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[0:00] We're excited to have our brother, Pastor Tim, preach to us. Before that happens, let's turn to the book of Ruth.! The book of Ruth, chapter 2. It's a small book.

[0:12] It's after the book of Judges. It's before the book of 1 Samuel. Ruth, chapter 2.

[0:25] I will be reading the verses 1 through to verse 16. This is the word of God. Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz.

[0:42] And Ruth, the Moabitess, said to Naomi, Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor. Naomi said to her, Go ahead, my daughter.

[0:54] So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

[1:07] Just then, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. The Lord be with you. The Lord bless you. They called back. Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters, Whose young woman is that?

[1:20] The foreman replied, She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.

[1:31] She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter. So Boaz said to Ruth, My daughter, listen to me.

[1:42] Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls. Watch the field where the men are harvesting and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you, and whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.

[1:59] At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me, a foreigner? Boaz replied, I have been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before.

[2:21] May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge. May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my Lord, she said.

[2:34] You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant, though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls. At mealtime, Boaz said to her, Come over here, have some bread, and dip it in the wine vinegar.

[2:48] When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don't embarrass her.

[3:02] Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up. And don't rebuke her. Amen. Come preach to us.

[3:16] Greetings from Neuchâtel, from the Church of Neuchâtel overseas, who just met this morning to praise the Lord. Without air, a plane cannot fly.

[3:31] Nothing is carrying it, and it cannot rise and fly a long or even a short distance. Without the Holy Spirit, you will not be able to fly through the Bible and get what God wants you to grasp.

[3:47] We need the work of the Holy Spirit this morning. Ruth is a fantastic book. We are meditating on this book in our Bible study in Neuchâtel, and it's so amazing that I thought I had to preach on this book today.

[4:07] I will not preach on the whole book, but on the part of the book today. We will not be able to see everything. That's so rich, this book. But I want to give us two perspectives after the introduction related to Bose.

[4:23] First, about his manhood, and second, about his role of pointer to Christ. Concentrated to the second chapter of Ruth, Ruth, we just read.

[4:38] Sometimes I will say Ruth, because that's in French, Ruth. Sorry. But you will do the translation, I hope. So that's why I named this preaching, Bose, a man who points to Christ.

[4:53] A man who points to Christ. The book of Ruth begins sadly. Elimelech and his family are turning away from the Lord of Israel.

[5:07] There is a famine, a big trail, and a big trail who has the normal role to lead to God for repentance. That's a normal way of a trail.

[5:18] But they don't seek God. And they go away to a stranger country where idols were worshipped. You know, this state is our, as our children of Adam.

[5:36] Our parents turned away from God's disobeying him. Until this moment, our nature is linked with this rebellion.

[5:48] Our nature has to be changed, transformed, renewed, like a resurrection, a new birth, a new creation. The beginning of Ruth gives us the state we all are without our Savior.

[6:05] We are lost under the just judgment of God. Ruth was raised in an idolatry context. She surely tried to be a good daughter, and then later a good wife, and a good daughter-in-law.

[6:21] But trying to be good, if it usually places you in a less difficult situation, don't change your nature.

[6:32] Don't change your guilty state, and don't fill your empty heart. I pray that everybody this morning here understand that this is the state of the fallen world.

[6:50] Without Christ, we are all in. Are you convinced that you are in this state without Christ? If not, ask your parents, or a member of this church next to you after the service, he will explain you your state without Christ, and then the good news of the gospel, of course.

[7:17] Ruth understood that she had to leave her old life to go to the only true God to find refuge under his wings.

[7:29] That's the second part of Ruth 1. You remember that Ruth testified his attachment to Naomi and, more important, to God.

[7:41] Look in your Bible, Ruth 1, 16-17. But Ruth said, Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you.

[7:58] For where you go, I will go. For where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried.

[8:12] May the Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you. So she wants to the place where she could be redeemed.

[8:28] She didn't know exactly what would happen. And maybe she didn't know anything about redeeming, but she had placed her trust on God.

[8:43] Arrived in Bethlehem, she starts to work, counting on God's help. She meets a man, the one who will become her redeemer. We will no longer speak about Ruth.

[8:57] But you can see her character, determined, courageous, hard worker, humble, loyal, compassionate with his mother-in-law, full of initiative, while being submissive.

[9:13] Ruth, can say, is an incarnation of the wise woman presented in Proverbs 31. If Ruth can be seen as a wise woman, an example for the womanhood, Boaz, do you say Boaz?

[9:31] Okay, Boaz, is the wise man, an example of the manhood. Let's see together the first point. A man, or Boaz as a man.

[9:45] If we have Proverbs 31, often used to tell what is a wise woman, maybe the man can read Job 31.

[9:57] We have Proverbs 31, and Job 31 for the man to understand what is a wise man. It is important to be able to understand the difference between the man and woman, particularly in our age.

[10:12] both are created in God's image, but with different roles, different strength, different interests, different ability. Focusing on Boaz, we will not be able to cover all the range of masculinity, but some important aspects.

[10:33] First, we see that Boaz is a worthy man. You see it in chapter 2, verse 1. Boaz is a worthy man.

[10:48] He uses his strength to bless others. With our main group in Neuchâtel, we are reflecting on what is masculinity, what is a man, and at the same time we are studying Ruth.

[11:04] So I said, oh, Boaz is really an example here. I was so amazed to see that. And it has some relating with a lot of other texts we can read.

[11:16] For example, in 1 Peter 3, we have this text who is written 1 Peter 3, 7. Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor.

[11:30] That's important, showing honor. to the woman has the weaker vessels since they are hares with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be entered.

[11:44] The men are usually physically stronger, even if a lot of women disagree in our time. but that's the truth, the Bible says. And the Bible teaches also that the bad use of this strength that's directly related to the fall in Genesis 3, 16, we read that the man uses his strength to rule over the woman.

[12:13] That's the bad use of the strength. But God gave the strength to the man to protect, to take care and honor the woman and their wife in particular, since they are hares with them of the grace of life.

[12:30] If, as a man, I use my strength for something else than protect, take care and honor, I have to ask me if I use the strength God has given me in the right way.

[12:44] Because using the strength God has given me to my own way, to crush the other and to achieve my kingdom, that's misusing what I have received and I will have to give account to the creator.

[13:04] Boaz uses his power, his wealth and his position to protect, to take care and to honor even the weaker.

[13:14] the first thing we generally see in the life of Boaz is what should characterize a man. It is that the strength he has given is used to protect, to care for and to honor.

[13:32] So, boys, if you have received more strength, it is to protect, not to get, to protect, to care for and to honor.

[13:48] So, remember the next time you will use your strength for something, is it to protect, to take care and to honor? If not, maybe you don't have to use this strength for that or the bad thing.

[14:04] Let's dig in to other characteristics in the text. Ruth, Ruth 2, 4. We read it together.

[14:16] And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, the Lord be with you. And they answered, the Lord bless you. As a man of God, Boaz in his daily life has God in his mouth.

[14:33] He visits his workers and says, the Lord be with you. Can you imagine your boss coming at your work visiting you and saying, the Lord be with you?

[14:47] What's a blessing? The Lord is the first to be served and the one to be blessed and the one who blesses what we do.

[15:00] The man is called to have this mentality, God first and above all. and those who have responsibility in business also and specially.

[15:11] In the same verse, we see that the reapers answer to Boaz to Boaz greetings. They say, the Lord bless you. And that's exactly the mentality we need to have as worker, as student, as school child.

[15:27] We want the people that have responsibility toward us to be blessed. so the second thing we should characterize a man is that he focuses on God as father or as a child, as employer or as employee.

[15:50] We find the next characteristic in the next verse, verse 5. You can read it. Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reaper, whose young woman is this?

[16:06] That's interesting to see that Boaz speaks with his employee. He respects the order in place. He speaks with the man who is in charge of the reapers.

[16:22] He doesn't go directly to Ruth. It helps us to understand that Boaz is respectful with the defined roles.

[16:34] I'm sure that the young man in charge of the reapers was honored that his boss came to him and asked him. When Boaz then went to Ruth for this man, it was okay.

[16:48] He asked the information and then he went to Ruth to ask her. It was clear. And Boaz talking with the employee tells us something more.

[16:59] As a man of truth, he wants to have factual information and no gossip. So he patiently listened and received a report with factual information.

[17:13] She came, she asked, she worked persistently. So that's a third thing who should characterize a man. That's the love of order respecting the role and seeking the truth.

[17:31] Then, with all this information received, he goes to Ruth. That's Ruth 2, 8, 2, 9. Read it. Then Boaz said to Ruth, now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young woman.

[17:51] Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping and go after them. Have I not charged the young man not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.

[18:10] Boaz reassures Ruth from his first words. He calls her, do you see the word he used? He calls her daughter.

[18:23] even if he knew that she was a stranger. Boaz reassures Ruth from his first word.

[18:36] His employee told him that she was a Moabite woman. But Boaz, the man, uses his power, his authority to reassure her.

[18:53] that's the goal of manhood. Masculinity lived in God's way reassures. Boaz then manifests his generosity.

[19:08] Do not go in another field, he told her. Stay in my field. There is enough to feed you and your mother-in-law. and not only he becomes Ruth, but he encourages her to have contact with a young woman.

[19:26] Boaz the man helps Ruth to build his social network. work. That's what the man is responsible for too. Some men think that their role is to work, to get money, to provide for a house, food, clothes, and maybe holidays, and if they have given that to their family, they have provided, and everybody has to be happy.

[19:56] But if material providing is good and right, it's not only the material part, but provide means to provide for the affection relation, the social building, and very important, the spiritual guidance through teaching with and without words.

[20:18] So the fourth thing we should characterize a man is to provide holistically. That means for material needs, for affection needs, for social needs, and spiritual needs.

[20:33] So my dear young man, train yourself not only to provide for material, to have a lot of money, for your future family, but also to provide for affection, social life, and above all, spiritual life in your future home.

[20:52] in verse nine, we have seen that the kindness of both which implement a protection, he implements a protection system against abuse.

[21:06] That's in the text. We see that for godly man, that's not a new idea to protect women, and especially the foreign women who are more vulnerable.

[21:16] the man is created with more strength to protect. You remember?

[21:28] And Boaz uses his power to put this protection in place. I have charged the young man not to touch you. What an example. Boaz also provides for basic needs.

[21:42] Ruth can drink the water the young man have drawn. For a foreign woman from Moab to have access to water drawn from Jews, that's extraordinary.

[21:56] That's the generosity of Boaz. So the fifth thing we should characterize a man is to put protection in place and provide for fundamental needs for the weakest.

[22:13] We're not finished with Boaz the man. Read with me his answer to Ruth thankfulness in Ruth 2 11. Boaz answered her, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before.

[22:40] The Lord repay you for what you have done and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel under whose wings you have come to take refuge.

[22:53] Boaz recognizes the efforts of Ruth by telling her that he knows the works and the pain she had and he actually encourages her.

[23:06] I can reassure you, my dear brethren, if you come at home and you recognize the work done by your wife, before you say anything else, but first recognize the work done, it will be an encouragement to her.

[23:30] And if you add gratitude and engagement, it will be better. And most important thing is that Boaz recognized the spiritual journey of Ruth and encourages her to remain steadfast in love, in faith.

[23:52] You choose to come under the God of Israel wing to take refuge. Good choice! And I encourage you to remain under these wings. Did you come under the wings of the God of Jesus Christ?

[24:11] Boaz the man recognized the importance, the ground, the spiritual journey, and every man who wants to live in God's direction need to understand that important point. Every man has to be grounded in faith and strive to ensure the other are too.

[24:31] That's the sixth thing we should characterize a man is to recognize and encourage spiritual progress and the work done. Boaz's life was as it is written in Micaiah 6, 8, you know I think by heart.

[24:50] He has told you oh man what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do the justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with our God.

[25:05] Do justice love kindness and walk with your God could be the summary of a man who uses his strength to protect a man who put God at the first place a man who loves the truth and seeks it a man who provides not only for material but also spiritually affectionally and socially!

[25:30] who could recognize and encourage the spiritual progress and the work done. That's all characteristics of a man we've seen with Boaz but even if Boaz is a good example to follow with the strength God gives us he cannot give us the motivation to live it.

[25:50] He cannot pay for what we didn't do. He cannot deliver us from this terrible sin who deviates our ways of what is good. We need a redeemer the one who is more than a perfect man.

[26:06] That's why we go now to the second point. After Boaz a man we see the part of Boaz who points to Christ. Of course the most obvious pointing to Christ in Ruth is the redeeming role of Boaz who gives a new life to Ruth.

[26:27] Christ is the one who delivers! us from the poverty in which we have fallen by our own sin. Christ gives us the part of a holy family.

[26:39] Christ like a husband takes care of his church.!

[27:11] family family had a relative of her husband a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech whose name was Boaz. Boaz appears in the story exactly at the right place at the right moment.

[27:30] Before was too early and after would be too late. Boaz points to Christ who arrived at the right place at the right moment in human history.

[27:43] Jesus accomplished then every prophecy God announced to realize through him in the Old Testament. And Christ continued to act in our lives at the right time.

[27:58] He continues to act in our lives at the right time at the right moment. Boaz will comes Ruth and then we don't see him during the fall harvest several weeks.

[28:12] She knew she was at the right place, was protected and she had what she needed. The second aspect in that first verse of Ruth 2.1 is that Christ has to be parent, a parent.

[28:31] Christ didn't become an angel. He didn't become an animal. He became a human. because to take place of a man and woman, he had to be a man.

[28:46] Jesus was God from the beginning. He wasn't a man. And he became a man to be apparent to be able to redeem us. As Boaz was apparent.

[29:00] Boaz must have been apparent to be able to redeem Ruth. it points to Christ who became like us. And the third point in Ruth 2.1 Christ is the worthy man.

[29:19] The term used and translated worthy in the ESV means powerful, strong, leader, wealthy. And that means that we are sure that we can trust him because he can do what he says.

[29:38] Not everybody could redeem. The redeemer must have the power, the wealth and be able to protect the redeemed. Who is more powerful than Christ?

[29:55] Who? Nobody that's written. he said to his disciples, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.

[30:10] He has the power to do what he says. Who is more strong than Christ? He defeated the death.

[30:22] 1 Corinthians 15 56 to 57. Who is the more wealthy capable to pay for us? Christ who has every riches in the world.

[30:36] So Ruth 2 1 helped us to see that Boaz points to Christ. He tells us that Christ came at the right time, that Christ had to be parent to redeem us, and that Christ is worthy because he can do what he promises.

[30:54] Continuing in the journey in Ruth 2 we see Boaz who has God in his mouth when he is with his workers. We have seen that before. He speaks to Ruth the most important thing and tells her in the verse 12.

[31:13] That's written the Lord repay you for what you have done and the full reward will be given by you by the Lord, the God of Israel under whose wings you have come to take refuge.

[31:28] Not only Boaz shows his dependence on God but he encourages others to be dependent on him. These dependents point to Christ. Christ is God dependent.

[31:42] Jesus said to his disciples, my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Christ directed his Israel to God.

[31:56] He took time in prayer and until the last night this terrible night where he had seen the cup he had to drink.

[32:09] He remained faithful to his dependency on God yet not what I will but what you will. Christ is one with his father and pray for us to be one with him.

[32:26] And Boaz takes also care of the weak and speaks with respect to them and that point also to Christ. Christ takes care of the weak and speaks with respect.

[32:41] Christ heart is compassionate. He is humble and kind. If you didn't read the book Gentle and Lowly The Heart of Christ for sinners and sufferers written by Dan Ortlund read it and you will understand how many times Christ stopped and spoke with weak people.

[33:08] He spoke with them respectfully and helped them. The respect that Boaz shows us for his workers and for this young woman point to Christ who a breezed reed he will not break and a smoldering week he will not quench.

[33:31] Matthew 12 20 Christ announced the good news to the weak he loved them so much.

[33:45] Ruth was a stranger and an idolater from a cursed people Boaz yet welcomes her and that point to Christ who welcomes the one who don't deserve it.

[34:00] The one who understands this state before God if I understand my state before God without Christ I never can go to Christ and say hello dear Jesus I deserve your love I deserve your grace I deserve your reward you know I'm so good if I say that I misunderstand my state profoundly I need to ask for the Holy Spirit to be convinced of my sin and then to go to Christ and no more to say I deserve it I ask for grace it's important that everybody understand that he deserves nothing because if you think you deserve something you will never go to God and to Christ as you have to go to him never and you will not be delivered of your your sin and your burdens!

[35:10] Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest! That's not because we deserve it that's because he will comes us like Boaz welcomed Ruth whoever comes to me I will never cast out said Jesus in John 6 37 Boaz welcomed one lady who was an idolater it points to Christ who will come the sinners like me and you Boaz speaks healing words he recognizes Ruth's spiritual journey and encourages her with fantastic and profound words that's the verse 12 the Lord repay you for what you have done and a full reward be given you by the

[36:12] Lord the God of Israel under whose wings you have come to take refuge and at the table Boaz continues to point to Christ he's sitting with the worker he's the boss but he's sitting with the worker and he still serves Ruth doesn't remind something in your head about Christ yes when Christ washed his disciples feet and it was among other things a lesson of service and even at this time he continued to be the boss the master the one who is in authority but he washed the feet of his disciples Jesus came to serve and humiliate himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on the cross and as the king of his kingdom

[37:13] Jesus died for his citizens so they will be saved Jesus was never afraid to look humble he was never afraid to look humble as Boaz when he served this young lady of Moab he could say oh what the people are thinking about for me no he did it and Boaz is a pale imitation of Christ but he points to Christ the perfect one in every interaction with Ruth we see respect from Boaz to Ruth for that aspect he also pointed to Christ Christ had a respect for women you can search in the gospel you will not find a place Christ doesn't respect women you will not find and if you look at your and then if we look in our own life can we say that never in your thinking we had disrespect for women do you respect the woman who don't drive the car the way you think it is good the one who never stops speaking the woman who speaks about football and knowing the basic rules

[38:44] Jesus never had an unrespect thought Christ never ever had disrespect for women even in his thought and I can't say that because it is written that he was without sin to that foreign woman he met in Sychar in John 4 he was kind and we see that the first time he said he is the messiah was there to a woman it was the first time and the first person Christ met after the resurrection is a woman he was respectful with her Boaz was respectful to Ruth a foreign young lady he is not perfect man but these characteristics and others point to Christ and at the end of the book of

[39:46] Ruth we see that Boaz redeems and marries Ruth that points to Christ who redeems his church who is his bride as conclusion if Boaz point to Christ and give an example of being a man Ruth is the one we have to identify with we are not Boaz that's Christ we are idolaters lost forever until we come to Christ and are redeemed do you realize that you are lost by yourself and that you need to be released from your sin and there is no exceptions among us so if somebody says I'm not so bad that means that you don't understand your state ask for the Holy Spirit who convinced the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment

[40:47] John 16 8 we are all a Ruth who was an idolater but then knowing our state will fly to the cross of Christ where there is food you work in the field you ask for redeeming knowing that Christ is the man who lives perfectly the manhood and he is the perfect redeemer who is able to pay and give a new life therefore as the Holy Spirit says today if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts Christ came at the right moment on earth and he comes at the right moment in your life for the Christian man leave your masculinity following

[41:48] God's word and godly examples for the Christian women help the man to be man pray for them and encourage them when you see biblical masculinity boys use your strength to protect take care and honor and girls pray for the boys and encourage them to become man of God and for everybody rejoice Because Boaz points to the only one who can deliver us from our sin our pride our false view of humanity to give us the grace to enter in his ways for his glory we'll pray O

[42:52] Lord you the almighty God we come to you today with praise with honor with love because we understand that we don't deserve even to speak to you but we come to you because Christ came to us thank you for the for your Bible the stories we have in the Old Testament who are real stories who help us to understand that you prepared the way of Christ to come and that you prepared us to understand what to look for we need a redeemer we need the one who deliver us from our poverty our spiritual poverty our state of a sinner who can do nothing to be washed by himself we're so happy to know that you take us in your field and you say stay go with the other in the field have relationships have faith in the one you came under his wings

[44:33] I pray for everybody here oh lord that you give strength during this week that you give the joy to speak about your word about your gospel about Christ our savior I pray for the man in the church that they live as man leading their families in your word for your glory and I praise you for this church who wants to grow to grow with you and to be a testimony of you in this place I pray for everybody around this church who don't know you don't know you yet I pray for them that they will hear about you and they will come to you transformed by your grace and

[45:34]  I pray for every churches around the world who are living this day that everybody points to you and I hope oh Lord that Christ will live in us during all this day and all this week for your glory in Christ I pray Amen