
22:24
little picture
22:25
of affection,
22:26
the child being
22:27
laid in her lap
22:28
and her caring
22:29
for him.
22:32
This little boy
22:33
is significant
22:34
and we're going
22:35
to see why
22:35
the narrator
22:36
takes us right
22:36
to why
22:38
his name
22:39
means worshiper
22:41
or servant
22:43
of God.
22:44
The women
22:44
of Bethlehem
22:45
name him.
22:46
So that's
22:47
the third
22:48
redeemer
22:48
in the text.
22:50
Obed,
22:50
the redeemer.
22:51
And now
22:52
we arrive
22:53
at the
22:53
most important
22:55
redeemer.
22:56
So number four,
22:57
the,
22:57
all caps,
22:59
redeemer.
23:01
Beginning in
23:02
verse 17
23:02
and to the end
23:03
of the chapter
23:04
we see this
23:04
kind of double
23:05
announcement.
23:06
He was
23:07
the father
23:08
of Jesse,
23:10
the father
23:11
of David.
23:13
Obed
23:14
is the
23:14
grandfather
23:15
of King
23:16
David.
23:17
And then
23:19
again,
23:19
it launches
23:19
back into
23:20
it.
23:20
Verse 18
23:21
and expanded
23:22
a ten
23:23
person
23:23
genealogy.
23:25
Now these
23:25
are the
23:26
generations
23:26
of
23:27
Perez.
23:28
Perez
23:29
fathered
23:29
Hezron.
23:30
Hezron
23:30
fathered
23:31
Ram.
23:31
Ram
23:31
fathered
23:32
Amenadab.
23:33
Amenadab
23:34
fathered
23:35
Nashon.
23:35
Nashon
23:36
fathered
23:37
Salmon.
23:37
Salmon
23:37
fathered
23:38
Boaz.
23:39
Boaz
23:40
fathered
23:41
Obed.
23:41
Obed
23:42
fathered
23:42
Jesse.
23:43
And Jesse
23:44
fathered
23:46
David.
23:47
And the
23:48
book ends
23:49
at that
23:49
point.
23:50
This is not
23:51
the only
23:52
genealogy in
23:52
the Old
23:52
Testament,
23:53
but it's
23:53
the only
23:54
book in
23:54
the Old
23:54
Testament
23:54
that ends
23:55
with the
23:56
genealogy.
23:57
And it's
23:57
leaving us
23:58
hanging there
23:59
at that
24:00
point.
24:02
We know
24:03
why.
24:03
That's a
24:03
wonderful
24:04
thing.
24:04
I'm so
24:04
glad that
24:05
we know
24:06
why.
24:07
Early
24:07
readers of
24:08
this,
24:08
pre-Christ
24:09
readers of
24:10
this would
24:11
have seen
24:11
the
24:12
significance
24:12
end with
24:14
King
24:14
David.
24:15
Oh,
24:16
Obed is
24:17
the
24:17
grandfather
24:18
of
24:18
King
24:18
David.
24:20
Naomi,
24:21
poor
24:21
Naomi,
24:22
taken off
24:24
with her
24:24
husband and
24:25
two sons,
24:26
widowed,
24:26
returns with
24:27
her daughter-in-law.
24:29
The story
24:30
unfolds,
24:31
this love
24:31
story that
24:31
we see,
24:32
and oh,
24:33
look at
24:33
this.
24:34
She gets
24:35
to be the
24:36
great-grandmother
24:37
of King
24:38
David.
24:41
But there's
24:41
something so
24:42
much more
24:43
significant going
24:44
on here that
24:45
we have the
24:46
privilege of
24:47
understanding.
24:50
You see,
24:50
in 2 Samuel
24:51
chapter 7,
24:53
in verse 16,
24:54
just to keep
24:55
it brief,
24:55
there's much
24:56
to be read
24:56
there,
24:56
and I
24:56
encourage you
24:57
to do
24:58
so.
25:00
Nathan,
25:00
the prophet,
25:01
says to
25:02
King David,
25:03
on behalf
25:03
of God,
25:05
your house
25:05
and your
25:07
kingdom
25:07
shall be
25:08
made sure
25:08
forever
25:09
before me.
25:11
Your throne
25:12
shall be
25:13
established
25:13
forever.
25:16
And we
25:17
understand that
25:17
the Davidic
25:18
covenant is
25:19
fulfilled by
25:21
Jesus Christ.
25:22
One that
25:22
came from
25:23
King David
25:24
would be the
25:26
ruler that
25:26
would rule
25:27
forever and
25:28
ever and
25:29
ever.
25:29
That one is
25:30
King Jesus
25:32
who sits on
25:33
a throne now
25:34
ruling over
25:35
all things.
25:36
It's what we
25:36
call his
25:37
session.
25:38
Seated at the
25:39
right hand of
25:39
the Father
25:40
and nothing
25:41
escapes his
25:42
attention or
25:43
control.
25:45
All things.
25:46
I think we're
25:46
singing a couple
25:47
of songs this
25:47
morning about
25:48
that.
25:50
He reigns
25:51
even now.
25:53
So we see
25:54
the Redeemer
25:55
at the end
25:56
of chapter
25:58
four.
25:59
And the
26:00
redemption that
26:00
he brings to
26:01
us is not
26:02
just a temporal
26:03
redemption,
26:04
although God
26:05
is caring for
26:06
us as well.
26:07
In his
26:07
providence,
26:08
he cares for
26:09
every detail
26:10
of our
26:11
days.
26:12
But it's a
26:12
much grander,
26:13
much more
26:14
important redemption
26:15
that's being
26:16
accomplished by
26:17
the Lord
26:17
Jesus Christ.
26:20
Paul says in
26:20
Ephesians
26:21
chapter 1
26:22
and verse
26:22
7,
26:23
in Jesus
26:23
we have
26:25
redemption
26:25
through his
26:26
blood,
26:27
the forgiveness
26:28
of our
26:29
trespasses
26:30
according to
26:31
the riches
26:32
of his
26:33
grace.
26:34
We are
26:35
delivered from
26:37
slavery,
26:38
from destitution,
26:39
from lostness
26:40
in sin,
26:42
from being
26:43
utterly cut
26:44
off from the
26:44
blessings of
26:46
God.
26:46
This picture of
26:48
these two
26:49
widows not
26:49
knowing where
26:50
their next meal
26:51
may come from,
26:52
the possibility
26:54
that they become
26:55
slaves is only a
26:56
little tiny picture
26:57
of the reality
26:58
of who we are
26:59
apart from
27:01
the redemption
27:01
of Jesus Christ.
27:03
Christ.
27:04
We needed
27:05
him to
27:06
offer up
27:06
himself
27:07
to pay
27:08
that eternal
27:09
debt
27:10
that we
27:11
owed
27:11
because of
27:12
our sin.
27:14
Paul says
27:15
here in
27:15
Ephesians
27:15
1
27:16
7
27:17
that we
27:17
have
27:18
the
27:19
forgiveness
27:19
of our
27:21
trespasses,
27:21
that debt
27:22
taken
27:23
away.
27:25
By faith
27:26
in Christ,
27:28
the church
27:29
is wed
27:30
to Christ.
27:32
We are
27:33
delivered
27:33
from our
27:33
spiritual
27:34
destitution
27:34
and final
27:35
destruction.
27:37
We are
27:38
cared for
27:38
spiritually
27:39
and
27:40
temporally.
27:43
The book
27:43
of Ruth
27:44
reminds us
27:45
to look
27:46
to the
27:46
loving kindness
27:47
of our
27:47
God
27:47
in the
27:48
person
27:48
and work
27:49
of Jesus
27:49
Christ,
27:50
regardless
27:51
of the
27:52
circumstances
27:53
that we
27:54
walk in.
27:55
He loves
27:56
you,
27:57
and he
27:57
is working
27:58
providentially
27:59
for you.
28:02
Now,
28:03
at the
28:03
beginning of
28:04
our study
28:04
of Ruth,
28:06
I did
28:06
something so
28:07
shocking,
28:08
so many
28:09
of you
28:09
said,
28:10
by having
28:11
a visual
28:12
image.
28:14
I pulled
28:14
out of the
28:14
front of my
28:15
Bible a
28:16
little origami
28:16
sparrow.
28:19
I promise
28:19
I'm not
28:20
going to
28:20
become this
28:20
guy.
28:22
There will
28:23
be no
28:23
multimedia
28:23
presentations.
28:24
This is as
28:25
fancy as it
28:25
gets for
28:26
me.
28:28
But I
28:28
have this
28:29
little
28:29
origami
28:29
sparrow
28:30
in the
28:31
front of
28:31
my
28:31
Bible,
28:32
which
28:32
reminds
28:33
me,
28:34
I told
28:34
you,
28:34
and I'll
28:35
tell you
28:35
again,
28:35
to look
28:36
at the
28:37
birds of
28:38
the air
28:39
in the
28:40
Sermon on
28:40
the Mount.
28:42
You can
28:42
see in
28:43
this creased
28:43
paper the
28:45
form of a
28:46
sparrow,
28:46
assuming that
28:46
you can see
28:47
it from
28:47
where you
28:48
are.
28:49
It's
28:50
formish,
28:51
the best
28:51
form I
28:52
could make
28:52
of a
28:53
sparrow.
28:54
But how
28:54
it takes
28:55
this form
28:55
is not
28:56
quite
28:57
clear.
28:58
Some
28:59
of the
28:59
folds
28:59
just
28:59
don't
29:00
make
29:00
sense
29:01
as
29:01
you're
29:01
making
29:02
them.
29:04
It
29:04
comes off
29:04
odd,
29:05
some of
29:05
these
29:05
folds,
29:06
but then
29:06
they become
29:07
more and
29:08
more
29:08
clear,
29:10
and it
29:10
becomes the
29:11
shape of
29:11
a
29:12
sparrow.
29:13
If you
29:13
were to
29:14
take it
29:14
and carefully
29:15
unfold it
29:16
and fold
29:16
it back
29:17
again,
29:18
you would
29:18
begin to
29:19
understand
29:20
how it
29:20
is that
29:21
it comes
29:21
to take
29:22
this
29:23
shape.
29:23
how we
29:25
understand
29:26
providence
29:27
is a
29:27
bit
29:27
like
29:28
this.
29:30
We
29:30
don't
29:30
often
29:30
understand
29:31
how
29:31
God
29:32
is
29:32
working
29:32
in
29:33
the
29:33
circumstances
29:33
of our
29:34
life,
29:35
but often,
29:36
not always,
29:37
but often,
29:38
we are allowed
29:39
glimpses of
29:40
how all
29:41
that he
29:41
does
29:42
is for
29:43
our good
29:43
and his
29:45
glory.
29:46
When we
29:46
don't get
29:47
to see
29:48
those glimpses
29:48
for ourselves,
29:49
we get
29:50
the benefit
29:50
of seeing
29:51
them in
29:52
the lives
29:52
of others
29:53
like
29:55
Naomi
29:55
and Ruth
29:56
and Boaz
29:58
and the
29:59
lineage
29:59
that
30:01
follows.
30:03
So just
30:04
for the
30:05
comfort of
30:05
your own
30:06
soul,
30:06
we think
30:07
about
30:07
providence
30:08
being unfolded.
30:09
I want to
30:09
take you
30:10
to two
30:10
texts,
30:11
just a
30:11
brief
30:12
closing.
30:13
So if
30:13
you will
30:13
please join
30:14
me in
30:14
Matthew
30:14
chapter
30:15
10.
30:22
I want
30:31
to show
30:31
you
30:31
something
30:31
rather
30:32
astounding
30:32
in parallel
30:36
recordings
30:37
of what I
30:38
want to
30:39
assume is
30:40
the same
30:40
teaching,
30:41
but it
30:41
could be
30:41
that Jesus
30:43
taught this
30:44
way multiple
30:45
times and
30:46
in multiple
30:46
ways and
30:47
therefore it's
30:47
recorded that
30:48
way,
30:50
but any
30:51
way you want
30:51
to slice
30:52
it,
30:53
these are
30:53
inspired
30:54
texts and
30:55
so we can
30:55
know that
30:55
it's recorded
30:56
this way
30:57
on purpose.
30:58
Let me show
30:58
you this.
30:59
He says in
30:59
Matthew
30:59
chapter 10
31:00
beginning in
31:00
verse 29,
31:03
this is Jesus
31:03
speaking,
31:04
are not
31:04
two sparrows
31:06
sold for
31:07
a penny?
31:08
This would
31:09
have been
31:09
for sacrifice
31:09
in the
31:10
temple.
31:11
Are not
31:11
two sparrows
31:12
sold for
31:14
a penny?
31:14
The least
31:15
of all of
31:16
the sacrifices
31:16
that could
31:17
be bought.
31:17
There was
31:17
an allowance
31:18
for this
31:18
for the
31:19
poorest of
31:19
people.
31:20
They could
31:21
buy two
31:21
sparrows
31:21
for a
31:22
penny.
31:23
And not
31:24
one of
31:24
them,
31:25
Jesus says,
31:25
will fall
31:25
to the
31:26
ground
31:26
apart from
31:28
your father,
31:29
his providence,
31:30
his control.
31:32
But even
31:32
the hairs
31:33
of your
31:33
head are
31:34
all numbered.
31:36
Fear not,
31:37
therefore,
31:38
you are of
31:39
more value
31:40
than many
31:41
sparrows.
31:43
So this
31:44
cheap bird
31:45
that's being
31:45
sold is
31:47
cared for
31:48
by the
31:50
father.
31:51
We are
31:51
much more
31:53
than that
31:53
is what
31:53
Jesus is
31:54
teaching us
31:55
here.
31:56
Now,
31:56
Matthew 10,
31:57
keep your
31:57
hand marked
31:58
there and
31:58
turn to
31:59
Luke chapter
32:00
12.
32:07
The record
32:08
here is
32:09
almost identical
32:10
so I won't
32:10
read it in
32:11
its entirety,
32:13
but there's
32:13
one very
32:15
notable
32:15
difference.
32:16
Remember
32:17
Matthew 10,
32:18
29 says,
32:19
are not
32:19
two sparrows
32:20
sold for
32:21
a penny?
32:22
Luke 12,
32:24
6 says,
32:25
are not
32:27
five sparrows
32:28
sold for
32:30
two pennies?
32:33
So we have
32:34
in the one
32:35
case,
32:35
two sparrows
32:37
for a penny,
32:37
in the other
32:38
case,
32:39
five sparrows
32:39
for two
32:41
pennies.
32:42
And so,
32:42
if you do
32:43
the grocery
32:43
shopping in
32:44
your home,
32:44
you already
32:44
know,
32:45
there's a
32:46
free sparrow.
32:48
There's one
32:49
thrown in.
32:51
Two for
32:52
one,
32:53
or five
32:54
for two.
32:55
There's an
32:55
odd sparrow.
32:59
Even
32:59
that sparrow,
33:01
right,
33:02
the God
33:02
providentially
33:03
cares for.
33:06
Do you ever
33:07
feel like the
33:07
odd sparrow?
33:09
I do.
33:10
I do.
33:11
The story
33:13
of the
33:13
book of
33:13
Ruth is
33:14
a glimpse
33:15
of God's
33:16
providence
33:17
for even
33:18
the odd
33:19
sparrow
33:20
unfolded.
33:23
May we
33:23
remember it,
33:25
recognize
33:25
its grand
33:26
significance,
33:28
and take
33:28
great courage
33:29
from it.
33:31
I hope it's
33:31
been good for
33:32
your soul
33:32
as it has
33:33
been for
33:34
mine.
33:35
Let's pray
33:35
together.
33:36
here.