Sunday, 24th February 2019
Ps Moses Kam
I. Accept Responsibility
Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” “I will redeem it,” he said. (Ruth 4:1-4)
Boaz is a responsible man. He is able to take the responsibility quickly in the things he should do; he lived in the moment. Whatever job or responsibility given to us are from God and we need to take responsibility and do it well.
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. (Ruth 1:1-2)
God has given us the identity to live in the light, we should stay true to ourselves and let our light shine!
Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz. (Ruth 2:1)
Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!” “The Lord bless you!” they answered. (Ruth 2:4)
We can see that Boaz honoured God and God has lift him up in all he did!
II. Live Out the Redeemer Identity
1. Born to Redeem
Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.” At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.” (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal. (Ruth 4:5-8)
Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. (Ruth 3:12)
Comparing with Boaz, the guardian-redeemer has the rightful position to redeem the land and Ruth. He was born with this identity! We are also born with an identity to take the responsibility and to help others; it’s not about if we are ready or not, but if we can be called at the right time to do the right things for God.
2. Courageous to Redeem
Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!” (Ruth 4:9-10)
The guardian-redeemer was calculating for himself, he was not sure if redeeming Naomi’s land is good for him; he had the earthly values. Whereas Boaz took the courage to do things that didn’t seem reasonable to men; but he was seeing things from God’s perspective.
III. Be Exalted and Remembered Forever
Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. (Ruth 4:11-13)
As we can see, because of Boaz’a courage and Ruth’s obedience, they took up the responsibilities from God, live in the moment, and pay a price, which didn’t seem reasonable; but at the end, their names were remembered and became the ancestors of king David and Jesus!
This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse,and Jesse the father of David. (4:18-22)
He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz. (II Chronicle 3:17)
Are we able to seize the moment, quickly hold onto God’s opportunity, take up the responsibility and receive the blessings?