"In the Court the nearest kinsman has to confess that he cannot redeem. Then, according to the custom of Deut. xxv. 10, he draws off his shoe and he and his house are publicly dishonoured because they have been unwilling and unable to act. At this point Boaz steps forward and acclaims his willingness and power to redeem the inheritance and to be united to Ruth as her Redeemer.
"The spiritual counterpart of these truths is shown us in Romans vii. 18, where we have it publicly revealed, to which our experience agrees, that the old man cannot redeem us:
"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."
"Neither can the law:
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us." (Rom. viii. 3, 4.)
"Where then can we look for help? We have a Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is revealed in this verse just quoted as willing and well able both to redeem our lives from the desolations of sin and also to be united to us as our Redeemer.
"No one but Christ can accomplish redemption. We have tried the Law, but that fails. We have tried 'the old man', and made good resolutions. But that fails. The Redeemer, however, comes forward and carries out our Redemption.
"And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi."
"In that one word 'bought' how much is expressed.
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich."
"Boaz did not have to become poor, but was able to unite Ruth to himself and to redeem her. Christ our Redeemer became poor in order that He might redeem us. He had to empty out all His wealth, and to give His life. He yielded Himself a sacrifice, in order that we though His poverty might be rich. For
"Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter i. 18, 19.
"That is what our Redeemer paid in order that He might say 'I have bought all'.
"And what was it for?
"Ruth . . . have I purchased to be my wife."
"He might have purchased her to be his slave or servant, but his thoughts were far higher than that.
"Ruth . . . have I purchased to be my wife."
"It would also have been wonderful if God had purchased us out of sin and evil and used us just as His slaves for eternity; but He calls us to closest unity with Himself.
"Again Boaz might have just offered Ruth a cottage on the estate and seen she had all her needs met. Is our only hope to have the Lord's help now and a mansion in glory hereafter? No, something far higher has been offered us by our Redeemer. We are to be His Bride now in the day of His rejection; and for ever in the day of His glory. Let us stir ourselves up to claim this.
"How wonderful to be united to Him, to know His love, to share His high position and His property! Because of the promise that Boaz had given Ruth, Ruth must have been just waiting at home, until all would be settled. Then the news was brought to her that all had been legally arranged. How wonderful that must have been for her! She learnt that Boaz had really gone through with his promise. It was an accomplished fact.
"We find the same spiritual truth expounded by Isaiah, who speaks of a barren widow and how she was blessed. In the fifty-third chapter we read of the Redeemer paying the price of Redemption, and in the fifty-fourth chapter we read of the redemption that He purchased for her. The teaching is just the same as in the Book of Ruth. All these Scriptures are written for our learning to show us what is the Redemption that Christ has for us (I Cor. x. 11; 2 Cor. i. 20).
"Let us read Isaiah liv. 1-5.
"Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.
"Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
"For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
"Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
"For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called."
"The reason why this barren soul was exhorted to sing was because 'Thy Maker is thy husband, the Lord of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth shall He be called.'
"Then He speaks to her:
"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
"O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." (Isaiah liv. 10-13.)
"This song describes redemption and tells us what it brings. This is what it means to have a Redeemer. Have we put in a claim for His redemption? He has given us opportunity for drawing near to Him, that we may seek the fullness of His Redemption with a broken, contrite and humble spirit. He will honour our claim. He has purchased us to be His own.
"What good news it was to Ruth to hear that it was all done, and legally done! I suppose after she heard it there was little time before the wedding took place. There were various preparations that had to be made before the wedding. She had to prepare her wedding garments, that she might be ready for him. Of course it all came out of the wealth of Boaz. She had nothing with which to prepare wedding garments befitting his position. How gladly and abundantly he would supply all that was needed for that great day that was coming. How Ruth would look forward to that day when Boaz would take her, and she would be one with him for ever, sharing his home and love.
"Now all this is an illustration to us. We know that redemption is accomplished. We know that it has been legally done before all earth and heaven. We know that Christ is our Redeemer and that He is well able to redeem our inheritance lost by sin; our characters, our speech, and actions and daily contacts with others. And we know He wants to do this but also longs that we may be closely united to Him and abide in Him and He in us day by day. Thus we shall have real rest indeed and bear fruit to His glory and bring forth Christ to the world around. Let us be zealous to hasten into all our full redemption.
"Finally we shall look forward to the day when He will take us to be united to Him for ever. He is giving us abundant grace just now, in order that we may be made ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb. He is giving us the fullness of His Spirit, and the abundant riches of His grace. There is no stint on that side. We may have all that we desire, in order that we may be ready for that day.
"May the day speedily come also when the Bride which is His Church is ready, and the Bridegroom appears, and takes us to be with Him, to be His for ever!"
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