| May the
Redeemer Be Renowned Ruth 4A. Here, at
the end of our walk through the little book of Ruth, it’s appropriate to take
a quick look back. B. “At one level, the message of the book of
Ruth is that the life of the godly is not a straight line to glory, but they
do get there.” (A Sweet & Bitter Providence) C.Taken chapter-by-chapter, the book of
Ruth seems on its surface to be a series of setbacks: 1. Ruth 1: famine forces Naomi and her
family to leave their homeland in Judah; Naomi’s husband dies; her sons marry
Moabite women; after 10 years no children are borne; her sons die;1:20-21. 2.
Ruth 2: Naomi is filled with new hope as Boaz appears on the scene as a
possible husband for Ruth, but he doesn’t make any definitive moves; the
chapter ends with suspense and uncertainty. 3. Ruth 3: Naomi and Ruth make a
risky move in the middle of the night;3:9; but another man has a prior claim
to marry Ruth and Boaz will not proceed without giving this man his lawful
opportunity. D. “Life is not a straight line leading from
one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven.” I.
Potential setbacks in Ruth 4
A. Boaz does the__________thing
and seems for a moment to have lost his opportunity (4:1-10). B. Ruth
was married for 10 years without bearing a____________. 1. A prayer of blessing is offered for Boaz
and Ruth (4:11-12). 2. “The LORD gave
her conception, and she bore a son”(4:13; Gen 29:31; 30:9,22). II. Ruth 4 sweetly closes the bitter circle
for Naomi A. Ruth 4:14-17shifts the
focus to Naomi. Why? 1. The story began with Naomi’s___________; it
ends with Naomi’s_______. 2. It began with_________and ends
with__________; a son is born. 3. At one time, she felt
completely_______(1:21); now she is____in a completely new way. B. “They named him Obed”(4:17)
-____________or________________. Vital
concluding takeaways: •Thank God
for________into the reality that so much more is going on than we imagine
(4:18-22). •God is able to accomplish
his___________in breathtaking ways (Judg 21:25; Ruth 4:22; Matt 1). •May the Redeemer be_____________(Matt
22:41-46; Gal 3:13-14; Tit 2:14; Luke 1:68; Rev 5:9). •The_________is yet to come (Rom 8:23; Rev
21:4). |
