Good morning everyone welcome to The Church Ministries 46th church service we are here to welcome everyone from Hawaii, and to the entire world. As you all may know my health has gotten worse and the attacks are getting even more intense. I do not wish to talk about myself but as your pastor I must share with you all the facts. I have not known anything these prior weeks and I just received the test results from my MRI and all I have is the report and there is something going on in my head with the Trigeminal nerve, showing some type of trouble that corresponds to what I have been going through for this past year. Plus I am looking at brain surgery for a doctor to go in there and pop the bubble of that nerve which would relive all the pain in my mouth, teeth and gums. Then I will be able to eat normally again, and gain my weight back and my strength. The other complication is being I was so week this past 11 months I also have to have surgery for a hernia because all I did was lift a bag of groceries, I was and still am very weak because of the absence of food and I was running a fever for almost just as long, and I had to live out of a blender, and I could not take in enough calories. I am about 130 with my clothes on so I would say that is pretty much a body of bones. One year ago I was working out with 60 pound dumbbells in each arm doing sets of ten, and starting out with 10 pound weights doing sets of ten, and increasing the weight by five pounds and moving up, and I would do that in three different positions, and that would only be a partial workout after about 45 sets. That is also how much endurance I had. But I used the time to study the word and to send out many prayer responses. So God gave me time to build a stronger relationship with Him, instead of my body. I still will not know exactly what the next step will be until my neurologist reads the 260 pictures they took on September 30th, and I had to wait till the 18th just to read the report, now I have to wait till the 12th next month to find out the facts. I was requesting the MRI since January but no one wanted to listen. I ended up getting tossed from doctor to doctor, which was another nightmare. So praise God that I am on my way of getting diagnosed after whole year. I might need some more tests like another CT scan and or an MRA. So ladies and gentlemen and all your families, friends and children, I am going to need all of your prayers. We know at the church that God has a plan a great plan for my future, and for the churches future, and maybe we would get a donation so we could build that mission downtown. We have to keep our faith through all of this so we can all triumph together as one body, the body of Christ.
Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you this day in the Name of Jesus. We all need your presence. We need your purity; we need to stand on the authority of Your word. We are all here to surrender ourselves to You and all our desires, and all that we are, and all that we are not. We need the anointing and truth of the Holy Spirit to come upon us all and produce in us all the choice spiritual fruit deep within our souls. We ask for your forgiveness, and we ask to be new creations through Your Son Jesus Christ. We all need Your purification to turn us around, and bring us all to repentance, and face us to the great light of love and peace. We all need to be cleansed and sanctified so we can humbly worship You in honor, spirit and in truth. Thank you for sending the comforter, and the anointing upon us all. Please anoint this teaching and our worship as we send glory and joy to Your name. We love You Father and we praise Your mighty Name! We need Your power to grant us a firm foundation so we are able to stand firm in holiness and love. We are all here to give tribute to You, to gather together and to learn Your word and share the love and life of Your Son Jesus Christ. Through the shedding of His blood He has given us a new open life of wholesomeness and integrity. Cast away our fleshly nature and all our selfish thoughts and any non-forgiveness we may be still carrying. We need to be made whole, unblemished, and full of Your righteousness, and we can only gain that by the belief and faith in Your beloved Son. We glorify the Name, the Name over the heavens and the earth. We come before You with our heads bowed and our minds open to all your guidance, direction and love. Please come upon us Lord please enter into our hearts and show us Your inner peace, and bring us your great light so we can reflect our inner selves back to You for Your glory. In Jesus Name, Amen
As we covered last week Naomi heard about Boaz would be winnowing the barley and then eating and drinking and then sleeping by the grain to protect it from theft. Naomi convinced Ruth to get dressed up and go down to the threshing floor and wait for him to eat, drink and get merry and to lie at his feet. She did what Naomi instructed. She lay at Boaz’s feet and he awoke and asked who are you? Ruth said, “I am your main servant, your next of kin; pull some of your blanket or (wings) over me.” Boaz was pleased that Ruth was choosing him to be the family Redeemer, when she could have chosen a younger man. He also noted that she was a woman of excellence or a virtuous woman. He told her there was another man or kinsman closer to the relationship of the family and that he had to run it by him first, before he could marry her and redeem the family property. The other kinsman had to turn down his proper right first before Boaz could set anything into motion. Before the sun came up, he loaded a message and statement with six measures of barley for Ruth to take home to Naomi, not only supplying the two widows with food, but Naomi understood the message that Boaz will complete what he set out to do without resting.
1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, "Turn aside, friend, sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down. Ruth 4:1 NASB
As we open the story today we are at the gate of the city. Boaz knew he would find this particular man, (Kinsman, Relative) right there. Everyone groups together at the gate. The gate was set up for merchants, different types of town business, and court proceedings. The gate was like city hall, or a basic downtown to any other town. Here all the great men and Elders of the town would have discussions and meetings. Everyone leaving and entering town would have to pass through the gate and be seen, heard, and has fellowships with others. It was the main gathering place to do legal transactions, trade, buying and selling of goods and all kinds of Family business. We never find out the name of the (kinsman) or other relative. Boaz thought he would run into him there, and he did, and asked him to sit down and hear his proposal.
So, Boaz knew he needed some witnesses for this proposal. There is always so much activity going on. It was easy for him to grab ten Elders, (men) or witnesses. He also asked them to sit down. Boaz was setting up a small local, full court for this semi legal matter, or a basic public forum.
2 He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down. Ruth 4:2 NASB
If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. Deut. 25:5-6 NIV
3 Then he said to the closest relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. Ruth 4:3 NASB
Boaz now pleaded his case to the relative or (kinsman). Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, had some property that he sold ten years ago and needed a near kinsman to buy back that property. It was Naomi’s property now up for sale. Boaz was a bit tricky about the situation. When he first presented the option he was only talking about the property, he did not include Ruth yet. When the man heard about it he was going to buy it, but the Boaz just subtly added in the fact when you purchase the land you also have to marry the Moabite woman, Ruth, and continue to have children with her to extend the family name of her deceased husband, Mahlon, because he was the son of Elimelech and most likely heir to the land. When the man heard this he backed down. He was not particularly happy with the second part of this deal or proposal. You see, this man started to worry about his own property and inheritance. If he had a son with Ruth then that son could take his property he already had. Now, no one knows if he had a son already that would be the heir to his estate, so if he did, then the families would have to split the properties and he could loose what he already had, plus he would be obligated to keep the family name going and he knew Naomi would also be part of the deal. He backed out of the deal and told Boaz to go ahead and redeem the proposition. Now the way was clear for Boaz to marry Ruth. Boaz was not worried about loosing any of his estate or share it with the family of Elimelech.
4 "So I thought to inform you, saying, ' Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it." Ruth 4:4 NASB
As you can see by the law of the Levirate marriage was to continue the family name. So, if a couple got together and the husband died, the wife has to turn to the brother of her husband to continue the family name. If the widow marries someone outside the family, the first husband’s name would come to an end. During these times if there was not a brother it would be the choice to marry someone else, a (close relative) or kinsman to the dead mans husband. This way the marriage would carry on the dead mans name and inheritance. This was very important to Israelite culture.
However, if a man does not want to marry his brother's wife, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and say, "My husband's brother refuses to carry on his brother's name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me." Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, "I do not want to marry her," his brother's widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, "This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother's family line." Deut. 25:7-9 NIV
As you can see by the law and how it states, this relative or kinsman in the story got off easy. He could have been spit in the face and the family would not have a bit of shame being called the family of the man whose sandal was pulled off. So, the relative just took off his sandal and handed it to Boaz, which confirmed that he did not want to be part of Ruth and Naomi’s family and the purchase of the land.
Men are ready to buy opportunities and increasing their estates, but, they forgot the value of giving. They forgot about the kindness of others because what it could do to their own inheritance. We know God placed the honor on Boaz to bring him into the family line of Christ. While the other kinsman was afraid of losing some of his inheritance and his name is lost and forgotten.
5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance."
6 The closest relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it."
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.
8 So the closest relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." And he removed his sandal. Ruth 4:5-8 NASB
So now you can see the ten witnesses played a proper role. Boaz made his announcement that he was buying back the land from the family of Elimelech and the two sons, Chilion and Mahlon from the hand of Naomi, plus, in his announcement he declares he will marry Ruth, the widow of Mahlon, and the daughter-in law of Naomi and continue on with the family name and Mahlons’s name in the town register or civic office. So, his name is not forgotten.
9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.
10 "Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today." Ruth 4:9-10 NASB
With the other kinsman out of the way Boaz was now free to be the actual kinsman redeemer. Boaz made the announcement that he was willing to buy all of Elimelech’s, Chilion’s and Mahlon’s land and possessions which Naomi probably had in some type of trust. It probably was some sort of a provision laid down from her husbands will. Boaz was still happy to announce his care and feelings towards Ruth to be his wife. Through his words he was not just purchasing the land but redeeming her hand. Also in his announcement he was proclaiming the fact that he was raising up the name of the dead within the inheritance. This way he could keep the line of Elimelech and Mahlon and their names which were cut from the time of their deaths. This way his future son with Ruth would continue the line of the family seed. Plus now their names or honor or placement will not disappear from the land of Israel. The witnesses responded so pleasantly that they not only made it a fact of the transaction but added a blessing on Ruth to have a plentiful family such as Rachel and Leah who were the wives of Jacob. Also within the blessing and compliment they added the worthiness to the land in Ephratah which was like the county or surrounding area, and to have future fame in Bethlehem. As we know they did become famous in our bible history and they were chosen by God to be the great-grandparents of King David of Bethlehem who as we all know was Israel’s greatest King and follows the family line and continued genealogy of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel."
19 Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me." 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."
22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. 24 And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?"
26 Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work."
28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. 30 Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years. Gen. 29: 16-28 NIV
Jacob's Children
31 When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now."
33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon.
34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." So he was named Levi.
35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "This time I will praise the LORD ." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children. Gen. 29:31-35 NIV
11 All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. Ruth 4:11 NASB
As the crowd yelled out in verse 11 we come across the names of Rachel and Leah in Genesis 29. We know the story, Jacob loved Rachel and he asked for her hand in marriage and Laban was the father. Jacob said he would work for seven years for Laban to marry Rachel, then when the seven years were up Jacob was tricked and married Leah through disguise and trickery. Then Jacob had freaked out and said what is going on? Laban said “I cannot let you marry my youngest daughter, so Jacob was still mad and loved Rachel. He stayed married to Leah and worked another seven years for Laban than married Rachel. Through all these years, the two mothers and their two handmaidens gave birth to the (twelve tribes), (sons) of Israel. The blessing that was spoken to Ruth more or less was be fruitful as far as a family, and the blessing over Boaz was to be rich and famous.
12 "Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman." Ruth 4:12 NASB
Judah and Tamar
1 At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. 2 There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; 3 she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. 4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. 5 She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.
6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD put him to death.
8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother." 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was wicked in the LORD's sight; so he put him to death also.
11 Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." For he thought, "He may die too, just like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's house.
12 After a long time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.
13 When Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep," 14 she took off her widow's clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, "Come now, let me sleep with you."
"And what will you give me to sleep with you?" she asked.
17 "I'll send you a young goat from my flock," he said.
"Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?" she asked.
18 He said, "What pledge should I give you?"
"Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand," she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. 19 After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow's clothes again.
20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived there, "Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?"
"There hasn't been any shrine prostitute here," they said.
22 So he went back to Judah and said, "I didn't find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, 'There hasn't been any shrine prostitute here.' "
23 Then Judah said, "Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn't find her."
24 About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant."
Judah said, "Bring her out and have her burned to death!"
25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. "I am pregnant by the man who owns these," she said. And she added, "See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are."
26 Judah recognized them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah." And he did not sleep with her again.
27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, "This one came out first." 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, "So this is how you have broken out!" And he was named Perez. 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out and he was given the name Zerah. Gen. 38 NIV
Now the people of the city responded with historical blessings.
While our story is still unfolding so many different directions with the benedictions and blessings of the people at the gate, this is an actual account of the family’s real experiences and you can see that the hands of God are within the format, and we also hear historical links within the past. It is amazing of how the family line or genealogy of King David and Jesus Christ all have a thin line of redemption running through the whole story. God is defending the woman, the same in Gen 3:15- the seed of the woman which was to crush the head of the serpent and how now the people at the gate bring forth the name of Tamar who is also in that thin line of redemption still running even as far as five generations back, who was also included in the genealogy of Christ. There is no coincidence for these two women and even the way Tamar acted, to get a child, with trickery and sin. Still Gods grace extends to all people even the twins Tamar had, Perez and Zerah. Perez, was Boaz’s great, great, great, great, grandfather and how the story came about, but we can know one thing that Christ did come to save sinners and just to have this story in the family tree of Christ, we can understand the reasoning of our Lord Jesus. Even this was a strange family, but was fruitful, producing most of the Bethlehemites including the families of Boaz and Naomi’s late husband, Elimelech.
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. Ruth 4:13 NASB
Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 127:3 NASB
14 Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel.
15 "May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him." Ruth 2:14-15
As we break all this down, Ruth’s son is named Obed, meaning, worship, or worship of the Lord, Obed which is derived from the Hebrew word, ebed, meaning, servant. Obed would end up being the father of Jesse, which in turn would be the grandfather of the King David. During the announcement at his naming they said a son is born to Naomi because of the continued inheritance it will follow throughout the ages. So if there was not a son born, the family name of Naomi would have ended the family name. We see Obed will continue to carry on the family tree. Ruth’s dead husband, Mahlon, would have been the boy’s father for the inheritance of everything. So as we break this down, Obed, as Mahlon’s heir, Obed would be responsible to care for Naomi all through her old age. Obed is the son now, replacing the dead son Mahlon. This is why they said Naomi has a newborn son. So the Lord redeemed Naomi’s life and gave her more blessings than she could ever hope for.
16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse.
17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi!" So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Ruth 2:16-17
Genealogies are very selective and do not always reveal everyone in the whole family. We know that Mahlon was still registered as some town official, but still his name would be intact for future reference. Ruth’s faith in the Lord set new points for the future with her being a Great Grandmother of King David and ancestor of Jesus Christ. Even though Boaz chooses an unheard relationship of Moabites our God educates us again that the new covenant would apply to anyone who believed, not just the Jewish Nation.
18 Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron,
19 and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab,
20 and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon,
21 and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed,
22 and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.
This story or small book teaches us a lot about the thin line of redemption. A story within a story, the stage is set from the past and leads all the way into the future with a love story of two people falling in love, which God Himself brought about. All the significance within this family and there love and honor towards God. Naomi had a tragedy and God made her faith blossom into a great reward. Even through the tough times Naomi continued to trust God, and with God and His timing blessed her beyond what she ever thought, God can always bring blessings when a tragedy hits, we should never give up on the Lord. He will always be with us even though times you don’t think He is there. This genealogy could have been added later, or it could have been written with the book at a later time. What we do know is the field that Boaz had and the property that Boaz redeemed is the same field that the Shepard’s stood and saw the great star, and met the angel that told them about a savior being born that night. And it was the same fields that princes and Wise men from the east came with treasures of gold, frankincense and myrrh and crossed the same field and found the manger where Christ was born, on the same land that was owned by Boaz, Ruth and Naomi many years later.
